Last weeks Rumi reflection.
Only the one whose soul has been tested by Allah can distinguish certainty from doubt.
-Rumi
This line from the Sufi Rumi sheds light on the tests one goes through in this experience, but specifically the challenges one faces on the path to a true, unadulterated trust in God. That level of trust is what allows one to "distinguish certainty from doubt." @nobleanpu refers to this as an "evolution of faith."
So how does one evolve their faith to reach this state Rumi speaks of? What tests allow us to be certain of the Most High and Its laws? The answer lies in tests of spirit. These challenges usually require one of the following:
- faith and trust beyond logic - Daniel thrown in the lion's den for praying
- embracing solitude - Moshe's 40 Days & 40 Nights on Mount Sinai
- breaking free from falsehood - From Saul to Paul
- enduring suffering w/ purpose - Job lost it all and still refused to curse God
By not only going through, but accepting these spiritual tests that appear at different stages in our lives, we can begin to experience evidence of the Divine. These tests refine the soul, much like the alchemist's flame that melts away all needless impurities. It's no wonder humanity finds itself in such a chaotic state. Most people go through their lives doing everything in their power to avoid what is required to access the "truth".
We see these test archetypes manifest as trials in many spiritual schools of thought. Sufism, Rumi's own school of thought, mirrors this process in what is known as the Maqamat, or "stations of the soul." At these "stations", seekers pass through trials that purify their hearts. The stations of Maqamat are categorized as follows:
- Tawakkul (absolute trust in God) – Abraham's faith
- Mujahada (struggle against the ego) – the test of suffering and illusion
- Ma’rifah (union) – direct revelation and certainty.
Maqamat 
source
It seems as if the different "flames" that are present in these stations can only be ignited by the seeker. This is why acceptance is a prerequisite, it is the gasoline that sparks the flame. Going through these challenges with a victim mindset only burns the flesh, but isn't able to penetrate to the soul.
There is no truth or certainty, absent of the soul.
Peace & Light ✨