Islam
Force, Power, and the Divine Capacity Within Man
“Islam is a very simple faith. It requires man to recognize his duties toward God Allah, his Creator, and his fellow creatures.”
Over the course of human history, there has arisen from among every ethnic group one who, by decree of Allah, came to save the people from the wrath of Allah. We call these individuals prophets, though many have been known by other titles. Some may have had their work go unnoticed altogether. Still, they were sent, and they came.
In India, these exceptionally gifted persons are called Siddhas, or Gurus. At the time this manuscript was written, Gurumayi was presented as one of these special people. Within the Siddha Yoga tradition, one does not become a Guru by vote or self-proclamation. The Shakti, or Power, of one Guru is passed from one to another, so true Gurus are members of an unbroken chain.
In truth, a Guru is not merely a person. It is the Shakti that is the Guru. It is the power that comes from God, granting the person who becomes one with it the ability to awaken the Shakti of another person—or of groups of people—simply through presence or will.
Different Siddhas possess extraordinary powers: the power to heal, to travel great distances at the speed of thought, and even to raise the dead to life. Individuals of this type are found in the histories of every nation, including America. The Prophet Noble Drew Ali is one of these individuals.
The Power Called Shakti
We must understand something about Shakti. Shakti is power. Shakti is the only power there is. It is the force that animates all life. It is the force that propels everything that moves. It is in everything and in everyone, and it must be awakened within us.
There are various ways to accomplish this, but within the Siddha Yoga tradition, the intervention of a Guru is considered the quickest way to awaken one's Shakti. The Guru does this through a process called shaktipat. One may receive shaktipat by reading a Guru's books, listening to a Guru speak, receiving a touch, or through another form of interaction chosen by the Guru.
Does any of this sound familiar? It should.
“Force is the will of Allah and is omnipotent, and power is that will in manifest, directed by the Breath. There is a power in the winds, a power in the waves, a power in the lightning’s stroke, a power in the human arm, a power in the eye.”
Lamas Bramas would certainly have been able to identify with the young Prophet's explanation of Force and Power. In this understanding, “Lamas” is not a name, but a title meaning “Guru.” Therefore, Jesus' priest friend was the Guru Bramas, or Gurubramas.
Jesus' explanation of Force as the omnipotent Will of Allah, and Power as Allah's Will made manifest, squares well with the Indian concept of Shakti. Moorish Science and Siddha Yoga have at least this much in common.
“What I Can Do, All Men Can Do”
“And then He clasped Apollo's hand and said: ‘My human flesh was changed to higher form by love divine, and I can manifest in flesh or in higher planes of life at will. What I can do all men can do. Go teach the Gospel of the Omnipotence of men.’ Then Jesus disappeared; but Greece and Crete and all the nations heard.”
“Now Claudas and his wife were on the Tiber in a little boat; a storm swept from the sea, and the boat was wrecked, and Claudas and his wife were sinking down to death. And Jesus came and took them by the hands and said: ‘Claudas and Juliet, arise and walk with me upon the waves.’ And they arose and walked with Him upon the waves.”
Here we see the Prophet Jesus manifesting powers attributed to the Siddhas. We also see him give shaktipat to Claudas and Juliet. Yet the most essential lesson is what he told Apollo:
“What I can do, all men can do.”
There is, however, an important difference between the traditional Siddha Yoga concept and the Moorish position of understanding:
“Man is a thought of Allah. All thoughts of Allah are infinite.”
Therefore, man does not need a Guru in the strictest sense.
“Man is born with unlimited capacities for progress.”
The duty of the Grand Sheik is to cultivate the inherited omnipotence within his or her members.
“Now seeds are perfect. Yea, as perfect as the source from which they come, but they are not unfolded into life made manifest.”
