A Key to Wisdom - What is outside Heaven?
What is outside Heaven?
Q. What is the shape of the outer surface of the universal body or circumambient sphere?
A. It is spherical. Q. What is its proof? A. The shape of the sun, the moon, our earth (which is a planet), other planets and fixed stars, etc. is spherical, and it is so because of the influence of the spherical shape of the circumambient sphere. Another proof is that among all shapes it is the spherical shape in which the utmost balance is found. Had there not been balance in its form and shape, there would have been imbalance in the foundation of the universe, due to which it would not have stayed firm and would have become extinct.
If it is asked: Q. What is outside the circumambient sphere?
A. Beyond the supreme or circumambient sphere there is no body at all. There it is neither space nor void, rather it is the imaginary void. In reality, it is the boundary of spacelessness. That is, it is not a physical place, but is the boundary of the circle of soul, namely, the boundary of the Universal Soul upon which the entire universe depends.
Again if it is asked: Q. What is above the circle of the Universal Soul?
A. The circle of the Universal Soul is surrounded by the circle of the Universal Intellect, because in the particular example the human soul is surrounded by its intellect. Q. What is higher than the Universal Intellect? Here all questions come to an end, because there cannot be anything higher than the Universal Intellect. Nor can someone say that God is higher than the Universal Intellect, because if we conceive that after the Universal Intellect or a degree still higher than it, is the place of God, it would mean that God has a limited place and He is within our knowledge, because we understood His limit, etc. Such concepts are not correct.
The constitution of the universe is such that the outer surface of the universal body is surrounded from every side by the light of the Universal Soul, as if the entire universe and its greatest circumambient sphere is immersed in the ocean of the light of the Universal Soul, and then the ocean of the Universal Soul is surrounded by the ocean of the Universal Intellect, as is clear from this noble verse: "O our Lord! You comprehend everything (universe) in mercy and knowledge." (40:7). Here by mercy is meant the Universal Soul and by knowledge, the Universal Intellect, because mercy is the attribute of the soul and knowledge that of the intellect. Thus the mercy and knowledge in which the universe is immersed, are the Universal Soul and the Universal Intellect. It is thus evident that among the ranks and degrees of the universe, the Universal Intellect (knowledge) is that highest place, higher than which there is nothing, nor is there anything outside it. It is thus imperative for every wise person, as far as possible, to acquire knowledge at any cost, particularly religious knowledge, so that God, the Exalted, (as a reward for acquiring knowledge) may give him that highest place which He has granted to the Universal Intellect.
Wa's-salām!
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