Just as the body has its vital organs, similarly the Rooh (Soul) too has its vital organs. The body is made up of physical matter, and its organs are likewise material, but the Rooh (Soul) comes from the Realm of Command therefore its vital organs are also from the Realm of Command and are called Lata‟if (Spiritual Organs). Hazrat Mujaddid Alif Sani-rua writes in his Maktoobat that the human being is not formed from five but from ten elements: five of them are the components of the body and five are the Lata‟if (Spiritual Organs) of the Rooh (Soul) . The components of the body are clay, fire, air and water, and the Nafs which is formed by their combination, making a total of five, whereas the Rooh (Soul) has five Lata‟if: Qalb (Heart) , Rooh, Sirri, Khaffi and Akhfa. All these five Lata‟if are present in every Rooh (Soul) and only they have the ability to accept and perceive the Divine Lights and to obtain the (spiritual) states. These five Lata‟if (Spiritual Organs) are the foundation. Hazrat Mujaddid Alif Sani-rua has even mentioned and described the colour of the Lights that descend on them. Likewise, the other Salasil (pl. of Silsilah) (Spiritual Orders) consider these five as the base. Some, basing on their (spiritual) discernment, have mentioned additional Lata‟if (Spiritual Organs) that they are seven, and with some they are eleven also. These are just the interpretations of their perceptions, based on their personal spiritual observations. However, the foundation of all (Lata‟if) are these five, and the core of even these five is just one, the Latifah Qalb (Heart) – as the ultimate achievement of all Azkaar (Remembrance / Zikr) (plural of Zikr) is its illumination and polish. In our Silsilah Naqshbandiah Owaisiah (Spiritual Order), Zikr (Remembrance/ Spiritual Practice) is done on seven Lata‟if (Spiritual Organs), in which the sixth Latifah is Nafs and the seventh is Sultan al-Azkaar. Furthermore different Salasil (Spiritual Orders) have identified their locations at different points, and this difference is based on personal discernment and observation, otherwise the object of all is the same; and remaining within the boundaries of Shariah, such difference of opinion becomes a source of blessing. Al Hamdo Lillah! Everyone has his own temperament and inclination. Some profit by one method, while others by another. For this reason, some Shuyookh (Spiritual Teachers) (plural of Shaikh) referred the seekers to some other Shaikh (Spiritual Teacher), (saying) „Your share is there‟. It would be incorrect to understand by this that Wilayah (Divine friendhip) is some fiefdom and is distributed among different people. Instead, noticing the student‟s inclination, they deduced that he would benefit from there. Otherwise every believer is a Wali Allah (Friend of Divine Being). Allah is the Wali of the believers. (Al Baqarah: 257) This is a certificate of the fact that Allah-swt is the Friend of every Momin (believer) and he possesses a degree of Wilayah (Divine friendship). Yes, the Masha‟ikh (Friends of Divine Being) polish it and he is blessed with greater Divine Nearness. The grant of greater capacity for (doing righteous) deeds blesses him with further progress towards Divine Nearness and he attains to the level of Ihsan, i.e. the comprehension of the Presence of the (Divine) Truth. Such is the Grace and Bounty of Allah; He grants to whom He wills. (Al Jum„ah: 40).

Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan