Spiritual Experiences - Manifestation of Azal and Abad
Manifestation of Azal and Abad
Tags: Azal, Abad, Hazrat Dhu'l-Qarnayn
In the light of the recognition of the Qur'an and of the Imam, when a traveller on the spiritual path (mu'min-i salik) reaches the final destination and merges in God, he begins to observe with the inner eye those secrets of recognition, which are beyond time and space. For instance, immovable time (dahr) which is itself both azal and abad, the recognition of which is alluded in the beginning of the surah of Dahr (76:1). Thus, in the Sacred Sanctuary of the personal world, where there is a practical demonstration of the confinement of everything in the light of the manifest Imam (36:12), there is also the manifestation of azal and abad.
For the people of insight, the great secrets of the recognition of Imam are treasured and guarded throughout the wise Qur'an. One such treasure is in the story of Dhu'l-Qarnayn, because according to a noble hadith, Hazrat-i `Ali (May peace be through him) (the Imam of the time) is the Dhul 'Qarnayn of this community. This means that spiritually, the story of Dhu'l-Qarnayn is in fact the story of the lofty Imam. Therefore, you should read the story in verses (18:83-99) and search for its ta'wali wisdom. Here, there is the mention of the place of the rising of the sun (matli`u'sh-shams). This is the source of the light of azal which can also be called the east of the sun of azal. The truly amazing wisdom is that the same east is also the west.
This is the place where the sun of resurrection rises from the west. O my friends in knowledge! The living and speaking university of spiritual knowledge is the Imam (May peace be through him) of the time himself. This school of knowledge is at that place which is referred to in the Qur'an as the confluence of two oceans (majma`u'l-bahrayn 18:60). The two oceans are:
- azal and abad
- the first and the last
- zahir and batin
- spacelessness and space
- this life and the after life
- enfolding and unfolding
- the Pen and the Tablet
- the Throne and the Pedestal
- Universal Intellect and Universal Soul
- heaven and the earth
- angel and human being
- invisible and visible
- intellect and soul
- word and action
- Prophethood and Imamat
- symbol and symbolised etc.
Indeed, everything is contained in the manifest Imam (May peace be through him) in duality or in pairs. Al-hamdu li'llahi Rabbi'l-`alamin!
Islamabad, 5th May 1997
Monday, 27 Zu'l-Hijjah 1417 A.H.
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