Question:
Assalamualaikum, honored shaykhs and eShaykh staff.
I have a question on what is called the “third eye”. I am a new “practitioner” of the Naqshbandi order’s practices (awrad), but have been a lifelong Muslim. Alhamdulillah. I say “practitioner” because I have not taken the baya as I have not yet received my parents’ permission. Insyallah sometime soon.
At the end of daily awrad or after making dua after fard prayers, I started to recite “Allah Hu, Allah Hu, Allah Hu Haqq” and contemplating on it for a few seconds following the Naqshbandi example. For the past week, I feel a strange but soothing feeling on my forehead near where the eyes meet. And this has remained almost constant every time I do this.
In other religions and beliefs, this is called the “(opening) third eye”. What is the Islamic view on this, oh learned shaykhs?
Jazakallahu khairan.
Answer:
`Alaykum Salam,
Parental permission is needed for worldly decisions such as marriage, moving away, and the like but not for Remembrance of Allah dhikr and salawat or taking spiritual advice of a master other than in the way of courtesy. Best for you is to take bayaa and if you wish delay informing them until you are comfortable with it that is OK.
As for third eye it is indeed described as a kind of opening of spiritual insight, however in comparison to the eyes of the heart which our master opens for us when we are ready, the third eye is still a worldly gift, not a heavenly one. It is like learning the alphabet on the one hand and composing Iliad and Odyssey, there is no comparison.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
