World of Fragrances
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My very cordial and spiritual friend Al-Amin, Joint Secretary of K̲h̲ānah-yi Ḥikmat, may God grant you honor and eminence of both the worlds. Āmīn!
With utmost sincerity and affection, I say the sacred and wisdom-filled prayer of Yā `Alī Madad to you and your dear family. I also pray for all the rest of the cazīzān. May the Lord of Majesty accept it!
My very dear Al-Amin! My angel-like friend in knowledge! Indeed, you greatly appreciate knowledge and recognize the reality. You are among those great servants of our beloved jamācat who with great devotion render service day and night in the field of knowledge. You spend a part of the precious time of your valuable life in the path of knowledge. Praise belongs to Allāh! This is all a great favor of Allāh.
The subtle knowledge which comes into existence and the way it is spreading throughout the world is due to the collective services and valuable sacrifices rendered by the individuals of K̲h̲ānah-yi Ḥikmat and Idārah-yi cĀrif. By the Divine grace its importance and beneficence are very great. Since this true knowledge belongs to the exalted Imām, its light is reaching far and wide and the circle of its access continues to expand.
Every flower and fruit in this physical world has its own fragrance. Furthermore, there are many medicinal herbs and other substances, each of which possesses a separate, hidden treasure of fragrance. From this explanation it is evident that within one world there are many subsidiary worlds, and among them is the very subtle, extremely alluring and soul-nourishing world of fragrances.
The holy Prophet(ṣ) appreciated fragrance and in this lies a great
secret. The physical sustenance of paradise (spirituality) is in the form of fragrances because people of paradise possess an astral body for which subtle sustenance, i.e., fragrances, is assigned.
A wise person reflecting on the wise Qur'ān can accept the fact that the sustenance of the people of paradise is not a complete fruit, only its extract, which means its fragrant vegetative energy. The holy Qur'ān referring to the sustenance of the people of paradise, says: "Sustenance from the fruit (min s̱ amaratin rizqan)" (2:25) that is, the whole fruit is not required, only its extract or soul. This denotes that first the raw and unripe fruit exists then develops the aromatic vegetative soul, similarly, the vegetative souls of fruits, flowers, etc. with their subtle distinctive features can exist without orchards and gardens. This is the reality (mams̱ ūl) of this verse.
Another name for spiritual knowledge is knowledge of the reality of things. In the light of practical experience, research has been done that after the Prophets and the Imams, the true darwīs̲h̲es are also blessed with receiving fragrances without fruits and flowers. This is the physical bounty of paradise whereas the bounties of soul and intellect are more sublime and subtle. Also, it must be remembered that it is vital for mu'mins to recognize paradise while they are in this world as the Qur'ān says in verse (37:41): "Those are the people who already know the sustenance of paradise." Moreover, verse (47:6) says: "And He will admit them into paradise, which He has made known to them." There is no doubt the Imām of the time is the paradise of mu'mins with all its meanings and the real and fundamental recognition is of this holy personality and all subsidiary recognitions are available through the center and fountainhead of this light.
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