A Thousand Wisdoms - Chapter Ra'
Chapter Ra'
Tags: Ra'
369 - Raji`un
Those who return:
Verse (2:156) shows that the human soul has come here from the presence of God and therefore, it has to go back to Him, as is said: "(When a misfortune befalls them) they say: Verily, we belong to God and we have to return to Him." It should be remembered that the final stage of returning to God is fana' fi'llah (annihilation in God).
370 - ar-Rasikhuna fi'l `ilm
Those who are firm in knowledge:
In verse (3:7), it is mentioned: "While none knows its ta'wil except Allah and those (who are) firmly rooted in knowledge." Hazrat Imam Muhammad al-Baqir has said: "The Messenger of God is the most excellent among those who are firm in knowledge. He (God) has taught him all that which He reveals to him of tanzil and ta'wil and nothing was revealing to him, but he knew its ta'wil. Then after him the rasikhun fi’l `ilm, who know the entire ta'wil of the Qur’an, are the awsiya' (sing. wasiyy), the legatees." (Da`a'im, I, 22-23)
371 - Ra`in (1)
Shepherd, king, ruler:
It is said in a Hadith: "Each one of you is a shepherd and each one of you is accountable for his herd (on the Day of Resurrection)." Another translation: "Each one of you is a king (potentially) and each one of you is accountable for his subjects (on the Day of Resurrection)." That is, on the Day of Resurrection each one of you will be asked what did you do for your subjects. (Bukhari, Cairo, II, 6; Delhi, II, 8-9; Lughat, Ra', pp. 95-96, Tirmidhi, IV, 208)
372 - Ra`in (2)
Shepherd, governor, sovereign:
O my dear! You have understood the fact that there is a complete copy of the universe and the existents in the personal world of each individual. Thus, by the infinite mercy of God, every individual has potentially become a king whose subjects are in the entire world. However, it is now up to the people of faith to actualise the kingdom of their personal world through their knowledge and good deeds.
373 - Ra`in (3)
Shepherd, king:
In many Qur'anic verses and Ahadith it is mentioned that obedient and successful souls will be kings in paradise. Those who will not be able to attain this status, will have done injustice to their personal world due to their ignorance and inaction or lack of good deeds.
O my dear! It is certainly a great favour of God to teach the realities and recognitions through the concept of the personal world. Therefore, there has been and continues to be great success in this method of teaching.
374 - Rabb (1)
Sustainer, Nourisher, Lord:
It is said in verse (1:1): "All praise belongs to Allah, the Sustainer of the (personal) worlds." That is, He nourishes human beings physically, spiritually and intellectually.
375 - Rabb (2)
Sustainer, Nourisher, Lord:
It is said in verse (7:54): "Blessed is Allah, the Sustainer of all (personal) worlds." That is, there is a blessed sustainer whom God has appointed for the intellectual upbringing of the personal worlds.
376 - Ratq (1)
Closed up, joined together, sewn up:
It is mentioned in verse (21:30): "Have not those who disbelieved seen that the heavens and the earth were closed up, and that We clove them asunder? And out of water We made all things alive." That is, man was once on the heaven of the Intellect and Soul, then God brought him into this material world, and made it imperative for him to be saturated with the water of knowledge, so that he may be truly revived and return to the higher world.
377 - Ratq (2)
Closed up, joined together, sewn up:
"Have not those who disbelieve seen that the heavens and the earth were closed up, and that We clove them asunder." (21:30) The secret that the angel Universal Intellect is the heaven and the angel Universal Soul is the earth is extremely great. These two, by the command of God, are one as well as separate and there are countless wisdoms in this decree of God.
378 - Ratq (3)
Closed up, joined together, sewn up:
At the exalted place where the heaven and the earth are joined, the heaven has descended and become the earth and the earth has ascended and become the heaven. From this aspect, the vicegerency (khilafat) of Adam is related not only to the planet earth, but to the entire cosmic earth by which is meant the Universal Soul, from which the Universal Intellect is not separate. Thus, such a universal khilafat or vicegerency is created for Adam and his children.
379 - Rajim
Primary meaning: one who stones and is stoned:
This is derived from rajm (to stone) on the pattern of fa`il in the sense of both active participle “stoning” and passive participle “stoned”. In a secondary sense it also means "cursed". Satan is called rajim in the sense that his work is to stone by false and incorrect discourses, so that a mu'min who is weak in true knowledge may be frightened by it and become his victim, or die with respect to the soul of faith or suffer from doubt. This is the esoteric wisdom. But exoterically, people neither know the stoning Satan, nor do they feel the pain of his stoning.
380 - Rahman (1)
The Beneficent:
It is said in verses (55:1-2): "The Beneficent taught the Qur'an." Exegesis and ta'wil: The Beneficent according to His sublime law (sunnat) taught the Perfect Man the spiritual and intellectual secrets of the Qur'an through the beautiful names. "He created man and taught him speech (bayan)." (55:3-4) Exegesis and ta'wil: He created the Perfect Man spiritually and intellectually by teaching him the esoteric and luminous knowledge of His Book and then He taught him ta'wil (bayan).
381 - Rahman (2)
The Beneficent:
It is said in verse (55:5): "The sun and the moon rotate with a reckoning." Exegesis and ta'wil: Natiq and asas are the sun and the moon of the world of religion. Therefore, here the night too, is as bright as the day. This is because the physical moon is far away from the physical sun and cannot be one with it and illumine the universe, but the sun and the moon of the world of religion are like "light upon light (24:35)”. Also see verse (75:9): "And the sun and the moon will be brought together."
382 - Rahman (3)
The Beneficent:
"And the star and the tree both prostrate themselves." (55:6) Exegesis and ta'wil: In the sacred Sanctuary of the personal world, the star is the Universal Intellect and the tree the Universal Soul. Both prostrate to God in the sense of obedience, so that the order of the world of knowledge and recognition may continue.
383 - Rahman (4)
The Beneficent:
"And He raised the heaven and placed the Balance (in it)" (55:7) Exegesis and ta'wil: In the beginning of the personal world the heaven and the earth are joined together (as one unit) (21:30). Then with spiritual progress He separates the heaven from the earth and raises it and places the balance of knowledge and wisdom in it and not on the earth, so that it may be used only by the one who is able to reach there.
384 - Rahman (5)
The Beneficent:
Another ta'wil of separating the heaven from the earth and raising it is that God raises every Prophet and Imam from the earth of da`wat and makes him the heaven of knowledge and wisdom, as God says: "Have not those who disbelieve seen that the heavens and the earth were joined together and then We clove them asunder?" (21:30).
385 - Rahmah
Mercy, kindness, every bounty which is necessary for the soul:
It is mentioned in verse (21:107): "And We sent you not but as a mercy unto the worlds (personal worlds)." According to Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq, by the worlds are only meant human beings and human beings are born in all times. Thus, the holy Prophet is made the treasure and centre of mercy or the universal mercy for the cycle of Prophets as well as for the cycle of Imams. Therefore, the holy Prophet, according to his own blessed words, is the chief of Prophets. If someone is truly the leader of his community, then he is the chief both in word and deed. That is, the true chief is the one who benefits the community in every respect.
386 - Rahiq (1)
Pure wine:
It is mentioned in verses (83:25-26): "They will be given to drink a sealed pure wine, the seal of which is musk." By the sealed pure wine are meant the spiritual words of the Qur'an, the Hadith and the Imam of the time, in which are hidden the wonders and marvels of wisdom and recognition, which are pleasant and soul-nourishing like the sealed pure wine.
387 - Rahiq (2)
Pure wine:
Sealed pure wine is the given knowledge (`ilm-i ladunni), and the science of ta'wil which is received from the perfect words and the hidden Book. Thus, it is both the knowledge of the Imam as well as the wine of love for him. Just as worldly love awakens by drinking worldly wine, similarly, the vision of his knowledge is attained by the wine of love for him. This is because true knowledge is his light and is felt and perceived in many ways.
388 - Rizq
Sustenance:
It is said in verse (2:25): "And whoever will be given fruits as food, they will say: This is what was given to us before." Three kinds of nourishment can be received in this world: physical, spiritual and intellectual. Physical nourishment is the one in which mu'mins, disbelievers and animals share equally. Spiritual and intellectual nourishment is special for the people of faith. It is this nourishment which is given in paradise, but in the most excellent and superb form.
389 - Rasul Allah
The Messenger of God:
Some of the names of the holy Prophet: Tabataba (pure) in the Injil (Gospel); Marmad (existent) in the Torah (the Pentateuch); Barqalit (the one who distinguishes between right and wrong) in Zabur (Psalms); Ukhra ya qadma (the one who comes at the end but excels all others) in Suhuf of Ibrahim; Samsam (the one who foils opponent's argument by incisive proof) in the Suhuf of Shith; Muqni` (exalted) in the Suhuf of Adam; Qani` (content) in the Suhuf of Ash`iya and Armiya; `Abdu'l-Jabbar (the servant of the Omnipotent God) among the groups of birds and `Abdu'l-Ghafur (the servant of the Forgiver) among the cattle; Nabiyyu'r-rahmah (the Prophet of mercy) with Jinn and Nabiyyu'l-mulhamah (the eating and drinking Prophet) with the devils. (Muntakhabat Isma`iliyyah, p. 215)
390 - Rafi`
Exalter, exalted:
It is mentioned in verse (40:15): "The Exalter of ranks, the Lord of the Throne (`arsh)." The wisdom of this verse is that the ladder of ranks goes up to the Throne. You should also study verses (70:1-4) carefully and note whether the rank of fana' fi'llah is on the supreme throne or on the earth? Is the heart of a believing servant not the throne of recognition?
391 - ar-Rafiq al-a`la
Higher "I", Monoreality:
At the end of his pure life, the holy Prophet had said this wisdom-filled prayer: "O Allah! Forgive me, have mercy on me and join me with the Companion-on-High. (Ahadith-i Mathnawi, p. 130).
Question: Who is the Companion-on-High?
Answer: Higher "I".
Question: In what sense is he a companion?
Answer: He is a companion in the journey of the endless life. That is, every mu'min has a Companion-on-High.
392 - Raqim
Inscription, writing:
One of the spiritual marvels and wonders is that sometimes writing appears in front of the inner eye. This surely is an allusion to the fact that there are bounties in paradise in the form of writing too (18:9).
393 - Ramayta
You threw:
It is mentioned in verse (8:17): "And you did not throw (the dust) but Allah did it." This shows that Allah has the power of executing some of His acts by the hand of His Messenger, because the hand of the Messenger is the hand of God. (48:10)
394 - Rawh Allah (1)
Mercy of God:
It is mentioned in verse (12:87): "And do not despair of Allah's mercy." Here by the mercy of God is meant Hazrat Imam Yusuf and thus it is correct to say that the Imam of the time is God's mercy after the holy Prophet.
395 - Rawh Allah (2)
Mercy of God:
In verse (12:87) God says: “And do not despair of Allah’s mercy.” Allah’s mercy, in reality, is the name of a great soul, who is the Imam of the time. Thus, rawhu’llah and ruhu’llah are the same thing.
396 - Ru'ya (pl. ru'an) (1)
Vision, dream:
It is said in a Hadith: "Indeed, the dream of a mu'min is a part of the 46 parts of Prophethood." (Muslim, IV, 1773; Tirmidhi, IV, 533). This is related to true mu'mins, because the miraculous dream is a kind of spirituality.
397 - Ru'ya (2)
Vision, dream:
It is said in a Hadith: "The dream of Prophets is revelation", as mentioned in verse (37:102): "Verily, I saw in a dream that I was slaughtering you." (The dream of Hazrat Ibrahim) and that of a true mu'min is one of the 46 parts of Prophethood. (Bukhari, Cairo, I, 46, Delhi, I, 454)
398 - Ru'ya (3)
Vision, dream:
Common people are not able to understand that the dreams of the Prophets and the Imams are linked with the spiritual world, as was the dream of Hazrat Ibrahim, in which he, by the command of God, sacrificed his beloved son Hazrat Isma`il (37:102). Indeed, in such a luminous dream full of spirituality, the holy Prophet had observed extremely great secrets of mi`raj (spiritual ascent) (17:60). God tested the people by it. Since God intended to try people, the key explanation of mi`raj is not given and it is left to knowledge and recognition. And this Divine law (sunnat) has continued to try people again and again.
399 - Rih Yusuf
The fragrance of Yusuf, i.e. spiritual fragrance:
Hazrat Ya`qub said: "I get the fragrance of Yusuf." (12:94). Hazrat Yusuf was the Imam. One of the spiritual miracles of the Imam is the manifestation of spiritual fragrances.
400 - Rayhan
Sweet basil, sustenance:
By the sweet basil which is an aromatic plant, is meant the spiritual aroma or fragrance which is the food of the people of paradise, as mentioned in verse (56:89): "There is (for him) rest, food of aroma and gardens of delight." (Wonders and Marvels of Spiritual Science, pp. 4-5 also "The olfactory sense will discover a new nourishment" in Balance of Realities, pp. 40-42)
| Chapter Index | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |