“Safar Dar Watan” refers to an internal and spiritual journey. It means that while remaining physically at home, a seeker (salik) abandons base human traits such as envy, arrogance, malice, and love for status and wealth, and instead, adopts angelic qualities like patience, gratitude, contentment with divine decree, and sincerity in good deeds. Through such practices, love for anything other than Allah is eradicated from the heart, facilitating spiritual advancement. If ever love for the non-divine is felt in the heart, consider it a loss and negate it with the word “la” (no), affirming divine love with “illa Allah” (but Allah) and refocusing on the Creator, thereby experiencing divine proximity at home. As Mawlana Abdul Rahman Jami states, the journey isn’t physical; acceptance is due to one’s purity and light.
Sayyidi and my guide, Sohna Saeen, emphasized that if one’s heart harbors love for wealth or worldly desires, it cannot house the Divine, for the Sultan of Beloveds is jealous. Such a heart cannot attain the honor of being “the believer’s heart is Allah’s home.” However, it’s possible for the heart to remember Allah and be devoid of any love for the non-divine, even if wealth is present, as long as the heart isn’t attached to it.
Remember, love for prophets and saints, and similar affections if for Allah’s pleasure, doesn’t count as love for the non-divine but aids in spiritual growth and drawing closer to Allah. Allama Sawi mentions that means to divine proximity include love for prophets and saints, charity, visiting the righteous, abundant supplication, maintaining family ties, and frequent remembrance of Allah. The essence is to cling to what brings you closer to Allah and avoid what distances you from Him.