Four types of Spiritual People

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Words of wisdom from Shaikh Abu Muhammad al-Shakkaz.

In accordance from the four aspects or meanings of the Qur'an, as listed in a hadith given on the authority of Ibn Hibban, by Ghazali (Ihya ulum al-din, Cairo ed. I. p. pp, Kitab qawa'id al 'aqaid.)

There are four types of spiritual people.

1.  People of the apparent (rijal al-zahir, رجال  الظاهر ), those who have been faithful to the pact they made with Allah.

     مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُم مَّن قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا

(Al-Ahzab 33:23)
Among the believers are men who have [always] been true to what they have vowed before Allah;  and among them are such as have [already] redeemed their pledge by death, and such as yet await [its fulfillment] without having changed [their resolve] in the least. 


2.  People of the interior (rijal al-batin رجال الباطن ), those who are not distracted from the invocation of Allah by either trade or business.

    رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاء الزَّكَاةِ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ
 

(Al-Nour 24:37)
people whom neither [worldly] commerce nor striving after gain can divert from the remembrance of Allah, and from con­stancy in prayer, and from charity: [people] who are filled with fear [at the thought] of the Day On which all hearts and eyes will be convulsed.


3.    People of the limit (rijal al-hadd رجال الحد ), those of the "A'raf"

     وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ وَنَادَوْاْ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ

(Al-A'raf 7:46)
And between the two there will be a barrier. And there will be persons who [in life] were endowed with the faculty of discernment [between right and wrong], recognizing each by its mark.  And they will call out unto the inmates of paradise, "Peace be upon you!"-not having entered it themselves, but longing [for it].


4.    People of the ascent (rijal al-matla' or rijal al-muttala',  رجال المطلع ), those of who come to God on foot when He calls them.

     وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ

(Al-Hajj 22:27)

Hence, [O Muhammad,] proclaim thou unto all people the [duty of] pilgrimage: they will come unto thee on foot and on every [kind of] fast mount, coming from every far-away point [on earth], -