A020
Surah: 031 - Ayah: 020
Click here to see the translations
31:20
Hazrat Ibrahim rebuilt the House of God on the site before the Deluge of Hazrat Nuh. This place was indicated by a wind which God had sent to give peace to Hazrat Ibrahim and it was called Sakinah (giver of peace). This wind had two ends which followed one another. The ta'wil of this wind is the remembrance of God and its spirituality. This reveals the reality that in the background of the physical House of God is mentioned His luminous House. Because every zahir (exoteric aspect) has a batin (esoteric aspect), and as God says: "And He completed His favours on you, both in zahir and in batin." (31:20).
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. "Do you not see that Allah has subjugated to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and has completed His favours, both apparent and hidden on you." (31:20). The method of friendly question and answer has always been useful in order to understand and teach the truth. Thus, here we should ask: What kind and of what level is this subjugation? Is it material, spiritual, or both? Do all people of the world share in this Divine favour? Or is it for the chosen ones? What are the hidden favours of the Qur'an and Islam? Is it not true that they are not material, because in material favours, others are far ahead of us? Thus, the subjugation of the universe is a hidden secret and a spiritual favour for mu'mins. By hidden favours are meant esoteric knowledge, recognition and ta'wili wisdom. It is well known that in every example, the hidden is more exalted and excellent than the apparent.
Bees are also raised by people, who use a different method of keeping them and the system of ta'wil has no concern with that. The system of ta'wil is in accordance with the natural law. Honey is of two kinds: external and internal. For, the Divine bounties are not only in the external world, but also In the Internal world, where they are far better (31:20). It Is because of this, that God has compared the intellectual and spiritual honey, namely, ta'wil, with the external honey. He has drawn attention towards the sources of this spiritual and intellectual honey, which is extremely sweet, strengthening, healing, soul-increasing and intellect-nourishing. And He has addressed the bees o£ this honey (ta'wil) through the wisdom-filled revelation: first, make beehives on the mountain of Intellect, the Pure Tree and the tallest buildings and then go to My ever-green gardens, which are in the Wise Qur'an, the external world (afaq) and the internal world (anfus), all paths related to the making of honey have been subjugated to you.
Subjugation of the Universe: The Holy Qur'an says that God has subjugated all things (powers) in the heavens and the earth to man (31:20; 45:13). This means that all living powers of the macrocosm, including those of the angels, are encompassed in the microcosm. This is mentioned by angels under the heading of friendship. Thus, on the one hand, we should benefit from the Jibra'ili and Mika'ili powers and on the other from Israfili and Izra'ili powers. Since this subject is about sacred music, it is necessary to explain some wisdoms related to Israfil and cIzra'il.
The External and Internal Bounties: See verse (31:20) to know how God has made the material and spiritual subjugation of everything possible for man. The prerequisite of which, as mentioned above, is knowledge and action. And in this kind of subjugation are completed the external and internal bounties: "And He has completed His bounties externally and internally". Are these conditional bounties, which are related to this world and the next, not for Muslims, while it is they whom the Holy Qur'an addresses? Of course they are, but we have to put an end to ignorance and lethargy and adopt the way of knowledge and action to obtain them.
God, the Sacred and Holy, says in a wisdom-filled verse: "Do you not see that Allah has subjugated to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and has completed His favours, both apparent and hidden, on you? Yet among the people is he who disputes concerning Allah without knowledge or guidance or a luminous book," (31:20).
Intellectual Bounties: The body is zahir (apparent), but the soul is batin (hidden) and Intellect is the batin of batin. And the Wise Quraan had to necessarily be according to this law. Accordingly, the unique and lasting bounties of it are seprade, not only in the zahir, but more so are also related to the batin, as mentioned in the verse (31:20): “See you not how God has made subservient unto you what is in the heavens and what is in the earth and completed on you His bounties (both) apparent (zahiratan) and hidden (batinatan).” This Quraanic statement clearly shows that there are countless bounties for the soul and intellect in the batin spirituality of the Quraan.
God says: “See you not how Allah has subjugated to you whatever is in the heaven and whatever is in the earth and has bestowed amply upon His favours both externally and internally”.(31:20). The explanation of this blessed verse is that God has encompassed spiritually everything in the heaven and earth in the blessed essence of every Prophet and Imam. This is the subjugation of the universe. This everlasting wealth can be obtained by anyone through true obedience to the Guide of the time. Otherwise, to speak of favours by God does not make any sense.
There is another way in which to classify these favours, in which they are divided into external (zahiri) and internal (batini) favours. As the Holy Qur’an says: “And He has completed His favours to you both externally and internally” (31:20). This shows, that just as the body is apparent, so physical favours are also apparent. Because the intellect and soul are hidden, the intellectual and spiritual favours are also hidden. This leads to the conclusion that all the intellectual and spiritual favours of Islam and the Qur’an are hidden in the wisdom of tawil. An example of this can be seen in this physical world, where everything which is called material food or favour comes out of or is brought forth from the hidden. For instance, plants grow from the earth, and fruit comes forth from trees. The edible part of the fruit is inside the husk, the stone is inside the fruit, the kernel is inside the stone and oil, which is the most hidden element in this example, comes from the kernel.
It is said in Qur’an: “See you not how Allah has subject to you whatsoever is in the heaven and whatsoever is in the earth and has loaded you with His favours both externally and internally? And there are people who dispute concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or a luminous book”(31:20). This Divine teaching reveals the reality that the entire universe is subjugated to man in two ways: That externally the universe and all it contains is in the service of mankind, but also that everything the universe contains exist internally within him in a subtle and spiritual form. It is an amazing fact that the macrocosm is contained in the microcosm, so that the external and internal favours of God come to completion. Such subjugation is possible through knowledge (ilm), guidance (hidayat) and the luminous book (kitab-i munir). The luminous book is the light of the Imam of the time, spiritual guidance, the rank of hujjat and knowledge of certainty, the rank of daci. Thus according to this blessed verse, all the external favours of God are available for man through the subjugation of the physical world and all His internal favours, from the subjugation of the world contained man himself. And all this can be achieved by the spirituality, luminosity and practical ta’wil of the Imam, and in which a complete picture of the universe exist in the form of knowledge.
Qur'an (2) (Qur'an)
It is said in a hadith: "Indeed, the Qur'an has a zahir (exoteric aspect) and a batin (esoteric aspect) and every batin goes up to seven batins or upto seventy batins." (al-Mizan, I, 7). These are the external and internal bounties of the True Religion as mentioned in verse (31:20): "And He has completed His favours upon you, both externally and internally."
When Hazrat Dawud became absorbed by the paradisiacal melodies of naqur (trumpet) and Divine love, then, on the one hand, he felt that the entire universe in its width and breadth had shrunk and had become confined in his essence, and yet, on the other, he realised that he was spreading in the heaven and earth in harmony with the voice of naqur. Both these experiences are true, for the spiritual subjugation of the universe takes place in this way. As God says: "See you not how Allah has subjugated to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and has bestowed amply upon you His favours, both externally and internally" (31:20). The explanation of this blessed verse is that God has encompassed, spiritually, everything in the heaven and earth in the blessed essence of every Prophet and Imam. This is the subjugation of the universe. This everlasting wealth can be obtained by anyone through true obedience to the Guide of the time. Otherwise, to speak of the favours of God does not make any sense.
Injil: According to some lexicographers, Injil is the Arabicised form of the Greek word ‘evangelion’ meaning good news, gospel. According to some others, it is derived from the Arabic root of ‘najala’. Najala has various meanings, but according to some it is in the sense of ‘najaltu’sh-shay’, (i.e. I revealed the thing). According to this it also gives the same meaning of the Tawrat. That is, the heavenly Book has an exoteric and an esoteric aspect, as the Qur’an says: “And He has completed His favours, both apparent and hidden, upon you.” (31:20). Thus, as long as the Injil as a heavenly Book, was in its original form without any alteration and distortion, no faithful person can doubt its having divine favours in its exoteric and esoteric aspects, as the greatest favours of God are certainly in the form of knowledge and wisdom.
It is also said: “And (O Mary!) God will teach him the Book and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel” (3:48). Here it is clear, that Jesus received all these teachings from God only esoterically and spiritually, because he used to receive the aid of the Holy Spirit through spirituality.
In another example, the Spirit is compared to a book, for it is like a living luminous book, in which the moving pictures of all the actual events of this world and the next are observed. It is in this sense that the Holy Spirit is called the luminous book, as God says: “Yet of mankind is he who disputes concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or a luminous book” (31:20,22:08)
In verse (31:20) the Holy Qur'an says: "Do you not see that Allah has subjugated to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth?" In this faith-illumining and soulnourishing teaching there are sure glad tidings and very great wisdoms. This also shows that every external bounty, is followed by an internal bounty also, because the external bounty is an example (mithal) and the internal is its meaning and object (mamthul). The internal bounty resembles the external, but is subtle and sublime.
Hazrat Ibrahim rebuilt the House of God on its site before the Deluge of Hazrat Nuh. This place was indicated by a wind which God had sent to give peace to Hazrat Ibrahim and it was called Sakinah (giver of peace). This wind had two ends which followed one another. The ta’wil of this wind is the remembrance of God and its spirituality. This reveals the reality that in the background of the physical House of God is mentioned His luminous House. Because every zahir (exoteric aspect) has a batin (esoteric aspect), and as God says: "And He completed His favours on you, both in zahir and in batin." (31:20).
Q.What is the reason for the major and minor khilafats
to be related not to heaven but to the earth?
A. Because the purpose of this glorious rank is an
amelioration for people who live on earth. However, there
is a great wisdom hidden in the obedience ( sajdah) of
angels to the khalifah of God (i.e. major khalifah) and in the
sense that they are heavenly creatures, heaven is also
subjugated to him (31:20).
Study the subject of subjugation in the wise Qur’an with intellect and wisdom, particularly verse (31:20), the ta’wili purport of which is: Do you not see [in the personal world] that Allah has subjugated to you all things in the heavens and the earth and has completed all external and internal bounties for you. This blessed address of God is to all people directly or indirectly, because He is the sustainer of each and every personal world. The farman of the Imam that “the soul is only one” has already been mentioned, therefore everybody eventually benefits from the spiritual resurrection of one individual. Amin!
Q492 Please explain what taskhir (subjugation) is and in what form is it?
A492
- Taskhir means to subjugate, make subservient, obedient. Several verses of the wise Qur’an show that God by His infinite mercy has subjugated the entire universe externally and internally to humankind. Verse (31:20) is one such great, blessed verse filled with knowledge and wisdom: “Do you not see that God has subjugated to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and has completed His favours, both apparently and in a hidden way.”
The Qur’an says that the religion of Islam is perfect and complete in all aspects (5:3) and it also says that God’s physical and hidden bounties are complete (31:20), how is it possible for the Imam of the time, who is the teacher of the Qur’an and the true guide, to not be available and present? Had that been the case and the Imam were absent and unavailable, religion would be incomplete and there would be considerable shortcoming in God’s spiritual and intellectual bounties.
This verse has been referred 31 times.