A062
Surah: 023 - Ayah: 062
Click here to see the translations
23:62
Regarding this Book of luminosity (kitab-i nuraniyyat), It is also said: "And with Us is the Book (of the deeds of the people) which speaks truth, and they will not be wronged (even a particle)" (23:62). Speaks with truth (haqq), means that it speaks with the language of the light of intellect (nur-i aql) . For haqq is among the names of the light of intellect.
God says that He has a speaking Book (23:62, 45:29). When this is a fact that God has a speaking Book in addition to the Qur'an, then there must be a relation between them, for both of them belong to God. And the relation is that the speaking Book is like the soul of the silent Book and the speaking Book is the Imam-i mubin, namely, the speaking and manifest Imam.
The event by which God has sworn is very great, and therefore the oath is also extremely great. Simultaneously, the secret too is extremely great, to draw attention to which God has sworn and the secret is that where the Qur'an is in the hidden Book (light of Imamat), it is extremely honoured and miraculous and is the fountainhead of the living miracles, which no one can take in his hand except the pure Imams. This means that the spirit and spirituality of the Qur'an is hidden in the sacred batin (personal world) of the Imam of the time, while the light of the Qur'an and the light of the Imamat, according to "light upon light" are one. It is in this sense that the True Imam is called the Speaking Qur'an or the Speaking Book (23:62; 45:29).
Holy Qur,an says: “And with Us is a Book which speaks the truth, and they will not be wronged”. (23.62). TheSpeaking Book which is with is with God is the Light of Imamat, which is also like the “Book of Deeds” for human beings. With respect to perfect attributes and honour this Book is with God, but with respect to guidance for people it is manifest in this world in the attire of man, so that the law of Divine justice may be fulfilled. For it is utterly impossible and contrary to God,s mercy that He should keep the Speaking Book Himself and reveal on the Day of Judgement as a testimony of peoples, deeds. This would have been (God forbid) an injustice on the part of God, but He, by saying “They will not be wronged” in the above-mentioned verse rejects such an idea. The fact is that the Speaking Book comes forward not only Day of Resurrection, but also exists and is manifest in this world. And this Book is the Imam of the time.
Shuhada' (Witnesses)
The deeds of people are seen by the Imams after God and the holy Prophet, in the sense that they are present and witness. Thus, the carifs and kamils can certainly see the Imam of the time in his luminosity and can acquire spiritual knowledge directly from him, because he is the speaking Book. (23:62; 45:29).
Shuhada' (Witnesses)
It is said in verse (23:62): "And with Us (i.e. in Our special proximity) is a Book; it speaks the truth, and they are not (will not be) dealt with unjustly (yuzlamun)." "Yuzlamun" is an aorist which is used both for the present and the future. How then can this speaking Book be separate from the glorious Qur’an? Had it been so, there would have been some defect in its completeness and perfection. It is not so, rather the speaking Book is its inner light and Teacher, who in reality, is not separate from the Qur'an, as the holy Prophet says: "The Qur'an is with cAli and cAli is with the Qur'an", just as the holy Prophet was not separate from the Qur'an.
Kitab (Record of deeds)
It is said in verse (23:62): "And with Us is a Book; it speaks the truth, and they will not be dealt with unjustly." This is the sacred light of the exalted Imam who is the speaking Book (Speaking Qur'an) and as the witness over the people, their record of deeds as well.
The principles of an institution and history demand that those who render meritorious and useful services should be recorded on the pages of history. Nonetheless, the most wonderful and unique thing in this connection, is a mu'min's own record of deeds, by seeing which he will become extremely happy and delighted. It will be a living and speaking book (23:62; 45:29), whose writings will be so extremely amazing, that they will speak automatically in the form of human beings, spirits and angels. A small example of the book of deeds is shown in a luminous dream which is not in worldy writing. Although there is as much difference between dream and spirituality (or the Hereafter) as between the earth and the heaven, yet the example of the dream is very good, for it can be easily understood and even an illiterate person can grasp an ordinary meaning of it.
Q44 The speaking book is mentioned in verses (23:62; 45:29). Please tell us what is meant by it? Is it an amazing speaking book? Or a writing, which reads itself? Or the speaking Qur’an? Or the Imam-i mubin (the manifest Imam)?
A44 The speaking Book is the Imam of the time, who is the manifest Imam and the speaking Qur’an, as well as the book of deeds of the people.
Q250 Some people are truly amazed by our way of working, that we mostly link the ta’wils with the Imam and in the discourses of knowledge we mention his name time and again. Do you have any Qur’anic proof, which establishes that however much we may praise him, it is very little, rather next to nothing?
A250
- The Imam from the progeny of the holy Prophet is that speaking Book, which in spirituality and luminosity, is with God (23:62; 45:29) and with whose ta’wili wisdom every verse of the silent Qur’an is filled. This means that there is no verse of the Qur’an in which the exalted Imam is not mentioned directly or indirectly.
- The speaking Book of Allah, which is mentioned in the above verses, is indeed the light of Imamat, that is, the soul of the Qur’an (42:52) and the record of deeds of the people of faith as well. Thus, the spirit and spirituality and the light and luminosity of the silent Qur’an is in the speaking Qur’an and hence God and His Prophet have made the Imam the centre of ta’wil.
- The Qur’an is a subtle universe of knowledge and wisdom, which Almighty God enfolds in the manifest Imam and thence unfolds it.
- An example of how the Qur’anic gems and secrets gather together is in the description of the hidden Book (kitab-i maknun), as it is said in verses (56:75-79): “But nay, I swear by the setting of the stars (of the sacred Sanctuary), verily it is a great oath, if you but knew, that verily it is an honourable Qur’an in a book hidden, which none can touch save the purified.” This means that those who are able to reach the miracles of the sacred Sanctuary and hold the hidden Book in their hand are only the pure Imams. In short, you should study each and every verse of the wise Qur’an with the inner eye so that you may simultaneously know the glory of the Qur’an and the grandeur of the Imam’s knowledge.
Since every pious believer reveres and loves the Qur'an and acts according to its injunctions, please tell us whether the Wise Qur'an will be in his record of deeds or not? And if the answer is in the affirmative, how? A: The record of deeds of mu'mins is not possible without the presence and testimony of the Qur'an and its Teacher. Study verses (23:62; 45:29) about the Speaking Book of God which is the Qur'an, its Teacher, as well as the record of deeds.
The eleventh proof: “And with Us is a book, it speaks the truth, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.”(23:62). Here the questions arises: “Which is this speaking book?” If it is accepted that is speaking Book is other that the Quraan and is not apparent in this world, it would imply that the speaking Book is kept by God with Himself and only the silent Book send for the guidance of those gone astray so that they, through their imperfect and incapable intellect, may try to understand the realities of guidance and act according to the Divine will. According to logic however, truth and justice demand that God in His infinite mercy should send both the speaking and silent Books together, for the complete guidance of mankind, or at the very least the Book, so that on the Day of Resurrection they would not be able to say: O our lord! We did not have in the world, all that is possible in Your mercy for our guidance.
This verse has been referred 17 times.