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Caskets of Pearls Vol. 1 - Casket of Pearls 1

Casket of Pearls 1

Tags: `alamin, Personal world, shajarah-i tayyibah, nafs-i lawwamah, Self-accusing soul, Speaking Qur'an, Laden ark, Divine Throne, World of command, tajaddud-i amthal, Renewal of similitudes

Q1 The extremely great praise of Allah in the beginning of the suratu'l-Fatihah is that He is "rabbi'l-`alamin (the Sustainer of the worlds)". Please tell us what is meant by `alamin here? How many kinds of sustenance are there from God? Please tell us also how many times the word `alamin is mentioned in the holy Qur'an?
A1

  • According to Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq (May peace be through him), by `alamin (worlds) are meant the personal worlds.1
  • God provides three kinds of sustenance: physical, spiritual and intellectual.
  • The word "al-`alamin" is mentioned 73 times in the Qur'an.

Q2 Which is the nearest world to a human being? From which world can he or she attain his or her own recognition?
A2

  • The personal world is the nearest world to a human being.
  • He or she can recognise his/her self through the recognition of the personal world.

Q3 Which evergreen tree gives its fruit in every season and in which surah of the Qur'an is it mentioned?
A3

  • The evergreen tree, which gives fruit in every season, is the pure tree, "shajarah-i tayyibah".
  • It is mentioned in the Qur'an in verses (14:24-25).

Q4 By which human soul has God sworn and why? In which book is this mentioned?
A4

  • God has sworn by the self-accusing soul (nafs-i lawwamah).
  • This is because it has become able to reach the rank of the satisfied soul (nafs-i mutma'innah) by practising the golden principle of "self-criticism" and "self-censoring". God has sworn by this soul because of its spiritual progress and greatness.
  • It is discussed in "Sawghat-i Danish" and "Qurratu'l-`ayn (Coolness of the Eye)" in the subject of suratu'l-qiyamah.2

Q5 Who is the speaking Qur'an? What is his link and relation with the Messenger and the silent Qur'an? How can one benefit from these three treasures of God?
A5

  • The speaking Qur'an is first the light of the holy Prophet and then that of the Imam of the time, who is his successor.
  • Their relationship is such that spiritually, according to the principle of "light upon light" they are one and physically the speaking Qur'an is the teacher and the silent Qur'an is the Book, as mentioned in a hadith: "`Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with `Ali".3
  • Due obedience of the Imam of the time is the means of benefiting from them.

Q6 Could you shed some light on the laden ark? When does the Divine Throne appear in the personal world? In the beginning or at the end?
A6

  • The laden ark means the personal world of the Perfect Man, and according to "And We have encompassed everything in the manifest Imam", all things are confined and centred there.
  • The Divine Throne appears at the end of the spiritual journey in the personal world.

Q7 What is the ta'wil of "Allah created the heavens and the earth, then He turned His face to the Throne" (7:54)?
A7 The ta'wil of this verse is that Allah created the world of religion and the personal world in six cycles, namely the cycles of Hazrat Adam, Hazrat Noah, Hazrat Abraham, Hazrat Moses, Hazrat Jesus (May peace be through all of them) and Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny), and then He turned His Face to the cycle of Hazrat Qa'im (may his peace be upon us).

Q8 What type of Imamat was that of Hazrat Abraham (May peace be through him)? Please describe it in the light of the wise Qur'an.
A8 God says in verse (2:124) regarding the Imamat of Hazrat Abraham (May peace be through him): "And (remember) when his Lord tried Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them. He said: Verily, I make you an Imam for humankind".4

Q9 From which world has the human soul come? How has it come: as a drop of rain, as a ray of the sun or as a rope, one end of which is in the higher world and the other on the earth?
A9

  • The human soul has come from the world of command, as mentioned in verse (17:85): "Say: the spirit is from the command of my Lord."
  • It has come from there as the rays of the sun or as a rope, one end of which is in the world of command or the higher world and the other is on the earth.

Q10 Could you give us some explanation of "tajaddud-i amthal (renewal of similitudes)", which is a Sufic term? Please give us three examples.
A10 By the renewal of similitudes is meant the Divine habit or law, which continues without any change or alteration and the locus of its manifestation is the personal world of the Perfect Man (40:85). It is in everything of the universe, since all existents continue to always move on the circle of possibility and there is no beginning or end to the circle of creation. For example:

  1. the unending journey of water on its circle of going up and coming down,
  2. the continuous recurrence of seasons,
  3. the circulation of blood, etc.

1 Raghib Isfahani, Mufradat Alfaz al-Qur'an, ed. N. Mar`ashli (Beirut, 1972), p. 357; Zaynu'l-`Abidin, Qamusu'l-Qur'an (Karachi, 1978), p. 344.
2 `Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai, Coolness of the Eye (Karachi, 1991), pp. 46-54; Sawghat-i Danish (Karachi, 1984), pp. 95-100.
3 Hakim Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak, ed. M.A. `Ata (Beirut, 1990), III, 134.
4 `Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai, Recognition of Imam, (Karachi, 1972), I, 1-4.

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