Treasure of Knowledge Part II - Preface
Preface
Tags: surah-yi Muzzammil, vicegerent, asas, Hazrat `Isa
O the Sustainer of the worlds! O the Master of our bodies and souls! O the Lord of honour! For the sake of Your beloved Prophet Muhammad(s) and his vicegerents, the pure Imams, grant this humble and feeble servant such high ambition and courage and such luminous grace and favour that he can be duly grateful for all Your great and magnificent bounties. But O Lord! How can such ungrateful servants as us, be duly grateful in spite of [Your] such magnificent favours?
The book “Panj Maqalah part II” is before you. Study it carefully and judge it appropriately; you will immediately know its importance and significance. Then there will be no need to introduce the book, as it is said: “Mushk an ast kih khwud bibuyad nah an kih `attar biguyad” i.e., ‘Musk’s scent speak for itself, the perfumer does not need to praise it’. However, there can only be one person in a thousand who may be able to easily sense the soul nourishing fragrance of the musk of knowledge. Thus it is also one of our duties to introduce this booklet a little so that it may cure not only the unawareness of some people towards knowledge but at the same time may also increase the interest of some keen readers.
The first article in this booklet is: “Some wisdoms of surah-yi Muzzammil”. According to the order of revelation this was the third surah revealed in Makkah but according to the current order it is the 73rd surah [of the holy Qur’an]. It has 20 verses and 2 ruku`. This surah has great characteristics, one of which is that it mentions the wisdoms of progressing in dhikr-u `ibadat, especially the ism-i a`zam. Thus, by the grace of God, we have tried to elucidate some wisdoms of this surah in the form of questions and answers.
The second article is: “Bab-i Nabi” which means the gate of the holy Prophet. According to this concept not only the presence of an Imam becomes indispensable during the life of every great prophet, but it also necessitates the chain of Imamat to continue after [the demise of] every great prophet. The principle is not that the gate of knowledge and wisdom of prophethood be available in the prophet’s time [only] and after him everyone should easily and undoubtedly acquire this knowledge and wisdom as if it were easier than even in the prophet’s time. Such an opinion can never be true. The concept of Bab-i Nabi (the gate of the holy Prophet) is in no way different from the concept of vicegerency and Imamat. In fact, these two [concepts] are the same. Thus, if it is a reality that everything has a gate, similarly there are gates of the knowledge and wisdom of God and the Prophet. The gate of God is the holy Prophet and that of Prophet is [his] asas. The gate of asas is the Imam and that of the Imam is [his] supreme hujjat, and so on. We have placed this article here [in this book] due to its importance and necessity.
The third article is: “Is Hazrat `Isa(a.s) a spirit or a body?” This question is as important as it is great and many bright realities are revealed in its connection. In the light of these realities not only is the answer to the question provided but it also helps in the comprehension of the Qur’an, understanding of religion and the recognition of spirit and the Perfect Man to a great extent. This is the reason that this topic is discussed here.
The fourth article is: “Solution of a Question”. This is the text of a memorable letter which I wrote to one of my esteemed and extremely dear friends [who had posed it]. This article is necessary here because it discusses the infallibility and purity of the true Prophet and mentions the proofs of his absolute purity. Through these bright and evident proofs not only is the purity of the holy Prophet ascertained but the testimony of purification of the people of the house (ahl-i bayt) and that of the holiness and sanctity of the holy Imams from the progeny of Muhammad(s) and the children of `Ali(a.s) is also attained.
The fifth and the last topic is: “The Secrets of Nature”. The purpose of this article is that it means the concealed secrets of the creation of the universe and its existents i.e., the hidden secrets of all kinds of creatures. Such secrets which are not manifest and are inaccessible, but can only be attained through Qur’anic wisdom and ta’wil. The highest level of spirituality is required to attain the practical ta’wil [of the holy Qur’an]. It is only through such spirituality that the concealed secrets of the creation of Adam(a.s) and the children of Adam(a.s) can be achieved. Nonetheless, the purpose of this article is to draw attention to those fundamental and essential secrets which are related to a human being’s creation, since secrets, whether they pertain to religion or the world, are of the foremost importance. If an exalted emperor confides in one of his friends he honours him in this process with excellence and superiority over others. Thus true mu’mins should continue to search for God’s secrets in the supreme teachings of religious knowledge so that they may get extremely close to God and be able to merge in His light.
Now let me remember all those people with gratitude who befriend knowledge and always support me for the advancement of service of knowledge without asking for any reward or fame. For them the utmost happiness lies in effacing the darkness of ignorance through the bright lamps of the ta’yidi knowledge of the Imam of the time, [and] by writing and publishing books on Qur’anic wisdom, ta’wils, understanding of religion, evolution of Islam, recognition of Imam, spirit and spirituality, solution of contemporary problems, religion and science, etc.
They are among the soldiers for knowledge of the true Imam. They consider themselves very fortunate and have due pride in their enthusiasm to spread religious knowledge. According to them the pleasurable study of religious books is more refreshing and beneficial than strolling in a garden because the comfort and pleasure of a garden is worldly, physical and temporary. The flowers of the paradise of knowledge and wisdom are not such that they fade or the sweetness of its fruits diminish. These bounties and pleasures related to religion and the life hereafter are for the souls and intellects, thus they are imperishable and everlasting.
We should all pray in the Divine court: O Lord! Bless all the people of faith with the eternal wealth of knowledge and thereby grant them bliss and eminence in both the worlds, Amin! O the Sustainer of the worlds!
A servant for knowledge of the jama`at,
Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai
Thursday 10th Ramazan al-mubarak, 1397 AH
25th August, 1977
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