Beyond External Etiquette: The Spiritual Science of Listening and Capturing the Murshid’s Gaze

The Lost Art of Human Reception

If you walk into the lecture halls of Oxford or Cambridge, you will discover that communication is broken down into two distinct, rigorously trained sciences: the art of speaking and the art of listening. In modern society, however, human beings have become obsessed with the former while completely abandoning the latter.

In a piercing philosophical and spiritual discourse on ALRA TV, Sayeedi Younus AlGohar holds up an uncompromising mirror to contemporary humanity—and specifically to spiritual seekers associated with His Divine Eminence Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi. Despite claiming a connection to the highest esoteric path, the vast majority of people neither know how to articulate a thought with wisdom nor how to receive a message with presence.

Look at the anatomy of a typical modern conversation. Two individuals sit across from one another, yet no genuine exchange takes place. Why? Because the person who is supposed to be listening is merely waiting for an opening to speak—or worse, interrupting mid-sentence, resulting in two people talking simultaneously while neither comprehends a word. When you speak to someone today, you can watch their eyes glaze over and drift away. This exact dysfunction has fractured the modern family: spouses do not listen to one another, and parents brush off their weeping children with absent-minded dismissals. As Sayeedi Younus AlGohar observes, we have functionally devolved into zombies.

True Eloquence (Fasahat-o-Balaghat) Versus Performative Jargon

Before dissecting how we must listen, Sayeedi Younus AlGohar addresses a critical flaw in how we speak. According to the principles of Adab-e-Guftugu (the etiquette of discourse), true eloquence—known in classical tradition as Fasahat-o-Balaghat—is not the ability to intimidate an audience with bombastic, complex vocabulary.

When speaking to a layperson, deploying heavy academic or esoteric jargon just to project superiority is a sign of ignorance, not wisdom. Ironically, in our subcontinental and religious cultures, audiences are conditioned to applaud only when a speaker uses language so convoluted that nobody understands what was said! They walk away exclaiming, "What a phenomenal speaker!"—yet when asked what his message was, they have no idea.

Authentic Fasahat-o-Balaghat is the intellectual and spiritual sensitivity to assess the mental capacity of your listener in real time and tailor your words so the truth lands effortlessly in their heart. Furthermore, speaking is only one fraction of communication. Words are continuously assisted by non-verbal gestures. A subtle movement of the hand from one angle versus another drastically alters the force and meaning of a statement. Therefore, a listener cannot rely on audio alone; their eyes and consciousness must be fully locked onto the speaker to absorb the complete transmission.

The Decibels of Consciousness: Calibrating Your Tawajjuh

Human hearing operates within specific acoustic thresholds measured in decibels (dB). Below a certain threshold, sound is imperceptible; above a certain threshold, the eardrum shatters. Sayeedi Younus AlGohar explains that our mental and spiritual attention (Tawajjuh) must similarly be calibrated across a strict hierarchy depending on who is addressing us:

1. The Circle of Peers and Friends: When casual friends engage in everyday worldly conversation, a light, relaxed level of attention suffices.

2. The Circle of Parents: When parents speak, filial duty and respect demand a significantly higher, focused attentiveness.

3. The Academic Classroom: When sitting before a college professor or university lecturer, you are no longer engaging in casual banter; you are receiving structured knowledge. This requires 100% mental presence.

4. The Presence of the Murshid (Spiritual Master): When the Spiritual Guide addresses you, every worldly metric of attention falls short. The seeker must become Hamatan Gosh and Sarapa Kaan—transforming their entire being into an ear. Every cell of the body, every faculty of the intellect, and every chamber of the heart must stand at attention.

From Ra'ina to Unzurna: The Quranic Blueprint for Spiritual Focus

To illustrate that total attentiveness is not merely a cultural courtesy but a divine mandate, Sayeedi Younus AlGohar unpacks the historical and esoteric context of Surah Al-Baqarah (Verse 104) and Surah Al-Hujurat (Verse 2).

During the era of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw), whenever the Prophet delivered a discourse, certain mischievous hypocrites (Munafiqeen) and adversaries would infiltrate the assembly and deliberately whisper distractions to the Companions (Sahaba). Because the Companions allowed their attention to be momentarily diverted, they would miss parts of the Prophet's statement. Afterward, they would request the Prophet to repeat himself by using the Arabic word "Ra'ina" (derived from Ri'ayah, meaning: "Grant us concession / please repeat that for our sake").

However, the adversaries of Islam exploited a linguistic vulnerability. By slightly elongating the vowel and twisting their tongues—pronouncing it "Raa'ina"—the word shifted from a polite request for repetition into a vile Hebrew/Arabic slur meaning "a foolish person" or "our shepherd." They used this phonetic manipulation to openly insult the Holy Prophet (saw) under the guise of asking a question.

Allah Almighty immediately revealed Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:104:

"O you who believe! Do not say 'Ra'ina', but say 'Unzurna' (Look upon us with Your Merciful Gaze), and listen attentively (Wasma'u)!"

Notice the divine correction: First, Allah replaced a word susceptible to disrespect with "Unzurna"—a plea for the Prophet’s spiritual gaze (Nazar-e-Karam). Second, Allah added the command "Wasma'u"—Why do you not listen with complete focus from the very beginning so that you never need to ask the Messenger to repeat himself?

This exact principle is reinforced in Surah Al-Hujurat (49:2):

"O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another..."

For centuries, orthodox scholars (Ulama) and traditional mystics interpreted this verse solely through the lens of external reverence (Adab)—teaching that speaking loudly is disrespectful. While reverence is undeniable, Sayeedi Younus AlGohar reveals the underlying practical reality: if you raise your voice or speak in casual tones in the Master's presence, how will you ever hear, comprehend, or absorb what he is imparting? The entire objective of this verse was teaching believers how to capture and hold the spiritual attention of the Prophet (saw).

Once this verse descended, the Companions realized they could no longer even greet the Prophet with a casual "Assalamu Alaikum" as they greeted each other in the streets. As Hazrat Abu Dharr al-Ghifari noted the shift in divine protocol, it was Hazrat Bilal al-Habashi who first inaugurated the exalted salutation: "Assalatu Wassalamu Alaika Ya Rasool Allah" (Peace and Blessings be upon You, O Messenger of Allah). Shortly thereafter, Allah revealed Surah Al-Ahzab (33:56), enshrining Darood-o-Salam upon the Prophet and his sacred progeny (Aal) as an eternal divine law.

The 98% Tragedy and the Surgical Mercy of the Master

Why did Allah establish such rigorous protocols around how to speak, greet, and listen in the presence of the Divine Representative? Because everything in spirituality hinges upon Tawajjuh (focused consciousness).

Swearing by Allah as his witness, Sayeedi Younus AlGohar shares a heartbreaking reality that he perceives through the inner spiritual eye (Batin ki Aankh): when he looks at the people sitting in the spiritual gathering, their internal states are laid bare before him. Between 97% and 98% of attendees are only present physically. Their minds and hearts are wandering miles away—one is consumed by domestic arguments with his spouse, another is mentally balancing his business ledgers, another is lost in worldly anxieties.

If your consciousness is wandering in the marketplace while your body sits before the Spiritual Master, what could you possibly gain from the assembly? You leave empty-handed because the vessel of your attention was turned upside down.

Near the conclusion of his discourse, Sayeedi Younus AlGohar addresses those who might feel stung or offended by his candid reprimand. Why does the Murshid point out our ugliness so bluntly?

Consider why Allah mentioned the "impure drop" (Ganda Qatra) inside human biology and spirituality. Allah did not mention it to insult humanity or provoke our anger; He highlighted that internal impurity so that human beings would finally pay attention to it, ask "How do I extract this filth from within me?", and seek true purification. Similarly, when the Spiritual Master exposes our lack of etiquette, our heedlessness, and our internal flaws, it is an act of supreme surgical mercy. He points to the disease so that we may rid ourselves of the impure drop and attain that state of absolute spiritual purity (Taharah) which is our true birthright before God.