Main /

Qur'anic Minarets - Light from the Qur'anic Minarets Part 2

Light from the Qur'anic Minarets Part 2

Tags: Signs of God, Recognition, Covenant, `Ahd, Hand of God, Face of God, Azar, Hazrat Taruh, Hazrat Salih

Recognition of the Personal World and Signs (ayat): This wisdom-filled Divine command is mentioned in verse (27:93): "And say: Praise be to Allah Who will show you His signs so that you shall recognise them. And your Lord is not heedless of what you do." The central subject of this heavenly teaching is "signs and recognition". Therefore, the wisdom of this teaching is extremely necessary for wise people. Thus, the questions are:
1. Where are the signs of Allah?
  A. They are in the wise Qur'an, the external world (afaq) and the internal [i.e., personal] world (anfus) (41:53; 51:21).
2. Are the Prophets and Imams also called 'signs'?
  A. Why not, since Hazrat-i `Isa (May peace be through him) and his esteemed mother are 'a sign' (23:50)?
3. Where and when can the recognition of these signs mentioned in the above two answers be attained?
  A. In the personal world when the recognition of one's own soul and that of the Lord is attained.
Togetherness of Recognitions: The way a good deed is mentioned at the end of the verse (27:93) shows that it is the lack of good deeds which causes a delay in the observations and recognition of the signs, otherwise nothing else can be a hindrance. Now, we have to state the following with certainty: the door of recognition can always be open because it is not conditional to any specific time, as the holy Prophet says: "Those of you who recognise their soul more, recognise more their Lord". This Hadith clearly shows that in Islam, recognition started from the time of Prophethood, because by addressing 'you', although it applies to the believers of every time, it is first related to the companions of the holy Prophet. The second point is that recognition of God has stages, thus [to understand] that the stages of ma`rifat or all ma`rifats are brought together in the personal world, you need the knowledge of certainty. This is because God enfolds each and every universe in His hand. Now you may be sure that all recognitions are gathered in the Lord's (God's) recognition and this is the Treasure of treasures outside of which there are no treasures. Thus, if the story of the Prophets [could be understood] in the light of recognition, it gives tremendous benefit.
Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him): It is mentioned in verse (2:124): "And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words, and he fulfilled them, He said: 'Verily I am going to appoint you an Imam for humankind'. He said: 'And of my offspring?' He said: '[Yes, but] My covenant will not reach the unjust ones." This trial of Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) took place for his spiritual ascension and elevation with the great Names and perfect Words so that the universal lamp of the light of Imamat would be illumined on the lofty and elevated minaret of his pure personality.
Imamat is the Divine Covenant: The Holy Lord called the office of Imamat "My covenant" (2:124). `Ahd means affirmation or a covenant. A synonym of '`ahd' is 'mithaq', that is, a firm promise or covenant over which an oath has been sworn or the means of firmness and strength. Since this is a clear fact, God must have taken the covenant for Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him)'s Imamat from the entire world during the renewal of the similitude of the covenant of "Am I not?" in his personal world (7:172). This is because God's covenant, that is, [to take] the pledge of the people of the entire world about His Sustainership, Prophethood and Imamat, begins with the event of "Am I not?" as mentioned about the people of intellect in verse (13:20): "Those who fulfil the covenant of God and do not break the pledge."
The Covenant of "Am I not?" and bay`at (the Oath of Allegiance): The renewal of similitudes of the event of "Am I not?" takes place in the blessed personal world of every Prophet and every Imam, in which the covenant is taken from people of the entire world that their intellectual and spiritual sustenance is from God, the Prophet and the Imam. This is the straight path and the religion of Islam, and the bay`at in which the Covenant of God (i.e., Imamat) is mentioned, is the renewal of the same covenant of "Am I not?" as God says in verse (48:10): "Verily those who give bay`at to you, indeed they give bay`at to Allah and Allah's hand is above their hands. So whosoever breaks the covenant [of bay`at] breaks it only to his own loss; while whoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allah will soon receive a great reward from Him." What should be the importance, excellence and magnificence of the bay`at which is given on God's hand and what kind of sublime meanings there must be in this magnificent work! Thus, God and the Prophet have appointed the Imam to keep this great bounty of representation of God's hand intact and forever, and this work continues from azal.
Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) and the Esoteric Pilgrimage: Reporting the account of Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) in the Qur'an, it is said that God commanded him (22:27): "And proclaim among humankind the pilgrimage. They will come to you on foot and on every lean beast, they will come from every deep ravine." God not only informed Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) of the exact place of the Ka`bah, He also made him the object (mamthul) of [the example of] the Ka`bah (22:26). Thus, by God's command and the sound of Hazrat-i Israfil (May peace be through him)'s sur, the inhabitants of the entire planet earth started to enter his world of particles in the form of particles. Those who were close to God's house (i.e., the centre of Imamat), due to their affirmation and recognition, easily reached the spiritual pilgrimage on foot and the rest attended with their respective hujjat of the island (hujjat-i jazirah) and da`is. This example shows that those who do not recognise the Imam, also do not recognise the subsidiary hudud. In such a state their spiritual journey becomes difficult because the hujjat and the da`is work for them as lean beasts.
Star, Moon and Sun: God spiritually showed Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) the malakut (great spiritual kingdom) of the heavens and the earth, so that he may be among the muqinin, i.e., the `arifs [those who have certainty and Divine recognition]. Malakut means the magnificent kingdom, the world of souls and angels. In the spiritual heaven, Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) saw the star, the moon and the sun respectively. Thereafter, he advanced further to the heaven of intellect and saw the same event, but there it was only one light, which due to its repeated rising and setting, was sometimes called the star, sometimes the moon and sometimes the sun. The allusions of these two places are towards the hierarchs (hudud-i din) of religion. It was practical guidance to him the supreme monist, towards the level of the truth of certainty. Thus, he was blessed with the sacred vision (didar) of the Lord of Honour, as mentioned in the Qur'an (6:79).
A Very Great Secret: [To understand] the above-mentioned realities and recognitions, see verses (6:75-80). God willing, an attempt is made in this connection to discover a great secret, and that is in the blessed verse (6:80):
1. "Verily I truly turned my spiritual face to the Creator of the heavens and the earth."
2. I truly turned my spiritual face to my Lord after His recognition.
3. I recognised my "Higher I" and my Lord, therefore, now my face is towards Him.
4. Whatever Allah says is full of truth and justice (6:115). Therefore, if the representation of God's hand is correct in the physical world, it is also correct in the spiritual world and it is also correct of God's face. Listen now to the secret: Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) had the supreme vision (didar) of God's face in which everything and every soul merges (28:88; 55:27), but he who merges with recognition (ma`rifat) is revived forever. Thus, Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) attained the rank of merging in God (fana' fi'llah) and surviving by Him (baqa' bi'llah) at the place of intellect, as a result of that he said: As a representation, I considered my inner [spiritual] face as His face, Who has created the heavens and the earth … (6:80).
Necessary Questions:

Q. What was the name of the father of the third natiq, Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him)? Who was the Imam-i muqim who brought him up in spirituality and knowledge?
A. His father's name was Hazrat-i Taruh (May peace be through him) and Imam-i muqim was Hazrat-i Salih (May peace be through him) and according to some, Hazrat-i Salih (May peace be through him) was another name of Hazrat-i Taruh (May peace be through him) himself.

Q. What was the relationship of Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) to Azar?
A. Azar was Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him)'s uncle's name. According to some, he was his teacher who taught him certain exoteric teachings. However, Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) reached such a sublime place of recognition and knowledge of tawhid that his [Azar's] exoteric teachings appeared to be esoteric idolatry.

Q. Verse (2:30) regarding Hazrat-i Adam (May peace be through him)'s vicegerency says in the language of wisdom that as long as the earth exists, the chain of the supreme vicegerency has to continue. Similarly, verse (2:124) alludes that as long as people exist, the Imam has to be present (li'n-nas). Are the Vicegerency and Imamat two different things or are they the same one office?
A. Indeed there is literally a difference between Khilafat and Imamat or the Khalifah and the Imam, but in reality, there is no difference because the one who is God's Khalifah or representative is the Imam of the people.
Ibrahim (May peace be through him)'s Progeny/Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny)'s Progeny: It is mentioned in verse (4:54): "Indeed, We gave Ibrahim's progeny the Book and wisdom and We gave them a great kingdom." In this verse, it is mentioned that as long as there is the need of the Book and wisdom in this world, the Imamat (spiritual kingdom) of the progeny of Ibrahim (May peace be through him), that is, the progeny of Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) has to continue. This kingdom is not content with just liberating people from slavery, but those who enter it, are made kings also (5:20; 3:26).

22 Dhu'l-hijjah 1409 AH/25th July, 1989 AD

Chapter Index

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter