The Quran we read on paper mentions a Quran known as Quran-e-Maknoon. Just as there are chapters and verses in the Quran, there are chapters in the Quran-e-Maknoon also. One of the chapters is 'Alif Laam Meem' and the Quran begins from here. Alif, Laam and Meem are three letters (uloom) - but where is the knowledge of these letters?
(الٓمٓ (١) ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَۛ فِيهِۛ هُدً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ (٢) ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ (٣
[2:1-3]
Alif Laam Meem (ALM) is that book which cannot be doubted. If the reference was to the book in your hands, it would have said this book. But it says ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ, that book. In Arabic when something is nearby, you use the word 'هذا' and if it is far away, then you use the word 'ذَٲلِكَ.'
Now, the Quran you read written on paper is doubtful. When a Shiite read it, he took his own interpretation from it. When a Barelvi read it, he took his own interpretation. When a Wahhabi read it, he said, 'Prophet Mohammad is a common man, similar to a postman; the only difference is that he received Divine Inspiration (Wahi) and he cannot provide guidance to anyone.' A Barelvi reads the Quran and says that every verse is praise of the Prophet while a Shiite reads the same Quran and says the word 'Shiite' is proven by the Quran. Now that everyone has derived their own interpretations from the same Quran, doubt has been created as to who is right. This cannot be denied. If doubt has not been created, why don't the Sunni Barelvis read the translation of the Quran by the Wahhabis? And why don't the Wahhabis read the translation of the Shiites? The case is the same with Ahadith (Prophetic Traditions). Some Ahadith are deemed authentic by the Wahhabis that suit their agendas, while some others are authentic in the eyes of the Sunnis and some others are authentic according to the Shiites. There are rarely any Ahadith which are authentic according to all sects. For Shiites, only Ahadith which have been narrated by Hazrat Ali are authentic.
But for Alif Laam Meem, the Quran says, 'In that book, there is no doubt.' There is no room for doubt because that book is not accessible to any Shiite, Sunni, Wahhabi or Deobandi. So then who are the people who shall reach that book?
هُدً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَ
Alif Laam Meem shall render guidance to the Mutaqeen only. A Mutaqee is one who has purified his inner and outer. Who qualifies as a Mutaqee?
ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ
Those who have faith in the Unseen (Ghaib).
According to clerics, people who have faith [in God] without seeing are Mutaqeen. But is there anyone who has seen God and then became a believer? Everyone would have faith in God without seeing him, because God has not come down on earth. These clerics have distorted the Quran.
Those who have obtained their faith from the Quran which has been hidden in the Unseen (Ghaib) - those who have been given faith through the Divine Light of that Hidden Quran which is in the heart of Prophet Mohammad - are Mutaqeen. God had sent down Gabriel to reveal the Quran upon the heart (Qalb) of Prophet Mohammad. It is for the Hidden Quran that this Quran [on paper] says, 'Those are Mutaqeen who have obtained spiritual grace from the Hidden Quran; only they shall receive the spiritual grace of Alif Laam Meem.'
Those whose souls have bathed in Divine Light, whose hearts and souls have been purified and whose inner and outer have been enlightened are Mutaqeen. This book, 'Alif Laam Meem' is far away. First become purified and then this book shall render you guidance.
وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
Then they established their Salat (a type of worship). How do you establish Salat? His Divine Eminence Imam Mehdi Gohar Shahi said, 'The subtlety of everyone's Nafs is free.' When you sleep, your Nafs wanders around and joins satanic gatherings - this is what you see in your dreams. In a similar way, you have other subtleties in you such as the Qalb (heart), Rouh (soul), Sirri, Akhfa and Ana. When the heart is enlightened, its sub-spirits come out. Now, where do they go? While the Nafs joins evil gatherings, the sub-spirits of the heart go to Alam-e-Malakoot (Realm of the Angels) and begin to offer Salat. When you have taught the sub-spirits of your heart to offer Salat, then when it is time for Salat, those sub-spirits shall leave your body and go offer Salat. Now, even if you are in the mosque, at home or in the grave, your souls are offering Salat and your Salat has been established. Until the Day of Judgment, your sub-spirits shall continue to offer Salat.
On the Night of Ascension, when Prophet Mohammad ascended to the Higher Realms, he passed by the grave of Moses and he saw that Moses was offering Salat. Immediately, he reached the Higher Realms and saw that Moses was offering Salat up there also. Moses had passed away - then who was offering Salat in his grave and who was offering Salat in the Higher Realms? His sub-spirits were offering Salat who had established Salat. Salat is established when the sub-spirits of the souls are taken out and taught how to offer Salat. Those who obtained spiritual grace from the Hidden Quran, only their Salat was established; they did not need to offer Salat repeatedly.
When a newcomer accepted Islam, Prophet Mohammad would stand and offer Salat with him. But if Prophet Mohammad was only in the company of his close Companions whose souls had already been enlightened and had established Salat already, then Prophet Mohammad would not offer Salat; they would just sit and chat. Their physical bodies would sit and chat while their souls were offering Salat.
Even the Quran says,
وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
[2:43]
The mouth is designated for eating food. If you tried to put food through any other hole in your body, it would be futile because only the mouth is designed to eat. Similarly. God said, 'Prostrate those [souls] within you who have been designed to prostrate.' Prostration of the body alone is useless.
It is said that the Salat of a dervish is offered on Arsh-e-Muallah. But this physical body cannot reach Arsh-e-Mualla; if the physical body cannot reach there, how is Salat established? Therefore, we know that it is not necessary for the physical body - which shall be buried in the earth - to offer Salat; rather it is necessary for the souls who shall face accountability on the Day of Judgment to offer Salat. The souls will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment; the bodies would either be burned or buried while the souls shall face questioning regarding Salat. If you have taught your souls to offer Salat, it doesn't matter whether your body is in the bed or in the grave; your Salat has been established.
This is why Prophet Mohammad said to Hazrat Ali, 'My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.' Hazrat Ali asked, 'Where is your heart then?' Prophet Mohammad replied, 'My heart is busy in remembrance of God.'
But the heart doesn't just engage in remembrance of God. There are three stages of the heart: Zakir, Abid, Musheer. When the heart is in remembrance of God, it is a Zakir. When the souls have established Salat, the heart is an Abid. When the souls engage in Dhikr and offer Salat, such good deeds of the souls are known as Amal-e-Sualeha and such a person is a Sualeh. A Sualeheen is one whose body may be sleeping but his souls are in Bait al Mamour offering Salat. When you go to the mosque, you leave the shoes outside because they are dirty; similarly, the body cannot go to Bait al Mamour because it is incapable and impure - therefore it is left behind.
وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ
Rizq (Provision) is of two types. One type of provision is the food you eat. But there is another type of provision which is for the nurturing of the souls. It is the food for the souls: Divine Light.
This verse of the Quran states that these people obtained spiritual grace from the Hidden Quran and became Mutaqeen. Their souls established Salat and then they began to transfer the treasure of Divine Light they obtained from the Lord. This refers to the Spiritual Guides whose hearts God filled with Divine Light. They began to use that Divine Light to enlighten the hearts of others. People would pledge allegiance to the Spiritual Guide and their hearts too would become enlightened.
Alif means Allah, Laam refers to the Kalima 'La Ilaha Ilallah,' and Meem stands for Mohammad Rasool Allah.
The book of Alif Laam Meem shall render guidance to the Mutaqeen only: who have obtained faith through the Divine Light of the Quran in the heart of Prophet Mohammad, who have purified and enlightened their inner and outer and whose souls have established Salat. Such people whose hearts God has filled with Divine Light transfer this Divine Light to enlighten the hearts of others also.
