Dr. Nazeer Ahmed

Humanity has amassed unprecedented power; yet it lives in profound confusion. We explore distant galaxies, manipulate matter at subatomic scales, and generate immense wealth—yet remain uncertain about the most basic question: Who am I? This crisis of self-understanding lies beneath modern anxiety, injustice, environmental devastation, and spiritual alienation. As a Hadith Qudsi states, “Man ‘arafa nafsahu, faqad ‘arafa Rabbahu”—one who knows oneself knows one’s Lord.
The Islamic spiritual tradition approaches this question not as an abstraction but as a lived reality, presenting a vision of the human far richer than the flattened, horizontal models dominant today.

The Poverty of Modern Definitions

Modern secular thought defines the human reductively. Sometimes man is reduced to matter—an accidental arrangement of atoms governed by blind forces. Yet the economic worth of the human body is negligible, while a living person reshapes history, conquers matter through will, creates beauty from stone and music from sound. Matter cannot choose; it cannot love; it cannot create meaning. To identify man with matter is to deny the very agency that defines him.

Others define the human primarily by reason. From Aristotle to Descartes to the Enlightenment, rationality has been exalted as the essence of humanity. Reason is indeed noble: it grounds logic, science, mathematics, and law. But reason alone cannot explain love, sacrifice, courage, beauty, faith or jusstice. It analyzes reality but cannot taste it. Thought becomes speculation without action, and ethics collapses into circular justification when severed from transcendent reference.

Still others identify the human by rebellion, race, nationality, class, or consumption. These definitions are historically contingent and morally destructive. Race and nationalism have fueled oppression and war; consumerism mortgages self-worth to appetite and advertising; economic reductionism treats people as “factors of production.” None of these categories captures the full dignity of the human, whose identity transcends skin color, borders, and markets.

The Islamic Vision: Five Dimensions of the Human

Islam offers a unified, hierarchical, and holistic vision of the human. Drawing on the Qur’an and building on the insights of sages such as Imam al-Ghazzali, Shaikh Ibn al-‘Arabi, and Imam al-Tirmidhi, we present the human as a being of five dimensions:

1. Rūḥ (Spirit)
2. Qalb (Heart)
3. ‘Aql (Intellect)
4. Jism (Body)
5. Nafs (Soul / Personhood)

This vision restores coherence to human existence. The Qur’an declares that the human was created as Khalifa—trustee and regent on earth—endowed with the knowledge of the Names (the Asma ul Husna), and honored even above the angels. This dignity arises not from material composition but from the integration of these five dimensions.

The Rūḥ: The Breath of the Command

The Rūḥ is the divine mystery breathed into the human. Its essence is known only to God: “They ask you concerning the Spirit. Say: the Spirit is of the command of my Lord” (17:85). Yet its effect is evident—it bestows life, consciousness, and power. When it departs, the body becomes inert matter. The Rūḥ situates the human between heaven and earth, linking created existence to divine command.

The Qalb: The Fountain of Meaning

At the center of human reality lies the heart, not merely as a biological pump but as a spiritual organ. Imam al-Ghazzali calls it latīfa rabbāniyya—a subtle divine faculty that knows, experiences, loves, and bears responsibility. The Qur’an locates understanding not in the brain but in the heart: blindness is not of the eyes but of the hearts within the breasts.

Imam al-Tirmidhi distinguishes levels of the heart: sadr, qalb, fu’ād, and lubb, moving from receptivity to inner illumination. The heart turns either toward God or toward the world. When oriented toward remembrance, it becomes tranquil; when absorbed by heedlessness, it hardens. Faith, love, mercy, justice, gratitude, and spiritual insight are treasures of the heart—realities inaccessible to reason alone.

Modern science, ironically, lends support to this insight: the heart possesses its own neural network and a powerful electromagnetic field, influencing cognition and emotion. Yet science can describe signals without capturing meaning. The heart remains the locus where knowledge becomes certainty.

The ‘Aql: Reason as Steward, Not Sovereign

The intellect is the crown jewel of the human, enabling abstraction, science, and civilization. It processes sensory data, constructs models, and predicts outcomes. Through it, humanity penetrates the laws of nature and harnesses them for benefit. Yet reason operates within assumptions: objectification, linear time, and the autonomy of nature. These assumptions exclude qualities that matter most—beauty, love, moral value—from the scientific picture.

Reason explains how but not why. It clarifies ethics but cannot ground them. When severed from the heart and revelation, reason becomes powerful yet directionless.

The Jism: The Sacred Vehicle

The body is not a prison of the soul but its vehicle. Fashioned in perfection, it enables action, worship, service, and responsibility. Through the body, the commands of the Shariah are fulfilled, and divine patterns are inscribed in space-time. Though composed of earthly elements, the body participates in mystery: perception is not located in the eye or ear alone but arises from an unseen integration of body, intellect, and soul.

The Nafs: The Moral Self in Motion

The Nafs encompasses the integrated human personality—body, intellect, and heart—animated by the Spirit. It is dynamic, traversing stations from command-driven desire (nafs al-ammārah) through struggle and inspiration to tranquility, contentment, and divine pleasure (nafs al-muṭma’innah, rāḍiyah, marḍiyyah). Moral failure and spiritual ascent are both possibilities. Human destiny is not fixed; it is chosen and is confirmed by divine writ.

Knowledge, Science, and Transcendence

God is one. Knowledge is one, though its modes differ. There is taught knowledge (‘ilm al-‘ibārah), experiential knowledge (‘ilm al-ishārah), and divinely bestowed knowledge (‘ilm ladunnī). Science belongs to the first category: valid, powerful, but partial. Its findings are āyāt—signs pointing to the transcendent. There is no contradiction between faith and science so long as science is recognized as a projection of a deeper, multi-dimensional reality.

Modern physics itself gestures toward this unity: observer and observed are entangled; time is relative; reality resists reduction. Yet without metaphysics, these insights remain fragments.

Consequences for Civilization

A two-dimensional view of humanity produces a soulless world: nature becomes raw material, ethics become utility, and progress becomes exploitation. Environmental devastation and existential anxiety are not accidents; they are outcomes of forgetting the heart and the soul. The Qur’an warns that neglecting the hereafter leads to distortion even in this world.

Conclusion: Knowing the Self

Who am I? I am a being of five dimensions—infused with the Spirit, illumined by the heart, guided by intellect, molded into form by divine writ “with both hands”, tested in space-time through the soul. My purpose is not consumption or domination but ‘ubūdiyyah: to know, serve, and worship God, and to reflect divine attributes as a trustee on earth.

When humanity recovers this integrated vision, knowledge regains meaning, science finds humility, and civilization rediscovers its soul. As Rumi wrote, “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the ocean in a drop.”

We Love You Ya Rasool ALLAHﷺ

by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed

Submitted by Mohammed Zaheer Khan, California

On August 26th, 2025, a significant Mawlid gathering in California was graced by the presence and insightful address of Professor Dr. Nazeer Ahmed. During this auspicious occasion, Dr. Ahmed delivered a notable speech that captivated the audience, offering profound guidance and reflections. His address was a key highlight of the gathering, providing attendees with valuable perspectives and strengthening the spiritual atmosphere of the event.

 

BismillahirRahmaanNirRaheem….

We Love You ya Rasool Allah,

The world celebrates the name of Hazrat Musa (AS) because he set his people free;

We celebrate the name of our Prophet Muhammed (p) (AS) because he set all mankind free…..

     He freed mankind from the fetters of false gods.

 

We Love You Ya Rasool Allah,

The world was shrouded in darkness,

You brought your Light and dispelled that darkness. 

There were curtains upon curtains upon the consciousness of humankind,

     And the Name of Allah was forgotten,

With your Jamaal, you lifted the Akshaf, 

     ….. the veils…..one by one ….all of them.

 

We love you ya Rasool Allah,

We knew not how to take the Name of Allah,

You taught us La-Ilaha-Il-Allah,

And from La-Ilaha-Il-Allah came Muhammad Rasool Allah.

 

We Love You Ya Rasool Allah,

We knew not how to treat each other,

We knew not how to treat men or women, young or old,

    And the infant baby girl cried out: “For what crime am I buried alive?”

You taught us how to treat each other,

   —our families, our neighbors, our communities, all mankind.

 

We love you ya Rasool Allah

We did not know what our rights and responsibilities were,

You taught us what our rights and responsibilities were,

     Given to us by Divine writ,

And how to struggle for our rights and responsibilities

…….with justice for all. 

 

We love you Ya Rasool Allah,

When the Name of Allah swt was shrouded in total mystery,

Allah swt said: Kuntu Kunzan Maghfia,

Fa Ahbabtu ‘An ‘Arafa, Fa Khalaqtu Khalqa,

(I was a treasure hidden, I loved to be recognized, I created a reatiion)

Allah created your Light, the first emanation from His presence, 

From your Light was written what there was to write in Luh wa Qalam,

From your Light was created the Aql e Awwal (the First Intellect),

From your Light was created the Qalm e Awwal (the Pristine Pen),

From your Light was created the Kursi (the Throne),

From your Light were created heaven and the earth.

 

We love you ya Rasool Allah,

Your name AHMED was given to you by Allah swt Himself,

He built Hamd (H-M-D) into your name,

We love you ya Rasool Allah as your name is In constant Hamd,

When you were with Allah, you were AHMED,

When you became a Bashar and came unto us you became MOHAMMED,

And Hamd (H-M-D) was still with you Ya Rasool Allah. 

 

We love you ya Rasool Allah,

Your name connotes HAMD,

You are in a constant state of prayer,

That is why the Angels were commanded to send their salawat upon you continuously,

Innalaha wa malaikatahu yusulluna alannabi, 

ya Ayyuhal Ladina Amanu Sollu Alaihi wa Sallimu Tasleema.

 

We love you Rasool Allah,

You were the first among the Anbiya,

You were a Prophet ‘when Adam (AS) was between clay and water’,

In ‘Alam e Arwah,

Allah swt assembled all the Prophets together, 

And He asked them,

“I will send My Habeeb, My Beloved AHMED. Will you follow him?”,

And they said in unison, “Yes”. That was Mithak e Risalat.

And you were the last to appear, after all the Prophets.

Each Prophet took a portion of your Light and gave it to the world,

You brought all the Light, the entire spectrum, and you completed it.

 

We love you ya Rasool Allah,

You took us to Koh e Tur (The Mount of Sinai),

Musa (AS) said: “Arani”! (show Yourself to me)

Came the voice from the heavens: “Lan Tarani” (Never shall you see Me)!

And then, when Musa (AS) had discarded his staff,

Allah sent but a twinkling of His Light on a mountain,

It shattered, pulverized, burnt down, annihilated.

 

We love you ya Rasool Allah,

You showed us the beauty of Yusuf (AS),

The beauty that reflected Noor e Muhammadi,

The ladies cut their fingers,

So enraptured were they by the Noor. 

 

We love you ya Rasool Allah,

Because of you, the world shines,

Because of you, existence exists,

Because of you the Kayinaat (cosmos) is alive 

And the essence of creation is complete. 

 

So, in this gathering, on this day of Rabbi ul Awwal,

Ya Allah!

The humble ones – all of us – some old, some young and some children,

Are gathered together,

To remember and cherish, 

The name of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (p).

Ya Allah, whatever little offer from our hearts,

With humility, respect and honor, 

In the name of our beloved Prophet Muhammed (p),

Ya Rabb, our Creator and Sustainer, accept it.

And on the Day of Judgment,

When all souls are gathered together, 

Make us benefit from the Light of Mohammed,

Guide us to the company of Mohammed(p),

Towards Maqam e Mahmooda….

Which you promised to your beloved, 

So that he cleanses our souls with his noor (light), 

And present us before Your presence,

 And You judge us with your Rahma, 

And forgive us– forgive us for all we have done. 

AMEEN.  

 

Noorul Haqeeqat

Author: Hazrath Shah Syed Ismail Qadri al Multani al Ma’ruf

Transmitter: Hazrath Badashah Qadri

Compiled by: Prof. Mevlana Syed Ataulla Hussaini

Professor, Jamia Nizamiya, Hyderabad, Deccan

Translated from Urdu by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, California

 

Summary

How does God interact with His creation? This question has occupied theologians, philosophers and scientists since times immemorial. It is a profound question that requires a deep understanding of theology, philosophy, physics, history and culture.

The Sufis have an answer to this question that is at once aesthetically satisfying and rationally acceptable. This book, Noorul Haqeeqat by Shaikh Shah Syed Ismail Qadiri al Multani, written in Urdu in the mid nineteenth century, captures the essence of Sufi cosmology. It is also called Tanazzulat e Sitta – The Six Descents of Divine Grace, an explanation for Mehfil e A’shiqan – a gathering of lovers.

The book was transmitted by one of his students Shaikh Badshah Qadri of Multan and recompiled by Mevlana Syed Ataulla Hussaini of Hyderabad, Deccan. The translation into English by Professor Nazeer Ahmed is from the original Urdu manuscript.

Tasawwuf is an an ocean of love. Those with a taste for this elixir will savor this piece that connects the human to the Grace of God and explains its descent.

Tanazzulat (The Descent of Divine Grace)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

The stations of prayer (hamd), all of them, are only for Allah who exists by His own essence and has bestowed existence on the cosmos. And SA’lam and Darood be on the Crown of Creation (Peace be upon him) whose Reality is the unity of essence and the core of the cosmos, and upon his family and all of his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who are the guides for both Shariah and Tareeqa and are masters of Reality (Haqeeqat) and Inner Knowledge (Ma’rifat).

 

 

The First Muqam (station)

The Pristine State (Martab e Oola)

Listen! When there was nothing, neither water nor dust, neither air nor fire, neither the earth nor the sky, neither trees nor stones, no animals – then, there was one Reality that was existent on its own. In Arabic it is called “Huwiyet”. In Farsi it is called “Hastee”. In Dakhni it is called “Hai Pun”. Some elders also call it “Love” (Ishq).

This Reality was free of any constraints and its attributes and perfections were hidden at this station. Due to its self-perfection, it was not oriented in any direction. It was present to itself. It was not turned towards “the other” because there was no “other”. All of its attributes were contained within itself. Therefore, at this station, none of its names or attributes were manifest. There was no relationship or increase (or decrease), It was beyond the attributes of hidden or manifest. At this station, one cannot even talk about the Creator or the created. Some elders have called this station “Allah”. Many of the Sufi masters have called it only an allusion to a Name because there is no limit to language; you can give this Reality any name you want. However, there is no benefit in giving it a name because the intent of giving a name is to understand and teach and here the situation is without “fixity” (ta’yun). One can neither find this Reality nor understand, see or comprehend it. If this is the situation, then, why use language? It (the Reality) cannot be contained in words no matter how many names you give it.

That Reality transcends creation due to its Unicity because the Essence, by its very nature, considers existence and non-existence to be the same. It does not desire to exist and it is not inclined towards non-existence. This (level of) transcendence is specific only to the Essence (Dhat). No one, not even a wali (sage) or a prophet can comprehend this Reality at this position because this Reality, due to its primal unfettered freedom desires not to be known or constrained (by understanding). It is a compulsion of knowledge that seeks to understand the object of knowledge (which is not possible at this station).

It is therefore true wisdom to shy away from seeking a comprehension of the station of Essence. To exert oneself in investigating the “Essence” without recourse to fixities (ta’yunat), names (Asma’), attributes (Sifat) and manifestations (Mazahir) is a waste of one’s life. It is reaching out for the impossible. Such inner knowledge (ma’rifat) is forbidden to anyone but Himself. It is sufficient to know that there was a Reality other than the cosmos from which the cosmos became manifest.

The cosmos is a vehicle for the reflection of the beauty of the transcendent Reality that lies beyond the cosmos.

That Reality, in its own state, is beyond fixity. No single fixity is appropriate for it. In any given state, it takes on a fixity in accordance with that state. It captures and is captured without being altered in any way.  It is collective as well as individual, common as well as specific, single as well as multiple. Shaikh al Junaid (may Allah be pleased with him) has said: Al Aan Kama Kaan. In other words, Allah is as He was.

This station of Essence is also called Ghaib e Huwiyet (the hidden essence of He), Ghaib al Ghuyub (the hidden of the Most Hidden), Ibtan Kul Batin (the womb of all that is hidden), Huwiyet Mutlaqa (the essential aspect of He), La Ta’yun (non-fixity), Ayn ul Kafur (the Essence of the musk), Dhaat e Sazid (the Essence of the most complex), Munqata al Isharat (the limit of allusion), Munqat al Wajdan (the limit of inquiry), Ahdiyate Mutlaqa (the essential Unicity), Mujhul ul Naat (devotional praise for the One who is not known), A’nqa (the priceless jewel), Nuqta (the dot) and Ganje Maqfi (the hidden treasure).

 

The Second Muqam

Tanazzul e Awwal: (The First Decent) Wahdat

Allah (swt) declares:

“I was a hidden treasure (In other words, all the divine attributes were hidden under the power of His Essence). I willed that I be known. So I created a creation (that would know Me).”

The manifestation of Reality is what is reflected in creation, namely, in the Tay’unat (fixities), and is witnessed by the A’rifeen (people of inner knowledge). It is witnessed in two ways in the reflections and the fixities:

1. When the Dhat (Essence) descends into Asma (The Divine Names) or Arwayh (The Spirit), the A’rif (person of inner knowledge) first witnesses it and then looks at the state of its manifestation in the Tay’unat (fixities). Then, the Arif witnesses how it is encapsulated in the Tay’unat (fixities), whether the witnessed fixities are named or unnamed. This is the witness of the sages of the highest attainment. It was the witness of Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique (r), as he said:

“I did not witness anything unless I first witnessed Allah”.

2. The second witness is the perception of the limitless Essence between Tay’un and Tajalli (between fixity and its manifestation) whether it be while witnessing the Essence of the fixity or after witnessing the fixity. This is the witness of Hazrath Uthman (r) who said:

“I did not witness anything unless I saw Allah with it”.

The fixities of this Reality are limitless. However, they can be grouped into six categories.

• Two of these categories are hidden because the Essence and the Non-essence are both absent from them. Nothing is manifest in its reality in these two hidden categories and no entity has the privilege of manifestation. The first hidden category attains its hidden Tay’un (fixity) from the Ghaib (the Hidden). Similarly, the second hidden category attains its hidden Tay’un (fixity) from the Ghaib (the Hidden).
  • The next three categories are “Koni” (derived from the verb ‘kun”, the verb “to be”, which is the divine command for creation).
  • The sixth category embraces all the categories.

The First Fixity, or the First Manifestation of Reality is that He “found Himself” and declared: “I am” (Ana), and all the unmanifested cosmos came into His knowledge.

It is apparent that the un-manifested cosmos is not separate from Reality. The universe is not separate from the Essence. The Essence has the power and the capacity to manifest the cosmos.

The Essence (Dhat) contains all the Asma wa Sifat (the Names and the Attributes of Allah) without manifesting them. For instance, the attribute “All-Hearing” (As Samee’) is not separate from “All-powerful” (Al Qadir). In other words, no single divine Name is separate from the other. This is a “absolute” station. Multiplicity, whether real or imaginary, is not manifest at the station of Essence. All the worlds are nonexistent here.

When the Essence “found” its own Existence, and said “Ana” (I am), then four entities came into being: Dhat al Wajud, Sifat e Ilm, Ism e Noor and Fa’el e Shuhood.

1. The Essence of Existence (Dhat al wajud). In other words, He “found Himself: by declaring “Ana” (I am). The Essence is by itself the Existence.
2. The attribute of Knowledge (Ilm). The knowledge is the attribute.
3. Noor or Light. When His Light manifested upon Himself, He became to manifest to Himself. This manifestation is Noor.  Some elders have called “Anaya” (the “I” in “I am”) as the Noor.
4. The act of Witness (Shuhood). In other words, when He saw Himself, He witnessed Himself. This is called Shuhood.

The First Fixity (Ta’yun e Awwal) is also called Wahdata e Haqeeqi (the True Unity), Martabul Jama’ wal Wajud (the Station of Summation and Existence), Martabay e Jamiya (the Station of Summation), Ahdiyet Jamiya (the Utter Unity), Ahdiyet Jama’ (the Integrated Unity), Muqam e Jama’(The Station of Integration), Haqeeqatul Haqaeq (the Reality of Realities), Barzaq ul Baraziq (the Bridge of Bridges), Barzaq e Kubra (the Greatest Bridge), Haqeeqat e Muhammadiya (the Reality of Muhammed), Aql e Awwal (The First Intellec, Qalm e A’la (the Lofty Pen), Ruh e A’zam (the Great Spirit), and Tajalli e Awwal (the First Manifestation).

This Wahdat (Unicity) is worthy of the Dhat. At this station , Nasoot (th material world) is not preferred over Malakut (which is a station of the Spirit), Malakut is not preferred over Jabroot (which is a station of Sifat), and Jabroot is not preferred over Lahut (which is a station of Dhat).

Wahdat has two foundational concepts, ideas, or notions (E’tebarat):

1. Ideas where the evidence is subsumed. In other words, at this Station, all beliefs, notions, ideas, concepts are rejected in relation to Dhat (the Essence). This is Ahdiyet.  In other words, the Essence is where all notions, ideas, concepts are vanquished. From this perspective, the Essence has been called Ahad (the unqualified Unicity).  From another perspective, the Essence is where all notions, ideas and concepts have been removed. For this reason, the origin, freedom and appearance of Dhat are predicted upon this perspective.
2. Ideas where the evidence is embraced.  There are unlimited notions in this Dhat (Essence). This is the Dhat (Essence) that is with all ideas and attributes. There is a name for the Dhat that is together with all notions and attributes: it is Wahed. Wahed (Unicity) is an evidentiary Name; it does not capture and absorb all notions. The appearance, existence and eternity of this Dhat is predicataed upon this perspective.

There is no “otherness” in these two ideas. The presence or absence of evidence makes no difference to the Essence. There is no active multiplicity in Wahdat (Unicity). Therefore, Wahdat is the Unicity of Essence which knows itself without any evidentiary notions or rejected notions. At the Station of Essence, the presence or absence of rejected notions or evidentiary notions makes no difference.

Thus, it is the first manifestation of Essence, It is related to both Ahdiat and Wahdiat. If there was no Wahdat, these relations would not exist either.

Wahdat is the Unicity of the Essence which recognizes itself without conditions. As an illustration, love has two relational aspects, namely, the lover and the beloved. They would both disappear in the absence of love. In the same way, Ahdiyet is above Wahdat and Wahediyet is below Wahdat. Wahdat is like a bridge between the two.

This Wahdat is also called Tajalliye Awwal (the First Manifestation), Tanazzul e Awwal (the First Descent), Haqeeqatul Haqa’eq (the Reality of Realities), Barzaq e Kubra (the Greatest Bridge), Asal ul Baraziq (the Actual Bridge), Aw Adna (“Or Less” as in Qaba Qawsain Aw Adna in the Qur’an) and Alif (the first letter formed by the elongation of the dot).

 

The Third Muqam

The Second Descent: Wahdiyet

The second Descent (Tanazzul) is the second fixity of Reality. In this position (Martaba), the divine Essence (Dhat) recognized itself with every attribute and capability because the Essence contains in it all the Asma wa Sifat (divine Names and attributes) whether they are collective or individual. In this manner, every Name is separated from every other Name. A Name is descriptive of the Essence that reveals itself through an Attribute. For instance, the Essence is called Samee’ (the Hearer) when it is expressed through the attribute of hearing and Kaleem (the Speaker) when it is associated with the attribute of speech.  If it is asked: “The Name Allah is the Name of the Essence. Where is the provision of attributes here?”  The answer is: “Allah is the Name of the Essence that is a compendium of all perfections and attributes. It is the locus of all perfections and is bereft of any imperfection or diminution.

There are two types of evidence for the perfection of the Truth: the perfection of Essence and the perfection of Name.

1. The perfection of Essence. What is meant by the perfection of Essence is that the manifestation of Essence is solely for itself and within it, without reference to “the other” or “otherness”. In other words, one of the perfections of the Essence is that its description is predicated upon the existence of evidence of the Essence itself, not the existence of evidence of “the other”. Thus, the Essence by itself is complete and by its own Essence it is necessarily existent. Indeed, it is the fountain of Existence that exists by itself. Unfettered freedom is a pre-requisite for the perfection of Essence so that it is independent in its existence, subsistence and eternity. So, in this perfection, it is free and independent of all creation.
2. The perfection of the Name. What is meant here is the association of the Essence with Asma e Husna (the Most Beautiful Names of Allah). This knowledge is possible only after the evidence of the Universal Archetypes (A’yan e Thabita) because without the knower there is no knowledge. There is no force without the forced and there is no creator without the created. When the worlds were fixed in the reality of this knowledge, then the knowledge of Allah found its place with the dawn of knowledge. Thus, the Name of the Knower became manifest through the knowledge of Allah and all the Universal Archetypes came into this knowledge without any alteration. In other words, the knowledge made no change in the universal archetypes because knowledge is controlled by the Knower. In this manner, the heralded knowledge became empowered and besought. It was connected to power and intent. Now, the name of this Reality, which is “Qader” (the Owner of Power) and “Mureed” (the seeker of knowledge) became manifest. Please use the same analogy for the other Asma’ (divine Names).

At this station, every attribute is separate from every other attribute and from the point of view of differentiation based on knowledge, it is separate and distinct from the Essence because this Reality looked at all of its capabilities and understood each capability separately.

This Reality recognized its own attributes in three ways:

1. Sifat e Dhati: Those attributes that are not dependent on their demonstration. There are three domains here. They are called the essential attributes. Examples: life, knowledge, intent, will, hearing, seeing, speech, life, acceptance, compulsion, autonomy, holiness, self-sufficiency, presence.
2. Sifat e Afa’li: Those attributes that possess the capability of action and whose demonstration depends on their being executed. These are called demonstratable attributes. Examples: procreation, sustenance, giving life or taking it.
3. Sifat e Anfe’ali: Third, those attributes that have the capability to accept external influence. These are called Sifat e Anfe’ali. For instance, createdness, being sustained, living, dying.

The Sifat e Dhati (essential attributes) and Sifat e Afa’li (demonstrable attributes) are called haqaeq e ilahiya (the divine Truths) because with every one of these attributes there is a (divine) Name.

The Sifat e Anfe’ali are called Haqaeq e Kawnia (the truths of the two worlds),Ay’an e Thabita (the Universal Archetypes), Suwwar e Ilmiya (the proclamation of knowledge), Mahiyat (What is), Haqaeq e A’lam (the truths of the world), A’lam e Muafi (the domain of forgiveness), Umhat e A’lam (the mother or the pristine source of the worlds), Ainae haye Wujud (mirror of the disappearing existence) and A’dem (the disappearance).  It is the station is of manifestation of Wahdat because here the beautiful Names are manifest in detail.

Then, this position has two aspects:

1. The relationship “above” is called “Haqaeq e Ilahiya” (Realities of the divine realm). Their existence is essential.

The relationship “below} it is called “Haqaeq e Kawnia” (Realities of the two realms). Their existence is only possible and contingent. In other words, the hidden and the manifest, existence and external non-existence are the same.  At this station, conceptual multiplicity appeared. Conceptually, the names, attributes and the heralded entities are many but they are not separated from the one Reality.

In between these is the reality of the human.

Some Sufis have said that the multiplicity in the Haqeeq e Ilahiya (the divine reality) is relative, whereas the multiplicity in Haqaeq e Kawnia (the reality of the two realms) is real because every mahiyet (the thing as it is) is different from every other mahiyet. Indeed, Wahdat is linked with it because there is the manifestation of only one existence in all of the apparent forms.

The divine Names and Attributes (Asma wa Sifat e Ilahiya) are called Khazaen e Ilahiya (the divine treasures) because every Name and Attribute has hidden in it treasures of divine commandments and divine imprints which become manifest after a worthy creation is created. The heralded entities are not separate from this Reality but are archetypes of the Reality. These Universal Archetypes have no awareness of themselves or the other; they did not achieve unification with the essence of this Reality.

These Suwware Ilmiya (Universal Archetypes) are not created beings because they did not come into existence through the creation of the Creator. They are therefore nonexistent. In other words, they do not exist outside of conceptualization. When they have not even been created, how can they be amongst creation?  Creation is the name given to external existence. These Universal Archetypes are dependent on a Creator for their creation but they are set in their conceptual existence. Their reality is hidden. Therefore, how can they make an external appearance? Therefore, the realities that are manifest in the Universal Archetypes are the impressions of the archetypes; they are not the essence of the archetypes.

The Suwware Ilmiya (Universal Archetypes) have two aspects:

1. One aspect is that the Universal Archetypes are the mirrors of Reality and the Asma wa Sifat (Names and Attributes of Allah) are embedded in those mirrors. The archetypes appear to be many because of their imprints even though they are not visible in the exterior.
2. The second aspect is that the Reality is itself the mirror of the Universal Archetypes so that there is nothing visible in this Reality but the archetypes themselves. The Reality which is the mirror of the archetypes is hidden as befits the majesty of the mirror. Thus, the mirror has become visible from behind a curtain.

In this position (Wahdiyet), there are two Realities that stand out:

1. One Reality contains the attributes of perfection. Examples are: freedom, action, Unicity, existence of the Essence, exaltedness. This is the mandatory Reality and refers to Allah.
2. The second Reality contains the attributes of created beings. Examples: boundedness, passivity, susceptibility to influence, contingent essence, birth . This Reality is one of possibilities and refers to the human and the the created world.

To manifest the Universal Archetypes, Allah created the external world in conformance with His detailed knowledge and in accordance with the capabilities of each creation. This Second Descent is called Uluhiat (Godliness), Ta’yun Thani (the Second Fixity), Tajalli e Thani (the Second Manifestation), Mansha e kamalat (the perfect intentions), Qibla e Tawajihat (the Locus of Evidence), A’lam e Muafi (the World of Forgiveness), Hadrat Ertesam (the Presentation of Archetypes), Ilm e Azli (the Primal Knowledge), Ilm e Tafseeli (the Detailed Knowledge), Qaba Qawsain (two bows length), Muntahiy ul Abideen (the Limit of the Pious), Mansha ul Kathrat (the Intent of Multiplicity), Wahdiyet (Unicity), Martaba tu Allah (the Rank of Allah) and Luh e Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet),

It should not be inferred that Wahdat and Ilahiyet are new names for the Creator because not even a hint of the rank of Dhat (the divine Essence) is bestowed upon Wahdat and Ilahiyet. These are only explanations and elaborations offered to foster understanding and faith.

 

The Fourth Muqam

The Third Descent: The Angels

The third descent of divine Grace or the third fixity is the manifestation of the Spirit. The Spirit is the essence of bodies and is free of defects. It does not have a shape or form. The world of the Angels (A’lam e Arwah) is also called A’lam e Af’ali (the World of Action), A’lam e Anwar (the world of Light), A’lam e Mujarridat, (the Immaterial World), A’lam e Mufarriq (the Separated World), A’lam e Malakut (the World of Angels), A’lam e U’lwi (the Angelic World), A’lam e Ghaib (the Hidden World), A’lam e Amr (the World of Command), A’lam e Ghair Mahsoos (the Imperceptible World), A’lam e Rabbani (the World of the Sustainer), A’lam e Lateef (the Subtle World), A’lam e Beyrang (the World without Color).

The angels in the world of A’lam e Arwah (the angelic world) are of two categories:

1. The first category is one which has no part in the planning and execution of events in the material world. The angles in this category are called Karrubiyan.
2. The second category is one which takes part in the planning and execution of events in the material world. The angels in this category are called Ruhaniyan.

The Karrubiyan are, in turn, divided into two sub-categories:

• The angels in the first sub-category are heedless of themselves and of the created world. They are steeped in the majesty and beauty of the Creator ever since they were created. These are called Malaek e Maheemeen.  In the Sharia we call them Mala e A’la or Malaek e A’lia. Allah created them in the first ‘Ama (non-space). Then, He created another angel with the same attributes and bestowed upon that angel the knowledge of all things from the beginning till the end. This angel is called ‘Aql e Kul (the Universal Intellect), ‘Aql e Awwal (the first Intellect), and Qalm e A’la (the exalted Pen). Then, Allah created another angel so that the Exalted Pen may teach him all the detailed knowledge. It is called Nafs e Kul (the Universal Soul) and Luh e Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet). Whatever is in it cannot be changed.

There are other angels to whom some knowledge has been given. These angels are ”in between”. They are scribes or Aqlam (“Pens”); they take information from the higher angels and transmit it to the angels below them.

The angels in the lower realm are called Alwah. They are responsible for construction and destruction. The Aqlam keep writing to these Alwah all the time. The sounds of the Pens that the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard during M’eraj ware the sounds of these pens. The Exalted Pen had already finished writing.

• The angels in the second sub-category of the Karrubiyan are there as a favor for Rububiyet (as a favor for the created). These are called Hujjaabil Wahiyet.

In the ‘Ama (spaceless domain), all the angels are lined up and are engaged in their tasks. They cannot leave or exceed their stations. Next to the Universal Reason and the Universal Soul, the Exalted Angels such as Hazrath Jibreel and Hazrath Mikael are waiting in the Exalted Row for Allah’s commands. They cannot be disobedient since they are created that way and are incapable of wrongdoing.

Next are the Malaek e Tab’iya who are responsible for delegated tasks. Some of them are tasked with the production of species, some for provision of sustenance, some for support for physical bodies and some in the documentation of deeds. They are from the categories of the Aqlam and the Alwah. These Alwah are at the station of construction and destruction. The wrongdoings that are documented by them are erased by the Grace of the Creator. Every angel praises Allah with the attribute that it witnesses and this remembrance is performed with the exalted and pure Divine Names.

The Ruhaniyan are of two sub-categories:

• In the first sub-category are the angels that are preoccupied with the heavens. They are called Ahl e Malakut e A’la (Family of the Exalted Angels).

• The second sub-category are the angels who are preoccupied with the earth. They are called Ahl e Malakut e Asfal (Family of Angels of the lower rank).

Millions of angels oversee humankind and many more oversee the material world and the animal kingdom. Every drop of rain has an angel associated with it. Sufis of Kashf (unveiling) maintain that even a leaf cannot fall unless it is with an angel. There is a mention in the Ahadith of some of the angels: Malik al Jibal (the angels of the mountains), Malik ur Reeh (the angels of the winds), Malik ur Re’ad (the angels of thunder), Malik ul Barq (the angels of lightning) and Malik us Sihab (the angels of clouds).

Attributes of the Human Spirit (Ruh e Insani) and the Animalistic Spirit (Ruh e Haiwani)

The human spirit is from the Ruhaniyan.  It is attached without materiality and is a subtlety from the subtleties of the Creator. It is the equivalent of Luh and Qa’lam (the Tablet and the Pen) and includes them both because the human spirit is the integrated manifestation of all the material entities in creation and of the divine Names in the domain of possibilities. It knows every entity through its interactions with other entities. It acquires whatever knowledge it seeks from the Universal Intellect and the Universal Soul without hindrance even though these two occupy higher stations.

The human spirit is one but it it is fixed in many fixities and it is manifest in many faces. These faces are called Arwah e Haiwani (the Animal Spirits).  Every human has an animal spirit. Ruh e Haiwani is a subtle entity that acts as a bridge between the spiritual world and the material world. It transforms and appears in every part of the body so that every aspect of it is ingrained in every part of the body and you do not even feel that the animal spirit is something separate from the body.

In every individual, there is a Ruh e Haiwani (the Animal Spirit), which is a reflection of the Aql e Kul ( the Universal Intellect). The Ruh e Haiwani is specific (to each individual) and it is through this Ruh e Haiwani that an individual distinguishes between  good and evil and benefit and loss.

There is another power that emerges from a ray of the Universal Intellect, and that is, the Individual Self (Nafs e Juzyi). It guides a perfect human to the higher virtues and supports him in his attainment of higher perfections. At the same time, the Individual Self encapsulates the spirit and fulfills the demands of the body and its animalistic tendencies. Such efforts of the Nafs (the Self), however, are only for the pleasures of the Ego.

One of the powers of the animalistic spirit (Ruh e Haiwani) is Ruh e Shaitani (The Satanic Spirit) which nudges the Nafs towards what is forbidden and to satisfy bodily pleasures.

There is another power of Ruh e Haiwani (Animalistic Spirit) which is Quwwat e Malaki (the Angelic Power). It demands good deeds for the hereafter, commands such deeds and it serves the spirit.

Thus, the relationship of the animalistic spirit to the human spirit is like imprisonment to freedom or the simple to the comprehensive.  In the Silsila of Qutub e Zaman Shah Multani, Ruh e Haiwani is called “possible” (Mumkin).

Ruh e Haiwani (the Animalistic Spirit) is the physique of the human spirit and it is merged and integrated with it and in its very fixity, it exhibits freedom. In its impressionability, Ruh e Haiwani is the domain of all entities, and is purified of pleasure and sorrow. However, when it is in a body, it is devoid of knowledge and acquires the characteristics of pleasure and sorrow.

Ruh e Haiwani (the Animalistic Spirit) is also a subtle treasure and is eternal. It is not annihilated with death. When it is separated from the body, it is said that the body is dead. When the Ruh is separated from the body, it becomes a bridge. In other words, it acquires an appearance from a host of appearances of similitude  and does not retain a connection with a worldly body. In the grave, it is the Ruh e Haiwani (the Animalistic Spirit) that is interrogated along with Jism e Barzaqi (the body that is in transition) because it (the Ruh e Haiwani) is indestructible and is “eternal” (timeless).

When the body is asleep, the Ruh e Haiwani (the animalistic spirit) separates from the body and roams around. Sometimes, this spirit escapes from a body that is awake and that body appears as if it is asleep. When the spirit returns, every part of it re-enters into every organ of the body, as would be appropriate. Oftentimes this condition is found among the mureeds (students) of Qutub e Zaman Shah Multan.

Even though Ruh e Haiwani is with the body, it is so subtle that it can also be with the Arwah (spirits). Shaikh Syed Meeran Warangee has said that even though Ruh e Haiwani is present is large numbers, its appearance and disappearance from individuals is apparent to the A’rifeen (people of inner knowledge), whereas the common folks are unaware of it and are doubtful about it. Some in the Silsila of Sultanul I’shaq have called the Ruh e Haiwani, “Shakhs e Insani” (the individuality of the human) and Mukallif bis Shara’ (the prescribed host that causes distress). The rank of some humans over others is because of this Ruh e Haiwani.

Once it comes into existence, Ruh e Haiwani (the animalistic spirit) is never annihilated. In this world it takes on “Jism e ‘Anseri” (the individual material body), in Barzaq (between death and resurrection) it takes on “Jism e Barzaqi: (the body of barzaq or the bridge) and in the Akhira (hereafter) it takes on “Jism e Mahshoor” (the body of the Judgment Day).

Ruh e Haiwani is the companion of Ruh e Insani. The perfect human (Insan e Kamil) protects the Ruh from the pleasures of the Nafs and destroys the Ruh e Haiwani under the gaze of Ruh e Insani and witnesses the freedom of Ruh e Insani .

There are differences in the rank of the Awliya (sages) in accordance with their ma’rifat (inner knowledge) of the Ruh. The secret is this: There is one Ruh but in terms of its fixity it is many. Every fixity produces its own attributes, specific as well as general. Therefore, some of the fixities get caught up in ignorance and fall into the lowest of the low whereas others befriend ‘Irfan (inner knowledge) and reach the level of ‘Aliyun (an allusion from the Qur’an, meaning, highest of the high). The differences in Ma’rifat arise from the capabilities of these fixities.

Summarily, Ruh e Haiwani (the animalistic spirit) is both complete and incomplete, capable of enjoyment as well as suffering in accordance with the conditionality of its fixity. Qalm e Ala and Luh e Mahfuz (The Exalted Pen and the Preserved Tablet) are inherent in Ruh e Insani (the human spirit).

Meethaq e Risalat (The Covenant of the Arwah with the Prophet)

The exalted Ruh of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) is the sublime Ruh which is always with the attributes of knowledge and perfection. He was the prophet in the A’lam e Arwah. All the entities in that domain, whether they were perfect or imperfect, have believed in him and all the Arwah (angels) have made a promise that even when his Ruh comes into its worldly existence, they will obey and follow him.  This covenant with the Prophet (Meethaq e Risalat) took place after the covenant with the Sustainer (Meethaq e Rububiyet).

 

The Fifth Muqam

The Fourth Descent: Amthal (Prototypes)

The fourth Descent of Divine Grace is A’lam e Mithal (The Domain of Prototypes). This is a subtle bridge-world between Ajsam (entities) and Arwah (the Angels). It is also called A’lam e Barzaq (the Bridge-world), A’lam e khayal (the World of Conceptualization), A’lam e Dil (the World of the Heart). This is the world of the Spirit. It is a treasure of Light. It is similar to a material treasure in that it can be felt and measured. And it is similar to the unique treasure of sanctified thought in that it is Light itself. In other words, despite it being measurable and its similarity to materiality it is similar to the Spirit because it cannot be broken up, grown or captured.

The reason A’lam e Mithal is named as such is that this world is similar to A’lam e Ajsam and everything in A’lam e Ajsam has a similarity to an entity in A’lam e Mithal. Everything makes its first appearance in divine knowledge in A’lam e Mithal and is then created in A’lam e Ajsam.

There are two categories of A’lam e Mithal:

1. The first is the category whose appearance is not conditional upon mental exertion. It is called Khayal e Munfasil (Separated Thought), Mithal e Munfasil (Separated Similarity), Mithal e Mutlaq (Unconstrained or Independent Similarity), Khayal e Mutlaq (Unconstrained or Independent Thought).
2. The second is the category whose appearance is conditional upon mental exertion. It is called Khayal e Mutassil (Connected or Dependent Thought), Mithal e Mutassil (Connected Similarity), Mithal e Muqayyad (Constrained Similarity), Khayal e Muqayyad (Constrained Thought).

A’lam e Mufassil (the connected world) is a world of subtle existence in which the Ajsam (bodies) receive the Arwah (the angels) and the Arwah (the angels) receive the body. It is in this world that Hazrath Jibreel (as) appeared before the Prophet as an honored person transmitting the divine message. It is in this world that Khizar (as), the blessed Prophets and the Awliyah appear. Izrael (as) also appears before a dying person in this world and the Ruh (Spirit) moves into this domain after death. The interrogations of Munkir and Nakir and the joys and punishment of the grave are also done in this domain. For this reason, this domain is also called “the domain of the grave”. On the Judgement Day these are the Ajsam (entities) that will be resurrected individually. These Ajsam (entities) will be very subtle. It is in this world that the people of Jannat will enjoy the fruits of their good deeds and it is in this domain that the people of hell will receive their punishment.  Even though the deeds, as the primary source (for reward and punishment) are absent, their realities will be manifest as treasures. For instance, in the Manfasil (Separated Thoughts) the bad deeds will appear as scorpions, serpents and fire. Some bad deeds like fornication, even though they give pleasures in this world, will appear in their reality as “fire that burns”.

In this world (A’lam e Mufassil), deeds appear in different forms. For instance, the good deeds will be like rides (like horses) and they carry the doer towards Jannat. On the other hand, the bad deeds will ride on the person. The good deeds will stand at the station of intervention (Maqam w Shifa) and speak up for the doer. The bad deeds will haunt the doer. Similarly, the deviant beliefs will become fire and burn the heart.

The constrained similarity makes its appearance when the constraining power acts. Example: The appearances that are seen in dreams.

1. Sometimes these appearances are in accordance with realities that are present. Such appearances do not require an interpretation or explanation because what is seen reflects what happens. These are truthful sights (Ru’a-e-Sadiqa). Hazrath Aisha (r) said that in the early stages of his Prophethood, Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) witnessed such truthful sights. In other words, whatever dreams he had, they appeared as if they were the light of the dawn and whatever he saw had no defect or doubt in it; it did not require an interpretation or elaboration. The truthful dreams are called “Ru’ya e Saleha” (the virtuous sights) “Ru’ya e Sadiqa” (truthful sights) and “mubasshirat” (the good sights).
2. Sometimes the dreams, even though they are consistent with present realities, appear as something different. These require an interpretation. Therefore, the reality of the appearance will be its interpretation. Example: The Prophet (pbuh) saw knowledge as milk and faith as a robe. Hazrath Ibrahim (pbuh) saw himself slaughtering his son Hazrath Ismael whose interpretation was to slaughter a lamb.  This was also a truthful sight “Ru’ya e Sadiqa”.

Then, there are the dreams that require interpretation. For instance, Hazrath Yusuf saw in his dream that eleven stars and the sun and the moon were prostrating before him. The interpretation of the eleven stars were his brothers. The sun and the moon were his father and mother. This portion of the dream was explained. But the prostration did not happen physically; it was allegorical because his brothers, father and mother became dependent on him.

3. Sometimes the faces in the dreams are entirely different from reality. There is no similarity either in wakeful hours or in the hidden world. Examples: the dreams of mad people or patients with mental disease or of common folks. This is because the angelic world is higher than the corporeal world in its existence and rank and the help that the corporeal world receives has been delegated to the angels. The help that reaches the corporeal world is dependent on the angels who are in between the corporeal world and the presence of Allah.  The angels have been delegated the responsibility to oversee the corporeal world. Because of their essential differences the corporeal world and the angelic world cannot be one. The corporeal entities are integrated (murakkab) whereas the angels are dispersed (baseeth). Since there is no relationship between the angels and the corporeal entities there is no connection between the two. Hence, impact and influence, help and support are not available from one to the other. Therefore, God has made A’lam e Amthal (the world of archetypes) as a bridge between A’lam e Arwah (the angelic world) and A’lam e Ajsam (the corporeal world) so that they two can interact and help and support become available.

Similarly, Ruh e Insani (the human spirit) and Jism e Insani (the human body) are different and camaraderie between the two is forbidden because camaraderie is dependent on the body receiving help and support. Therefore, Allah created the Nafs e Haywani (the animalistic self) as a bridge between the spirit and the body.

The power of reason is dispersed. Nafs e Haywani is appropriately separated from the Spirit. By its essence, it is with those powers that are spread out throughout the body and influences the different parts according to their capabilities. It acts as the “rider” on them. In this respect the animalistic self is similar to the spirit in as much as both are spread out over the entire body and both control the actions of the body (although in opposite directions).

It is not a secret that the bridge in which the Arwah (the souls) live in the afterlife in different from the bridge between the unstinted spirit and the body in this world. The stations of existence are different in descent and ascent. The station that was before an entity came into this world is one from the Tanazzulat (positions of the descent of Divine Grace) which is called “Awwaliyet” (the beginning). The station after death is one from the stations of exit and is called “Akhira” (the afterlife).

In Barzaq e Aakhir (the bridge of afterlife), faces are appended to the Arwah (the spirits) in accordance with the deeds of this world. This is opposed to the faces in Barzaq e Awwal (the bridge before this life). In their similarity they are one (they refer to the same human) but in their manifestation they become a reflection one of the other. Barzaq e Awwal is called “Ghaib e Imkan” (The hidden that is possible to witness) because it is possible to witness it. The other Barzaq is called “Ghaib e Mahal” (the hidden that is not possible) because its witness is forbidden except in the hereafter. The first bridge is unveiled on a large number of people; the second on only a few.

 

The Sixth Muqam

The Fifth Descent: Ajsam (Physical Entities)

The fifth Tanazzul is A’lam e Ajsam (The world of structures, entities or bodies). It is also called A’lam e Shahadat (The world of witness).

The Ajsam (entities) are of two kinds:

1. ‘Uluyiyat (the higher structures). Examples: Arsh wa Kursi (the Divine Station and the Throne), the Seven Heavens, the planets and the stars, thunder and lightning, the wind and the clouds.
2. Sifliyat (the lower structures). Examples: Elements and compounds such as metals, flora and fauna, animals and the human body.

Similarly, there are other worlds that are in the category of Ajsam (entities) and have structures such as movement and rest, wisdom and foolishness, subtlety and slyness, light and color, sound and smell.

Reflect that in the world of “A’ma” (non-space or la-makan), after the Universal Intellect and the Universal Soul, the “Hay-ulay-e-Kulli” (the Universal Reason) was created which is also called “Hiba’”. This is the core of entities in which Allah has opened the bodies and appearances of the cosmos. It is also called “Anqa” because it can be felt but cannot be seen. Manifestation is granted only to the appearance, not to the core.

The “sphere” that surrounds all the worlds of Ajsam is the Sphere of the High Throne (the Divine Throne). In the world of ‘Ama (non-space), it is held up by four Angels. What rides this Throne is not a body but Rahman (the Most Gracious). It means there is His manifestation on the Throne. Thus, His Rahmat (Grace) is reflected on all the cosmos; nothing is bereft of His Grace. This is so because in the domain of the Grace of the Most Gracious, it is not the deeds of the created that count but merely supplication and asking.   Hence, it is called “Rahmat e Imtenaniya” (Grace or Mercy that is not denied to anyone). It is also called “Rahmat e Mutlaqa” (Unbounded Grace or Mercy). Divine Grace is a part of existence so much so that there is mercy even in divine wrath because when a punishment reaches the punished, the punishment is justice (Haqaaeq) from from the Just. When Grace appears, it may be painful but the pain itself is a mercy. For instance, to remove he rust of sin, the sinner experiences the pain of fire. Similarly, gold is melted to remove the impurities. The needle of the healer hurts but when the ailment disappears, the pain becomes the means for the patient’s well-being. In the same way, the Shariah has boundaries regarding drinking, illegal sex and tort. There is pain while observing them but the limits protect you from sin. Thus, the limits are a mercy.

Shrouded in the Exalted Throne (Arsh e Azeem), there is a hidden entity. It is the seat of divine blessings (Kursi e Kareem). This seat has on it two “steps” of Rahman (the Most Compassionate). One step is mercy, the other is wrath. On this chair are angels who are occupied with transmitting the mercy and the wrath to creatures. There is a sphere in the womb of the Kursi (the Divine Throne) which is called Falak-e-Atlus (starless heaven that is soft as silk). This is the Arsh e Takween (the pristine Divine Throne). Whatever appears from it becomes a means for existence and non-existence of four dispositions (tabiyet) in the cosmos. Then, there is a concentric sphere within it, which is called Falak-e-Manazil (the heaven of stages) and Falak-e-thwabit (the heaven of fixities) in which the stages of the stars are fixed. These four are not integrated; there is a void between every pair of two in which Jannat (heaven) is established. This explanation is in accordance with the kashaf (unveiling) of Shaikh al Akbar (Ibn al Arabi) who established eleven heavens. As he has stated that there are seven heavens below the heaven of the sun, seven above it and the heaven of the sun is the fifteenth. The seven heavens above the heaven of the sun are the following:

1. Falak-e-Ahmar, (the red sky or the red heaven) which is called the killer, merciless, blood-thirsty, “nahs-e-asgar” (the little curse)
2. Falak-e-Mushtari, (the sky or the heaven of the blessed star) which brings great blessings.

3 Falak-e-Keewan (the sky of the accursed star). It is called “nahs-e-akbar” (the great curse)

4.Falak-e-Manazil (the sky of ranked stations), which is called Falak-e-thwabit (the heavens of the fixed stars)

5.Falak-e-Atlus (the sky of the soft fabric), which is pure and it has no stars. It is called Falak-e-Buruj (the sky of the bridges) because “bridges” have been established in this sky.

6.Falak-e-Kursi-e-Kareem (the heaven of the Blessed Throne), which manifests the divine Name, Raheem (the Most Merciful).

7. Falak-e-Arsh-e-Azeem (the heaven of the Magnificent Thone), which manifests the divine Name, Rahman (the Most Compassionate).

The heavens that are below the rank of the heaven of the sun are:

1. Falak-e-Zahra (the beautiful heaven), which is the Small Benefactor.
2. Falak-e-Attar or Falak-ul-Katib (the heaven of the scribe), which is called “Dubair” (the Scribe).
3. Falak-e-Qamar (the heaven of the moon)
4. Falak-e-Kurraye-Atish (the heaven of the sphere of fire)
5. Falak-e-Kurraye-Baad (the heaven of the sphere of wind)
6. Falak-e-Kurraye-Aab (the heaven of the sphere of water)
7. Falak-e-Kurraye-Khaaq (the heaven of the sphere of earth)

It is believed that the Kursi (the Divine Station) is Falak-e-Atlus, Arsh and Falak-e-Thwabit (the heaven of stationary stars)

Shaikh Kamaluddin Abdur Razak has said:

“What is meant by Falak-e-Arsh is the Universal Soul and what is meant by Falak-e-Kursi is the Universal Intellect. In their existence, these two are the highest in the ranks of the heavens and their spirit is called Ber-Sabeel-e-Mijaz-e-Falak just as the canopy above the materials is called the sky.”

Shaikh Ruknuddin Shirazi has said:

“The heavens and the spheres are conceptualized as perceptible and spatial.  However, the soul and the intellect are entities that not material nor are they attributes of any entity.”

And the quote from Shaikh ul Akbar that has been cited by Shaikh Mo’ee uddin al Junaidi supports the position that the two are heavens, not the Nafs (soul) or the Ruh (spirit),

Summarily, Allah created four elements after the two Thrones (Arsh) and two Divine Stations (Kursi). Their heat rose up, coalesced and became the skies. Every sky has angels who are busy discharging the services that are entrusted to them. And Allah has created two hells below the earth.

Shaikh Syed Meeran Abul Hasan Qadri (who is the grandfather of the auhor) has said in Keemiyae Khwas (the Alchemy of the Select):  The manifestation of existence increases as the Tanazzulat descend from one station to the other. He said:

“The manifestation of existence in Arwah (the domain of the angels) is better than the manifestation of existence in the world of meanings (the descriptive world).

The manifestation of existence in Amthal (the divine conceptual domain) is more complete than the manifestation of existence in the world of angels.

The manifestation of existence in Ajsam (the domain of entities) is more than the manifestation of existence in the world of concepts.”

Thus, the manifestation of existence is most complete in the human.

 

The Seventh Muqam

The Sixth Descent: Insan (The Human)

KNOW THAT the sixth descent of Divine Grace (Tanazzul)  is Insan (the human). The meaning of Insan is “a body with sight”. When this body can see everything with its hidden eye but cannot see itself, it is said that it is “the human”.

In the station of Wahdat, Reality was manifest in Unicity and multiplicity was hidden. Indeed, there was no multiplicity at all at this station. Then, as Reality became manifest in separate manifestations, no manifestation was inclusive of another manifestation. At this stage, multiplicity took over and Unicity was concealed.

God willed that He manifest His Essence as an integrated whole in an entity which would at once be a compendium of light and darkness, hidden truths as well as manifest truths, the visible as well as the invisible and be a shadow (of divine attributes) on earth. There was no creation that was a corpus of perfections and attributes and was at the same time a reflector of Divine Names. The other creation reflected only specific aspects of divine attributes according to their fixities. Have you not seen that the appearance of Truth in the domain of the angels is not the same as that in the physical domain? The appearance in the domain of angels is open, active and illuminated whereas in the physical domain it is dark, fragmented and specific.

Now, you understand that the human is the complete manifestation who stands as a bridge for a manifestation of the Essence of the Truth. He is a manifestation of the Names, Attributes and Actions and is a corpus between the necessary truths, the possible truths, the relationships of divine Names and attributes of created beings. Thus, the perfect human is a corpus between the station of integration and the station of separation and detail. He embraces all those entities which are in the chain of existence. This is so because Wahdat (Unicity) became manifest as itself at the second fixity (Ta’yun e Thani). Below this fixity are three worlds which became manifest in the human. Thus, Allah created the human as a compendium of all existence that has come into being since the beginning and will come into existence till eternity.  For this reason, the human is also called “Jahan e Sagheer” (the small world) and the cosmos “A’lam e Kabeer” (the great universe).  The world is like a body and the human is like the spirit. For this reason, the world is also called “Insan e Kabeer” (the great human).

The human is the Khalifa (regent) on earth and a Khalifa has a rank higher than the creation over which he exercises his khilafat (regency) and over which he has authority. The human is “Kamil Khalifatullah” (The Perfect Regent) and is involved with the whole world. Whatever grace reaches the world does so because of the inherent sanctity of the human. That is why the angels prostrated before the human even though he was created after everything. Since he is reflective of Wahdat and is the purpose for the creation of the universe, he is also called the “Illat Ghahi” (real purpose) of the world. He  is also called “Illat e Ghayi” (the real purpose) of the universe.

Allah created the human “with both hands”. In other words, the human was created with both Jalal and Jamal (majesty as well as beauty).  In other words, he was created from the active and passive Names as well as the majestic Attributes while the universe was created “with one hand”. The angels did not understand this subtlety. Therefore, they said:

“Will you create one
Who will make mischief and shed blood,
While we extol You, praise You, and sanctify You?” (The Qur’an, 2:30)

The angels could not understand that they praise Allah only with the one attribute they knew while Allah has many Names and attributes that the angels are not even aware of.

Allah created Adam as “Insan e Kamil” (a perfect human being) and taught him all the Names because the perfect man is a reflector of the Dhat (Essence) which is the summation of all the Asma wa Sifat (divine Names and Attributes). Therefore, his praise must be more perfect than the praise of the angels. Then, Allah gathered all the angels and asked them to name the names of entities in the cosmos. In other words He called them to name the Names that are manifest in the cosmos and with which the cosmos praises Him. The angels were not haughty; they excused themselves. Adam recited all the Names, thereby demonstrating his superiority. All the angels bowed before Adam except Iblis. He was haughty and conceited.

He (Iblis) said: “I am better than him.
(You) created me from fire (energy),
And (You) created him from clay.” (The Qur’an:38:76)

Iblis construed Adam as made of clay. He did not know that the Dhat (divine Essence) was made manifest in him with all the divine Names and Attributes as well as the truths of the cosmos and that Adam had now become the complete manifester. Iblis showed his haughtiness towards Adam which he should not have and because of it he was repudiated by Allah.

Iblis was a jinn and was a personification of evil. It is impossible that anything but evil emerge from him. He said: “O my Lord! I swear by your honor! I will for sure mislead and deceive the human”. Iblis accepted this task of misleading the human so that the attribute “Al Mudil” (the Abaser) would be made manifest.

The human is a compendium of all the Asma (the divine Names) in his intrinsic self but in his external self he is a manifestation of “Hadi” (the Guide). Therefore, Allah made Satan the enemy of the human. The Insan e Kamil (the perfect man or the Wali) does not follow anything but the guidance from Allah. Even when he does something wrong, he asks for forgiveness. This is also a result of divine guidance and a reason for the manifestation of the Attributes of Repentance, Pardon and Forgiveness.

When an Insan e Kamil (the perfect man, Wali) dies, immediately, another one takes his place so that the world may continue. When there is no Insan e Kamil and Wilayet (the continuity of Awliyah) disappears, the Day of Judgment will arrive.

Even though an Insan e Naaqia (the imperfect man) possesses a certain measure of togetherness and the angels bow down to him and obey him, his shaitan (devil) does not bow down to him but instead rides on him. Indeed, one can say that such a man becomes obedient to the devil and the devil goads him towards sin. Essentially, even though the angels obey him, they do not forbid him from evil; when he intends to do good, the angels agree but the devil opposes him. The footsteps of Satan lead to disbelief and Shirk. In this state, the human retains only his face; in his deeds he becomes an animal and falls into the abyss of Asfala Safileen (the lowest of the low).

Wa Sallallahu Ta’la A’la Khair e Khalqhe Sayyidina Muhammed Wa Ala Alehi Wa Sahbihe Ajmaeen. Be Rahmitika Ya Arhamar Rahimeen.

 

 

 

 

 

Book: NOOR UL HAQEEQAT

Author: Shaikh Shah Syed Ismail Qadiri al Multani

Transmitter: Shaikh Badashah Qadiri

Compiled by: Prof. Mevlana Syed Ataulla Hussaini

Translated and condensed from Urdu by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed

Wahdat, the First Descent

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

Allah swt declares:

“I was a hidden treasure (In other words, all the attributes were hidden under the power of His Essence). I willed that I be known. So I created a creation (that would know Me).”

The manifestation of Reality is found in the Tay’unat (fixities) and is witnessed by the A’rifeen (people of inner knowledge). It is witnessed in two ways:

1. When the Dhat (Essence) descends into Asma (The Divine Names) or Arwayh (The Spirit), the A’rif (person of inner knowledge) first witnesses it and then looks at the state of its manifestation in the Tay’unat (fixities. Then, the Arif witnesses how it is encapsulated in the Tay’unat (fixities), whether the fixities are named or unnamed. This is the witness of the sages of the highest attainment. It was the witness of Hazrath Abu Bakr Siddique (r), as he said:

             “I did not witness anything unless I first witnessed Allah”.

• The second witness is the perception of the limitless Essence between Tay’un and Tajalli (between fixity and its manifestation) whether it be with witnessing the Essence of the fixity or after witnessing the fixity. This is the witness of Hazrath Utham (r) who said:

                     “I did not witness anything unless I saw Allah with it”.

The fixities of this Reality are limitless. However, they can be grouped into six categories.

• Two of these categories are hidden because both the Essence and Non-essence are absent from them. Nothing is manifest in its reality in these two hidden categories and no entity has the privilege of manifestation. The first hidden category attains its hidden Tay’un (fixity) from Ghaib (the Hidden). Similarly, the second hidden category attains its hidden Tay’un (fixity) from Ghaib (the Hidden).
  • The next three categories are “Koni” (derived from the verb ‘kun”, the verb to be, which is the divine command for creation).
  • The sixth category embraces all the categories.

The First Fixity, or the First Manifestation of Reality is that He “found Himself” and declared,“I am” (Ana), and all creation came into His knowledge.

It is apparent that the un-manifested cosmos is not separate from Reality. The universe is not separate from the Essence. The Essence has the power and the capability to manifest the cosmos. 

The Essence (dhat) contains all the Asma wa Sifat (the Names and the Attributes of Allah). For instance, the attribute “All-Hearing” (As Samee’) is not separate from “All-powerful” (Al Qadir). In other words, no single divine Name is separate from the other. Multiplicity, whether real or imaginary, is not manifest at the station of Essence. All the worlds are nonexistent here.   

When the Essence found its own Existence, and said “Ana” (I am), then four entities came into being: Dhat al Wajud, Sifat e Ilm, Ism e Noor and Fa’el e Shuhood.

1. The Existence of the Essence (dhat e wajud). In other words, He “found Himself: by declaring “Ana” (I am). The Essence is by itself the Exisence.
2. The attribute of Knowledge (Ilm).
3. Noor or Light. When His Light manifested upon Himself, He was to manifest to Himself. The manifestation is Noor

Some elders have called “Anaya” (the “I” in I am) as the Noor.

• The act of Witness (Shuhood). In other words, when He saw Himself, He witnessed Himself. This is called Shuhood.

The First Fixity (Ta’yun e Awwal) is also called Wahdata e Haqeeqi, Martabul Jama’ wal Wajud, Martabaye Jamiya, Ahdiyet Jamiya, Ahdiyet Jama’, Muqam e Jama’, Haqeeqatul Haqaeq, Barzaq ul Baraziq, Barzaq e Kubra, Haqeeqat e Muhammadiya, Aql e Awwal, Halm q A’la, Ruh e A’zam, and Tajalli e Awwal.

The Wahdat (Unicity) is worthy of the Dhat. At the position of Dhat , nasoot is not preferred over malakut (which is a station of the Spirit), malakut is not preferred over jabaroot (which is a station of Sifat), and jabroot is not preferred over lahut (which is a station of dhat).

Wahdat has two foundational concepts or ideas (E’tebarat):

1. Ahdiyet. No concept (idea, thought, notion) is present or absent in this Dhat (Essence).  Looked at from different perspective, the integration (amalgamation) of all concepts (ideas, thoughts, notions, perceptions) is present in this Dhat (Essence). (It should be noted that) all concepts (ideas, thoughts, notions, perceptions) and attributes are associated with one and only one Essence.
2.  
3. Wahdiyet.  There are unlimited notions (thoughts, ideas) in this Dhat (Essence). The manifestation of Essence, its existence, its beginning and its presence are related to this idea. This is the Dhat (Essence) that is with all ideas and attributes. Wahed (Unicity) is an evidentiary Name.

There is no “otherness” in these two ideas. The presence or absence of evidence makes no difference to the Essence. 

Wahdat is the Unicity of the Essence which recognizes itself without conditions. It is the first manifestation of Dhat. Ahdat and Wahediyet are its two aspects just as the lover and the beloved are two aspects of love; both would disappear in the absence of love. In the same way, Ahdiyet is above Wahdat and Wahediyet is below Wahdat. Wahdat is like a bridge between the two.

This Wahdat is also called Tajalliye Awwal, Tanazzul e Awwal, Haqeeqatul Haqaeq, Barzaq e Kubra, Asal ul Barasiq, Aw Adna and Alif.

Sadaq Allah u Azeem Wa Sadaqa Rassolehil Kareem.

Author: Shaikh Shah Syed Ismail Qadiri al Multani

Transmitter: Shaikh Badashah Qadiri

Compiled by: Prof. Mevlana Syed Ataulla Hussaini

Translated from Urdu by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed

Tannazulat (Descent of Divine Grace)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

The stations of prayer (hamd), all of them, are only for Allah (swt) who exists by His own essence and has bestowed existence on the cosmos. And Salam and Darood be on our Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) whose Reality is the unity of essence and the core of the cosmos, and upon his family and companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who are the guides for both Shariah and Tareeqa and are masters of Reality (Haqeeqat) and Inner Knowledge (Ma’rifat).  

The Pristine State (Martab e Oola)

KNOW THAT, when there was nothing, neither water nor dust, neither air nor fire, neither the earth nor the sky, neither trees nor stones, no animals – then, there was one Reality that was existent on its own. In Arabic it is called “Huwiyet”. In Farsi it is called “Hastee”. In Dakhni it is called “Hai Pan”. Some elders also call it “Love” (Ishq).

This Reality was free of any constraints and its attributes and perfections were hidden. Due to its self-perfection, it was not oriented in any direction. It was present to itself. It was not turned towards “the other” of itself because there was no “other”. All of its attributes were contained within itself. Therefore, at this station, none of its names or attributes were manifest. There was no relationship or increase (or decrease) so that it was beyond any hidden or manifest attribute. At this station, one cannot even talk about the Creator or the created. Some elders have called this station “Allah”. Many of the Sufi masters have called it only an allusion to a Name because there is no limit to language; you can give this Reality any name you want. However, there is no benefit in giving it a name because the intent of giving a name is to understand and teach and here the situation is without “fixity” (ta’yun”). One can neither find this Reality nor understand, see or comprehend it. If this is the situation, then, why use language? It (the Reality) cannot be expressed in words no matter how many names you give it.

That Reality transcends creation due to its Unicity because the essence, by its nature, considers existence and non-existence to be the same. It does not desire to exist and it is not inclined towards non-existence. This (level of) transcendence is specific only to the Essence (dhat). No one, not even a wali (sage) or a prophet can comprehend this Reality at this station because this Reality, due to its primal unfettered freedom, desires not to be known or be constrained (by understanding). It is a compulsion of knowledge that seeks to understand the object of knowledge (which is not possible at this station).

It is therefore futile to investigate the nature of “Essence”. To exert oneself in investigating the “Essence” without recourse to fixities (ta’yunat), names (Asma), attributes (Sifat) and manifestations (Mazahir) is a waste of one’s life. It is reaching out for the impossible. Such inner knowledge (ma’rifat) is forbidden to anyone but Himself.

The cosmos is a vehicle for the reflection of the beauty of the transcendent Reality that lies beyond the cosmos.

That Reality, in its own state, is beyond fixity. No single fixity is appropriate for it. In any given state, it takes on a fixity in accordance with that state. It captures and is captured without being altered in any way.  It is collective as well as individual, common as well as specific, alone as well as multiple. Shaikh al Junaid (may Allah be pleased with him) has said: Al Aan Kama Kaan (Allah is as He was in the Beginning).

This station of Essence is also called Ghaib e Huwiyet (the hidden essence of He), Ghaib al Ghuyub (the hidden of the Most Hidden), Ibtan Kul Batin (the womb of all that is hidden), Huwiyet Mutlaqa (the essential aspect of He), La Ta’yun (non-fixity), Ayn ul Kafur (the essence of the musk), Dhaat e Sazid (the Essence of the most complex), Munqata al Isharat (the limit of allusion), Munqat al Wajdan (the limit of inquiry), Ahdiyate Mutlaqa (the essential Unicity), Mujhul ul Naat (devotional praise for the One who is not known), A’nqa (the priceless jewel), Nuqta (the dot) and Ganje Maqfi (the hidden treasure).

Sadaq Allah ul Azeem. Wa Sadaqa Rassolehil Kareem.

 

Book: NOOR UL HAQEEQAT

Author: Shaikh Shah Syed Ismail Qadiri al Multani

Transmitter: Shaikh Badashah Qadiri

Compiled by: Prof. Mevlana Syed Ataulla Hussaini

Translated and condensed from Urdu by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed

Tanazzulat e Sitta – The Six Descents of Divine Grace  (An explanation for Mehfil e A’shiqan – a gathering of lovers of divine presence)

Introduction

How does God interact with His creation? This question has occupied theologians, philosophers and scientists since times immemorial. For instance, the Nobel Laureate Sherrington wrote in his book Mind and Matter: “Mind, for anything perception can compass, goes therefore in our spatial world more ghostly than a ghost. Invisible, intangible, it is a thing not even of outline; it is not a “thing”. It remains without sensual confirmation and remains without it forever”. (Man and His Nature, Sir Charles Sherrington, Cambridge University Press, 1940, page 357). It is a profound question and it requires a deep understanding to theology, philosophy, physics, history and culture. The Sufis have an answer to this question that is at once aesthetically satisfying and rationally acceptable.

We have presented a summary table that captures the essence of Sufi cosmology. It is translated from Urdu and summarized here from the book Noor ul Haqeeqat (The Light of the Truth) by Shaikh Shah Syed Ismail Qadiri al Multani (May God be pleased with him). Those with a taste of Sufism will savor this piece that connects the human to the Grace of God and explains its descent.

Tasawwuf (Sufism) is the spiritual dimension of Islam. It is a deep ocean, suffused with love. We have included a category of Tasawwuf in our Encyclopedia historyofislam.com because we believe that to understand Islamic history we must understand the spirituality tht pervades it.

KNOW THAT in the beginning there was Divine Existence (Wajud). It was timeless, spaceless, without constraints or definitions. It was the Dhat or Essence of Allah.

The Dhat or Essence of Allah is the innermost hidden treasure of all, known only to Himelf.  Language cannot describe it. Thought cannot comprehend it. Definitions cannot circumscribe it because there is nothing like unto Him (Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan Ahad).

The stations though which Existence descends from the station of spacelessness (La Makan) to the majestic and beautiful cosmos are called Tanazzulat. It is a descriptive process used by the Sufi Shaikhs to teach and to lead the student towards the love, beauty and majesty of the Creator.

There are six stations of Tanazzulat in Sufi discourse: Wahed, Wahediyet, Arwah, Amthal, Ajsam and Insan. The first four stations are spaceless, timeless. The last two stations are of the physical, created world. (Please note that Ahad is not a station of Tanazzulat. It is the station of Dhat or Essence. It exists, in, of, by itself. There is no comparison with the station of Ahad)

Tanazzul is a specific term used in Tasawwuf (Sufism). In its usage it differs from its grammatical meaning. In a dictionary, Tanazzul means leaving a higher station and coming down to a lower station. For instance, an officer is transferred from one level to another, thereby the first office is made vacant and the second office is filled. But this is not the meaning for the blessed Sufis. They say that Wajud (existence) remains as is. In Arabic we say, Al Aan Kama Kaan (It is as it was ). This sentence connotes something different from what we see and what we imagine. When we say that all the Tanazzulat have descended into what can be witnessed, it means that the Tanazzulat are conceptual, not real.  The Wajud is as it was. It is there, at once, at all stations.

The Tanazzulat are sometimes referred to as Ta’yunat (fixities), Tajalliyat (manifestations), Taqayyudat (descriptive containments) and E’tebarat (trusted notions).

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)

KNOW THAT Ishq is the highest form of love. It has nine stages:

1. Irada (intent)
2. Wala’a (intensity of intent, called wal wala in Urdu)
3. Sababat (Inclination towards the Beloved)
4. Shagaf (when the thought of the Beloved is established in the heart)
5. Hawa (when the thought of anyone other than the Beloved leaves the heart)
6. Ghram (when the signs of longing begin to show in the body)
7. Hubb (when the signs of illness brought on by the longing for the Beloved disappear)
8. Wadda (when longing takes over and the lover is drowned in it)
9. Ishq (when he distinction between the lover and the Beloved disappears)

At the station of Ishq, the lover sees the Beloved but does not recognize the Beloved. He does not become self-conscious when he beholds the Beloved. He becomes deep, bottomless like the ocean. Transience disappears and permanence takes hold.

It is said about Majnun that Laila tried to start a conversation with him as she passed by him. Majnun replied: “Leave me alone. Let me be steeped with the thought of Laila.” Even though it was Laila who was talking to him, he was oblivious of her. This is the highest station of closeness wherein the A’rif (the knower) declines the very object of his desires. There remains no A’rif or Ma’ruf (knower or known), no lover or beloved. What remains is only love which is the summation of Essence. It is no name or tradition, no praise or attribute.

I am neither a name nor a body,

Neither this nor that,

What a hidden secret I am,

What a covering for the secret I am!

(Jigar)

Upon reaching this station, a lover cries out:

Love is that raging fire kindled by Allah,

Which rises and sets In the inner hearts.

(Shaikh Abdul Karim Jaili)

This couplet is a Sufi allusion towards the Ayah in the Qur’an. It is not a tafseer:

Narullahi Mooqadatul Lati Tattaliwoo A’lal Afyida (Quran: 104, 6-7) (The Fire from Allah, furious in its blaze, which rises up to the hearts)

Love is like a magnetic pull that draws one entity to another. To catch a fleeting view of the beauty and virtue of someone and be drawn to it, the turning of the heart towards the beloved, the desire, the longing, the restlessness, living day and night with the beloved’s thoughts, immersing the body, mind and soul in the longing, suffering the pangs of separation, finding solace in companionship, merging one’s thoughts in the beloved’s thoughts, one’s satisfaction in the beloved’s satisfaction, one’s existence with the beloved’s existence, these are all miracles of love.

If I become you, you become me,

If I am body, you become the soul,

Let it not be said later:

I am separate from you, you are separate from me.

(Amir Khusroe)

Sometimes the seclusion of hills and mountains,

Sometimes the longing of companionship and togetherness,

Sometimes the treasures of the niche and the pulpit,

Sometimes the triumph at Khaiber by Maula Ali

That is Ishq.

(Iqbal)

Summarily, Ishq is the name given to this ultimate phase of love. It is incorrect that the term Ishq is used only for Ishq e mijazi (transient or worldly love). The truth is that the term Ishq has been used in every period for Ishq e haqeeqi (divine love) and pure, unblemished love. Especially, for the blessed Sufis, Ishq is the highest ascent of love. That is why they wash their hands off both this world and hereafter and stand before their true Love. Their tradition of Bismillah starts with giving up the duniya (the material world) and the akhira (the hereafter).

Love is dependent on Ma’rifat (inner knowledge) and Ma’rifat is dependent on love. Love has precedence over Ma’rifat and Ma’rifat has precedence over love. On the surface, this seems contradictory. However, in reality, there is no contradiction. Love is the result of Ma’rifat and Ma’rifat is the result of love. In other words, love does not appear without Ma’rifat and without Ma’rifat, love does not advance In stages. Ajmali Ma’rifat (Ma’rifat in its totality) is a requirement for love. After love, the detailed Ma’rifat is granted as a gift which is a requirement for proximity and meeting with Allah.

Since Ishq is the highest form of love, it has been given only to the human which is the highest form of creation so much so that even the angels are bereft of Ishq. Khwaja Fareeduddin Attar writes:

The angels experience Ishq

They do not experience its pangs,

None but the human is worthy of this pain.

The pangs of love refer to the pain and heartache that a lover feels due to the separation from the Beloved and the intense desire to meet the Beloved. This is only a privilege of the human. The angels are mechanical elements of creation. Their love does not have a tension greater than that of the tension of the elements. The only difference is that the elements are not aware of this tension whereas the angels are.  The pain and suffering of love are absent from them. They do not have the longing for closeness nor the desire for meeting. In contrast, the Ishq that was bestowed upon the human has both pain and suffering. The burning is there in the human, so is eagerness. This Ishq is the fire that burns the heart of the Ashiq (lover) all the time.

Without the Ishq, faith is incomplete. Why? It is so, because, without love one cannot attain Ma’rifat (inner knowledge), and without Ma’rifat how can faith and certainty be complete? Prayer is flawed without Ishq, the Imam is not hadhir (he is not present before Allah), the prayers are without delight, the prostrations are flawed and the dua’s become mere formalities. Prayer is useless without Ishq and without prayer Ishq is fruitless. The service that is rendered with love is a thousand times preferable to  the service that is rendered with fear. Without Ishq, prayer is dry piety and there is no greater distress than dehydrated piety.

Ishq frees you from the sorrows of this world and the hereafter. The dependency of suluk (the path of Tasawwuf) is on Ishq. Love is on this side as well as the other. On one side it is Tuhibbun Allah (You love Allah) and on the other Yuhibbunal Allah (They love Allah). The fire is lit equally from both sides. Mevlana Rumi says:

The body of dust reached the heavens with Ishq,

The mountain swayed and stood transfixed.

Ishq is that burning shoal,

That burns down everything except the Beloved.

Not contained in language and banter is Ishq,

Such a bottomless ocean is Ishq.

If I were to write a tafseer on Ishq,

A hundred Judgment Days will pass but incomplete will be the tafseer.

Ishq is born in the wailings of the heart,

No affliction there is like the affliction of the heart.

The community of love is different from all creeds,

The community and creed of the lovers is nothing but the Divine presence.

When Ishq is the highest expression of love and its most perfect condition, then the residence of love should also be high and elevated palace. That cannot be anything other than the Being of Truth (Dhat e Haq or Allah swt). Dhat e Haq (Allah) is the origin, the reality and the essence of whatever there is in the universe and the extensive beauty and goodness that is found in it.

How magnificent is that beauty that all the universe displays that beauty,

What perfection is it that it is both hidden and manifest,

Whatever I see, I see nothing but You,

By Allah! How dare can anything be but You!

When the existence of reality is one and everything in the universe is a reflection of it, then the reality is this:

You displayed your beauty on the faces of the beautiful,

And you witnessed your drama through the sight of the lovers.

When the arrows of self-perception and self-direction are taking off from the same bow, when the witness and the witnessed, the seer and the seen, the seeker and the sought-after have the same reality then the definition of Ishq in Sufi language is this: It is the collective and individual inclination of True Beauty towards its perfection that begins with the love of recognition of the Essence which some Sufis call the essence of non-fixity.

Sadaq Allah ul ‘Azeem wa Sadaqa Rasoolehil Kareem.

Quotes from Rumi (A symphony of love in the midst of war)

“You are not a drop in the ocean; you are the ocean in a drop.”

 “Love is the bridge between you and everything.”

“Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.”

“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.”

“However much we describe and explain love, when we fall in love, we are ashamed of our words.”

“If you find Me not within you, you will never find Me.

“I have been with you, from the beginning of Me.”

“Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”

“A thousand half-loves must be forsaken to take one whole heart home.”

“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?”

“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”

“Reason is powerless in the expression of Love.”

“I closed my lips. I was silent. So, I spoke to him in a thousand languages”

“The lover visible and the Beloved invisible, Whoever saw such a love all the world?”

“I looked for Him in temples, churches, and mosques. I found Him within my own heart.”

“You searched the whole world for life, Yet in your own heart you will die. You were born in the blissful arms of union, Yet alone you will die.”

“Appear as you are, Be as you appear.”

“I am a bird of the heavenly garden, I belong not the earthly sphere, They have made for two or three days, A cage for my body.

“The presence of a friend of God is a book and even more. The book of the Sufi is not written with ink and letters. It is only a heart, White like snow.

“What can I do, Muslims? I do not know myself.
I am neither Christian nor Jew, neither Magian nor Muslim,
I am not from east or west, not from land or sea,
not from the shafts of nature nor from the spheres of the firmament,
not of the earth, not of water, not of air, not of fire.
I am not from the highest heaven, not from this world,
not from existence, not from being.
I am not from India, not from China, not from Bulgar, not from Saqsin,
not from the realm of the two Iraqs, not from the land of Khurasan.
I am not from the world, not from beyond,
not from heaven and not from hell.
I am not from Adam, not from Eve, not from paradise and not from Ridwan.
My place is placeless, my trace is traceless,
no body, no soul, I am from the soul of souls.
I have chased out duality, lived the two worlds as one.
One I seek, one I know, one I see, one I call.
He is the first, he is the last, he is the outer, he is the inner.
Beyond He and He is I know no other.
I am drunk from the cup of love, the two worlds have escaped me.
I have no concern but carouse and rapture.
If one day in my life I spend a moment without you
from that hour and that time I would repent my life.
If one day I am given a moment in solitude with you
I will trample the two worlds underfoot and dance forever.
O Sun of Tabriz, I am so tipsy here in this world,
I have no tale to tell but tipsiness and rapture.”

The Context of Rumi’s poems

1207 Birth of Jalaluddin Rum

1210 Ibn al Arabi arrives in Konya

1212 The al Mohads defeated at the battle of Las Novas de Talosa in Spain

1217 The Fifth Crusade aimed at the capture of Egypt

1219 Genghiz Khan invades Khorasan

1221 Genghiz Khan destroys Samarqand, Bokhara, Nishapur, Herat, Ghazna and much of Central and West Asia

1236 The Crusaders capture Cordoba, capital of Muslim spain

1248 The Crusaders capture Seville

1258 Hulagu Khan destroys Baghdad

1273 Rumi passes away in Konya, Turkey

 

 

A Commentary on Awarif wal Muarif of Shaikh Shihabuddin Suhrwardy (d 1191 CE)

By Mawlana Syed Moeenuddin Shah Qadri; Hyderabad, Deccan, India

Translated from Urdu and summarized by

Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed

Vocabulary for this article:

Asma’: Plural of Ism; the Names; the Names of Allah

Asma’ ul Husna: The Most Beautiful Names of Allah of which there are 99 in the Qur’an

A’rifeen: Plural of Arif; People of inner knowledge; Awliyah

Ayan e Thabita (Ilm e Ilahi, the knowledge of Allah)

Ayan e Mumkinat (the world of contingencies)

Baqa: Restoration; Recreation (antonym of fana)

Dhat (or Zat): Reality; Self

Fana: Destruction; annihilation (antonym of baqa)

Hayat: Life as opposed to Maut or death

Hasti: Being

Hijab: Curtain; Veil; a Partition; that which hides the Reality of Allah swt from human perception

Ijtemal: the dependency of one Sifet on another

Ishara: A Signal; A Sign; An allusion

Ijtemal: Conditionality; dependency

Ism(pronounced issm): Name; a Noun; a Name of Allah swt such as Al Wadud (the loving), al Rahman (the Compassionate), al Rahim (the Merciful), al Ghafoor (the Forgiving)  and so on.

Jame’: Sum total

Jism e Anseri: Body made up of elements

Kashaf: Lifting of veil (that separate Asma e Husna from the human)

Saba’ Masani: The seven Ayahs of Surah al Fateha

Shamil: Included; contained

Shuhood: Witness; to be present; to see

Sifat: Plural of Sifet; attributes; an adjective

Sifat e Saba’ Dhatiya: The seven foundational Sifaat. These are Hayat (life), Ilm (knowledge), Qudrat (power), Irada (Intent), Sama (hearing), Basar(seeing) and Kalam (speech).

Tajaddud e Amthal: Renovation of appearances; The atomistic cycle of fana (destruction) and baqa (restoration); the unfolding of Allah’s will from moment to moment

Ummahat e Asma (the root or basis of the Names). They are: Hayat (life), Ilm (knowledge), Qudrat (power), Iradah (intent), Sama (hearing), Basar (Seeing) and Kalam (speech).

Summary

Asma ul Husna are the most beautiful Names of Allah. The 99 Asma ul Husna in the Qur’an capture the essence of all the names (Asma) in the universe..  

Ism (pronounced i-ss-m) is a word or description used to allude (ishara) towards Allah. The allusion (ishara) is towards His dhat (Reality) without reference to any attribute. Ism defines His Being while Sifaat describe His condition. Asma is the plural of Ism.

The Reality of Ism is the dhat.  Sifaat are attributes that point to the one who has the Sifaat (the Ism). Safaat define an Ism.

The Reality of Sifaat is Ilahiyet (attributes of the One who is worthy of worship). The Reality of Asma is Rububiyet (an attribute of Allah, the Sustainer).

The Dhat (Reality or Essence) of Asma wa Sifat is only Allah. Asma wa Sifat are pointers, signs, ishara. Whenever they are mentioned, they refer to Allah swt.

Asma wa Sifat are endless. They are condensed into 99 Asma ul Husna in the Qur’an. The Jame’ (compendium) of all the Asma wal Husna is the Name “Allah”.

Ummahat e Asma: There are seven Ummhat e Asma, namely, Hayat, Ilm, Irada, Qudrat, Sama, Basar and Kalam.

Ummahat e Sifat: They are called the Saba’ Masani. These are the seven Ayahs of Surah al Fateha. Every Ayah in Surah al Fateha is a deep ocean which has no shores. It is the Reality of the Qur’an. The Sifat are also Saba Sifat.

Ijtemal e Asma: The conditionality of Asma (Names). For instance, when there is Hayat, there is Ilm. When a man has no Hyat (when he is dead), where is the knowledge?

The Sifat of Allah are also given to the human except that our Ujub is not Dhati (our existence is not real). We are dependent on Allah for our existence.

The difference in the attributes of Allah and those of the human is that He is Khaliq, we are Makhluq. We are dependent on our senses for physical perception. We need our eyes to see, ears to hear and tongue to speak. Allah is beyond any need whatsoever.

Asma wa Sifat are hidden. They are the hijab (curtain) that hide the Reality of the Ism. When a human being progresses beyond the Asma wa Sifat, he catches a glimpse of the Light of Reality.

Discussion

The subject matter for this session is Asma wa Sifaat. The more you know about this subject matter, the greater are the blessings.

Ism (pronounced i-ss-m) is a word or description used to allude (ishara) towards Allah. The allusion (ishara) is towards His dhat (Reality) without reference to any attribute. The dhat (Reality) that is referred to is only that of Allah swt. Ism defines His Being while Sifaat describe His attributes. Asma is the plural of Ism.

In classical Arabic, ism is a noun and it connotes a name, an adjective and an adverb. The Asma ul Husna of Allah swt connote His Names, Attributes and Adverbs. In our presentation today, we will use Ism to mean the Reality (the Names) of Allah and Sifaat to mean His attributes (the attributes of His Names). For instance, al Rahim is a Name (ism) of Allah whose attribute is rahma (an attribute of the Name al Rahim). Allah swt is al Rahim whose Sifet is Rahma (divine Grace).

Another way to state this is to say that we call Allah by His Beautiful Names (Asma ul Husna) but we do not know His Reality. We know Him only by the attributes of His Beautiful Names (His Asma ul Husna).

Question: Can you have a dhat without a Sifet?  Answer: If there is dhat, there is a Sifet. No human being is bereft of Sifaat. Every human being has Sifaat. Dhat and Sifaat are lazim and malzum (necessary and sufficient). The two cannot be separated.  However, we use the two terms to gain a deeper understanding of both.

As applied to Asma ul Husna (the Beautiful Names of Allah) the reality of Sifaat is Ilahiyet. The reality of Asma is Rububiyet. You worship Allah swt because He is Ilah. None but He is worthy of worship. He is so exalted that He is worthy of worship. The Shariah commands us to worship Him. This is the meaning of Ilahiyet.

The meaning of Rububiyet is sustenance. Allah is the Rabb, the Sustainer of all the worlds. The Asma ul Husna are His Names. Allah is al Rahman, al Rahim, al Razzaq, al Ghaffar and so on for His makhluq (His creation).

So, one must understand that the reality of Asma ul Husna is Rububiyet. The source or origin of all Asma ul Husna (the beautiful Names) is Allah.

The Asma (Names of Allah) are jamali and jalali veils to His dhat (His Reality). Jamal and jalal are two hijabs (veils) in which the dhat of Allah swt is hidden. Whoever looks at these hijabs, he is confronted with the Sifat and Signs of Asma ul Husna. And he who looks beyond these veils (if he is granted permission by Allah to do so) transcends the stations of Ilahiyet and Rububiyet and arrives at the station of al Haq (the Truth): Wahdahu La Shareeka Lahu (He is One. No Associate has He).

This concept needs elaboration. Dhat e Ilahi is hidden behind the curtains of Asma wa Sifat. It is impossible to know anything about dhat (Reality) unless the curtains of Asma wa Sifat are lifted. Such lifting (kashaf) can happen only by the authority, permission, and Grace of Allah swt.  Only the most accomplished A’rifeen (people of inner knowledge) can venture any further and aspire to be that close to Allah.

Here is an example. Let us say that Bakr is a person. How do you describe Bakr? With reference to his hands? His feet? His eyes? His ears? The hands, feet, eyes and ears collectively are not Bakr. Why do we say this? Our body of which the hands, feet, eyes and ears are a part, is like a house. It is called “jism e anseri” (the body of elements). The inhabitant of this house is Bakr. If you live in a house, you are its resident and it is your house. One cannot say that you are the house. You are only staying in it. Similarly, if we refer to the body of Bakr, we are saying that it is his house; the one who lives in it is Bakr. The house and its resident cannot be one and the same. If Bakr were to pass away, his body cannot move. His hands and feet are still. It has no pulse and it cannot breathe. So, you will not call this dead body Bakr. You would call it the corps of Bakr and you will say that Bakr has passed away, returned to Allah or moved on to the hereafter. The “house” or the body is still there but it is not listening to you, talking to you or interacting with you.

The body is “jism e anseri”, meaning, it is made up of the elements. This is our home and our Ruh (spirit) is “resident” in it. If the pulse is active, you conclude that Bakr is alive. If he is able to see you, he looks at you through his eyes which are like the “windows” of his house or his body. He exercises his attribute of seeing and experiences your “tajalli” (appearance). You realize that he is looking at you. Then he wishes to speak to you. He uses his attribute of speech to say something to you. Speech is the “tajalli” of the tongue. Then, to listen to your words, he turns to his attribute of hearing. You realize that he hears you. You recognize that he is alive through the exercise of his attributes (seeing, speaking, hearing).

Even though Bakr is interacting with you through his attributes, you do not see the dhat (Reality) of Bakr. You do not see his hayat (life). You witness only his attributes. You see the impact of his Hayat on his pulse and other signs and conclude that Bakr is alive and present. But you have no knowledge of Bakr’s self-perception of his own being (hasti).  When the capabilities that are with Bakr are exercised and their effects become manifest, you observe them and your attention is drawn to the hidden person (Bakr) in whom those capabilities are present.  You do not know anything more. Specifically, you do not know anything about the dhat or Reality of Bakr. Seeing, speaking, hearing, intent, power (sama’, basar, kalam, irada, qudrat) are the attributes (sifaat) of Bakr.  Therefore, we say that the dhat of Bakr is hidden behind the curtains of his attributes. The effect of these attributes is to make the curtains manifest.

One other comment: If Bakr’s hearing and sight are gone and his hands and feet are cut off, even then Bakr remains Bakr and you would call his dhat (his Reality) Bakr. The elements that constituted his body in his childhood are not there in his youth. What he had in his youth is transformed in old age. But there was no change in his dhat (Self).

The dhat (Reality) does not change when the attributes change.  The human body changes as you grow old, from childhood to adulthood to old age. But there is no change in the dhat of the person even though the attributes undergo a transformation. 

An exercise of Qiyas (reasoning by analogy) helps us understand how the dhat of Allah swt is hidden behind the hijab of His Asma wa Sifat. What you know and witness are the attributes or Sifat of Allah. For instance, He is Rahman, Rahim, Ghaffar, Ghafoor, Khaliq and Malik. But you do not have knowledge of dhat e Ilahi. That is not possible. Unlike the human who is imprisoned in his own body, Allah swt is beyond corporeal and space-time constraints. He is Khaliq, we are makhluq. What is the difference between the two? The attributes are similar except the attribute of existence. The human is dependent on his attributes, namely, his eyes, tongue, ears, hands and feet to reveal himself. Allah swt is not dependent on anything. He is al Samad (Self Sufficient).

Allah swt is not dependent on any attribute or instrument to reveal His Qudrat (power). All of His attributes were always in His dhat. They are present now and will always be present in the future. When we say that Rububiyet is dependent on Marbub and Khaliqiyet is dependent on Makhluq, we only mean that when the Makhluq comes into existence, His Khalqiyet expresses itself and when Marbub comes into existence His Rubibiyet becomes manifest.

This is a subtle point. Allah is Khaliq; we are Makhluq. We are dependent on our faculties to show our capabilities. We depend on our tongue to speak, our eyes to see, our hands to do work, our legs to walk. Allah is beyond such needs. He does not need anything to express His power. But there is a subtle point to consider. His Khalikhiyet is manifest through His Makhluk. If He had not created you, then how would you call him Khaliq? He created us and He became a Khaliq. If He had not created us then how would His Khaliqiyet manifest itself? If it was not manifest then how would He be recognized? He is the Sustainer and He fulfills all our needs. So, we call Him Rabb and we become Marbub. If we had no needs then His Rububiyet would not be manifest. He provides rizq (sustenance) to the whole world. So, we call Him al Razzaq. The Rabbil alameen is recognized through the Marbub whom He himself creates.  The Marbub is recognized through his Rabb. This is a subtle idea in Tasawwuf that has been elaborated in Khususul Hikam of Ibn al Arabi. As the Hadith explains: “I was a hidden treasure. I willed that I be known. So, I created.”

Summarily, the attributes of Allah have always existed but they were hidden and not seen. He created us so that we become the mirror for reflecting His attributes.

The Asma wa Sifat of Allah swt are infinite; so are His commands and His works.  However, all the Asma wa Sifat as well as commands originate from a Single Source. He is at once Rahman and Rahim, Khaliq and Bari, Malik and Razzaq, Qahhar and Qabiz. The multiplicity of Asama wa Sifat make no difference to His Wahdat (Unicity). We studied under Wahdat al Wajud that there were innumerable objects in creation, the stars, galaxies, planets, trees, birds, humans, animals and insects.  But this enormous multiplicity does not violate the Wahdat (Unicity) of the Creator. The multiplicity is in Ilm e Ilahi (knowledge of Allah), not in His dhat (Reality). The multiplicity that is apparent in this world and in the hereafter does not affect His Wahdat (Unicity). There are an infinite number of living and non-living things as well as objects and thoughts in His ilm (knowledge). As He deems it fit, He brings them into being (creates them) in space-time. But the Creator is One. He is the qadir e mutlaq (the established power or authority). He creates as He will.

The Asma are infinite. However, they are assembled into the 99 Names revealed in the Qur’an to facilitate human comprehension. 

The root of these 99 Names is set in seven principles. These seven principles are called Ummahat e Asma (the root or basis of the Names). They are: Hayat (life), Ilm (knowledge), Qudrat (power), Iradah (intent), Sama (hearing), Basar (Seeing) and Kalam (speech).  Some of these Ummahat are conditional upon others. For instance, if there is no Hayat (life), there is no Ilm (knowledge). Ilm is conditional upon Hayat. Similarly, Irada (intent) is not useful in the absence of Qudrat (power). Thus, there is no knowledge without life. There is no kalam (speech) without Irada (intent). This dependency of one Sifet on another is called Ijtemal. These explanations are offered for human understanding; Allah is beyond such conditionality.

Allah is Ism e Jame’. The infinity of Asma was condensed into 99 Asma e Husna.  Then, the origin of the Asma e Husna was condensed into seven principles. In reality, all seven principles have a single source and that Source is Allah. Allah is the jame’ (sum total) of all the asma’. He is also shamil, meaning “in” the asma’. So, He is both Jame’ and shamil. Therefore, the name Allah is called Ism e Jame’. He is in the Names, surrounds them and He has complete power over them.

There is taqabul and takassur in the Asma’. It means the Asma may contrast, negate and supersede one another. For instance, ya Munim and ya Muntaqil seem to negate each other. Ya Munim means the one who gives the ne’mat ( bounty). Ya Muntaqil means the one who extracts a revenge. Allah is both the bestower and withholder of bounties. He is both Qabiz (the extractor or contractor) and Basith (restorer or expander), Dhar (one who causes a loss or pain) and Nafe’ (one who provides a benefit).

Tajaddud e Amthal is derived from this tension between the Asma.  Since eternity, life is followed by death which is followed by life. The changes happen every moment so rapidly that the common man does not perceive them. The A’rifeen, people of inner knowledge, witness the rapid cyclic change from life to death to life. The world is destroyed (fana) and recreated (baqa) every moment. This is called tajaddud e amthal (renewal of appearances).

Commanding the transformations between the Asma e Mutaqabila (the contrasted Names) is Dhul Wajhain (The Owner of Causes). He (Allah swt) brings on some difficulty, then relieves it and acts as the bridge in between. The difficulty is of infinite grades; so is the relief. Similarly, every Ism (Name) can have many degrees.

Ayan e Thabita and Ayan e Mumkinat: What is Ayan e Thabita? Allah’s infinite knowledge contains our potential faces and forms. The forms in which Asma e Ilahi manifest themselves in the created world are called Mazaher e Asma. The appearances that are only in the knowledge of Allah are called Ayan e Thabita knowledge of Allah). They are also called Suwwar e ilmiya (faces, forms and shapes that are known only in the knowledge of Allah). The faces, forms and shapes that become manifest externally are called Ayan e Mumkinat. The faces that we see are Ayan e Mumkinat (contingent or possible manifestation). They are also called Wujud e Aynee (existence that can be seen) or A’lam e Shahadat (the world that we can see). 

We, as human beings, have two “faces” (existences). One existence was the one we had with Ilm e Ilahi (knowledge of Allah). This is the Suwwar e Ilmiya, the way Allah swt conceived us. All the people who will ever be born till the Judgment Day are in Ilm e Ilahi. The question is: Is our existence in the ilm e Ilahi (Suwwar e Ilmi) the same as what we have in this world? No. The earthly existence is material. The external existence (form, shape, face) that we have is different. The Suwwar e Ilmiya was bereft of materials. It was light and it had no impurity in it. Then He created us in this world from the elements. We went through the stages of Mutga, Alga and some of the attributes of the parents entered into it and our material forms were constructed. That is how we came into being as Ayan e Mumkinat.

The human is Mumkin (contingent). Allah is Wajib (necessary and sufficient). So, the human creation follows the stages of Arada (intent of Allah), Mansha’Allah (will of Allah), Ayan e Thabita (Ilm e Ilahi), Ayan e Mumkinat.

Ahsa e Asma (Encapsulating all the Asma): The Prophet sas said: Allah swt has 99 Names. Whoever encapsulates them (makes them his own) goes to Jannah. Ahsa e Asma means you witness the Asma e Husna through your spirituality and the lifting of the veils. When a person lifts the curtains and looks at the Names of Allah, al Rahman, al Rahim, Al Razzaq and so on, the light of His Names falls upon him and he becomes an Arif in the true sense of the word. A person who merely heard the Asma e Husna and understood their meaning receives the least portion of light. In accordance with what he has earned we cannot say that this knowledge will be the means of his (spiritual) success. Merely hearing the Names confirms his ability to hear. The second stage is to understand the grammatical meaning of the Asma in Arabic. This only confirms that the person knows the Arabic language and he is the equivalent of an ignorant Arab. If the person believes that the Names represent the attributes of Allah, but his belief is not based on investigation and reflection, he is the equivalent of a believing child. One cannot deny that such a person is higher in rank as compared to those in the first two categories. But it is also correct to say that it is insufficient to take this person to the perfection of Meraj (ascension to heaven).

The way to earn the blessing of His Names and to achieve the Irfan (inner knowledge) of the Asma wa Sifat of Allah swt through kashaf (lifting of veils) and shuhood (witness)and “seeing” His Rahma (Grace). It is to see the tajalli (manifestation) of Asma wa Sifat. When a person achieves this position, he moves from the station of Ilm ul Yaqeen (certainty of knowledge) to Ahl ul Yaqeen (a person who has attained certainty) and then advances to the station of Haq ul Haqeen (certainty of Truth). Until you arrive at this station, you cannot say that you are a Mutahaqqaq (one who has investigated and confirmed) of Asma wa Sifat.  Such a station is achieved only by persons of high rank, that too in an Ijmali (macro or gross) manner, not in a Tafseeli (micro or detailed) manner. This is so even if the Asma are reflected in his own behavior and character. This is how we grade the rank of the Awliyah. The more the Wali has witnessed the tajalliyat (manifestations) Allah’s Asma wa Sifat, the higher his/her rank.

The word Arif is used for the person who has lifted the veils and has witnessed the Tajalliyat. A person who is an Arif of the Dhat (the Reality of Asma wa Sifat) is called a Muwahhid.  There is a tremendous difference between a person who has achieved such a station and has witnessed the Tajalliyat and one who has merely learned about them from his parents and teachers. Musa (Moses pbuh) witnessed a Tajalli, which was merely the reflection of a single ray of light from the infinitude of His light. When Musa (as) was at the station of Talween (multiplicity), [NA1] he did not witness the Tajalli because Allah was at the station of Tamkeen (fixity). When the Tajalli did descend, the mountain shattered and Musa (as) swooned. When he woke up, he was taken to a higher station so he could “speak” to Allah.

The summary is that the Asma wa Sifaat that we witness are a Tajalli. As an example, the word Kun can be said by anyone. One may even know its grammatical meaning. But what is its Reality? The word Kun is revealed only as a Sign so that people can understand something. The inner meaning of it, the Tajalli, is known only to Allah. When He says Kun, there is “being”; when He says Fa Yakun, there is “becoming”. Kun is a command to create or destroy; fa yakun is when that creation or destruction has already happened. The words are used so that we can understand something of Asma wa Sifat.

The dhat or reality of the Asma wa Sifat is Noor. It is Light. It transcends space, time, body, shape, form or conception. As the Qur’an says: Allahu Noorus Samawat e Wal Ard (Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth). The Arifeen witness the Noor (Light). The higher their rank, the greater is the Noor (divine Light) they witness.

The created world can be segmented into three ranks. The first rank is that of the Malaeka (the angels). The second rank is the human. The third is Bahaem (animals etc.).

Keeping in mind the correct purpose of life, we examine what each category of beings is capable of doing according to its intelligence and ability to comprehend. We also ask what each category is created for and what it does in the scheme of life. The animals are given to their passions. They do not have the ability to differentiate between good and evil.  They just stuff their bellies and serve as beasts of burden. What they can do is very limited. By contrast, the angels are bereft of animalistic passions. They carry out the commandment of Allah and are constantly seeking proximity to His presence. Their lives are pure and free of sins. They have the highest comprehension and their domain is vast and expansive. They even comprehend what is beyond spatial constraints.

The human is a compendium of animalistic and angelic attributes. At the lowest level, the human is a servant of his ego and pursues the animalistic pleasures that are readily available to him. As he advances from this level, the light of intellect shines in him. Riding on the wings of their intellect, some people acquire the Ikhtiar or capability to transcend spatial constraints without the aid of conveyances. These are the Prophets, their Companions, the Awliyah, who are fountains of spirituality. By contrast, we are subservient to our desires. We walk with our earthly feet, see with our material eyes and remain beholden to our basal desires. But when a person’s Ruh is illuminated by the Grace of Allah, his actions become angelic. Then, his Nafs (Self) abandons base thoughts and feelings and he becomes synchronized with angelic thoughts and actions. As you move closer to divine presence, you distance yourself from animalistic attributes (animalistic Sifaat) and move higher and higher in the angelic domain (acquire more and more angelic Sifaat) until you become a companion of the higher angels and enter into the circle of the beloveds of God. You can comprehend this journey of the soul only through a comprehension of Asma wa Sifat.

Fatehtul Kitab (Surah al Fateha) is a summary of the Qur’an.  It is a compendium and gist of Ayat e Quran. The other name for Fatehatul Kitab is Saba’ Masani.  These are the seven Ayahs that are repeated in every prayer. Similarly, there are seven Sifat in the Martab e Ilm (stations of knowledge) of Allah which are known as E’tebarat e Kulli (sum total of His E’tebar or conception), also called Sifat e Saba’ Dhatiya (The seven foundational Sifat). These are Hayat (life), Ilm (knowledge), Qudrat (power), Irada (Intent), Sama (hearing), Basar(seeing) and Kalam (speech). The totality of Dhat e Haq (the Reality of the Truth) as well as the entire meaning of Asma wa Sifat is dependent on these seven Sifat.  These seven Safat are the foundational stations of ma’rifat. The ma’rifat of these seven Sifat is a deep ocean of hidden and manifest secrets that has no shores.  It contains the limitless knowledge and ma’rifat of His tajalliyat similar to the limitless knowledge and ma’rifat of His Wajh or existence. The depths of this ocean contain pearls for those who dive into it while those who stand on the shores only see clear waters.

What is pointed out here is that Fatehatul Kitab (Surah al Fateha) is the gist or summary of the entire Qur’an. Every word of it is like a deep ocean. Hazrat Ali (r) said: If I were to write a tafseer of this Surah, it will take seventy camels to carry the written documents. It is also pointed out that Ummahatul Sifat, the foundational Sifat are also seven.

Insan (the human) is a summary of creation. If we consider the meaning of words, the similarity of the human to creation is that of the Ruh to the body. One looks in the mirror to examine one’s true self.  God willed that He would create a reflector (a mirror) in which He could see the Shuyun e Ilahi (His own powers).  In other words, He desired to look at Himself in the mirror. He desired to create a being who had the capacity to reflect His partaw (light or shadow). So, He created the cosmos and He made Adam His khalifa (representative) on earth as His mirror so that He would witness Himself in the mirror.  This is Sunnat e Ilahi (the way of Allah). He fashioned the human body in perfection. When the body has the ability to accept it, the Ruh is “blown” into it. Fa Iza Sawwaytuhu wa Nafaqtu Feehi Minhu Roohi (When I fashioned it into perfection, I infused My Ruh into it).  Adam’s Nafs (Nafs includes the body, mind and heart) had to have the capacity to accept and reflect the powers of the Ruh. So, He fashioned it, corrected it, molded it, completed it and decided that the human Self indeed had the capacity to accept the Ruh. Then, he breathed His Ruh into Adam. When the Ruh was infused into Adam, he became Ruh e Alam (The Spirit of the cosmos). The meaning of Nafaqtu Feehi Minhu Rooohi (infused into it My Rooh) is that the reflection (pertaw) of Asma wa Sifat fell on Adam. Adam (the archetype of the human) accepted this burden and became a custodian of Amanet e Ilahi (the Trust from Allah). Nothing in the cosmos had this capability to be a custodian of this Amanat (Trust). Thus, the Asma wa Sifat became manifest in the human who acquired all the high and low stations (of honor and dishonor).

The Sifat of Allah are reflected in the human except for one, namely, Wujub e dhati (Necessary Reality or Essence of Existence). We, as human beings, are not Wajib (necessary). Our existence is conditional. Only He, Allah swt is Wajjib ul Wujud (the Necessary Existence). We are only Mumkin ul Wujud (Possible Existence or Contingent Existence). When He wills, He creates us. He was always there, is there and will always be there. He is the Living, the Hearing and the Seeing. The human also is alive and has the faculties of hearing and seeing but he is dependent on Allah for these faculties. Allah is self-sufficient; He is not dependent on anyone for anything. He is the Khaliq (Creator); we are the Maqhlooq (Created). He created us as a Mithal (simile) not as Mithl (identical; exactly the same). Our capabilities are only a gift from Allah. He can take them back anytime He so desires (along with our lives).

The Books that Allah sent down to humankind are cast in the attributes of the mold that are also present in the Nafs (soul) of the human. Example: You knew Arabic.  Therefore, the Qur’an was revealed in Arabic so that you could understand it. Similar was the case with the earlier revelations; they were revealed in the language of the people to whom they were sent.

The Hayat, Sama and Basar of Allah is different from our Hayat, Sama and Basar. Allah is Wajubul Wujud (essential, necessary existence). Lam Yakun Lahu Kufuan Ahad (There is none like unto Him). He is Qadim (timeless, eternal). By contrast, the human is Haadith (created).

Allah glorified His own Sifat both as Zahir (manifest) and Batin (hidden). We are Zahir (manifest), Ahdiyet (Oneness of Allah) is Batin (hidden). Further, He divided the cosmos into what is manifest (shahada) and what is hidden (gaib). He is Alimul Gaib (Knower of the unseen). For instance, He knew us before we were born and were in Alamul Gaib (hidden world). We live in Alam e shahada (the manifest world.  He placed the world between hope and fear, between acceptance and rejection. He is happy with some things and He is not happy with others. We are sometimes hopeful; at other times we are fearful. He exalted Himself with jalal and jamal (magnificence and beauty). He created us with awe and love in our hearts. Such is the condition of all things (with internal tensions).

The tension between the attributes is referred to as “the two hands”, the right and the left. As explained in the Qur’an, when Allah swt asked Shaitan: “Who forbade you from bowing before Adam whom I made “with my two hands”? What are the two hands? There is a difference of opinion on this issue. Some say it is Jalal wa Jamal.  In addition, the opposed Asma were consolidated within Adam. The “two hands” also refer to this consolidation of opposed Asma which show themselves with the “face” of Haq (spirituality) and the “face” of creation (duniya).  Adam (as had a material face in his external self; in his internal self he had the face of Truth (the face of Haq, a spiritual face). This integration made him worthy of Khilafat (representative of God on earth).

Truth is manifest in every atom of creation. Certainly, the human is material in his external appearance and spiritual in his internal appearance. If this contrast was not there, then there would have been no material existence. Every atom exhibits the attributes of Allah according to its ability but the higher attributes show up only in the human. We are “la A’yn wa la Ghair” (we are not in Him nor outside of Him). We existed in Ilm e Ilahi (knowledge of Allah). So, we are not separate from him. When His Mansha (will) became Mafhoom (cognizant) we became separated. Thus, Adam has a Surat e Haq and a Surat e Khalq (spiritual face and a material face). The same is true of us. We have said earlier that He made us the Khalifa, made the cosmos a mirror and looked at Himself. Now, if I put some ink on the mirror does the face get stained with ink? No. If you stain the mirror, does it stain your face. No. If I break the mirror, does it change my face? No. The meaning is that the mirror is separate from me. The mirror is “ghair” (different, separate). Your reflection in the face is separate from you. If you withdraw from the mirror, there is nothing to be seen in the mirror. We are not “ghair”. When He showed His “face” we became visible. When He withdrew, the reflection disappeared. That is “la Ayn wa la Gair”. We also studied Wahdat al Wujud. Allah swt reveals His attributes in every atom in accordance with the capability of the atom to show the attribute. The Wujud or Existence is One.

The human is the seal of all attributes. Except for the human, no other creation has been endowed with all the attributes. We said that every atom reflects Allah’s attributes. If that reflection is not there, then that creation does not exist. That is Wahdat al Wujud, namely, Allah is the reason for our existence. He is the Living. He is the life-giving attribute of every atom. He said: Allahu Noorus Samawati wal Ard. Then He said: Fa Aynama Tawallaw Fa Samma Wajhulla ( No matter which direction you look you see the “Face” (existence) of Allah). Is there any place where Allah is not present?

Allah made us manifest and He hid Himself. At first, we were hidden. Then, he created us in the world and made us visible and He became hidden. We exist because of Him. Our existence is His “shadow” or “reflection”. There is no “shadow” without Him.

Subhana Rabbika Rabbil I’zzati A’mma Yasifun. Wa Salamun Alal Mursaleen. Wal Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil A’lameen.

 

The 99 Divine Names Revealed in the Qur’an

The 99 Divine Names Revealed in the Qur’an

(Each Name is a noun, an adjective and an adverb)

1.    Al Rahman	The Compassionate
2.    Al Rahim	The Merciful
3.    Al Malik	The Sovereign
4.    Al Quddus	The Holy
5.    Al Salam	The Source of Peace
6.    Al Mu’min	The Giver of Faith
7.    Al Muhaymin	The Guardian of Truth
8.    Al ‘Aziz	The Mighty
9.    Al Jabbar	The Irresistible
10.  Al Mutakabbir	The One Who is Great by Himself
11.  Al Khaliq	The Creator
12.  Al Bari’	The Originator (Who creates from nothing)
13.  Al Musawwir	The Ultimate Architect and Artist
14.  Al Ghaffar	The Forgiving
15.  Al Qahhar	The Subduer
16.  Al Wahhab	The Bestower
17.  Al Razzaq	The Ever Provider
18.  Al Fattah	The Opener of hearts
19.  Al Alim	The All Knowing
20.  Al Qabid	The Restrainer
21.  Al Basit	The Munificent
22.  Al Khafid	The Abaser
23.  Al Rafi’	The Exalter
24.  Al Mu’izz	The Bestower of Honor
25.  Al Mudhill	The Giver of Dishonor
26.  Al Sami’	The Hearer
27.  Al Basir	The Seer
28.  Al Hakam	The Judge
29.  Al-‘Adl	The Just
30.  Al Latif	The Subtle
31.  Al Khabir	The Aware
32.  Al Halim	The Forbearer
33.  Al ‘Azim	The Great, the Magnificent
34.  Al Ghafur	The Forgiver
35.  Al Shakur	The Acceptor of Gratitude
36.  Al ‘Ali	The Exalted
37.  Al Kabir	The Great
38.  Al Hafiz	The Preserver
39.  Al Muqit	The Nourisher
40.  Al Hasib	The Reckoner
41.  Al Jalil	The Majestic
42.  Al Karim	The Grantor of Bounties
43.  Al Raqib	The One Who is Close
44.  Al Mujib	The Responder
45.  Al Wasi’	The Infinite
46.  Al Hakim	The Wise
47.  Al Wadud	The Loving, the Bestower of Love
48.  Al Majid	The Glorious
49.  Al Ba’ith	The One Who Resurrects the Dead
50.  Al Shahid	The Witness
51.  Al Haq	The Truth, The Just
52.  Al Wakil	The Trustee
53.  Al Qawiyy	The Strong
54.  Al Matin	The Steadfast
55.  Al Wali	The Protector
56.  Al Hamid	The Praiseworthy
57.  Al Muhsi	The Reckoner, The One Who takes Account
58.  Al Mubdi’	The Originator
59.  Al Mu’id	The OneWho Brings Back Life
60.  Al Muhyi	The Giver of Life
61.  Al Mumit	The Destroyer
62.  Al Hayy	The Living
63.  Al Qayyum	The Self Subsisting
64.  Al Wajid	The One Who brings out Existence
65.  Al Majid	The Owner of all Existence, the Magnificent
66.  Al Wahid	The Indivisible
67.  Al Ahad	The Unique
68.  Al Samad	The Self Sufficient, The One Beyond Need
69.  Al Qadir	The Owner of Power
70.  Al Muqtadir	The Disposer of Power
71.  Al Muqaddim	The Expediter
72.  Al Mu’akhkhir	The Delayer
73.  Al Awwal	The First
74.  Al Akhir	The Last
75.  Al Zahir	The Manifest
76.  Al Batin	The Hidden; the One beyond Perception
77.  Al Wali	The Protector
78.  Al Muta’al	The Self Exalted
79.  Al Barr	The Source of Righteousness
80.  Al Tawwab	The One Who forgives again and again
81.  Al Muntaqim	The Avenger
82.  Al ‘Afuww	The Pardoner
83.  Al Ra’uf	The Compassionate, the All Pitying
84.  Malik al Mulk	The Owner of Sovereignty
85.  Dhul Jalali wal Ikram	The Owner of Majesty and Bounty
86.  Al Muqsit	The Equitable, the Just
87.  Al Jami’	The Gatherer, the Integrator
88.  Al Ghani	The Self Sufficient
89.  Al Mughni	The Emancipator
90.  Al Mani’	The Defender
91.  Al Nafi’	The Benefactor
92.  Al Nur	The Light
93.  Al Hadi	The Guide
94.  Al Badi	The Incomparable
95.  Al Baqi	The Everlasting
96.  Al Warith	The Inheritor
97.  Al Rashid	The Guide
98.  Al Sabur	The Timeless
99.  Allah	Allah, to Whom belong all the Beautiful Names

 

---

 

 [NA1]

Wahdat al Wajud (The Unity of Existence)

Shaikh Mohammed Moeenuddin Qadri, Hyderabad, Deccan

Translated and abridged from Urdu by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Qul Hu Allahu Ahad. Allahus Samad. Lam Yalid. Wa Lam Yulad. Wa Lam Yakun Lahu Kufuwan Ahad. Sadaq Allah ul A’zeem. Wa Sadaqa Rasoolehil Kareem.

Vocabulary

Ayan e Thabita: Ilm e Ilahi, the Knowledge of Allah

E’tebari: notional, imaginary, not real, “khyali”

Ikhtiar: Free will

Majboor: Pre-programmed, helpless

Mahsoos: Perceptible

Ma’doom: non-existent

Masdari: a thing that originates from something else

Wahdat al Wajud: Unity of existence

Wajud: existence

Wajud biz Zat e Haqeeqi: (True Existence in and of itself)

Summary

Wahdat al Wajud (The Unity of Existence) means there is only one Wajud (Existence) and that is the Wajud (Existence) of Allah swt. The human Wajud is E’tebari (notional, imagined, conditional).

Allahu Ahad. Allahus Samad. Allah is One. He is Self-sufficient. The cosmos that He creates is in His Ilm (Ilm e Ilahi). It is called Ayan e Thabita. All entities that are to be created till the Judgment Day are in Ayan e Thabita.

Wajud (existence) belongs only to Allah. All else is E’tebari, notional, imagined.

Entities that are in Ayan e Thabita come into existence when they encounter their Taqdir (divine decree). Another way to say it is that entities are granted E’tebari existence when the Light of Allah falls on them.

Multiplicity belongs only in the Ilm (knowledge) of Allah. This multiplicity is reflected in the multiplicity of creation. The Source is One, that is Allah. Wajud is One, that is Allah. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. When that Light falls on an entity that is in Ayan e Thabita, it acquires contingent existence in accordance with its ilmi Surat (appearance as conceived by Allah).

The human is neither entirely majboor (pre-programmed, helpless) nor is he entirely muqhtar (autonomous). He is majboor in certain aspects and muqhtar in certain other aspects. He is majboor for his birth, death and his own dhat (essence). He is muqhtar in his intent and his actions.

The outcome of all actions is according to the will of Allah. Every human is an individual and is individually responsible in areas where he is muqhtar, for his free will (Niyyah) and his deeds (A’mal). Therefore, he is judged by the intent in his heart and his works (Innamal A’malu Binniyah).

This is a summary of Wahdat al Wujud as developed by Shaikh ul Akbar, Ibn al Arabi (d 1240 CE).

Ma’doom and Mahsoos

The following observation is self-explanatory: Before a thing is born it is Ma’doom (not sensed). When it is born it is Mahsoos (sensed). The meaning of Ma’doom is nonexistent, or hidden. Ma’doom is the antonym of Mahsoos. It is apparent that before a man is born, he is Ma’doom and when he is bornhe immediately becomes Mahsoos. A boy is born and you see that a Wajud is before you. We ask ourselves: What made him sensed? He was in the womb of his mother and now he has become Maujood. What was it that made him Mahsoos, the absence of which had made him Ma’doom?

Reason will bear witness that there is something because of whose existence a thing that is nonexistent becomes existent. That thing (the entity/active agent) will not be E’tebari (notional, unreal, imagined) but will be Mustaqal Biz Zat (established by its own Reality). A little reflection will confirm that in the state of nonexistence, the baby in the above example was Ma’doom.  He became Maujood and Mahsoos (sensed) when there was a conjunction of the external entity and the thing itself.

An explanation:  If you reflect a little, you will realize that there was something that came into contact with the baby. With what did it come into contact with? The answer is: It came into contact with the entity that imparted it existence.

Before we appeared in the cosmos, we were non-existent. When we were born, we acquired our existence. So, there was some entity that interacted with us. When the two were connected (our non-existent entity (“the thing”), and the entity that interacted with us), what was nonexistent became existent and what was hidden became manifest. The essential point here is that “the thing” became sensible and existent (Mahsoos and Maujood) only when the two were connected.

Now, you ask whether the entity that made all other things existent and manifest (the humans, the mountains, the trees, fruits etc.) is Ma’doom (non-existent). That entity was also hidden. Your association with that entity made you existent. So, you conclude that the entity which bestows existence (Wajud) on nonexistent things cannot by itself be E’tebari (imaginary). E’tebari means it is not real. An E’tebari entity cannot bestow existence upon something else. The entity that bestows existence must be Mustaqal biz Zat, in other words, Allah swt. Mustaqal biz Zat means it exists by its own essence. Its Wajud is not from anyone else. It did not originate for anything else. That entity is Mustaqal biz Zat.

It follows that the Wajud which is discussed here is not Masdari (a thing that originates from something else). For instance, we are Masdari. The existence (Wajud) through which we acquire our own existence (Wajud) is the real Wajud. Wajud e Masdari is notional and imaginative. For example, when you look at the sky and the earth, it appears that the sky is “above” and the earth is “below” whereas, in fact, the sky surrounds the earth all around.  The imagination in your mind is called Intezari. So, we say that our Wajud is notional, illusory and imaginative. The entity from which we acquire our own existence is not notional, illusory and Masdari; it is Wajud biz Zat e Haqeeqi (True Existence in and of itself). As soon as we were connected with Wajud biz Zat e Haqeeqi, we were born. It is just us but all things in the cosmos, inanimate beings, elements, animals, humans, all of them came into existence when they were connected with the Real Wajud, Wajud biz Zat, meaning Allah swt. Summarily, when we were “connected with” Allah swt (when the Light of Allah shined upon us) we came into existence.

Next, if we consider an entity to be Ma’doom, it would be impossible for that Ma’doom entity to bestow existence upon some other thing. If anything is from Ma’doom, it must be Ma’doom bil Haith, a thought that has emerged from Ma’doom. It is therefore necessary that the other entity be Mustaqal biz Zat.

That other entity cannot be Masdari. In other words, that other Wajud is not imagined and notional but established and certain so that it can impart existence to a thing that is Ma’doom. The primal Wajud is Mustaqal biz Zat. It is the Wajud of Allah swt. It is not notional, Imagined; it is real.

The explanation is as follows: Wherever there is a mention of Wajud, it means only one Wajud, namely,

Allah swt. The Wajud through which we acquired our own Wajud must be Mustaqal biz Zat (established by and of itself). It will not be Masdari, not extracted from anything else. Remember this terminology.

Ma Behal Maujoodiat means that through which the objects in the cosmos become existent. In other words, it is Allah swt. So, Allah swt is called Ma Behal Maujoodiat (the reason for our existence). He is the reason for the existence of the sun, the moon, the universe and everything in it. It is Allah’s Wajud which is pristine, true and existent of and by itself and it is called Ma Behal Maujoodiat. Although it is hard to understand its reality, we can at least comprehend that at the moment a nonexistent object becomes existent, there is an entity that interacts with it and bestows upon it its existence. Now we understand the meaning of Wajud. Whenever you say Wajud, it is only the Wajud of Allah swt.

We do not have Wajud. Our Wajud is Masdari, Wahmi, Khiyali. We are totally dependent on Allah swt in our existence. When He so willed it, we came into existence. When we had a connection with Him, we appeared. His Wajud cannot be Wahmi, Khayali; it must be the real Wajud.

Whenever a thing comes into existence, it brings with it two items: one, the thing that is acquiring existence, the other the entity that gave it existence. For instance, a child is born whose name is Zaid, he has two things with him. One is an entity Zaid who was hitherto nonexistent but now has becomeexistent. The other entity is that which bestowed existence to Zaid. What is that entity? That entity is the real Wajud, Ma Behal Maujoodiat. It is what gives Wajud to others.

We are beginning to understand the issues regarding existence. Zaid is born and you become aware that he is born. How could he be born? Was he born by himself? No. Allah gave him life. So, you understand that if you take out Allah, that is, if you take out the Real Existence, then everything becomes Ma’doom (non-existent). There would be no Zaid, no mountain, no trees, nothing. It is that Real Wajud that is making you manifest.. Zaid is here only because of the light from the Real Wajud.

Now, there is a question that appears in your mind. There are a limitless number of things in the

Universe, the stars, the moon, the sun. the stars, the galaxies, the birds, the sects, the mountains and the trees. The existence of all of these is notional. They acquire their existence through Ma Behal Maujoodiat which is Allah swt.

We have now understood the condition of the existence of the world, namely, if you take your eyes off of the real Wajud then everything is Ma’doom (nonexistent). Wajud is only through His grace. Here it is necessary to remember that there are an infinite number of things in the universe. We see that in their appearance, they are different and each one is excellent in its own way. Is the reason for their variety Wajud or Ma’doom?

There is multiplicity in the universe. There are billions of entities in th world but the Light that imparts them existence is from a Single Source. One entity is a tree, another is a mountain, one is a river, another is an ocean, one is the moon, the other a star. They are all separate and different, one from the other. Is the Mansha’ (origin) of this great multiplicity Wajud or Ma’doom? It is certainly not Ma’doom because Ma’doom (non-existence) cannot impart existence to an entity. The origin is Behal Maujoodiat. It is from Allah. There is only one Wajud and that is Allah swt. He is One, Indivisible, Self-Sufficient.  The multiplicity in the things of the world only reflects the multiplicity in His Ma’dumat (knowledge), not in His Wajud.

Why is there multiplicity in the world? The multiplicity is there because there is multiplicity in Ilm e Ilahi.

All the entities in the universe and all the entities that will appear till the Day of Judgment are a part of Ma’lumat e Ilahi. Whenever an entity meets up with Ma’lumat e Ilahi, it acquires its existence. Where is the multiplicity? The multiplicity is in Ayan e Thabita.

There is no multiplicity in Real Existence. Multiplicity is in things. When these things, and this is true of all things till the Judgment Day, meet with A’yan e Thabita they acquire their existence. There is no multiplicity in Ma Behal Maujoodiat because its characteristic is that whatever Ma’doom it meets, it makes it Maujood. It follows that multiplicity is in those things that are nonexistent. They were in Ilm e Ilahi which contains all things from the beginning till the Judgment Day together with their specific attributes. When ilm emanates from Ma’lumat e Ilahi, it becomes existent at the time prescribed by Allah swt. So, where is the multiplicity? It is Ilm e Ilahi or Ma’lumat e Ilahi.

Categories of Ashya e Ma’doomat and their distinction in Non-existence

Here is a subtle statement: The nonexistent that became existent was not nonexistent (Gair Ma’doom) in their state of nonexistence (‘Adem).

Let us elaborate. Zaid was just born. He was Ma’doom before he was born. At the predetermined time for him to be born, Qudrat (Allah’s power) turned towards him. So, Zaid was born and became existent. Similarly, all the things from now until the Day of Judgement which are in Ilm e Ilahi, when they meet up with the Qudrat of Allah as predetermined by Allah, will be born and come into this world. Thus, there is multiplicity concerning things in ilm e ilahi.

The essence is one. There is multiplicity in the knowledge of that essence. Because of this multiplicity there is ziyadati (increase in the number of things). All things that are to appear until the Judgment Day will appear when they meet up with Allah’s Qudrat.  The Qudrat will bring them into being and make them Maujood as predetermined at the onset of time.

Ma’doom e Mumtaz and Ma’doom e Mahez

Now we ask: Are things that are Ma’doom non-existent?

To answer this question, the Shaikh offers the example of a house you want to build on a plot of land. You first prepare a drawing which shows the plan and elevation. You build it according to your plan and it becomes Maujood. First it was Ma’doom and after completion it became Maujood. What was in your mind is called Ma’doom e Mumtaz. The house was Ma’doom but it was Mumtaz. If there is a neighboring plot about which you do not have any plans, it is called Ma’doom e Mahez. It is completely Ma’doom. You had no intention of constructing anything on it. The plot that you bought with the intent to construct a house on, prepared a detailed plan, then constructed it, was the house that became Maujood in accordance with the requirements of what you had thought. If there is another plot in which you had no intention of construction, it is called Ma’doom e Mahez in Tasawwuf. It does not exist in ilm e ilahi.

All things that are in ilm e ilahi are Ma’doom but they can be Mumtaz. The word Mumtaz is used becausethey were in ilm e ilahi. We had said in an earlier session when Allah conjured up His cosmos, (Kuntu Kanzan Magfiyan Fa Khalaqtu Khalqa), when He willed that He be known, He prepared a map of the cosmos. All entities in the cosmos along with their requirements came into His knowledge at the blink of an eye. All of these entities were Ma’doom but were Mumtaz and were born. But those entities that are not in His knowledge were not born and will not be born. The entities that are in Ilm e ilahe, meet up with Qudrat at their appointed time and come into existence. Such entities were Ma’doom but Mumtaz. They were not Mutlaq Ma’doomat (confirmed nonexistences).

There are two items that are present in Maujood. One is Wajud, the other is Ayan e Thabita (the Knowledge of Allah). Ayan e Thabita is Ilm e Ilahi, the knowledge of Allah. When Allah swt willed the creation of the cosmos, then all entities that were to be created came into Ayan e Thabita. They were Ma’doom but they were not Ma’doom e Mahez. They were Mumtaz (meaning, preferred by virtue of the fact that they were in Ilm e Ilahi or Ayan e Thabita). They acquire their Wajud (come into existence) when they meet up with Qudrat (when Allah so will it).

Ayan e Thabita includes all of the particular attributes of an entity, such as, whether a person is good or bad, generous or tight fisted. An entity that is in Ayan e Thabita acquires its existence when Allah swt grants it Wajud at an appointed time. The multiplicity of existence is due to the multiplicity of Ayan e Thabita. Otherwise the soul of Wajud is One.

The manifestation of Ayan e Thabita (Ilm e Ilahi) is through Wajud. Examine the vast panorama of the world, the earth, water, air, the sky etc. In this vast collection of entities, there is Wajud but the Ayan e Thabita for each entity is different. Wajud is one and only one. When it connects with the various entities it brings them into existence in accordance wit their Ilmi Surat (conceived appearance).

Some people misunderstood this concept and made fun of it. They said Allah is everywhere – hama oost. Na’woozu billah, they said that it means even those who sell their bodies are also Allah. They interpreted it this way because of their lack of knowledge. The fact is that if you think about it, the matter will be clear to you. The meaning of Ayan e Thabita is different from the twist given to it by its detractors. Ilm e Ilahi (the Knowlede of Allah) contains everything including information about who becomes what. For instance, it may be that Zaid will be a pious man. Does Allah not know who is to appear till the Judgment Day and what he will do on earth? Everything is in His knowledge. Ilm e Ilahi contains everything about everyone till the Judgment Day, including, when he will be born and what he will become.

Ilm e Ilahi is not Jabr (compulsion). Allah swt created you, sent you guidance through books and guides. Even then, if you do wrong, you are responsible for your actions. Allah gave Ikhtiar (free will) to the human in some matters and withheld it in other matters. For instance, He kept the decision for life and death to Himself. He decides when someone is born and when someone dies. However, He gave you Ikhtiyar in certain things. You have the Ikhtiyar in your intentions and your deeds but the outcome of the deed is in Allah’s hands. If you have the intention of doing good then Innamal A’malu Bin Niyah. You will be asked only about that on which you were given Ikhtiyar. If you were Majboor (pre-programmed, helpless), you will not be asked about it.

So, the objections that some people have to the idea of Wahdat al Wajud are without basis. We say that Wajud e Haqeeqi is only Allah. There is a blanket of Light (the Noor of Allah) on all things in the cosmos. The blanket of Light makes them manifest. When that light falls on us, we acquire our contingent existence. He made us manifest and He hid himself behind the veils of His Asma wa Sifaat.

The capabilities and attributes given to you from Allah swt are manifest in Ayan e Thabita. The Ayan e Thabita has the capability of every person. There is no Jabr from Allah in what a person does. Your deeds are in accordance with your will and you will be entitled to reward and punishment. If a person does wrong by his will he will face punishment.

I want to emphasize that you are dependent on Allah for your Wajud (for your existence). With regards to your deeds, some of your deeds are through your own choice, others are beyond your control.  You will not be asked about the Acts of God that are beyond your control. You are Ma Bain Jabr Wa Qadr (In between Jabr and Qadr). You are neither Jabriya nor Qadriya. You are responsible only for what you choose and you earn the reward for following Amr wa Nahau (following what is prescribed and avoiding what is forbidden). What is in Ayan e Thabita is consistent with your capability. Everything that you will do is in Ayan e Thabita (ilm e ilahi). Allah knows what every person will do and will not do in accordance with his capability that is in Ayan e Thabita. Allah imparts Wajud to the cosmos through His Noor just as visible light imparts visibility to an invisible world. Our opponents distort these things.

It is clear that your deeds are in the knowledge of Allah. The deeds of those who will come after you till the Judgment Day are also in the knowledge of Allah. To repeat, this is called Ayan e Thabita, or the Knowledge of Allah, in the terminology of Tasawwuf. Ayan e Thabita contains the deeds of all the people who will be born till the Judgement Day. The Ayan e Thabita for every person is separate and distinct. The manifestations and essential attributes of a person are documented in his Ayan e Thabita. Wajud occurs when Ayan e Thabita meet up with Taqdir.

Allah swt warns you that if you obey him and his commandments you earn His favor, and if you disobey Him and do what is forbidden, you will earn His wrath. And He tells you all of this in accordance with His knowledge. He did not force you (make you majboor).

Q: Does everything that is in Ayan e Thabita become Maujood? Secondly, is everything that is in Ayan e

Thabita written in Luh e Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet)?

Ans. Whatever is in Ayan e Thabita will be Maujood (become manifest). That is in ilm e ilahi (Knowledge of Allah). When Allah swt willed to create the cosmos, all of creation that is to be created till the Judgment Day came into His knowledge. He is the Creator. The expanse of His creation is unimaginable.

The Qur’an says that all things came within His knowledge in the blink of an eye. Whatever anyone or anyone is to be, only that which is in the Knowledge of Allah will come into being.

Q: A house can have several alternate plans. Can there be alternate plans in Ayan e Thabita and can all of the alternate plans come into being?

Ans: No. The construction of a house was offered only by way of an example. The final approved plan is the only one that is built. Similarly, only that which is Mumtaz comes into being. This is only by way an explanation. Ma’dum e Mahez is like a house that was thought of but was never built. One of the houses you thought of was Ma’dum but it became Mumtaz because you desired to build your house in accordance with it. You may have five or ten plans but only one is Mumtaz; all the others are Ma’dum e Mahez. Similarly, wewere all in Ilm e Ilahi. If we were not in Ilm e Ilahi, we would not be born. The Hadith Kuntu Kansan Makhfiya Fa Khalakhtu Khalqa….I was an unknown treasure and I willed that I be known. So, He willed to create the cosmos. All the people who are to be born till the Day of Judgement and all the things came into His knowledge. When we came into Ilm e Ilahi, we became Mumtaz. Not Maujood yet. There may be people who will come a thousand years after us. We do not know when Youmul Qiyamat will be. All these people are in Ilm e Ilahi. Only those who are in Ilm e Ilahi will be born. Those who are not yet born are Ma’dum but they are Mumtaz. Why? Because they are in Ilm e Ilahi. In Sufi terminology, those who are in Ilm e Ilahi will be born. Those who are not in Ma’lumat e Ilahi will not be born.

Q. The knowledge of Allah swt (Ilm e Ilahi) is much greater than Ayan e Thabita, isn’t it?

Ans. Yes. We are discussing it only with respect to the cosmos. If someone asks you about the cosmos you answer is that this is duniya and this is Akhira. We are in A’lam e Shahadat. After it comes Alam e Akhira. What are our limits? Our limits are this world and the world to come, A’lam e Shahada and A’lam e Akhira. We have no connection to anything else in Ilm e Ilahi. When you study a man’s life, you may observe that he spends his life, does good things, and thinks that his Akhira will be good, he will enter Jannah and partake of its blessings.

The world that we are in is Darul Amal (The world of deeds). It is a place of trial. The requirements for a place of trial have been shown to us. After this world, what is Darul Jaza? How can a person encompass it? That is boundless. I had said to you earlier that Dhat e Ilahi is limitless. But our concern is only with duniya and akhira and that is all we consider and study. We have been created to know our Creator and worship Him. It has been shown to us what our responsibilities are. Our responsibility is to recognize our Creator. How do you recognize Him? You cultivate closeness to Him. The closeness, namely, Ma’rifat e Ilahi, is limitless. The Prophet is the closest to Allah swt in all the worlds. Our responsibility is to get close to Him according to our ability and cultivate knowledge about Him. What kind of closeness can be cultivated, what are deeds that Allah will accept and bring us close to Him? We should discuss only what concerns that limit us. What is Ilm e Ilahi? There is no power on earth that can circumscribe the knowledge of Allah. It is limitless. So, to answer what is the limit of Ilm e Ilahi is beyond he capability of any human.

It has been said that whatever things there are, Allah spreads a blanket of Noor over them. It is His blanket of Noor. When he spread the blanket then those things that were in darkness became manifest.

Al Noor is a Name of Allah swt. Here is an important part of the philosophy of the Sufis. I am seeing you.

How am I seeing you? According to the spiritual description of the Sufis, there is a ray of light emanating from my eyes. This ray of light is falling on your face. In between there is al Haq, namely, Allah swt. He is making you manifest. This is a profound observation. It is to be pondered over. As Ali (r ) said: “I do not see anything unless I see the Truth”.

I will present to you two Ayahs from the Quran in this discussion. One is Allahu Noorus samawatai wal ard. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. Is there any space where Allah is not present? He is present everywhere. He is the One who makes everything manifest. He circumscribes the entire cosmos. The second second Ayah is:  Wa nahnu aqrabu ilaihi bil hablul Wareed (We are closer to him than his jugular vein). What is the meaning of this? Some people say thatthe a’bd and ma’bud are separate. He is Qadir e Mutlaq (Omnipotent) and we are nothing in Hispresence. Our Wajud is notional. We have His Noor with us through which we are manifest. We were Ma’doom. When Noor e Ilahi appeared, we appeared. After we appeared we showed our works to theworld .This philosophy of hama oost (he is everywhere) is an explanation of the Qur’an and this is whatwe are studying. This is wahdatul Wajud. Wajud is One. We are possible, notional, imaginary. There is acouplet of a Sufi poet (in Urdu):

Pata lagaye koyi kya kahe pate ka pata

Mere pete ka pata hai ke la pata hum maiN

If a man dies, you ask him where he is, he cannot speak, so you ask someone else: Where is he? You say you have Wajud, I am here, I am visible. OK. You are here but for how long? For how many years? A hundred years? Where are you after that? Where is the man who has passed away? Allahu baqi wa min kullu fani. He is everlasting and eternal. The manifestations and essential attributes of every person are all inscribed in Ilm e Ilahi. They are not related to Wajud and if at all there is any connection it is that their appearance is impossible without Wajud.

What is pointed out here that the sinful things you are doing are not connected with the One who gave you Wajud. Allah gave you Wajud and gave you Ikhtiyar (choice, free will) in your intent and your deeds. Your attributes and  manifestations were in Ayan e Thabita. In other words, He is not responsible for whether you do good or bad. He is the Malik. He is Qadir e Mutlaq. He made the cosmos with a system so that He rewards the good and punishes the evil. This is Mash’iat e Ilahi and we cannot interfere with it. You cannot say that that what you are doing is the responsibility of the One who gave you Wajud. He gave you Wajud and He gave you guidance and Ikhtiyar in your intent and deeds. This is a different subject. Our subject is that you were Ma’dum and you are now Maujood. You were in darkness and now you are in Light. Once you are Maujood, you will receive your compensation for good and evil on the Day of Judgment. The Maujudiyet of everything is predicated upon Him. The worldly experience of the Shariah cannot be imputed to dhat e ilahi but the meaning is sometimes displaced.

The followig reasoning is acceptable to the mind. All of cosmos is Ma’doom and if it Maujood it is because it has a connection with Wajud. If that connection is cut, you cannot make it Maujood. The human is a combine of the Ruh and the body. If He pulls out the Ruh we become Ma’doom. Whatever is manifest is only Wajud because the nonexistence cannot make itself manifest by virtue of its nonexistence.

What is pointed out here is Allahu Haq. He alone is Baqi. Our Wajud is dependent on His decision. We are alive as long as He wills. When He takes the Ruh we are gone. You may say you will be resurrected on the Judgment Day with appearances, clothes etc., on the Judgement Day but that is a different subject. If we are discussing this world, we know we will disappear after death and we will not be visible in the world. The dead person is not visible to you.

The essence of this session is that Allah is Wahdatul Wajud. He was always there and will always be there. If anything is manifest, it is only Wajud since a thing that is nonexistent cannot by itself be manifest. If it is manifest it is only because of its connection with Wajud. His Spirit is the connection with

Wajud. Qul ir Ruhui min amr rabbi (Tell them that the Ruh is the business of your Sustainer). As long as you are with the Ruh, you are alive. When the Ruh leaves, you are finished. Then what remains? What

remains is Allah. If a thing has zuhoor (manifest) it is through its association with Wajud. When the Sufiya say Wahdat al Wajud, they mean the Wajud is ever lasting, eternal. It was, it is and it will be. Our

Wajud is our relationship with His Wajud. He created the relationship. As to how many years this relationship lasts is His decision. We are Maujood because of His Wajud. His Wajud is Biz Dhat. Our Wajud is Biz Arz . These are two terms of tasawwuf. Allah is Maujood Bizzat. He is not begotten nor does He beget. He exists by Himself. We are Bil Arz. We were born when someone gave us birth. Our Wajud is Masdari (dependent on someone else). Since our existence is dependent on Wajud, a human can call himself fani and nonexistent. His relationship with Wajud is special and if his vision turns towards Wajud then the panorama of hama oost unfolds. Hama oost means only He is everywhere. It is for this reason that the elders of faith who are the inheritors of both types of knowledge, for instance, Shaikh Afdhal (may Allah be pleased with him), have said: Ma anta huwa bal anta huwa (I am not, there is only He). Wajud is Wahid and the elders of faith have said hama oost and its reality is Ayan e Thabita which is presented here.

If anyone says that we do not need to pray then such a person is a disbeliever before the Sufiya as Allah swt has clearly said ma khlaqtul jinna wal ins illa leyabudoon. There are repeated injunctions to offer prayers. Such a person cannot benefit from Wahdat al Wajud.  If the meaning of Wahdat al Wajud was as they propound, there would bevno punishment in this world. There is only one Wajud in duniya and akhirat. Personal opinions cannot change this. Yes, it is another matter that with excellence of prayer you can reach a station where a person becomes His sama wa basar but this has no relationship to Wahdat al Wajud. That station is a fruit of excellence in prayer.

In other words, the Shaikh is emphasizing that if you say : My Wajud is only of Allah, not mine and therefore  my sins are not punishable, that is wrong. It is through a relationship with Wajud that you are Maujood. If you are dependent for your Wajud on Allah, the injunctions wa Aqeemus Salat wa Atuz Zakat are in no way affected and you will definitely be punished if you sin. If you do good you will benefit. If you say that Wahdatal Wajud was the Wajud of Allah and I had no Wajud, it is wrong. It is true you got your Wajud from Allah but as long as you are in the world you also accepted responsibilities. We see in the world that fire burns, things that are harmful do harm, So, we have to understand that wahdatal Wajud is one Wajud . It has to be taken in the sense that the Wajud that we received was due to the Wajud of Allah swt and we became manifest. Wahdatul Wajud means He is eternal, al Hayy, He is hama oost. We are alive for a limited period and it is incumbent upon us to perform good deeds and make them so excellent that we become worthy of Jannah and escape from the great fire.

This is an  exposition of Wahdat al Wajud. One cannot doubt it because the following two Ayahs of the Quran are Muhkam (established) and not from mutashabihat: Allahu Noorus samawat e wal ard (Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth) and wa nahnu alaihi bil hablil wareed ( I am closer to you than your jugular vein). Allah is with us to the extent of Wajud. Guidance is something else. Action is another matter.

This is the philosophy of Wahdatal Wajud. There are gradations beyond it. It propounds Wahdatas Shuhood. I will say a few words about Wahdatas Shuhood. The proponents of Wahdatas Shuhud say that Allah and His makhlooq are separate. In contrast, the proponents of Wahdatal Wajud say that the human is notional, imaginary. Otherwise, there is none but Allah.

The proponents of Wahdatal Wajud say that the wave that is visible from the shores is of a certainty imaginary but the ocean itself is the Truth. The proponents of Wahdat as Shuhud say that the ocean and the wave are separate. In Wahdatas Shuhud, Wajud is Waqayi (the truth). In Wahdatal Wajud the imagination is one.

The evidence for Wahdatal Wajud is as follows: You make a chessboard of wax. You make different pieces from the wax. These pieces are E’tebari. The reality is the wax. Similarly, you make vessels from clay. You make different pieces. But their reality is clay. These are Tai’yunat. The chess pieces as well as the pottery pieces are Tai’yunat. You have fixed the shape but the reality of each piece is wax or clay. In Tai’yunat you say this piece is a pawn, this one is a knight, this other one is a rook and so on. Similarly, Wahdatal Wajud holds that Allah is present in everything and He is the Truth. He has given us life. We are notional, imaginary. We are the E’tebar of Allah. But in this E’tebari world it is necessary to act. He has given us Ikhtiyar in our intent and our actions. He has written in the heavenly book, the Qur’an that we must establish prayer and give zakat. As long as have the Wajud, we must be aware of what is prescribed and what is forbidden.

Wa akhirut da’wana alhamdu lillahi rabbil alameen. Wa salatu was salamu ala sayyedul mursaleen Wal

hamdu lillahi Rabbil alameen. Al Fateha.