4ilm Blog

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Reality of the Whole and the Part (5)

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:14:34 +0000

From this explanation of reality you can be certain that Paradise too, is included in the whole. You may have studied this book carefully and noted that it is the luminous form of this world which is Paradise. The same is the spiritual whole, the Hereafter and the subtle world. In other words, if someone observes with insight he will come to know that the subtle world is that Book of God, by reading which no doubt remains, as God says: “It (the Qur’an) is the detailed explanation (tafsil) of the Book, in which there is no doubt (opposite of certitude)” (10:37). That is, in it there is only certitude and certitude can be obtained with the eyes only. If the search for pleasures is viewed from the spiritual point of view, then it is Paradise, as God says: “Race with one another for forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise whose breadth is as the breadth of the heaven and the earth” (57:21; 3:133). If it is looked at spiritually, it is the Universal Soul: “His Kursi (i.e. the Universal Soul) has comprised the heavens and the earth” (2:255). If it is looked at with respect to knowledge and wisdom, it is the Universal Intellect. “Will you not then remember?” (6:81). God willing, now it must be clearer that nothing is excluded from the spiritual whole, and the physical whole is also included in it and they are not separate from one another. Regarding the spiritual whole, we have to say that in reality it is not divisible. In other words, the soul does not decrease by becoming two from one. For increase and decrease are the characteristics of the body, not that of the soul. For instance, the physical world is one and its luminous form, i.e. the spiritual world, is also one. But God from this spiritual world can create not only thousands but innumerable worlds in luminosity, so that He may grant eternal kingdom to each one of His servants in a separate world. We are also convinced of His power which enables the same one single soul to manifest itself in every shape and form in all these innumerable worlds simultaneously and all this becomes possible through the whole.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Reality of the Whole and the Part (4)

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:37:41 +0000

It is our firm conviction that wherever the word “kull” (whole) is mentioned in the Qur’an, it contains knowledge about the whole, therefore, we should look into this wisdom-filled verse with the eye of insight: “And He taught Adam all the names (in the best way)” (2:31). It is obvious that according to this verse no name was left out from what was taught to Hazrat Adam, including the names of the Creator and those of the creatures. The best way of teaching was that God showed Adam gradually all the named or the possessors of the names in Paradise in a luminous form as spiritual bounties. Further, He taught him all the wisdoms of their names, the reason for their naming, their shapes, forms and the purpose of the creation and annihilation of their manifestations. Thus there was nothing which was not included in the science of names (`ilmu’l-asma’). The dignitaries of religion have made it clear that knowledge is contained in words and words are names and names have named ones. Thus all names and named ones are in this world. The real Adam, i.e. the Universal Intellect, was shown this world in its entirety in the luminous form, without excluding any name or named. According to one proof and in accordance with worldly calculations, all these spiritual pleasures had come to an end after a duration of 900,000 years and the renewal of the action was felt necessary, therefore the Universal Intellect sent its cyclical mazhar to this world. However, the spiritual and intellectual bounties were there intact and the Universal Intellect itself was self-sufficient and in no need of these bounties, but with respect to its mazhar it was in need, therefore its mazhar and that of the Universal Soul came to this world as shadows by the names of Adam and Eve, as do all other human beings.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Reality of the Whole and the Part (3)

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:33:49 +0000

From this physical example we can conceive a whole which has been completed by the parts, but has become independent of them. Further, with the help of this example we can conceive another hypothetical example closer to a spiritual whole. Suppose that the cinema is a spiritual whole in which the actors and actresses are created according to pictures instead of just taking their pictures, i.e. their pictures existed before them. This is the reality of the soul. It has been mentioned in the Noble Hadith: “God created dam in His Image”. Mawla-yi Rum, who was a revealer of Divine secrets, says about this subject:

Tan chu sayah bar zamin-u jan-i pak-i cashiqan
Dar bihisht-i cadn tajri tahtiha’l-anhar mast

The bodies of the lovers of God, like shadows are on earth, but their souls are intoxicated in the Paradise of Eden, underneath which flow rivers, i.e. the four rivers of honey, wine, water and milk.

This same reality is also clear in this verse: “And there is not a thing but its treasures are with Us. And We send it not down but in a known measure (bi-qadarin maclum)” (15:21). Known (maclum) is the name of this world and measure (qadar) means capacity. Thus, by bi-qadarin maclum or known measure is meant the capacity of the world. It is evident that even the smallest thing is also with God in spiritual form. This article has passed from one example into another, so let us once again concentrate on the main subject, i.e. the reality of the whole and the part and that of Paradise.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Reality of the Whole and the Part (2)

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:55:31 +0000

It is evident that in comparison to the soul, the body has no power. In comparison to the soul, the body is lifeless. Yet with the help of the soul it can accomplish supernatural actions. It can traverse the distance of thousands of miles in seconds; it can see things from the distance of thousands of miles; it can study the conditions of thousands of years; it can ascend the heaven, it can observe the universe. In short, it can do all that which we can see and hear. If the body which is not more than a handful of dust can accomplish such amazing wonders with the cooperation and help of the soul, then imagine how powerful and strong the soul itself must be! With this comparison think about the Universal Soul, for if only a part of it is so powerful and strong, how powerful and strong must the whole be and how difficult it is to estimate its infinite power.

On the screen of the cinema you can see moving pictures depicting and analysing all aspects of human life. There is no link between these pictures and those to whom these pictures belong, i.e. the actors and actresses, except that they have been photographed. Nor does anything decrease from the actors and actresses because they have been photographed. On the cinema screen, even the picture of a person who died a thousand years ago, can be a source of amusement for viewers. If the actor had the skill of becoming a picture instead of being photographed, his life would have been liberated from the physical body and a subtle body would have been made for itself.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Reality of the Whole and the Part

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:53:27 +0000

The Universal Soul is given this name because of the fact that from the beginning to the end all human souls are created from it. Thus, the souls of all human beings are his parts and it is their whole. But the concept of the Universal Soul is not like any physical whole. For material bodies consist of numerous particles; if a single particle is removed from it, or if all other particles except one are included, it cannot be called the `whole’. That is, because one particle has been removed, it cannot logically be called the all-inclusive “whole”. It is only when the separated particle is rejoined to it, that it can be called whole in the true sense. This is the reality of the physical whole and its constituent particles or parts.

Now if we consider the spiritual whole and its particles, we can come to an understanding of it by many examples in present day science, which provide seekers of spirituality with educational examples. These examples are almost the final wonders of physical progress. Therefore, if we reflect upon the last stages of perfection of the body, we can estimate the initial stage of the power of the soul. For instance, if we have not seen an extraordinary thing and do not know its qualities, we can estimate it from the highest quality of an ordinary thing. Suppose a person sits on the bank of a river and in his world of imagination, he imagines that it is very deep and wide, he can arrive at an approximation or an example of what the ocean is like. That is, even though he has not seen the ocean, he can have a concept of it, which to some extent is correct.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Imam-i Mubin Tawil: Proof 2

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:39:50 +0000

Second Proof: Air for the ocean is like the soul and helps it in its actions and in return the ocean helps the air, i.e. the air always receives its wetness from the ocean. Thus the ocean with the cooperation of air, which undoubtedly is like its soul, comprises all its parts.

From these proofs, it is established that even in a physical sense, there are examples of the surrounding of a thing by another. Further, take for example an autocrat or a wise president – how he through his contrivance, surrounds his country. He not only surrounds the country, but has also, in a sense, a place in the hearts of the people of his country, in the sense that the people are either happy or unhappy because of their ruler’s policies. This shows that there are also things from which are created many other things, but they themselves neither increase nor decrease, and such things are only spiritual. The point is that the examples of how a thing, despite being in its place, comprises many other things are found in the physical form also, let alone the soul which, due to its characteristics, is much higher than a body. Further, just as physical things are surrounded by their “whole”, i.e. the earthly particles by the sphere of the earth, the particles of air by the atmosphere, the particles of water by the ocean, the particles of fire by the ethereal sphere, so similarly the sphere of the moon is the whole of its parts and surrounds them. And likewise every sphere is the whole of its parts and surrounds them, …. Similarly, every lower sphere is contained within its higher sphere as the skin of an onion is in layers, fold upon fold, the higher surrounding the lower layers. The external shape of this world is exactly like this, but the concept of its movements is different.

From these examples you should understand that the Imam of the time, has encompassed the world of religion in his light more perfectly and completely than the sun has encompassed the physical world in its light. For the sun is a physical body and physical bodies cannot reach everywhere without movement, but the Imam of the time is spirit, namely, light, which can reach everywhere by will alone.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Imam-i Mubin Tawil: Proof 1

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:34:52 +0000

First Proof: According to the above explanation, there is not the smallest drop of water which is produced by itself or by any other means, without having come from the ocean in the beginning. Rather, all the above-mentioned forms were initially united with the ocean. Therefore, what is called the ocean surrounded them all, and thus all water on land came to it because of its whole. Some of it appeared in the form of plants, animals and mankind, together with other elements. Had this water been in a rock in a mountain or under the ground with no outlet to come out from for thousands of years, then it would have no value and worth as it has in the formation of the bodies of plants, animals and mankind. Similarly, think about ponds and pools, which have no inflow of water. In summer their water evaporates in a few days or a few weeks. That is, it gradually mingles with the air through evaporation. Do you know why this happens? It happens, because they did not have any influx of water from their whole i.e. the ocean. This clearly means that if there were an inflow of water into them from a stream or rain, etc. constantly or intermittently, their water would not have disappeared. Thus it is evident that all the different forms of water on the land are part of the ocean, for they come from the ocean and return to it, and without it, they come to an end. According to the Noble Hadith: “Everything returns to its origin (asl)”. Asl means root, foundation, mine, and the whole. Thus the root or the whole of everything surrounds it, for it is within the boundary of the perpetual function of the whole. For instance, take a big river which flows far away from the ocean. The river flows because of the fact that the ocean by its action, constantly pushes it, that is, the river will cease to flow after a while without rain from the ocean.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Imam-i Mubin Tawil Example

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:01:38 +0000

Example: The different forms of water are its parts and the ocean is their whole, namely, the moisture in the air, cloud, rain, snow, the permanent ice of the mountains and the water which penetrates the earth and then comes out of it in the form of springs, or the water which is brought out of wells in the plains, streams, brooks, canals, the moisture in plants, however small their quantity, and the wetness of all animals, however tiny they may be. All these are parts of the ocean and the ocean is their whole.

Air whose nature is hot and wet, always attains heat from the ethereal sphere and wetness from the ocean. Thus the air with respect to subtlety and composition can be likened to the body of fire and the soul to the ocean. Note carefully that although apparently, the ocean is far away and separate from its parts, in reality it surrounds all its parts. You should not be surprised at this assertion, for in the following paragraphs, I shall provide proofs.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Imam-i Mubin Tawil Part 2

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:57:12 +0000

Ta’wil of “And We have encompassed everything in a manifest Imam. This means: (1) We have encompassed all things in a manifest Imam in a spiritual form. Ihsa or encompassing implies not to allow a thing to go out, to confine, togetherness of scattered things and to record and control them, their mutual closeness, etc. (2) We have encompassed all souls and intellects in the manifest Imam of their own time. Imam with nunation (tanwin) means one of the Imams. Whatever is in spirituality is nothing but the intellect and the soul, therefore, by the things are meant the souls and intellects. On the basis of this explanation, if someone says that in the word “ihsa” or `encompassing’ you have established the traces of the whole world, how can all those traces be the intellects and the souls? The answer is that, if there is an image of a stone in spirituality, it also has a soul and intellect. (3) We taught everything ta’wil in the Imam who has the knowledge of bayan or ta’wil. For the ta’wil of casting pebbles is to ask questions and mubin (also) means speaking, i.e. the one who explains. (4) We made everything which was an accident, a substance in the speaking Imam. By pebbles are meant gems, such as ruby, etc. (5) We have encompassed all sciences and macrifat in the Pearl of Intellect, which is with the Imam of the time. (6) We have gathered all things of both the worlds in a non-spatial form in the Imam between the two worlds. Because by kulla shay’in (everything) is meant the things of both the worlds, and mubin also means the one who resides between (bayn) the two. (7) And We have made the whole of everything a pearl in the manifest Imam. (8) And We have gathered all things of both the worlds in the speaking Imam.

In short, among the subtle things there is nothing which is not included in the illustrious person of the Imam of the time. Therefore, there is no room for any doubt in the above ta’wili explanation of the noble verse. There are all kinds of proofs of the veracity of this ta’wil. One of the numerous proofs is that had it been possible for the intellect to exist in this world without a body, it would definitely have existed. For, if someone is able to do his work appropriately and perfectly, he does not need the help of others. From the nature of the particular intellects can be attained some knowledge of their whole. That is, if all the means of perfection of the abstract intellects is the one which now exists, as God says: “Creation by God is the one according to which He has created mankind” (30:30). That is, the previous creation was exactly like the creation which takes place in your time. (In the ta’wil of this verse is hidden an unbounded treasure of the knowledge of tawhid, therefore, all those interested in this knowledge should take benefit from it). Thus, when it is established that the particular intellect is linked to the imperfect man and it deserves to be called the particular intellect only in the body, then it is true to say that the Universal Intellect is linked to the Perfect Man. The same is the case for the particular soul and the Universal Soul. Thus it is established that the Universal Soul and the Universal Intellect are in the Perfect Man and outside the united enclosure of these three, there is nothing. I have written elsewhere in this book about the nature of the spiritual whole and the physical whole, in order to make it easier to understand.

Chain of the Light of Imamat – Imam-i Mubin Tawil Part 1

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:09:45 +0000

Ta’wil: Unseen (ghayb) means hidden, concealed, invisible, far. Nothing is hidden for God, nor is it far, therefore, the word `unseen’ is designated for the creatures. For the people of heaven, the earth is far and hidden and for the people of the earth, heaven is far and hidden; the west is invisible for the east and the east for the west; the south is far from the north and the north is hidden from the south. Man, animals, vegetables and all particles of the world are hidden from one another. The spiritual world is hidden from this world and this world is hidden from those who have passed away. Therefore, there is no boundary of the `Unseen’ for it to be called the `Unseen’ in a true sense. Further, this world itself is `unseen’, for it is hiddenness and remoteness which are called `unseen’. Hiddenness is the name of the veil and remoteness that of distance. Veil and distance (are the properties of) body; in the soul and the intellect there is neither a veil nor any distance. Thus, God says that He is the Knower of the Unseen, namely the higher world and He does not elevate anyone to that level, except he who is chosen from among the Messengers, namely, Mawlana cAli Murtaza, in the rank of the Qa’im. Then this Qa’im strings the persons of Imamat before and behind him in the thread of the Divine light, and they are the watchers, i.e. witnesses of the Messengers, so that it may be known that they have conveyed the Messages of their Lord, i.e. the Qa’im. And the Qa’im has comprised all that was with them and has encompassed everything in a number. That is, he has caused the subtle form of the whole world or the universal body to reach the higher world in a spiritual state, which is without matter. This is the meaning of the end or disappearance of this world. The point which demands enquiry here is that mu’mins cannot reach the higher world by themselves, but only by their being attached to the Imam or the hudud. The Qa’im due to the ascription of the acts of the Prophets and Imams of the entire cycle and due to the absence of the past and the future in the higher world, strings the chain or the persons of the Imamat, prior to and after him, in the hearts of the Prophets with the thread of the Divine light. For true observation takes place in the heart.

From this ta’wili proof it is clear that the final act of the major cycle is called “hasiya” (encompassing), which is the act of Hazrat Qa’im, in which he encompasses all states, events, the entire history of the universe and all sciences, arts and impressions and marks of the creatures of the earth and heaven and rarefies them from matter. Another word for this act is “kun” (Be). The act of making dense from subtle is called “khalq” (creation) and to make subtle from dense is called “kun” (Be). In khalq or creation, time is involved, but the kun or command does not take any time.