The Seven Spiritual Realms (Alameen): Dimensions of State, Not Distance
When Sarkar Baba Sahib (Hazrat Shah Mehmood Yousufi (ra)) spoke about the Alameen, he was always careful to correct a fundamental misunderstanding. An Alam is not a planet, a universe, a galaxy, or a celestial location. These are physical constructs. The Alameen, by contrast, are spiritual dimensions—states of existence that do not require movement, speed, or distance to enter.
They do not lie somewhere “far away.” They exist beyond physical measurement and are accessed not by travel, but by inner transformation. Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) described them as completely separate dimensions, each governed by its own laws, temperament, and spiritual gravity.
He often used a simple analogy: if you travel to Antarctica, you will feel cold and dress accordingly; if you enter the Sahara, heat will dominate your experience. In the same way, each Alam imposes its characteristics upon those who enter it. The Auliya who move within these realms do not merely observe them—they take on their qualities.
This is why those who understand spirituality do not ask where an Auliya has “reached,” but instead observe what qualities manifest through them.
Alam-e-Nasoot (Alam-e-Imkaan): The Realm of Human Possibility
The word Naas means human beings. Alam-e-Nasoot, therefore, is the realm of humanity—the plane in which human life unfolds, actions are performed, and moral responsibility is exercised.
Alam-e-Nasoot is also known as Alam-e-Imkaan (the Realm of Possibilities). It is said to consist of 18,000 physical universes, containing millions of galaxies, billions of stars, trillions of solar systems, and innumerable forms of intelligent and non-intelligent life.
Despite this unimaginable vastness, Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) emphasized that Alam-e-Nasoot is the smallest of all the Alameen. Its limitation is not spatial, but existential. It is bound by time, matter, causality, and decay.
Yet it is also the realm of responsibility, effort, and accountability. This is where intention is tested and action bears consequence.
Auliya, who primarily operate within Nasoot, appear deeply grounded. They are attentive to lawful earning, social responsibility, service to creation, and strict adherence to pure intentions. Their spirituality is practical rather than mystical. They remind seekers that ascent begins without rejecting the world, but by fulfilling obligations within it.
Alam-e-Misaal: The Realm of Symbolism and Allegory
The word Misaal means symbol, likeness, or metaphor. Alam-e-Misaal is therefore the realm of symbolism, metaphors, and allegory, where inner realities are perceived through meaningful forms rather than direct manifestation.
Alam-e-Misaal is often mistakenly equated with Alam-e-Roya (the realm of dreams). Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) clarified that this is an error. Alam-e-Roya exists within Alam-e-Misaal, but it does not encompass it entirely. Sarkar used to call Alam-e-Misaal the mezzanine floor between Alam-e-Nasoot and Alam-e-Malakoot.
After the creation of human beings, Alam-e-Misaal became the dwelling place of all races of Jinn. It is a realm where meanings adopt forms and inner realities become visible through symbolism.
It was the Auliya of Alam-e-Misaal who perceived others in the forms of animals or symbolic beings, seeing inner reality rather than outward appearance. Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) explained that many Sadhu Auliya within Hindu traditions operated from this realm.
In this context, Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) highlighted a profound recognition: many Sadhu Auliya identified Hazrat Bibi Fatima az-Zahra (as) as Maa Durga—a radiant, majestic figure riding a divine lion, bearing symbols of both power and mercy. This was not theological equivalence, but perception through Alam-e-Misaal, where realities are seen through symbolic manifestation.
Once, a young man approached Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) and said, “Baba, you always send us to offer Salah behind Bhai Yousuf (Yousuf Shah Baba). Would it not be better if, just once, we could pray behind you?”
Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) drew the young man close and placed his shawl over his face in such a way that he could see beyond it. What the young man witnessed shook him—he saw dogs, monkeys, pigs, and other creatures entering the area of Salah.
Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) replied, “Do you want Tajuddin to pray with these animals?”
Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) explained that this was on-command sight of Alam-e-Misaal—a deliberate unveiling to demonstrate how inner realities appear symbolically within that realm.
Alam-e-Malakoot: The Realm of Angels
The word Malak means angel. Alam-e-Malakoot is therefore the realm of angels—a dimension governed by order, purity, obedience, and divine administration.
Auliya of Alam-e-Malakoot are known for extreme discipline. They are meticulous in cleanliness, unwavering in Shariah observance, and committed to extensive azkaar. These practices allow constant communication with the angels. When discipline lapses, the angels withdraw.
Their presence is sober, weighty, and precise, reflecting their awareness of accountability and unseen order.
Alam-e-Jabaroot: The Realm of Power and Might
The word Jabar means overwhelming might and irresistible force. Alam-e-Jabaroot is the realm of divine power and authority, where command prevails, and personal will dissolves.
A striking example is Hazrat Khwaja Ali Ahmad Sabir Kalyari (ra), whose mere gaze caused the collapse of the Jama Masjid of Kalyar Shareef. Another example is Hazrat Usman Marwandi, La‘al Shahbaz Qalandar (ra), who turned an entire royal fort upside down (Ulta Qila) by command alone.
Auliya of Jabaroot are usually those who are granted access to the Divine command of “Kunn Fayakūn” — “Be, and it is” — by Allah (swt). Their authority does not originate from personal will, but from alignment with divine command, where intention and execution collapse into a single act.
Such events are not displays, but consequences of power intersecting with form.
Alam-e-Lahoot: The Realm of Void and Intimacy
The word Laa means nothingness or negation. Alam-e-Lahoot is the realm of void and absence, where effort dissolves, and divine intimacy dominates perception.
Auliya of Lahoot are often known for silence. Some fall silent for days, others for years. A powerful example is Hazrat Meher Baba (ra), who remained silent for forty years until his soul departed the body. Meher Baba (ra) was a mureed of Babajaan (ra), herself a disciple of Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra).
Auliya of Lahoot tend to remain away from the general public, as distance from noise and worldly bustle supports both inner and outer silence. This withdrawal is not a rejection of creation, but a preservation of intimacy.
In Lahoot, mercy dominates perception. Correction becomes gentle. Judgment dissolves. The heart expands to embrace creation without condition.
It was at this maqam where Hazrat Ghous Muhammad, Baba Yousuf Shah Taji (ra) declared:
“If you love me, you must love each and every thing within the universe.”
Alam-e-Hahoot: The Realm of Disappearance
The word Hah implies diminishing or disappearing. Alam-e-Hahoot is the realm where everything other than Allah has disappeared.
This is a realm of overwhelming joy. Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) explained that some Auliya pass away due to sheer happiness. Even the azkaar here resemble laughter and ecstatic sounds, reflecting delight beyond containment.
Alam-e-Sirr: The Realm of Divine Secrets
The word Sirr means secret, and Asraar refers to many secrets. Alam-e-Sirr is the realm of divine secrets—beyond place, beyond explanation, and beyond mediation.
During the Mi‘raj, when Rasool Allah (saw) reached this boundary, Hazrat Jibreel (as) excused himself, saying that if he proceeded further, his wings would burn.
Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) explained that since Nabuwat is inseparable from Wahi—and Wahi is carried by Jibreel (as)—Nabuwat halted at the border of Sirr. From that point onward, Rasool Allah (saw) advanced not as Prophet, but as Wali Allah (saw). Wilayat continued where Nabuwat could not.
Sirr is not explained. It is kept. Those who reach it leave no signs—yet their presence quietly rearranges hearts.