Friends of God

Since the very beginning of humanity there have been spiritual masters who have kept watch on the world and for the world. These masters and their disciples have worked to keep humanity aligned with the currents of energy, of love and wisdom, that come from the inner planes. These masters also work to keep the energy flowing and balanced, in accordance with the need of the time and the laws of the inner world. In the Sufi tradition there is a spiritual hierarchy of the awliya (Friends of God), which consists of a fixed number of evolved beings, without whom the existence and well-being of the world cannot be maintained. At the top of the hierarchy stands the pole (qutb(, “the Master of the Friends of God,” who is the axis around whom the exterior and interior universe turns. Under the pole come seven pegs, below which come the forty successors (al-abdal). If one of these Friends of God dies another is waiting to take his place, so that the number is maintained. Traditionally the Friends of God work in hiding, veiled from the world. This enables them to continue their work without the disturbance that recognition could bring. Ibn Arabi, the great thirteenth-century Sufi master, tells the story of when he was in Fez. There he met a Sufi called al-Ashall (literally “the withered” because he had a withered hand). Ibn Arabi had been in his company a number of times without knowing his spiritual station, until he had a vision in which it was revealed to him that al-Ashall was the pole of the time. The next day he was invited to someone’s garden to meet with a group of Sufis, among them al-Ashall. Nobody talked to this man, who was a foreigner. But during the conversation the pole came to be mentioned, and Ibn ‘Arabi said, “My brothers I am going to tell you some amazing things about the pole of your time.” He then turned towards the man who during his sleep had been shown to him by God to be the pole…This man said to Ibn ‘Arabi, “Say what God has revealed to you, but do not reveal his identity!” The Friends of God have been working with the energy structure of the planet for centuries, but have kept this knowledge hidden, as it could easily be misused. These masters of love and wisdom are now working to help humanity align with the changes that are currently taking place, changes that begin first on the inner planes before they come into manifestation. Energy patterns are becoming accessible to consciousness, and humanity needs to know how to use this energy for spiritual benefit rather than just material gain. In the past few decades spiritual teachings that used to be known only to initiates have been given to the world. This has helped to create an environment receptive to the changes that are about to take place. Many sincere spiritual practitioners have used this knowledge to work on themselves and thus become inwardly receptive to what is being given. Many spiritual techniques that have been made available are essentially a process of purification that helps the individual become aligned with her true nature. This is a necessary first step in the process of spiritual awakening. We need to be aligned with our real Self in order to manifest the higher destiny that belongs to the soul. The real work begins only when we are aligned with our essential nature, because it is only then that the higher energies of the inner world can manifest without being distorted. Those who have made the step away from their ego-self into the faster-spinning vortex of their real Self are now needed to work for humanity. The work that needs to be done cannot be performed by just the few Friends of God and their disciples. The forces of materialism are so powerful and dense that on their own, the masters of wisdom cannot pierce through. They need the help of all those who carry a commitment to humanity within their hearts. The inner wisdom of the Self, a wisdom of love and unity, needs to be brought down to a lower plane of manifestation. This requires a collective spiritual effort.[] (Llewellyn Vaughan Lee. “Working With Oneness”. The Golden Sufi Center. California, 2002. p. 4-6)