Caskets of Pearls Vol. 1 - Casket of Pearls 44

Casket of Pearls 44

Tags: Imam-i mubin, Dhikr, Ha'-Mim, Hawamim, Paradise, Hazrat Solomon, Intellect, Kanz-i Makhfi, Recognition

Q421 Please explain the ta'wili wisdom of verse (36:9): "And We have made a wall in front of them and a wall behind them and We have covered them, so they do not see."
A421

By in front is meant that there is a wall of ignorance towards the future. Similarly, by behind them is meant that there is a wall of ignorance towards the past and their present is also dark, because the illumination of the light does not come from above as they are covered. This means that those who deny [Allah's message] are blind to the ayat (signs, miracles) of the physical world (afaq) and the spiritual world (anfus).
It can be estimated from this that it is the great good fortune of the people of the spiritual eye, that there is no wall in front of them and Allah, according to His holy promise shows them His ayat in the physical and spiritual worlds.

Q422 In the same surah in verse (36:12), it is mentioned: "Surely it is We who bring the dead to life and write down what they have sent forward and what they have left behind. And We have encompassed everything in the Imam-i mubin (manifest and speaking Imam)." You often refer to the last part of this verse, but today please explain the interconnected wisdom of the entire ayat, so that all may benefit from it in attaining the recognition [of the Imam].
A422

When the spiritual resurrection takes place through the Imam of the time, all the people of the world, become merged in his personality in the form of particles, and God brings them to life in him and also preserves and records all their deeds and traces, those which they have sent forward and those they have left behind.
Because God has kept all things encompassed and counted in the Imam-i mubin.
It is evident that the last part of the ayat is the exegesis of the first part, because the Divine act of bringing the dead to life and writing down their deeds and traces, sent forward or left behind, continues to take place in the Imam-i mubin.

Q423 Please explain the ta'wili secrets of verses (100:1-5): "By the snorting chargers, by the strikers of fire, by the dawn raiders, blazing a trail of dust, penetrating deep the centre of the foe."
A423

When in the darkness of the night a salik does rapid dhikr putting pressure on his carnal soul and he continues to do so the carnal soul dissolves and sparks of light appear.
Victory and success in the spiritual jihad takes place mostly in the luminous time of the morning.
It must be remembered that the one who performs dhikr and `ibadat half-heartedly, remains far away from their miracles. May the Holy Lord grant success of doing `ibadat with ardent love.

Q424 Please explain the ta'wili wisdom of Ha'-Mim from among the disjointed (muqatta`at) letters? Which surahs are called Hawamim (pl. of Ha'-Mim)? How many and which surahs are they?
A424 The ta'wil of Ha'-Mim is: al-hayy (Everliving) (and) al-qayyum (Everlasting), who are the hujjat of the qa'im (May peace be through him) and the qa'im (May peace be through him), who are the two supreme Names of God. Further, the numerical ta'wil of Ha' and Mim is forty-eight. The Hawamim surahs, those that begin with Ha' and Mim are seven in total (40-46). This is the ta'wili wisdom of Ha'-Mim by His grace and favour.

Q425 Please explain the ta'wil of the disjointed letters in the surah of Shura in verses (42:1-2): "Ha', Mim, `Ayn, Sin, Qaf".
A425 One of its ta'wils is: By al-hayy, by al-qayyum, by `ayn (spring) of paradise (spring of muqarrabin, 83:28, the nearest ones to God), by the spring of Salsabil (76:18), by Qaf (50:1), a wondrous and marvellously bright and transparent glass-like mountain, on which are written numerous words ending with the letter Qaf. Another ta'wil of `Ayn, Sin, Qaf is: By `ishq (love), that is, heavenly love, which is very sacred and the means of closeness to God. This ta'wil is according to the rule that the Qur'an is revealed on seven letters, that is, seven recitations.⁹⁹

Q426 The question is with reference to verses (3:133; 57:21): Is it necessary to run and vie with one another in order to attain paradise? Why? Is the breadth of paradise equal to that of the universe? Why is its length not mentioned?
A426

Yes, it is necessary to run and to vie with one another in order to attain paradise.
Because those who excel in this action, are to be made living paradises.
Yes, the breadth of paradise is equal to that of the universe, because the latter is the external body of paradise.
Its length is not mentioned, because paradise is circular and that which is circular its length is the same as its width.

Q427 Please explain the ta'wil of verse (27:17): "And there were gathered together unto Solomon his armies of jinn and humankind, and of the birds and they were set in battle order."
A427

The war aspect of the resurrection is prominent in this verse, because resurrection is the final da`wat of the true religion, as well as the spiritual jihad.
Hazrat Solomon (May peace be through him) had the rank of Imamat, therefore [in his personal world] there was the spiritual resurrection of his time. All his armies were in the form of spiritual particles.

Q428 In verse (10:100), it is said: "And He lays abomination upon those who have no intellect." What kind of lack of intellect is condemned so severely? Does this judgement not automatically prove the very great praise of religious intellect? Is the highest purification by the intellect alone?
A428

Here, the one who remains ignorant of religious realities and recognitions is severely condemned.
Indeed, the very great praise of religious intellect is established by this judgement.
Why not, the highest purification is attained by the intellect and wisdom.

Q429 Please tell us a Qur'anic formula, which assures us that God gives every bounty to His servants and nothing is impossible in His mercy.
A429

Study the verse of treasures (15:21).
Reflect carefully on the formula of Imam-i mubin (36:12).
Fana' fi'llah and baqa' bi'llah are the most certain realities in this regard. Thus, in such a state what bounty can be impossible?
See the of A Thousand Wisdoms.
No great bounty is impossible in the kingdom of paradise. Praise belongs to God, the Sustainer of the worlds!

Q430 The transliteration and translation of the famous sacred hadith is: "Kuntu kanzan makhfiyyan, fa-ahbabtu an u`rafa, fa-khalaqtu'l-khalqa likay u`rafa, God said: I was a hidden treasure, I wanted to be recognised, so I created the khalq (personal world), so that I may be recognised".¹⁰⁰ Is this translation correct?
A430

Yes, it is correct, because the purpose of God's recognition can be achieved only by the physical, spiritual and intellectual creation of the personal world.
Recognition is related to the recogniser (`arif) and according to the hadith: "He who recognises himself/herself recognises his/her Lord",¹⁰¹ thus God's recognition lies in the recognition of human beings' own souls.
It is also mentioned in another hadith: "He who recognises more his soul, recognises more his Lord."

⁹⁹ Abu `Isa Muhammad Tirmidhi, Jami`u't- Tirmidhi, ed. Salih Al al-Shaykh (Riyaz, 1999), II, 358-59.
¹⁰⁰ Badi`u'z-Zaman Furuzanfar, Ahadith-i Mathnawi (Tehran, 1968), p. 29.
¹⁰¹ Al-Mu'ayyad fi'd-Din Shirazi, al-Majalisu'l-Mu'ayyadiyyah, ed. H. Hamid al-Din (Bombay, 1975), I, 26, 28

Chapter Index

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter