The Teaching Method of The Divine

In our way of seeking and try to understand the Knowledge of The Divine, so many times people used their commonly approach just like the way they use at school. They questioned the situation or things they are given to understand the Knowledge of The Divine. This way of approach then lead them to be either an agnostic or an atheist. So often, when they do not find "the right" answer as their (mind) wish, they were burdened by the question that lead them into deep stress thus craziness. I mean so often people commented or warned me that I shouldn't take 'the road that is less traveled' because usually only older people who is about to die took it or because some people who take the lesson wrongly became depressed instead of being alive.


It is because the approach they used isn't quite right. Here, I'd like to tell some of qualities we need to have and why it is so, based on The Holy Scripture Qur'an. Hopefully by having some understanding about them we can act in the right way.


Finding a Teacher
The story of seeking The Knowledge of The Divine was given in The Qur'an in Surah Al Kahfi (The Cave) verses 60 - 82. It was started by Prophet Moses pbuh went on a journey to seek the Knowledge of The Divine.


I ever read in one of the books, the reason behind the journey of Prophet Moses pbuh was because he was questioned by his people about who was the most knowledgeable person in this world. And Prophet Moses pbuh answered that he was the one. Allah then reminded him by giving him the information about the existence of a man with higher knowledge. Feeling a shame of himself, prophet Moses pbuh then asked Allah to tell him where this man was. Then he pbuh was given the clue how to find the man, i.e. he pbuh would have to go to the junction of the two seas and that when he reached the place the dead fish that brought with them would become alive. Having the clue, Prophet Moses pbuh then made a journey accompanied by one of his attendant.

We all know that someone with a prophet title is someone we consider as having the highest rank in their proximity to God and they are man of knowledge. But even so, the story told that Prophet Moses pbuh which had been given The Torah (Taurah) and had spoken with Allah directly (as his title Kalimullah)  went on a journey to seek this person to learn something from him i.e. The Knowledge of The Divine. As mentioned in Qur'an "And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period." [QS 18:60] 


It is to say that Knowledge of The Divine is a very important (in case I am not allowed to say the most important) knowledge for human being to be seek and that it can't be learned only through books as most people do nowadays. We need to seek a teacher to learn it. And not just any kinds of teacher. Because we are seeking the knowledge of the Divine, we then need a teacher that has Knowledge of The Divine. With the vast information available nowadays, people think they can gain knowledge of The Divine by reading books, e-books, article on websites or anything while sitting in their room. This is not quite true. They need a living experience with a living teacher to have living interaction that touches their heart. With those dead media, they won't be able to experience some living and humanly feeling for the teaching to make sense.




Enliven the dead
The clue given to Prophet Moses pbuh was that the dead fish when reaching the junction between two seas become alive and will return to its source. This is to symbolize about the possibility and potency given in the Knowledge of The Divine to enliven the dead. Most people live their life in the 'dead' state of Knowing Allah that their life is comparable to the living of animals instead of being a true human being. Some of the believers are also in that kind of state. Otherwise, Allah will not state in Qur'an "O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.... " [QS 8:24] 


If all human being who have believed were alive, the verse would be such a waste, which certainly incorrect for Allah is The Most Known of All. If the verse is true, then it is certainly that there must be some who have believed that need something to give life. What is to be enlivened? The faculty that can apprehend the Knowledge of The Divine. The faculty in this kind of teaching is quite different from the one we usually use when we go to school. At school we are taught to enliven our five senses to comprehend the wordly sciences, something that is very tangible. The faculty to apprehend the Knowledge of The Divine is related with the heart and the soul, something intangible, unseen, mystical to apprehend The Unseen. 



Personal Journey 
After finding the man of higher knowledge, Prophet Moses pbuh then asked his attendant to leave him with the man. It was implicitly explained in the following sentence: Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?" [QS 18: 66]. Even Prophet Moses pbuh had traveled with his attendant, in the end the purpose of seeking Knowledge of The Divine is very personal. He was to be left alone with the man to have his teaching process.


This is very different from the method in which we are seeking a scholarly knowledge. As we go to school, the lesson given to the students have been made and standardized in such a way that one day they will graduate in certain time with certain degree of knowledge called achievement and marks. This isn't wrong and I do not complain about it. I merely show that there exists a different method where every individual is respected based on their uniqueness.




No questioning till it is explained
As the story goes, it was said that the man with higher knowledge told prophet Moses pbuh: The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it." [QS 18: 70] This is another different approach in teaching method compare to school. So often when we give chances to students and they hardly have any, we doubt if they really understand us or they have their minds somewhere else.


This no question attitude was instructed because so often question was coming from curiosity and doubtful minds. It's not that question aren't important. It is important but more important is patience. For questions so often are answered and found its significance in the right moment and right situation. Another reason for this attitude is because Divine Wisdom is difficult to be grasped by human mind. They can only be understood by the heart in the attitude of trust and acceptance. As a creation we are susceptible to the wills of The Creator. Our limited mind which is bordered by relatively a short period of time and our five senses affect our way of thinking and understanding whilst Divine Wisdom is as vast as the universe itself. It is why questioning in a way need to be restrained to let the other faculty of human being i.e. the heart and the soul to rule and guide the person.




Self-detachment
How can we do something that seemed to be egotistical and wrong to become so true and right? It is because of self-detachment. Self detachment is mostly known as the truest sincerity when people act on something. How do you measure self detachment? It is that outwardly we do something (either very seriously and purposefully or 'as if' not so seriously and purposefully) and people see it was you that have all the intention and the one that do the work, but inwardly we know that it isn't our personal self that gain anything from the work. It is the other person or society or community or even the whole humanity that gain benefits from our actions. It is the higher consciousness that rule the person in doing their action, as was said by the other person when he told Prophet Moses pbuh about his action " ... And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience." [QS 18: 82]


In another verse of Qur'an Allah also stated that "And you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them. And you threw not, [O Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing." [QS 8:17] In their higher consciousness, the person has become the medium in which Allah had moved and guided them to do as His Wish. 


Those are some qualities that I learned along my journey in seeking The Knowledge of The Divine. There are certainly other things that still not mentioned here but hopefully it is sufficient. My deepest gratitude to both of my inner teachers in giving me the guideline and keep me afloat in this vast ocean of worldly affair. I hope people find this article informative.


Alhamdulillahi robbil alamiin.
All Praises is due to Allah, The Master of The Universe