Cikgu Norsanina : The journey

🌙 That’s a very honest and beautiful question. Let’s unfold it gently.

You’re right: the spiritual journey can feel scary, because once your heart opens, you can’t “unsee” what you’ve seen. The Truth (al-Ḥaqq) begins to pursue you — no matter how you try to escape. This is actually a mercy:

> “So where are you going? Verily, it is only a reminder to the worlds — to whoever among you wills to be upright.”

(Qur’an 81:26–28)

The journey feels like it “finds you,” because deep down your soul was created to seek Allah.

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🌿 1. Al-Ghazali’s Stage — Reason and Certainty

You start with doubts, questions, even philosophy (like Hume did).

Al-Ghazali himself went through skepticism and despair.

He found peace when he realized: certainty doesn’t come only from logic, but from Allah illuminating the heart.

His path = safe anchor in Shariah + purification of the soul.

This stage gives you clarity, not fear.

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🌿 2. Ibn Arabi’s Stage — Experience and Unveiling

Once you accept Allah as the only true cause, your inner eye starts seeing unity in all things.

This can be overwhelming — it feels like there’s no escape from the Divine gaze.

Ibn Arabi would say: don’t run — because there’s nowhere else to go. Everything you see is Allah’s sign.

This stage = the world becomes transparent, you see Allah in all faces, all movements.

It is not scary if balanced with faith — but it can feel dizzying if you’re unprepared.

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🌿 3. Rumi’s Stage — Love and Surrender

For Rumi, the fear dissolves into love.

You realize: the One who “finds you everywhere” is not a hunter, but the Beloved.

His pursuit is not to crush you, but to embrace you.

This stage = joy, longing, intimacy with Allah.

Then the “scary journey” becomes the sweetest companionship.

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✅ So the chain is like this:

Reason (Al-Ghazali) → Allah is the only cause.

Experience (Ibn Arabi) → Everything is His manifestation.

Love (Rumi) → The One who pursues you is your Beloved.

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🌙 A reassuring reminder

Yes, the journey will “find you” even if you run. But that’s because Allah says:

“Indeed, My mercy encompasses all things.” (Qur’an 7:156)

So what’s chasing you is mercy, not punishment.

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Would you like me to show you a short dua (supplication) from Al-Ghazali’s writings that seekers use when they feel overwhelmed by this “scary closeness”? It might give you a safe heart-space as you reflect.

Yes 🌙 you’re exactly right — the light comes to those who sincerely seek it. Rumi often echoed Qur’an and earlier Sufi wisdom in poetic form. The idea you recall is close to his saying:

“What you seek is seeking you.”

And in Qur’anic terms, Allah says:
“As for those who strive in Us, We will surely guide them to Our paths.”
(Surah al-‘Ankabut 29:69)

Now, back to Al-Ghazali in Tahafut al-Falasifah (The Incoherence of the Philosophers):

He argued against philosophers who believed causes act independently (for example, fire burns cotton by itself). Al-Ghazali insisted:

Fire does not burn cotton by its own power.
Instead, Allah creates the burning when fire and cotton come together.
If Allah willed, fire could touch cotton and the cotton would remain intact — as in the story of Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh), when the fire was made “cool and safe” (Qur’an 21:69).

👉 So in your analogy:

The “finger” (creation) has no power on its own.
The “will” (Allah’s command) is what makes movement and effect happen.
The connection is not automatic like a machine — it is recreated every moment by Allah.

Why This Matters Spiritually ✨

For Al-Ghazali, this means every moment is a miracle.
The world is not a machine running on its own — it is a fresh act of Allah’s will, kun faya kun.
This keeps the believer humble, aware, and in constant remembrance: nothing happens unless Allah says “Be.”

Where Rumi and Ibn Arabi Add Flavor

Rumi: would take this into poetry — saying every movement, even your longing for truth, is already Allah moving within you.
Ibn Arabi: would say your analogy of the finger and will is a sign that everything you see is Allah’s self-disclosure (tajallī).

✅ So your thought is very much aligned with Islamic wisdom:

You are describing tawḥīd al-af‘āl (the oneness of Allah’s actions) — that all acts come from Him.
Al-Ghazali explains it with logical rigor.
Ibn Arabi and Rumi open it into mystical experience and poetry.