The Grave is an embrace from which neither believer or unbeliever can escape. Our souls stay in the Barzakh and visit the grave regularly for rewards or punishments. Afterwards, our journey continues and the believer is relieved of its pressure while the unebliever remains in punishment. He replied, “I am that Muslim gentleman who wanted to caress this child, and you didn't allow it; and now I am possessing it!” How do you listen to your heart? One of the best ways is to simply place a soft hand over your heart, let all thoughts go, and drop into a sense of stillness. Then ask yourself, “What is it that I truly, deeply yearn for, above all else?” We have no choice in who our parents are, our race, color or nationality. “He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He, The Exalted in Might, The Wise.” (3:6) Allah knows all of this before our birth even, but we still continue our journey to fulfill our destiny. There are also some people (typically leaders of spiritual communities or certain gurus) who are totally unaware of their unconscious shadow motivations (but are equally as dangerous). So be discerning. Learn to trust your intuition and gut instincts. Tap into your inner lone wolf: that primal wisdom you carry inside which drove you to begin this quest to begin with.

He saw another of the muslims surrounded by shaytans. Then his remembrance of Allah came and made the shaytans fly from him.’ The practice of inner work is what allows this inner space to emerge because it dissolves the contractions of the ego that hide our True Nature as Divine Consciousness.

In our everyday lives, we function within the middle world. The middle world is responsible for our ego development, and yet many people on the spiritual path ignore this vital element of inner growth.

All will be waiting for the Court of Allah, the Court of Justice to decide for them. The Day of Assembly is a day of fear, agony and anxiety. It is a day when each of us will be worried about what will happen to us personally. It is indeed something to be pondered; that we die each night and Allah gives us another chance at life when we wake up the next day. Roughly speaking, there are about five phases of the spiritual journey (although, of course, there could be many more – but I’m just sharing the phases I’m aware of).

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Wisdom tells me I am nothing, love tells me I am everything. Between the two, my life flows. ― Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Bill, it’s pouring rain and the weather report shows no signs of the storm letting up, Dallas Willard said to me on the phone one January day. Jane is afraid for you to drive on the freeways. Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein, (humbled) to their knees.” (19:71–72) The content in this book was honed through many years of counseling ministry and by teaching it to pastors, church leaders, and others in our Soul Shepherding Institute and spiritual direction certificate training. Thank you to all the women and men who have shared their stories, hearts, and questions with us. My Andean ancestry speaks of three worlds that we can experience in life: the Upper World (Hanaq Pacha), the Middle World (Kay Pacha), and the Lower World (Ukhu Pacha).