Sublime Realities - Spiritual Flowers

Spiritual Flowers

Both our angel-like Presidents, Fath `Alī Habīb and Muhammad `Abdu'l-`Azīz, who are among the Divine favours and bounties, are extremely respected and dear to us, and all other office bearers and members are also extremely dear to us in the same sense. Remembering them and all the friends of the Northern Areas from the depth of my heart, I would like to say the holy prayer of Yā `Alī madad to all of them and may God accept it!
By the grace and benevolence of God and your prayers, said with sincerity and recognition, I reached Heathrow Airport, London, on 24th November, 1986 at 6.00 p.m. after almost eighteen hours. Although the journey was quite long, by the grace of God, there was no difficulty. In order to receive me there were the following `azīzān: Dr. Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and his begum, Mrs. Rashida, Chairman Amin Kotadia and his begum, Mrs. Maryam, their son Salman Karim, my dear `Abdu'r-Rahman and Miss Gulshan. They were representing all the students of the west. By voice-less allusions of Divine grace, they presented an extremely wisdom-filled gift, a beautiful and elegant bouquet of jasmine protected in a funnel shaped wrapping, so that its soft, tender and pellucid fragrant petals may remain fresh and mellow. Perhaps it was the first time in my life that I saw flowers of jasmine so fresh and mellow.
If we use the inner eye, we will be extremely amazed to observe the mutual nexus, discipline and the system of unity of the things of the universe. Why should it not be so while God's hand repeatedly continues to enfold the heavens and the earth with all their things? And in this act of God there are so many wisdoms that it is not possible for jinn, angel and mankind to count them. Thus, it is my conviction that in the form of fragrant flowers of jasmine, I was smelling many pure souls of the east and the west and perfuming my heart and mind. Here is an extremely important question which should be reflected upon seriously: Why did the Holy Prophet give so much importance to the fragrance of material things? Our faith says that there may be many wisdoms in this. One of them is that when the Holy Spirit appears in its manifestations, it is in the form of different fragrances. Such fragrances are subtle body, they are both body and soul, so that they may be a source of happiness and strength both for body and soul.
We accept every verse of the Wise Qur'ān as an universal principle. Thus the subtle body of the Prophet and Imam is mentioned in the shirt of Yūsuf, in which there are various kinds of fragrances of Paradise. Thus the purpose of giving importance to fragrance in the pure sunnat of the Holy Prophet is that every wise mu'min should recognise the reality of the rūh (spirit) and rīh (scent, breath) of Hazrat Yūsuf (12:94).
In this world of colour and fragrance, there are apparently many beautiful flowers, but the most superior are those which, in addition to colour, have treasures of fragrance as well. People are fond of such flowers, but it is not apparent why or what for or what the background is. However, the people of wisdom know the reason for it. They know that the nature according to which man is created, is perfect and complete and which, in the language of wisdom, is praised in the Qur'ān (30:30). This is the nature which is kneaded from the pure soil of Paradise, and the soil of Paradise had a direct link with flowers, the remembrance of which is buried in human nature. It is because of this that man loves flowers, but he does not know the reason for it.
Another example is that as people were in Hazrat Nūh's Ark (17:3; 36:41), in the same way, they have lived in the garden of Paradise in the loins of Ādam (7:11; 7:189), but they do not remember this great event, such as the event of "alast (Am I not?)". No one remembers, but the Wise Qur'ān reminds us of it, because man has entirely forgotten the long life of the world of particles. Yet, there is a dormant and hidden familiarity of those bounties due to which he likes them, but cannot explain the reason.
The part of knowledge which is practical and historical, i.e. the knowledge that represents important occasions and the good efforts in them, are remembered easily. Thus it is our duty that we should remember their good deeds like beautiful flowers presented by our `azīzān, not only verbally, but also trying to explain them in the language of knowledge and wisdom. Our `azīzān in Misgar, Hunza, Gilgit, Karachi, London, Canada, America, etc., are planting the flowers of knowledge of Imamat, so that a whole world may be enriched with sweet honey and the wealth of fragrance. This is why our friends sometimes present physical flowers as a gift also so that they may be a sign and an indication of the original reality. And those who understand, can understand these meanings and allusions.
The transitory world, on the whole, is the brightest proof of the permanence of the lasting world. The fading flowers of this world say in the circumstantial language that the flowers of knowledge and spirituality are ever-green and ever-fresh, and whose fragrance lasts forever. That is only one flower, but it appears in the form of thousands, nay, innumerable flowers, so that it may shed light on the reality of the manifestation of multiplicity from unity and the return of multiplicity to unity. For example as God is always spreading the universe and existents and also enfolds them in His fist, so that the chain of return and beginning may continue simultaneously.
The perdition of everything and every face alludes to the fact that everything is perishable except the Face of God, which is above and beyond any kind of perdition and perishability. The perdition of people is of two kinds: In the darkness of ignorance and in the light of knowledge and recognition. Thus where there is darkness, nothing is visible and where there is light, every face appears to be perishing in the Face of God. Thus there is no greater bliss than when one is merged in his origin in this way and finds his "I" in the rank of azal.
"Azal" apparently is a triliteral word, but in its reality is hidden Allāh's greatest treasure, in which all the pearls of ma`rifat are gathered, just as everything is gathered in the form of coins, gold, gems and pearls in the supreme treasure of a king. Thus there is no secret superior to and higher than the secrets of azal, but the amazing thing is that all the words and terms there are for the Face of God and its numerous kinds of manifestations, because that is not a place where anything else can exist, except for the Face of God (28:88; 55:27). Thus azal (pre-eternity) abad (post-eternity) and dahr (immovable time) are the names of the reality of the perpetuity of the Face of God, in which man has to be annihilated in such a way that the name and sign of his humanity disappear and he does not remain a thing-mentioned (76:1).
Had azal been an infinite time of the remotest past, then people would have been farther and farther away as time passes, but God, the Beneficent, has not willed so. God says that He is nearer to man than his jugular vein (50:16). Thus, where God can be so close, how can azal and dahr be far? It is obvious that it is not possible for a big or small secret to be away from the ultimate destination in which the supreme honour of the Divine vision is attained and in which everything exists, while the Qur'ān says: Sacrifice everything for the Face of God in the form of knowledge and recognition (28:88; 55:27), so that you may be able to see everything in its manifestations. And this is the clear meaning and significance of Sūratu'r-Rahmān (Image of the Compassionate).
Note that azal is mentioned in the Wise Qur'ān. When Hazrat Mūsā asked God for His supreme vision, at that time the place of azal was in front of him in a spiritual state. He was observing the secrets of azal and was immersed in the ocean of bewilderment. Then God cast the heavy burden of His unique manifestation on the mountain of the intellect and thereby it was scattered and divided into countless gems, so that it may be easy for Hazrat Mūsā to have the vision of knowledge (`ilmī dīdār) which is in many instalments. Thus in the true knowledge there is the colour of God's light and beauty and in every secret of ma`rifat is hidden His vision.
The glorious way in which the Holy Prophet saw the realities and recognitions of azal and abad are mentioned in verses (53:1-18). In these eighteen verses the way his mi`rāj (spiritual ascent) appears merged with the rank of azal is extremely amazing. For instance, "falling of star", i.e. the demonstration of the Pearl of Intellect, and in another example, the eternal movement of the Divine Pen; "the praise of the Holy Prophet's being rightly guided and his guiding mankind", i.e. in this praise is alluded not only his reaching azal and abad, but also his successful guidance. Because with respect to this ultimate destination, God calls His beloved Prophet the spiritual companion of the mu'mins (sāhibukum, 53:2). There is no doubt that in this blessed name of the Holy Prophet and in this verse there are glad tidings for the mu'mins that they, by following the Holy Prophet's footsteps, can reach the treasure of azal, which is full of the pearls of secrets of Prophethood and Imamat.
Another mention of the Holy Prophet's spiritual mi`rāj and of the place of azal is in verse (17:1), in which by the farthest masjid (mosque) or the heavenly mosque is meant the rank of azal, which is the source and outlet of endless blessings of knowledge and wisdom. It is called masjid in the sense that the `ibādat of the Prophets, the awliyā' and `ārifs is performed there. Another ta'wīl of the farthest masjid is the final ism-i a`zam.
There cannot be any doubt in the way the Prophets and the Imams reach the secrets of azal and abad and observe them in the light of ma`rifat, but it is extremely difficult to believe and know whether it is also possible for the mu'mins to reach, observe and know them? Let us see the Wise Qur'ān in this respect:
The most decisive Qur'ānic verses are those in which light is prominently mentioned. Thus in reality light belongs to God, the Prophet and the Imam, but by the fulfilment of the condition of obedience, it also belongs to the mu'mins (see verses 57:12, 57:19; 66:8). Now, in order to draw your full attention, a question is posed: What are the acts included in the domain of light and what are not? You cannot say that light cannot be shed on the secrets of azal and abad, nor can you say that its domain is limited, while the illumination of light is all-reaching and all-embracing. This shows that light is designated for the observations of every level and for perfect ma`rifat.
There are many levels or ranks of light, but in order to facilitate comprehension, we will mention only three major levels: knowledge of certainty, eye of certainty and truth of certainty, just as the light of the sun has three levels: (a) dawn, light with clouds, light under trees; (b) sunshine without a shadow; (c) the sun itself, which is the fountainhead of light. Here the main discussion is whether or not mu'mins can reach the truth of certainty. But reflecting upon the above-mentioned verses, it will be known that the light which runs in front and on the right side of mu'mins is the light of the truth of certainty. That is, it is not sunshine, but the sun itself. In the higher world of spirituality, the light of unity rises and sets so that the realities, recognitions and great secrets which are from the morning of azal to the evening of abad may be illumined. This is the demonstration of the light of intellect in which are preserved all non-spatial and non-temporal secrets.

Note: "Spiritual Flowers" is not only an epoch-making article, but it is also extremely important with respect to knowledge and ma`rifat. Therefore, try to understand its contents well and also look up the verses mentioned in it, in the Qur'ān.

Nasīr al-Dīn Nasīr Hunzā'ī,
London, 27th November, 1986.

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