Recognition of Imam Part III - Key 12 Example of a Bee

Key 12 Example of a Bee

God, may He be exalted says in verse (16:69): “Then eat of all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord, made smooth [for you].”

With respect to the zahir and tanzil, the above is addressed to the bee by the Sustainer of the worlds, but with respect to the batin and ta'wil, it is addressed to the hujjat or pir. For, it is he who is the mamthul of the bee, who the Imām of the time appoints by the title of hujjat, pir or da`i or sometimes by any other name, and the bee is his similitude (mithal). For, just as the bee sucks the nectar of different fruits and flowers and turns it into honey in its belly, in the same way, with respect to knowledge, the representative of the True Imām prepares the honey of the science of ta'wil within his heart, from the flowers and fruits of spirituality. For him the paths of knowledge and wisdom are as clear, smooth and easy as those of the bee, who can very easily fly from one flower to another.

The honey which the bee makes from diverse flowers and fruits, unites all their various tastes into just a single taste. In the same way, the hujjat who has the ta'yid (spiritual help) of the ever-living and ever-present Imām, makes such an agreeable ta'wil from the different tanzils (revelations) that it becomes palatable and certain like honey to the intellect, and no inconsistency is found in it.

In the above-mentioned verse, the bee is commanded in the form of tanzīl: “Then eat of all fruits and follow the ways of your Lord, made smooth [for you]”. Every wise person can realize the importance of ta'wil here, since wherever bees may be found in this world, there can neither be every kind of fruit nor every kind of flower. In addition, neither can the paths of God be found in the gardens and jungles where the bees are found. This shows that [the tanzili form of the verse does not convey any logical sense and therefore, we need its ta'wil] the ta'wil which we have of this blessed verse is correct and proper, although it has other ta'wils too.

Thus, in the physical and external state it is absolutely impossible for there to be all the flowers and fruits of every season and every country in any one place in the world. However, in contrast to this, spiritually and internally, it is possible for every kind of flower and fruit to be in one place. As God, may He be exalted says: “Have We not established a sure sanctuary, whereunto the fruits of all things are brought, a provision from Our presence? But most of them know not” (28:57). It should be known that the ta'wil of “sanctuary” is the Imām of the time, because it is he who is the real sanctuary of God's sacred light and the hidden house of the secrets of His tawhid (Oneness), where all kinds of spiritual fruits continue to be drawn. This provision however, is not of this world in fact it comes from God's presence.

From the above, this ta'wil becomes evident that the one who attains the office of hujjat is commanded: “Enter into the spirituality of the Imām of your time and prepare the honey of ta'wil from the flowers and fruits of every kind in the gardens of tanzil and move about the paths of knowledge and wisdom of your Sustainer, which are made smooth for you.”

The collective ta'wil of what is said about the bee in Suratu'n-Nahl is: “And your Lord inspired the honey bee” means “Your Sustainer addressed the would-be hujjat”; “Choose habitations in the hills” means “Establish spiritual rapport with the other hujjats prior to you, who were the mountains of knowledge”; “And [choose habitation] in the tree also” means “After the hujjats, attain the recognition of the Imām of the time, who is the ever-blossoming tree of Imāmat”. That is, the Imām is the Pure Tree (shajarah-yi tayyibah) , which gives fruit all the time ” ; “And [choose habitation] in that which they thatch” means “In the light of the recognition of the Imām of the time, attain benefit from the wisdoms of the higher hudud” “Then eat of all fruits” means “Eat from the fruits of spirituality and knowledge”; “And follow the ways of your Lord made smooth” means “Move about in the field of knowledge and wisdom of your Lord, as there is no hindrance and confusion for you”; “There comes forth from their bellies a drink diverse of hues” means “From the batin of the hujjat appear diverse ta'wils which are a spiritual nourishment”; “Wherein is healing for humankind” means “Due to the ta'wils of the hujjats, people are healed from the disease of ignorance'; “Lo! Herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect” means “The people who contemplate and reflect with wisdom and knowledge, know the reality that all these things that are described belong to the miracles of spirituality and knowledge of the True Imām.”

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