Sleep and the Realm of Barzakh: The Spiritual Journey of the Soul

Source: Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı Hazretleri’s “Marifetname”

Sleep serves as a crucial function for both the body and soul. However, in Marifetname, a seminal work by Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı Hazretleri, sleep is not merely a physical necessity but also a gateway for the soul to embark on a spiritual journey. During sleep, the soul detaches from worldly constraints and traverses into the Barzakh realm—a transitional state between this world and the hereafter—where it finds peace, divine truths, and enlightenment.

This article delves into the spiritual dimensions of sleep and explores how the journey to the Barzakh realm plays a vital role in human spirituality, as described in Marifetname.

Sleep: Physical Rest and Spiritual Freedom

1. The Dual Nature of Sleep

Sleep provides essential rest for the body, allowing it to rejuvenate and maintain physical health. However, Marifetname emphasizes that sleep also serves a deeper purpose. It liberates the soul from bodily limitations, allowing it to explore divine realms.

The Qur’an highlights sleep as both a blessing and a tool for renewal:

• “And We made your sleep a means for rest.” (An-Naba, 9)

Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı Hazretleri expands on this by stating:

• “While the body rests, the soul awakens to seek divine truths and experience spiritual realities.”

2. Temporary Liberation of the Soul

During sleep, the soul is temporarily freed from its earthly attachments and returns to its origin—the divine essence. This process not only rejuvenates the soul but also facilitates its connection with higher realms, bringing spiritual clarity and peace.

The Barzakh Realm: A Meeting Point with Truth

1. What is the Barzakh Realm?

The Barzakh realm, as described in Marifetname, is the intermediary state between the physical world and the afterlife. During sleep, the soul ventures into this realm, experiencing a temporary reprieve from worldly concerns. It is in this space that the soul encounters divine truths and spiritual wisdom.

Hazretleri describes this journey as follows:

• “Sleep allows the soul to journey into the Barzakh realm, where it finds solace and learns the secrets of the divine.”

2. Two Primary Benefits of the Barzakh Experience

1. Peace and Serenity:
   The soul is relieved from the anxieties and struggles of the material world, gaining inner tranquility.
2. Divine Knowledge:
   In the Barzakh realm, the soul acquires divine insights and wisdom that illuminate its spiritual path. These revelations often manifest as dreams, which carry profound meanings.

Dreams: Reflections of the Barzakh Realm

1. Two Types of Dreams

Dreams serve as a bridge between the soul’s Barzakh experiences and the conscious mind. In Marifetname, dreams are categorized into two types:

1. Truthful Dreams (Sadıq Rüya):
   These are visions inspired by the soul’s direct contact with divine truths in the Barzakh realm. They often carry guidance, warnings, or spiritual messages.
2. Confused Dreams:
   When the soul remains entangled in worldly distractions or the influence of the ego (nafs), dreams become chaotic and lack clarity.

2. The Divine Nature of Truthful Dreams

Hazretleri views truthful dreams as a means of divine communication:

• “Through sleep, the soul journeys into the Barzakh realm and returns with insights that guide the individual toward spiritual enlightenment.”

Barriers to the Barzakh Journey: Negligent Sleep

1. The Dangers of Excessive Sleep

Excessive sleep, or sleep rooted in negligence, can obstruct the soul’s access to the Barzakh realm. Hazretleri warns that such sleep is dominated by worldly desires and distances the soul from its divine essence.

• “When the soul remains attached to the ego, it cannot ascend to the Barzakh realm and remains confined to mundane concerns.”

2. Overcoming Barriers with Spiritual Awareness

To enable the soul’s spiritual journey, one must cultivate mindfulness and discipline. This includes avoiding overindulgence in sleep, engaging in night prayers, and fostering a strong connection with the divine.

Achieving Access to the Barzakh Realm

1. The Role of Limited Sleep

Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı Hazretleri emphasizes that limiting sleep enhances the soul’s ability to connect with divine realms. Excessive sleep weighs down the soul, whereas reduced sleep frees it to explore spiritual dimensions.

2. The Significance of Night Worship and Dawn Vigilance

The most spiritually auspicious time for the soul to ascend is during the pre-dawn hours (suhur). Night prayers and vigilance at dawn help the soul sever worldly ties and open itself to divine blessings.

A hadith beautifully illustrates the divine attention bestowed during this time:

• “Every night, during the last third of the night, Allah descends to the lowest heaven and says: ‘Who is calling upon Me so I may answer him? Who is asking of Me so I may give to him? Who is seeking My forgiveness so I may forgive him?’”

Sleep, as described in Erzurumlu İbrahim Hakkı Hazretleri’s Marifetname, is a profound spiritual process that extends beyond mere physical rest. It is a gateway for the soul to traverse the Barzakh realm, gaining peace, divine knowledge, and spiritual elevation. However, this sacred journey requires mindfulness, moderation in sleep, and a dedication to night worship.

By embracing these practices, one can unlock the spiritual potential of sleep, connect with the divine, and find both inner peace and enlightenment.

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