Caskets of Pearls Vol. 2 - Casket of Pearls 88


Casket of Pearls 88

Tags: Intellect, Equality, `Arsh, Kursi

Q871 It is said in Surah-yi Yunus (10:100): "Wa yaj`alu'r-rijsa `ala'lladhina la ya`qilun." What is its wisdom?
A871

  • Translation: "And those who do not use their intellect, He puts the dirt (of disbelief and ignorance) on them."
  • Those who are devoid of true intellect are severely condemned [in this verse]. This shows that Islam is an intellectual religion.
  • Many such verses are revealed in the Qur'an, in which the intellect, reason, knowledge and wisdom are highly praised.

Q872 Could you tell us the great secret of how Allah enfolds the spiritual universe?
A872

  • In sha'a'llah. When the resurrection of a Perfect Man takes place, the inner (batini) universe is enfolded at two stages: first in the personal world and then after some time in the Sacred Sanctuary.
  • This is the reason why the Qur'an has said that all things are in pairs.

Q873 It is said in Surah-yi Ta Ha (20:5): "Ar-Rahmanu `ala'l-`arshi istawa." What is the correct translation of this noble verse according to you?
A873

  • Translation: "The Compassionate [Allah] established equality on the Throne." That is, to begin with there are ranks amongst Allah's creatures, but when Allah enfolds the entire universe in the Sacred Sanctuary or `Arsh, He thereby establishes equality.
  • This is the description of the personal world.

Q874 In Surah-yi Mulk (67:3) Allah says: "Ma tara fi khalqi'r-Rahmani min tafawut = (O `arif!) you will not see any difference in Rahman's creation." Is this verse also about the equality mentioned above?
A874

  • Yes, indeed. In Allah's kingdom there are ranks for people as well as equality.
  • This is the concept of universality regarding Allah's creatures. Through this, all the questions of the objectors come to an end automatically.

Q875 From the above explanation we come to know that in Allah's sunnat (habit), there are ranks as well as equality for His creatures. Now please tell us how the Prophets and Imams acted in this matter?
A875

  • The Prophets and Imams gave luminous guidance to all equally and their extremely great favour is that people, by being merged in their respective Lord of qiyamat, became his luminous copies.
  • They are copies as well as unity.

Q876 Is it true that in the Sacred Sanctuary there are not only countless copies of the Single Person, but also the unity of those copies? Could you give us an intelligible example of this?
A876

  • Yes indeed, there are countless copies [of the Single Person] in the Sacred Sanctuary, however they cannot simultaneously manifest themselves because it is the world of unity. Therefore only one can manifest itself at a time.
  • Hazrat Ibrahim (May peace be through him) is a prominent example of how with Allah's mercy people can go to their personal world and become the living and identical copies of the Perfect Man, as is said in the noble verse (16:120): "Truly Ibrahim in his person (with respect to copies) was a complete ummat, obedient to Allah and an `arif."

Q877 The amazing miraculous shirts (sarabil) are mentioned in Surah-yi Nahl (16:81). Are they the copies of the ibda`i body of the Imam (May peace be through him) of the time?
A877

  • They certainly are, because Allah has appointed the Imam (May peace be through him) for the salvation of the people and this is the reason that everything is in the Imam-i mubin.
  • The Imam (May peace be through him) of the time is indeed the inheritor of all the Prophets' spiritual miracles. If the miracle of every Prophet were to cease with his departure then all the excellences and wonders and marvels of religion, i.e. miracles would have become a part of the past and no miracle would remain in religion at present.

Q878 It is mentioned in Surah-yi Qasas (28:5): "We wished (and wish) to favour those who were weak in the land and make them Imams (leaders) and make them heirs." This verse is about the Children of Isra'il. Please tell us how Allah made the followers of Musa and Harun (May peace be through them) Imams.
A878

  • The true mu'mins among the Children of Isra'il were granted this rank at the stage of `Izra'il of Hazrat Harun (May peace be through him), and also at the stage of the Intellect.
  • It is in this sense that Allah had made Musa (May peace be through him)'s community kings, that is, spiritual sovereigns (5:20).

Q879 Could you please explain this reality to us by another proof?
A879

  • In sha'a'llah. You may remember the hadith-i qudsi in which the Universal Soul has said: 'O the children of Adam! Obey me so that I may make you like me'.
  • There is no doubt that the exalted Imam (May peace be through him) is the spiritual father and mother of mu'mins, which necessarily means that those of his spiritual children who are obedient may become kings like their father in spirituality and tomorrow in paradise.

Q880 What are `Arsh and Kursi and what are the seven heavens, layer upon layer (67:3)?
A880

  • It should be known that by `Arsh is meant the angel Universal Intellect and by the Kursi the angel Universal Soul. They have a unity in which only the didar of the Universal Soul is possible.
  • The seven heavens which are layer upon layer are the lords of the seven cycles, whom the Universal Soul has surrounded within itself (2:255). This means that it is the Kursi which surrounds all and reaches all and is also the universal of universals.
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