Chapter 11: The wrapping of the skies
Chapter 11: The wrapping of the skies
Khajeh Nasir Tusi, in chapter 11 of the beginning and the end book, said, “God’s word is one thing, and God’s book is another thing. God’s word is from the command world, but the book is from the creation world. “His command, when He wills a thing, is to say to it, “Be,” and it comes to be”[1] (Ya-Sin:82). The command world is free from contradiction and multiplicity. “And Our command is but once”[2] (Al-Qamar:50). The creation world includes contradictions and multiplicities. “nor is there anything wet or dry, but is in a clear book”[3] (Al-An’am:59). Word includes Ayaats (verses). “These are God’s Ayaats (verses), which We recite to you in truth”[4] (Al-Baqara:252). The book is formed by Ayaats (verses). “These are the Verses of the Clarifying Book” (Ash-Shu’ara:2). When the word is defined, it becomes the book, as when the command is signed, it becomes the action. “Be, and it comes to be”[5] (Ya-Sin:82). Therefore, the book of the existence of the creation world is the book of God, and its verses are the beings. “In the alternation of night and day, and in what God created in the heavens and the earth, are Ayaats (signs) for people who are aware”[6] (Yunus:6). These Ayaats (signs) are in the clear book. People, by studying these signs and also by listening to verbal verses which are from clear spirit, can reach God. “We will show them Our proofs on the horizons, and in their very souls, until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth”[7] (Fussilat:53). Since people are enclosed in time and space, therefore, Ayaats are recited for them one after another. Days will pass them one after another. They see statuses one after another. “And remind them of the Days of God. In that are signs for every patient and thankful person”[8] (Ibrahim:5). For example, When someone reads a letter, they read it word by word and line by line. If someone is guided like the people of Resurrection and passes the creation world and reaches the command world, where he originated, he will be informed of the whole book at once. It is like a person who has the letter with all words and lines rolled in front of him. “On the Day when We fold the heaven, like the folding of a book”[9] (Al-Anby’a:104). “And the heavens are folded in His right” (Az-Zumar:67). It is not mentioned in His left to indicate the people of the left have no blessing on the folding of the heavens. People of the left do not have the capability to study signs. If those signs are read to them, they do not listen as the Holy Quran says, “Who hears God’s revelations being recited to him, yet he persists arrogantly, as though he did not hear them. Announce to him a painful punishment”[10] (Al-Jathiya:8). There are many secrets on listening, hearing, word, and book which will not be covered here.
Explanation
In this chapter, Khajeh Tusi explains the wrapping of the skies. We discussed before that Qiyama is not like a day when the skies will be folded; the Day of Judgement is present now. It means the skies are already wrapped in the powerful hands of the Almighty God. When people hear that on the Day of Judgment, the Trumpet is blown, most people imagine that there will come a day on which the trumpet will be blown, and the skies will turn black. Guardians of God know that these heavenly truths have been degraded for the better understanding of the people of this world.
Allameh Hassanzadeh said, “Like the other chapters of this book, this chapter is beautiful and pleasant and contains hidden truths and deep content. Kudos to Khajeh Tusi, who was a master in every subject. Most of this chapter is related to Takwin’s book (The world of creation and corruption, or from the mystics’ viewpoint, the world of seen and unseen), Tadwin’s book (The Holy Quran), and Comprehensive world (Perfect human). With God’s blessing, we have clarified each of them in the books of Perfect Human, Nahj al-Welaya, Qur’an and Human, Innahul Haqq (He is the truth), and Tawhid from the mystic and the philosopher viewpoint, using verses of the Holy Quran and narrations of Ma’soomin. Praise be upon God Almighty”.
The word of God Almighty is one thing, the book of God is another thing
Here is the discussion about the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran is a continuous truth, just like a human being with earthly to supernatural levels of existence. The Holy Quran is a truth that has descended and degraded from God’s divine knowledge level and has been passed through all the worlds, and it has become the form of this book. In other words, seventy thousand veils have been worn until the book came to this form. It has been degraded 70,000 times so that we can understand the Quran. The Holy Quran has a manifestation in each world proportionally. In this world, the truth of the Quran is like this book in our hands, in the form of sound and words. In the upper worlds, it has its form, to the extent that the Quran becomes the knowledge of God Almighty, meaning the knowledge of God to creatures descends, and it becomes the Holy Quran. For example, it is narrated that on the Day of Judgment, the Holy Quran will appear like a young handsome youth (This is one manifestation of the Holy Quran). The Holy Quran has no sound, words, or shapes in the intellect world, but in the Methal world, it has its form. In one interpretation, The book of God is the one that we have in our house, but the word of God is the truth from the command world.
Allameh Hassanzadeh said, “Mula Sadra, in Chapter five of Asfar (Journeys) book and Chapter 6 of Mafatih Al-Qeib (Keys of secrets), explained the difference between the Word and the Book of God”. Mula Sadra said in chapter 15, “Be aware that because word and book are possible things, they have a beginning and an end, and because man is created in the image of God. We rely on it and then express the quality of the issuance and the return of it until it becomes a ladder to the knowledge of God’s word and book in terms of the beginning and the end”.
Words of Human
When a person speaks, breath comes out of the throat. At first, the breath has no sound; it is like Ha or Hu. Later the breath hits the different sections of the letters in the tongue, and letters are created with different sounds, such as B, S, T, etc. Words are created by combining letters, and sentences are created by combining words, and through these words, a man reveals the meanings that he has inside him to the outside world; the meanings that are hidden in man are revealed through words, so the words of man are the emergence of his inner. A poem says so that the man has not spoken; his flaws and art are hidden. The breath of God Almighty is called “Nafas-e-Rahmani”[11] (Breath of Blessing), “Faiz-e-Sari”[12] (Flowing Grace), and “Sadir-e-Awal”[13] (First issued). It is a limitless truth issued from God Almighty. All creations are manifestations of this truth. It is like a screen in which all the creations are drawn. They absolutely depend on Nafas-e-Rahmani (Breath of Blessing). As our words are upright with our breath. If there is no breath, there will be no words. Nafas-e-Rahmani (Breath of Blessing) or Sadir-e-Awal (First Issued) is a simple truth that all creations, seen and unseen, are upright with it. It is also called the “Raq-e-Manshur”[14] (opened letter). Hidden words (creations) in unseen worlds are first Taayun[15] (limit, when something is distinguished from other things) of this Nafas-e-Rahmani. These hidden words pass through other worlds until they reach the material world. From the assembly of the words of God, the verses of God, and from the assembly of the verses of God, the book of God is created. Therefore, every single thing is a word of existential words. In conclusion, The truth in the command world is called Kalam Allah[16] (Word of God), and its manifestation in this world is called Kitab Allah[17] (Book of God). What is the command world? “His command, when He wills a thing, is to say to it, “Be,” and it comes to be” (Ya-Sin:82). The “Be” is not by sound. This is like when you move your hand as soon as you want. You do not say verbally to your hand to move as soon as you will; it moves. Command of God is one (“And Our command is but once” (Al-Qamar:50)), but it must pass stages to appear in the material world.
Command and Creation World
The question here is whether the divine command has not been realized in this world. The answer is that in this world, for the divine order to appear, one must go through stages. For example, when an orange tree wants to bear fruit, it will produce oranges with the divine order, but the seed must be planted in the ground. The weather conditions must be ready; in that case, the sprouted stem will take root, and it will grow until the tree has oranges. opposite to the material world, there is no possibility of talent in the command world, so time is not an issue there; time is for the material world. In the Hereafter, the truths do not have time, and they are eternal. The word of God belongs to the command world, but the book of God belongs to the material world.
The material world is free from contradiction but also from plurality because it has a state of unity. We have already explained that in the intellectual world, the whole is in the whole, or everything is in everything. It means that unity is dominant there. The intellectual truths perceived each other and united. The intellectual world is a unified world, and Since there is no plurality, contradictions will have no meaning there. It is a world that is beyond space and time. God says, “And Our command is but once” (Al-Qamar:50). Meaning our command is one. The Quran says, “And they ask you about the Spirit. Say, “The Spirit belongs to the command of my Lord”[18] (Al-Isra:84). Since the Spirit is from the command world and the command is but once, then the Spirit is one. Angles (Malaeika) are plural in the Holy Quran, but the Spirit is always singular. So, in the intellect world, the truth exists with God’s command, but In the world of creation, there must be different stages for the truth to emerge. All the worlds exist with God’s command, but in the creation world, things are separated. Creatures in the material world are upright with a truth which is called “Hayula”[19]. A thing in the material world must lose one form to gain another form. This will cause contradictions that are necessary for the descendance of God’s grace. Our baby face and form must be faded away to gain youth face.
Sometimes God refers to Quran as a “Clear book” [Kitab Al-Mubin], “Nor is there anything wet or dry, but is in a clear book”[20] (Al-An’am:59), but sometimes God refers to it as the “Source-book”, “And it is with Us, in the Source Book, sublime and wise”[21] (Az-Zukhruf:4). The source-book is the origin book, which is the unity degree, but the clear book is where there is multiplicity and truths are manifested and appeared. As we rise above this material level, we move away from multiplicity and get closer to unity. In one view, this material world is the clear book of God Almighty.
God is the first reciter
“These are God’s revelations, which We recite to you in truth. You are one of the messengers”[22] (Al-Baqara:252). “These are the revelations of God. We recite them to you in truth. God desires no injustice for mankind”[23] (Aal-i-Imran:108). “These are God’s Verses which We recite to you in truth. In which message, after God and His revelations, will they believe?”[24] (Al-Jathiya:6). So, the first reciter of verses of the holy Quran is God Almighty. Every lower rank is a book with respect to the higher level. For example, God says, “He has inscribed faith in their hearts”[25] (Al-Mujadila:22). So, their heart is the book of God, and the higher level is “Kalam”[26] (word) of God. When the word of God is described or descended, it becomes the book of God. If we make our hearts clean, the truths will descend to our hearts, and we become the book of God. The holy Prophet Muhammad (S) has an immense heart, so the word of God was written completely in his heart. Therefore, his book is the comprehensive book of God. “Had We sent this Quran down on a mountain, you would have seen it trembling, crumbling in awe of God. These parables We cite for the people, so that they may reflect”[27] (Al-Hashr:21).
The book of the existence of the creation world is the book of God
Arif Shabastri rightly says in Golshan-e-Raz that to the one whose soul is in manifestation, all the world is the book of God Almighty, meaning all the truths that are revealed in this world have been descended from God’s knowledge. The holy Quran is the manifestation of God’s knowledge. Whatever is revealed in this world is the Quran which is detailed and descended. When we say that the Holy Quran is descending on the Night of Qadr (Night of Destiny), it is because of the truths that will descend or reveal in a year from Quran in this world. Every creature we look at is an Aya (sign) of God’s Ayas (signs). It is a surah among the surahs of the Quran. In Ziarat Al-e-Ya-Sin, we say to Imam Mahdi (AJ), Peace be upon you, O reciter of the Book of God. Meaning the Imam can recite the Quran perfectly. Aya in Arabic means sign; Ayat Allah (a sign of God) means the signs that show God. Every creature is showing God but is there anyone who can see God? It is the perfect human or Imam of time who can recite every single creature. As we said, every creature is an Aya of God; Some Ayas are the signs of torment, but some are the signs of mercy and blessing. For example, an infidel is a sign of torment signs. Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) said that God manifested in his word, but people do not see it. It is the Imam who knows each person’s Aya type. He knows if a person is a torment sign or a blessing sign. He knows if a person is descended of a blessing or a torment Aya.
Theology and its difference from philosophy
The main difference between philosophy and theology is that the philosopher has nothing to do with religion and follows reasoning and intellect. Its foundation is based on reasoning, although in the end, it reaches what religion has said. In contrast, in theology, principles are based on religion. Now the question is how and when Islamic theology happened and why it is called “Ilm-e-Kalam”[28] (Knowledge of the word). In the early days of Islam, there was a big discussion between Islamic scholars about whether is the word of God (The holy Quran) an event or is it eternal. Some scholars believed that God’s word (The Holy Quran) is the attribute of God, and since God is eternal, then Quran would be eternal, not an event. In contrast, other scholars believed that the Quran, or God’s word, is issued from God Almighty and is an event. So, a fierce debate emerged where those who believe in eternity considered others as infidels, sometimes even issuing death warrants. Sometimes they went beyond intellect and said the Quran’s cover also is eternal, and that’s why theology was born. Here, to explain the subject, Khajeh Tusi states what do you mean by saying that the Quran is eternal or an event. If you mean the material level of the Quran? This Quran, like other beings, is an event because it happened in the material world, but if you mean the truths in the command world and the eternal knowledge, then the Quran is eternal. Khajeh said that the word of God is eternal, and the book of God is related to the level of creation, and it is an event.
Allameh Hassanzadeh said, “Be aware that the Holy Quran book is the written version of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S) (If we want to write the Prophet Muhammad (S) in the form of a book, it will be the Quran). An important point that should be mentioned is that the book revealed to each prophet was the written form of that Prophet. “We have written in the Psalms, after the Dhikr (Quran), that the earth will be inherited by My righteous servants”[29] (Al-Anbyia:105). It said We have written in the Psalms after the Dhikr[30] (Quran). A narration from one of the Imam says, that Psalms was the book that was revealed to Prophet Dawood (A), but Dhikr is “Ind Allah”[31] before God. The psalms were revealed to prophet Dawood (A) according to his capacity and talent. When the whole dhikr before God descended or was revealed to the prophet Muhammad (S), it became the Holy Quran. “Surely We revealed the dhikr (The truth of Quran), and We will surely preserve it”[32] (Al-Hijr:9). The psalm was a manifestation and descent of dhikr, but the Holy Quran is the dhikr. The Quran book is the written version of the truth that is dhikr. It is interesting that one of the names of Prophet Muhammad (s) is dhikr. Imam Sadiq (A) said that the Holy Prophet is dhikr, and the book that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S) is also dhikr. Islamic mystics called the Dhikr, “Haghighatul Muhammadiya”[33] (The truth or fact of Prophet Muhammad (S)). It is also called “Mashiyat Maqam”[34] (God’s will level). If we descend the Quran (the truth) as being, it will be the whole universe.
Allameh Hassanzadeh said that the existential Quran, which is the whole universe, is Prophet Muhammad’s (S) truth. This means that If we detail the truth of Prophet Muhammad (S), it becomes the world of existence.
We read in Dua Rajabiya, “O God, I am asking you for the meaning of all the prayers that those who are in charge of your command, who are the guardians of your secret, who are happy with your command, and who are the exponents of your power and the revealers of your greatness, By the truth of what was said about them from Your providence, so You made them the reservoir of Your words and the foundations of Your monotheism, and Your verses and authorities for which there is no rest, whoever knows You will recognize You with them, there is no difference between You and them except that they are servants and creatures, whose opening and closing of their actions is in Your hand, their beginning is from You, and their return is to You, they are arms, witnesses, forgivers, defenders, guards, and auditors, You have piled up Your heaven and earth with their truth until it is revealed that there is no god but You”[35].
It is the perfect human that filled the world of existence. The whole universe originated from the light of the perfect human because he is the first issued (Sadir-e-Awal[36]). Beings exist by the perfect human. All creatures exist because of Imam Mahdi (AJ). “We have encompassed all things in a Clear Imam”[37] (Ya-Sin:12).
The beautiful poet Mir Sayed Hamdani says,
One dear asked me where are you from?
I told him, I swear to Wilayat Ali (Guardianship of Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A)) that I am from Hamadan
But I am not from the Hamadan in which people do not know Ali.
I am from Hamadan, whose residents know Ali as all people.
This is called “Sarayan-e-Wilaya” (Effecting and flowing of something in the components of all things). The existential world is the external manifestation of the perfect human. This world is the lowest level of manifestation of the perfect human. We have many narrations about this. “Whichever way you turn, there is God’s Face”[38] (Al-Baqara:115). Infallible Imam said, “We are Wajhullah[39] (Face of God)”. Whichever way you turn, you see the perfect human. Therefore, Imam is the Hojjat (reason/cause/evidence) of the whole world. Everything exists because of Imam’s existence. Allameh Hassanzadeh said that other perfect human beings are also like this by maintaining their ranks, meaning a perfect human who has reached perfection, the material world becomes their bodies (depending on their degree), just as this world is the emergence of the light of the prophet Muhammad (S). This world is the material body of the perfect human; the Methal world is the Methal of the perfect human, and similarly, the intellect world is the intellect of the perfect human. Each level of existence that we see in all worlds (material and nonmaterial) are the degrees of the perfect human. Allameh Hassanzadeh explained this subject in detail in his book, “Insan and Quran”[40] (Human and Quran).
Here is a meaningful poem from Allameh Hassanzadeh:
It is with Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Rahim[41], whatever is in the noble Quran
All Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Rahim is in the dot of Ba[42], as the dot is the principal of all things
But the written dot is just the appearance of the original dot, which is the same as the existence
When the original dot descended because of love, then all things were created
Sura Hamd (Praise) is limitless because the Holy Quran is within it
Sura Hamd is the principle (abstract) of the heavenly original book of the Quran
The written Quran is one manifestation (sign), and each verse of it is a light for vision
The letter Alif[43] in the material world is Oluf (Plural of Alif), it is also the same for other letters
The written letters are black in color, but the original letters are the divine lights
Here is the Day of separation, and there is the Day of gathering and the Day of God
All the material world is in the world of Malakut[44] (Methal world), and all the world of Malakut is in the world of Jabarut or Intellect[45], and the intellect world is the manifestation of the total intellect, which is called Aql-e-Kul. Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Rahim of the material world is the written version of the real Bismillah that is in the intellect world. As the world started with Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Rahim, then the true worshippers should align themselves and start their actions with Bismillah.
All the Quran is in Sura Hamd, Sure Hamd is in Bismillah Hir Rahman Nir Rahim. The poem says that Bismillah is in the dot of the letter Ba ((ب. A dot is dimensionless, and if the dot extends in one direction, it becomes a line. If the dot extends in two directions, it becomes an area. If the dot extends in three directions, it becomes volumes. So, the dot is the original root of all things. (This is one interpretation)
When Merci and Grace of God reach the total intellect, It descends to degrees of intellect until it reaches the Malakut world (Methal world). Then it descends to the Nasut world[46] (material world). This is called Qaus-e-Nuzul[47] (Descending arc). “He regulates all affairs, from the heaven to the earth”[48] (As-Sajda:5). Then Qaus-e-Saud[49] (Ascending arc) starts, and a person gains perfection step by step until they reached the original dot and become united with it.
The letter Ba (ب) is the total intellect. The dot below Ba shows the attention of total intellect to lower things. Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) said, “I am the dot, I am the line; I am the line, I am the dot; I am the dot and the line”[50]. Also, Imam Ali (A) said, “If you want, I can tell you about Ba (ب) as much as 70 camel’s saddlebags”. Imam said I am the dot which is the first creation dot. He is describing that I am the whole Descending and Ascending arc. The whole descending and ascending arc is the manifestation of my truth (the truth of the perfect human). If the dot locates above, it becomes Nun (ن), which is the ultimate ascending arc position in which there is no veil there. The holy Quran is started with Ba (ب) and ends with Nun (ن) of Sin of sura An-Nas. The beginning and end of the world of existence is the dot. Amir Al-Mu’minin said, “Knowledge is a dot that the ignorant have increased it”[51].
The written dot is a manifestation of the real dot, which is the same as existence. In math, a point is represented by a dot (.) and is used to tell the exact location in space. It does not have any length, width, or height. In other words, it has no size. If it has a length or width, it becomes a line or an area. We make the dot free from the limit. The simple Existence does not have a shape or limit. This dot is a manifestation of the real dot or Absolute Existence. Dot exists, but we see that it does not have shapes. Everything is made of the dot, but itself can not be seen. Real Existence also does not have any limit. We cannot describe God because He is superior to our description. When we describe things, we make them limited.
When the original dot descended because of love, then all things were created. This points to a narration from Prophet Muhammad (S). God said, “I was a hidden treasure. I loved to be exposed. So, I created creations to be known”[52]. God says I love to be known, so he reveals His perfection (Names and Attributes). Manifestation of God’s perfections, revealing from knowledge level to material level, and unseen level to seen level, is called “Sair-e-Hobi”[53] (Love movement). Therefore, the first creation is called “Habib Allah”[54] (Love of God). When the love of God reached the first creation, all the seen and unseen were created.
Sheikh Akbar Mohi al-Din Ibn Arabi says in the Isaac chapter of Fuss al-Hekam that just as you can create objects in your imagination, for example, create a three-headed man in your imagination, a complete mystic can also do such a thing in the world. (Refer to the description of Allameh Hassanzadeh’s Fuss al-Hekam).
All things are enumerated in the clear Imam
Allameh Hassanzadeh said that the knowledge of the book is obtained when the humans united existentially with the first issue from God, also called “First Grace”. This is an example of the following verse from the holy Quran. “We have tallied all things in a Clear Imam”[55] (Ya-Sin:12). The whole universe is God’s book; everything is a sign of God’s revelations from eternity. The perfect man reaches the place that overcomes time and finds an existential union with what is surrounding time. The whole universe is God’s book; everything is a sign of God’s revelations from eternity. The first Issue, The first Grace of God, is also called Nafas-e-Rahmani[56]. There is a different viewpoint on the first issue of God between philosophers and mystics. Philosophers believe that the first being is the total intellect, and they state some reasons to prove this belief. They believe that the total intellect is the first issue from the essence of God Almighty and must be absolute and simple because it is the first manifestation of God Almighty. But the mystics believe that the total intellect is the first appearance of the “Nafas-e-Rahmani,” and in fact, the total intellect is a limit of the Nafas-e-Rahmani. It has already been explained that the breath that comes out of the human being has no shape or limit and has no characteristics, but when it comes into contact with the tongue, it is formed and becomes letters like B, T, C, etc. By combining the words, the verses, then the surahs, and finally, a human book is created. Nafas-e-Rahmani of God Almighty is the flowing grace that is unlimited and absolute, issued by God, which reaches every world, and takes the form of that world. The total intellect is the first and most significant determination of The first issued or Nafas-e-Rahmani. All beings are manifestations of Nafas-e-Rahmani, just as words are the manifestation of the human breath. For example, and better understanding, if we pour water into any container, the water takes the shape of that container because it does not have a specific shape.
Nafas-e-Rahmani is a simple truth that is flowing in all the worlds. Its example is like a cinema screen where all the beings are drawn on this screen. It is important to note that the total intellect is the first creation, not the first issued, because the first creation has a limit. It is worth knowing that from a simple existence, only one thing will be issued. In spiritual ascension or spiritual perfection, a man reaches a level that is above the level of the total intellect. In a divine intuition, Ibn Arabi said that the total intellect was the first creature that swears allegiance to the “Qutb”[57] (Axis/focus/pole/hub). This focus is “Nafas-e-Rahmani”. When perfect humans are united with it, they flow in all worlds. All worlds become like his body. Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) in Khutbatul Bayan said, “I am Moses, I am Jesus, I am skies, I am earth, I flow water, I am “Arsh”[58], I am “Kursi”[59], I am “Qalam”[60] (Pen), I am “Lawh”[61] (tablet). These are related to the union to the “First Issued” or “Nafas-e-Rahmani” (Divine Breath). The Imam must be in all worlds. All creatures exist because of Imam’s existence. These discussions are one of the deep discussions in monotheism. When the perfect human being unites with the first issue, all beings become him. When someone deeply understands this, then the knowledge of Imam discussion would be much easier for him.
We discussed that if a person goes out of the realm of time, he will be informed of the whole book of existence at once, which, of course, the level of knowledge is different, and leaving the realm of time is also different because the closer a person gets to the upper world, the more his encompass becomes. Some leave the present and travel to the future or the past. A mystic has said that the one who is out of time is just like the one who sees those facts as they are, but the one who is surrounded by time only sees his around, but the one who is out of the realm of time sees all beings. “Ask those of Our messengers We sent before you: “Did We appoint gods besides the Most Gracious to be worshiped?”[62] (Az-Zukhruf:45). In some interpretations, people say it means to ask the nation of those prophets. They do not know that God could also say this, but He said, Ask those of our messengers. These people do not know that if someone is out of time can directly ask prophets. Imam is united with the first issued, and everything is enumerated in Imam. It is not that someone wants to teach something to the Imam and make him happy or sad with the news. These situations are not relevant for the Imam on that spiritual level, although, on the external level, God’s guardian or the prophet of God may express regret, sadness, and happiness; on the inner level, they are aware of all this. Therefore, the Imam may be apparently surprised, happy, or upset, but this does not mean that he is happy because he did not know and now understands. Imam’s spiritual states are not understandable to us. Imam has knowledge of all eternal truths. It’s like you know that we are going to have a class this week, but someone also tells you that the class is going to be held. You don’t feel any change in your knowledge, but you are surprised and happy to guide the person. “They never speak before He has spoken, and they only act on His command”[63] (Al-Anbiya:27). Allameh Hassanzadeh, in Perfect human and Nahj al-Wilaya essays, explained the knowledge of the Imam in philosophy and mystic viewpoint with verses of the Quran and narration from infallible Imams. Here is a beautiful poem from Allameh Hassanzadeh:
Since our soul is immaterial light, it is not limited to the realm of time.
(The soul is immaterial and not limited to time and space. In philosophy, the soul is called intellect.)
It does not have pain by going through steps; It does not have the veil of places.
One soul might be placed in the highest position of the Arsh[64] where there is no name or sign.
(Truth of all things in the Arsh and Arsh is divine knowledge; so, the real place of the soul is in Arsh. For this soul, there is no sign and name because it is limitless)
One soul might be positioned in the garden of Heaven, where 100 phoenix is like straw.
Look at this jewel born from the soil; it is simple without destruction.
Composite is made of elements, and it is ready for destruction.
Who can bring out a unique living object from the dead soil?
Who can take out a living entity from the dead soil with many degrees?
The soul can reach the level above immateriality and be united with the first grace.
(It means this soul is not even limited to the immaterial world; this soul is united with the first grace or first issue or Nafas-e-Rahmani)
At this level, all universes become leaves of his existence tree, like God and His positions.
The narration of “Anyone who has seen me has seen God” helps you to understand this meaning.
(This person is the Caliph of God, not whoever gets control)
Such a human is perfect. That is why he became united.
(Such a human reached perfection, and others have a face like a human; in narration, we have that there are humans with no intellect called Nasnas[65])
When such a perfect human sees himself in the sprinkled light, he says, “ask me,” and people become unconscious.
(This is related to a narration from Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) of “Ask me before you don’t find me”. Not everyone can say this)
He says, “asks me whatever you want as I am now Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil.”
I am Isaac, Ibrahim, and Jacob; I am Moses, Hud, Noah, and Ayyub (Job).
Apparently, I am sitting with you, but in meaning, I am prophets and guardians.
My outer is material, but my inner is divine; I am I.
Outer is the veil of my divine inner soul.
Apparently, I am positioned in this world, but in the inner, I am the carrier of Arsh.
I am the divine pen and tablet; everything is from this pen and tablet.
An ignorant with no light does not believe this; what will a blind see from a light source?
“Ask me before you don’t find me”
Commentators of Nahj al-Balaghah, such as Ibn Abi al-Hadid, have included parts of this “Saloni” (Ask me) sermon in their books. This collection of questions and answers turns out to have been held by several Saloni pulpits, and there are about seventy-nine questions and answers, some of which are mentioned:
First: The first questioner got up from the corner of Kufa mosque and asked: O Ali, how far is it from where I am standing to the Arsh (throne) of God? Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A) said: First of all, the distance from the carpet to the throne is not a distance of a place, and I can tell you how far it is from here to the throne. But if a believer sincerely says, “There is no god but Allah” and uses this word of monotheism on his tongue, he has covered the distance between the carpet and the throne; he has sewn the rug and the throne together. And then he continued: If you want to seek the Throne of the Most Merciful Lord, know that the heart of a believing person is the Throne of the Most Merciful Lord. The first questioner got the answer to his question and sat down.
Second: The second questioner got up from the other corner of the mosque and asked: O Ali, tell me which is obligatory? Which is more obligatory? Which one is close? Which is closer? Which one is weird? Which is more strange? What is the difficulty? What is more difficult? Amir Al-Mu’mineen replied: Obligatory is to leave sin, and even more obligatory is to repent of sin. Resurrection is near, and death is closer than that. Strange is the unfaithfulness of the world, and even more strange is to fall in love with this unfaithful world. The problem is falling into the grave, and it is more difficult to fall into the grave empty-handed. This second questioner got the answer to his question and sat down.
Third: The third question arose from the other corner of the Kufa mosque. O Ali, how can I know that God accepted my prayers? How do I know that God has forgiven my sins? How do I know that God did not accept my prayers and that it was declared rejected? How do I know that God did not forgive my sins, and it was recorded in my deed? Amir Al-Mu’minin said: If you performed one worship and after that worship, God enabled you to perform the second worship, that second worship is proof that God accepted the first worship from you. Because he accepted your first worship, he granted you the opportunity to enter the second worship. If you have committed a sin and transgression, then after that sin, God has given you success; you have performed an act of obedience and worship. He allowed you to commit obedience and worship. If you first performed an act of obedience and worship, then after that act of worship, you sinned, that sin after the act of prayer is proof that God did not accept your worship and was declared rejected. Therefore, you sinned because if the act of worship was acceptable, it should prevent you from sinning. The fact that you sinned after worshiping is proof that the worship was not acceptable. If you committed a sin and then committed a second sin, that second sin is the reason that God did not forgive your first sin, so you committed a second sin. If you commit the third sin, the third sin is the reason why God will not forgive the second sin. This third questioner got the answer to his question and sat down.
Fourth: The fourth question arose from the other corner of the Kufa mosque. O Ali, a child was born. This child has one body with two heads. With these two heads, is he considered one person and inherits one share from his father, or is he considered two people and inherits two shares from his father? Amir Al-Mu’minin said: Put these two heads to sleep when both heads fall asleep, then slowly wake up the first head. If the second head wakes up at the same time as the first head wakes up, it turns out that he is considered one person and inherits a share from the father. But if you see that the second head is still sleeping after waking up the first head, it turns out that he is considered two people and inherits two shares from his father. The fourth questioner got the answer to his question and sat down.
Fifth: The question arose from the other corner of Kufa mosque. O Ali, two mothers fought over two children. Of these two children, one is a boy, and the other is a girl. The first mother says the boy is mine, and the girl is yours. The second mother says no, the boy is mine, and the girl is yours. How to end the fight between these two mothers? Amir al-Mu’minin said: Take two containers, milk the milk of these two mothers, and weigh the milk that has been milked; the heavier milk is the boy’s, and the lighter milk is the girl’s mother. This fifth questioner got the answer to his question and sat down.
All praise is to God to the extent that He deserves it.
[1]– إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
[2]– وَمَا أَمْرُنَا إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ
[3]– وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ
[4]– تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ
[5]– كُن فَيَكُونُ
[6]– إِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ
[7] -سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ
[8]– وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ
[9] -يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاءَ كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ
[10] -يَسْمَعُ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَن لَّمْ يَسْمَعْهَا ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
[11] -نفس رحمانی
[12] -فیض ساری
[13] -صادر اول
[14] -رق المنشور
[15] -تعیّن
[16] -کلام الله
[17]– کتاب الله
[18] -وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي
[19] -هیولا
[20] -وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ
[21] -وَإِنَّهُ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ
[22] -تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
[23] -تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
[24] -تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ
[25] -كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ
[26] – کلام
[27] -لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
[28] -علم کلام
[29] -وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ
[30] -ذکر
[31] -عند الله
[32]– إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
[33] -حقیقت المحمدیه
[34] -مقام مشییت
[35] -اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِمَعَانِي جَمِيعِ مَا يَدْعُوكَ بِهِ وُلاةُ أَمْرِكَ الْمَأْمُونُونَ عَلَى سِرِّكَ الْمُسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِأَمْرِكَ الْوَاصِفُونَ لِقُدْرَتِكَ الْمُعْلِنُونَ لِعَظَمَتِكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِمَا نَطَقَ فِيهِمْ مِنْ مَشِيَّتِكَ فَجَعَلْتَهُمْ مَعَادِنَ لِكَلِمَاتِكَ وَ أَرْكَانا لِتَوْحِيدِكَ وَ آيَاتِكَ وَ مَقَامَاتِكَ الَّتِي لا تَعْطِيلَ لَهَا فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ يَعْرِفُكَ بِهَا مَنْ عَرَفَكَ لا فَرْقَ بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَهَا إِلا أَنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَ خَلْقُكَ فَتْقُهَا وَ رَتْقُهَا بِيَدِكَ بَدْؤُهَا مِنْكَ وَ عَوْدُهَا إِلَيْكَ أَعْضَادٌ وَ أَشْهَادٌ وَ مُنَاةٌ وَ أَذْوَادٌ وَ حَفَظَةٌ وَ رُوَّادٌ فَبِهِمْ مَلَأْتَ سَمَاءَكَ وَ أَرْضَكَ حَتَّى ظَهَرَ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ
[36] -صادر اول
[37]– وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ
[38]– فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ
[39] -وجه الله
[40] -انسان و قرآن
[41]– بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
[42] -ب
[43] -ا
[44] -ملکوت
[45] -عقل
[46] -عالم ناسوت
[47] -قوس نزول
[48] -يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ
[49] -قوس صعود
[50]– أنا النقطة، أنا الخط، أنا الخط، أنا النقطة، أنا النقطة والخط
[51] -العلم نقطة كثرها الجاهلون
[52]– کنت کنزاً مخفیاً فأحببت أن أعرف فخلقت الخلق لکی أعرف
[53] -حرکت حبی
[54] -حبیب الله
[55] -وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ
[56] -نفس رحمانی
[57] -قطب
[58] -عرش
[59] -کرسی
[60] -قلم
[61] -لوح
[62]– وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ
[63] -لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُم بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ
[64] -عرش
[65] -نسناس
Tag: Allah, God, Existence, Quran, Prophet Muhammad (S), Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali (A), Bibi Fatimah Zahra (S), Imam Sadiq (A), Imam Riza (A), Allameh Hassanzadeh Amoli, Ibn Arabi, Khajeh Nasir Tusi, Eternal, Self-Knowledge, Angel, Nafs, Barzakh, Methal, Usul Kafi, Hereafter, Resurrection, Heaven, Hell, Monotheism, Non-Existence, Dua Mujeer, Abjad Letters.