Beyond Sight: Zaahiri, Esoteric & Luminous Deedar Unveiled

Ya Ali Madad. Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. I prostrate myself while seeking divine support at the sanctuary of the Lord of the Time, Shah Rahim al-Husayni, so that this beggar may be granted a drop from the treasure of His knowledge, by His grace. Ameen. “You ˹O Prophet˺ may see them facing towards you, but they cannot see.” — (Qur'an 7:198) By the boundless kindness and infinite mercy of Mawla Shah Rahim, the Jamat in France witnessed the Deedar (vision) of the Imam for the first time. Alhamdulillah, what a glimpse it must have been! Even though we only saw photographs, our souls became restless with longing for the Deedar of the Imam of the Time. But is Deedar only about a physical glimpse? If we don’t understand its inner meaning and essence, we will easily forget the Deedar and return to our daily life.So today, we seek divine support from the Imam to understand the true importance of Deedar . When we look toward the Imam in Darbar , our hearts are filled with love, and our eyes are filled with tears. What does this mean? In truth, it is the heart that is crying. The tears appearing in our eyes are simply its expression. This means: "O Mawla, You granted us the gift of Your Zahiri Deedar (external vision), now also bless us with the Baatini Deedar (inner vision), so we may reach Your Noorani Deedar (Luminous Vision).” This Baatini Deedar may come in the form of knowledge and divine support. When the Imam blesses us with His knowledge, then true love is elevated, and through that love, He bestows upon us His Noorani Deedar . The Baatini Deedar is essential for the soul and the intellect, and the Noorani Deedar is even more crucial. The soul has an eternal home, and the first step toward reaching it is the Zahiri Deedar . The second is the Imam's knowledge. The third and final step is the Noorani Deedar . But often we make the mistake of stopping at the Zahiri Deedar . After giving Mubaraki (greetings), we forget and get busy with life again. Then what is the benefit?When a lover ( ashiq ) sees their beloved ( ma'shuq ) in the physical form, it should ignite a fire in their heart to attain the Beloved. If this yearning doesn't arise, how can the Beloved be found? When a lover sees the Beloved and the fire of longing arises, he begins striving for knowledge — not just through prayers and devotion but by trying to understand every gesture of the Beloved. And when the Beloved sees the sincerity of the lover’s heart, He gives everything to that lover. But if that yearning is not born? Then Allah has said in the Qur'an, Surah 7, Ayah 198: "O Prophet, they may look towards you, but they cannot see you." (7:198) Could this condition be ours? Are we sitting in Darbar , only observing the Imam’s external appearance? What colour is he wearing? Where is he walking from? In which language is he speaking? But, even if the Imam speaks in any language — if I am a true ashiq (lover) — then His words will never leave my heart. They will appear in my actions naturally. This is the Darbar of the Imam — the very place where Dai Al-Mu’ayyad Shirazi once made a heartfelt plea to the Imam of his time: "O Mawla, if You were to place the crown of worldly kingship upon my head, but I am deprived of Your Deedar, then I would rather reject that crown." Dai Al-Mu’ayyad Shirazi (R.A) When we speak of Baatini Deedar and the longing of the lover, it is achieved through knowledge ( ilm ), actions ( amal ), and worship ( ibadat ). Our 49th Imam, Shah Karim al-Husayni (A.S), has said: "The Imam’s ta‘lim lights the murid’s path to spiritual enlightenment and vision." Hazarat Imam Mawlana Shah Karim Al Husaini (A.S) Now, we must reflect — what is the ta‘lim (teaching) of the Imam that grants spiritual enlightenment and Noorani Deedar ?It is the Imam’s inner knowledge ( Baatini Ilm ). Often, we make the mistake of focusing only on what the Imam says about business or education. The Imam provides guidance for both worldly and spiritual matters.But if we only perceive the worldly guidance, it is not the Imam’s fault — it is our own limitation, for we fail to understand the depth of His words. The Imam speaks according to the needs of the hearts of the Jamat. Even in His worldly guidance, there are spiritual signs for His lovers. As the Imam himself has said: "The Imam’s ta‘lim lights the murid’s path to spiritual enlightenment and vision. In temporal matters, the Imam guides the murids, and motivates them to develop their potential…” Hazarat Imam Mawlana Shah Karim Al Husaini (A.S) So when we talk about Deedar , we must realise it is not only about seeing with the eyes, but also about recognising with the inner eye of the heart. The Imam, who is the manifestation ( mazhar ) of Allah in this world, must be recognised inwardly. Let us reflect on the Farman of Imam Mustansir bi’llah II: "It is obligatory and necessary for the true believer to recognize his Creator who is manifest in this world in the form of a human being, and to see Him here in order to see Him also in the hereafter.” Hazarat Imam Mustansir bi’llah II (A.S) Now, how does an ordinary person recognize the Imam? The first step is love , and in that love, a sincere longing in the presence of the Imam.Through any medium, the Imam then blesses that seeker with spiritual and intellectual knowledge ( ataai ilm ). That’s why both Zahiri and Baatini Deedar are equally important. And when one receives Baatini Deedar , and is blessed with spiritual and Noorani Deedar , it cannot be described in words — just as Pir Nasir Khusraw has said: "When the light of the Imam of the time shone upon my soul, Even though I was dark as night, I became the glorious sun. The supreme name is the Imam of the time By which I ascended, Venus-like, from the earth to heaven.” Pir Nasir Khusraw (R.A) When the light of the Imam falls upon the dark heart, that heart becomes illuminated with spiritual radiance.It becomes soaked in love, and the tongue of the lover speaks of nothing but the praises of the Beloved. He becomes lost in Ishq-e-Karimi and Ishq-e-Rahimi . "Wherever I may be, so long as I live, time and again, My pen, ink pot and parchment will speak my gratitude to you (O Imam of Time).” – Pir Nasir Khusraw (R.A) "Those who are blessed with the Deedar of the Lord, their abode will be the eternal house." – Pir Sadardin (R.A) "O brother! From where you have come, reach there soon. O brother! You and we all have to go to that house…” – Pir Sadardin (R.A) "Adore sincerely the true guiding light manifested in the person of Kassim Shah, the Lord of the Time." – Pir Shams (R.A) "O brother! You have come from an exalted place, then why incline towards the low? You will live for only four days then why earn the falsity? What will you gain by this sin? Do not forget in the illusion of this world; be humble because you will have to die." – Pir Shams (R.A) Al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi (R.A) writes: "I was taken near the place wherefrom I saw the bright light of the Prophet-hood. My eyes were dazzled by this Light. I shed the tears of joy and felt as if I was looking at the face of the Prophet of God and of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali. I prostrated myself before the one who is the fittest person for the people to bow to him.” Al-Mu’ayyad fi’l-Din al-Shirazi (R.A) So the Zahiri Deedar is through the eyes, Baatini Deedar is through the eyes of the heart, and Noorani Deedar is when the Imam blesses with His spiritual body through His mercy. And those who are blessed with Noorani Deedar , they care for nothing else but the love of their Imam, because the purpose of this entire creation is to annihilate oneself ( fana ) in the Imam of the Time. Ameen. If you enjoyed this podcast, we’d love your support! Visit our website ishqekarimi.com and subscribe to stay connected. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Ishq e Karimi, for more inspiring content. Thank you for listening, and Yaa Ali Madad! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ishqekarimi.com