The Purpose of Questioning is to Promote Knowledge

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By the Name of Allāh, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise be to Allāh, the Lord of the worlds. And the hereafter is for the righteous. May peace and salutation be on His Messenger and his pure progeny. It is evident that questions are asked for various reasons; therefore, the background of all questions cannot be the same. In this connection, the most delightful question is the one asked by the circle of friends for the sake of the promotion of knowledge only. This kind of question and answer diﬀuses the fragrance of friendship, love, unity, sincerity and trust. Therefore, this humble servant necessarily thanks his cazīzān and esteemed wise friends who, from time to time, send excellent and thought-provoking questions, which have not only friendly sincerity and trust, but for knowledge are extremely high and useful, such as the following three questions asked by one great, wise friend:

Question 1: The Imām of the time is indeed the treasurer of true knowledge, and through his pure knowledge he delivers people from the death of ignorance. What is the vastness of this knowledge of the Imām, and by what means does He bestow it to its seekers? In addition, what is the relationship between the concepts of knowledge and salvation?

Question 2: What is existence (wujūd)? What is the significance of spiritual and physical existence? What and how is the relationship between them? What is the reality of non-existence to existence, and which one of them is prior?

Question 3: What wisdom is hidden in the sexual or carnal desire found in human beings? What should be our attitude to this [in the context of] changing social values? Are the restrictions imposed

by religion, relative or absolute? What would be the conduct of a mu'min, particularly in the [current] sexual crisis in the West?

Answer 1: There are three parts to this question. a) extent of knowledge, b) means of knowledge, and c) relationship between knowledge and salvation. Now, this most humble servant of the Imām of the time, amongst his slaves in knowledge, states with extreme humility, respect, sincerity and zeal of sacrifice, that the holy and pure Imām is indeed the treasurer of true and spiritual knowledge. The knowledge of the Imām of the time is, in reality, the knowledge of God. However, due to the exigency of wisdom, it is found in one place as well as spread out and extensive. The sense in which knowledge is brought together and is in one place is in a treasure, as mentioned in the Qur'ān (15:21) that all things are encompassed in the treasures of God. Where it is spread out from its fountainhead and treasure, its extent is equal to that of the heavens and earth, although knowledge in its substance, i.e., the Pearl of Intellect, is not like any material thing to which the three dimensions can be applied. However, given the wisdom-filled physical form it has in the book of the universe, the concept of the expansion of knowledge is absolutely correct. Thus, the following are examples or proofs of the fountainhead and expanse of knowledge:

There is not the slightest doubt for the people of wisdom that knowledge in its real and spiritual form is the light of God that has a single fountainhead as well as being spread out. In the holy Qur'ān this fountainhead is compared with a luminous lamp which is in a niche and the boundaries of the expanse of its light are the boundaries of the universe (24:35). Therefore, it is a fact that the fountainhead of collective knowledge (cilm-i mujtamac) is the Imām of the time, and the extent of the dispersed knowledge is equal to the universe.

Paradise is created from the intellect (i.e., knowledge), soul and astral body. These three things are, in reality, in the blessed body of the Imām of the time. Thus, according to the verse (36:12), the center and compendium of paradise is the exalted

Imām. On the other hand, the length and width of paradise is equal to that of the heavens and the earth as mentioned in verses (3:133, 57:21). This shows that the light of knowledge, which in another sense is also the center of paradise, is in the sacred and blessed forehead of the holy Imām. This is the light which encompasses the universe physically and spiritually.

cIlm (knowledge) is among the verbs of qulūb, cālim (knowing) is its fācil (present participle), and cālam (universe) is its instrumental noun, such as k̲h̲ātam is the instrument of sealing as cālam is the instrument of knowing. However, the true cālim (knowing) is the Imām of the time after God and the Prophet(ṣ), who is given the knowledge of the universe and its existents in the form of the light of intellect. Thus, the fountainhead of knowledge in the true sense is the Imām of the time, and his extent [of knowledge] is the circle of the universe.

Knowledge is a light as the origin and fountainhead, and in its extent is a universe; similarly, without any decrease, it is in a complete heavenly book. This wisdom-filled book is the Glorious Qur'ān, whose living spirit, i.e., light, is the rightful Imām who is the true knowing and its heir.

Now, the part of the first question, "By what means does the Imām bestow knowledge upon its seekers?" has to be dealt with. In this regard, I would like to say that knowledge is the supreme bounty of God, and no faithful person will deny this reality. God's bounties are both physical and spiritual as mentioned in the wise Qur'ān: "Do you not see that Allāh has made subservient to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed His favors, both apparent and hidden on you (31:20)." Several realities appear together in the light of this blessed Qur'ānic teaching which are duly understood only by the wise people. For example, it suﬃces to say that the Sustainer of the world has not only made the physical heavens and earth to serve human beings, but also ordered the spiritual heavens and earth to create fresh, spiritual bounties. Further, as the chain of physical bounties continues from the action of the physical heavens and earth, similarly, spiritual bounties also

continue and persist from the action of the spiritual heavens and earth. Thus, there are two means of acquiring knowledge, external and internal. Just as a human being has physical and spiritual senses, there are two paths for physical and spiritual knowledge.

Ḥaz̤rat-i Ādam, despite being corporeal and human, was the bearer of the Divine Spirit (i.e., the light), through which he used to spiritually impart the true knowledge to the mu'mins of his time. It is mu'mins who are always called angels from the spiritual aspect. Thus, the door of spiritual knowledge of the Imām of the time is always open for the mu'mins, and to obtain this everlasting wealth, every individual must progress on the path of spirituality so that they may be included in the group of angels and obtain knowledge directly from the vicegerent of God and the Prophet(ṣ) (i.e., the Imām of the time).

In the story of Ḥaz̤rat-i Ādam, spiritual knowledge is called cilmu'l-asmā' (knowledge of names), which is under the ism-i acẓam (Supreme Name). According to this Divine law, Ḥaz̤rat-i Ādam, by teaching the cibādat (worship) of the Supreme Name to his angelic mu'mins, i.e., ḥudūd-i dīn (hierarchs of religion), breathed into them that Divine Spirit by which a spiritual link can be created between leader and follower. This is the Divine law (sunnat) which has continued in God's chosen servants (40:85), and there is no change in the Divine law (sunnat). Thus, according to this unchangeable Divine law, the Guide of the time (i.e., the Imām of the time) continues to give spiritual knowledge to the mu'mins (17:77).

If God and His chosen prophets had not appointed the Imām of every age, the master of luminous knowledge, such great importance of the recognition of Imām would not have been in numerous Qur'ānic verses and prophetic traditions. As the holy Qur'ān says: "And he who is blind in this (world) will also be blind in the hereafter, and far astray from the (right) way (17:72)," and this Ḥadīs̱ : "He who dies without the recognition of the Imām of his time, dies a death of ignorance, and the ignorant is in the fire of hell." Here it is clear that the Imām of the time is physically

and spiritually the light of God and the Prophet(ṣ), the light of the Qur'ān and Islām, and the light of recognition (macrifat).

Alas, many people did not understand the meaning of "Innī jācilᵘⁿ fi'l-arz̤i k̲h̲alīfah" (2:30). The literal meaning of arz̤is the planet earth, and arz̤means all the people of the world. The ta'wīl of arz̤is the earth of spirituality. Thus, the vicegerency and representation of the holy and exalted God was with Ādam as the Spirit and Light of God, through which he used to teach true knowledge spiritually to mu'mins, wherever they were physically. This same rank is held by every Prophet and Imām, because in the true religion, Divine viceregency continues forever as long as the world continues and lasts through the existence of this universe. Conversely, if we deem that this viceregency is related to Ḥaz̤rat-i Ādam only and that also in a literal sense without any ta'wīl, and that it is confined to the region of the Earth where Ādam used to live physically, in this state, God forbid, God's viceregency would be child's play! God Almighty is free from and above such examples.

Now, we turn to discussing the part of the question: What is the relationship between the concepts of knowledge and salvation? The answer is that man is a compendium of three things: body, soul, and intellect. Its reward and punishment also are three: physical, spiritual, and intellectual. Everyone knows that the soul is higher than the body and that the intellect is higher than the soul. Accordingly, not only is the intellectual reward the greatest, but on the other hand, intellectual chastisement is also extremely painful and great. However, the question: Which calamity is the name of intellectual chastisement? remains. The answer is ignorance, and nothing can absolve an individual from this punishment except true knowledge. Thus, the [true] knowledge is the guarantee of salvation. It is also correct to say that knowledge is the practical form of salvation because knowledge is paradise, while the fire of ignorance is its opposite. This explanation is about the relationship between knowledge and salvation.

Answer 2: This question has five parts: (a) What is wujūd (existence)? (b) Importance of wujūd. Relationship of body and

soul. (d) Reality of cadam (non-existence) in relation to existence. (e) Which of wujūd and cadam is prior? We will first define wujūd, an Arabic word, the root of which is wāw, jīm, dāl, which means to attain something. In this context, wujūd means existence, and wujūd and cadam are opposites. There are three kinds of wujūd or existence: physical, spiritual and intellectual. A human being is a compound of these three. Physical, spiritual and intellectual things are perceived with physical senses, spiritual senses, and intellectual faculties, respectively.

What is the significance of spiritual and physical existence? The answer to this question, according to the wise Qur'ān (3:27, 39:4, 51:49), is that God, the Blessed, the Exalted, creates two opposites from one another and merges them into each other. This means that without anteriority, posteriority, beginning or end, this world and the next are always created from one another. This is particularly related to the external and internal universe. It is clear that although the superiority of the soul is universally accepted, the body has similar significance because the soul is never without matter or body. In the world of particles, the soul riding on the subtle particle flies from place to place. In this world soul is linked to the body and in the next world is given a subtle or dense, living house based on its actions (29:64). In the following, Pīr Nāṣir-i K̲h̲israw(q) addresses a disbeliever about the equal importance of body and soul:

Tū ba-kull bīnā na-ī zāngah tū bī-rāh māndah-ī Tū ba-kull bīnā s̲h̲awī jān-ū jasad yaksān-i tūst

You see only the part, you cannot see the whole, therefore you have gone astray, Had you observed the whole, body and soul would have equal importance

What and how is the relationship between spiritual and physical existence? This is already addressed in the importance of body and soul; however, an example is provided here. The creation and completion of human existence starts from mingled sperm (76:2) that enters the womb. The soul and body are present in it without

any anteriority or posteriority, and these two elements progress together, creating one another. The same is the case of a seed and of an egg in which the vegetative soul is hidden in the seed and the animal soul is hidden in the egg. It is clear from this example that both spiritual and physical existences are always strung together in the thread of oneness.

What is the reality of the relationship of non-existence and existence, and which is the prior? In this matter, it is humbly requested that for people of spiritual help (ahl-i ta'yīd), non-existence is not what the common people understand. In God's kingdom, according to the former, there is no absolute non-existence (cadam-i maḥz̤), rather, it is another name for the world of command. The world of command is the existence which appears to be non-existence (hastī-yi nīstī-numā). An existence which in its essence or substance is indeed existence, but since it is the world of instantaneous creation (ibdāc), therefore its intellectual, spiritual, and physical manifestations cannot appear without the command of "Kun" (Be!). Thus, the way it is accepted that existence was created from non-existence is a common concept, where there is a one-sided relationship of existence and non-existence (cadam), whereas the fact is contrary, that is, existence is from non-existence, non-existence is from existence, and there is no temporal priority and posteriority, as they are both eternal like the word "Kun" (Be!). However, regarding honor, intellectual existence is first, followed by spiritual existence, physical existence being the last.

The Qur'ānic verses related to the creation, specifically verses which are related to the creation of pairs and contraries (such as day and night), reveal in the language of wisdom, that just as the omnipotent God, in His pure essence is without any beginning and end, similarly He always creates the world of creation and the world of command from one another without any temporal priority and posteriority, as mentioned in the noble verse: "And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth by ḥaqq, and when He says 'Be,' then it becomes (6:73)." This verse mentions the creation of the world of command from the world of creation. However, this great feat is related to the individual resurrection and the observation

of spirituality. That is, this work is such that it has been done, continues and is also going to take place because it is related to the Divine will, which transcends the physical time. The answer to the second question finishes here.

Answer 3. This question has four points: a) What wisdom is hidden in sexual or carnal desire found in man? b) What should be our attitude towards the power of changing social values? c) Are incumbent religious restrictions relative or absolute? d) What should be the role of a mu'min in the sexual crisis in the West?

In this connection, I would like to say that the Lord of the universe has created man the noblest of the creation in the sense that He has created him a compendium of countless faculties and abilities from the participation of body, soul and intellect, each of which is based on numerous wisdoms. However, the benefit from the wisdoms of each faculty and desire can be attained when the fortunate mu'mins duly obey the holy commands of God, Prophet(ṣ) and the custodians of the Divine command (ulu'l-amr). Otherwise, what is the diﬀerence between man and animal, and between mu'min and infidel with regards to the carnal desire? Thus, according to the Divine law and nature, every low desire transforms into a sublime desire when a wise mu'min progresses on the path of faith with patience and fear of God.

It is mentioned in the holy Qur'ān that piety (taqwā) is the most sublime quality of a faithful servant. By piety is meant that God, the Holy is with the pious (2:194); the pious is the most respected among Muslims (49:13); and the pious is the friend of God (3:76); for the pious is prepared the Paradise that encompasses the universe (3:133); every prayer, worship, sacrifice and good deed of the pious is accepted and their every desire is fulfilled (5:27). The pious will be God's guest on the day of resurrection (19:85) and for every pious person there are countless blessings of the Prophet(ṣ), Imām, furqān (the diﬀerentiator between right and wrong), light, and remembrance (21:48). Here it must be remembered that piety, first of all, is related to beliefs and ideas and then to ethics. Thus, the wisdom of ethical piety is that every unlawful command of the

[carnal] soul must be rejected. Although every individual who is pious and follows the light of Islām cannot be granted prophethood in their youth like Ḥaz̤rat-i Mūsā, nonetheless, Almighty God alludes to bestowing a great spiritual wealth and promises to do so as mentioned [in the Qur'ān]: "and when he (Mūsā) reached his full strength and was mature (by dissolving the carnal soul), We gave him wisdom and knowledge, and thus do We reward the virtuous (28:14)." This [verse] alludes to the granting of the perfect and complete spirituality. Observing in the light of this heavenly universal law, it is clear that whatever is given to all Perfect Human Beings from the court of the merciful God, is given during their youth. There must be a great secret in youth. Indeed, there is and that is the sexual desire in which there are various aspects of wisdom. In short, it is something [given to someone] to test them and as well as to correct and analyze it. Thus, the friends of God transmute worldly love into love for the Lord (Mawlā). It is a solid fact that no elderly person can become a lover of God without attaining this bliss in their youth, nor can any child be enraptured with this wine, nor a eunuch. What, after all, is its reason? Its only reason is that without the severe desire of the carnal soul created in youth, not only does the existence of trial cease, but also spiritual progress and Divine love become impossible.

It is necessary to consider the problem of the changing social values of any non-Muslim society and to protect oneself from actions against the spirit of Islām, otherwise, while worrying about society, our own ethical, religious and spiritual values will be eroded.

The commands of religion in which there is no room for modification are permanent and unchangeable, as mentioned earlier that many things of the people of the West are their own creations, from which true mu'mins should keep aloof and far away. Wa's-salām (Peace).

10th January, 1984

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