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A Thousand Wisdoms - Chapter Mim

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Chapter Mim

Tags: Mim

789 - Mata

He died:

It is said in a Hadith: "He who dies, indeed his resurrection is resurrected." That is, for the salik who dies spiritually before the physical death, the personal (spiritual) resurrection takes place. (Ihya', IV, 64)

790 - Ma' (1)

Water:

The ta'wil of water is knowledge. Study verse (24:45): "Allah has created every moving creature from water (i.e. He has created those who walk by dhikr and `ibadat from knowledge). Some of them crawl on their bellies (i.e. the dhikr of some of them is in an inner state without fixed words), some of them walk on two legs, some of them walk on four (i.e. the dhikr of some is of two names and of some four names)”.

791 - Ma' (2)

Water:

The water of spiritual knowledge always rains from the heaven of the light of guidance, as mentioned in verse (25:48): "And We sent pure water down from the heaven." Water also comes from far distant streams, but such water is not praised in this way.

792 - Mubarak (1)

Blessed:

The holy Qur'an is the treasure of the good and the beauty of God and the centre of His gifts and bounties (6:92). It is necessary to repeatedly reflect upon its verses because their spiritual and intellectual blessings never cease (38:29). The inner blessings of the silent Qur'an are attained when a fortunate mu'min recognises the speaking Qur'an, because he is its light and teacher.

793 - Mubarak (2)

Blessed:

In this book refer to "`ilm (knowledge)" which shows that there is knowledge in the exterior and interior of everything. The word barakah (blessing) is mentioned in many places in the holy Qur'an, the ultimate and special meaning of which is the blessing of intellect and knowledge. Knowledge is the light of intellect which, according to a Hadith-i qudsi, is the most beloved creature of God that is created in a beloved (servant) of God. Thus, there is the greatest honour and the fragrance of Divine love in knowledge.

794 - Mubarak (3)

Blessed:

In verse (23:29) there is a very great wisdom-filled representative prayer, which is: "And say: O my Lord, disembark me in a blessed place (of embarkment) and you are the best of disembarkers."

Thus, the blessed place for our souls is the astral body of the Imam.

795 - Mithlahum

The like of them:

In verse (36:81) it is mentioned: "Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them", that is, the body of similitude which is the ibda`i body. Thus, in paradise there will be the ibda`i body and not the physical body.

796 - Mithlahunna

Like them:

In verse (65:12) God says: "Allah is He Who created seven heavens and of the earth like them." That is, there is an earth under every heaven. Thus, there are seven heavens and seven earths. The recognition of these heavens and earths in the world of religion and in the personal world is such that the lords of the seven cycles are the seven heavens and their abwab (sing. bab, gates) are the seven earths.

797 - Mathil

Harun Like or match of Harun:

The holy Prophet said to Mawla `Ali: "O `Ali! You are to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there will be no Prophet after me." (Sharh, X, 177). The wisdom-filled allusion of the Prophet is that we should also see Mawla `Ali in the mirror of the manifestation of Hazrat Harun in the wise Qur'an.

798 - (ghayr) Majdhudh

Incessant:

In verse (11:108) it is mentioned that the fortunate people remain in paradise forever. They have an incessant gift. Here there is an indication that the upper end of soul or the higher “I” is always in paradise, because it is the azali reflection of the Divine light and therefore, it is everpresent. Everything of the universe and existents constantly moves on a circle (21:33; 36:40). Thus, the innumerable and infinite bounties of paradise are on a circle which has neither a beginning nor an end.

799 - Mahabbatan minni

Love from Me, love from God:

God said to Hazrat Musa in verse (20:39): "And I cast down upon you (the reflection of) love from Me." Here it is clear that the love for the Prophet and Imam is obligatory, because they are the mazhar of the Divine love from the very beginning.

800 - Mahjubun

Barred ones, veiled ones:

See verse (83:15): "Nay, verily that day they shall be barred from (the vision of) their Lord." Contrarily, this shows that on the Day of Resurrection, some people will have the holy vision of their Benevolent Lord.

801 - Muhammad

Praised:

The name of the holy Prophet which is mentioned in four places in the wise Qur'an (3:144; 33:40; 47:2; 48:29).
The root of Muhammad is "hamd" which is one of the names of the Universal Intellect. The ta'wil of this is that the holy Prophet is the mazhar of the Universal Intellect and in every personal world, the light of Muhammad (s.a.s.) has precedence over everything.

802 - Madda'z-zilla

He spread the shadow:

It is said in verses (25:45-46): "Have you not seen how your Lord has extended the shadow? If He willed He would certainly have made it stationary. Then We have made the sun its guide. Then We seized it in Our hand with an easy seizing." Here the shadow is a parable and its object (mamthul) is the inner world, which God spreads in the entire universe, enfolds it and also keeps it spread forever. And all this is in the light of the sun of Intellect.

803 - Midrar

Showering abundant rain, pouring, the heaven of spirituality:

Study verses (6:6; 11:52; 71:11) so that you may be certain that God can send the pouring heaven of given knowledge on His chosen servants, as He says: "He sends upon you heaven pouring abundant rain." (11:52)

804 - Madinat al-`ilm

The city of knowledge:

It is stated in a Hadith: "I am the city of knowledge and `Ali is its gate, so whoever wants knowledge let him come through the gate." (Sharh, I, 89). That is, whoever wants the treasures of the knowledge of certainty, the eye of certainty and the truth of certainty, then it is necessary and imperative for him to enter the city of the knowledge of the Prophet by walking in the light of the unprecedented guidance of the `Ali of the time.

805 - Marratayn (1)

Twice, i.e. to be born twice:

The first journey of the Perfect Man is to the destination of Israfil and `Izra'il, where he dies and is revived repeatedly, and together with this begins his personal resurrection. The second journey is to the higher world where he undergoes the great miracle of fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah. In this sense he is born twice as Hazrat `Isa says: "He who is not born twice (at the rank of Soul and at the rank of Intellect) cannot enter the kingdom of the heavens." (Ahadith-i Mathnawi, pp. 96, 194).

806 - Marratayn (2)

Twice:

The ta'wil of making mischief twice in the land, according to verse (17:4) is that there is mischief twice in the land of the personal world: the first is for spiritual reconstruction and the second is for intellectual progress. The same is to die twice and to be born twice (40:11).

807 - Maryam (1)

Mary, the daughter of `Imran:

It is said in verse (66:12): "And of Maryam, daughter of `Imran, who guarded her private part and We breathed in it Our Spirit." That is, she guarded her ears from the conversation of the enemies (of the Imam) and thus her ears were able to receive the breath of the Holy Spirit.

808 - Maryam (2)

Mary, the daughter of `Imran:

It is said in verse (21:91): "And she who guarded her private part, We breathed into her of Our Spirit and We made her and her son a sign for all people." That is, the Divine Spirit was breathed into the hujjat who guarded his hearing from false teachings, and there was the luminous birth of the Perfect Man in his personal world and they both (hujjat and the Perfect Man) became the example of potential mercy for those who yearn for the spiritual path and the personal world.

809 - Musta`an

He whose help is sought:

It is said in verse (12:18): "And Allah is He Whose help is to be sought against what you describe." There are two necessary conditions of seeking help from God: sabr (patience) and salah (prayer) (2:45, 2:153). Sabr in ta'wil is the Messenger and salah is the Imam. It is only through them that the help of God can be sought. If it were possible to attain God's help by fulfilling external conditions only, then even the people of the Book would have done so.

810 - Masjid

Place of sajdah, mosque, place of worship, `ibadat (worship):

The word masjid is used both in the sense of a place of `ibadat (worship) as well as in the sense of `ibadat as used in verse (7:31). Similarly, the masjidu'l-haram in verse (17:1) is used in the sense of the sacred mosque (Ka`bah) as well as sacred `ibadat, i.e. the `ibadat of ism-i a`zam. Study the following verse carefully: "Purified be He Who carried His servant by night from the sacred masjid (sacred `ibadat=first ism-i a`zam) to the farthest masjid (i.e. the final ism-i a`zam), around which We have kept every kind of blessing, so that We may show him of Our signs, i.e. the miracles of Our power."

811 - Miskin

Poor, needy:

It is said in verse (76:8): "The righteous give food to the poor (miskin), the orphan and the captive." That is, they spread the table of the food of knowledge of the hujjat, imam and asas.

812 - Muslimah

The community of the pure Imams:

O my dears! A true Muslim is the one who submits himself to God. In this sense, Hazrat Ibrahim and Hazrat Isma`il prayed: "Our Lord! Make us submitters to You and of our progeny a submitting community (ummatan muslimah) to You (by true obedience)" (2:128). This shows that the ummatan muslimah is the community of the pure Imams who are the progeny of Hazrat Ibrahim and Hazrat Isma`il (see Da`a'im, I, 33).

813 - Musawwimin (1)

Those who carry a mark:

During spiritual jihad, when angels come to help, they carry a mark, which consists of bearing the arms of the respective time, so that this may signal that they have come to help in the jihad. A mu'min can observe this miracle in wakefulness or in dream. Thus the companions of the holy Prophet had seen such a miracle in the battle of Badr (3:125).

814 - Musawwimin (2)

Those who carry a mark:

Many years ago I was undergoing the extreme hardship of imprisonment on the one hand and on the other, the experience of a wisdom-filled spiritual revolution. In the solitude of the night, an angel came with the speed of lightning. He was in the form of an exquisitely handsome, exalted and luminous young man, in whose right hand there was a rifle with a bayonet and in his left hand a torch. Due to his unprecedented majesty and augustness, I was extremely awe-struck, in fact, a kind of annihilation came over me. I could neither talk, nor was I permitted to do so. He instantly went away. However, his memory is so powerful and attractive, that it comes to my mind time and again.

815 - Musawwimin (3)

Those who carry a mark:

During that time, I had the holy didar of Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, salawatu'llahi `alayhi, in a luminous dream. I carried an "indirect" rifle of a strange kind. Mawla said: Give this to me, I will use it very well. With this the rifle went into the blessed hand of the Imam. Indeed, this luminous dream was related to spiritual jihad.

816 - Musawwimin (4)

Those who carry a mark:

In the battle of Badr, the angels who had come to help the army of Islam, were with marked arms and in addition to the holy Prophet, they were seen by some of his companions too. This was the glad tidings and consolation related to the victory of the true religion in the future spiritual war and the war of knowledge (3:125-126).

817 - Musawwimin (5)

Those who carry a mark:

O my dears! You should not forget these inner secrets that the representative resurrection (individual resurrection), true mission (da`wat-i haqq), spiritual jihad and jihad of knowledge all take place together. The centre of the spiritual jihad is called the "heart (qalb)" and that is the Imam (qa'im), without whom spiritual jihad and jihad of knowledge is not possible.

818 - Mashariq

Easts, places of the rising of the sun:

It is mentioned in verse (7:137): "And We made the people, who were (considered) weak, inheritors of the easts and the wests of the land which We have blessed." This is the land of the personal world and the great wisdom of the special attention drawn to its easts and wests is that the sun of light there continues to make the unique signs of knowledge and recognition by each of its risings and settings, and this chain of Divine blessings never ceases.

819 - Ma`a'l-Qur'an (1)

With the Qur'an:

It is said in a Hadith: "`Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with `Ali, they will never separate from one another until they come to me at the pond (of Kawthar)." (Yanabi`, p. 103). The wisdom of this is that `Ali (i.e. every true Imam) in his spirituality and luminosity is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an in its spirituality and luminosity is with `Ali. Thus, the Qur'an and `Ali are one light in spirituality and this oneness will continue until the resurrection takes place and they come to the pond of Kawthar.

820 - Ma`a'l-Qur'an (2)

With the Qur'an:

Externally `Ali (Imam of the time) is a pure personality and internally a light. Externally the Qur'an is a glorious heavenly Book and internally (in the Prophet and Imam) it is a light. This shows that externally `Ali and the Qur'an are separate from one another, but internally they are not only together, they are one light.

821 - Ma`a'llah

With God, the rank of fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah:

The holy Prophet (may my soul be sacrificed for him) has said this Hadith, which is full of the secrets of recognition: "I have a time with God in which (apparently) I cannot have room even for a closest angel or for a mursal prophet." (Ahadith-i Mathnawi, p. 39)
It is universally accepted that the first thing which God created was the light of Muhammad (s.a.s.), then from that light He created the rest. Thus the law of returning to God means that, first of all, all of them have to become one in the light of the holy Prophet, which is possible through fana' fi'r-rasul or annihilation in the Prophet, so that the holy Prophet, who himself has the rank of fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah, may annihilate them indirectly through himself. Thus, the indirect annihilation is possible for all. However, the holy Prophet is unique in the sense that the Lord of the world has bestowed upon him extremely magnificent titles, such as the light of azal, the Supreme Pen, the Universal Intellect and that he was directly annihilated in God.

822 - Ma`arij (sing. mi`raj)

Ladders:

In verse (70:3) it is indicated that natiq, asas, imam, hujjat and da`i are the ladders of God.

823 - Mu`jizin (1)

Incapacitators, debilitators:

O my dears! You must never forget a Qur'anic law which is that the secrets of tremendous knowledge and wisdom are hidden in each of its examples (6:80). For instance, verse (29:22): "And you can incapacitate Him neither in the earth, nor in the heaven." That is, there is no intellectual or spiritual bounty in God's kingdom, which is not accessible to man, due to which man can question why God does some things and not others.

824 - Mu`jizin (2)

Incapacitators, debilitators:

Nobody can debilitate God, nor defeat Him, nor cause Him to tire. This means that the work of God, the Knowing and the Wise, continues like a circle without any beginning and end and in which every bounty appears in its respective time. No bounty is impossible in paradise, to the extent that even God Himself is found by the name of the hidden treasure.

825 - Mi`raj (1)

Ladder, the highest rank of spirituality:

The most exalted and prominent mention of mi`raj in the Qur'an is related to Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (s.a.s.), because it is he who is the first, the last, the seal of Prophethood and possessor of the attribute of "law laka (If you were not there I (God) would not have created the heavens - Hadith-i qudsi)". He had many other virtues which other Prophets did not have. Yet, without reaching the desired destination, one can neither be a Prophet nor a waliyy, nor can the duty of guidance be accomplished. Thus, it is true to say that kamils and `arifs are actually aware of the secrets of mi`raj.

826 - Mi`raj (2)

Mi`raj of Hazrat Adam:

In the light of spiritual science and the holy Qur'an, it has been established that in the beginning of the personal world, the atomic (dharrati) angels used to prostrate to Hazrat Adam repeatedly and this continued for approximately a week. Then he gradually became the actual khalifah or vicegerent of God in the universal earth (Universal Soul). There too, the angels prostrated to him repeatedly according to the principle of the renewal of similitudes. However, the amazing thing is that only one luminous angel used to appear here, but in whom there were all. It was at this place that Hazrat Adam had his mi`raj.

827 - Mi`raj (3)

Mi`raj of Hazrat Idris, a highly exalted place:

It is said about Hazrat Idris in verse (19:57): "And We raised him to an exalted station (i.e. the mi`raj of spirituality)." When God mentions His favour to one of His Prophets, it is indeed a very great favour. Thus, here by the exalted station is meant the place of mi`raj which Hazrat Idris had attained in his personal world.

828 - Mi`raj (4)

Mi`raj of Hazrat Nuh:

Since the spiritual path of all Prophets and their final destination is the same, therefore all the miracles which they undergo are also alike from the beginning to the end. However, in order to try people, different examples are given about them. Thus, the spiritual revolution of Hazrat Nuh is called the deluge, which raised the ark of his spirituality to Mount Judi (11:44). Judi exoterically is a mountain, but esoterically it is the mount of Intellect, which in the world of mi`raj moves and which is the sign of the mi`raj of Hazrat Nuh.

829 - Mi`raj (5)

Questions related to the mi`raj of Hazrat Nuh:

Question: Is it correct to say that those mu'mins who were on the ark also attained the supreme bliss of mi`raj?
Answer: Yes, it is true, but not in the sense that they were a group of separate individuals. Since mi`raj is the world of unity, therefore there is no room for multiplicity, therefore whatever the number, they all have to go there being annihilated in the Single Soul (nafs-i wahidah).

830 - Mi`raj (6)

Rank of fana' fi'llah (annihilation in God) and baqa' bi'llah (survival by God), mi`raj of the Prophets:

O the light of my eyes! Always remember the great secret of recognition that by God's mercy and help, all Prophets were resurrected after being spiritually dead in this life, therefore, they attained the unique rank of fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah. Also remember that it is not possible to attain such a supreme rank without undergoing the miracle of mi`raj. Now we will give the evidence of this from the wise Qur'an. It is said in verse (2:213): "Fa-ba`atha'llahu'n-nabiyyin: (i) Then God revived the Prophets" (in the sense of fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah). (ii) Then God sent the Prophets (as if from mi`raj). For, although the Prophets were apparently in this world, yet internally their pure soul had been to the higher world and the place of mi`raj and come back. It is in this sense that they were sent by God.

831 - Mi`raj (7)

Collective mention of mi`rajs:

O my `azizan! We want to emphatically draw your attention to the blessed verse in which the mi`rajs of all Prophets is mentioned together, which is verse (2:213). One wisdom-filled word of this sacred verse is "ba`atha", by analysing which an important door of the recognition of the Prophets opens, as explained above that God resurrects them in the sense of fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah, because ba`atha is the verb of ba`th which means to resurrect, to revive, to raise up. See also in verses (22:5; 30:56) al-ba`th and yawmu'l-ba`th.

832 - Mi`raj (8)

Final destination, the fountainhead and centre of realities and recognitions:

In the above-mentioned verse (2:213) it is also mentioned that the Prophets were the bearers of good tidings and warners. This clearly means that in their spiritual journey of mi`raj, they saw many things by the command of God, including the observation of paradise and hell, which was necessary. It is because of this that they were appointed as bearers of good tidings and warners in the real sense.

833 - Mi`raj (9)

The spiritual ascension of the light of Prophets:

An important part of the verse under discussion is: "And He sent down with them the Book with the truth." These meaningful words reveal amazing principal wisdoms, such as:

1. All heavenly Books are one in origin and their magnificent compendium is called "the Book = al-kitab" (i.e. the Qur'an).
2. Like the Books, all the lights of the Prophets too, are one light, which is collectively called "Muhammadan Light (nur-i Muhammadi)".
3. The exalted place of the higher world from where their light revealed, also revealed the Book together with their light.
4. If the original Book is one, their da`wat-i haqq (the invitation to the truth), as well as their religion is one, which is Islam, and which is the religion of the holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.).

834 - Mi`raj (10)

Ladder:

O my dear! It is a correct and true narrative that there are three chief things in the wise Qur'an which surpass other things: the ummu'l-kitab (suratu'l- Fatihah) which is the greatest of all surahs, the ayatu'l-kursi, which is the greatest of the verses (ayat) and the supreme Name (ism-i a`zam), which is the greatest of all Divine Names and which is living. There are countless mercies for His servants in this way of working of God. Now, let us reflect upon the explanation of the wisdom-filled and extremely lovely prayer of the ummu'l-kitab which is for the sake of walking on the straight path and to enter among those whom God has favoured with His special gifts. They are indeed aware of the secrets of recognition which are the secrets of mi`raj.

835 - Ma`rifah (1)

Recognition of God:

It is said in an Hadith: "Recognise Allah by Allah" (Lughat, `Ayn, p. 82; Ahadith-i Mathnawi, pp. 2, 106). That is, the recognition of God is possible in the illumination of His light and His light is the holy Prophet and the Imam of the time.

836 - Ma`rifah (2)

Recognition of God:

It is well known that the means of the recognition of God is the recognition of one's own soul, and he who has a greater recognition of his own soul has a greater recognition of God, as the holy Prophet says: "He among you who has greater recognition of his soul, has greater recognition of his Lord." The greatest secret of the majesty of the human soul and monoreality is hidden here (Zad, p. 287).

837 - Ma`lum

Known:

In verses (37:40-41) God says: “Save the servants of Allah, who are sincere; for them there is a known sustenance.”
Question: Who are the chosen servants of Allah and what is their known sustenance?
Answer: They are the awliya', kamils and `arifs and their known sustenance is Divine vision (didar), recognition, wisdom, knowledge and perfect spirituality. In short, the close servants of Allah attain the necessary recognition of paradise and its bounties in this world. Study also verse (47:6) as well as the explanation under the title "`Arrafa" (Wisdom 572-574) in this book.

838 - Maghanim (sing. maghnam)

Gains:

In verse (48:20) God has promised many gains. These are the abundant spiritual and intellectual gains or bounties which can be obtained in spiritual and intellectual jihad. People are not aware of the spiritual jihad although they believe in resurrection, while it is the resurrection itself which is the da`wat-i haqq, as well as the spiritual jihad. Thus, where it is jihad, there are also gains in it, such as countless (spiritual) maids, slaves and countless other things. It should be noted that those who enter the religion of Allah by the force of spiritual jihad, eventually also attain salvation.

839 - Maqam

Place of standing:

It is the qiblah of the intellect and the soul in the higher world, as mentioned in verse (3:97): "In it are clear signs (and) maqam-i Ibrahim, Ibrahim's place of standing, (i.e. white stone), and whoever enters it, is safe."

840 - Miqdar (pl. maqadir)

Quantity, measure:

It is said in verse (13:8): "And everything with Him is in a measure." That is, there can be many universes, but they cannot be infinite, because the wisdom is in being in a measure, which means that things are not beyond the domain of the recognition of man.

841 - Maqtu`ah

Cut off:

In verses (56:32-33), it is said about the people of the right hand side: “And they will be (in the gardens of) fruits in abundance, neither exhaustible, nor forbidden.” The example of exhaustible (maqtu`ah) is a line: and that of inexhaustible (la maqtu`ah) is a circle:

842 - Muqim

Resurrector:

The imam-i muqim in the da`wat-i haqq is that glorious Imam who brings up and prepares spiritually the lord of a cycle (natiq). Thus the first muqim is Mawlana Hunayd, the second Mawlana Hud, the third Mawlana Salih, the fourth Mawlana Udd, the fifth Mawlana Khuzaymah, and the sixth Mawlana Abu Talib. Thus, there were six muqim Imams for the six lords of the cycles (Kanzu'l-walad, p. 206).

843 - Maknun

Concealed, hidden:

O my dear! Note the great secret in verses (56:77-79): "That, verily, it is an honourable Qur'an in a hidden Book, which none can touch save the purified ones." The hidden Book is the light of Intellect in which is the holy Qur'an's azali luminosity in which are hidden all ta'wili secrets. This hidden Book or the azali Qur'an cannot be touched, except by those who are purified and they are the pure Imams, and it is through them that one can receive the charity of knowledge.

844 - Mulk (1)

Kingdom:

In verse (40:16) God says: "Whose is the kingdom this day (Day of Resurrection)? (It is) Allah's, the One (wahid), the Overwhelming (qahhar)." Wahid which is on the pattern of fa`il means one and he who makes all into one, and qahhar means overwhelming, overpowering. That is, when God resurrects the resurrection in the personal world of each of His walis (friends), then simultaneously His kingdom is established there. In a similar way, His kingdom is going to be established in the entire world.

845 - Mulk (2)

Kingdom:

God's sunnat (law) is such that He speaks in parables. Thus, when you accept that He is the eternal king, free from and above everything, then if a temporally created kingdom of God is mentioned, whether in the personal world or on the planet earth, it is used only as a ta'wili parable. The gist of this ta'wil is that such a kingdom belongs to the waliyy-i amr (custodian of command) and the mu'mins.

846 - Mulk (3)

Kingdom:

In the spirituality and resurrection of every wali of the time spiritual kingdoms are given to many mu'mins (male and female), as shown by the example of the time of Hazrat Musa: "And when Musa said to his people: O my people! Remember the bounties of Allah upon you, when He made prophets from among you, and made you kings." (5:20). In view of the fact that all the examples of the external world and the world of religion are gathered in the personal world, the ta'wil of the verse will be: "When He made prophets in your personal world and made you spiritual kings." This address is to the `arifs.

847 - Mulk (4)

Kingdom:

Study verse (76:20) carefully, in which the greatest rank of paradise is the magnificent kingdom (mulk-i kabir), as mentioned: "When you see, you will see there bounties and a magnificent kingdom." However, true knowledge and good deeds are pre-requisites in order to attain this exalted rank.

848 - Mulk (5)

Kingdom:

Here it should also be noted that the purpose of the glorious praise of Hazrat Ibrahim's progeny in verse (4:54) is the recognition of the holy Prophet and his progeny. The verse reads: "Indeed, We have given to Ibrahim's children the Book and wisdom and We have given them a great kingdom." Try to annihilate yourselves in them like Salman-i Farsi, so that you may be able to inherit the Book, the wisdom and a great kingdom. Amin!

849 - Malak al-mawt

The angel of death, `Izra'il:

It is said in verse (32:11): "Say, the angel of death appointed over you caused you to die, then you shall be brought to your Lord." There is partial death every day, as well as a complete death in life; it is voluntarily, as well as by force. Therefore, an angel of death is appointed over every individual. This means that in every personal world there are countless powers. Among them four are very great and revolutionary, and they are: the power of Jibra'il, the power of Mika'il, the power of Israfil and the power of `Izra'il.

850 - Malakut

The world of souls and angels; spiritual kingdom:

Hazrat Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq (a.s) said: "Were not the devils hovering around the hearts of the children of Adam, they would have seen the kingdom of the heavens and the earth”. This farman of the Imam shows that the sincere servants of God can see the spiritual kingdom of the universe and this great miracle happens in the personal world. (al-Mizan, V, 270)

851 - Malakayn (1)

Two angels, Harut and Marut:

It is said in verse (2:102): “And (they followed) that which was revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut, at Babil.” The esoteric aspect of this verse is related to spiritual science, the laboratory of which is the personal world. Thus, those two trying angels still exist potentially or actually. These angels have many other renowned names.

852 - Malakayn (2)

Two angels, two companions:

Read verse (90:10): “And We showed him the two ways (of good and evil)!” That is, through the two angels, who are appointed in the personal world.

853 - Malakayn (3)

Two angels, two companions:

Read verse (91:8): “And inspired it of its lewdness and god-fearing.” This means that the human heart is controlled by good or evil as a result of good deeds or bad deeds and then accordingly the two angels inspire people, so that they may be rewarded in accordance with the law of choice (qanun-i ikhtiyar) and injustice is not done to anybody.

854 - Malakayn (4)

Two angels, two companions:

It is said in a Hadith: “When a dead person is laid down in the grave, two angels, Nakir and Munkar come to him.” (Rubies and Pearls, p. 106). There is everything in the personal world, including a graveyard for the people of the world. In this connection, the physical grave is only an example.

855 - Muluk

Kings:

It is said in a Hadith: "O children of `Abdu'l-Muttalib! Obey me! You will be kings of the earth and its rulers. Indeed, God has never sent a Prophet but has made for him a wasi, a wazir, an heir, a brother and a wali”. The wisdom of this Hadith is that those who obey God, the Prophet and the sahib-i amr (lord of the command), become kings in spirituality and in the hereafter, not in the external world. In the above Hadith, by the earth is meant the personal world.

856 - Malik (1)

King:

It is mentioned in verses (54:52-55): "Whatever they have done (is recorded) in the books (of deeds). Everything small and great, has been written down. Verily, the righteous will be amidst gardens and streams in the seat of truth (place of true knowledge), near the Omnipotent Sovereign (i.e. being merged in God)." In the world of oneness, closeness and nearness to God is in the form of fana' fi'llah (annihilation in God), because no combustible thing can remain near fire without itself catching fire.

857 - Malik (2)

King:

See verses (54:54-55): "Verily, the righteous will be amidst gardens and streams, in the seat of truth near the Omnipotent Sovereign." What can God not do! He makes the righteous enter paradise and He turns the personal world of His friends into paradise.

858 - Malik (3)

King:

When and where a salik becomes extremely close to God, he cannot remain so without being annihilated in His manifestation. However, due to this annihilation the individuality of an `arif does not cease. For instance, the holy Prophet had become "fana' fi'llah" at the rank of mi`raj, but nobody knew this secret except the `arifs. Thus, the righteous in paradise, will be annihilated in the Omnipotent Sovereign due to that special closeness and will become kings, because this annihilation is for the sake of favouring the lover and not destroying him!

859 - Malik (4)

King:

O my dears! The highest rank of paradise is the magnificent kingdom (mulk-i kabir, 76:20). It is necessary for all mu'mins to be aware of the wisdom of the related verses, so that hope for tomorrow (hereafter) may be stronger. Thus, another such verse is: "And He made you kings" (5:20). That is, when your Imam or his hujjat was in the destination of `Izra'il, he was making paradisiacal attires for you. When you will wear them in paradise, you will become kings. Although exoterically this story belongs to the children of Israel, esoterically it belongs to the mu'mins of every age.

860 - Man `arafa

He who knows:

It is said in a Hadith: "He who recognises his self, indeed, recognises his Lord." (Lughat, `Ayn, p. 82). That is, he who attains the experience of annihilation in God and survival in God, recognises his Lord.

861 - Manam

Dream, sleep:

The holy Prophet has said: "He who saw me in a dream, indeed, he (actually) saw me." (Tirmidhi, IV, 535). That is, to see the holy Prophet in a dream is like his real blessed vision (didar). Thus, there is no doubt that the vision and speech of the True Guide are possible in dreams and in spirituality.

862 - Mantiq at-tayr (1)

The tongue of the birds:

According to verse (27:16) Hazrat Sulayman knew the tongue of the birds. This wisdom-filled way of the Qur'an is to test people in knowledge. Otherwise in reality, not only Hazrat Sulayman, but all other Prophets and Imams know not only the tongue of the birds, but also that of the air, water, etc. In fact, this is among the miracles of the Holy Spirit that speech is created from such ordinary sounds while the birds themselves are not aware of this. Thus, the perfect `arif hears many such auditory miracles in his own tongue.

863 - Mantiq at-tayr (2)

The language of souls and angels:

Birds are symbols and the souls and angels are their meanings. Thus, the Prophets and awliya' (Imams) know the language of the souls and angels. According to this law it is true to say that by the hoopoe (in the story of Hazrat Sulayman) is meant a soul or an angel.

864 - Mawaqi` (sing. mawqi`)

Places of falling:

In verse (56:75) it is said: "But nay, I swear by the setting of the stars." Stars are cosmic angels, and their representative particles together with the angels of the world of particles fell down for the prostration to Hazrat Adam. It should be noted that there is the renewal of similitudes of all spiritual and intellectual things related to Prophets and Imams in the personal world.

865 - Mutu (1)

Die!:

When spiritual resurrection takes place in the Perfect Man, the representative souls or particles of the people of the time, come out of the bodies and rush to the place of resurrection due to the fear of death. Then God says to them: "Die! (They die). Then He brings them back to life.” (2:243)

866 - Mutu (2)

Die!:

It is said in verse (2:243): "Verily Allah is gracious to people, but most people are not grateful." That is, people should know the bounties of God in the light of `ilmu'l-yaqin, the knowledge of certainty, and appreciate them so that they may be grateful in a true sense to God for His bounties. This means that real gratitude is possible only through knowledge.

867 - Musi`un

Expanders, extenders:

It is said in verse (51:47): "And We built the heaven with Our hands and indeed, We are expanders." Whether it is the external world or the personal world, God both enfolds and unfolds it. Scientists say that the universe is expanding, but I say that God unfolds it and He will enfold it. We have mentioned this fact repeatedly.

868 - Muqinin

The sure ones:

It is said in verse (6:75): "Thus did We show Ibrahim the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, so that he may be of those who possess certainty (yaqin)." In view of the eminence of the rank of Hazrat Ibrahim, we can say that here are mentioned those who have attained the truth of certainty.

869 - Mawla

Master, guardian:

The holy Prophet has said: “He whose Mawla (master) I am, `Ali also is his Mawla." Mawla in Arabic has many meanings. However, here because of the relation of the Prophet, it is used in its highest meanings and which are also applied to Mawla `Ali. (Tirmidhi, V, 633)

870 - Muhajir (1)

Migrant, he who leaves his country for the sake of religion:

Migration is both external and internal. Hazrat Ibrahim said in both senses: "I am migrating to my Lord; for verily He is Almighty, All-wise." (29:26). Every `arif migrates to His Lord in such a way that travelling within himself he reaches his personal world, where the wisdom-filled holy vision of his Lord is possible.

871 - Muhajir (2)

He who migrates from the external to the internal:

From the stories of the Prophets of the Qur'an, it becomes evident why and when migration becomes necessary in the true religion. However, it has a ta'wili aspect too. That is, until the mu'min migrates from the external to the internal, he cannot defeat the carnal soul and Satan in the spiritual jihad. The same is the purpose of the external migration, where by changing places the enemy may be deceived in stratagem and then attacked at an appropriate time. The great Prophets did exactly the same.

872 - Mahjur

Abandoned:

It is said in verse (25:30): "The Messenger shall say: O my Lord! Verily my people took this Qur'an as a thing obsolete." That is, they did not act upon its esoteric knowledge and wisdom in the illumination of the light of guidance (5:15).

873 - Mahd

Bed, cradle:

In verses (3:46, 5:110) it is mentioned that Hazrat `Isa used to speak to people from the cradle as well as in mature age. The ta'wil of this is that the voice and conversation of ruhanis (spiritual beings) in the beginning of spirituality is like that of a baby in the cradle, but pure and free from error and later on, their voice and conversation become like that of a mature person.

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