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Sublime Realities - Introduction

Introduction

Tags: Yarqand, London, Knowledge, Imam,, Subjects of writing

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

O the Lord of honour! In your infinite grace grant this very weak and humble servant success and courage which may help and lead him graciously and kindly, step by step and stage by stage, in an extremely agreeable manner to the ocean of love and recognition of your beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafā (s.a.s.) and the holy Imams of his progeny and drown him in it completely, so that in that ocean of marvels and wonders which is the water of mercy as well as radiance and illumination, this hard and stony heart may easily melt like soft butter and shed tears in that state and express his sincere and humble gratitude for every great bounty. By this good act, indeed the heart and soul will have a kind of satisfaction, but O my kind Lord, Your favours and bounties are so great and so abundant that, despite this desirable effort even a single particle of the universe of Your rights of gratitude, cannot be fulfilled.
O the Exalted God, O the Omnipotent Sovereign (54:55)! O the Benevolent King, may my humble soul be sacrificed for the true lovers of your holy light! Although I am only a handful of dust and you are sovereign of the heavens (and earth) and the Holy (and Sacred), yet your glance of generosity and favour is on this dust under the feet of mu'mins, such that you have exalted him with the friendship of your Friends (the pure Imams), in the illumination of the light of whose walāyat the treasures of the Qur'ān can be obtained. Praise be to God!
Now to our topic, in 1986, I had an opportunity to visit China a second time. Although the visit was brief, by God's grace there was success and happiness beyond our expectation. The first thing I observed was the present praiseworthy progress of China. Yarqand for me is an enormously blessed city, for it is true that this dust under the feet of mu'mins has seen there, not only a few miracles of the light of Islam, but an entire universe of miracles. In the Wise Qur'ān, under the root of kāf-tā-mīm note that, should not these miracles be alluded to in the language of knowledge and wisdom? Should the truth and testimony be concealed? (2:42, 2:140, 2:283). Never, never.
After the visit to Yarqand, it was decided that this humble servant should visit the `azīzān of London, who like the moths of the lamp of Imamat, live a very bright and successful religious life with knowledge in the illumination of the light of ma`rifat. They have the golden opportunity to serve Islam and Ismailism on a higher level in the field of pen and knowledge. They live in a country where there is a flood of secular sciences and material developments, as a result of which many questions arise, on which they shed light from time to time and sometimes invite this darwīsh to participate in this majlis of knowledge as well.
It is known to all that where the level of knowledge is higher, there the true knowledge naturally manifests according to that standard. Another condition of this knowledge is humility and abundant dhikr and bandagī. By being inebriated with the zeal of knowledge and listening attentively, one can create that magnetism for the manifestations of knowledge. If this is the case, how is it possible that we may continue weeping and yelling out of hunger and thirst for spirituality and knowledge and Almighty God should not notice our pitiable state, while the Qur'ān repeatedly says: "And your Lord is not heedless of what you do." (11:123).
If it is accepted that this servant is a teacher, then this example is also correct that every teacher is like a nursing mother and his knowledge is called the milk of knowledge. But there is a great difference in that the milk of a nursing mother and the milk of a female animal is in a limited quantity and for a specific time, but the milk of knowledge is unlimited and permanent. If for instance, a capable teacher is confined to his house, the precious milk of that mother of knowledge will dry up forever. In this case, there will be his individual loss, as well as collective loss to the community.
Praise be to God! due to the holy luminous prayer and tremendous spiritual help of my benevolent Imam of the time, many friends, `azīzān and students of the east and the west have provided opportunities not only to maintain its flow, but also for its increase and progress: Such as working together in the form of an organisation which includes writing, translation, teaching, lectures, useful questions, tours, silent service of jamā`at and institutions, etc. Thus the entire reward of this service of knowledge goes to my `azīzān and this gives me great happiness.
There should be a separate article on how the luminous prayer of the holy Imam works, because the success of every mu'min depends on the blessings of this prayer. I had the good fortune of solitude, riyādat (spiritual exercise), `ibādat and munājāt (supplication) in the court of the Purveyor of all needs in a pure house in the great and beautiful city of London. We also supplicated and prayed shedding the shining pearls of tears with our angel-like `azīzān, by which we attained the satisfaction of heart. This practice continued for almost a month, and during this i`tikāf-like period, this cherished epistle which is named "Sublime Realities (Haqā'iq-i `Āliyah)" was written. The name Haqā'iq-i `Āliyah was suggested by our dear friends.
According to Qur'ānic wisdom, there is knowledge in everything. That is, in every example there is the mention of knowledge (6:80; 40:7). Therefore, the salāt (blessing) which Allāh and His angels send on mu'mins is also in the form of knowledge, so that they may be brought forth from the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge (33:43) and the salāt which the mu'mins receive from the Holy Prophet is also in the state of knowledge (9:103). Today, the same knowledge can be obtained from the Imam of the time, for which purpose God and the Prophet have designated him (57:28).
God has praised the Imam at four places: lāhūt (world of divinity), jabarūt (world of intellect), malakūt (world of angels) and nāsūt (world of human beings). The recognition of the Imam in nāsūt or the human world is in three ranks: with the Prophets, after them and also together with mu'mins.

Question. What is the example and proof that the light of Prophethood and the light of Imamat is in the same place?
Answer.
1. See the first declaration of Divine vicegerency, in which are meant both Prophethood and Imamat (2:30).
2. Hazrat Ibrāhīm was both Prophet and Imam, which is a proof of Prophethood and Imamat in the same place (2:124).
3. Hazrat Mūsā and Hazrat Hārūn both used to receive revelation, the first was open revelation and the second was hidden, and everybody knows that Hazrat Harun was an Imam (2:248; 21:48).
Question. Why is there the necessity of an Imam after the Prophet and what is its proof?
Answer.
1. Every Prophet has a wazīr and a successor, so that he may teach people the wisdom of the heavenly Book (7:142; 25:35).
2. Every heavenly Book has an inheritor and that is the Imam (35:32).
3. The chain of ulu'l-amr continues after the Prophet (4:59).
4. The heavenly light is inseparable from the heavenly Book (5:15).
Question. How can the Imam, who is with and after the Prophets, come in the line of mu'mins?
Answer.
1. The Imam is the lord of command (sāhib-i amr), i.e. he is the chief of the mu'mins (4:59). Thus, his existence is necessary in the first line of mu'mins, or rather even before it, so that the ummat may follow the Imam of their time after the Prophet.
2. Wherever in the Wise Qur'ān God has addressed the mu'mins of every time, such as: "O you who believe!", the Imam is mentioned as their chief.
3. Verse (57:12) says: "The day you shall see the believers, men and women, with their light running in front of them and on their right hands". This verse is common among the Imams and the believers, men and women. That is, the Imam is also included in this luminous teaching together with believers, men and women. And it is because of this that this rank of the light of intellect appears to be the source of great pride. The recognition of the Imam which is in the nāsūt, due to its being fundamental, is extremely necessary and the recognition which is in the malakūt, jabarūt and lāhūt comes after it, the details of which are beyond the scope of this introduction.
The writings of this servant are on the following subjects: the Wise Qur'ān, Islam, tawhīd (recognition of oneness of God), Prophethood (recognition of the Prophet), Imamat (recognition of the Imam), heavenly love, i.e. love for God, the Prophet and the Imam, Ismaili Tarīqah, righteousness (taqwā), dhikr-u `ibādat, shedding tears with humility, obedience, light and luminosity, spirit and spirituality, Sufism, wisdom, esotericism, everything of God is alive, Divine law (sunnat), study of nature, knowledge of hudūd (hudūd-i dīn), symbolism, numeracy, science of ta'wīl, science of secrets, diagrams, secrets of the Prophets and Imams, monoreality, world of imagination, world of dreams, world of particles, personal world, wisdom of two, higher I and lower I, Resurrection, ibdā` and inbi`āth, creation within creation, pre-eternity (azal) and post-eternity (abad), non-spatial world and immovable time (dahr), man and humanity, human unity, flying saucers, subtle body, spiritual exercises, story of miracles, spiritual fragrances, spiritual science, religion and science, Qur'ānic healing, healing through knowledge, living Paradise, questions and answers, soul and matter, circle of perpetuity, beginning-lessness and endlessness, etc.
Some of the above-mentioned subjects are organised and are in one place, some are not so, but their parts are scattered in other subjects, such as the story of miracles, which is not in one place, but rather they are mentioned in many places not only in allusions but also in clear words. Thus, this list is given here for the sake of information of the readers.
It is a principle that in every organisation, no programme or work is accomplished without the President's suggestion, order or approval and supervision. But truly speaking, both our Presidents are free from this formality and they accomplish meritorious deeds free from this formality. They do not like empty grandeur. They are great social workers like today's advanced people of the east and the west, nay, they are the chiefs of the mujāhids of knowledge. And God knows that I acknowledge their numerous favours and services with soul and heart. I mean Mr. Fath `Alī Habīb, President of Khānah-i Hikmat and Mr. Muhammad `Abdu'l-`Azīz, President of `Ārif. I am grateful to these lovers of the exalted Imam that they, with the full support of their friends in the east and west, have turned my limited service for knowledge into an unlimited and ever-lasting one and spread it in the world of Islam and Ismailism. I am also grateful to Advisor Mrs. Gulshakar Fath `Alī and Secretary, Mrs. Yasmin Muhammad, because the example of the useful services rendered by these four angels, with the co-operation of other office bearers and members, cannot be found anywhere. Several months would not be enough to describe their excellent manners and perfect virtues. In short, in order to accomplish this most difficult task of service for knowledge in these difficult conditions, the Divine eye has selected them and their colleagues in the east and west from the people of the entire world and granted them courage and high ambition.
My `azīzān who, by the blessing of the luminous knowledge of the holy Imam, are aware of the secrets of the particles of soul, believe that we are in every individual in the form of particles. Thus the praise of one single individual is in reality the praise of all. Yet, here we should specifically thank the Chairman, Mr. Amin Kotadia and Secretary, Mrs. Maryam Kotadia of Idārah-i `Ārif, London, that the treasure of pearls which is in the epistle "Sublime Realities", is gathered from the pearls which used to be scattered from that cloud of mercy which, rising from the ocean of the love for Mawla, overcast the atmosphere above the heads of (my) `azīzān and poured down (as tears of supplication). Glory be to God! It was a luminous miracle of the Shāh-i wilāyat that whereas in the rest of London winter was displaying a trial of strength, in our corner, the rain of soul-nourishing spring was pouring down for the sake of the verdure and fertility of the hearts of some darwīshes.
Finally, all of us thank Chairman, Mr. Nuruddin Rajpari, Idārah-i `Ārif, America Branch, from the depth of our hearts for his love of knowledge and valuable services. Similarly, we thank Co-ordinator Mahmahal Badruddin and Yasmin Noor `Alī from the depth of our hearts. They are like tall and strong light-houses in spreading the light of real knowledge of the true lord to far distant areas. May the Lord of the world grant peace and success in both worlds to all mu'mins! Āmīn!

Nasīr al-Dīn Nasīr Hunzā'ī,
Monday, 4 Jumada I, 1407/5th January, 1987.

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