GOOD FRIDAY - ISLAMIC CONCEPT

GOOD FRIDAY - ISLAMIC CONCEPT

A metaphysical and mystical reading of Good Friday moves beyond history into symbol, consciousness, and inner transformation.

1. The outer event and inner meaning

Traditionally or outwardly, Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Isa Masih (word of God).

But inwardly, it represents:

The crucifixion of the ego (nafs) so that the Spirit (rūḥ) and the word of God may be revealed

It is not about a historical suffering, but about a universal pattern of annihilation and rebirth.

2. The cross as a metaphysical symbol

The cross can be read as the meeting of two dimensions:

• Vertical axis → the Divine, the Absolute, the eternal

• Horizontal axis → the world, time, multiplicity

Where they intersect:

The human being stands

Thus, crucifixion symbolizes:

the tension of being human - suspended between الأرض (earth / lower consciousness) and السماء (heaven / higher consciousness)

3. The death before resurrection

Mystically, Good Friday is about:

Death before transformation

In many traditions (including Islamic thought), there is a principle:

“Die before you die”

This means:

• The false self must collapse

• Attachments, identity, and illusion must be “crucified”

Only then can:

Resurrection (new consciousness) emerge

4. The paradox of “Good” Friday

Why is a day of suffering called Good?

Because:

What appears as loss is actually transformation

• The ego sees tragedy

• The spirit sees transcendence

This reflects a deep metaphysical truth:

Destruction at one level is creation at another

5. Silence, surrender, and فنا (annihilation)

On the cross, there is:

• surrender

• helplessness

• stillness

This mirrors what in Islamic mysticism is called:

• fanā (فناء) → annihilation of self

And beyond it:

• baqā (بقاء) → abiding in the Divine

Thus, Good Friday is:

the moment of fanā before baqā

6. The Divine hidden in suffering

A deeper mystical insight:

Good Friday suggests that:

The Divine is not absent in suffering - it is hidden within it

What appears as abandonment:

• is actually a deeper unveiling

Just as the Qur’an says:

“He is the Manifest and the Hidden” (57:3)

7. Universal inner reading

Beyond religion, Good Friday represents a universal inner process:

• When identity breaks

• When certainty collapses

• When the self feels “crucified” by life

👉 That moment is not the end
👉 It is the threshold

Final metaphysical insight

Good Friday is not about one man on a cross.

It is about: 

The eternal incident (حَدِيثٍ) within every human being (الإنسان)

Where:

• the ego resists

• the soul surrenders

• and the Divine silently emerges.

For those who are looking the concept of fana and baqa in the book Quran

🌑 1. Verses related to Fanā (Annihilation / Passing away) - although the exact word fanāʾ (فناء) - commonly used in Sufi terminology to mean “annihilation” (especially annihilation of the self in God) - does not explicitly appear in the Quran.

However, the concept behind fanāʾ is very much present, expressed through other Qur’anic words and verses that speak about the perishing of all things except Allah. The Qur’an uses different roots, especially ف ن ي (f-n-y) indirectly and more prominently ه ل ك (h-l-k) and ب ق ي (b-q-y).

Key Qur’anic Verses Reflecting the Concept of Fanāʾ

1. Surah al-Rahman (55:26–27)

“Everyone upon it (the earth) will perish,
and there remains the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty and Honor.”

• Arabic: كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ
• Here, the word فَانٍ (fān) comes from the same root as fanāʾ
• This is the closest direct Qur’anic expression of the idea

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2. Surah al-Qasas (28:88)

“Everything will perish except His Face.”

• Arabic: كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ
• Uses هَالِكٌ (hālik) instead of fanāʾ, but conveys the same metaphysical truth

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3. Surah al-Hadid (57:20)

Describes worldly life as something that fades and becomes dry stubble

• Indicates impermanence → a softer, existential dimension of fanāʾ

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Philosophical / Mystical Insight

In later Islamic mysticism (especially in the teachings of Ibn Arabi), fanāʾ evolves into a deeper inner experience:

• Not physical perishing
• But dissolution of ego (nafs)
• A realization that only the Divine Reality truly exists

This is often paired with baqāʾ (بقاء) — “subsistence in God,” which echoes the Qur’anic idea:

“And there remains (يبقى) the Face of your Lord…” (55:27)

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Summary

• ❌ The noun fanāʾ (فناء) is not explicitly used in the Qur’an
• ✅ The verb/participle form (فَانٍ) is used (55:26)
• ✅ The concept of annihilation and Divine permanence is strongly present