Caskets of Pearls Vol. 1 - Casket of Pearls 27

Casket of Pearls 27

Tags: Equality, Musawat, Hazrat Jesus, Iron, Blind, Leper, Dead, Nearest Heaven, Lamps, Jinn, Ayatu'llah

Q261 It is mentioned in verse (55:31): "Soon We shall attend to you, O you two weighty ones." Is it possible for God not to be free because He has too much work? If not, what does this parable mean?
A261

God is above such a state. This parable is a veil over a reality.
The allusion of this parable is that a tremendous spiritual revolution is going to come, the signs of which have been seen, such as the army of particles (Gog and Magog), flying saucers, etc.

Q262 Would you kindly explain the main wisdom of verse (20:5): "Ar-Rahmanu `ala'l-`arshi istawa."
A262 God willing. The correct translation of this verse is: "God, the Compassionate did the work of equality (musawat) on the Throne." That is, although there are ranks for the people in the heavens and the earth, there is equality on the Throne. There are several proofs for this:

When, by the grace of God, people transform into "monoreality", they all become equal.
The rank of fana' fi'llah is on the Throne. The Throne is a light, and the light is an angel, who is the subtle and luminous personality of the Perfect Man.
You will never see any difference in the creation of the Compassionate (67:3). This is the equality of the Compassionate (musawat-i Rahmani).

Q263 What is the ta'wil of the birds, which Hazrat Jesus (May peace be through him) used to make by the permission of God, as mentioned in verses (3:49; 5:110)?
A263 The ta'wil of this is that Hazrat Jesus (May peace be through him) used to make subtle living figures, that is, the angels who were cast in the mould of his personality, so that the people of faith of that time may wear them as paradisal attire.

Q264 Would you kindly explain the exoteric and esoteric wisdom of verse (57:25): "We revealed iron, wherein is mighty power and [many] uses for humankind …".
A264 God willing! The exoteric wisdom of the verse is that everything has a soul and so does iron. Thus, Almighty God revealed the soul of iron, by which its mines came into existence. Further, it is known that the entire materials for war are made from iron, and countless useful things as well.

The esoteric wisdom is that when the spiritual army of the Imam of the time enters the personal world, this is the meaning of the descending of iron by the command of God, in which there is vehement spiritual war. Spiritual iron (i.e. the army of souls) has countless benefits.

Q265 Would you kindly explain what kind of wisdom-filled secret is hidden in verse (17:50): "Say (O Muhammad): Be you stones or iron."
A265 Almighty Allah always speaks that which is possible. Thus, it is a fact that when Allah gave this command about certain people, their soul turned into stones or iron, because the command "kun/kunu" (Be!) is such that it is immediately executed. God Himself gives this command or the Prophet or the Imam by His permission.

Q266 What is the ta'wil of verse (3:49): "Lo! I come unto you with a sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah's leave. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by Allah's leave. And I announce for you what you eat and what you store in your houses"?
A266

This living bird is an angel who is created in the personal world of the Perfect Man from a particle of a mu'min's soul.
The healing of those born blind means that the Prophet and the Imam grant the inner eye to mu'mins.
The healing of the leper means that it is extremely arduous to go beyond the initial light (whiteness), but it is easy for those who receive the affection of the spiritual physician.
The dead refers to those who are ignorant. The true Guide breathes the spirit of knowledge into them, which revives them.
The Perfect Man knows what type of sustenance of knowledge the people eat and what level of sustenance of ma`rifat they store.

Q267 It is mentioned in verse (67:5): "And verily We have beautified the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils, and for them We have prepared the doom of flame." Is this heaven physical or spiritual? In search of what do the devils unsuccessfully try to fly to the heaven? One of the functions of the lamps is to drive the devils away [from the heaven], what is the other function?
A267

This is the nearest spiritual heaven in which there are lights of many colours.
Devils want to go to heaven to overhear the conversation of the angels, so that they may tell and impress their followers.
The other function of the lamps is to guide the saliks.

Q268 There is no doubt that the entire Qur'an is full of the wonders and marvels of knowledge and wisdom, including Chapter 72 "The Jinn", which is related to jinns, as they said in verses (8, 9, 11): "And we sought … different ways." Please explain to us to which group of jinn does the description of the Chapter "The Jinn" belong? Is it the nearest heaven that was sought? Does this event belong to the personal world or the external world? Is it true that before the advent of the holy Prophet, the devils could reach the heaven and listen to the conversation of angels?
A268

There is a collective description of jinns in this Chapter.
This is the same nearest heaven mentioned in question 267.
This, in reality is the story of the personal world.
Yes, it is true, but after the advent of the holy Prophet the flames prevent them (see 67:5).

Q269 What is the ta'wili wisdom of verses (2:1-2): "Alif-lam-mim, That is the Book, wherein is no doubt, a guidance to the righteous ones (muttaqin)"?
A269 Imam `Ali (May peace be through him) has said about "that Book": "I am that Book in which there is no doubt".⁶⁶ For, Mawla `Ali (May peace be through him)'s light is the speaking Qur'an, in which there is only certainty, and whose guidance is first given to the righteous ones. It should be noted that it is the Teacher of the Qur'an who is the light and the speaking Book (the Qur'an). Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!

Q270 Please explain these blessed and sacred words of Imam `Ali (May peace be through him) from the Khutbatu'l-Bayan, mentioned in Kawkab-i durri (p. 208): "Ana ayatu'llah (I am the signs of Allah)".⁶⁷
A270 Imam `Ali (May peace be through him) is the compendium of the signs of God and the totality of His miracles, because an ayat means sign, command and miracle. Its plural is ayaat. Now, you have to see where these ayatu'llah are. First they are in the holy Qur'an, then in the external world and then in the internal world. Now, in the meanings of all those ayat or signs of the three books, the Qur'an, the macrocosm and the microcosm, it is only `Ali (May peace be through him).

⁶⁶ Muhammad Salih Kashfi, Manaqib-i Murtazawi, translated into Urdu by Sharif Husayn as Kawkab-i Durri (Lahore, n.d.), p. 200.
⁶⁷ Ibid., p. 201.

Chapter Index

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter