Caskets of Pearls Vol. 1 - Casket of Pearls 32

Casket of Pearls 32

Tags: Gog Magog, Resurrection, Ta'wil, Light upon light

Q311 Gog and Magog are mentioned in verses (18:94; 21:96). The `ulama' hold different views about them. Would you kindly tell us what type of creature they are?
A311 God willing!

By the charity of the Imam from the progeny of Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny), we can share the knowledge that Gog and Magog are the army in the form of particles, who can accomplish many deeds.
When the sur of resurrection is blown and a da`i begins to invite (20:108; 54:6), Gog and Magog become present in the person of resurrection.
One of their many tasks is to destroy the earth of the personal world so that there may be new construction in it.
You may be surprised to know that they are the same angels who, falling into Hazrat Adam (May peace be through him)'s personality, prostrated to him.
They are the souls of people, the army for the spiritual war, the fruits of paradise, the armies of Hazrat Solomon (May peace be through him), the people of the world who come to the place of resurrection. If you become Adam in your personal world, they are your offspring (dhurriyyat).

Q312 Please explain the wisdom of the blessed words of verse (20:108): "On that day they shall follow the inviter (da`i) who has no crookedness."
A312

On that day they shall follow the (spiritual) inviter (da`i) (i.e. they will run towards the place of resurrection) in whom is no crookedness (i.e. he will be able to speak in every language).
The allusion in this verse is that during the spiritual resurrection of an individual, the entire conversation is in his mother tongue.
Almighty Allah speaks to every person in his own tongue during resurrection and in paradise.

Q313 Please explain the wisdom of verses (55:1-4): "The compassionate God taught the Qur'an, created man, (and) taught him explanation (bayan)."
A313

The Compassionate God, by teaching the `arif the spirit and spirituality and light and luminosity of the Qur'an created him spiritually and intellectually and taught him the science of ta'wil.
Every `arif is taught the esoteric and spiritual teaching of the Qur'an in his own tongue and everything occurs in the event of resurrection.

Q314 Why is ta'wil one of the numerous names of resurrection?
A314 Resurrection is the greatest event of spirituality and contains all the ta'wils of the holy Qur'an. Thus, when the resurrection comes to a salik, it comes together with all Qur'anic ta'wils. This is why one of the names of resurrection is ta'wil.

Q315 It is mentioned in verse (45:23): "Have you then seen him who has taken to his desire his god, and Allah has, despite knowledge led him astray, sealed his ears and heart, and veiled his eyes." Please explain to us why someone deviates, despite having knowledge?
A315

The one who acquires knowledge according to his carnal desires without the luminous knowledge of the true guide, eventually goes astray.
Since he did not recognise the revealed light in this world, he could neither hear the truth nor was able to understand it.
This is the reason why God sealed his ears and heart and veiled his eyes.
It is certain that Allah is not unjust to people in anything whatsoever, but it is people who are unjust to themselves (10:44).

Q316 The wise Qur'an is full of exceedingly sweet bounties of intellect and soul, therefore we have to have recourse to it time and again, such as in verse (51:20-21): "And in the earth there are signs for those who have certainty and within yourselves. Do you not see?" Please make us aware of the ta'wili secrets of these verses.
A316

By the earth is meant this planet earth on which we live. It also means an entire universe as well as the Universal Soul with which the heaven of the Universal Intellect is linked.
Thus, all those signs, which are in the vast earth of Allah, are also in the personal world in a subtle form.
For instance, the two greatest signs, the Qur'an and the Imam, which are on this earth, are also within yourself.
The people of the inner eye have seen the fact that in the personal world the light of the Qur'an and the light of the Imam, according to "light upon light" are the same one light.

Q317 Please tell us in the light of the Qur'an whose light is it that Allah appoints as the light of guidance in someone's personal world?
A317

It is the light of the Qur'an and the Imam, which is the light of God and the Prophet.
There have always been two sacred things for the sake of guidance in the world of religion: the heavenly Book and the Divine Teacher.
The wise Qur'an mentions the blessed name "nur" (light) in the singular, because light, in reality, is one thing even though the persons of the light are different, which has been alluded to in "light upon light".

Q318 Do jinns, devils and other such creatures sometimes appear to human beings? What is the remedy for such a situation?
A318

A study of verse (23:98) shows that there is a possibility of the appearance of devils and in order to protect oneself, refuge should be taken in God.
The refuge of the Imam of the time is the refuge of God, which every mu'min, male and female, can attain by knowledge and good deeds.

Q319 Qur'anic stories of the Prophets are apparently different, do their wisdoms and recognitions also differ?
A319

There is an abundance of bounties of knowledge as well as a trial for people in the apparent diversity of the Prophets' stories.
All esoteric wisdoms and recognitions of the stories are interlinked and united.
The straight path is the same for all and the final destination of all the Prophets is the same, even though their ranks are different.

Q320 According to me the question related to recognition is among the great questions. Please give us the reference of the verse, according to which the entire Qur'an becomes the subject of recognition.
A320 It is verse (12:108): "Say (O Muhammad!) This is my way, I and he who follows me invite unto Allah on the basis of the inner eye (basirah). Allah is free from every attribute and I am not of the polytheists."

The path of the holy Prophet and his follower (i.e. Imam `Ali (May peace be through him)) is the path of basirah, i.e. the path of spiritual observation and recognition.
The entire Qur'an is the subject of this da`wat based on the inner eye and recognition.
Those who will accept this luminous da`wat of the holy Prophet in a true sense will definitely be able to attain the treasure of recognition.

Chapter Index

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter