Caskets of Pearls Vol. 2 - Casket of Pearls 92

Casket of Pearls 92

Tags: Sab`-i Mathani, City of knowledge, House of wisdom, Hidden book, Pen, Qalam, Hazrat Zakariyya

Q911 The above-mentioned discussion reminded us of the following verse: "Alladhina ja`alu'l-Qur'ana `izin (15:91), that is, those who tore the Qur'an into bits." What does this mean?
A911

This means to consider the physical and spiritual parts and constituents of the Qur'an to be separate.
That is, the Divine treasures (15:21) are the fountainhead of the ta'wil and recognition of the great Qur'an.

Q912 It is said in Surah-yi Hijr (15:9): "We indeed reveal the Reminder (Qur'an) and lo! We are its Guardian." There is a necessary question here – we have faith in the exoteric of the Qur'an, but what really is its protection?
A912

Since the wise Qur'an is the wisdom-filled speech of God, therefore its esoteric is everlasting in God's light, the proof of which is the Guarded Tablet in which the holy Qur'an is always protected and this guarded place is also called Imam-i mubin.
Another name is ummu'l-kitab (13:39).

Q913 With reference to Surah-yi Hijr (15:87) please explain and describe sab`-i mathani and the glorious Qur'an.
A913

Sab`-i mathani = the seven verses of al-Hamd, which are recited during salat. Its ta'wil is the seven by seven Imams, and by the glorious Qur'an is meant Hazrat Qa'im (May peace be through him).
The glorious Qur'an is this Qur'an, which is far greater than the way people understand it because its spiritual dimension is extremely amazing.
The reality is that the Command of 'Be', the Divine Pen, the Guarded Tablet, the speaking Book, Soul, Light, Imam-i mubin and the Divine treasures are all with the Qur'an.

Q914 In the light of true recognition please tell us where and when did the holy Prophet observe the Divine Pen in his blessed personal world?
A914

At the time of qiyamat, God had gathered the heaven, the earth, the Throne and Kursi in the personal world of the holy Prophet for the sake of recognition, thus all the miracles of the Qur'an's revelation appeared in his personal world.
The holy Prophet had the honour of the highest mi`raj in his blessed forehead, and in this state he observed all the secrets of azal, including the secret of the Pen.

Q915 At which place in his personal world was the holy Prophet the city of knowledge and where was he the house of wisdom?
A915

The holy Prophet was the city of knowledge in his blessed personal world and the house of wisdom in his luminous forehead.
You must have read in the Prophetic traditions that the gate to this city of knowledge and the door of the house of wisdom is Hazrat `Ali (May peace be through him), that is, the Imam (May peace be through him) of the time.

Q916 In many places of the Divine speech there is the description of the miracles of the forehead, because it is the paradise of the personal world. For example, in Surah-yi Waqi`ah (56:77-79 ) it is mentioned that nobody but the purified ones can touch the hidden book (kitab-i maknun). This raises the question as to what the hidden book is and where is it? Who are the ones who purify and who are those who have been purified?
A916

The hidden book is the collection of the Qur'an's secrets, which is in the paradise of the forehead.
The one who purifies people by means of his knowledge and wisdom is the Imam (May peace be through him) from the progeny of Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny), so that after this purification a mu'min can attain benefit from the hidden book.

Q917 Does the chain of Divine guidance in the world continue such that the heavenly book is present, the hidden book too is in every forehead and the Divine Teacher is present too, so that those mu'min men and women who have high ambition can be guided as far as the mi`raj of the forehead?
A917

Indeed the same chain of the exalted God's luminous guidance always continues [in this world].
Since it is mentioned in a noble hadith: Al-khalqu `iyalu'llah (People are like God's family),³⁹ therefore God appoints the light of guidance in the form of a human being in every time.
Hundreds of proofs of this reality have been presented, nonetheless the pleasant mention of the personal world and the Sacred Sanctuary will continue until the last breath.

Q918 There is a very necessary question about the Pen: God has sworn by the Pen (68:1): which is that Pen, is it the earthly one or the heavenly one? Is it God's own Pen or is it the angels'? Or the Perfect Men's?
A918

This Pen is in the Higher world (`alam-i `ulwi), it is God's possession, it is a light and an angel, which is why it continues to write by God's command.
It is also the gathering (jam`) of the angels and the Perfect Men as well as being one (wahid), therefore it is correct to say both that 'he writes' and 'they write'.

Q919 This question is related to Surah-yi `Alaq (96:4-5 ): When the generous Lord taught man everything through the Pen, which Pen was He referring to? Who was that human being?
A919

That Pen was the angel Qalam (Universal Intellect) as well as Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny)'s light. The human being was the angel Tablet (Universal Soul) as well as Mawla `Ali (May peace be through him)'s light.
Just as the actual existence of the Pen depends on the Tablet, in the same way the recognition of the light of Prophethood depends on the light of walayat.

Q920 The following ta'wili question is related to Surah-yi Al-i `Imran (3:44), the exegesis of which is: Every person put his pen in the running water, in which all the pens flowed away, except Hazrat Zakariyya (May peace be through him)'s pen which floated against the water current. What can the ta'wil of this be?
A920

Every partial intellect cannot swim in the ocean of knowledge, it flows away in it. However, it is only the Perfect Man's intellect which swims in every direction of the ocean of knowledge and also dives in it.
This is the story of Hazrat Maryam (May peace be through her)'s spiritual teaching and upbringing and in it is the indication that only a Perfect Man can give spiritual teaching to someone.

³⁹Mizanu'l-Hikmat, Vol. 2, p. 347.

Chapter Index

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter