After death, life shifts from the material world to the spiritual realm, where it continues in a new dimension. The ego remains active in that world as well. This realm is called in the Qur’an the Aeraaf. Its condition depends on the deeds of the individual in the material world. If at the time of death one is peaceful and free of mental impurities and filth, then his or her state in the hereafter will also be peaceful and serene. On the other hand, if one leaves this world with anxiety, a guilty conscience, or mental suffocation, then the same conditions will greet that person in the Aeraaf.
The Muraqaba of Kashaf ul Qaboor is done at the graveside of the deceased with whom you would like to meet. Through this Muraqaba, you will not only meet the deceased but also witness his or her condition in the hereafter.
When this Muraqaba is done at the tomb of saints (wali), the purpose is to gain spiritual blessing (faidh) from them and a glimpse of them (ziyarat) as well.
The correct method of performing this Muraqaba is as follows:
Sit towards the end of the grave (not towards the tombstone). Inhale slowly through the nose, and when full, exhale slowly without holding your breath. Repeat this eleven times. After that, close your eyes and shift your focus inside the grave. After a few moments, let your mind go deep into the grave as if it were a depth and your attention were falling into it. Keep this focus during the Muraqaba. The esoteric vision will eventually be activated and the soul of the deceased will appear. Depending on the mental capacity and strength, success comes with consistent practice and effort.
The practice of this Muraqaba should be limited to the tombs of saints or Imams (Ahlul Bayt) for their spiritual sightings (ziyarat) and blessings (faidh). Unnecessary Muraqaba on the graves of ordinary persons should be avoided.
The following is the author’s own account of the Muraqaba of Kashaf ul Qaboor:
When I was doing the Muraqaba towards the end of the grave, I saw a layer of my soul leave my body and go inside the grave. I saw His Highness Saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar sitting there. The grave looked like a large room. On the left-hand side, there was a window or small door. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar said to me, “Go see what’s inside that door. You are free.”
When I opened the door, I saw a huge garden. It was so beautiful and glorious that nothing in the world could compare to it. It had everything. I saw birds whose wings emitted light and flowers so beautiful that they were beyond the scope of human consciousness. Each flower was a combination of multiple colors that looked like tiny lightbulbs. When the wind blew, these colorful flowers created a magnificent scene similar to fireworks. The trees were unique in that their stems, branches, flowers, and fruits were all round, resembling mushrooms. When the wind flowed between them, it created such a melody that one would become lost in it. This garden also had grapes of dark pink and blue. Each grape was as large as an apple in our world. The garden also had fountains and milky streams.
The garden was full of birds, but I did not see any animals. I asked a parrot sitting in a beautiful tree where this park was located. The parrot replied in human language that this was heaven and the garden of God’s friend, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. After saying that, it flew away singing hymns. In short, what I saw there is beyond description. I took a branch of grapes and returned to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. The grand saint asked me if I liked the garden. I replied, “Your Highness, no one has ever seen or heard of this garden. I could not even fully appreciate it.”
Shah Abdul Aziz Dehalvi:
A great South Asian saint of the nineteenth century, Syed Ghauth Ali Shah Qalandar (1804–1880) of Panipat, India, has recorded the following event in his book Tazkira-e-Ghauthia. It provides an outstanding and marvelous account of life after death and Aeraaf. This event took place when Syed Ghauth Ali Shah was the disciple of one of the great Sufi masters of his time, Hadrat Syed Shah Abdul Aziz Dehalvi.
Ghauth Ali Shah writes:
A man once came to the court of Shah Sahib. By appearance he looked like a royal official. He said, “My story is so strange that no one believes me. My own mind cannot comprehend it. I do not know what to say, where to go, or what to do. Finally, I have come to you for guidance.”
He then said, “I used to live in Lucknow. I had a job and life was good. Then my luck turned and my economic condition worsened to the point that I became jobless and could not find work. I decided that instead of sitting idle, I should try my luck in another city. I took some money for travel and set off towards Udaipur. On the way, I rested at a place called Rewari. At that time, it had nothing but a tent and an inn, where a few prostitutes lived. I was sitting outside the inn, wondering what to do, as all my money was gone and I could not find work. One of the prostitutes came to me and asked why I was not eating, since it was past dinner time. I told her I was tired from the journey and would eat after resting. She went back inside. A few hours later she asked again, and I gave her the same reply.
The third time, I told her my story, how I had run out of money and was thinking of selling my sword and horse. After listening, she quietly went to her room and returned with ten rupees. When I hesitated to take it, she said not to worry, as she had earned it with a spinning wheel and had saved it for her funeral. She said she was giving me an interest-free loan and I could repay it whenever I could.
I took the money and continued to Udaipur, where I fortunately got a job at the royal post. Quickly I was promoted, and in a short time, with good pay and free housing, I was able to save money. After a few years I received a letter from home that my eldest son was of marriageable age, and his in-laws were insisting on an early wedding. I had to return to fulfill my duty as a father.
I applied for leave, which was granted, and set out for home. When I reached Rewari, memories of the past came to me. I asked about that prostitute and was told she was sick and dying. When I went to her room, she was breathing her last, and moments later she died before my eyes. I arranged her funeral and personally carried her body to the grave. When I returned, I went to the inn and slept. At midnight, I realized that my wallet, which had a draft of five thousand rupees, was missing. I searched but could not find it. Then I realized it must have fallen when I was loading her body into the grave. I went back to the cemetery in the middle of the night and opened her grave.
To my astonishment, there was neither the body nor the wallet. Instead, I noticed a door that I had not seen before. It was slightly open. I gathered courage and opened it. Inside was another world. There were gardens and lush greenery everywhere. In the middle stood a magnificent palace. When I entered, I saw an extremely beautiful woman, dressed in regal clothes with servants around her. She said, ‘You do not recognize me? I am the one who gave you ten rupees. God liked my gesture and rewarded me with this glory and status. This is your wallet that fell in the grave. Take it and leave immediately.’
I asked to see her garden for a while. She replied, ‘You would not be able to see it entirely even if you stayed until the Day of Judgment. Leave immediately, you have no idea how far ahead the world has moved.’ I followed her advice and left the grave. Now there was no inn, no tent, nor that old township. Instead, a new city had sprung up. When I asked about the inn, no one knew of it. When I told my story, people thought I was mad. Finally, one man told me he would take me to an elder who might know. After listening, the old man told me that his grandfather had once mentioned an inn there. One night a rich man stayed and then mysteriously vanished, never to be seen again. I told him that I was that rich man. Hearing this, the old man and his companions were astonished.”
After relating his story, the man asked Hadrat Shah Abdul Aziz, “Please tell me what I should do now. I have no home or family. This event has left me ruined.”
Shah Sahib replied, “What you saw is true. The measure of time in this world and that world is different.” He then advised the man, “Go to Mecca and spend the rest of your life in the remembrance of God.”