The Risala-i-Haq-Numa (, transl. The Compass of Truth) is a 1646 Sufi work written in Persian by the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh, the oldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan and brother of Aurangzeb. In the work, the Shikoh describes four planes of existence from Sufi cosmology that correspond with four states of consciousness along with mystical-meditative practices that Shikoh claims come from Muhammad himself, passed down through esoteric chain of disciples.
Background While earlier Mughal rulers embraced the Shattari or Chishti orders, Shikoh's hunger for mystical experiences drew him to the Qadiri order and training under Mulla Shah; in this respect, the Risala-i-Haq-Numa gives insight into Qadiri mystical methodology from his time, along with some Chishti techniques. In thanks to his master, Shikoh later built the Akhund Mullah Shah Mosque in Srinagar.
Content Shikoh's four planes of existence and matching states of consciousness are as follows: Physical (Nisut); Waking Super-physical (Malakut); Dreaming Blissful (Jabarut); Deep sleep Divine (Lahut); Trance-consciousness
Shikoh also details different meditation methods, including breathing techniques (awurd-burd), focusing on the activity of the heart, and listening for an inner-primordial sound (sultan-ul-azkar).
The work includes stories of ancient philosophical and religious figures:
Editions A lithograph print of the work was published in 1896 by Munshi Nawal Kishore Press in Lucknow, including marginal notes added by an editor for clarificitions. In 1912, a translation (or, adaptation) or the work was done by the Islamia Lodge of the Theosophical Society in Benares. In 2012, Scott Kugle translated the work into English for the larger book Sufi Meditation and Contemplation, including a systematic rendition of traditional Sufi terms that was absent in the more perennial and Victorian stylizings of the Theosophical version.
See also Din-i Ilahi Allopanishad Ganga–Jamuni Tehzeeb
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