Caskets of Pearls Vol. 2 - Casket of Pearls 52

Casket of Pearls 52

Tags: Thala thala thala ni - thala thala thala zu, Sixty million, Al-Masih, Fire-Fly, Bee, Az-Zahir, Light, Jihad, Veil, Holy Prophet, Hudud-i Din, Jinn, Suratu'r-Rahman, Flame

Q501 There are four basic faculties working in humankind: the vegetative soul, the animal soul, the human soul and the intellect. Please tell us in which of these is anger created? Which one of them feels pain? In which one is the property of tasting hidden? Which one yearns for knowledge and wisdom?
A501

Anger is found in the animal soul.
Pain can be felt only by the animal soul.
Pleasures are of three kinds: for the animal soul, the human soul and the intellect. Thus, an animal only experiences one kind of pleasure whilst a human being experiences three kinds of pleasures.
Yearning for knowledge and wisdom can only be created in the intellect.

Q502 In the light of the Qur'an, please tell us whether the Universal Intellect is concealed in the Universal Soul or vice versa?
A502 According to the Qur'an, the Universal Intellect is hidden in the Universal Soul, as mentioned in verse (2:255): "His Kursi has encompassed the heavens and the earth." Kursi is the Universal Soul whereas the Throne (`arsh) is the Universal Intellect.

Q503 Here is a Burushaski saying: Thala thala thala ni - thala thala thala zu = Slowly, slowly, slowly go – slowly, slowly, slowly come. According to one principle it can also be pronounced as follows: Thalak thalak thalak ni - thalak thalak thalak zu. What is the wisdom in this reading?
A503 It is not surprising that the span of the supreme circle between the higher and the lower worlds may be sixty million years.

Q504 It is mentioned in verse (28:81): "Then We caused the earth to swallow him up and his abode." This is Qarun's story in which Allah caused the earth to swallow him up with his abode due to his arrogance and disobedience. How do you understand this story: Did Allah cause the earth to swallow him up in the external earth or in the earth of the personal world?\\ A504

Qur'anic parables vary but their meaning is the same. That is, by Allah's command all people gather together in the personal world.
There is a trial at each and every step on the path of knowledge and wisdom. Nonetheless, the centre of souls is one and the same. There have been many people like Qarun and all of them are brought to the personal world by the force of resurrection.

Q505 In the wise Qur'an the complete name of Hazrat `Isa (May peace be through him) in verse (3:45) is "al-Masihu `Isa ibnu Maryam". The word al-Masih is mentioned in eleven different places of the Qur'an and it was granted by Allah. Please tell us its meanings.
A505

Scholars hold different opinions in this connection. Nonetheless, it is true that when Hazrat `Isa (May peace be through him) touched the lepers they were cured, and thus he is called al-Masih, i.e. the one who touches.
Hazrat `Isa (May peace be through him) al-Masih was the living supreme Name of Allah in his time, and according to the du`a'-yi nur (the prayer of light), waves of light were running in his personality. Thus, if spiritual diseases have been cured by the luminous currents of the natiq, the asas and the Imam, why should one be surprised by him curing the lepers!

Q506 What is the supreme miracle of the holy Prophet which clearly shows that he was undoubtedly Allah's beloved?
A506

One such miracle of the holy Prophet is the wise Qur'an itself which, according to one calculation contains 6666 miracles.
Each of its verses is a miracle, not only in meaning but also in action, and its luminosity is at eight places: the Divine Word (Be!), the Pen, the Tablet, Jadd, Fath, Khayal, the light of Prophethood and the light of Imamat.
The essence or wisdom or luminosity of the Qur'an is also contained in the (heavenly) Scriptures of the ancients (26:196), as well as in the personal world of the `arifs.
Its wisdom is in the stages of the knowledge of certainty, its light is in the adhkar (sing. dhikr, remembrance), `ibadāt (sing. `ibadat, worship) and tasbihat (sing. tasbih, words or phrases in which He is purified from all attributes) of mu'min men and women. In short, the holy Qur'an is not just a single miracle but a tremendous universe of miracles.
It has always been people's habit to consider that if a miracle takes place, it has to be for their benefit. Although true, yet it is necessary to reflect and realise that together with spiritual healing there are countless other benefits as well in Qur'anic miracles.

Q507 The example which you have given in your Burushaski poetry is extremely fascinating and amazing:

'He has an amazing telescope by which both the worlds can be observed;
go to him and glance at my friend's skill, it is very sweet.'

Indeed this telescope means the inner eye and skill means spirituality. Please explain to us what causes a fire-fly to emit light, something you had seen in your area.
A507

First of all we have to accept that this is among the miracles of Divine power, then we have to reflect upon it and explain it if we can.
I think that the light the fire-fly emits is due to a specific kind of dissolving (tahlil) of the animal soul. Just as in the centre of our solar system, dissolving matter creates the sun's light, similarly the animal soul is also turned into light by being dissolved. However, the rational soul's light is higher than this and that of the intellect which is even higher, is free from colour.

Q508 Kindly tell us some more points if you are knowledgeable about fireflies.
A508

A firefly, also known as the lightning bug is a nocturnal luminous insect of the beetle family Lampyridae, consisting of about 1,900 species that inhabit tropical and temperate regions. The common glow worm is also a member of this family.
Fireflies are soft-bodied beetles that range from 5 to 25 millimetres (up to one inch) in length and have special light organs on the underside of the abdomen.
The flattened dark brown or black body is often marked with orange or yellow. Some adult fireflies do not eat; others feed on pollen and nectar. Both sexes are usually winged and luminous. Females lacking wings and resembling the long, flat larvae are commonly referred to as glow-worms. The larvae, sometimes luminescent before they hatch, live on the ground and feed on snails and slugs.
Most fireflies produce short rhythmic flashes in a pattern characteristic of the species. The rhythmic flash is part of a signalling system that brings the sexes together. Both the rate of flashing and the time lapse before the female's response to the male are important.
Some authorities feel that the flashing is also a protective mechanism, reminding predators of the firefly's bitter taste.
Firefly light is produced under nervous control within special cells (photocytes) richly supplied with air tubes (tracheae). Only light in the visible spectrum is emitted.¹

Q509 The four rivers of paradise are extolled in the wise Qur'an (47:15). Among them is the pure and clear river of honey. Physical honey is also praised medicinally. The Qur'an also mentions in (16:68-69) how the bee continues to receive innate guidance. Could you recommend a book of material science which provides important information about the bee and honey?
A509

There is a Burushaski proverb which translates: "When the teeth were sound and healthy there was no bread, when the bread became available the teeth have disappeared!"
Honey is a sweet and viscous liquid food produced in the honey sacs of various bees from the nectar of flowers. The nectar is ripened into honey by the inversion of the major portion of its sucrose sugar into the sugar's levulose (fructose) and dextrose (glucose) and by the removal of excess moisture.²
For its annual consumption a middle sized beehive requires four to five hundred pounds of honey.
Bees have to make twenty thousand journeys to the fields and gardens to produce one pound of honey.
For commercial production honey is acquired from apiaries. The colour and the fragrance of honey depend on the kind of flowers from which nectar is extracted.

Q510 With reference to (16:68-69), it is necessary to reflect on the wonders and marvels of the bee. Please tell us how we can do this?
A510

It is said³ that the bee also produces wax in addition to honey.
All honeybees are social insects and live together in nests or hives. There are three castes or classes: the workers, which are undeveloped females; queens, which are bigger than the workers; and males or drones, which are bigger than the workers and are present only in early summer.
The workers and queens have stings, the drones are stingless. Both queens and workers lay eggs, but only the queens' are fertilized with the drones' sperm and develop into females. The eggs of the workers develop into males.
Queens are not hatched as queens; they become so when fed royal jelly, a substance produced by the salivary glands of the workers. The eggs hatch in three days into larvae known as grubs. All the grubs are fed royal jelly at first, but only the future queens are continued on the diet. When fully grown the grubs transform into pupae. Queens emerge in 16 days, workers in three weeks and drones several days after the workers.
After emerging the queens fight among themselves until only one remains in the hive. She then attacks the old queen, who leaves the nest with a swarm to form a new colony.
Bees communicate with one another through signs and movements. For instance, if a bee returns to its hive and dances, it is a sign of discovering a new treasure of nectar.

Q511 Please explain some realities and esoteric meanings of verse (57:3): "He is the first, the last, the manifest and the hidden."
A511

`Arifs recognise that it is Allah, may He be exalted, who is the first, the last, the manifest and the hidden.
Here the most important question relates to the manifest, which should be answered with respect to three contexts: the external world, the world of religion and the personal world.
The answer with regard to the external world is that He is the light of the heavens and the earth (24:35), but the law of recognition never ceases due to the manifestation of the light.
The answer in the context of the world of religion is that the holy Prophet and the Imam are the mazhar of Allah's light.
The answer in the context of the personal world is that it is distinguished for the sake of the vision (didar) and recognition therefore, there cannot be any doubt in His theophanies and manifestations occurring in it.

Q512 Would you kindly shed more light on the realities and esoteric meanings of az-zahir (the manifest) and an-nur (the light)?
A512 It is a great unveiling (kashf) when He, may His glory be glorified, appears and grants His didar at a sublime place, and then instantly conceals Himself in a veil (42:51). This shows that when He is without a veil, He is manifest and when He is in a veil He is hidden.

The luminous sun has several veils: the external light of the sun is the veil of the internal light; the light in front is the veil for the light at the back; every kind of shadow, cloud, night, etc. is among the sun's veils. If someone is blind, their blindness is a permanent veil for them.
Among the numerous veils of the manifest (az-zahir) there are veils of light, veils of knowledge, angelic veils and human veils.

Q513 What are the wisdoms in verse (17:45): "When you recite the Qur'an, We place a hidden veil between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter."
A513 There are many wisdoms in this verse:

Just as Allah has a veil so do the Qur'an and the Prophet.
The holy Prophet not only recited the Qur'an externally but also internally [in the person of his successor, i.e., the Imam of the time].
The question of a veil would not have arisen had the blessed personality of the holy Prophet not been luminous, namely had he not been the luminous lamp and had his recitation not been extraordinary.
The recitation of the Qur'an by the holy Prophet means that his successor, the Imam explains its ta'wil in every age.

Q514 Is it correct to refer to all the Qur'anic verses related to 'light', as the 'light verses'? Kindly tell us their collective wisdom.
A514

The subject of light is spread throughout the wise Qur'an as well as being concentrated in the verse of the lamp (24:35).
If Allah Himself is the light of the heavens and the earth, how can the revealed light be separate from His light?
You should reflect on the law of "light upon light".
There are two great wisdoms in the verse of the lamp:
1. [On the one hand] Allah Himself is the light of the heavens and the earth
2. [On the other hand] His light has a similitude
For the sake of teaching people and with respect to manifestation it is correct to refer separately to Allah's light, the Prophet's light, the Imam's light, mu'min men and women's light. However, with respect to the law of "light upon light", all these manifestations are of the same one light.
If Allah is the light of the heaven and the earth of the world of religion and the personal world, after the Prophets and Imams it can also rise in [the personal world of] many mu'mins. In fact, every individual in this world has the capacity of receiving grace from this light however the pre-requisites for this are faith (iman) and obedience.

Q515 It is mentioned in verse (48:20): "Allah has promised you many gains that you would take". When did the Muslims obtain these many gains? Has not Allah promised the mu'mins of every age?
A515

The external jihad is an example and the internal jihad is its meaning (mamthul). This Divine promise is related to internal gains, which are to be found in the entire universe.
This Divine promise is equally beneficial for mu'mins of all times.

That is, the spiritual resurrection takes place in every age through the Imam (May peace be through him) of the time. This is also the major jihad, in which the religion of Islam becomes victorious in the form of the subjugation of the entire universe.⁴

Q516 In the 'Wisdom Search' class of Sunday, 9th Dhu'l-hijjah, 1419/28th March, 1999 all the wisdoms were excellent and they have hopefully been recorded. Some of the most exquisite, meaningful and praiseworthy names require further explanation, and they are: Embodied light, embodied Qur'an, embodied Islam, embodied sunnat. Please explain what their reality is.
A516

These praiseworthy names belong first and foremost to the holy Prophet and then to the Imam. According to the du`a-yi nur was the Prophet not turned into light from head to foot? Had Allah not sent His beloved Messenger having made him light (5:15)?
Was the holy Prophet not the Embodied Qur'an and Speaking Qur'an both before and after its writing?
Was the holy Prophet not the fountainhead of Islam?
Was the holy Prophet himself not the original and real sunnat? These questions, which are answers as well, show that the Embodied light, embodied Qur'an (Speaking Qur'an), embodied Islam and embodied sunnat are powerful proofs for the people of insight (basirat).

Q517 Our very dear and esteemed President Ghulam Mustafa Momin from Atlanta asked the following question on the telephone: "Sahib! Please tell us the basis for the division of the twelve jazirahs in this world for the sake of da`wat-i haqq? Does the system of hudud-i din still continue? Are there still one hujjat and 30 da`is in every jazirah?"
A517

Regarding the vicegerency of Hazrat Adam (May peace be through him), Allah says: "I am going to appoint a vicegerent in the earth" (2:30). In this verse by the earth is meant people because Allah did not say "on the earth", rather He said "in the earth".
This means that not only do the Divine vicegerency (by the name of [recognition and]) Divine guidance continue externally among the people, but Adam (May peace be through him)'s real recognition and [guidance] continue within the `arifs.
Thus, by the command of Allah Adam (May peace be through him) underwent the resurrection and the Divine Spirit started to work in him (15:29; 38:72). By this blessing the universe was subjugated to him and seventy thousand subtle human beings were created from his blessed personality.
Furthermore, seventy thousand angels were also created at the place of intellect. According to Allah there are twelve nations in the world which are the twelve jazirahs. For every jazirah one hujjat and 30 da`is are appointed from among the subtle human beings.
The inner (batini) system of hudud-i din did not only exist in the time of Adam (May peace be through him). The same system continues even today spiritually.

Q518 In the light of the mighty Qur'an, would you please elaborate on the fact that there are subtle human beings including the hudud-i din in this world who do not appear to us.
A518

Study carefully verses (46:29-32; 72:1-15) which show that the jinns who had come to the presence of the holy Prophet, were in reality the hujjats of the jazirahs. They are subtle human beings but are called jinns because they are invisible.
The hujjats of the night who are these same jinns are also among the hudud-i din.

Q519 With reference to verse (6:131) could you tell us whether the messengers sent to the jinn were different from the ones sent to human beings, or whether whenever a messenger came from Allah, he was for both the communities of jinn and humankind?
A519

When it is established that by jinn are meant subtle human beings, the question which arose because of the division of jinn and humankind ceases automatically.
Regarding the unity of jinn and humankind there are countless wisdoms in the wise Qur'an, particularly in the surah of Rahman. In this surah Allah mentions with great magnificence all His great bounties granted both to the jinn and humankind together.
Whom did Allah give the heavenly teaching of the Qur'an to? He taught it to the Perfect Man. Study the first twelve verses of the surah with wisdom and then read the thirteenth. Were it not possible for the group of jinn and humankind to benefit from Qur'anic wisdom from the personal world of the Perfect Man, Allah, the Sustainer would not have drawn both their attention to His bounties so emphatically!

Q520 Since the surah of Rahman is the bride of the Qur'an, there are many wisdom-filled questions in it. For instance, what is the wisdom in saying: "He created man" (55:3) and then saying: "He created man from fermented clay, dried tinkling hard like earthen ware, and created jinn from the flame of fire." (55:14-15)?
A520

The first description of human creation is general and the second is detailed.
Thus, "He created man and taught him bayan" means that the Compassionate Allah created the `arif and his personal world step by step and perfected him and taught him the science of bayan, namely ta'wil.
The same wisdom-filled description is mentioned in some detail as: Allah created man from tinkling clay, that is, He started to create the Perfect Man spiritually from the blow of naqur (i.e., the sur of Israfil) in which the luminous blow of the Divine Spirit continued. It is also said: "And He created jinn from the flame of fire."
There are three kinds of flame: a flame mixed with smoke, a pure flame and an invisible flame. Thus, Allah created jinn from the different lights of the personal world of the Perfect Man. In all such creations of Allah, the Lord of Honour, there are common bounties for both the groups of humankind and jinn.

¹Encyclopaedia Britannica, p. 150.
²Encyclopaedia Britannica, p. 925-26.
³ibid.
⁴See "`Ilm ki Sirhi" pp. 55-68.

Chapter Index

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter