• View
• Edit
• History
• Print

Qur'anic Minarets - Preface

---

Preface

Tags: Asatiru'l Awwalin, Fable, `Ilm-i Ladunni, Door, Gate

1. By the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful! O the Knowing, the Wise God! O Sovereign of the Eternal Kingdom! O Creator of the Universe! O Nourisher of humankind and jinn! O Omnipotent! O the True Knower! O the King of azal! O the Everlasting Lord! O the Possessor of the Treasures of Knowledge and Wisdom! O the Opener of the doors of mercy! O the Generous Accomplisher! O the Merciful Cherisher of servants! O Allah! Help the helpless! O Allah! Have mercy on Your servants! O Allah! Your mercy is an all-encompassing ocean! [Only] A drop from it is sufficient for us! O Allah! Send salawat through Muhammad and his progeny!
2. This most humble servant is extremely struck with amazement at God, the blessed, the exalted's cloud of generosity and such torrential rain of pearls, and being immersed in the ocean of reflection and pondering, asks himself: In answer to whose humble prayers did the kind Lord pour such a magnificent and soul-enlivening rain of the bounties of soul and knowledge? Did our forefathers and luminaries consciously or unconsciously utter such a prayer and supplication? Is it not the fruit of the sincere prayers of the mu'mins of our area which they continue time and again seeking [bounties of soul and knowledge] from the Divine court? Is that jama`ati prayer, which is sought systematically and in harmony in the jama`at khanahs of the entire world not the most excellent, exalted and acceptable? And undoubtedly there is also the pitiable weeping and crying and heart-burning supplication of my dear companions and friends. In short, this is the result of their collective prayers. Nonetheless, it must be remembered forever that the king of all prayers is the blessed prayer of the Imam of the time.
3. It should be noted that after the completion of Qur'anic Healing, Healing through Knowledge and Spiritual Healing, in the visit to London last year it was decided in a meeting that, God willing, a book entitled "Qur'anic Minarets" should be written. The present work is its first part. If the Lord of honour grants success and spiritual help (ta'yid) and no physical health problems arise, God willing, an attempt will be made to write its second part too.
4. Similar to my other works "Qur'anic Minarets" too, is not divided into chapters, rather it is based on some pithy and useful articles. Nonetheless, it would not be out of place to mention that not only is there complete coherence and harmony in the subjects of these articles, but by Divine grace, the main and fundamental subject of all my other books is the same and that sacred subject is "Qur'anic Wisdom and Spirituality". Thus, apart from the research work of Burushaski language, whatever articles are written in poetry and prose, are all related to and included in this most magnificent and sublime subject. You are well aware of the fact that nothing related to knowledge is outside the domain of Qur'anic wisdom, spirit and spirituality.
5. I think that the following question can be very interesting and useful: On what grounds did you choose this most difficult subject? I would reply:
   1. The holy Qur'an and Islam have two aspects: exoteric and esoteric. The exoteric is open to all, but the esoteric is not so, therefore it was necessary to seek the esoteric under the title of Qur'anic wisdom and spirituality.
   2. Every wise Muslim is yearning to attain good by avoiding evil and the noble Qur'an indicates that whoever wants to attain abundant good, let them do so through wisdom (2:269).
   3. When God perfected the religion of Islam, this became His perfect favour (5:3). Now ask the Qur'an itself: The religion which is God's greatest and most perfect favour, whether it is only so in its exoteric aspect or is it so in its esoteric aspect too? The Qur'an never says that religious favours are confined only to the exoteric aspect, rather it says: "And He has completed for you His blessings exoterically and esoterically." (31:20)
   4. One more reason for this is that I am an Ismaili by birth and this faith according to the wisdom of the Qur'an and the Hadith is esoteric, spiritual and ta'wili (i.e., based on ta'wil). That is to say, both exoteric and esoteric are important in this faith, as it is [described] in the book Wajh-i din. Therefore, I became interested in Qur'anic wisdom and spirituality.
6. Why did the infidels call the wise Qur'an a collection of the fables of the ancients (asatiru'l-awwalin)? It is because they were blind to the invaluable treasures of knowledge, wisdom and guidance which are hidden in the stories of the Qur'an. They were unable to even imagine that there could be a secret or an allusion in a fable (See verses: 6:25; 8:31; 16:24; 23:83; 25:5; 27:68; 46:17; 68:15; 83:13). This shows that even though there are fables and historical events in the Qur'an, their main purpose is different and that is ta'wili wisdom.
7. A very important question arises in the light of the explanation mentioned above: The way God had taught Hazrat-i Yusuf (May peace be through him) the ta'wil of all matters (of dream and wakeful states) and as He says that in doing so is the perfection of His favours (and which has remained His sunnat (12:6)), is there any difference between the perfect favour in the religion of Islam, and that of Hazrat-i Yusuf (May peace be through him)? Is this not a clear allusion to the fact that in Islam there is the lord of ta'wil? Otherwise, Hazrat-i Yusuf (May peace be through him)'s favour would be complete and that of Islam would be incomplete. However, it is not so. Further, we have to reflect that although Hazrat-i Yusuf's surah is a fable, it is full of wisdoms and in which heavenly answers are anticipated to innumerable questions. Such answers are given the name 'signs' (ayat, 12:7).
8. It is evident from verse (18:65) that it is the `ilm-i ladunni, i.e., spiritual and ta'yidi knowledge (i.e., knowledge which is granted by Divine support), which is the means of ta'wil, as it was this knowledge that was granted to Hazrat-i Musa (May peace be through him)'s teacher and based on which he used to do ta'wil (18:78-82). This means that ta'wil is of two kinds: bookish and practical. Bookish ta'wil can be done by anyone who studies the books of ta'wil and which is very limited, whereas practical ta'wil is only with the Imam of the time, who can teach it spiritually to those from his army whom he wishes, because `Ali (May peace be through him), i.e., every Imam fights for the sake of the ta'wil of the Qur'an, according to the Hadith of Khasifu'n-na`l (Mender of the shoe). However, just as in the physical jihad the Prophet was not alone, in the same way in spiritual jihad the Imam of the time is not alone.
9. One understandable example of the religion of Islam is the way the Prophet has likened the light of Prophethood with the city of knowledge and the house of wisdom and the light of Imamat with the gate and door respectively, and that is the permanent spirituality of the straight path, (as he has said: "I am the city of knowledge and `Ali is its gate", and he has also said: "I am the house of wisdom and `Ali is its door"). Note that these two ahadith teach that the light of the Prophet can be reached [only] through the light of Imamat and if we use the language of Sufism, it is by merging in the Imam that one can attain the rank of merging in the Prophet and by this is attained the rank of merging in God.
10. Many people know the fact that every sound Hadith explains a sacred verse or more than one verse of the holy Qur'an, therefore which verse or verses explain the above-mentioned two ahadith?

2 Ramazan al-Mubarak 1410 AH/16th April, 1990 AD

Chapter Index

Next Chapter