A020
Surah: 051 - Ayah: 020
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51:20
Universe and the People of Marifat:
Reflect upon these verses (51:20-21): "And there are signs (ayat) in the earth for the people of certainty (i.e. mrifat) and in your souls too, don't you then see?"
By the earth is meant: earth, universe, Universal Soul and Asas and the countless signs which are in them are also in the personal world, so that the mumins (male and female) should have all kinds of means of marifat within themselves. For instance, there are two great signs of God on the earth for collective guidance, i.e. the Qur'an and the Imam of the time. Similarly, they have to be present in the personal world for individual guidance. But externally the Qur'an is a book and the Imam is a person, therefore they are separate, but in spirituality both are light and thus, according to the law of "light upon light" there is only one light of their unity.
The Holy Quran is the speech of God and the external world (afaq) and the internal or personal world ((anfus), are the acts of God. Undoubtedly, His speech corresponds to His act, for it would be absurd and impossible that His speech and act should contradict each other. Rather, the fact is that whatever the Qur'an says in writing, the same thing is expressed (by the creation) in circumstantial language (i.e. physical signs). This means that the practical and clear proofs of Qur'anic realities and recognitions are in the external world, as well as in the internal world, for as the Noble Qur'an says: "And there are signs in the earth for the people of certainty and (also) in yourselves. Do you not see them?" (51:20-21).
Proof 6: in verses (51:20-21) the Holy Quran says: “There are signs (of the power of God) in the earth for those who are sure in faith, and within your souls. Do you not then see?” it should be known that the signs of God in the earth are scattered in material form, whereas they are united spiritually in the human souls. Now, the Perfect Man who observes with his inner eye those signs of God which are hidden and united within himself, does not need to go anywhere. Thus, the Holy Prophet had observed the signs of the universe and the existents within himself on the occasion of his spiritual miraj.
Ayat (Signs of Divine power)
It is mentioned in verses (51:20): "And there are signs (miracles) in the earth for the people of certitude (muqinin i.e. the people of recognition) and within yourselves (also). Will you not then see?" The second verse is the exegesis and the ta'wil of the first one, as well as a wisdom-filled invitation to the personal world. This is because the muqin or arif is the one who first attains his own recognition and then the recognition of God which is hidden in the secrets of his own recognition.
Yaqin (The ranks of certainty)
It is mentioned in verses (51:20-21): "And there are signs in the earth for the people of certainty and within yourselves. Will you not then see?"
The mineral kingdom, the vegetative kingdom, the animal kingdom, the human kingdom and the world of religion and all its things, particularly the revealed Light and the heavenly Book, are related to certainty. Thus, for the people of certainty, there are signs and miracles in the earth as well as in the personal world. This means that the spirituality of the wise Qur’an and the manifest Imam, which causes resurrection, is working within the people of certainty.
The holy Qur’an says: “And in the earth are signs (of the Divine Power) for those who have certainty, and in your own souls (too); Will you not then see?” (51:20-21). This means that those things, which exist in the external world physically, also exist in the personal world spiritually. Thus, as there is a quake hidden in the earth, so is the above-mentioned sacred quake hidden in the soul of man, which linked with spirituality, continues from the time of Hazrat Adam till today (2:214).
Some verses are mentioned repeatedly because they are extremely important, such as verses (51:20-21): "And in the earth are signs for the people of certainty (muqinin) and (also) in your souls. Do you then not see them?" There are countless miracles not only on the surface of the earth, but also within it, and as well as in the souls of human beings. Then do you not see with your inner eye? By reflecting upon these verses, it becomes evident that the earth has a great soul. And "Do you then not see?" means that the arifs are able to see their personal world.
Wisdom 5: Study verses (51:20-21): "And there are signs in the earth for those with certainty (recognition), and within yourselves. Do you not then see?" The wisdom of every Qur'anic verse, with respect to its subject, is perfect and complete. Thus, these verses show that if someone according to "He who recognises his soul, recognises his Lord" recognises his soul, he can recognise his Lord together with the acts of His attributive names. For instance, Allah is Omnipotent and enfolds and annihilates the universe and creates another instead, so that the arif may have the practical recognition of how He is the creator of the universe. This is not an analogy or hypothesis at all. It is a fact that every act or miracle of the attributive name of God is repeated and continues both in the macrocosm and microcosm and this is called the renewal of similitudes. Since both the essence and attributes of God are eternal, therefore, the idea of creation cannot be like a line, rather it is like a perpetual circle which has neither a beginning nor an end, thus the renewal of similitudes is also perpetual.
In verses (51:20-21) it is said: "And there are signs (of Divine power) in the earth (fi'l-arz i.e. on the earth and in the earth) for those who have certainty and (also) within yourselves. Do you not then see?" This means that just as the human soul works in man, the Universal Soul works in the earth, and just as in man the heart is the centre of life and power, in the midst of the earth there is the centre of its soul and power, which the secular scientists consider to be the centre of gravity, which is wrong as we have already shown. Rather this is the centre of the contraction and expansion of the soul of the earth.
Q195 What is the real meaning of these verses (51:20-21): “And there are signs in the earth for those people who have certainty (muqinin) and within yourselves (personal world). Do you not then see?”
A195 By the earth is meant the (universal) earth (i.e. macrocosm), in which the earth of the Universal Soul is the greatest thing, because it is the heaven of heavens as well as the earth of the Universal Intellect and together with it the intellectual heaven too. Subhana’llah!
Q316 The wise Qur’an is full of exceedingly sweet bounties of intellect and soul, therefore we have to have recourse to it time and again, such as in verse (51:20-21): “And in the earth there are signs for those who have certainty and within yourselves. Do you not see?” Please make us aware of the ta’wili secrets of these verses.
A316
- By the earth is meant this planet earth on which we live. It also means an entire universe as well as the Universal Soul with which the heaven of the Universal Intellect is linked.
- Thus, all those signs, which are in the vast earth of Allah, are also in the personal world in a subtle form.
- For instance, the two greatest signs, the Qur’an and the Imam, which are on this earth, are also within yourself.
- The people of the inner eye have seen the fact that in the personal world the light of the Qur’an and the light of the Imam, according to “light upon light” are the same one light.
Q523 Although we are absolutely sure that all the treasures of Allah are gathered and preserved in the sacred light of the Imam-i mubin, yet a question related to [greater] knowledge remains as to whether there is a Qur’anic proof which shows that this is also true of every human being?
A523 Yes, there are many proofs. One bright proof is: “And there are signs in the earth for those who have certainty and within yourselves. Do you not then see?” (51:20-21) This is an irrefutable Qur’anic evidence that the signs of the entire universe are in every individual regardless of status, because by the earth is meant the universe. However, the immense difference in this great secret is that in the awliya’ and arifs these signs are in actual form, whereas they are only in a potential form in the common people. Thus, for learned people it becomes evident that everything and all realities and recognitions are gathered together within the Imam-i mubin.
It is said in verses (51:20-21): “And there are signs in the Universal Earth (the earth of the Universal Soul) for the people of certainty and (all these signs are) also within your personal world, so do you not see?” It becomes crystal clear from the above verse that God, the Knowing and the Wise has encompassed the physical universe, the spiritual universe and the world of Religion in the personal world, so that the mu’mins with certainty may observe and study all these miracles (ayat) for the sake of self-recognition and the recognition of God.
By the grace of God, the translation and esoteric explanation of the above verses is in the light of recognition of the Imam. It is true that when the throne is on the ocean of knowledge it is a ship-like throne and it is also true that such a miraculous throne or such a magnificent ship is not empty at all, rather, on it or in it is the vicegerent of God i.e., Hazrat-i Qa’im, may the most excellent greetings and peace be upon him, because Allah, may He be purified, because He as such is not a body to sit on the throne. If this is considered without ta’wil, it is an insoluble knot. The translation of “arz” in (51:20) as the Universal earth or the earth of the Universal Soul is absolutely correct, because neither are all the Divine signs limited to the planet earth, nor can the earth on its own be equal to the microcosm (personal world) without the physical universe and the spiritual universe.
Regarding the importance and need for the inner eye to observe the Divine signs or great miracles in the spirit and spirituality of man, God says: And in the earth are signs (of the divine power) for the people of certainty and also in yourselves. Can you then not see?” (51:20-21).
From the above, one can fully appreciate the lack in man’s thought and insight on the one hand, and on the other, appreciate the vastness of the circle of his duties. Man’s weakness and laziness can be described in this way: “How can weak and feeble man jump into the three oceans of the Qur’an, the universe and the spirit, and dive for pearls at the same time? If he has to do this endless work in turns at different times then, let alone one life, thousands of lives are not enough.” But to think in this way is conceptually incorrect. For God, the Beneficent, the Merciful, never commands us to do something impossible. He says: “God tasks not a soul beyond its scope.” (2:286).This somewhat terse, but wisdom-filled verse shows that none of the duties which God has ordained for man is impossible. It is obvious to the wise that everything included in the scope of choice and in the domain of duties of man is neither impossible nor even difficult. For, it is not hidden from the knowledge of God that man is weak and powerless. And He has created man weak in accordance with His wisdom and expedience.(4:28). This is the reason why He has appointed forever on earth, the means of His holy light, so that everyone can have recourse to the Divine light and curve his weakness.
This verse has been referred 21 times.