The Holy Prophet(SAW) has defined the belief. Accordingly, while praying one should feel that God is seeing him. But he has defined superior degree of belief in this way that when you pray, you should feel that you are seeing God. This was the highest degree of faith. The faith of this degree is called EHSAN.
However, whether it is a degree of faith or degree of Eh san, it was attained during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet(SAW) by gracing his company. After the lifetime of the Holy Prophet(SAW) , this was achieved through the association of the great companions of the Prophet. But with the passage of time and distance since the time of the Holy Prophet(SAW), the blessing of companionship gradually became less and less.
When besides Arabia the entire population of other countries accepted Islam, office of the Caliph was replaced by kingship, wealth increased by leaps and hounds, transgression and un chastity flourished and the love of God and Holy Prophet(SAW), was no more in the hearts of Muslim kings and rich people were addicted to pleasure and disregard of religion became common, the God-fearing people established Khanqahs, away from these persons, and started teaching wisdom in seclusion and retirement. They were right and helpless to do so.
Arab element was very negligible. Most of them were non-Arab and new Muslims, for example, Persians, Syriens, Egyptians, Indians etc. Among all these nations, there was already existing a particular conception and philosophy about their mysticism and spiritual world and for hundred of years they had a particular system of attaining knowledge of the spiritual world, for example, to recite in circle, dance and song and also difficult religious exercises such as yoga practices.
Besides these were the displays of miracles and divine inspiration in the mysticism of these non Arabs. The devotees achieved all these things automatically without any effort while cultivating wisdom. But pious men in the beginning of Islam, neither gave any importance to miracles nor expressed any opinion about them. They knew that by doing so personality cult will evolve instead of Unity of God and Truth which will lead to ruin of the Millat.
But later on holy men among Musalmans were compelled to show superior miracles than non-Muslim saints in order to spread Islam. Similarly they were also compelled by circumstances to change and adopt in the initial methods of wisdom according to the inclinations and requirements of each non-Arab nation.
