Rank of Intellect and Center of Ta'wīl
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First, it should be understood that the body is apparent, the soul is hidden and the intellect is the hidden of the hidden. Therefore, wherever in the wise Qur'ān a grammatical form of the word "intellect (caql)" is mentioned, it refers to the hidden of the hidden, as mentioned in verse (20:7) of Sūrah of Ṭā Hā hidden is called "sirr" and hidden of the hidden is called "ak̲h̲fā". Thus, the tanzīl of the Qur'ān descends from the intellect towards the soul and from the soul towards the body, and its ta'wīl ascends from the body towards the soul and from the soul to the intellect. This means that the people of ta'yīd find the Qur'ān first apparently or physically, then they see it in their spirituality and then observe it in the mirror of intellect (i.e., the Pearl of Intellect), as mentioned in verse (29:49): "Nay, it (the Qur'ān) is (in the form of) luminous miracles in the breasts of those who are granted knowledge." That is, the Noble Qur'ān is in the spirit and spirituality of the pure Imām as luminous miracles and the source of knowledge is the light of intellect. Thus, according to a noble ḥadīs, the holy Qur'ān is with the Imām, and the exalted Imām is with the Qur'ān. This is in three ways: First physically (i.e., in this world) the mutual relationship between the heavenly Book and the true Imām is very strong, vis dh vis others, because the holy Qur'ān is the inheritance of God's Prophet(ṣ), and the Imām of the time is his inheritor (4:54, 35:32). Secondly, in the hidden, i.e., in spirituality the spirit of the Qur'ān (42:52) and the light of Imāmat (5:15) are one. Thirdly, at the level of intellect, the Qur'ān and the light of Imām are one in the hidden Book (kitāb-i maknūn) (56:77-78).
The ta'wīl of what is mentioned in verse (12:2) of Sūrah of Yūsuf and in verse (43:3) of Sūrah of Zuk̲h̲ruf is that although the wise Qur'ān is physically in Arabic, its miraculous soul speaks in all languages of the entire world. In "lacallakum taᶜqilūn (so that you understand intellectually) is an allusion to this reality, as mentioned in verse (43:3), "Indeed We have made the Qur'ān clear
and explicit, so that you may easily understand it." If you wish, you can ascertain the various meanings of the word "Arabic" in different sources. However, in the above-mentioned verse, the word "Arabic" means clear and explicit, which means the spiritual and ta'wīlī aspect of the Qur'ān. There is utmost clarity and eloquence in its ta'wīlī aspect because its entire light is in the mother tongue of every Perfect Man.
The glorious way in which the rank of the intellect is praised in the wise Qur'ān is in two ways. In one, the word intellect is used [directly] and in the other, the word itself is not used, but it is praised indirectly through its synonyms – this explanation is infinite. In both these ways, directly as well as indirectly, the perfect Intellect is alluded to. Thus, in the entire Qur'ān the mention of the light of intellect comprises [everything] because the Qur'ān is like a wise Perfect Man whose soul encompasses the body and whose intellect encompasses the soul. Thus, there are more meanings of the Wise Qur'ān than its words, more intellectual wisdoms than its meanings.
In Arabic literature, pure intellect is called "lubb," whose plural is "albāb." There are sixteen places in the holy Qur'ān where the ulu'l-albāb (people of pure intellect) are mentioned in magnificent words, such as in verse (2:269) it is said: "He gives wisdom to whomever He wills, and whoever is given wisdom, has been given the abundant good and exhortation is accepted by those who are people of intellect." The gist of this Divine teaching is that by receiving wisdom the entire good is received, and wisdom is linked to the intellect.
In this connection, Almighty Allāh says: "Those who listen to the [Divine] speech attentively and follow the best of it (aḥsanahu); those are the ones whom Allāh has guided and they are the ones who are people of intellects (ulu'l-albāb) (39:18)." Here, the word aḥsanahu alludes to put into practice the ta'wīl after the tanzīl, because the people of intellect are granted intellect, understanding, knowledge and wisdom so that their word and deed may continue to be better.
The holy Imāms(ṣ) are well-grounded in knowledge (rāsik̲h̲ūn fi'l-cilm) and people of intellects (ulu'l-albāb), as mentioned in Sūrah of Āl-i cImrān, verse (3:7): "And nobody knows its ta'wīl except Allāh and those (who are) firmly rooted in knowledge; they say [i.e., the rāsikhūn fi'l-cilm say]: We believe in it, all (unambiguous or allegorical) is from our Lord, but none heeds (this) save those endowed with intellect[s]."
It is mentioned in verse (21:104) of Sūrah of Anᵐbiyā', "On the day of resurrection God will roll up the entire universe as a written scroll is rolled up." However, a question arises here: How can any work of God be related to the future, whereas His work has been done (33:37), and His sunnat, which includes every work of God, has already passed in His special servants (40:85)? However, indeed the reason is that the way God's action is mentioned in future tense, is never related to God, but to the people who will see God's work in the future exactly as it had taken place in azal.
When a man observes the physical universe, all things of the heaven and earth appear dispersed, distant and inaccessible. When he begins to recognize himself or when he observes his personal world, the macrocosm shrinks in front of him and condenses into the microcosm. When he ascends towards the world of intellect, the entire microcosm enfolds into the form of a unique pearl (durr-i yatīm). However, this great event does not occur materially, rather, it occurs in the spiritual and intellectual form because physically, it is against the law of nature that the physical world should shrink and become a fistful.
When Ḥaz̤rat-i Mūsā reached the sacred valley of Ṭuwā, the Lord of the world said, "O Moses! Indeed, I am your Lord, so take off your sandals. You are indeed in the sacred valley of Ṭuwā (20:12)." Its ta'wīl is that it was the valley of Intellect, where all the distances were enfolded for him. One allusion of removing his sandals is that his spiritual journey had come to an end. Although there is some disagreement in the meaning of the word Ṭuwā, but observing in the light of ta'wīlī wisdom, one can assess which meanings are correct. There are five words from the root letters ṭā', wāw, yā' that
are mentioned in four places in the holy Qur'ān: Naṭwī (21:104), ka-ṭayyī (21:104), Ṭuwā (20:12), Ṭuwā (79:16) maṭwiyyāt (39:67). Thus, it is clear that the literal meanings of these words are the same, which means 'to enfold' and 'to bring distances to an end'. Its ta'wīl is that Almighty Allāh, through His infinite grace, unites the realities and recognitions of the physical and the spiritual things of the universe into Hidden Pearls, as mentioned: "On the Day of Resurrection the entire earth will be in God's fist and the heavens will be enfolded in His right hand (39:67)." Verses of this nature mention the rank of Perfect Intellect and the Center of ta'wīl because God is free from and above the concept of hand and body, therefore, by God's command this work is executed by that Perfect Man of God who is the locus of manifestation (maẓhar) of His actions and attributes, His vicegerent, light of the Prophet(ṣ), soul of the Qur'ān, and custodian of the Divine command and the same is the original place of the Command.
A fundamental principle is worth mentioning here that Almighty Allāh Himself is not the direct agent (fācil), rather He is the indirect agent because He is the Absolute King. For instance, it is not the honor and greatness of a great king that he should perform every task himself, but rather, the true meaning of being a king is that all tasks and services in his kingdom are accomplished by his command and will through representation and service. In the end, every praiseworthy task is attributed to the king because the intention or command, or project belong to him. Through this example, God willing, faithful mu'mins can understand the law of true kingship.
A Prophetic Tradition says: "Almighty Allāh has based His religion on the example of His creation so that evidence of His religion may be referenced from His creation, and His oneness [be referenced] from His religion." Thus, the inference of religion from the creation is such that no nation or country of this world can traverse the stages of progress and perfection without a head, i.e., a king or a president, etc., similarly, the guidance, elevation and evolution of religion is impossible without there being the Perfect Man, who is appointed the Imām in religion by God and the Prophet. Such a person has to have the light of Universal Intellect from God because, without the
light of Intellect, religious guidance cannot be conceived, such as a worldly government cannot be run without worldly intelligence. This shows that in religion the greatest and the most sublime thing is the light of intellect, and all the values related to matter, soul, knowledge and intellect of the universe and external and internal things are gathered together in that unique Pearl, just as in the seed of a tree numerous powers gather together as well as they cause it to grow and spread.
True knowledge is the light of intellect, without which, it is impossible to understand Qur'ānic examples, as mentioned in verse (29:43) of Sūrah of cAnkabūt: "And those similitudes We strike them for the people, but none understand them save those who possess knowledge." These Divine possessors of knowledge (culamā') are the Imāms from the progeny of Muḥammad(ṣ), in whose blessed personalities there is the fountainhead of the light of Intellect. In every age, on one side there are the people and on the other side, the Book of God (Qur'ān) and the Divine possessor of knowledge (cālim) who is the Imām of the time. Just as during the time of prophethood, together with the heavenly Book, there was the Divine Teacher. Thus, the means to Qur'ānic knowledge and wisdom has always been present because the light of God, which is the light of Intellect, never extinguishes and is always scattering light unsparingly.
The entire wise Qur'ān is filled with intellectual examples because it is revealed from the sublimity of the light of Intellect, which is the fountainhead of intellectual analogies, another name for which is the Divine Pen. Thus, these examples are known only to the Perfect Person whom God has granted the light of Perfect Intellect, such a person is the Imām of the time, who is the inheritor of the Prophet and vicegerent of God.
The examples in the Qur'ān are called mutas̲h̲ābihāt (allegorical verses) which are the most difficult part of the sacred Qur'ān. The person who knows the examples (mis̱ āl) also knows their meanings (mams̱ ūlāt) and mams̱ ūl is another name for ta'wīl. Thus, the way the verse (29:43) is mentioned above shows that the true Imāms(ṣ)
know the Qur'ānic ta'wīl. This is the explanation and verification of the blessed phrase "Rāsik̲h̲ūn fi'l cilm" mentioned in verse (3:7): "While no one knows its ta'wīl except Allāh and those (who are) firmly rooted in knowledge."
The light of Intellect is in perpetual intellectual motion, and demonstrates all the examples of knowledge of the heavens and the earth. It is in this sense he is the sublime example (al-mas̱ al al-aclā) (16:60, 30:27). He is called the world of intellect that encompasses the spiritual world. Even the extents, parts and all the things of the world of Intellect are gathered in the Unique Pearl and confined in the Divine hand, yet it is the world of Intellect. Thus, not only the examples, but each and every thing of the Qur'ān has descended from the world of Intellect. Thus, the foundation of doing ta'wīl is based on the principle that Qur'ānic wisdoms be studied in the illumination of the light of Intellect.
Just as the partial intellect cannot exist without an ordinary human being, the Universal Intellect cannot be without a Perfect Human Being. Where the greatest intellect is called an angel there is also the subtle existence of the Perfect Human Being because it is the human being who, after spiritual progress, is called an angel. The angels, who are like good thoughts, angels who are like particles and majestic angels are all created from human beings. Not only that, jinns, satans and every kind of evil souls are from human beings.
Almighty Allāh says that on the day of resurrection, the good and bad deeds of each individual will be weighed. Related to this subject, there is verse (101:6-7): "As for him whose deeds weigh heavy in the scales, he will have a pleasing life." However, the question is: what will the state of weight of deeds be as they do not weigh like material objects? The answer is: the deeds of servants will be measured on the balance of intellect, in which the bad [deed] will have no weight, nor any such work which is without knowledge and wisdom, because the entire goodness is in wisdom (2:269). Thus, the deeds which are done in the light of intellect will have weight, whereby the scale of mu'mins will be heavy.
Every wise individual in this world, when they reflect upon the profit and loss of a certain matter or observe the goodness and badness of a thing, it is the intellect which is their scale or balance, whereby they weigh thoughts and concepts intellectually.
The balance of intellect, or scale of realities, is on the height of the intellectual heaven (55:7-9), as well as being revealed with the heavenly Book to measure matters of intellect and understanding, and knowledge and wisdom. The related blessed verse [in this connection] is as follows: "Indeed, We sent Our Messengers with clear and bright miracles (bayyināt), and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that humankind may observe right measure (57:25)." Here, the Book means Asās. The ta'wīl of balance is the Imām of the time, who is the balance of intellect and justice, and the people mean ḥujjats who use this balance.
It is related from Ḥaz̤rat-i Imām Muḥammad al-Bāqir that he said: "When God created the Intellect, He interrogated it and said to it: Come forward. It came forward. Then He said: Go back! It went back. Then He said: By My honor and majesty! I did not create a creature more loved by Me than you. And I will not perfect you except in those whom I love. You alone will I command and you alone will I forbid, and you alone will I punish and you alone I will reward."
Answers to many fundamental questions are provided in this blessed farmān, however, as you can see, it is important to reflect that it is the Perfect Intellect, i.e., the Universal Intellect that is mentioned in it. It is also evident that this Perfect Intellect is linked to the Perfect Man; without being with him, it has no perfection, nor has it any temporal priority. According to the above-mentioned ḥadīs, this is a matter of eternity, which occurs in the personal world of the Perfect Man.
17th January, 1984
Concept of Yadu'llāh (Allāh's Hand) in the Qur'ān
By the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
People of knowledge are well aware that Yadu'llāh, God's Hand, is mentioned in several verses of the wise Qur'ān. In this connection, it is also evident that [all] such blessed verses about Yadu'llāh are among the allegorical verses (mutas̲h̲ābihāt), the true meaning of which cannot be clear without ta'wīl. However, for the people of insight, the benevolent Lord, by explaining the ta'wīl of this wisdom-filled example, has also shed light on many such other hidden realities and on that special verse from which the light of the Divine ta'wīl scatters. The fundamental subject of the Qur'ān which is of key importance is God's Hand (Yadu'llāh) as follows: "Verily (O Prophet) those who give baycat (oath of allegiance) to you indeed give baycat to Allāh; Allāh's Hand is above their hands (48:10)." This sacred farmān of the bounteous Lord and its unique ta'wīl, the everlasting reality becomes clear that as the vicegerent and representative of God, the holy Prophet(ṣ)'s blessed hand was God's Hand not only taking physical baycat from the mu'mins but, according to this law of vicegerency, his and his vicegerent's sacred hand is God's Hand through which is accomplished every act by God's Hand physically or spiritually. Without this example, any example of Almighty God's hand and foot is impossible.
In this blessed verse filled with fundamental wisdoms, the letter inna, the particle of certainty, is for emphasis, and innamā is the particle of limitation (ḥaṣr), which means the only form of affirming God's Hand and giving baycat on it is through baycat upon the blessed hand of the representative of God and the Guide of the time. Other than this, there is no way to do so. This is the ta'wīlī wisdom of innamā.
You are aware that baycat is a religious term for the pledge of obedience. However, its ta'wīl is hidden in the root word, which is the origin of ta'wīl. Thus, the literal meanings of baycat are preserved in 'bayc', meaning to buy. Thus, in the time of prophethood the ta'wīl of doing baycat on the Prophet's blessed hand, and in the cycle of Imāmat on the Imām's, is that the mu'mins sell their lives and properties to Almighty Allāh, and through this blessed hand, purchase Paradise in exchange, as explained in verse (9:111) according to the principle that one verse explains another: "Verily Allāh has purchased from the faithful their souls and their properties in return for the paradise." Thus, this blessed verse is the exegesis and ta'wīl of the blessed verse of baycat (48:10). This purchasing and selling related to the hereafter continues to take place forever between Almighty Allāh and His faithful servants and is possible only through this very God's Hand without which, no person can strike such a bargain nor is it acceptable. The practical examples of this bargain are jihād and zakāt which are so prominent that they cannot be acceptable outside the circle of obedience of God's Messenger and the custodians of Divine Command (ulu'l-amr).
In this regard, it is mentioned in verse (5:64) in Sūrah of Mā'idah: "And the Jews say: The hand of Allāh is tied up! Tied be their own hands, and damned be they for saying what they say! Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched, He expends as He pleases." Its ta'wīl is that the Jews' insolence was against the Prophet(ṣ), who was God's Hand due to their ignorance and benightedness. They considered him an indigent, i.e., without knowledge, and it is in this sense that they considered God's hand to be incapable of spending treasures of knowledge. As a result, they remained ignorant, deprived and paupers from the wealth of knowledge, and driven away from the fountainhead of mercy.
In the spiritual world, the two hands of Almighty Allāh are the Universal Intellect and the Universal Soul, and in the physical world, they are the Nāṭiq and the Asās and in the cycle of Imāmat, the Asās and the Imām. Both of His sacred hands are open to grant knowledge and wisdom, and Almighty Allāh bestows pearls of intellect and knowledge with His blessed hands on whom He wills.
Both God's hands are the light of Prophethood and the light of Imāmat, which, in reality, is one light. Just as both hands in action and its purpose are one, to accept God's light, one is a fact and two is a metaphor and an example. If someone does not understand this wisdom, it can be extremely perplexing, while it is the sacred and wisdom-filled habit of Almighty Allāh, that He, the Knowing and the Seeing, strikes every kind of example to explain the reality of His sacred light (17:89, 18:54), such as: "Allāh is the light of the heavens and the earth; His light is as a niche in which is a lamp" (24:35). This means God's light encompasses the universe and existents, and is also centered in its special place. This same example applies to both God's hands that they are absolutely open without any inaccessibility (5:64). It clearly means that God's hand reaches and encompasses all external and internal things. Thus, it must be known that God's light and His hand are two names of one reality.
According to the clear purport of the verse of Light (Āyah-yi Nūr 24:35), it is correct to say that all things of the heaven and the earth are immersed in the light of God. An intellectual, spiritual and practical example of this fact is that at the place of the eye of certainty (another name of which is resurrection), the entire universe is in Almighty Allāh's Fist (21:104, 39:67).
To draw attention to some very important Qur'ānic universals, it would not be out of place to ask the following questions: Is not everything encompassed in the manifest Imām (36:12)? Are all things not enumerated in one Book (78:29)? Is the concept of the treasures of all things not in the holy Qur'ān (15:21)? Is it not mentioned in the holy Qur'ān that God's pedestal (Kursī) has encompassed all of the heavens and the earth (2:255)? Has the Lord not encompassed everything (universe and its existents) in the circumference of mercy and knowledge (40:7)? Is this not a universally accepted reality that everything is in the Guarded Tablet, and that God has encompassed everything in the domain of knowledge (65:12)?
The common and single answer to this or these questions is: Yes,
why not? Indeed, these are the Qur'ānic teachings. There is not an iota of doubt in them. However, this affirmation never means that, as all these names and examples are separate physically, their realities are also separate in spirituality and at the place of oneness. Rather, truly speaking, it is only one light of God for which numerous examples are given here. Just as God is one but He has several names and attributes, the holy Qur'ān is one, but it has several names and the blessed personality of the holy Prophet was one, but his sacred names and attributes are many. And it is a fact that the abundance of names of a thing does not disintegrate its oneness.
Now, there is another question. On the day of resurrection, i.e., at the place of spirituality, why does God take the entire universe and enfold it in His Fist, and what is the wisdom in it? In that state, what will be the shape and form of the universe, and what will happen to its statistics?
The answer is that this event is intellectual and is related to the resurrection of knowledge. The chain of the infinite wisdoms of God's Godhead continues to take place in it, and hence no one can count them. The shape and form of the universe become like a unique pearl in God's Fist. The parts of the universe and its numerous objects will be transformed into this unique pearl, as mentioned in the Qur'ān (72:28), "And He (Allāh) has encompassed and counted them." Ta'wīl: Allāh counted all things (i.e., the universe and everything in it) by making it the unique pearl. According to this verse, the exalted God creates things in such a way that He counts them in the unique pearl. Remember the ta'wīl of the pearl is hidden in the original meaning of the word "aḥṣā."
In this connection, there is another verse which is (19:94): "Verily, He has encompassed them and has enumerated them as ought to be enumerated." Ta'wīl: Indeed, He has kept them in the higher world by making them the pearl and has counted them as should be in the same unique pearl. You should contemplate on the following wisdom-filled verse related to the above-mentioned verse, which is: "And on the day all of them become present near Him by
becoming a single person (19:95)", which is mentioned in (31:28): "Your creation and reviving (after death) is but like a Single Soul."
The precious thing in God's blessed hand is grace (faz̤l) (3:73; 57:29). There are several most comprehensive words in the wise Qur'ān. One of them is grace (faz̤l), which contains everything. Another such word is good (k̲h̲ayr) (3:26). Good is in God's hand, in which are gathered together all goodnesses and virtues (k̲h̲ayrāt). Another name for grace (faz̤l) is good (k̲h̲ayr). The third name is Mulk, i.e., kingdom (67:1), that is the spiritual kingdom and that of the Hereafter, which is in the sense of granting by the hand of God. The fourth name is the kingdom of things (36:83), that is, the world of the intellect and soul of all things, which is in God's Fist. The fifth name is wisdom, and the sixth name is the light of intellect. Thus, that precious Pearl has innumerable names.
The self-sufficient and sublime God, [who is] the Sovereign and Master of Command, is not a direct agent. Therefore, every work of God which is related to [His] hand is being accomplished by the hand of God [i.e., the Prophet or the Imam], as mentioned in this article and as is clear from the holy Qur'ān that when the holy Prophet takes ṣadaqah from the mu'mins it is tantamount to God taking ṣadaqah (9:103-104); the holy Prophet purifying the people of faith is God purifying them (9:103; 24:21); receiving ṣalawāt from the Prophet is receiving ṣalawāt from God and the angels (9:103; 33:43); the Prophet throwing is God's throwing (8:17); obedience to the Prophet is God's obedience (4:80) and obedience of the Imām of the time is obedience of the Prophet and God (4:59). Obedience is to act upon each and every command of religion. And I have no power except by Him (11:88).
24th January, 1984
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