Sharah-e-Sadar or Opening of the Chest

The Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Surah Az-Zumar, the verse no 22 (39:22)
Afaman Sharahal Lahu Sadrahu Lil Islam
Those who are granted Opening of the Chest to enter into Islam
Fahua Ala Nurim Mir Rabbih
Will begin to receive Divine Light from his Lord
Fawaylul Lilkasiyati Qulubuhum Min Zikrillaah
And destruction upon those whose hearts are so hardened that the Remembrance of Allah cannot enter into their hearts
Wulaika Fi Dalalim Mubeen
Those are the people who are clearly astray

According to this verse of the Holy Qur’an, we must do ‘Sharah-e-Sadar‘ to be accepted into the Fold of Islam. Now the question is what is ‘Sharah-e-Sadar’? ‘Sharah’ means ‘unveiling or opening’ and ‘sadar’ means ‘chest’. So ‘Sharah-e-Sadr’ means ‘Opening of the Chest’. Then surely our chest is closed which we must open. But how to open? The chest cannot be opened by cutting it with a knife. So, it is apparent that it is not used in exoteric sense, rather it is used esoterically.

What is the job of a Kamil-Peer-e-Tarikat? He makes Sharah-e-Sadar for his disciples. Allah created all the souls through ‘Amr-e-Qun’ and made them stand in a row before Him. Then he showed all the souls the luxuries of the world and paradise and asked them to choose one of them. Those who chose the luxuries of the world that day, the angels wrote ‘Hell’ in their destiny. And those who chose the luxuries of the paradise, the angels wrote ‘Paradise’ in their destiny. And there were some souls who could not make a decision that day. Allah left their destiny blank. Then Allah said,

Surah Al-A’raf, Verse No. 172 (7:172)
Alast be rabbukum?
Am I not your Lord?
Kalu
They said
Bala
Of course
Shahidana
We testify

After that, Allah made all the souls sleep. Allah has called this sleep the brother of death. That’s why Allah said in the Quran, people die twice and become alive twice.

When a child is born, this sleeping soul along with five other auxiliary souls (Latifas) are inserted into its Qalb and that Qalb is tied with 1,80,000 webs. Then four birds were attached to it. These birds used to sow greed, jealousy, misery, hatred, etc., among these sleeping souls. So how is it possible for the sleeping souls to prevent these? Never possible. We are worshiping all day long. Is it possible to free these souls with this worship? Never. We don’t even care about that. These souls and auxiliary souls will be able to perform their jobs only when they become free and awaken.

Huzur Pak (SAW) said,
Ainul Fuqra, page 118
La Salata Illa Bi Huzuril Qalab
Salat is not acceptable without the presence of Qalb

But how will our Qalb be present during our prayer? He is trapped unconscious.

Allah says:
Surah At-Tagabun, Verse No. 11 (64:11)
Wa Maan Yumim Billahi
Those who believe in Allah
Yahdi Qalabahu
Allah guides them in their hearts

But how will our Qalb receive guidance? He is trapped unconscious.

What is the condition of Islam?
Ikrarum Bill Lisan
To confess by the tongue
Wa Tasdikum Bil Qlab
And attesting them by the Qalb

But how will our Qalb testify? He is trapped unconscious.

That is why the Holy Qur’an Sharif has said to do Sharah-e-Sadar to be accepted into the Fold of Islam. What is Sharah-e-Sadar? Sharah-e-Sadar is the name of freeing all the souls who are trapped unconscious inside the Qalb. At first, 1,80,000 webs encircling the Qalb have to be untied to make them free. But how do we untie them? It is not possible for us. This process requires a Kamil Pir-e-Tarikat. He burns these 1,80,000 webs through his spiritual gaze. Only then are the souls freed. That is why Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an:

Surah Al-Kahf, verse 17 (18:17)
Waman Yudlil
And whom he misleads
Falan Tajida Lahu
Then you will never get for him
Waliyam Murshida
An Wali Murshid

If a Murshid-e-Kamil is not found, who will make these souls free and awaken? That is, who will do Sharah-e-Sadar? And if you can’t do Sharah-e-Sadar, then you can’t enter into Islam.

How does a Murshid-e-Kamil burn these 1,80,000 webs? A Murshid achieves this ability only when he beholds Allah. When Latifah-e-Ana of the Murshid beholds Allah reaching Makam-e-Mehmood, then Allah tells him, “Go down to the earth now. Whoever sees you, he sees me.” Allah has said to see whom? Allah has said to see the Image of Him that has entered into the Latifah-e-Anna. Then when that Latifa-e-Anna returns to this world, the Image of Allah enters into the eyes of the Murshid from his Latifa-e-Anna. Murshid then tries to settle this Image of Allah upon his Qalb. And when it settles down upon his Qalb, Divine Theophanies (Tajalli) start to fall upon his Qalb 360 times a day.

Sultan Haque Bahu (RA) said,
Murshid Da Didar Hey Bahu
O (Sultan Haque) Bahu, Didar of the Murshid
Menu Lakh Kororan Hajjan
To me, is equivalent to performing millions of Hajj

Why is Murshid’s Didar equivalent to millions of Hajj? Because here Didar is not of Murshid. Didar is of the Image of Allah inside the Murshid. The Didar of that Image of Allah is equivalent to performing millions of Hajj. This Didar is not applicable for everyone. There are some special disciples to whom the Murshid reveals the Image of Allah within him. It is not for the unbelievers. Sarkar Gohar Shahi (RA) had millions of followers. Why did they go astray? Did they not have benevolence of performing millions of Hajj? Of course not. Because Sarkar did not reveal to them that Image of Allah.

When the Design or Image of Allah from Latifa-e-Anna comes to the eyes of the Murshid, he is called Ahle Nazar. These Ahle Nazar Murshids can burn 1,80,000 webs by keeping an eye on our Qalb. When these webs are burned, the six souls are released from the Qalb. Each soul sits on its own seat. Then Murshid sowed the seed of Allah’s Ism-e-Zaat in Latifa-e-Qalb. Water should be given daily after sowing the seeds. So the Murshid continued to render divine light by his spiritual gaze upon the Qalb regularly for 7 days. We are told, you try to synchronise Zikir with your heart beats. But that’s just to focus our attention. The real job is done by the Murshid. He nurtures that seed of Ism-e-Zaat with divine light through his spiritual gaze. Then suddenly one day during these seven days Qalb becomes awakened by a vibration and he starts chanting ‘Allah’ ‘Allah’. The Qalb gradually increases the Zikir and the divine light begins to produce there. After three years have passed in this way, Qalb’s zikir becomes mature. Then Qalb continues to stream its divine light inside our blood. Divine light gradually spreads throughout our body through our blood circulation. As a result of Sharah-e-Sadar, other Latifahs float in the sea of ​​blood. They now receive divine light through the blood. This divine light is their food. As a result of receiving this divine light, our main soul first awakens. A beat is felt there. Then the Murshid gives Zikir to the main soul. The soul continues to chant and it also starts to produce divine light. The production of divine light increases through the heart and main soul and it mixes with our blood. This is the job of a Kamil–Pir-e-Tarikat. And that is why he pledges allegiance with his disciples.

Amir Khusrau said,
Nazar jinki kimiya ho gaye, sona kar de baat.
He whose gaze has become a touchstone turns rubble into gold.

It has two meanings – exoteric and esoteric. Those whose eyes have seen the Image of Allah, when they look at a stone or a lump of clay, it turns into gold. This is its apparent or exoteric meaning. But the Devil also has this power. So how can I understand whether the person belongs to God or Devil? When God’s people look at the dead heart (Qalb), it will become alive. That is, Opening of the Chest (Sharah-e-Sadar) happens by the spiritual gazes of God’s people. But the Devil’s people can never do that. This is its esoteric meaning.

Therefore, the job of a Kamil-Pir-e-Tarikat is to make his disciple see the Image of God present within his heart (Qalb). It is not his job to make his disciple reach Arsh-e-Elahi (the Empyrean of Allah). In order to reach Arsh-e-Elahi thereafter, we have to take the help of a Kamil-Pir-e-Hakikat.

And those whose hearts have become hard, the Name of Allah or His Remembrance or His Divine Light can never enter into those hearts. Allah wished destruction for them and called them astray. A hardened heart means that there is no place for love for God in the heart; there exists only worldly lust and greed for heaven. Our hearts become hard when we remain busy all the time with the matters not related to God (Gayer Allah), then the Name of Allah cannot enter there. The Remembrance of Allah does not start there. As a result, ‘Opening of the Chest’ becomes no longer possible.

Therefore, according to the Holy Quran, to enter into Islam, we must do ‘Opening of the Chest’. There is no alternative for it. Actually, it is another name of Islam. And for this, a Kamil Murshid appointed by Allah is needed. It is never possible alone without a Kamil Murshid. God has sent Prophets, Messengers and Saints for ages to do ‘Sharah-e-Sadar‘ to the common people. Presently, Sainthood has ended. So now Imam Mehdi Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi has come to fulfill this job. He will do ‘Sharah-e-Sadar‘ of all his followers irrespective of caste and creed and bestow the good fortune of attaining Didar-e-Elahi (Beholding of Allah).

Therefore, those who have achieved Sharah-e-Sadar (the Opening of the Chest) are the ones who are truly guided, while those who have failed to achieve it are in fact astray. We often consider sin to be misguidance, but sin itself is not misguidance. Rather, the absence of Allah’s Zikir (remembrance) entering the Qalb (heart) is true misguidance. Allah Himself has declared destruction for such people. Their Salah (prayers), Siyam (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage), and Zakat (charity) are unacceptable to Allah because they have not even truly entered the Fold of Islam.