SUFISM

SUFISM / TASAWWUF


The Greek σοφός (sophos), related to the noun σοφία (sophia), had the meaning "skilled" or "wise" since the time of the poet Homer, originally it was used to describe anyone with expertise in a specific domain of knowledge or craft. For example, a charioteer, a sculptor, or a warrior could be described as sophoi in their occupations. Gradually, the word also came to denote general wisdom and especially wisdom about human affairs, for example, in politics, ethics, or household management. This was the meaning ascribed to the Greek Seven sages of 7th and 6th century BCE (such as Solon and Thales), and it was the meaning that appears in the histories of Herodotus.

From the word σοφός (sophos) is derived the verb σοφίζω (sophizo), which means "to instruct or make learned", and in the passive voice means "to become or be wise", or "to be clever or skilled in a thing". From this verb is derived the noun σοφιστής (sophistes), which originally meant "a master of one's craft" but later came to mean "a prudent man" or "wise man". The word for "sophist" in various languages comes from sophistes.

According to Edward William Lane Lexicon Sufi is an borrowed word derived from Greek word σοφός (sophos) that signifies wisdom, contemplation of divine things - one who thinks away from common perceptions [The arrow turned aside from the butt], one who focus on resolving existential questions about the human conditions, and not someone who discourses upon theories or comments upon other authors. The modern Arabic meaning of word sufi are – people who wear clothes made of wool or cotton, people with long hair, people who turn away from evil or mischief, devoted to religion are some of the post classical meanings of Sufi.

The early sophists charged money in exchange for education and providing wisdom, and so were typically employed by Kings, wealthy traders and business men. For example Aristotle was a paid tutor to Alexander the Great, Nizamuddin Aulia was a mentor to Alauddin Khilji of Delhi Sultanate... 

The current labels of Muslims, Kafir, Mushrik, Yahood, Nasrani or Sufi don't represent the essence of their core meaning. These words are actually adjectives that describe the quality but today they have become noun, name, labels; synonymous with certain communities.


The Sufis are mostly misunderstood by their followers because Sufis don’t teach, preach or propagate; they live and lead by example. Basically they are humble, independent and out of box thinkers in their own field but now these people are related to religious cult of mysticism or spiritualism. 


These humble thinkers were always an integral part of wealthy families. They  were story tellers, poets, philosophers and guides to the moving armies, sailing traders and business men. This migration with wealthy and influential people was one of the basic causes why they had to travel all the way to Spain, Russia, Africa, China, India, Bangladesh then finally to Maldives, Malaysia and Indonesia all along the silk route. Sometimes they were with the invading armies but their intentions were never aggression but to provide guidance and wisdom to wealthy and deserved families. Their impeccable character was their only strength.

Originally Arabic was the native language of Sufis but later on it was adopted by Persians. The first thing they did after migrating to foreign land was to learn the local language and mingle with the locals. Note their initial intention was not to spread their philosophies but to find livelihood and adapt the environment around them. For that they had to learn the culture of natives and participate in their local music, folk singing, poetry and dancing. The love for all and secular attitude of theirs made them enemies of medieval Sunni theologians.

Gradually, when they established their foot hold, they began to interpret the teachings of the book Quran in their local languages in the form of folk songs, poetry and storytelling. The Sufis never tried to imposed any restrictions on the way of life of the individuals or societies, because they very well knew the original teachings of the book Quran which was secular and had nothing to do with any religion.

Sufism is mainly a lone inner journey of deep contemplation. Wherever the Sufi migrated with wealthy people they won the hearts of local people with their fair dealings and respect of their cultures. This was their main forte which brought thousands of local inhabitants to their fold. History is witness to it that Islam reached peacefully to the western Indian shores, Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh and even southern China without any aggression.

Sufism is basically spiritualism which embraces everyone as being their own self. Sufism or spiritualism does not make any distinction with caste, creed or religion. Neither does it follow any religious ideologies. Over a period of years Sufism was wrongly associated with performing of miracles, cataleptic prayers, singing, dancing and monasticism. As the original Sufis are no more and the purpose of their learning the art and mingling with other cultures no longer makes sense to the general masses who were influenced by Salafi Islam funded by oil money.

Today Sufis are being accused of pluralism by the so called puritanical Islamists - But the fact is Sufis of old were the main torch bearer of Islam, to the lands where Wahabism is now spreading its tentacles.

Having said that I would add that majority of present day Sufis do not represent the original Sufis of the past. Today's Sufism has become a cult like other branches of Islam and it no longer represent true teachings of Islam or the book Quran.

Yahya bin Muadh al Razi (830 AD - 871 AD) said " Avoid the society of three classes of men; headless Ulemas, hypocritical Quran readers and ignorant pretenders to Sufism."

My analysis towards understanding of Sufism…

DO WE REALLY NEED A GUIDE OR A MESSENGER

DO WE REALLY NEED A GUIDE OR A MESSENGER:


“Muslims” all over the world acknowledge only one book as their valid document and that is the Quran. They revere this book more than any other book or literature but very few depend on it for guidance and direction.


Al-Quran the book considered to be the best compass by which the Arabs of past navigated their entire course of life is now been made an object of ridicule by the actions of today’s “Believers”.

Absurdly this is the only book in the world that is rote read and recited daily widely by its followers only for earning “huge rewards” rather than for understanding its contents.

Those who claim to have understood the book actually understood the different versions of various interpretations of their respective scholars they believe to be the exact interpretation of the original message of the book Quran the 114 chapter book. The “Muslims” will apply their mind in every big and small affair but when it comes to understanding the book Quran their mind gets numb as if they are facing some big monster.

It is really a pity that the man one of the best creation of the nature does not use his own sense / logic and relies on other man or books for guidance for his day to day routine work. This is an insult to the dignity of man and his intellect. A Man can only give advice to another man but the onus for following the advice remains the prerogative of that man who had been advised. The book Quran clearly states many times that one should use reason and verify any message before believing it (17:36) (25:73).

Man fails to realize that the main crucial book of guidance is available inside him (21:10) (18:54) which he fails to recognize (2:146) (6:20). Without having a glance on his / her inherent book [Al-Kitab] he immediately runs and tries to looks for outside help / guidance.

I can’t understand why people need guidance from “holy messengers” when they don’t even bother to ponder on the available inherent messengers constantly sending out messages to them (9:128) (10:16) (23:32) (37:72) (43:6) (49:7) (3:101) (3:164) (4:59) (2:139) (2:151) (3:81).

NO HUMAN MESSENGERS

CHAPTER 06

NO HUMAN MESSENGERS

This chapter is absolutely necessary to understand from the Quranic point of view about the most revered word Rasul. Allah, Rabb, Rehman, Rasul, Nabi, Malaika, Kitab, Quran... are some of the vital keywords of the book Quran; without the perfect understanding of these keywords no one can understand the essence of the message of the book Quran, even if one is the doctorate in Arabic language.

It is of utmost important to know the exact meaning of the word rasul and its implications with the word Allah/Rabb in the context of the exact message of the book Quran. Without knowing the exact position, location and status of Rasuls no one can understand the message of the Noble Quran. If we assume that Rasuls are physical entity existed in genealogical chronological order of history then it is impossible to understand the message of the book Quran.

DEDUCING THE LEXICON MEANING OF WORD RASUL:

The root word is رسل - r-si-l -The basic meaning is - he became easy in pace, became lank not crisp, pendent - means that what hangs down like hair or descend, r-s-l signifies bringing a message - ترسيل - easy utterance, without haste, reading in leisurely manner, was grave, staid, sedate or calm and endeavor to understand, without raising his voice...We cannot ignore the overall meaning while understanding any word.

After taking into consideration all the meanings of word Rasul and its derivatives I came to the conclusion that the word rasul connotes an organism which continuously hangs or descend upon us emitting signs or messages or speaks in an easy and calm manner - And in Quranic context the Rasul in you, with you and from you.  

Finally according to Arabic classical lexicons plus the context of the entire Quran, rasuls are described as inner voices that are 24x7 hanging [like hair] on our head, speaking without raising voices, uttering articulate / real messages with ease and without haste, in calm and sedate manner. 

Can the readers understand this verse [3:81] from their traditional point of view?


3:81 - Behold! Allah took the covenant of the prophets, saying: "I give you a script [al-kitab] and Wisdom; then comes to you a rasul [calm and sedate voice / sign, message], confirming what is with you; do you believe in him and render him help." Allah said: "Do you agree, and take this my Covenant as binding on you?" They said: "We agree." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses."

From the traditional point of view Allah took the the covenant from all the nabiyeens, saying I give you a script and wisdom; then comes a Rasul confirming what is with you. My question is who is this new Rasul confirming what is with is with the nabiyeen [prophets]? If Mohammed is one of the Nabi from whom Allah took the covenant then who is the new rasul coming confirming what is with you...  

I challenge the readers to explain the above verse from the traditional or popular or so called established point of view.

According to the book Al-Quran Nuh....Ibrahim...Musa, Pharaoh...Isa.....& Mohammed never ever existed in physical forms as popularly assumed. Rasul is called bashar [7:188][41:1-6] which can be literally deduced as our thoughts / senses (Bashar) that exposes the inner view or removes the cover by changing the complexion of the face and insight (12:96). They are continuously present or part of our mind / psyche (23:44). The life of this world is like a passing dream/sense (الْبُشْرَى) for those who are conscious and righteous in their work (10:61-65); the Rabb is always over them and there is no escape from Him. All these names are apps or senses that are living in the lower consciousness (fil-ardh) of an individual without which the existence of man with his senses is not at all possible.


4:165 رُّسُلاً مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

Rasuls [inner voices / signs] are bearer of sensations [one who change the expression / color of the face] and they are also warners, so that there is no place for agitated minds [mankind] against the system of consciousness [Allah] in any state of argument after the Rasul's message. And Allah [system of consciousness] is Mighty and Wise.


5:19 يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَى فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا جَاءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلاَ نَذِيرٍ فَقَدْ جَاءَكُم بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

O possessor of the inherent script! Surely ensued / emerges unto you, Our rasul making clear for you, over the gradual process from the rasuls, lest you would say: "There ensued / emerged unto us no senses and not any warner": But now has ensued for you a state of sense and a warner (from evil). And Allah [system of consciousness has measure over all desires.


6:48 وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ فَمَنْ آمَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

And We do not sent those rasuls [inner voices / signs] except as sensations and warners, so whoever trusted and reformed, so no fear on them and nor they be grievous.

These Rasuls are not individual persons but important inherent senses installed to operate the complicated machine or program called Adam [mankind] whose nature is like potter’s clay which can be molded or can be adapted (طين) in any character he yearn for. Unless we reject the physical attributes which we relate with these apps/senses we won't be able to understand the book Quran and Islam. When we believe these names of rasuls and their adversaries as human beings or personalities we undermine or limit their role or function in our self and in current / present life. We assume rasuls as mortal bodies and make them part of history to which we either revere or hate. The Quran is not a book of history or geography, it is a book of ayaats [present/valid signs] for the purpose of guidance to mankind.

I am saying this because all these names of rasuls in the Quran are not proper nouns or a name of any particular person. The stories of rasuls mentioned in the book Quran are part of symbolic parables that are attached or faculty within the human consciousness called Adam. The Author of the book Quran personify / depict them as humans as to explain their role through meaningful parables. Each inherent Rasuls or sense have their own inherent group of thoughts which are referred as Qaum [community] in the Quranic context.

All sensible men are embedded with the senses in the form of different thoughts and they are active within us. We need to activate the right senses or the messages that the sensors or the messengers provide us through a series of mental waves or perception or ayaats. They are body of thoughts which control our actions. The body is useless unless the self (nafs) knows the function and the benefit of its system of thoughts or what data is to be fed in or to be deleted out. The problem is we underestimate or ignore our own valuable senses and look out for help from weak sources or wait for some haloed messenger's arrival or rely on some self help book for guidance. 

What bothers me is that in spite of all the senses or messengers or Kingdom of God exists within us or available to us we either don’t rely or trust (Iman) them or we are ignorant (Kafir) of them or we kill them because of lack of awareness. We don’t look inward towards our personal messengers or senses that are integral part of an inherent prescription (Kitab 21:10). We are capable enough to take charge of our regular needs which is guided through the messengers / senses in the language we understand (14:4). Those to whom We have given the Book know this as they know their own sons. Those who have lost their own souls refuse therefore to believe (2:146)(6:20) – These verses are talking about the inherent script [al-kitab] and those who don’t trust it are senseless.

Most among mankind is impure (Najis) because they mix (Shirk) with their pure inherent system of Allah and Rasul with external influences. They ultimately become Mushrik an unpardonable sin. Such people cannot achieve the enshrined state of humbleness (Masjid-e-Haram) as they are not pure in their thinking (9:28). They are diverted from their own inherent script and try to emulate others.

Those who think that messengers (rasuls) are physical entities should know that the ideology of Islam does not allow its follower to worship or revere or serve anything or any entity except Allah (5:44) the system of consciousness [Allah]. Moreover all these envisioned personalities are dead and even if they ever existed once upon a time their stories are irrelevant in today's time... The Quran is not a book which discusses the stories of dead personalities or Imams or instruct us to follow them. Obey Allah and obey rasul أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ is wrongly construed as obeying Late Mohammed bin Abdullah [PBUH] of Saudi Arabia.


The Quran is the book of guidance and criterion for the conscious living, so its examples should not be from past stories of dead persons but it should present live examples that are tangible to human senses. That means the examples or the ayaats of the book Quran should be applicable to all those who are alive and able to witness or testify that messengers / senses with their own mental perception or must feel within their own self (Nafs).

Those who think that these messengers (Rasuls) are corporeal or tangible bodies also believe in the mythological stories of Adam and Iblees, Abraham and Satan, Musa and Pharaoh, Maryam and Isa as real historical facts. They fail to understand that the book Quran teach its readers by giving relevant examples in the form of meaningful parables which contain deep messages for human consciousness. But sadly we have made these exemplary representations as historical figures thus confining its actual application in our real life. Such superficial understanding deprives the readers the feel or sense of wisdom and healing that the book Quran possess. To me the book Quran has the potential to become the number one psychological manual for all mankind but unfortunately its core message is lost in bad translation.

The Rasuls and its adversaries are inherent senses which is inside our psyche (nafs) or in our lower consciousness.

Please check the references, that rasuls are inside us - (2:129) (2:151) (3:101) (3:164) (4:59) (9:128) (10:16) (23:32) (37:72) (43:6) (49:7) and there is a continuous battle of differences / succession (Khilafat) going on between all negative and positive senses inside the lower consciousness (fil-ardh) which the Malaikah [faculty of mind] knew beforehand that it is going to happen and this can create problem (fasad) – (2:30). 

All these senses or messengers are inside us and you [فِيكُمْ]  and we can feel / witness / experience them if we know the role of each one of them … we can able to recognize them by their names. If we recognize, sensed and adapt the characteristics of each one of these messengers we can achieve a very high moral standard. But our "eminent" translators have translated this simple Arabic preposition [ فِيكُمْ] as among you; and made these immortal rasuls as physical mortal beings. 

Nuh is the first informer / warner whose function is to warn or caution or notify or send wahi to the body (Adam) of upcoming dangers. Mohammed is the last and final sense which approves all the self acquired information (Nabiyeen) of all the other senses and order them into action. These inherent informers, messengers or senses continuously keep on prompting, guiding, dictating and warning us in our own language (14:4) but we fail to understand their voices because we are more inclined to listen to outside voices rather the voices of the vital messengers who reside inside us.

This clearly explains our dilemma why all the messengers belong to the same region and are related to each other, because they all live in the lower consciousness of Adam (Mankind) and not in some Semitic land or culture. The book Quran confirms this that Adam was taught all these names and its applications (2:31) and children of Adam have to testify this upon themselves (Nafs) the ownership of the Consciousness (Rabb) (7:172)… The sense [Rasul] who has seen or experienced or testify the all the informations [Al-Nabiyeen] by himself can only give the testimony of the existence of Rabb and his Nabiyeen… and they can only affirm a covenant with Him (3:81). 

To justify the roles of these Rasuls as humans and historical entities the theologians have created their entire background. They planted their place of birth and then concocted their entire family with time line of their date of birth and showed them all as genetically related. Gradually the believers began to revere these make-believe entities as real heroes and to imitate their personal life; they infer it as an act of piousness. Now the believer’s only aspiration is to visit the birthplace of these “Holy Figures" once in their lifetime. The entire life of the “believer” began to rotate around the stories of these "holy / historical / mythological characters”. 

One such example is in the visualization of story of Abraham and his son. For this the “believers” travel all the way to Mecca to throw stones at man-made Satan of concrete and cement and revolve around “the stone house built by Abraham”. The performance of this ritual is a matter of great pride and a big life time achievement for them. The problem with the so called believers is that they don’t understand that the Satan (one of the sense) is not an outside force but he is the main rival of Allah, who is near to us than our jugular vein (50:16) so naturally the Satan has to be within us. We don’t have to travel to holy places to meet Allah or throw stones at Satan; they all are living within our Nafs / in lower consciousness.

Nafs / self / soul / psyche / lower consciousness is a vital topic of the book Quran and it is very important to know this word thoroughly. As it is clear from the following verses, Nafs or Nafsiyat is the Soul or Inner Self mentioned in the book Quran refers to that entity inside us that is continuously interacting with our mind and can easily affect us (as a person) in a positive or negative way. Nafs has the potential to become what we aspire for.

- As for whoever exceeded the limits and preferred the life of this world, surely his abode will be the Fire; and as for whoever feared to stand before his Rabb and restrained the desires of his self (nafs), surely his abode will be the Garden. (79:38-40)

Man or Nafs (self) is the topic of “Quran” (21:10). 


"The (human) soul (nafs) is certainly prone to evil" (12:53).

By the soul (nafs) and (by) Him who made it perfect, and then inspired it to understand what is wrong and what is right for it. Truly is successful the one who purifies (his soul). (91: 7-9)

But ah! You soul (nafs) at peace! Return unto thy Lord, content in His good pleasure! Enter thou among My bondmen! Enter thou My Jannah! (89:27)

Just as We have sent IN you a rasul [calm and sedate voice] from yourselves dictating on you Our signs and purifying / developing you and teaching you the script and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not know. (2:151)


And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And if a heavily laden soul calls [another] to [carry some of] its load, nothing of it will be carried, even if he should be a close relative. You can only warn those who fear their Lord unseen and have established salat. And whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul (nafs). And to Allah is the [final] destination. (35:18) - 

(All traditional translations)

Thoughts are our messengers of peace or destruction we have to be diligent while choosing them to reside in us.


FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION PLEASE VERIFY FROM FOLLOWING VERSES:


Rasul is in you (رسول فيكم).

Rasul is with you (رسول معكم).

Rasul is from you (رسول منكم).

Rasul is from your nafs / soul (رسول من انفسكم).


2:129 - فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ


2:151 - أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولًا


23:32 - فَأَرْسَلْنَا فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ


3:101 - وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُ


3:164 - إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ


9:128 - لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ


17:15 - وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا 


17:77 - وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا ==


22:75 - اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ


25:27 - يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا


39:71 - أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِ رَبِّكُمْ


40:70 - الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِالْكِتَابِ وَبِمَا أَرْسَلْنَا بِهِ رُسُلَنَا


41:14 - إِذْ جَاءَتْهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ


44:13 - أَنَّىٰ لَهُمُ الذِّكْرَىٰ وَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُبِينٌ


44:17 - وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَجَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ


57:25 - لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ


43:29 - بَلْ مَتَّعْتُ هَؤُلَاءِ وَآبَاءَهُمْ حَتَّى جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ وَرَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ - 

Yea, I have given the good things of this life to these (men) and their fathers, until the Truth has come to them, and a RASUL making things clear - وَرَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ - 44:13 - 

7:35 يَا بَنِي آدَمَ إِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي فَمَنِ اتَّقَى وَأَصْلَحَ فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

O ye Children of Adam! whenever there come to you rasuls from you, rehearsing My signs on you,- those who are righteous and mend (their lives),- on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.


FUNCTION OF RASUL IN THE CONTEXT OF THE BOOK QURAN: 

The Rasuls are just confirmation of our inner script [Al-Kitab] - 2:101

The Rasuls are voice in us that recites signs [ayaat], teaches us our inherent script [Al-Kitab], wisdom and develop us - 2:129, 2:151

The Rasul will be the witness upon us and guide us to our goal / aim [Qibla] - 2:143

Allah and Rasul can wage war against you - 2:279 - Ponder how this is possible?

3:164 - لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

Allah had conferred favor on the believers, when He raised in them a rasul from themselves / nafs, he continuously peruse/recites/dictate/follow on them His signs / ayaats and he continuously purifies/develops / corrects them, and he teaches/instructs them the script, and the wisdom, and they were far from acceptance, certainly in a clear / evident misguidance.

TRADITIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF RASUL:

1) Rasul are human but cannot be women - because they interpret bashar and rajul as human and man respectively. They should refer the classical Arabic lexicons to understand the basic meanings of them.

2) Sometimes they assume rasuls as Angels.

3) They also believe that when an angels takes form of human being they are called rasuls

4) Rasul can also take soul during death.

5) Rasul can talk to God

6) All rasuls belong to Middle East region. 

3:81 - And when the system of consciousness [Allah] took hold firm bond of all the self acquired informations [al-nabiyeen] "Whatever I gave/brought you from a script [kitab] and wisdom then a Rasul [calm and sedate voice / sign, message] betided you as a confirmation for what is with you, have trust with it and you will continuously help him/it." He said: "Did you affirm / certify and you took hold upon; that is My restriction / My boundary / My limit?" They [Al-Nabiyeen] said: "We affirm / certify." He [Allah] said: "So witness/testify and I am with you amid the witnessing / testifying"  (ahleaqal)

Editing in progress - Rasul are from agitated minds 16:36, 22:75, 6:130,....

33:6-7 Rasul closer than self