A015
Surah: 005 - Ayah: 015
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05:15
Q. O seekers of the truth! What is the way of benefitting fully in knowledge and recognition from the holy Imam who is the light as well as teacher of the clear Book (5:15) and also the speaking Qur'an (23:62; 45:29)?
A. The way of benefitting from the holy Imam in knowledge and recognition is to annihilate oneself in him through absolute obedience and complete love and devotion, so that the minor Resurrection may take place and his light may act as the speaking Book and the record of deeds. All this is possible in this life so that the mu'mins (male and female) may be enriched with the everlasting wealth of knowledge and recognition.
The true friends of God combat with the voice of the Satan with their voice in such a sagacious way that they always do the successful and uninterrupted dhikr of the blessed Name of God with the tongue of heart (spirit). They look to the Imam of the time externally and internally and act according to his farmans, whereby God guides them on the paths of peace (5:15-16).
Regarding the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Chief of the prophets, no Muslim can have a doubt in his being "A light from God (5:15)" and "Luminous Lamp (33:46)". Further, this reality is crystal clear to the people of wisdom, that the Holy Prophet was the most noble and excellent of all prophets and messengers. There are many reasons for this. Nonetheless, the straight path (path of spirituality) and the ultimate destination is the same for all the prophets and all ummats, as God says: "Lo! We inspired thee (awhayna ilayka) as We inspired Nuh and the prophets after him" (4:163). Thus it is clear that the way of inspiration (tariq-i wahy) and its stages are the same for all the prophets.
God says: "Now has come unto you a light from God and a manifest Book, whereby God guides those who seek His good pleasure on paths of peace (salam = ta'yid) . He brings them out of darkness unto light by His permission (idhn), and guides them on a straight path" (5:15-16). In these verses are hidden the fundamental wisdoms of salamati (peace). According to this verse, by light, is meant the Prophet, since, in the order of everything in Islam, he has come first. Then is mentioned the Holy Qur'an. It is obvious that the purpose of both of them is salamati, that is to show the paths of ta'yid (divine help), and by these are meant the Imams, that every Imam in his time is the path of spiritual help (ta'yidat). The ta'wil of ldhn (permission) is hujjat, pir, etc., who today are not in the physical body, because of the cycle of qiyamat (Resurrection), and another ta'wil of it is ism-i azam, which is the idhn or permission of God through the Imam of the time, and the ta'wil of the straight path (sirat-i mustaqim) is Hazrat qaim al-qiyamat. You can see that all the means of the Divine guidance are directed towards this holy personality. Otherwise, if we think about this verse, leaving aside its ta'wil, then the mention of either sabil (path) or sirat-i mustaqim would have sufficed. But it is not so, and the reason for this is the wisdom of ta'wil, as mentioned above.
The Paths of Peace:
The way the light and the Book (Qur'an) are mentioned in verse (5:15), is the single sufficient and cogent answer to thousands of questions. The wisdoms of the following verse (5:16) are also wonderful, in which the guidance of the paths of peace is mentioned first and then the straight path. A question therefore arises here: Can there be more than one path of God? If not, what is the meaning of the paths of peace?
First Answer: By the paths of peace is meant sharfat, tariqat, haqiqat and ma'rifat, which are the four stages and four parts of the straight path. This shows that the path of God is one.
Second Answer: The paths of peace with respect to tawili wisdom are the four closest Hujjats and the straight path is the Imam of the time.
Ibda and Inbiath: If you think of ibda and inbiath outside of the personal world, you will be entangled in an infinite chain of wrong concepts. Let us together prostrate in His presence again and again, shedding tears of gratitude that He, through His earthly Light (Revealed Light, 5:15), has uncovered for us the secrets of the personal world. Thus we believe that ibda and inbiath happen in the same place simultaneously. That is, when the higher "I" manifests itself, the same manifestation with respect to pre-eternity (azal) is ibda and with respect to post-eternity (abad) is inbiath. It should also be remembered that in the personal world, azal and abad are at the same place, which is assigned these two names. This place can be compared to a watch, in which the place of 12 o'clock is not only the point of the end, but also the starting point. The question is that in such a state, what should be the concept of the mubdi (Originator) and the mubdai (Originated)? It can be answered in two ways: (a) In one respect, this is the manifestation of the mubda, without the mubdi being visible, (b) In the other, this is both the mubdi and the mubda, because it is the place of monoreality and the state of oneness.
Renewal of Spirituality and Intellectuality:
The light and the clear Book which were revealed from God to the Holy Prophet's blessed heart (5:15), are in reality one thing (42:52), whose external and written form became known as the Book (Qur'an). But what do you think about the way light was transferred from the Holy Prophet to the exalted Imam? Was there also the Book in its original form? If the answer is in the affirmative, what proof is there?
Answer: The proof is that it was possible for the physical writing of the Wise Qur'an to come into existence from light, but it is impossible to separate the spirit and spirituality and luminosity of the Qur'an from the light. Thus it is true to say that in light, which is in the Teacher of the Qur'an today, is also the complete luminous form of the Qur'an. In short, the point that there is everything in the personal world, should be remembered, because in it there is the renewal of the spirituality and intellectuality of the Qur'an and Imam. The exalted Imam is the king and the hudud-i din work as the pillars of the kingdom. Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!
God says: "There has come to you from God a nur (light) and a kitab mubin (perspicuous Book), wherewith (i.e. with nur and Book) God guides all who seek His good pleasure to way of peace (subul al-salam) and brings them out of darkness unto light by His will, and guides them unto a straight path." (5:15-16).
It is in the light of the above verse, through the favor and the aid of the Holy Lord, that the foreword of this booklet is being started. Numerous wisdoms are contained within the esoteric comprehensiveness of this blessed verse. One of these wisdoms is that although there is one path of God, i.e. sirat-i mustaqim (the straight path, which has to be one from its beginning to it end), nonetheless, it consists of four separate stages which are shari 'at (the Law), tariqat (the Sufic of Mystic path), haqiqat (the Truth), and ma 'rifat (the gnosis). Each of the four stages of sirat-i mustaqim is considered as a way or path; and with respect to this, it is said: "God guides all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace." Thus, it is obvious that the ways of peace are shari'at, tariqat, haqiqat, and ma'rifat, which are the sirat-i mustaqim, i.e., the one straight path itself. For any path other than the sirat-i mustaqim is misleading; therefore, there can be no guidance other than along it. This is so clear that it cannot be rejected by any sensible person. Therefore, it is necessary and essential for a mu'min to travel also along the paths of tariqat, haqiqat and ma'rifat in addition to shari'at, and this is made possible only through the guidance of the nur and the Qur'an.
God, the Holy, the Exalted, made two great miracles for His Beloved Prophet, which are permanent, intellectual and in the form of knowledge. One is the Revealed Light (nur-i munazzal), the bearer of which at first was the exalted personality of the Holy Prophet himself, and the other is undoubtedly the Glorious Qur'an (5:15). These two sources of guidance are not two limited miracles for the people of insight, rather they are, in reality, two miraculous universes. For, the Light and the Qur'an are Paradise and the vastness of Paradise is equal to the vastness of the universe (3:133; 57:21). You might have read in the Qur'an that in spirituality or in the Resurrection, Paradise is brought near. Thus the embodied Light (nur-i mujassam) and the Book of God are a clear proof of that great act.
The two permanent and intellectual miracles of the Holy Prophet, the Mercy for the worlds and Pride of the children of Adam, may peace be on him and his progeny, are the Qur'an and the Imam, which are called thaqalan (two heavy things). May we be sacrificed for the Holy Prophet and his two heavy things! Here is a wonderful treasure from the everlasting treasures of the Revealed Light (Imam) and the Manifest Book (5:15). But, for God's sake, try to understand the value of this treasure of pearls, i.e. the verse, which is full of spiritual wisdoms, which is: "And indeed We created you (physically), then created your (spiritual) form (surat) then told the angels: Prostrate to Adam" (7:11). In this verse, there are several keys of profound wisdom: (a) There were people before the Adam of this cycle and some of them had become become angels, (b) First there is the physical creation and then the spiritual completion and then, in connection with observation and recognition (marifat) the spiritual event of Hazrat Adam comes before one. (c) Spirituality is beyond time and space, therefore, the people of marifat, with their inner eye, can see the events of the Qur'an in their original state, (d) God can show to the people within themselves those of His miracles (signs 41:53), which He had shown to the Prophets, (e) When it is an universally accepted fact that, God through His perfect power, has encompassed everything in its subtle form in the Manifest Imam (36:12), then those who recognize the Imam in his luminosity will also be able to recognize the Qur'an, as well as the Prophets and angels in spirituality, (f) If it is possible to attain the recognition of God by recognizing oneself, how can the recognition of God's speech, i.e. the Qur'an, be separate from it?
It is clearly understood from the Noble Qur'an that, in the religion of Islam, there is the light, as well as the Book from God (5:15). Just as the Book is there forever, so is the light, for it cannot be extinguished (9:32; 61:8). The proof of this reality in the external world is the sun, the moon and the stars provide light for the external world, which is like a book. The evidence from the personal world is that, the intellect, the soul and the internal senses with their numerous ramifications, are like the sun, moon and stars respectively, and the personal world is also like a book. Thus, it is evident that there are two proofs, one from the external world and the second from the internal world for the truth of every Qur'anic reality.
Misbah means the instrument of the morning i.e. the sun and the lamp. Yet, it is also a fact that, in the usage of the Arabic language, misbah is also the name of a lamp. Further, it is also true that the sun or the lamp, which is like the light of God, is the Prophet or the Imam. For, the Wise Qur'an considers them the Revealed light (nur-i munazzal, 5:15), and the light of God, which has been revealed, cannot be extinguished (9:32; 61:8). Further, it is also worth noting that the Holy Prophet is a lamp in a literal sense, but in meaning, he is the luminous sun, for the lamp of God, the Exalted, is like the world- illumining sun, for the sun is called the luminous lamp in the verse (78:13).
Means of Spirituality
Q. 72. Once you said that spirituality is a means that brings the Speaking Holy Spirit and Light and the living realities of the period of Prophethood to the future and unites the mu'mins of the present and the future with the Prophet. Would you kindly elaborate on this view in the light of the Holy Qur'an?
A. My dears! this view is absolutely true and real. The explanation of this is that the Holy Prophet is that pure light which God has linked forever with the Qur'an (5:15), so that the mu'mins may continue to act upon the Qur'an in the illumination of this light of guidance. Thus today, the holy light of the Prophet exists and is present in the succession of the Imamat (silsilah-i imamatl. The Qur'an has openly said that "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth, the similitude of His light is like a niche in which is a (luminous) lamp" (24:35). Then it is said that the luminous lamp is the Prophet (33:46). Further, where the light of Allah has been mentioned, it has also been mentioned that the understandable concept of Divine light is "light upon light" (24:35), which means that the vicegerent and successor of light can be only the one who himself has already become light.
In short, the holy light of God and the Prophet is in the Imam of the time. Now in order to reach this light, we need the means of spirituality, so that we may enter thereby the city of knowledge and the house of wisdom and observe the miracles of knowledge and gnosis of the light of Prophethood with the inner eye and see the Speaking Holy Spirit and Light and the living realities of the time of the Prophethood.
In future, in a majlis. we will explain to you a marvellous and pleasant wisdom in Surah-i Jumu'ah (62), which will assure you that we can recognize the rank of the Prophethood by means of the light of Imamat. This point contains all allusions.
Every human being, whether a believer or unbeliever, is without any doubt, a Speaking Book potentially. In order to become an actual Speaking Book, it is a prerequisite to be annihilated in the Light and the Speaking Book (5:15) which have comes from the presence of God. Fortunately, it is possible to progress from the potential to the actual Speaking Book. Annihilation is of many kinds. The one needed by a mu’min is in the form of complete obedience performed in the light of faith, love and knowledge.
Ayat (Imam, who is the compendium of all the signs of God)
Question: There are more numerous signs of God in the heaven in comparison to the earth, such as the sun, the moon, the stars, etc., so what then is the secret in alluding to the importance of His signs in the earth?
Answer: The secret is that every human being should recognise the compendium of the signs in the universe and the revealed light (5:15), who has descended on the earth for the sake of guiding him and is present here and he is the Imam-i mubin, the manifest Imam, in whose pure personality there is everything.
Tamshuna (You walk or will walk in the illumination of the light of guidance)
The straight path cannot be a straight path of this world. It is the living light of guidance, which is the personality of the Imam of the time, the light revealed by God (5:15). God guides to His light whomsoever He wills (24:35).
Kitabun yantiqu (Speaking Qur’an)
O the light of my eyes (i.e. everyone who is a lover of knowledge)! You should not forget that if in a verse there are more than one name, there are as many things as there are names. For instance, if in verse (5:15) two names, the Light and the clear Book (kitab-i mubin) are mentioned, then definitely there are two things, and without any doubt these two things are the holy Prophet and the holy Qur’an. It has always been the Divine law to appoint a Teacher together with the heavenly Book and that same Teacher is called the speaking Book.
One special name of knowledge is light, and observing in its illumination one becomes aware of the bounties of the realities and gnoses of religion and the world. And above all it becomes clear which words and deeds attain God's pleasure, so that it may be easy to follow Divine pleasure all the time. For those who follow Divine pleasure, He guides them on the ways of peace (5:15-16), and the word “peace (salam)” contains the meaning of spiritual and intellectual health.
The Main Purpose: The main purpose of all these adhkar is one only, and that is the proximity and closeness to God, so that the mu’min may attain the first annihilation, the second annihilation and the third annihilation, in which there is not only the supreme paradise, but also the supreme Rizwan (Pleasure of God). This is the extreme health and eternal peace, to guide towards which God, may He be blessed and exalted, has revealed His light and the Qur'an (5:15). Praise be to God, the Sustainer of the worlds!
The second question is about two books. It is asked: “Where the existence of the Speaking book is possible, what is the need of the Silent book”? And it is also said that the logic of the first and second questions is the same, which is not correct, because in the first question there are two different names of the one thing, whereas in the second question there are two different things. In any case, the short answer to this question is that both are necessary, one as the true guide and the divine light and the other as the book, as the Qur'an says (5:15). Furthermore, they appear to be two only externally, but internally they are one and the same.
Further, although on the one hand the light is common to the holy Qur'an and the true Imam, on the other hand it is related more and more to the living and present Imam. For the light speaks and it is a living spirit, which is the spirit of Imamat and the light of the Imam. As God says: “There has come to you a light and a plain Book” (5:15). This divine commandment shows that in reality the light is the Prophet and the Imam, and the plain book is the Qur'an. If the Qur'an itself were the light, then in mentioning it (i.e. the Qur'an) as the “plain book” there would not have been a separate mention of “light”.
It is mentioned in verse (15:21): "And there is not a thing but its treasures are with Us, and We do not send it down but according to a known measure." It is necessary to reflect well on this blessed verse so that one may thereby receive more and more blessings of knowledge. Thus we should first consider why it says "With Us" instead of "With Me" in this verse? What secret lies in this? Secondly, one should ask why does one thing have several treasures? Why is there not only one treasure? Thirdly, when does a thing come down to this world? Does it come in every age and time or only at a particular time and age? Fourthly, what is meant by a known measure? Is it a mention of Divine knowledge or human knowledge or both?
In this connection I would like to say that one ta’wil of this wisdom-filled verse is in my book "Precious Treasure".
Here, another ta’wil is presented that, in the Wise Qur’an when it is intended to mention God’s oneness, the pronoun is necessarily in the singular, but when His act is mentioned then the pronoun is mostly in the plural. The reason for this is that as the command is specific to Him, the act is not so. Because He is the Absolute King, the great angels such as the Pen, the Tablet, Israfil, Mika’il, Jibril, the Light of Prophethood, and the Light of Imamat all work for Him under His command. Thus God not only attributes their work to Himself but also exalts their status by attributing them to Himself and says: "We did this work". The same meaning is in the above mentioned verse also. Thus God, in the use of the phrase "With Us" has attributed His living treasures to Himself and their closeness He has considered His own closeness. Otherwise, in space and non-space there is no point of demarcation which can be called closeness to God.
By "thing mentioned" in this verse is meant man, who needs three fundamental treasures namely, the intellectual, spiritual and physical treasures which are the Pen, the Tablet and the Perfect Man (Prophet or Imam). In other words, these treasures are called the world of intellect, the world of soul and the world of particles. By God’s command, things come down to man all the time from these treasures. For example, the chain of birth of human beings continues. In this connection, first come the particles of body, then the soul, and finally the intellect. By the "known measure" of everything is meant both Divine and human knowledge.
In the light of the above mentioned Qur’anic law it becomes evident that the three components of present sciences, the intellect (knowledge), the soul, and matter were all initially in the treasures of God and then in accordance with God’s knowledge (programme) and scientists’ knowledge, they came to this world. Perhaps it is amazing for you to accept that matter which is free and widely scattered throughout the universe was encompassed and enfolded in a particular treasure of God? It is true that such amazement is possible and that such questions arise. But the more your knowledge of certainty about the world of particles increases, such amazement decreases, and the more you become aware of Qur’anic and spiritual wisdom, it will be clearer in front of you that subtle matter (the world of particles), the holy spirit and the perfect intellect, all three are together and united in the hand of God (21:104; 39:67). The hand of God according to the Qur’an is the Holy Prophet (48:10) and then by God’s command, in their own respective times, each of his successors. Thus, such a perfect and complete person has a miraculous subtle body, which is called the world of particles. It has many Qur’anic names, some of which are: sirbal (pl. sarabil, shirt, 16:81), labus (garment, 21:80), saciqah (thunderbolt, 13:13), racd (thunder, 13:13), barq (lightning, 13:12), al-kawthar (108:1), jism-i basit (everspreading body, 2:147), basharan sawiyya (sound human being, 19:17), etc. In this miraculous body, due to its being an ibdaci body, there are not only all kinds of particles known to material science but also innumerable marvels and wonders of spiritual science. For instance, you may have heard that nowadays in certain countries where science has advanced, Flying Saucers sometimes appear, which have not yet been identified by the scientists. In fact, they are at the junction of materiality and spirituality and countless wisdom are hidden in them. If you want, you can
reflect and know a lot about them, because their appearance is a prelude to an extremely great spiritual revolution.
The wise Quraan is the world of knowledge and wisdom and the light of imamat is its sun(5:15). Just as without the light of the physical sun, nothing of the material world can be seen, without the light of the spiritual sun, it is not possible to see any reality and wisdom of the world of knowledge. This means that if the Quraan is seen with the eye of recognition of the Imam, it will come to be known that the light of imamat is shedding light in the exoteric and esoteric aspects of every Quraanic verse, because the light of the physical sun is confined to the surface of the material things only, but the light of the spiritual sun illumines the exoteic and esoteric aspects of the world of knowledge and wisdom.
One can see then that God’s sunnat covers the past, the present and the future for there is no change or alteration in it. For, according to His sunnat, He has revealed to mankind the light of guidance and a clear Book (5:15). About the Book (the Qur’an) Muslims could have no doubts, so about the light He said that nobody would be able to extinguish it and that it will continue and last forever, splendid and shining (9:32, 61:8), for the ultimate purpose of the light is to guide mu’mins in the stations of spirituality and the stages of Resurrection (57:12).
It is our firm belief, faith and certainty that the Holy Prophet was the "embodied light", because he was sent by God in the rank of light (5:15) and made a luminous lamp (33:46). If there were a lamp in the world which was living, speaking and wise, its hearing, seeing, insight and speech would also have been luminous. It would have been able to hear the light, see the light internally and externally and whenever it spoke it would have been luminous speech, because in its luminous and pure self there would have been nothing but light. This is an example within an example about the Holy Prophet. It is evident that this is the meaning of calling him a luminous lamp (33:46), that he was definitely light from head to toe. Therefore, his external and internal senses were light, his wisdom-filled speech in the form of the Qur'an and the Hadith was light. The same meaning is evident from the prayer of light (dua'-yi nur), which is quoted below in Paragraph 1, which you should study carefully.
There are unending bounties of the paradise of recognition in the exoteric and esoteric aspects of the Glorious Qur'an. Thus, if a beginner comes to know the secret of the paths of peace and the straight path, he can attain a great everlasting happiness. And that is that the paths of peace are not separate from the straight path, rather they are its four destinations, known as shariat, tariqat, haqiqat and marifat. Study verses (5:15-16) carefully.
One of the Quraanic proofs of the above-mentioned fact that it is impossible to see the realities and recognitions of the tawil of the Quraan without the support of the light of Imamat, is: “Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a Light and a manifest Book” (5:15). In this blessed verse, God acknowledges the rank of Imamat as the light of the tawil of the Holy Quraan, and draws attention to their mutual link and inseparability and alludes that, without the help of the light of Imamat, it imposible to see the path to the treasures of the tawil sciences of the Quraan, just as it is impossible to see physical things without material light.
Let us suppose that a devilish person continues to divert a true Muslim from the straight path and in order to do so, he tries to impress him with his fabricated knowledge, which contains nothing but falsehood, deception and cunning. Now, however soft, sweet and pleasing the words of this representative of Iblis may be, the way the soul of faith (ruhu’l-Iman) of this mu’min becomes wounded by his words, is called rajim or stoning. Obviously on such occasions, only true knowledge, dhikr and cibadat can help him. For, not only does true knowledge shine from cibadat, but a miraculous kind of spiritual knowledge is also received from it.
The main and ultimate purpose of the Divine command: “When you have read the Qur’an, seek refuge in God from the stoning Satan”, has now been established. We came to know through the Light and the Book of God (5:15), who Iblis, Satan, etc., are and where and how they attack; with what kind of arms we can encounter them, or what is the way of escaping from their attacks and coming to the refuge of God. These tactics of fighting Satan or escaping from him and coming into God’s protection are necessary as, according to the Qur’an, he is our open enemy and has a countless army.
Part 22
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
From the beginning to its end the holy Qur’an contains guidance, exhortation, knowledge and wisdom for the world of humanity. It is an unfathomable ocean of knowledge and wisdom. In addition, together with it is the revealed light (5:15), which further enhances its eminence. If there are seventy thousand sciences hidden in the wise Qur’an,15 then all of them are for the sake of the world of humanity. God, the sustainer, wants to elevate the human ranks through the light and the Qur’an (5:15), therefore there are wisdom-filled counsels everywhere in the Qur’an. You can check in a Qur’anic Index how many times the words “insan” and “nas” are mentioned in it.
In short, the wise Qur’an is revealed for the sake of the betterment of humankind, therefore humankind is mentioned under every subject and every topic.
Hazrat Mawlana cAli has said:
It is indeed a fact that when the spiritual resurrection takes place, the entire universe is kept enfolded in the personal world repeatedly. See “Wonders and Marvels of Spiritual Science”.
Further, it is said:
Q21 It is mentioned in a hadith that the Qur’an has a zahir (exoteric meaning) and a batin (esoteric meaning) and the batin can be seen only in the illumination of the light (5:15). Would you kindly explain this point further?
A21 Further explanation of this point is that in order to show the esoteric meaning or meanings of the wise Qur’an, God revealed the Light together with the Book. In his time the holy Prophet himself was this revealed Light. After him, the pure Imams are in the position of this Light. They know the esoteric meaning or the ta’wil of the Qur’an. Thus, concerning this reality, God says that the ta’wil of the Qur’an is known only to Him and the rasikhun fi’l- cilm, that is, those who are well grounded in knowledge (3:7).
Q181 By the grace of God, we know the meaning, purport and ta’wili secret of the straight path, nonetheless a great question of what are the subulu’s-salam (the ways of peace) arises here, or which ones are they, to which Allah guides by His revealed light (nur-i munazzal, 5:15)?
A181 First and foremost, it is necessary to know the meanings of salam/as-salam and finally to believe in the reality that both the source and the return of these and all other meanings is only one, and that is the Word of Command (Be!). That is, the higher and original meanings of the words of Qur’anic knowledge and wisdom have come from the treasure of the Word of Command (15:21) and the ways of peace mean that one can go up to the treasure of Command by causing to return these meanings to it.
Here are some examples:
- It is mentioned in verse (36:58): “There is a word (qawl = Word of Command) from a merciful Lord, which is (eternal) peace (salam).”
- In numerous verses of the Qur’an, it is mentioned that there is peace on the Messengers, such as verse (37:181): “There is peace (salam) on the Messengers.” The ta’wil of this verse is that they had been able to reach the Word of Command.
- Only ‘peace, peace!’ will be said in paradise (56:26). That is, only the great secrets of the Word of Command will be discussed there.
- It is mentioned in verse (6:127): “For them is the abode of peace with their Lord. He is their guardian because of what they used to do.” That is, their access in knowledge and recognition and focus of attention will be the sacred Sanctuary and the Divine Word (kalimah-yi bari).
- One blessed name of Allah, may He be exalted, is “as-salam” (the Peace) (59:23). That is, where there is the Word of Command, there is His vision and recognition.
Q208 Please explain the wisdom of the following hadith: "cAli is with the Qur’an and the Qur’an is with cAli; they will never be separated until they will come to me at the pond".
A208 This hadith is the exegesis of the verse of the revealed light (nur-i munazzal, 5:15). By cAli(c) is meant the Light of Imamat, which is the speaking Book (23:62; 45:29) and it is necessary for the silent Book to be within it. Thus, it is the task of the Light and the Qur’an to guide the true mu’mins up to the pond of Kawthar, by which is meant the recognition of Hazrat qa’imu’l-qiyamat(c).
Q408 It is related that Mawla cAli(c), said about the holy Qur’an: “Its exoteric aspect (zahir) is an obligatory act, its esoteric aspect is a hidden (maknun) and veiled (mahjub) knowledge and which is with us known and written”. Please make us aware of the wisdom of this farman.
A408
- It is easier to act upon the exoteric aspect of the Qur’an, but its esoteric knowledge is extremely difficult, rather impossible, except through the revealed light (5:15), which is the Imam of the time.
- The word hidden (maknun) implies that the Qur’an is in the hidden Book and the word veiled (mahjub) indicates that God speaks from behind the veil. Therefore the way the ta’wil is veiled by the tanzil has very great significance.
Q463 What is the example of the best of the Qur’anic verses (kara’imu’l-Qur’an)?
A463
- It is mentioned in verse (5:15): “There has come to you from God a light and a manifest Book (the Qur’an)”. This is among the best of the Qur’anic verses, which are in praise of Hazrat cAli(c).
- Indeed, this light was with the holy Prophet and after him in Hazrat cAli(c), so that the esoteric wisdom of the Qur’an may appear clearly in the illumination of this light. It is because of this unique function of Imam cAli(c)’s light that his praise is in the entire Qur’an. This is only one example of the numerous best verses of the Qur’an, in praise of Mawla cAli(c).
The wise Qur’an is certainly Allah’s guidance. However, not only is its exterior (tanzil) guidance, its interior (ta’wil) is also guidance. According to a prophetic tradition (hadis) the Qur’an’s hidden meaning is seven times more than its apparent meaning and according to another narration it is seventy times more. There is an abundance of guidance in the glorious Qur’an so that the Muslims and mu’mins may progress physically and religiously in the light of its guidance and this is possible only when they read and understand the noble Qur’an with its [living] light (5:15) and act according to it.
Q516 In the ‘Wisdom Search’ class of Sunday, 9th Zu’l-hijjah, 1419/28th March, 1999 all the wisdoms were excellent and they have hopefully been recorded. Some of the most exquisite, meaningful and praiseworthy names require further explanation, and they are: Embodied light, embodied Qur’an, embodied Islam, embodied sunnat. Please explain what their reality is.
A516
- These praiseworthy names belong first and foremost to the holy Prophet and then to the Imam. According to the duca-yi nur was the Prophet not turned into light from head to foot? Had Allah not sent His beloved Messenger having made him light (5:15)?
- Was the holy Prophet not the Embodied Qur’an and Speaking Qur’an both before and after its writing?
- Was the holy Prophet not the fountainhead of Islam?
- Was the holy Prophet himself not the original and real sunnat? These questions, which are answers as well, show that the Embodied light, embodied Qur’an (Speaking Qur’an), embodied Islam and embodied sunnat are powerful proofs for the people of insight (basirat).
This verse has been referred 56 times.