Qur'anic Minarets - The Secret of the Preceders' (sabiqun) Precedence (sabqat)

The Secret of the Preceders' (sabiqun) Precedence (sabqat)

Tags: Sabiqun, `Illiyyin, Luminous Shirts, Sarabil, Beneficent's Image

As-sabqu: Literally it means to precede someone in walking or racing and sabiq is derived from it as a present participle. Its plural (in nominative case) is sabiqun and in other cases is sabiqin. Thus, it is mentioned in verse (56:10): "The preceders are the preceders."
Wisdom of the word 'sabiq': The letter qaf which is at the end of the word sabiq, is the sign of the rank of intellect. Thus, sabiqun or preceders are those fortunate people who continue towards the fountainhead of intellect before all others, and thereby they also precede in spiritual states (ahwal) and physical [good] deeds, because it is the intellect through which the well-being of the soul and body is possible.
Sabiqun and the Book of Deeds: Study carefully the first twelve verses of the surah-yi Waqi`ah (56) and you will come to know that the mountains (frozen souls) are pulverized into particles by the quake of resurrection and start to fly. You will also come to know that at this time people will be in three categories: Those who will have their book of deeds in the right hand, those who will have their book of deeds in the left hand, and the sabiqun or preceders who are the nearest, whose book of deeds is in front of them (forehead) and in `Illiyyin (83:18-23 ).
What is `Illiyyin? Although there have been several explanations of the word `Illiyyin, how is it possible for a Divine treasure to be finished by taking only a few coins from it? Thus, the further wisdom of `Illiyyin is that on the occasion of spirituality and resurrection, the light of the `Ali (May peace be through him) of the time will be glowing and shining in the forehead of every true believer (6:122; 57:12, 57:19; 66:8). Since every Imam is the `Ali (May peace be through him) of his own time, the collective name of all the Imams is `Illiyyun or `Illiyyin (83:18-19 ). You may have studied in the book Wajh-i Din that it is the Imam (May peace be through him) himself who is the neck (`unuq, 17:13) of the believers and their book of deeds is in it. Thus, those fortunate believers of the exalted Imam who have done the luminous didar of the holy Imam in their own forehead, have seen their book of deeds in `Illiyyin (= kitabun marqum, written book) before their physical death. What a great bliss and what a great glad tiding is it that the friends of God can see the light of Intellect with their insight!
Luminous Shirts (sarabil, 16:81): God by His perfect power has created such shirts of light which can protect you from the heat of the fire of ignorance, and such shirts too which are extremely necessary for true believers in the battle of resurrection (spiritual jihad), namely, the shirts of the light of asas (`Ali (May peace be through him)), and the shirts of the light of Qa'im (May peace be through him). In the former is the knowledge of religion and in the latter the knowledge of resurrection. You may have heard that the above-mentioned shirts are made from the true Imam's light at the place of soul and the place of intellect, and they have many names, one of them is `Illiyyin as well.
Run! Vie with one another! You can see this command in verses (3:133; 57:21), but what is the meaning of this running and vying with one another whereas in religion every word and deed is done with seriousness and sobriety?

Answer: This command is related to vying in knowledge and action and mostly related to the stations of intellect because there the true believers' light continues to run (57:12; 66:8). Nonetheless, the allusion to vying with one another in collective deeds is that it is easy to enter paradise, but to make oneself a paradise for the sake of others by attaining Divine pleasure is extremely difficult work.
The Best Way: The straight path is set up by Qur'anic and Islamic guidance(s) and teachings and its purpose is to go ahead step by step and stage by stage on it. Indeed, in this process the best thing is followed until in its ultimate stage the miracle of the intellect occurs, which is the best thing of all as Hazrat-i Musa (May peace be through him) was told in verse (7:145): "So take them (i.e., the tablets of the Old Testament) forcefully and command your people to take the best of them." If those Qur'anic verses in which the word 'ahsan (best)' occurs are studied carefully, it will become clear that Qur'anic guidance(s) are in degrees and its teachings are gradually leading to the light of intellect. Thus, this intellectual path is its best path.
Ladders of Ranks: The holy Qur'an mentions rank and ranks in eighteen places altogether. Ladders (ma`arij) are mentioned in verse (70:3) and stages (tabaqat) in verse (84:19). In short, on the different rungs of the highest ladder are Prophets, under whom is the ladder of the Friends of God (awliya) who are climbing it step by step; under their ladder is joined that of the martyrs, which is based on the ladder of the righteous (salihin) and that in turn on the ladder of the followers (tabi`in) and that in turn is raised on the ladder of the common people. This is the concept of the straight path (4:69). However, the important question here is: "Based on what difference and disparity are the ranks of these countless people made?

Answer: Knowledge is the main thing on which the difference and distinction is made, as God says: "Whomsoever We will, We raise in ranks, over every man of knowledge is another man of knowledge." (12:76). Undoubtedly from this verse it is evident that Qur'anic knowledge and recognition rises step by step and ultimately merges in the sun of intellect and from there an aspect of this descends with revealed light and spreads.
Two Names of Islam: The religion of the Qa'im (May peace be through him) and the religion of nature are among the special names of Islam. The religion of Qa'im (May peace be through him) (9:36) is in the sense that it is erected on its own inner roots and there cannot be the slightest change in it. The religion of nature is because, in its external movement and evolution, it is exactly according to the law of nature so that there should be no impediment in the progress of human beings (22:78). Thus, there is a need of progress for every believer not only in a material sense but greatly more so in a spiritual sense, so that they may be able to see with their inner eye how the realities and recognitions of Islam are preserved intact in the treasures of the personal world.
Universal Guidance: If a wise person wants to observe the Divine universal guidance with their physical eye, they can do so in the form of the circular movement of the circumferential ocean of this universe where the heaven, the stars, the earth and the four seasons are constantly revolving. It is in this sense that the Qur'an says: "And everything revolves in an orbit." (36:40) This is its circular guidance. Now, let us discuss its subsidiary guidance which works in an evolutionary form. That is, to make vegetables from the minerals, to make the vegetables merge with the animals, to sacrifice the animals for the sake of human beings, and to make the common human beings merge in the Perfect Human Being. This shows that, apart from the holy Qur'an, the written command of "Go ahead and progress!" is mentioned in many places in the book of the universe. Therefore, O brothers! Intensify your endeavours for the sake of knowledge and action!
The Best Model of Nature: Adam and the human being are rightly considered the masterpiece of the law of nature, because he is the best model of the Divine hand's creation, as the Lord of Honour says in verse (30:30): "So set your face for religion as a monist (hanif), Allah's nature according to which He created human beings. There is no change in Allah's creation. That is the straight religion, but most people do not know." Its wisdom-filled meaning is: 'Thus, O Messenger! Like Abraham avoiding falsehood, make your spiritual face the luminous body for the sake of religion at the rank of intellect. That is God's nature according to which He created human beings. There cannot be any change in this nature of God. This is the firm and straight religion, but most people do not know.' See in this book: 'The Light from the Qur'anic Minarets', Part 2, point 8: A very great secret.
The Great Secret of the Beneficent's Image: When God, as such, is free from and beyond being a body, He is also free from organs, limbs and form. He is free from such a comparison and likeness. Yet, by making the Prophet and Imam His vicegerent, He can say about them: My light, My soul, My face and My hand and this habit (sunnat) of God has continued forever. Thus, the Imam who preceded Adam held the rank of the Beneficent's Image and God created him [i.e., Adam] according to the previous Beneficent's Image, yet you must understand the secret that in this creation is mentioned the spiritual creation and that of the spiritual forehead, and the same forehead at the place of Intellect represents Allah's face (28:88; 55:27). Thus, in the above-mentioned blessed verse, it is said in the language of wisdom that the Ever-true Religion (din-i hanif), the Religion of the Qa'im (May peace be through him) and the Religion of Nature means to accept the spiritual face of the Prophet of God and the Imam (May peace be through him) of the time as the Beneficent's Image (surat-i Rahman) and Face of God (wajhu'llah).

[The sabiqun or preceders know such realities and recognitions and it is because of the very great importance of such realities and recognitions that they, the sabiqun, are praised in glowing terms. "And our duty is nothing but to deliver the clear message." (36:17)]

27 Jumada I 1410 AH/27th December, 1989 AD

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