Chirag-i Rawshan - Preface

Preface

Tags: `id, Hazrat `Isa, Chiragh-i Rawshan, Luminous Lamp

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Hazrat `Isa, son of Maryam prayed in the Divine court thus: “O Allah! Our Lord! Send down to us from heaven a (spiritual and intellectual) table (ma'idah) (full of bounties), that it may be an `Id (recurring day of happiness) for us, for the first ones of us and for the last ones of us and a miracle (for us) from You, and give us (spiritual and intellectual) sustenance, and You are the best of sustainers” (5:114).

Wise people have not the slightest doubt that the above mentioned verse is an universal principle according to the Divine law (sunnat), relating to all times, since the mu'mins of the past, the present and the future are mentioned in this prayer. For, Hazrat `Isa was the Divine light in his time (61:6-8) and hence he prayed for the mu'mins of every age. It is obvious that this `Id of happiness of the unveiling and of miracles is for the mu'mins of the past, the present and the future. Think about the word “`Id”, which is derived from “`awd” which means to return and to recur. It should be noted that the external `Id comes in its own time, but the spiritual `Id is beyond time and hence can come at any time.

Although apparently it appears that the ma'idah of Hazrat `Isa was a miracle limited in time, in reality it is the field of the complete spirituality of every Perfect Man. Some of the proofs of this fact are:

In this prayer the heaven which is mentioned is the heaven of the Universal Intellect, and therefore, it is the table of the spirituality of Prophets and Imams.
The satisfaction of the heart which is sought in this prayer is not possible without spiritual and intellectual observations.
One of its purposes is that what is promised for tomorrow should be ascertained today (sadaqtanā, 5:113).
The word “shāhidīn (witnesses)” which is mentioned in the verse (5:113) prior to the prayer, shows that they sought spiritual observation.
The explanation of “for us” is that all Prophets, Imams and the people of faith from the first to the last are included in it.
Ayat is the name of miracle and God's miracle is intellectual, spiritual and perpetual; it is not something evanescent that it disappears instantly.
By sustenance is meant the sustenance of the intellect and soul which is comprehensive.

The command of God has already been uttered and His act has already been done and His promise has already been fulfilled (33:37; 8:44) and none of them is awaited. That is, no command of God is unsaid and no act of His is unaccomplished. If this is the case why did the prayer and the search become necessary? According to this eternal law, has not the table of the intellectual and spiritual bounties been revealed forever? Can an act of God be unaccomplished?

Answer: Undoubtedly the command of God has already been uttered, His act has already been done, His promise has already been fulfilled and the table of inner bounties has already been revealed forever, yet word, deed and prayer are necessary, particularly the prayer of the True Guide. Because, although God has granted every kind of bounty (14:34), due to (lack of) good deeds, veils have been created, thus true knowledge and good deeds are extremely important in order to remove these veils.

In the light of this discussion, we want to say that Pir Nasir-i Khusraw is among those great sages and `arifs for whom the table of intellectual and spiritual bounties is always spread. Thus from that heavenly table, Hazrat Pir made available another table, which is the wisdom-filled collection of his precious works.

The light of the Imam of the time shone on the blessed heart of Hakim Pir Nasir-i Khusraw, and it is because of this that countless ta'wilic secrets of the Wise Qur'an and the religion of Islam were revealed to him. It is in this form of the light of guidance that the True Imam commanded him to establish anew the ceremony of Chiragh-i Rawshan, or Luminous Lamp. Thus his disciples gradually prepared the Chiragh-namah and spread it wide amongst the circle of his da`wat.

The ceremony of Chiragh-i Rawshan is a compendium of countless virtues. Another booklet would be necessary if we were to describe them in detail, so we have been brief here. A bright proof of the fact that great religious secrets are hidden in it is that Mawlana Hazir Imam, salawatu'llahi `alayh, considers it full of wisdom, for he declined the request submitted to him to abandon this sacred ceremony.

(Sometimes in the case of da`wat-i fana' (i.e. da`wat after the demise of a person) questions arise about the lawfulness of the food from the home of the bereaved family and the age of the deceased). According to me Chiragh-i Rawshan is not an issue relating to jurisprudence. Therefore, it is not relevant to discuss the lawfulness or the unlawfulness of food or age. This is evident from the fact that da`wat-i baqa' (i.e. da`wat during the life time) is on behalf of all the members of any house in which are included young as well as old because it is also a work worthy of great reward.

Humble servant,
Nasir al-din Nasir Hunzai,
22nd April, 1993.

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