A104
Surah: 021 - Ayah: 104
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21:104
57:21, 2:117, 6:101, 3:133, 35:41,
Q. O brothers and sisters in faith! You are aware of the fact that Mawlana Ali's excellence in knowledge is almost universally accepted by all Muslims. Would you explain one of the wisdoms of the following verses composed by him:
"Do you think that you are a small body;
While the great cosmos is contained within you;
You are the speaking Book;
By whose letters the hidden (secret) is revealed."
A. Although apparently this external universe is the macrocosm and man the microcosm, yet in reality, it is man who is the macrocosm, because the heavens and the earth of the external world are enfolded in him, as mentioned in verses (21:104; 39:67). This supreme miracle takes place when the mu 'min on the spiritual path becomes annihilated in the true Imam. In this the mu 'mins (male and female) attain the light (57:12, 19; 66:8) and they become the speaking Book which contains the secrets of recognition within it.
In verse (21:104) there is the mention of the rolling up of the universe. One of the allusions of the rolling up of the universe is that the world of religion and hudud gather in Hazrat Qa'im. At the same time to say': "As We originated the first creation, so We shall bring it back again (nuiduh)" means that the inbiath results in the form of ibda and the final manifestation of Hazrat Qa'im takes place in the rank of Hazrat Mubdi , and thus the world of religion gathers in Hazrat Qaim al-qiyamat.
Another ta'wil of "nuiduh" is: "We repeat it". Thus this (lbda and inbiath) is a chain. For instance, each of the prophets and imams have inbiath and ibda . Since they are the models of the law of nature, therefore, it is absolutely true to say that ibda and inbiath always continue. Now at this place, the ta'wil of the above blessed verse will be: As We had done the inbi ath and ibda of the previous Perfect Man, similarly We will repeat it. That is to say that, as the command of "Be (kun)" namely, inbi ath and ibda, is applicable to Hazrat Adam, it is also applicable to Hazrat Isa (111:59), although apparently it seems that humanity started with Hazrat Adam.
Where the Universal Soul is the Pedestal of God and the spiritual paradise, there the perfect or the Universal Intellect is the Divine Throne and intellectual paradise. But here, it should be remembered that the Qur'anic concept of the Intellect is such that it unites all things into pre-eternal and post-eternal unity by bringing to an end, all temporal durations and spatial distances. Thus as the universe is spread in its physical form, it is united and centred in its internal form at the place of the Intellect, as the Wise Qur'an says: "The Day when We shall roll up the heavens (i.e. the entire universe) as a recorder (al-sijjil) rolls up a written scroll.
As We created (the creature) first time. We shall repeat it" (21:104). Regarding the meaning of sijjil, there is a difference. According to us, it is like the word sijjil, which is an Arabicised form of sang-i gil, which means a pastel of clay, which Is used for writing, signifying the pastel of ink. It should be remembered that a special reason for the usage of words in the Qur'anic parables, is their ta'wilic wisdom. Thus the ta'wilic wisdom mentioned in this noble verse, is the concept of aql, which is the concept of the intellectual paradise, in which everything and every bounty of knowledge and wisdom exists, as the Qur'an says: "By Ink-pot and Pen and that which they write" (58:1). That is, God swears by the concept of Intellect, which is the essence of the universe, which contains everything related to the pen, ink-pot and writing of the Intellect, for, it is because of the Intellect that the practical writing of the paradise comes into existence and the external and internal existence of the universe is created.
This verse has also a fundamental ta'wil, which is: By the blessed mouth which according to the sublime similitude (mathal-i ala), is the ink-pot of wisdom, and by the light of Intellect, is the Divine Pen, and by that which is written by the archangels from this ink-pot with this Pen, namely, the Divine Word.
When the individual resurrection and spirituality reach the treasure of the Hidden Pearl (gawhar-i maknun) then the non-spatial world of the level of intellect comes in front. For, in that state, intellectually the concept of time and space comes to an end and the manifestations of pre-eternal (azali) and post-eternal (abadi) realities and gnoses begin and the entire world appears rolled up in the hand of God, as the Quran says: "The Day when We shall roll up the heavens as a recorder rolls up a written scroll. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (it is) a promise (binding) upon Us. Lo! We are to perform it." (21:104). Another verse on this subject is: "When the whole earth is His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens are rolled in His right hand." (39:67).
The Qur'an says that on the Day of Resurrection, the entire universe will be rolled up as His handful, and at the same time, the Qur'anic wisdom says that the Resurrection secretly continues. This implies that if the veil of secrecy is lifted for someone, he will come to know this reality that the heavens and earth are always rolled up and confined in the right hand of God (21:104; 39:67). But it should be remembered that this act of God is not in external and material sense, rather in internal, spiritual and intellectual form. That is to say, that the heavens and earth are existing and subsisting in their own place, but God always extracts their essence, as the external world is encompassed by the Pedestal (kursi) of God, namely, the Universal Soul by its overwhelming power and the result of this act is apparent in front of all in the form of the solar orb, the sun. The sun is undoubtedly the material essence of the universe. This means that the universe, despite subsisting in its own place, is centered and contained In the sun in the form of essence or light. The proof of this Is the constant reaction of the sun, in the form of the constant radiation of the particles of light and the waves of solar energy to its surroundings. The sun, in the centre of the universe, constantly transforms into the luminous gas due to the overwhelming pressure of the Pedestal of God cm the circular surface of the universe, This grip and pressure, which is placed from the circular surface of the universe on its centre is spiritual and due to this pressure, the ethereal fuel constantly falls in the solar furnace, and dissolves In It and transforms Into the solar flame. This shows that the sun is the result of the pressure of the Pedestal of God, namely, the Universal Soul, on the universe. Similarly, in the world of humanity, there Is the blessed personality of the Imam of the time which is its luminous sun. The world of humanity is also ruled by the law of action and reaction and the reaction of the Imam, the fountainhead of light, is that he is always radiating the spiritual light like the sun. One of the ta'wils of the blessed tree of Olive, is the world of humanity, in which there ls no distinction and discrimination of colour, race, east and west. The fruits of this tree are human beings; Its kernel and the oil are their collective spirit and spirituality; the oil constantly drips into the lamp of imamat. That is to say that, the particles of the souls of all human beings enter the holy personality of the manifest Imam, drawn by him; his holy personality is the workshop of the light and he transforms them there Into light, by the command of God. However, If someone does not have the certainty of this In the light of knowledge marifat , he cannot be revived in this light, just as the silk worm is certainly transformed Into a moth, but because of absence of Intelligence and understanding, It cannot attain any pleasure and happiness from this miracle. It knows neither the significance of the previous life, nor the reality of the present one, and due to which the worm and moth are separated from each other. This example shows the Importance and usefulness of knowledge and gnosis (marifat).
Wisdom of Gathering (hashr):
When the Sur of Israfil blows all the things of the heaven and the earth gather together in the world of particles (in the form of particles). This great event has both universal examples and particular examples. One of the universal examples is that God enfolds the entire universe in His fist (21:104), and a particular example is: "And when the wild beasts are gathered together" (81:5). That is, on the Day of Resurrection in addition to the particles of other things the representative particles of wild beasts are also gathered.
Similarly, it is said in verse (27:17): "And there were gathered together to Sulayman his hosts of jinn and men and birds, and they were arrayed in order and rank." Special meaning with respect to the world of particles: And for Sulayman his armies of jinns, men and birds were gathered (in the form of particles) and then they were prepared (for spiritual jihad). The key to this wisdom is in the word "gathered (hushira)" in which is hidden the meaning of the personal Resurrection (hashr).
When the individual and spiritual Resurrection of a mumin, who walks on the path of spirituality, takes place, the souls of stars in the form of subtle particles fall in his personality. Why? Because God wants to enfold the universe in the personality of the arif (21:104). Also, this is the renewal of the event of how the angels prostrated to Hazrat Adam, since the souls of stars are angels. Thus this means the falling of the stars. But it should be remembered that this renewal also happens at the place of intellect, so that the perfect recognition of the Adam of the time may be attained which is the supreme event and about which God says: "But nay! I swear by the falling of stars; and most surely it is a very great oath if you only knew; most surely it is an honoured Qur'an in a hidden Book; which none touches save the purified ones (i.e. the Imams)" (56:75-79).
Book of Intellect – Compendium of Books: Every verse of the Noble Qur’an is full of wisdom-filled allusions. This characteristic of the verse is other than the exoteric meaning. For instance, the verse (21:104): “The Day when we shall roll up the heaven like a scroll is rolled up…”. From this we can deduce that, although the heaven (the universal and all it contains) is a spacious Book of God, internally it is rolled up and made the books of intellect in the personal worlds. It is this Book in which there is no doubt, because it is at the level of the truth of certainty (haqqu’l-yaqin) (2:2; 10:37) and the Holy Qur’an is its wisdom-filled detail (10:37).
In the external world, a successful diver by diving into the ocean can, with great difficulty bring out only a few material pearls, but the `arifs of the personal world, by the command of God, have attained not only the pearls of secrets, but have also poured the ocean of the universe itself in the receptacle of their existence, (namely, personal world). And all this, in fact, becomes accomplished by the Hand of God (21:104; 39:67). Thus, this is the meaning of “Man in the World and World in the Man”.
In the example of the personal world, when God, the Great, the Exalted, rolls up the heavens and the earth in His right Hand (21:104, 39:67), then it is the day in which Hell becomes extinct and Paradise is brought near (50:31). For whatever is in the Hand of God, is the good and the kingdom of Paradise (3:26, 36:83). But He does not hold Hell in His blessed Fist, for it is evil. Thus He eventually destroys the evil and falsehood (21:18).
Natwi (We shall enfold)
O my cazizan! I have repeatedly drawn attention to some important verses, because it is extremely necessary to do so. One such verse (21:104) is: "On the day We will enfold the heavens as a written scroll is rolled-up. As We created (the universe) in the beginning, We will create it again." God repeats the same in the personal world of every Perfect Man when the personal resurrection takes place.
Nu'idu (We return, we repeat)
It is said in verse (21:104): "The day when We will roll up the heaven as a written scroll is rolled up. As We created (the universe) for the first time, We will repeat it." That is, We will continue to repeat this work.
He is indeed the first of the first ones, but has no beginning, He is indeed the last of the last ones, but has no end. If we look in every personal world, He has a new glory in it. It is in this personal world that He enfolds and unfolds the universe repeatedly, so that from this wisdom-filled allusion we will come to know that His kingdom is eternal without any beginning or end.
Part 39
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
It is mentioned in the blessed and wisdom-filled verse (21:104): “The day We shall roll up the heaven (universe) as a recorder rolls up a written scroll. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. [It is] a promise (binding) upon Us. Lo! We are to perform it.”
Allah, may He be exalted, rolls up the inner universe in the personal world where the spiritual resurrection takes place due to the rising of the light of the Imam of the time. An extremely difficult question arises here concerning the age of hell and paradise, which according to verses (11:107-108) is the same as that of the universe. Does this mean that with the rolling up of the universe, the age of paradise and hell comes to an end? Yes, it is true, but there is this great secret as well that God renews the inner universe. According to one ta’wil, He creates seventy thousand spiritual worlds in every spiritual resurrection.
In verses (2:117; 6:101) it is mentioned: “Badicu’s-samawati wa’l-arz (the Originator of the heavens and the earth). The ta’wil of this is that He transforms the heavens and the earth into the personal world and makes the cosmic paradise in it. The proof of this cosmic paradise is found in verses (3:133; 57:21). This supreme miracle of the subjugation of the universe takes place during the spiritual resurrection.
The enfolding of the universe is mentioned in verse (21:104). The junction of the pearl of Intellect and the hidden Book is like the enfolded universe, which indeed contains many examples.
It is mentioned in verse (35:41): “Verily Allah holds the heaven and the earth, lest they move; if they moved none would hold them after Him. Verily He is All-clement, All-forgiving.”
Ta’wili purport: During the spiritual resurrection, the One/Unifier, the Subduer creates the internal world by enfolding the external world, which is thus exactly like it except that it is subtle and spiritual. All the people of the external world are in this internal world.
Regarding the enfolding of the external world, see also verses (21:104; 39:67).
This verse has been referred 23 times.