Caskets of Pearls Vol. 1 - Casket of Pearls 16

Casket of Pearls 16

Tags: Ranks of Knowledge, Ka`bah, Qiblah, Hazrat Abraham, Baytu'l-`atiq, House of God, Perishable, Paradise, Recognition, Kanz, Hidden Treasure, Ardent Love, Divine Love, `Ishq

Q151 You have presented a bright Qur'anic proof concerning the ranks of knowledge, but we yearn for more. Would you kindly furnish more in this connection?
A151

Wherever ranks (darajat) are mentioned in the wise Qur'an, they refer to the ranks of knowledge and action.
See verse (58:11).
By ladders (70:3; 32:5; 52:38) are meant the ranks.
The ranks go up to the Throne (40:15).
To progress in the ranks of knowledge and action there is always a trial (67:2).
Every trial is for the elevation of the rank (2:155).

Q152 Could you also provide a hadith that proves that people are in ranks of intellect and knowledge?
A152 Yes, there is a hadith that says: "Indeed, we the groups of the Prophets speak to the people according to their intellects".³⁸ From these proofs and evidences it is clear that the wisdom-filled teachings of the Qur'an and the hadith are in grades.

Q153 Referring to verse (2:124) you have said that great secrets of Imamat are hidden in the Qur'anic story of Hazrat Abraham (May peace be through him). In that story, please tell us what is the ta'wil of the construction of the Ka`bah, the house of God? What is the esoteric meaning of the qiblah? What is the wisdom in calling the Ka`bah the ancient house (baytu'l-`atiq) (22:29)?
A153 The ta'wil of the construction of the house of God, which was done by Hazrat Abraham (May peace be through him) and Hazrat Isma`il (May peace be through him), is that every Prophet and Imam by the command of God, builds a house of God (qiblah) in every successful personal world, just as Hazrat Moses (May peace be through him) and Hazrat Aaron (May peace be through him) were later on commanded to do so too (10:87). The esoteric meaning of the qiblah is the Imam, because the inner house of God is the Imam. The wisdom of calling the house of God, the ancient house is that the light of the Imam is ancient. It should be noted that whatever is always renewed is old as well as new, just as the history of the Ka`bah shows that it has been reconstructed several times, yet the Qur'an calls it the ancient house. Thus, there cannot be any doubt in its being the ancient house.

Q154 Is it true that man has continued to be transferred from one planet to another? Is it a correct concept that the religion of nature (i.e. Islam) is ancient? The Divine law (sunnat) always remains the same, but how? Is it true that the chain of Adams is perpetual? Is it also true that every Adam of this cyclical chain descends on a planet after passing through the universal paradise and a qiblah (house of God) is built there for the sake of his return (ruju`)? Are these the meanings of the ancient house? Is the ancient house a parable of the Imam?
A154 Yes, Adam and humankind continue to transfer from one planet to another. Indeed, the religion of nature is eternal. The non-changeability of Divine law means that the fundamental thing in it always remains the same. It is true that the chain of Adams always continues. Undoubtedly, every Adam comes after experiencing the bounties of the universal paradise and a qiblah is built on the earth for every Adam. It is absolutely true that these are the meanings of the ancient house. When the external or physical house of Allah is ancient, it is evident that His inner, spiritual house is also eternal. Al-hamdu li'llah!

Q155 It is mentioned in verse (28:88): "Everything is perishable save His face." Please tell us how, according to this verse, the planet earth will perish together with its inhabitants?
A155 Read verses (18:7-8) carefully: "Verily We have made whatever is on the earth as an adornment of it, that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in action. Verily We will make whatever is in it barren ground." This is the prophecy of the wise Qur'an according to which, the entire population of the planet earth will perish when the time comes. Prior to this, according to verses (23:18; 67:30), the stock of water will finish. However, God will not allow them to go to waste, rather according to the law of resurrection, He will gather their spiritual particles in the Imam (17:71). This is the meaning of the perishing of everything except the face of Allah (i.e. Imam) and the preservation of everything being confined and guarded in the manifest Imam (36:12) by Divine mercy.

Q156 You say that all recognitions are gathered in one place. If that is so, then certainly they are also gathered in the recognition of paradise mentioned in verse (47:6). Could you provide some examples of this?
A156 Verse (47:6) in which the recognition of paradise is mentioned reads as follows: "And He will admit them into paradise, which He has made recognised to them." The embodied paradise is the Imam of the time, whose recognition is both apparent and hidden. Apparent recognition is `ilmu'l-yaqin (the knowledge of certainty) and hidden recognition is `aynu'l-yaqin (the eye of certainty) and haqqu'l-yaqin (the truth of certainty). It is known that the treasure of recognition is found in a hidden way, and that it encompasses the recognition of everything. Thus, the living martyrs whom Allah has enriched with the treasure of recognition are praised in the above-mentioned verse (47:6). Reflect on whether there is anything whose recognition is not included in the treasure of recognition. Can paradise be devoid of the supreme bounty of Allah's holy didar (vision) and recognition? Is there not the companionship of the natiqs, asases, Imams and hujjats (4:69)? Is the recognition of self not the recognition of everything? Finally, it is my sincere suggestion that when someone reflects on the possibility of the recognition of anything, he or she should do so in the light of the reflection of the above-mentioned verse.

Q157 Are there other verses and allusions in the wise Qur'an related to recognition? If there are, what are they?
A157 There are countless things in the Qur'an related to recognition, such as the extremely important subject of `ibadat (worship). However, `ibadat without recognition has no importance. It is recognition, which embellishes knowledge. Recognition (ma`rifat) is also called certainty (yaqin), wisdom (hikmat) and light (nur). Thus, in the meanings of light too, there are the meanings of recognition and hence you can translate "Allahu nuru's-samawati wa'l-arz" as 'Allah is the recognition of the heavens and the earth'. This shows that the purpose of creation is recognition and this is also the purpose of the revelation of the Qur'an. There is only recognition in the esoteric (batin) aspect of the holy Qur'an.

Q158 It is mentioned in the Ahadith-i Mathnawi that Hazrat David (May peace be through him) beseeched Allah: O my Lord, why did You create the creature (al-khalq)? He replied: "I was a hidden treasure, I liked to be recognised, so [for this purpose] I created the creature, so that I may be recognised".³⁹ What is the wisdom of this sacred hadith?
A158 The wisdom of this sacred hadith is that the creatures whom God created for the sake of His recognition are the `arifs. This is a mention of the spiritual creation otherwise for ordinary people He is a hidden treasure even now, because physical creation is not enough for His recognition. The other extremely great wisdom is that one of the blessed names of Almighty God is "kanz" (Treasure), which, however, is only for the people of recognition.

Q159 It is mentioned in verse (2:165): "Wa'lladhina amanu ashaddu hubban li'llah" (Those who are [true] believers have ardent love for Allah). What do you say about this translation? Is Divine love (`ishq-i ilahi) mentioned in this verse or not?
A159 It is an excellent translation. Indeed, there is the mention of Divine love in it. `Ishq⁴⁰ means excessive or ardent love, which may be heavenly as well as worldly love.

Q160 It is narrated from Imam `Ali (May peace be through him) that once the holy Prophet took hold of the hands of Imam Hasan (May peace be through him) and Imam Husayn (May peace be through him) and said: "He who loves me, and loves these two and their father and mother, will be with me in my rank on the day of resurrection".⁴¹ Would you kindly explain the wisdom of this hadith?
A160

There is no doubt that what the holy Prophet says is true, but the people of faith can also attain this bliss through the Imam of the time.
In this hadith there is the exegesis and explanation of all those verses, which are related to love for the holy Prophet.
How can such great excellence be possible [to attain] without knowledge and obedience?
This is the extremely great secret of fana' fi'l-imam (merging in the Imam), fana' fi'r-rasul (merging in the Prophet) and fana' fi'llah (merging in Allah).

³⁸ Badi`u'z-Zaman Furuzanfar, Ahadith-i Mathnawi (Tehran, 1968), p. 38.
³⁹ Ibid., p. 29.
⁴⁰ See Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon, p. 2054.
⁴¹ Abu `Isa Muhammad Tirmidhi, Jami`u't- Tirmidhi, ed. Salih Al al-Shaykh (Riyaz, 1999), pp. 448-49, Hadith 3733.

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