A Thousand Wisdoms - Chapter Nun
Chapter Nun
Tags: Nun
874 - Nun (N) (1)
Nun, inkpot, a stream of paradise, ink, ink of light:
God says in verse (68:1): "Nun. By the Pen and by what they (angels) write." It is related from Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq that Nun is a stream of paradise. Allah said to it: Freeze. It was frozen and turned into ink. Then He ordered the Pen: Write! The Pen wrote on the Guarded Tablet what had happened and what has to happen till the resurrection. That ink is the ink of light and that Pen too, is the Pen of light and that Guarded Tablet is also the Tablet of light." (al-Mizan, XIX, 376).
875 - Nun (2)
Nun, an angel, the Tablet and the Pen are two angels:
Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq has said: Nun is an angel who informs the Pen and the Pen is also an angel who conveys the Divine commands to the Guarded Tablet and the Guarded Tablet is also an angel who conveys them to Israfil and Israfil to Mika’il and Mika’il to Jibra’il and Jibra'il to the Prophets and Messengers. The same Imam said that the Tablet and the Pen are two angels.
876 - Nun (3)
A stream of paradise, ink:
Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq has said: "Nun was a stream in paradise whiter than snow and sweeter than honey. God ordered it: O stream! become ink. It became ink. Then He planted a tree with His hand. Then He ordered the tree to become the Pen. When it became the Pen, He ordered it to write. The Pen said: O my Lord! What should I write? It was told: Write what is going to happen till the resurrection. Then it wrote it. Then God sealed it and said: Do not speak from now till the resurrection." (Tarjumah-yi Qur'an by Maqbul Ahmad, p. 675, note 5).
877 - Nun (4)
Inkpot:
It is mentioned in verse (68:1): "By nun, the Pen and what they write." That is, the blessed mouth, light of intellect (Pen) and the writing of the Guarded Tablet which is living (i.e. the Word of command).
878 - Nazi`at
The angels who pull:
O the light of my eyes! Read verses (79:1-5): "By those (angels) who dive and pull (the soul), and those (angels) who undo gently and those (angels) who swim and those (angels) who go ahead with foremost speed and those (angels) who repeat the command." This is a description of the spiritual and revolutionary miracles of the personal world which take place in the destination of Israfil and `Izra'il. In this destination the successful soul of the salik is repeatedly seized and re-cast in the body. In this exercise, according to the requirement of wisdom, first of all the hardship and bitterness of the seizing of the soul is experienced and then gentleness and sweetness. Along with this the angels spread the soul in the entire universe and enfold the Universal Soul in the body, and this process continues for several days, as has already been mentioned in our other books.
879 - Nazirah
Viewer, looker:
In verses (75:22-23) it is mentioned: "That day some faces will be resplendent looking towards their Lord." God will make such fortunate people extremely beautiful, because God Himself is beautiful and likes physical and spiritual beauty, as the holy Prophet says: "Indeed God is beautiful and loves beauty." (Muslim, I, 93).
880 - Nabiyy (1)
Prophet:
It is said in verse (33:6): "The Prophet has a greater right over the mu'mins than their own souls (because he is as their kind father), and his wives are (as) their mothers." In addition, one day they have to be annihilated in the Prophet.
881 - Nabiyy (2)
Prophet:
The holy Prophet said: "O `Ali! I and you are the (spiritual) parents of the mu'mins." That is, the pure Imams are the spiritual mothers of mu'mins, whereas the Prophet is their spiritual father. (see Wajh, p. 278)
882 - Nabiyy wa `Aliyy
Prophet and Imam:
The holy Prophet said to Mawla `Ali: "You are from me and I am from you." In this Hadith, there are the hidden and open secrets of the light of Prophethood and the light of Imamat. (Tirmidhi, V, 635)
883 - Natwi (1)
We shall enfold:
O my `azizan! I have repeatedly drawn attention to some important verses, because it is extremely necessary to do so. One such verse (21:104) is: "On the day We will enfold the heavens as a written scroll is rolled-up. As We created (the universe) in the beginning, We will create it again." God repeats the same in the personal world of every Perfect Man when the personal resurrection takes place.
884 - Natwi (2)
We shall enfold:
When by the command of God the personal resurrection takes place in an `arif and the light of the manifest Imam from the progeny of the holy Prophet, i.e. the Imam-i mubin, rises in his heart (batin), then in this luminosity is enfolded the inner aspect of the entire world, so that perfect recognition is attained by the observations of all spiritual and intellectual things. See verse (36:12), in which the spiritual resurrection of the `arifs and kamils is mentioned. Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!
885 - an-Nazaru ila `Aliyy
To look at the face of `Ali:
The holy Prophet says: "To look at the face of `Ali bin Abi Talib is worship." (Sharh, IX, 381).
Question: What is the proof of this?
Answer: The greatest proof is the holy Prophet's saying itself. Further, `Ali is the supreme Name (ism-i a`zam), the speaking Qur'an and the Face of God. (See: True Vision, p. 26).
886 - Nu`ammiru
We grant long life:
It is said in verse (36:68): "And whomsoever We grant long life, We turn him upside down (from the world of command to the world of creation). Do they not understand?" One esoteric ta'wil of this verse is: "Thala(k) thala(k) thala(k) ni + Thala(k) thala(k) thala(k) zu", that is, hundred lacs, hundred lacs, hundred lacs go + hundred lacs, hundred lacs, hundred lacs come.
887 - Nu`idu
We return, we repeat:
It is said in verse (21:104): "The day when We will roll up the heaven as a written scroll is rolled up. As We created (the universe) for the first time, We will repeat it." That is, We will continue to repeat this work. He is indeed the first of the first ones, but has no beginning, He is indeed the last of the last ones, but has no end. If we look in every personal world, He has a new glory in it. It is in this personal world that He enfolds and unfolds the universe repeatedly, so that from this wisdom-filled allusion we will come to know that His kingdom is eternal without any beginning or end.
888 - Nafkhah
To blow once, to blow constantly:
The voice of the sur of Israfil continues without any interval, but when a person sleeps, this sacred voice becomes silent. The death which is caused to the `arifs by the voice of the sur is not physical, rather, it is spiritual. Thus, in the beginning of the spiritual path, there is spiritual death and then there is the true life. Thus, from this aspect the initial part of blowing is called the first blow and the second part is the second blow.
889 - Nafs
Soul, self:
Mawla `Ali (a.s.) has said: "He who recognises his soul, indeed recognises his Lord." However, it should be noted that the treasure of recognition does not exist in the ordinary human soul until the Holy Spirit is attained from the True Guide. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is in the Imam of the time and he, in reality, is your own soul. If you have recognised the Imam of the time, then you should know that you have recognised yourself and your Lord.
890 - Nafs wahidah (1)
A single person:
God says in verse (31:28): “Your creation and resurrection (after death) are but like a Single Soul.” That is, your spiritual creation and resurrection are hidden in the Perfect Man.
891 - Nafs wahidah (2)
Adam, every natiq, every Imam:
God created all human souls from the Single Soul (nafs-i wahidah). The purpose of this collective and instantaneous creation was to bring the particles of souls into the loins of the spiritual father. It is because of this that the spiritual mother was appointed afterwards, as mentioned in verse (4:1): "O mankind! Fear your Lord Who created you from a Single Soul and from it created its spouse and from them both has spread abroad a multitude of men and women." Similarly, God has made the Single Soul the place of return and the destination of annihilation.
892 - Nafs wahidah (3)
Perfect Man:
It is said in verse (6:98): "And He it is Who has created you from a Single Soul, then there is a permanent place (mustaqarr) and a transitory place (mustawda`)”. This blessed verse shows that every human being has two "I’s" - higher "I" and lower "I".
893 - Nafs wahidah (4)
The Imam of the time:
By the way the rope of God has been described in the Qur'an and the Hadith, it becomes certain that by God's power, the soul too, has come to this world like a rope, one end of which is in the higher world and the other in the lower world. By the higher world is meant the luminosity of the Single Soul.
894 - Nafs wahidah (5)
The Adam of the time:
In nafsin wahidah in the Qur’an, wahidah is on the pattern of fa`ilah (present participle). It means one and also that which by the command of God makes all others one with itself, by the name of resurrection. Accordingly, every individual has two survivals: one permanent, which is in the Single Soul and the other transitory, which is separate from it as a trust in the individuals.
895 - Nafs wahidah (6)
One soul, one person, Adam:
Every natiq, asas, imam and hujjat is the ta'wil of the Single Soul and Adam. That is, in their personal world there is the renewal of the spiritual and intellectual events of Adam, the vicegerent of God. The means of this is spiritual resurrection. Thus, nafs-i wahidah (Single Soul), which is on the pattern of fa`ilah, is that Perfect Man who, by the command of God, makes all souls one in his personal world by the overwhelming power of the personal resurrection.
896 - Nafs wahidah (7)
One soul, one person, Adam:
In verse (39:6) God says: "He created you from a Single Soul (Adam), then from it created its spouse (Hawwa').” This is the spiritual wife, i.e. hujjat-i a`zam, the supreme hujjat of Adam, whom God created from the knowledge of Hazrat Adam. This is the meaning of creating Hazrat Hawwa' from his side. If we observe carefully, we will come to know that it is a permanent event, because every able student in the status of his knowledge is created from a perfect teacher.
897 - Nafs wahidah (8)
One soul, one person, Adam:
The sunnat (law) of God, in which there is no change, continues in the personal world of `arifs and kamils (40:85). Thus, the wives of the children of Adam will be created in paradise just as Hazrat Hawwa' was created from Hazrat Adam. Study verse (30:21) carefully and give particular attention to the meaning of "min anfusi-kum azwaja” (from yourselves spouses).
898 - Nafs wahidah (9)
One soul, one person, Adam:
Question: Your writings are full of the teachings of the personal world, because in your view it has tremendous importance. But where will the personal world be in paradise and how will it be recognised?
Answer: Every person is a world, i.e. a personal world or microcosm. Further, every paradisiacal attire (ibda`i shirt) is a personal world which is one of the thousands of living and conscious copies of the Single Soul. Thus, the personal world is the soul and the personal paradise of every inhabitant of paradise.
899 - Nuqtah
Zero, cipher, centre, particle:
O my dears! Reflect upon this farman of Mawla `Ali (a.s.): "I am the dot which is under the ba' of bismi'llah." (Jami`u'l-asrar, pp. 411, 563, 695, 699-700). In the Qur'an there are verses, the verses consist of words, the words are composed of letters and every letter is composed of dots. Thus, there are only dots in the entire Qur'an and they are the pictures and copies of the dot of Mawla `Ali.
900 - Nawafil
Supererogatory acts:
A very useful question which compels every mu'min to reflect more and more on the sacred Hadith concerning nawafil, is:
- When God becomes the ear of His closest servant, what can he hear?
- When He becomes his inner eye what scenes can he see? Is Divine vision possible in such a case?
- When He becomes his hand, what kinds of acts can he accomplish? When He becomes his foot, to what destination does he walk by it?
901 - Nur as-samawat (1)
The light of the heavens:
The verses of light in the wise Qur’an are like the sun, the moon and the stars of the physical world. That is, the verse of misbah (24:35) is the world-illumining sun, the verse of siraj (33:46) is like the full moon and other verses of light are like the stars. This concrete example will enable you to estimate the centrality and comprehensiveness of the verse of misbah (24:35).
902 - Nur as-samawat (2)
The light of the universe:
God says in the blessed verse (24:35): "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth." Some of the lovers of light want to know its reality through questions and answers. Thus, let us ask a friendly question: Does this exalted attribute (the light of the universe) belong to Allah Himself or to His representative?
Answer: Allah has no opposite while light has its opposite which is darkness. Allah is Creator and light and darkness are His creatures. (6:1). Thus, it is true that first God created the light of Muhammad (s.a.s.) and it was so perfect, consummate and universal that it illuminated the (spiritual) earth and the heaven. The light of Muhammad (s.a.s.) is also called the Divine Pen or Supreme Pen, which is so powerful that it can write the entire creation all alone.
903 - Nur as-samawat (3)
The light of the inner universe:
Study carefully the verse of misbah (24:35) that God does not resemble any material thing. On the other hand the exegesis and ta’wil of the verse of siraj (33:46) shows that it is the light of the Prophet which is the light of the heavens and the earth. In this, in reality there is a trial for all of us. It is true that the exalted personality whom God has sent as a mercy for all the worlds is also an ever-reaching and ever-embracing universal light. Furthermore, undoubtedly in "light upon light" (24:35) all Prophets and Imams are mentioned, because the light of guidance continues in the chain of the mazhars.
904 - Nur as-samawat (4)
The light of the personal world, in which there are the Throne, the Dais, the seven heavens and the seven earths:
It is a miracle of spiritual science that every difficult problem can be solved easily in the perspective of the personal world. Thus, the absolute light definitely belongs to God, because it is He Who is its creator and possessor, and it also belongs to the holy Prophet, as mentioned above. According to "light upon light", it also belongs to the Imam and as a result of obedience and annihilation it also belongs to the people of faith. These four relations of the light are established according to Qur'anic proofs. This means that this pure light of God, the Prophet, the true Imam and the people of faith (57:12; 66:8) shines in the sacred Sanctuary of the personal world as mentioned in the verse of misbah (24:35).
905 - Nur as-samawat (5)
The light of the personal world:
Hazrat Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah, salawatullahi `alayhi wa-salamuhu, was the sovereign of the wonders and marvels of knowledge and recognition both externally and internally, as well as the exalted and august Imam of the age of spirituality and ta'wil. There are very few people who are aware of how immensely useful, meaningful, revolutionary and resurrecting his teachings are. His unique spiritual and luminous characteristics were prophesied by Pir Nasir-i Khusraw around a thousand years ago and are preserved in his Wajh-i Din. The exalted Imam has emphatically drawn attention to the unique comprehensiveness and wisdom of the verse of misbah (24:35) (see "The Memoirs of Aga Khan", p. 172).
906 - Nuruhum
Their light:
It is mentioned in verse (57:12): "The day you will see the mu'mins, male and female, their light running before them and on their right hands." This extremely great miracle is related to the personal world, where all individuals are encompassed in a single person, because their representative resurrection takes place in him as the Single Soul (31:28).
907 - Nun
Fish:
It is said in verse (21:87): "Remember Dhu'n-Nun (Yunus), when he went away in anger and imagined that We had no power over him, then he cried out from the darknesses: There is no God but You. Purified be You. Verily I am of the unjust." (see under the caption "" (Wisdom 294-295)).
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