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What does it mean to experience God?

What does it mean to experience God?

Last updated on: April 1, 2016 at 8:18 am by Mastura Debra Graugnard

What does it mean to experience God? 2016-04-01T08:18:11-05:00 Mastura Debra Graugnard

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The following article is by a dear friend and colleague, Maryam Reimer, who is a long-time student of Sufism and lover of God.

Jar of Honey
The Sufi path is all about tasting – not about me or anyone else telling you what your expectations should be or what your experience should smell, taste or look like, but about your unique personal experience. There is no right or wrong experience.

I’m about to share with you a description of an experience–this is one of the many possibilities, and there are so many others available for you and me to taste. Tasting is about each of us discovering for ourselves — in other words, you coming to know the truth for yourself by yourself.

There’s an old story about a Sufi master, his students and a jar of honey.

The Sufi master showed his students this jar and asked them what it was. Well, there are many amber colored liquids and rather than exploring for himself, the first student said, “Honey.”

Each of the students was asked in turn, what is in the jar. Each of these students gave similar responses until the master reached the last student. This last student asked, “Give me the jar please, my beloved.” Then he put his finger in the jar, licked it and said, “This is honey.” All the students were shocked at this last student’s action and were concerned that the master would be upset.

The master with a smile on his face said, “He who tastes knows.”

What does tasting look like?

I wrote the poem below some time ago, and I wanted to share because the words are really about how our experience of tasting can show up. The poem came while I was reflecting on a portion of my daily spiritual practices. One could say I was putting my tasting into words.

One of the practices involves chanting 3 phrases followed by a recitation of the name of God – Allah. We call this practice al wird – or the watering hole – in part because the practice nourishes our hearts and spirits. The second of these phrases showers praises upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his family and companions.

This phrase is a long one, and sometimes I feel like I will never reach the goal of 100 repetitions or several thousand during one of our prayer retreats. At other times, the beauty and joy that my heart experiences from touching the pure essential light of creation—for us, the Muhammadan light—is almost impossible to describe. It was during one of these times that the poem came to me.

The poem was never meant to describe the joy and beauty or offer an english translation, but rather an inadequate attempt to capture my heart’s words behind the words of the chant. Here I share with you the words we recite followed by the words my heart is singing.

Allahumma…

O my Lord, open the glories of your creation
Manifesting the essential light of creation

…Salli’ala Sayyidina Muhammadin …

O Muhammad, I whisper my dua (prayer)
As a lover sharing words of deep love to her beloved
Embracing your spirit with words
Like welcoming arms for my beloved
Your light quenches my heart

…wa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim.

O Allah
I call to you
For peace, for blessings
For his family, his holy companions
For my family
For those crying from the deep suffering
For Jerusalem, the holy land
For the orphans
For all of creation
Amin.

Why is Tasting so Important?

Yes, the importance lies in you coming to know the truth for yourself and by yourself. And, it’s more than that. If I tell you that the experience I had while performing that chant is the experience that you should have, or even if I try to recreate that experience every time I say those words, I am imposing limits on you and me. In other words, I am imposing limits on God.

“Allahu Akbar!” The literal English translation of these words is “God is Great!” but as with so many Arabic words that literal translation merely skims the surface.

A friend and teacher of mine – Salima Adelstein, co-president of the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism as well as the Dean of Education and Chair of the Department of Spiritual Ministry and Sufi Studies – offered this translation and explanation years ago.

“Yes, Allahu Akbar means that Allah is greater than everything in existence, for how can the Creator be smaller than His creation? And, the phrase means so much more than that.

“When we try to recreate a previous experience or create expectations around someone else’s experience, we are saying to God, ‘I only want You to give me that one experience. I don’t want You to create a new experience for me.’ We are also saying, ‘I know better than You,’ and so many other things.”

As I said, we are imposing limits on God.

If it is truly our desire to draw closer to God, why would we constrain Him? Wouldn’t you want the Divine to be able to use all the tools in His tool box? I would, because what the Divine creates is so much more magnificent than what I can imagine, let alone create.

I’m interested in hearing about your experiences with Sufi or other spiritual practices – what have you tasted? Do you taste with your eyes or your mind, or do you stick your finger in the jar and bring the experience inside you?

~Maryam

This article is from Maryam Reimer, long-time student of Sufism and Admissions Coordinator at The University of Spiritual Healing & Sufism. Maryam’s passion is to create an open doorway for students to taste from the deeply sacred teachings as they travel their own unique journey to Divine Love, Mercy, and Peace.

Photo credits: ID 37965273 © Nitr | Dreamstime.com

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