4th Stage: "Surrender of the Physical Body to Allah"
Praising and thanking Allah, we will address one of the fundamental principles of Islam that has been forgotten in our day: the issue of the surrender of the physical body (surrender of the face/wajh). In the previous stages, the topics of wish to reach Allah, following a spiritual guide (murshid), and the spirit's reaching Allah were covered. Now, it is time for the surrender of our physical body, which has been made a fard (obligation) upon us. This matter is clearly stated in the 76th verse of Surah Al-Imran:
3/AL-IMRAN-76: No, (it is not so)! Whoever fulfills his ahd (oath/covenant) with Allah and possesses taqwa, then surely Allah loves the pious (owners of taqwa).
When the concepts here are examined carefully; the expressions "bala" (No, it is not so), "men evfâ bi ahdihî" (Whoever fulfills his ahd), and "vettekâ" (And possesses taqwa) reveal that our physical body becoming a servant to Allah and surrendering is a matter of ahd.
The Concept of Oath, Misak, and Ahd
The surrender of our physical body is based on the oath, misak, and ahd that Allah Almighty took from us in the pre-eternity. In Surah Al-A'raf, this historical moment is described as follows:
7/AL-A'RAF-172: And when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants and made them testify over themselves, (saying to them): "Am I not your Lord?" They said: "Yes, (You are our Lord), we have testified." (This was so) lest you should say on the day of judgment: "Indeed, we were unaware of this."
As stated in this verse, so that they would not say "We were unaware of this" on the day of judgment, the nafs were made to testify. Because the nafs is 100% full of afflictions by its creation. The process is detailed in Surah Al-Ma'idah:
5/AL-MA'IDAH-7: And remember the blessing of Allah upon you and your misak with which He bound you when you said: "We have heard and we have obeyed." And possess taqwa of Allah. Surely Allah knows best what is in the chests (hearts).
After Allah Almighty received the answer "Yes" to the question "Am I not your Lord?", He took a promise from our three separate entities:
- Nafs: Gave an oath that they would surrender to Allah.
- Physical bodies: Gave an ahd that they would surrender to Allah.
- Spirits: Gave a misak that they would surrender to Allah.
After the surrender of these three elements, the Will (partial will) also committed to surrendering to Allah, which is the misak of the will. The expression "He bound you with that misak" in Al-Ma'idah-7 points to a whole that encompasses all these surrenders, namely Allah's ahd.
Stages of Surrender and the Sirati Mustakim
The process of surrender has a specific hierarchy:
- Surrender of the Spirit: Occurs at the 22nd stage.
- Surrender of the Physical Body: Occurs at the 25th stage.
- Surrender of the Nafs: Occurs at the 27th stage.
- Surrender of the Will: Occurs at the 5th level of the 28th stage.
Fulfilling Allah's ahd is a fard that encompasses all of these surrenders. In Surah Al-An'am, this situation is commanded as follows:
6/AL-AN'AM-152: ...Fulfill (perform) the ahd of Allah...
And in the verse immediately following, the oneness of this path is emphasized:
6/AL-AN'AM-153: And surely; this is My path which is mustakim (straight). So follow it...
The Sirati Mustakim here is the path leading to the surrender of the spirit, physical body, nafs, and will to Allah. Paths other than this path divide people into sects and distance them from taqwa.
The Process of Surrender of the Physical Body and Being a Muhsin
Our physical body is a tremendous trust with 70 trillion cells and a complex chromosome structure. The process begins with the wish to reach Allah, continues with reaching a spiritual guide (murshid), and the first major stage is completed with the surrender of the spirit (22nd stage). In verses 20 and 21 of Surah Ar-Ra'd, it is stated that those who fulfill their ahd reach their spirits to Allah.
After the surrender of the spirit, dhikr is increased. When the number of dhikr exceeds half of the day (12 hours), the person reaches the station of ascetic (zahid). The concept of "zahid" mentioned in the 20th verse of Surah Yusuf expresses not valuing the world and turning towards Allah.
When the lights in the heart of the nafs reach the 81% level, the surrender of the physical body to Allah occurs. At this point, the person receives the title of Muhsin. Surah An-Nisa explains this situation as follows:
4/AN-NISA-125: And who is better in religion than the one who has submitted his face (physical body) to Allah while being a muhsin (good-doer) and has followed the religion of Ibrahim as a hanif...
The State of the Person Who is a Muhsin
The person who has surrendered their physical body (who is a muhsin) still has 19% affliction in their nafs. However, the 81% light (fazl and mercy) in the heart renders this 19% darkness ineffective by decree. Despite the objections within, the person fulfills all of Allah's commands and does not commit any act that He has forbidden. This is the point where the dominance of the will over the nafs is finalized.
Observance of Trusts and Ahds
When the characteristics of those who attain salvation are counted in Surah Al-Mu'minun, the following expression is used:
23/AL-MU'MINUN-8: And they are those who observe their trusts and their ahds (those who follow, those who are loyal).
"Trusts" is used in the plural here. The spirit is the first trust. When the spirit is surrendered, the physical body becomes the second trust. When the physical body is surrendered, the nafs becomes a trust. This chain continues until the surrender of the will. Allah has given glad tidings in the verses Al-Baqarah-40 and Al-Fath-10 that He will also fulfill His own ahd (promise of paradise) to those who fulfill the ahd of Allah.
The Fard Nature of the Surrender of the Physical Body
The surrender of the physical body is not a preference, but a fard as stated in Surah Ya-Sin, and it is a necessity of being saved from being a servant to satan and becoming a servant to Allah:
36/YA-SIN-60: O children of Adam! Did I not take an ahd from you that you would not be a servant to satan?...
36/YA-SIN-61: And (did I not take an ahd from you) that you would be a servant to Me? This is the Sirati Mustakim (being upon it).
The Difference Between Surrender of the Physical Body and Continuous Dhikr (Ulul'elbab)
There are subtle but important differences between a person who has surrendered their physical body and the owner of continuous dhikr (Ulul'elbab). Both fully obey Allah's commands and prohibitions. However:
- Affliction Status: The person who has surrendered their physical body has 19% affliction in their heart. The owner of continuous dhikr has no affliction left in their heart.
- Dhikr Status: In the surrender of the physical body, dhikr is intermittent (18 hours a day). In continuous dhikr, the heart remembers Allah at every moment.
- Heart’s Eye and Ear: In the surrender of the physical body, the heart’s eye and ear may or may not open (if they open, the person becomes an Arif). However, in continuous dhikr, these features (yakîn with sight) are absolutely present.
- Protection: In continuous dhikr, since the lights coming from the Divine gate keep the door of wickedness of the heart constantly sealed, darkness can never enter.
As a result, the surrender of the physical body is a bridge between ilm'el yakin and ayn'el yakin. Although this surrender, which everyone experienced during the era of the Sahaba, has been forgotten today, it is a command of the Qur'an and a truth of Islam that must be lived.
3/AL-IMRAN-20: ...Say to those who were given the book and to the unlettered: "Have you also surrendered your face (physical body) (to Allah)?"...
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the surrender of the physical body mean?
The surrender of the physical body is a level of maturity where a person fulfills Allah's commands to the letter, completely avoids His prohibitions, and fulfills the "ahd" they gave to Allah.
Is the surrender of the physical body a fard in the Qur'an?
Yes, in many verses such as Al-Imran-76, Al-An'am-152, Ya-Sin-60 and 61, it is commanded that the physical body (face/wajh) be surrendered to Allah (fulfillment of the ahd).
What is the difference between Oath, Misak, and Ahd?
The promise given by the nafs is called "Oath", the promise given by the Spirit is called "Misak", and the promise given by the Physical Body is called "Ahd". All were given to Allah in the Realm of Elest.
At which stage does the surrender of the physical body occur?
After the surrender of the spirit (22nd stage), the surrender of the physical body occurs at the 25th stage, which is reached by increasing dhikr.
Who is called a "Muhsin"?
According to the 125th verse of Surah An-Nisa, a person who has surrendered their physical body (face/wajh) to Allah is called a "Muhsin".
Do the afflictions in the nafs end completely when the physical body is surrendered?
No, when the physical body is surrendered, there is still 19% affliction in the heart of the nafs, but because there is 81% light dominance, the person does not commit sins.
What is the station of Zahid?
It is the spiritual station where a person spends more than half of every 24 hours (more than 12 hours) in dhikr and does not value the world.
Are the surrender of the physical body and continuous dhikr the same thing?
No. The surrender of the physical body is a "bridge" station. Continuous dhikr (Ulul'elbab), on the other hand, is a higher station where the nafs is also completely surrendered and afflictions are zeroed out.
What does it mean to observe the trusts?
The surrender of the spirit, physical body, nafs, and will to Allah in order means to observe the trusts and ahds (Al-Mu'minun-8).
What does "being a servant to satan" mean?
According to Ya-Sin-60, a person who has not surrendered their physical body to Allah is open to the influence of satan due to the afflictions in their nafs and is in danger of being a servant to him.