Qur'anic Minarets - Topmost Questions Part 2
Topmost Questions Part 2
Tags: Ma`rifat, Satan, Ka-dhalika
Q.1 Regarding verses (6:18, 6:61) you [may] have noted that: "God's overwhelming power is in force over His selected servants and there is great wisdom in this." What is the secret in it?
A. The blessed words in both verses are: "wa huwa'l-qahiru fawqa `ibadihi", that is, "He is overwhelming over His servants." There is evil and corruption in the overwhelming of every tyrant of this world, but there is goodness, welfare and great wisdom in God's overwhelming. This verse therefore does not refer to disbelievers, it is related only to the believers, because the disbelievers are given respite in this life, until the day of resurrection (40:16-17).
Q.2 In verse (40:15), it is mentioned: "The Exalter of ranks, the possessor of the Throne." What is its ta'wili significance?
A. Ranks mean the hierarchs of religion (hudud-i din) and the Throne means the Universal Intellect. This means that God exalts [believers] to the Universal Intellect, where there is the azali and abadi paradise of knowledge, recognition and Divine secrets and all its bounties.
Q.3 Taqiyyah (precautionary secrecy) is a different matter, but it is injustice to conceal spiritual knowledge, as God says: "And who is more unjust than he who conceals a testimony he has from God?" (2:140) Would you kindly explain what this means?
A. If someone has witnessed the wonders and marvels of the Qur'an and Islam in the illumination of the light of God's guidance, it becomes a sacred obligation for him to explain this witness as desired by the Guide of the time, otherwise, he will be considered a greatly unjust person.
Q.4 What is the difference between an `ashiq (lover) and an `arif (one who has attained recognition)? What is the rank of perfection of an `arif and ma`rifat? What has the holy Prophet said about ma`rifat? What is the sublime guidance of the exalted Imam about it?
A. Divine love or `ishq is found in faith (iman) in degrees, but ma`rifat or the recognition of God, based on the knowledge of certainty, starting from the eye of certainty becomes perfect at the place of the truth of certainty and this very truth of certainty is its rank of perfection or culmination. In this regard, an excellent maxim is: "Subhanaka ma `abadnaka haqqa `ibadatika, subhanaka ma `arafnaka haqqa ma`rifatika = You are free from any attribute! We could not do Your `ibadat (worship) as ought to be done; You are free from any attribute! We could not recognise You as ought to be recognised." The holy Prophet says: "The one among you who recognises more their soul, recognises more their Lord." This ordains many ranks of ma`rifat. Corroborating this Mawla `Ali (May peace be through him) says: "The one who recognises their soul (i.e., higher "I") indeed recognises their Lord." Study also, those precious farmans of [other] Imams which are about ma`rifat.
Q.5 You have said: "Once in Misgar at the residence of Qurban `Ali Khan sahib on the occasion of da`wat-i baqa', the assembly of the vigil was continuing, during which for some moments I experienced the state of half-sleep. All of a sudden, the glorious Qur'an, which was half its size appeared in front of me and its sacred pages started to automatically turn rapidly and stopped at ayatu'l-kursi." What does this mean?
A. Its meanings are extremely wondrous and marvellous, such as:
- The Imam (May peace be through him) of the time is mentioned in it as being at the rank of the Supreme Name.
- It is the greatest ayat, therefore it is necessary to recite it.
- It was a glad tiding for the people of the house and the people of the assembly.
- It was also alluded in it that complete access is possible to the Qur'anic spirit and spirituality and at the rank of Intellect, the ma`rifat of the glorious Qur'an is also possible.
Q.6 Satans are both in human as well as jinni form (6:112). Please tell us which ones are more dangerous. Further, please tell us what is the meaning of the statement that satan attacks the travellers on the straight path from the front and behind, right and left (7:17).
A. It is necessary to be cautious of human satans. The front represents the present and the future, the behind means the past, the right means the exoteric (zahir) and the left means esoteric (batin). Since satan in reality is rajim (stoned and one who stones), he attacks from these four sides with the stones of misleading questions. Defence from these is possible only by the knowledge of the possessor of Divine authority [i.e., the Imam (May peace be through him) of the time].
Q.7 The event of the People of the Elephant happened a year prior to the birth of the holy Prophet, but the wise Qur'an speaks of it as though it happened in front of him: "[O Muhammad] Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant?" (105:1) What is the secret in it?
A. Spirituality is such a miracle that in it even the past and the future are centred in the present. Thus, the holy Prophet used to observe every necessary thing with the inner eye, as alluded to in the Qur'an (see the verse "removal of the veil", 50:22).
Q.8 Some years back, you had told some of your students that wherever the word "ka-dhalika" occurs in the Qur'an, its preceding and following verses should be studied very carefully because some pearls of secrets are hidden there. Also, according to your guidance, an intelligent student made a list of such references and presented it to you. Would you kindly explain an example of the very great importance of this keyword?
A. In this word, kaf is the particle of comparison and dhalika is a remote demonstrative pronoun. Thus, ka-dhalika means 'like that', such as: "wa ka-dhalika ja`alnakum ummatan wasatan litakunu shuhada'a `ala'n-nasi wa yakuna'r-rasulu `alaykum shahida (2:143) = And like that (i.e., O the group of Imams! According to the previous law of guidance) We have appointed you a just ummat so that you may be witness over humankind and the Messenger may be witness over you." The clear wisdom of this verse is that the light of Prophethood is always witness, present and seer over the Imam [of the time] and the light of Imamat is always witness, present and seer over the people as mentioned in verse (9:105): "Say: Act! Allah will see your action, and His Messenger, and the believers (i.e., the Imams.)"
Q.9 In what state will the going to God's presence be? Will it be individually, that is, one by one (6:94) or will it be in groups (17:104)?
A. God will enfold all human beings in the Single Soul or the Perfect Person (shakhs). Now, the Perfect Person will go to God singly (31:28), because when people were coming to this world they were in the form of spiritual particles in the Single Soul and their return will be in the same way. Thus, from one aspect the Single Soul is all, and on the other it is single (4:1; 6:98; 7:189; 31:28; 39:6).
Q.10 Since this is the state of returning of the Single Soul, namely the Perfect Human Being to God, as mentioned above, could you refer to a Qur'anic verse, the wisdom of which will show us that the people in the time of the holy Prophet had their inmbi`ath in him?
A. There are several such verses, such as (110:1-3): "When Allah's help and (personal resurrection and universal) victory came, you saw the people of the entire world (in the form of particles) entering Allah's religion (i.e., your personality). Therefore, at the rank of the Intellect, recite the tasbih together with the praise of your Lord and seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He accepts repentance (tawbah)." That is, when somebody practically returns to Him in the spiritual journey, He accepts him and makes him merge in Himself. Thus, this is the real meaning of repentance.
Q.11 From Q.9, it is evident that on the day of resurrection, people have to go to God, but on the other hand, it is mentioned in verse (89:22): "And your Lord shall come and the angels rank on rank." Please explain whether on the day of resurrection, people have to go to God's presence or God and the angels have to descend to this world?
A. The world of Command is space-less and timeless, therefore its recognitions and realities cannot be confined within one single similitude or allegory, therefore, they are explained in diverse similitudes and allegories. Thus, for He Who is beyond coming and going in reality, it can metaphorically be said that people are going to His presence and it can also be said that He is coming to the people.
Q.12 If God as such is beyond coming and going, what is exemplified by the example of the descent of the Lord and the angels?
A. The example of this extremely magnificent event is that of the manifestation of Hazrat-i Qa'imu'l-qiyamat (May peace be through him), which is related to the world of religion and the personal world. Praise be to God for His grace and beneficence!
22 Jumada I AH/22nd December, 1989 AD
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