A Thousand Wisdoms - Chapter Shin
Chapter Shin
Tags: Shin
470 - Shahid
Witness, present:
Study verse (11:17): "Is he then (like unto him) who is on a clear proof from his Lord, and a witness of him who follows him." (Sharh, Vol. 8, p. 311) The one who is on the clear proof is the holy Prophet and his witness is Mawla `Ali (a.s.). How can it be possible for an ordinary person to be the witness of the Prophethood and Messengership of the holy Prophet while it is an inner and spiritual matter and not an external one? That is, one needed to see with the inner eye how the glorious Qur’an revealed to the holy Prophet from the Divine Word, the Supreme Pen, the Guarded Tablet and the angels. Without all these observations there cannot be a true testimony.
471 - Shajarah
Tree:
The mamthul (meaning, object) of the examples of all the blessed trees mentioned in the wise Qur’an is only one in the heaven of the personal world, and that is the surat-i Rahman or the Supreme Angel. Since he himself is the world of oneness, therefore he is the Universal Intellect, the Universal Soul, natiq, asas and monoreality as well. In short, all higher meanings are gathered here and spread from here.
472 - Sharaban tahura
Extremely pure wine:
Verse (76:21) says: "And their Lord shall give them to drink an extremely pure wine." By this wine is meant the Divine vision which is the wine of love, and by drinking which the friends of God become and remain pure.
473 - Shi`r
Poetry, poem:
Hazrat Ibn `Abbas reports that the holy Prophet said: "Indeed, in some of the poetry there is wisdom." That is, there can be wisdom in the poetry of those poets who adhere to true guidance, otherwise the holy Qur’an condemns those poets who do not follow the true guidance and have gone astray. (26:224).
474 - Shughul
Work, business:
It is said in verse (36:55): "Verily, today the people of paradise have joy and comfort in what they do." For instance, the work of teaching those people who are brought to paradise by the force of the sur of Israfil.
475 - Shifa'
Healing, health:
It is a bright proof of spiritual science that one important aspect of the diverse aspects of the Qur'an and the Hadith is related to heavenly medical science, treatment and healing. Therefore, one of the names of the wise Qur’an is "Shifa'" (10:57; 17:82).
476 - Shafa`ah
Intercession:
The holy Prophet has said: "Indeed, from my ummat there are some who can intercede for (many) groups." (Tirmidhi, IV, 627). This Hadith is about the kamils (the perfect ones) and `arifs (those who have attained ma`rifat).
477 - Shakur (1)
Very grateful:
Anyone can fulfil ordinary gratitude, but special gratitude is very difficult, because it is possible only in the light of wisdom, as God says in verse (31:12): "And We gave wisdom to Luqman (and said): Be grateful to Allah!” Wisdom is a very great gift of God which He grants to very few of His servants, as mentioned in verse (34:13): "And very few of My servants are grateful." That is, the people of wisdom are very few indeed.
478 - Shakur (2)
Very grateful:
It is said about Hazrat Nuh (17:3): "Verily, he was a grateful servant." That is, in his personal world there was the inner wealth and wisdom of the entire world and accordingly he was grateful and appreciative in a practical sense. Such attributes and virtues are possessed by all Prophets and awliya’.
479 - Shakur (3)
Very grateful:
Although the expression of gratitude is a useful bandagi in all times, in its true sense, it can only be accomplished at the height of receiving great bounties. This is stated after the mention of the accomplishment of the work of jinn in the spiritual kingdom of Hazrat Sulayman: "O children of Dawud! Act in the way of gratitude. Verily few of My servants are grateful." (34:13). That is, do favour to the people according to the great bounties which God has granted you, so that it may be a practical gratitude to God, i.e. appreciation of His bounties.
480 - Shuhada' (sing. shahid) (1)
Witnesses:
God addresses the pure Imams thus: "And thus We have made you a just ummat, so that you may be witnesses over mankind, and so that the Messenger may be a witness over you." A witness is the one who is present, thus the Imam is witness over the people in the sense that he, by the command of God, is always present in their exterior and interior.
481 - Shuhada' (2)
Witnesses:
The wisdom of the above-mentioned verse shows that the `arifs and kamils can see the Imam of the time within themselves as well, because the Imam as the witness over their deeds is present externally and internally. This is an irrefutable proof in the light of the wise Qur’an that the Prophet is witness over the Imams and the Imams over the people.
482 - Shuhada' (3)
Witnesses:
It is said in verse (9:105): "And (O Prophet) say: Act, Allah beholds your deeds, and His Messengers and the believers (mu’minun)." According to Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, by the mu'minun are meant the Imams who guide the people (Da`a'im, I, 21).
483 - Shuhada' (4)
Witnesses:
The deeds of people are seen by the Imams after God and the holy Prophet, in the sense that they are present and witness. Thus, the `arifs and kamils can certainly see the Imam of the time in his luminosity and can acquire spiritual knowledge directly from him, because he is the speaking Book. (23:62; 45:29).
484 - Shuhada' (5)
Witnesses:
It is said in verse (23:62): "And with Us (i.e. in Our special proximity) is a Book; it speaks the truth, and they are not (will not be) dealt with unjustly (yuzlamun)." "Yuzlamun" is an aorist which is used both for the present and the future. How then can this speaking Book be separate from the glorious Qur’an? Had it been so, there would have been some defect in its completeness and perfection. It is not so, rather the speaking Book is its inner light and Teacher, who in reality, is not separate from the Qur'an, as the holy Prophet says: "The Qur'an is with `Ali and `Ali is with the Qur'an", just as the holy Prophet was not separate from the Qur'an.
485 - Shuhada' (6)
Witnesses, those who are present:
It is possible to speak with the Imam in spirituality and the inner states because he is witness and the witness is present and not absent. He is the speaking Book in the sense that he speaks to the `arifs. He is the light of guidance, but unlike the rays of the sun, his rays are not lifeless, irrational and silent, rather full of life, rational and speaking.
486 - Shuhur (sing. shahr)
Months:
It is mentioned in verse (9:36): "Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah's Book (since) the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are sacred. That is the religion of the qa'im." That is, the twelve hujjats of the Imam of the time work during the spiritual creation and progress of the personal world. This is the number in the Speaking Book of God (i.e. the Imam), of whom four hujjats are revered and close. This is the firm religion of Hazrat qa'im, may the most excellent greeting and salutation be upon him.
487 - Shayatin (sing. Shaytan)
Intractable and evil people from among mankind and jinn:
Every Messenger has enemies from among mankind and jinn (6:113). It is a great secret of Divine wisdom that the trial and tribulation of the Perfect Man is not possible without this.
488 - Shaytan
(Personal) Satan:
The holy Prophet said: “There is nobody among you who does not have a (personal) Satan. (The Companions) said: And you also, O the Messenger of God? He said: I also had one, except that God helped me against him and he surrendered and does not command to do except good.” (Ihya’, III, 27-28).
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