Five Questions from London

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At the end of cAbdu'r-Raḥmān's letter dated 14th January, 1984, there are five questions:

Bāpā, with mixed feelings of fear and happiness, I would like to ask you a few questions.

Question 1: How does cIzrā'īl seize the soul?

Question 2: Mawlā-yi Rūm has often mentioned Ḥaz̤rat-i Yūsuf. You have written an article about Ḥaz̤rat-i Maryam. Would you kindly shed some light on Ḥaz̤rat-i Yūsuf's life?

Question 3: … Please provide us with some material regarding the Ismāᶜīlī concept of education.

Question 4: It has been explained that the soul can adopt diﬀerent forms similar to water, which, in addition to its own form, can become ice, steam, etc. Would you kindly explain how the soul transforms from the subtle body into the dense one?

Question 5: Would you kindly tell us more about the ascension of the soul? Is this a gradual ascension, i.e., from vegetative soul to angelic soul? This question has arisen from a dream in which I saw a green tree full of buds. As long as I was looking at the tree, the number of its buds continued to increase. The characteristic of trees is that only one bud can blossom at a time. Was this an example of the progress of the soul at the level of the vegetative soul? Will I see a similar dream afterwards related to the animal soul? Or am I wrong in my assumption?

Please forgive me Bāpā if my questions are asked improperly. From the bottom of my heart, I will ever remain grateful for the answers you provide.

These are the five questions that were sent by my very dear spiritual brother and beloved friend, cAbdu'r-Raḥmān, in one of his sincere letters. First of all, I would like to consider myself the dust under the feet of mu'mins and express my hopelessness in knowledge so that, the exalted God may have mercy on my condition and help me through the embodied light, i.e., Imām of the time from the progeny of Muḥammad(ṣ), so that this humble servant who is extremely poor may receive charity and alms from His sublime court; and the prayers of the people of faith are needed to receive this bliss.

Answer to question 1: Ḥaz̤rat-i cIzrā'īl by Divine Command gradually seizes the soul by reciting a Supreme Name, and there is another Supreme Name through which he can instantly seize the soul. The soul generally cannot leave the body by any other way except through the upper part of the head. During a higher stage of special worship (cibādat) and the spiritual journey, sometimes cIzrā'īl demonstrates the seizing of the soul for several days in various ways; at times the soul leaving the rest of the body centers in the head and sometimes it is seized and lifted towards the higher world from the top [of the head]. However, every time the lower end is linked to the top of the head. During a person's lifetime the lower end of the soul can never be absolutely separate from the head.

cIzrā'īl is a chief angel under whom there are numerous angels who seize the soul, as mentioned in the sacred farmān of the Lord of the worlds (6:94): "With hands outstretched, the angels (will say): Yield up your souls." The angel's hands mean remembrance (ẕikr) and tasbīḥ (purifying God from attributes) because angels do not have a body; therefore, their hands are not like human hands nor do they have wings like physical birds. They are souls, their grasp and flight are through the diﬀerent names of Almighty Allāh. Incidentally, it is worth pondering that the soul is not something material which can be grasped by physical hands. It is a simple power which can only be controlled by a name of God. Therefore, cIzrā'īl repeatedly recites a Supreme Name of God in the left ear

of the person whose soul God commands to seize, whereby the soul centers in the head before leaving the body, and the angels do this through the circle of remembrance (ẕikr).

Answer to question 2: My very dear friend, the sincerity and confidence with which you have raised this question about Ḥaz̤rat-i Yūsuf, requires that I should write an article about him. If it is possible, it should be written separately. However, it is not a promise. Only a few points are explained here:

Ḥaz̤rat-i Yūsuf in his time was an entrusted (mustawdac) Imām. In the beginning, he saw a luminous dream in which eleven stars, the sun and the moon were prostrating to him. The ta'wīl is that Ḥaz̤rat-i Yūsuf, who at that time was the twelfth star, had to become the Imām to succeed his illustrious father, Ḥaz̤rat-i Yacqūb. Therefore, at the opportune time, Yūsuf's brothers, i.e., the eleven Ḥujjats, obeyed Yūsuf, and this is the ta'wīl of the prostration of the eleven stars to him and then the sun. That is, by the command of God, Ḥaz̤rat-i Yacqūb submitted the Imāmat to Ḥaz̤rat-i Yūsuf, and the light which at that time had come to his son, therefore he started to obey him. Finally, the moon prostrated to him, that is, the supreme Ḥujjat (Bāb), obeying the previous Imām to the ultimate end, obeyed the appointed Imām (12:4) after the designation. You can see this order in the verse (12:4) that first the eleven stars are mentioned, then the sun and finally the moon. After carefully studying the verse (12:4-6), we look at the verse (12:6), we come to know that this is the choosing of the Perfect Human Being by Almighty Allāh and this is the way ta'wīl is granted, and it is in this form that each and every Divine bounty is attained perfectly.

According to the spirit of the Qur'ān, the reality is clear that the Sustainer of the worlds has made every Prophet and every Imām the master of the treasures of the knowledge of ta'wīl. Ḥaz̤rat-i Yūsuf is an example of this reality because he was a Prophet as well as an Imām and ta'wīl is not something external, rather it is a Supreme Soul of the heavenly Book and its universal spirituality, which sometimes is called the Spirit of spirits, sometimes the

Universal Soul and sometimes the Guarded Tablet. In short, in this [God-given] ta'wīl, there is no mention of bookish and education ta'wīl, rather it is full of luminosity, which is the real light and the speaking Book encompassing the subtle particles of everything, the souls of all things and all intellects.

If the question is asked that since the twelve Ḥujjats reside in twelve diﬀerent islands (jazīrahs) of the earth, how did it become possible for Ḥaz̤rat-i Yacqūb's twelve sons to reside at their homes and still be considered the Ḥujjats of twelve diﬀerent islands? The answer is that the real system of the hierarchs of religion is in the subtle body, just as jinns, that is, parīs, are in the subtle body and among whom there are both good and bad; similarly, the Ḥujjats of night and day work in their respective islands through subtle bodies.

Answer to question 3: This question can also be answered in the form of a detailed and complete article; nonetheless, for the sake of your interest, some important points are also explained here. The Ismaili concept of education is truly the Islamic concept of education, and Islām is the religion of nature. Therefore, our concept in its real form is in harmony with the Qur'ān and spirituality on the one hand and on the other, it accepts the demands of time and place. This means religious education should be filled with spiritual wisdoms, and worldly education should be in the light of modern principles because the purpose of knowledge is spiritual and worldly wellbeing and success of the individual and nation; if this purpose is not achieved, education becomes meaningless.

What should the nature of secular education be for the new generation? This is not a specific issue, as every day newer methods and increasingly useful principles will continue to emerge. While the nations of the world engage in this collective struggle, they may benefit from science to improve teaching and learning methods continuously. However, the issue is concerning religious and spiritual education. It is true that there are thousands of ancillary issues in this education. Yet the Ismailis have such a unique means (wasīlah) before whose blessed personality let alone issues, diﬃculties, too, vanish. Nevertheless, in this regard, it is

necessary to reflect properly, know and act courageously to benefit completely from the means of light.

"Allāh is the light of the heavens and the earth" (24:35). This means that there is nothing in the universe or existents which does not receive this light automatically according to their degree and necessity. For example, minerals, vegetation, animals and angels always receive this light automatically according to their degree and needs. However, the human case is diﬀerent from all of them due to free will. Therefore, the higher light of the intellect, knowledge and soul, which they need, can be only through obedience to God, the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr (custodians of the Divine command). Thus, in the Ismaili faith, the door of Qur'ānic and spiritual knowledge is always open.

Answer to question 4: Yes, the soul can adopt diﬀerent forms, and the example of its transference from the subtle body to dense body is like that of the concept of creation, which is not like a straight line but rather a circle. This means that creation has neither a beginning nor an end. In short, it is an eternal circle which is not contingent in any way. There are numerous examples of this in the world, such as the heavens, every planet, wind, water, vegetables and animals. Each of them continues to rotate around a circle, such as the creation of a tree from a seed and a seed from a tree, in which neither the tree nor the seed precedes the other; both are on a circle without any end. Similarly, the creation of an egg from a hen and the creation of a hen from an egg, likewise, the creation of human beings from their parents and then themselves becoming parents, etc. It is clear from this explanation that everything rotates on its circle, and all subsidiary circles are on the supreme circle just as the supreme circle of the heavens rotates together with all circles within itself.

One important teaching of the holy Qur'ān is that we must ponder and reflect upon the signs of the book of universe with intelligence and knowledge so that we may be able to understand the hidden secrets of the law of nature. For instance, we see certain insects in which there is the example of the ascent and descent of the soul. In

this connection, it is worth mentioning that the silk worm, which is born from a butterfly or a moth, again becomes a moth. Although the life of a moth is superior to that of a worm it cannot make silk, as this is the work of the worm only. Therefore, to create a valuable thing such as silk, it has to adopt the form of a worm again and again. It is clear that the moth itself does not descend in the form of a worm, but in the sense of representation it is true to say that its circle is in the form of ascent and descent as a tree, human body, etc., which also rotate in the form of representation.

If souls, angels and astral bodies are compared with moths, which granting an impossibility, never die and human beings with silk worms, the transference of the soul from subtle body to dense body will be easier to understand. You can reflect carefully upon this matter that is contrary to the belief in metempsychosis and free from its impurity because the fountainhead of the soul, according to the Qur'ān (17:85), is linked with the Word "Be" which can never be separated from there, nor can ever come to this material world leaving its own place. However, it is indeed true that its numerous living pictures appear in the subtle and dense bodies. Thus, our present physical body is a living shadow of our higher "I", hence this shadow continues to come and go again and again but the center of the soul lasts forever at its place in the world of Command, such as the sun which remains forever in the center of the universe and cannot leave its place, and only its light is spread over the surface of the earth. All things cannot be equal in the acceptance of the rays of the sun; it is reflected only in things such as a mirror or in limpid water. This is an example of the human soul. The sun is an example of the fountainhead of the soul, the picture is the subsidiary soul (ᶜaks), and the mirror is the body.

The example of the transference of the soul from subtle body into dense body can be given by a film. That is, when a person is filmed and is shown his picture, a secondary personality is created without any decrease in his original one. If this motion picture had soul and intellect, it would have recognized the original person from whom it was made and from whom it was separated.

Answer to question 5: This question is about the ascension of the soul. Had it been about the higher "I", I would have answered without any delay that the higher "I" is always at the summit of ascension and has never descended, just as the sun has already been cited as its example. However, you have obviously asked about the lower soul. In this regard, first we have to think about what the real concept of ascension is: Is it circular, similar to the concept of creation, or is it linear? Here, I would say that ascension and evolution are not linear but circular, and it is the concept of creation which is indeed the concept of ascension, as mentioned in the holy Qur'ān (3:140), "And it is these days which We continue to alternate among the people." This wisdom-filled verse is related to the circle of ascent and descent and the habit of Allāh. It mentions not only the rotation of time of the physical world and the rise and fall of nations, but also those great days of God, the duration of each of which is 50,000 years (70:4). And in one such day, a perfect soul (Single Soul 31:28) becoming the intellect of all souls and angels (70:4) ascends to the Divine presence, as ascension and inᵐbicās̱ should duly take place.

Note: According to this, one week equals 350,000, and 1 year is equal to 18,000,000 of the physical year.

It is also necessary in this regard to know the system of oneness and integrity of this world: that is, the soul of minerals is the vegetative, the soul of vegetables is the animal, the soul of animals is common human being, the soul of common human beings is a chosen human being, and the intellect and soul of the chosen human being is the Perfect Man. In the practical ascension [of the Perfect Man] everything ascends potentially and to reach this ascension actually, the mineral should merge in the vegetable, vegetable should be eﬀaced in animals and the animals should be sacrificed for human beings and it is obligatory for every human being to duly obey the Perfect Man so that they may attain their original "I".

In a luminous dream in which there were glad tidings of spiritual progress and in which you had observed the vegetative soul in the form of a tree with numerous buds, its ta'wīl is the copies

of the vegetative soul. One of the buds represents the central or original vegetative soul. As we have written in the book What is Soul? in each of the vegetative, animal and human souls there are countless souls of its own kind. So, it should be understood that in the vegetative soul is hidden the world of vegetables, in the animal soul is hidden the world of animals, and in the human soul is concealed the world of human beings. Therefore, with the soul of every level, there are countless souls of their own kind.

It is my hope and humble prayer too that, God willing, you will not only observe the animal soul, but as a result of great worship such as utmost humility, wisdom-filled love for the Imām, and service of true knowledge for the jamācat you will also recognize your own soul so that together we may be able to spread the light of the knowledge of the holy and pure Imām throughout the entire world. Āmīn!

14th February, 1984

Ta'wīl of Sūrah of Mācūn (Zakāt)

By the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

In Sūrah of Mācūn, verses (107:1-7) state: "Have you seen he who belies the day of Judgement? That [unfortunate] is he who repels the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the needy. Woe unto those praying ones, who are heedless of their prayers; who make a show and refuse to give zakāt (religious due)."

Ta'wīl: The day of Judgement, i.e., resurrection, is linked to Ḥaz̤rat-i Qā'im. Therefore, to reject Qā'imu'l-Qiyāmat amounts to belying the day of judgement, and he who belies the resurrection in this way, repels the exalted Imām who is the unique pearl, whereas the Imām, in the form of the light of knowledge, starts to rise upon them externally and internally. It is obvious that in such individuals, the yearning for the spiritual nourishment of Ḥujjat (miskīn) cannot be created so that they may eat themselves or persuade others to do so. Thus, 'woe to' those performers of prayers who are heedless of the ta'wīlī wisdoms of the meanings and parts of their ṣalāt (namāz), which they perform to show oﬀ. That is, they don't understand the esoteric [meaning] of their ṣalāt, and they don't give zakāt, that is, they cannot become pure intellectually and spiritually.

The ta'wīl of orphan (yatīm) is the true Imām because it is only the Imām who is the unique pearl; whereas yatīm means alone, unprecedented and pairless. Also used as durratun yatīmah, meaning a precious or unique pearl.

The ta'wīl of miskīn is Ḥujjat, in whose knowledge is satisfaction for mu'mins, and ṭacām-i miskīn means the knowledge of the Ḥujjat, which is intellectual and spiritual nourishment. Miskīn also means a beggar in the sense that the Ḥujjat continues to always beg at the blessed door of the holy and pure Imām. In this sense, the urging to feed the poor (miskīn) means that mu'mins should obey

the Imām with ardent love and aﬀection so that their souls, which are poor in a sense, may receive intellectual and spiritual food.

There are two aspects, negative and positive, to this wisdom-filled sūrah. The positive aspect is that mu'mins [must] aﬃrm the spirituality of the Imām of the time and the rank of Qā'imu'l-Qiyāmat so that the unique pearl may enter their hearts and spirituality be enriched by the wealth of knowledge of the Ḥujjat, for his prayer (namāz) to be practical and real, that is, they may be aware of the wisdoms of their prayer, and having been purified may continue to give the zakāt of knowledge. This is the combined wisdom of Sūrah of Mācūn.

By His grace and benevolence! 8th March, 1984

Wisdom of Mother of the Book (Ummu'l-kitāb)

By the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

In Sūrah of Racd, verse (13:39) it is said: "Allāh eﬀaces what He wills and He aﬃrms what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book (Guarded Tablet, i.e., the light of Imāmat)."

Also, God says in verses (43:1-4): "Ḥā Mīm. By the speaking Book, We have made it an Arabic Qur'ān, so that you may understand. And verily it (the Qur'ān) is in the original Book (Guarded Tablet, i.e., the light of Imāmat) with Us, sublime and wise."

The ta'wīlī secrets of the first verse: To recognize Qur'ānic subjects there are keys, and also similar keys for separate and important verses. Therefore, the recognition of Ummu'l-kitāb is necessary not only to understand the meanings of the above-mentioned related verses but also thereby opens a huge door of deep wisdoms of the sacred Qur'ān. In this regard, first of all it must be understood what Ummu'l-kitāb is. All its original lexical meanings are correct. All these meanings have a central meaning, which is the Guarded Tablet (Lawḥ-i maḥfūẓ, 86:22 ?) which has several names such as manifest Imām (Imām-i mubīn, 36:12), hidden Book (Kitāb-i maknūn, 56:78), Honored Books (ṣuḥufᵘⁿ mukarramah, 80:13), etc. However, the people of recognition and the people of wisdom know that the Ummu'l-kitāb or the Guarded Tablet (Lawḥ-i maḥfūẓ) is a living and speaking Light because the sign and symbol which it has are specific to it, and not found in any other thing. And that this characteristic is God's nearness or closeness (cindiyyat), attainable only by the Perfect Man. The reason for this unique closeness is the special mercy and providence of God, Who ranked the light of the holy Prophet(ṣ) with [His] Pen, and that of the light of the exalted Imām with the Tablet (lawḥ).

Without this concept, it is not correct to consider any inanimate or irrational thing close to God in the sense of the Pen or Tablet, because the meaning of Divine closeness is in an intellectual and spiritual sense. This is applied [only] to the Perfect Man because it is he who possesses the most perfect Intellect and the most pure and sacred soul. On the contrary, had Divine closeness been available to material objects, gold, silver, and other inanimate and irrational gems would have been considered 'the cream of creation' only due to their material beauties, however everyone acknowledges that that is not the case. When it is a fact that human beings are the most noble of everything in the universe and existents, it has to be accepted that only they are capable of being close to God because of their nobility and excellence, whereas all inanimate and irrational things are deprived of this bliss.

From this explanation, it is clear that the light of prophethood acts as the Divine Pen in the non-spatial world and the light of Imāmat holds the rank of Guarded Tablet, the other name of which is Ummu'l-kitāb, as the holy Prophet(ṣ) says: "Ummu'l-kitāb is exoterically the name of sūratu'l-Fātiḥah, and esoterically it is Murtaz̤ā `Alī because by the book is meant the Imāms, and concerning spiritual reproduction, Asās is the mother of the Imāms, and Nāṭiq is their father." 1

At this point, the intellect asks: The relationship of every heavenly book with the Ummu'l-kitāb is obvious, however, it is not known what the relationship of the book of the universe and the book of the soul is with Ummu'l-kitāb. The answer is that where Ummu'l-kitāb is Universal Soul, the fact is clear that the book of the universe and the book of the soul are also from the same origin, and God's eﬀacing of a thing is related to these three books. For instance, Almighty Allāh continuously destroys and creates the stars of this physical universe, and He also destroys and creates humankind. If we also accept that the cycles of numerous Adams which have elapsed prior to the Ādam of our great cycle, this concept clearly means that God has erased the materiality of those countless cycles,

1 See Wajh al-Dīn, Discourse 19.

as mentioned in verses (55:26-27): "Everyone that is on it (earth or the personal world) is perishable, there remains but the face of your Lord, the Majestic, the Bounteous."

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