A058
Surah: 002 - Ayah: 058
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2:58
O travelers on the path of haqiqat! The Qur'anic wisdoms are for all ages. Such as God commanded the children of Israel: "You should enter the gate of the village prostrating yourselves", (2:58; 4:154; 7:161). In this verse there is an allusion for the people of all ages, thus in Islam also, according to a Hadith of the Holy Prophet, there is a door through which the fortunate ones, by prostrating themselves, can enter the city of knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Prophet.
Note: The above-mentioned poem was composed on 4 Jumada I 1409/15 December 1988. It was a Thursday and on Friday night a magnificent spiritual majlis was held by the Ismailis of the Northern Areas at Tekri. According to me, only such spiritual majalis can liberate mu'mins from the entanglements of worldly thoughts. Thus the fortunate mu'min is he who attaches great importance to religious assemblies. For it is a great trial for all of us whether we consider a religious thing great or trivial. If certain things of religion despite having great wisdoms appear to be small, they are like the small gate of Hazrat Musa (2:58) through which it was commanded to enter bending. This alludes that it is necessary to bow to God at some level of love or belief, and he who does not bow willingly, will be made to bow. Wa's-salam.
All the examples and words of the Wise Qur'an are full of the essence of wisdom, such as the command to the Children of Israel: "Enter this village, and eat as much as you wish wherever you like, and enter the gate prostrating yourselves and say: Pardon (hittatun). We shall forgive your sins and give more to those who do good." (2:58). "Enter this village" in ta'wil means "Enter the village of existence, namely, the personal world", and "Eat as much as you wish wherever you like" is obviously related to the inner and spiritual bounties. Similarly, the ta'wil of "Enter the gate prostrating yourselves" is that one can enter spirituality through obedience to the Custodian of the command (Imam). And the ta'wil of "hittatun" is the Supreme Name (ism-i aczam) which a mu'min can receive only from the Imam of the time and in practising upon which there are numerous benefits for him. An example of saying "hintatun (wheat)" instead of "hittatun" is like that of a weak mu'min who does not have enough knowledge, who under the influence of disturbing thoughts (waswasah) cannot properly pronounce the Supreme Name at the special time and therefore is not successful in this supreme task. Between "hittah" and "hintah" there is a difference, very little in pronunciation, but very great in meaning. There is a world of difference between asking for pardon and asking for wheat! See also verses (4:154; 7:161).
Q475 It is said in verse (2:58): “And when He said: Enter this township and eat as much as you wish whenever you like, and enter the gate prostrating.” What is this township that the children of Israel were commanded to enter? The phrase ‘this township’ shows that people used to live in it and people were also commanded to enter it. What is the secret in it? What is the wisdom hidden in entering the gate prostrating?
A475
- This is the township of every human being, which we now call the personal world. The children of Israel used to physically live in the personal world (that is, it was potential), but had not yet been able to enter it spiritually (that is, actualise it).
- The allusion of “this township” ascertains that it was within their own personality and this is a very great secret.
- Entering the gate prostrating means to enter the personal world by true obedience to the bab of the Prophet (asas, imam), where there are the treasures of his knowledge and wisdom.
This verse has been referred 2 times.