Remembering A Teacher

'ilm - is the arabic word synonimous
to knowledge.

     Sacred knowledge can be acquired either by direct spiritual inspiration or through the teaching of a certain guide or master. The former is only possible if the spiritual state of our being is already at a sufficient level. And so, the latter is relatively easier to have and may also be the initial step in achieving the state needed for the former.

     In the struggle to find knowledge which may hopefully lead to a peaceful and life with spiritual guidance, we paid dedication to a teacher few years ago. He was distinct. Most of his student consider him as one of the “Awliya’llah” (friends of God) for he was granted a special gift to accomplish amazing things: He could heal the sick. He could hit someone from a distant without physical contact and even if there is barrier. He could even make a building tremble with just one punch. And if you were angry with him, once you see him again, all of that anger shall be wiped out completely and you would feel again the love and yearning for him. He had intuition of what’s going on your mind. He could see without using his physical eyes. Although this may sound like an embellished folklore at first, people who know him have testified about these.

     With all these amazing things that he was able to do, he would just say “We ask Allah for strength so that we may be able to do several things. For the only source of true strength comes from Him.”

     In learning from this teacher, we visit him in his house near the Capitol of Marawi City, usually right after dawn when the mind is still fresh and the body is still fully energetic. At times, we wouldn’t be conscious of the passing of time for we would be craving for more of what he had to say next.

     One morning shortly after the lecture, we were sitting on the floor in the porch, drinking coffee which is basically our custom there. He was sitting on a chair beside the door of the house. He was facing us and the door of the porch was right behind us. Its curtain was completely unfolded. Suddenly, he told us that he saw woman selling fish passed by the gate and he wanted to buy fish. So, he requested one of our classmates to go out to call her.

     I was puzzled at that time for I thought there was no way that he could have seen the woman pass by! Because the line of vision from where he was sitting was blocked by our bodies, the unfurled curtain of the porch’s door, and the metal gate was closed.

     My classmate came back and informed him, there was no such woman around. But the teacher insisted on his claim that there really was a woman and he requested my classmate again to try check if she might be entertaining a customer in the houses nearby.

     Again, my classmate came back and informed him, the same thing. And again he still insisted on his claim.

     Teacher was getting a bit irritated. And for the third time, my classmate was requested to search for the same woman. Disappointed of not seeing the woman around, he opted to check the road leading to the highway, which was about 100 m from the house.

     He came back smiling and that there really was a woman selling fish. Only that she didn’t yet pass by the house. She had just arrived at the intersection of the highway and the road leading to the houses! Teacher exclaimed, “Allahuakbar (God is great).”

     He was able to see what was to happen in few minutes. Such was one of the peculiar experiences witnessed by us.

     In another day, a classmate of us saw the teacher giving him the knowledge to see the invisible beings. When we were at the house, the teacher asked him to write what was taught to him in the dream. And what was taught to him in the dream was confirmed true.

     Some of the knowledge was taught in the dreams. And only the rightful ones at the time are given such knowledge. Such was the unique route of learning from him.

Taqwa is an arabic word which is
loosely translated as fear of God.

     He was totally a God-fearing person. One morning, the rain was about to subside but there were still little drops from the sky.  We were to accompany him somewhere on that day. Seeing him starting to walk on the muddy road while there was still light rain, I hastily unwrap my umbrella and came to rescue him from the rain. What he said stuck me for a moment.

     “I do not fear the rain for I only fear Allah.” He said. “It is Allah’s will if I become sick and not because of this rain. So I don’t need your umbrella.”

     There are more startling encounters experienced by his past students. And it is very enlightening to hear those and to know that there were still people like these in the modern times.

     The core of his teachings always revolved around Islam. And the other side of his great legacy that he left to us is simply the behavior of being a true human being: being able to love the people around us, peaceful, moral and humble, and the likes.

     We were totally in great distress when his soul transcended on November 19, 2008. I think we will be longing for him throughout our lives. Although, physically he is not anymore with us today, we fully believe that he is spiritually alive, aware of the happenings in his students' lives, aware of what we are doing every single day. (And for that, I assume that he already know that I am talking about him in this post.) Time and again we see him in the dream, teaching those who have reached the required state and admonishing those who have done some mistakes, just like what he did in his lifetime. And we would always rejoice over hearing a reiteration whenever he is dreamed by a classmate.
     And the Qur'an offers us some soothing words in this case, which may at least, lessen the grief over his lost. It is said in the Qur'an that those who die in the way of Allah have not really died; They are alive but normal people like us may not always feel their spiritual existence.

     May Allah sanctify his soul and grant him peace and blessings.

Our teacher

     We might only have received little drops from his vast knowledge. But at least. . . at least, he was able to and will always be able to touch our lives in unforgettable ways.
     All Praises and Thanks to Allah for giving us the opportunity to meet such an inspiring teacher, an enlightened being.