Daily Times

Amid rumours of his third marriage, PTI Chairman Imran Khan recently announced that he had sent a marriage proposal to his spiritual healer, Bushra Maneka, and is awaiting her answer. Khan seemed impressed by the spirituality of Ms Bushra and had reportedly been making political decisions after consultations with her. This may mean that if and when Imran Khan comes to power, he will tackle national and international matters ‘spiritually’ not politically and diplomatically.

Unlike saints who are extremely selfless, Mr Khan is trying hard to become Pakistan’s prime minister. Perhaps this is because before the last general elections, he had assured his sons, Qasim and Sulaiman, that on their next visit to Pakistan, they will be meeting their dad as the PM of the country. His sons must be reminding him of his unfulfilled promise.

A saint never wishes to become the ruler. A saint is a preamble of patience and politeness. Courtesy and control on words are a saint’s special virtues.

Imran played cricket in England and got married to Jemima Goldsmith. He gave an interview to anchor Reham Khan and later married her. And now he has become a fan of spiritualism. Imran’s sisters admit that he has never been an outstanding student. And it is strange that he decided to learn about mysticism and spirituality at the age of 67.

Perhaps Imran Khan is not aware that Shajarat-al-Kawn, Tarjuman-al-Ashwaq, Mishkat-al-Anwar of Ibn Al Arabi and a lot more all about Oneness, mysticism, spiritualism negate egoism and arrogance.

How vast is Imran’s knowledge of Persian and Arabic, required to understand Ibn Al Arabi and Maulana Rumi’s thoughts and philosophy. Masnavi is a kind of verse in which the couplets rhyme regularly. Every verse is different from the other. Not even a single verse got repeated in Masnavi-e-Maulana Rumi.

Metaphors and similes used in these verses are all different from the previous one.

Imran is very short-tempered, while mysticism and spirituality require a cool mind. It appears that he is naming his voluptuous feelings spiritual. Overshadowed by carnality and inordinate appetite, he cannot even think of spiritualism. The world knows him as a man of concupiscence.

Imran is very short-tempered, while mysticism and spirituality require a cool mind. It appears that he is terming his voluptuous feelings as spiritual

After Lahore’s ‘blessed’ show, he flew to Dubai for a better understanding of spiritualism. And (reportedly), so did his mentor. Muhi-ud-Din Ibn Al Arabi is believed to be the highest level of mystic. Understanding his philosophy and mysticism is not beating about the bush. Only Maulana Rumi and Allama Iqbal could understand and depict philosophy and mysticism of Ibn Al Arabi.

Pakistanis were seeking a better replacement of leadership, but suddenly he turned into a mystic. When needed, he comes up as a cricketer, and when not, he starts posing as a politician. The masses were expecting him to act as a decent politician, with high levels of morality. After the 2018 elections, the world may or may not come to know the power of spirituality and changed fortune of Imran, country and the nation.

In Lahore, he bashed the Parliament of which he is a member and has been drawing salaries from. In 2014, his companions and supporters attacked Parliament, and now in 2018, he has cursed it. If it was not abusing, bashing and cursing the Parliament, it would have been a reflection of his mentor’s knowledge, education, guidance, grooming and spiritualism. Whether or not learning spiritualism and mysticism will bring any significant change in Imran’s attitude is yet to be seen.

The writer is author of several books, columnist and political analyst based in Islamabad. He can be reached at naveedamankhan@hotmail.com

Published in Daily Times, February 4^th 2018.