The Eleventh Word

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَيهَا ٭ وَالْقَمَرِ اِذَا تَلَيهَا ٭ وَالنَّهَارِ اِذَا جَلَّيهَا ٭ وَ الَّيْلِ اِذَا يَغْشَيهَا ٭ وَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَيهَا ٭ وَ اْلاَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَيهَا ٭ وَ نَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّيهَا ٭ الخ1

O brother! If you desire to understand to some degree the enigma behind the hikmah of the ‘âlam, the profound riddle of man’s creation and the subtle mysteries of the haqiqah of salâh, look along with my nafs to this analogy in the form of a story:

There was once a sultân who possessed numerous treasuries of immense wealth. Within those treasuries, every kind of jewel, diamond and emerald was to be found. Moreover, he possessed wondrous hidden treasures. Furthermore, in terms of perfection, he had extraordinary skills in rare and marvelous arts and crafts. Likewise, he possessed deep and comprehensive knowledge of innumerable wondrous sciences. And he had absolute knowledge and complete mastery of infinite exquisite and unique sciences.

According to the mystery that "every possessor of beauty and perfection wishes to behold and display his own beauty and perfection," that glorious sultân thus desired to open an exhibition and set out displays within it, so that he would manifest and display before the eyes of the people the grandeur of his sovereignty, the splendour of his wealth, the wonders of his art and craft and the marvels of his knowledge — so that he would behold his ma’nawî beauty and perfection in two aspects:

The First Aspect: That he himself would behold his own beauty and perfection with his discerning eye.

The Other: That he would look through the eye of others.

As a consequence of this hikmah, he set about constructing an immense, vast and magnificent palace. Dividing it magnificently into chambers and mansions, he embellished it with various kinds of jewels from his treasuries, adorned it with the subtlest and most exquisite works of his own art, arranged and ordered it with the finest subtleties of the sciences of his hikmah, equipped it with miraculous works of his knowledge, and completed it; he then set up in that palace banquets containing the most delicious of every kind of food and of his ni’mahs.

He then appointed a banquet table both suitable for and worthy of each group. He munificently and artistically prepared such a public banquet and spread out boundless precious ni’mahs as if every single table had come into existence through the works of a hundred subtle arts.

He then invited his subjects and the inhabitants from all regions of his dominion to behold, to promenade and to partake in the banquet. He then made known to his most noble adjutant the hikmahs of the palace and the meanings of its contents, and appointed him as a master and guide.

So that he would describe the Sâni’ of the palace to the people through its contents, make known the enigmatic symbols of the embroideries of the palace, teach the indications of the arts within it and describe to those who enter the palace what the harmoniously arranged jewels and proportionate embroideries in its interior are and in what manner they indicate the perfections and skills of the owner of the palace — and so that he would instruct those who enter into the palace the etiquette of entrance and the ceremonials of beholding and describe, within the sphere of his pleasure and approval, the ceremonials of reverence offered to that unseen sultân.

Here, an assistant of that guiding master is present in every sphere. Standing in the largest sphere among his disciples, he himself makes the following proclamation to all the spectators; he says:

“O people! Our Sayyid, who is the sovereign of this palace, wants to make Himself known to you through the display of these things and the construction of this palace. Recognise Him then, and strive to know Him well! Furthermore, through these adornments, He wants to make Himself loved by you. So you, too, make yourselves loved by Him by appreciating His art and admiring His works! Furthermore, He shows His love for you through these bounties that you see. Love Him, then, through your obedience! Furthermore, through the bestowal of ni’mahs and generous gifts that you see, He shows His compassion and mercy to you. So you, too, pay reverence to Him through your shukr! Furthermore, through these works of His perfection, He wants to show His ma’nawî beauty to you. Show your ardent desire, then, to see Him and gain His favourable attention! Furthermore, by placing a special stamp, a unique seal and an inimitable royal mark on these works of art and adornments that you see, He wants to show that everything belongs exclusively to Him, is the work of His own hand, and that He is Single and Unique, possessing absolute independence and unicity. So you, too, know Him and acknowledge Him as Single and Unique, Matchless, Unequalled and Incomparable!”

He spoke further words like these to the spectators, befitting himself and his station. Then, the people who entered separated into two groups:

The First Group: Since they knew themselves, were in their right minds and had sound hearts, when they looked at the wonders inside that palace, they said: "There is a grand purpose at work here!" They also realised that it was neither in vain, nor a mere plaything. Therefore, they grew curious, and as they pondered, saying, “We wonder what its enigma is, and what lies inside,” they suddenly heard the speech delivered by that instructing master. They understood that the keys to all the mysteries were with him. Turning toward him, they said: "As-salâmu ‘alayka yâ Ayyuha’l-Ustadh! In truth, for such a magnificent palace, a loyal and discerning instructing guide like you is needed. Please inform us of what our Sayyid has made known to you!"

As for the master, he delivered to them the aforementioned speeches. They listened attentively, accepted thoroughly and benefited completely. They acted within the sphere of the sultân’s pleasure and approval. Because their well-mannered and respectful conduct and state pleased the sultân, he invited them to another private, exalted and indescribable palace and bestowed great favours upon them in a way worthy of such a Jawwâd Malik, fitting for such obedient inhabitants, befitting such well-behaved guests and deserving of such an exalted palace; and He made them permanently happy.

As for the Second Group, since their minds were corrupted and their hearts extinguished, when they entered the palace, being defeated by their nafs, they offered neither admiration nor praise to anything apart from the delicious foods; they closed their eyes to all those beauties and virtues and closed their ears to the guidance of the master and the warnings of his students. Eating voraciously like beasts, they sank into sleep. They drank elixirs not meant for drinking, which had been prepared for specific purposes. Becoming drunk, they shouted and caused utter disorder, greatly disturbing the beholding guests. They acted in such an ill-mannered and disrespectful manner toward the principles of the All-Glorious Sâni‘ that the soldiers of the Owner of the palace seized them and cast them into a prison worthy of such ill-mannered and disrespectful people.

O friend listening to this story with me! You have certainly understood that the All-Glorious Hâkim built this palace for the aforementioned purposes. The attainment of these purposes is contingent upon two things:

The first: It is the existence of the master whom we saw and whose speech we heard. For without his existence, all these purposes would be futile. For if an incomprehensible book has no teacher, it amounts to nothing more than a meaningless piece of paper.

The second: It is the people accepting and heeding that master’s words. That is to say, the existence of the master is the primary cause for the existence of the palace, and the people’s heeding his words is the cause of the continuation of the palace. Therefore, it can be said that if this master did not exist, that All-Glorious Malik would not have built this palace. And furthermore, it can be said that when the people do not heed the instructions of that master, the palace will certainly be altered and transformed.

O friend! The story ends here. If you have understood the mystery of this analogy, look and see the face of the haqiqah as well.

Now, that palace is this ‘âlam, whose ceiling is the face of the sky illuminated with smiling stars, and whose floor is the face of the earth, adorned from east to west with flowers of every kind. As for that Malik, He is the Most Pure and Holy One (Dhât Al-Aqdas) Who is the Sultân of azal and eternity (abad), Whom the seven samâwât and the earth and everything within them utter taqdîs and tasbîh in languages unique to themselves. He is such a Malik, Who is Qadîr, that He created the samâwât and the earth in six days, established Himself upon the ‘arsh of His rubûbiyyah, and by revolving the night and the day one after another like two lines, one black and one white, He writes His âyahs on the page of the universe; and He is the Possessor of majesty and qoudrah, to Whose command the sun, the moon and the stars are subjected.

As for the mansions of that palace, they are the eighteen thousand ‘âlams, every single one of which has been embellished and ordered in a manner suitable to itself. And the wondrous arts and crafts you behold in that palace are the miracles of the qoudrah of Allah manifest in this ‘âlam.

As for the foods you see in that palace, they point to the wondrous fruits of the rahmah of Allah in this ‘âlam, especially in summer, and especially in the gardens of Barla. And as for the stove and kitchen there, they are the earth — which has fire in its heart — and the face of the earth here.

And as for the jewels of the hidden treasures you saw in the analogy, in this haqiqah they are illustrations of the manifestations of the sacred names of Allah. And as for the embroideries we saw in the analogy and the allusions of those embroideries, they are the orderly, wondrously crafted beings adorning this ‘âlam and the harmonious embroideries of the pen of Qoudrah, which indicate the names of Al-Qadîr Zuljalâl.

As for that master, he is our Sayyid, Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm. As for his assistants, they are the prophets ‘alayhimussalâm, and as for his disciples, they are the awliyâ and asfiyâ. As for the ruler's servants in the palace, they point to the malâikah ‘alayhimussalâm in this ‘âlam.

And as for the guests in the analogy who are invited to behold and to partake in the banquet, they point to the jinn and mankind in this guest-house of the world, and the animals, which are the servants of mankind.

And as for the two groups, here one of them is the people of îmân who are the students of Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm, which is the mufassir of the âyahs of the book of the universe. As for the other group, they are the people of kufr and rebellion: the group of the dhâllîn2 , who follow their nafs and shaytan, who recognise only the worldly life, and who are like animals or even lower.

As for the first group, who are the blessed and the righteous, they heeded the master who is the possessor of two wings (Zuljanâhayn). That master is both an ‘abd; in point of ‘ubûdiyyah, he describes and makes his Rabb known; he is the envoy of his ummah at the Court of Janâb-i Haqq. He is also a rasûl; in point of risalah, he proclaims and conveys his Rabb’s decree to the jinn and mankind by means of the Qur’an.

This fortunate jamâ’ah gave ear to that rasûl and heeded the Qur'an. They found themselves, within various sublime stations, clothed in very subtle duties by means of the salâh, which is the index of various kinds of ‘ibâdah. Yes, they saw in detail the duties and stations indicated by the salâh through its various dhikrs and movements. As follows:

Firstly: Looking at the wondrously crafted creations as a way of relating to their Maker — yet without as yet addressing Him directly — they saw themselves in the station of beholders of the beauties of the sovereignty of rubûbiyyah; thus they performed the duty of takbîr and tasbîh, saying: 'Allahu Akbar!'

Secondly: Standing in the station of the proclaimer of the wondrous arts and radiant creations that are the manifestations of the sacred names of Allah, they performed the duty of taqdîs and tahmîd by saying: "Subhânallah! Walhamdulillah!"

Thirdly: In the station of tasting and understanding through their outer and inner senses the ni‘mahs stored up in the treasuries of the rahmah of Allah, they began to perform the duty of shukr and praise.

Fourthly: In the station of weighing and knowing the jewels in the treasuries of the names of Allah by means of the scales of their ma’nawî faculties, they began the duty of declaring His absolute purity from defect and offering praise.

Fifthly: In the station of studying the Rabbânî letters written with the pen of Qoudrah on the ruled line of Qadar, they began the duty of tafakkur and appreciative admiration.

Sixthly: In the station of declaring Allah’s absolute purity from defect through beholding the subtle finenesses and delicate beauties in the creation of things and in the Fâtir Zuljalâl, Sâni’ Zuljamâl.

This means that after looking at the universe and wondrously crafted creations within it and performing the aforementioned duties in the aforementioned stations, through ‘ubûdiyyah without addressing Him directly, they rose to the degree of beholding the dealings and actions of the Sâni’ Who is Hakîm. And in a manner of addressing Him directly, firstly, in response to the Khâliq Zuljalâl making Himself known to conscious beings through the miracles of His art, they responded with a ma’rifat filled with amazement, saying:

3 سُبْحَانَكَ مَا عَرَفْنَاكَ حَقَّ مَعْرِفَتِكَ

“What makes You known are Your miracles in all Your wondrously crafted creations!"

Then, in response to that Rahmân making Himself loved through the beautiful fruits of His rahmah, they responded with love and ‘ashq, saying:

اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ‌4

Then, in response to that True Mun’im showing His mercy and compassion through His sweet ni’mahs, they responded with shukr and hamd, saying:

5 سُبْحَانَكَ وَبِحَمْدِكَ

“How can we offer You shukr as is Your true due? You are the Mashkûr6 so worthy of shukr that the explicit language of being of all Your bounties spread across the entire universe recites Your shukr and praise. They also declare Your hamd and praise through the proclamations of the ni‘mahs displayed in the market of the universe and scattered over the face of the earth. Furthermore, by testifying to Your generosity and munificence, the harmoniously ordered fruits and measured produce of Your rahmah offer Your shukr before the gazes of all creatures.”

Then, in response to the display of His beauty (Jamâl), glory (Jalâl), perfection (Kamâl) and consummate greatness manifesting upon the changing mirrors of beings throughout the universe, saying اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ "Allahu Akbar!" they responded by going into rukû‘ in a state of impotence born of ta‘dhîm, and prostrating in sajda with a love and amazement within a state of utter humility (mahviyyah).

Then, in response to that Absolute Ghanî demonstrating the abundance of His wealth and vastness of His rahmah, they responded by displaying their poverty and need, and offering duâ’ and supplicating, saying:

7 وَ اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

Then, in response to that Sâni’ Zuljalâl displaying and publishing the subtleties, wonders and antique treasures of His art in the grand exhibition of all creatures, they responded by appreciating and saying:

مَاشَاءَ اللّٰهُ8

and by admiring and saying: 'How beautifully they have been made!', by beholding and saying:

9 بَارَكَ اللّٰهُ

by witnessing and saying:

آمَنَّا10

and by calling everyone to witness in utter amazement, saying 'Come and look!', and proclaiming:

11 حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ

Furthermore, in response to that Sultân of azal and eternity (abad) proclaiming the sovereignty of His rubûbiyyah and manifesting His wahdâniyyah throughout all regions of the universe, they responded with tawhîd and affirmation, and with submission and obedience saying:

12 سَمِعْنَا وَ اَطَعْنَا

Then, in response to the manifestation of the ulûhiyyah of that Rabb al-‘Âlamîn13 , they responded with ‘ubûdiyyah — which consists of proclaiming their impotence within weakness and their poverty within need — and with the salâh, which is the summary of ‘ubûdiyyah.

Thus, by performing various duties of ‘ubûdiyyah like these in this grand masjîd called the abode of the world, they fulfilled the obligation of their lifetimes and the duty of their lives, and attained the form of Ahsan Taqwîm. They rose to a rank above all creatures, such that they became a trustworthy khalîfah of the earth, equipped with the auspicious blessings of îmân and a secured amânah. And after this arena of trial and workshop of examination, their Rabb, Who is Karîm, as a reward for their îmân, invited them to eternal happiness and as a wage for their Islam, to Dâr al-Salâm14 , bestowing and continuously bestowing upon them and making them places of manifestation for His rahmah in such a radiant manner as no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart has ever conceived, and He granted them eternity and permanence. For the longing observers and mirror-like lovers of an eternal and everlasting beauty will certainly remain permanent and go to eternity. Such is the ultimate outcome of the students of the Qur’an. May Janâb-i Haqq include us among them, amîn!

As for the other group, who are the transgressors and the wicked: when they entered the palace of this ‘âlam upon reaching the age of puberty, in response to all the evidences of wahdâniyyah, they responded with kufr; in response to all ni‘mahs, they responded with ingratitude; they insulted all created beings with an unbelieving accusation of having no value, and because they responded to all manifestations of the names of Allah with rejection and denial, they committed an infinite crime in a short time and became deserving of endless torment.

Indeed, the capital of life and the faculties of man were given to him for the aforementioned duties.

O my foolish nafs and O my desire-filled friend! Do you suppose that your duty of life is restricted solely to protecting your nafs nicely through civilised tarbiyyah and, pardon the expression, to serving the belly and private parts? Or do you suppose that the sole aim of these delicate subtle faculties and your ma’nawî being, these sensitive members and organs, the well-ordered limbs and faculties and these inquisitive senses and feelings that are embedded in the machine of your life is restricted to satisfying the base desires of the vile nafs in this transient life? Hâsha and Kallâ!15 Rather, the creation of these in your being and the purpose of their inclusion in your fitrah rest upon two fundamental principles:

The First consists of causing you to perceive each of the varieties of all the ni‘mahs of the Almighty, Who is the True Mun‘im, and thereby causing you to offer shukr. You, too, through perceiving ni’mahs, should offer shukr and perform ‘ibâdah to Him.

The Second consists of making known to you, one by one, through those faculties, all the varieties of the manifestations of the sacred names of Allah that manifest throughout the ‘âlam, and causing you to taste them. You, too, through tasting and thus recognising them, should come to îmân.

Thus, upon these two principles human perfection flourishes and develops. Through them, man becomes a true human being.

Consider, through the mystery of the following analogy, that the faculties of humanity were not bestowed in order to gain worldly life like animals:

For instance, a noble personage gave twenty gold pieces to one of his servants so that he would buy himself a suit of clothes made from a specific fabric. The servant went and bought an exquisite suit crafted from the finest quality of that fabric, and wore it. Then he saw that this noble personage gave a thousand gold pieces to another servant, placed inside his pocket a note with certain things written upon it, and sent him forth to trade. Now, anyone in his right mind knows that such capital was not given merely to buy a suit of clothes. Since the first servant bought an exquisite suit from the finest quality fabric with twenty gold pieces, these thousand gold pieces would certainly not be spent on a single suit. If this second servant, without reading the paper placed in his pocket, looks instead at the first servant, gives all the money to a shopkeeper for a single suit of clothes and buys a suit made from the flimsiest fabric fifty degrees inferior to that of his companion, he will certainly be subjected to severe punishment and wrathful chastisement, since he would have committed the utmost stupidity.

O my nafs and O my friend! Come to your senses! Do not waste the capital of your life and the capacities of your life on this transient life and material pleasures like an animal, or even lower than an animal. Otherwise, despite being fifty degrees superior concerning capital to the highest animal, you will fall fifty degrees inferior to the lowest.

O my ghâfil nafs! If you want to understand to a degree the aim, essence and form of your life, the mystery of its haqîqah and the perfection of its happiness, look!

The summary of the aims of your life is nine matters:

The First is as follows: To weigh up the ni‘mahs stored in the treasuries of the rahmah of Allah by means of the scales of the senses placed in your being, and to offer universal shukr.

The Second: To open the hidden treasuries of the sacred names of Allah with the keys of the faculties placed in your fitrah, and to know the Most Pure and Holy Essence (Dhât Al-Aqdas) through those Names.

The Third: In this exhibition-ground of the world and before the gaze of creation, by knowing and recognising the wondrous arts that the names of Allah attached to you and the subtle manifestations of those names, it is to display and manifest them through your life.

The Fourth: It is to proclaim your ‘ubûdiyyah to the Court of the rubûbiyyah of your Khâliq verbally and through the language of your being.

The Fifth is this: Just as a soldier, by wearing various military decorations received from his sultân and appearing in his presence on official occasions, displays the tokens of his royal attention, so too should you appear before the gaze of the azalî Shâhid — a gaze that witnesses and calls to witness — by consciously adorning yourself with the jewelled adornments of human subtle faculties that the manifestations of the names of Allah have bestowed upon you.

The Sixth is this: It is to consciously behold through tafakkur and declare through testimony: the tahiyyahs offered by living beings to their Khâliq, which are the manifestations of life; their tasbîhât offered to their Sâni‘, which are the symbols of life; and their offering of ‘ubûdiyyah to the Wâhib al-Hayât16 , which is the fruit and aim of life.

The Seventh is this: Taking as a relative unit of measurement those small samples bestowed upon your life — such as the particular knowledge (‘ilm), power (qoudrah) and will (‘irâdah) bestowed upon your life — it is to know by means of those measurements the absolute attributes and sacred shuûn of the Khâliq Zuljalâl. For example, just as you have constructed this house in an orderly fashion by means of your particular power, particular knowledge (‘ilm) and particular will (‘irâdah), so too, to the extent that this palace of the ‘âlam is greater than your house, you must recognise the Master of this ‘âlam as being Qadîr, ‘Alîm, Hakîm and Mudabbir in that proportion.

The Eighth is this: It is to understand the ma’nawî words of each being in this ‘âlam, expressed in its own unique language, regarding the wahdâniyyah of its Khâliq and the rubûbiyyah of its Sâni’.

The Ninth is this: It is to understand the degrees of the manifestation of the qoudrah of Allah and the absolute richness of the Rabb through the measure of your impotence and weakness, poverty and neediness. Just as the pleasure, degrees and varieties of food are understood in proportion to the degrees of hunger and according to the kinds of need, so too, through your infinite impotence and poverty, should you comprehend the degrees of the infinite qoudrah and absolute richness of Allah.

Thus, in brief, the ultimate aims of your life consist of principles such as these.

Now look to the essence of your own life; a concise summary of that essence is as follows:

It is an index of wonders of the names of Allah, a measure for the attributes and shuûn of Allah, a scale of the ‘âlams within the universe, a list of this vast ‘âlam, a map of this universe, an epitome of this greatest book, a cluster of keys that will open the hidden treasuries of Qoudrah, as well as an Ahsan Taqwîm of His perfections scattered throughout creation and woven into time. Thus, the essence of your life consists of principles such as these.

Now, the form of your life and the manner of its duty is this: Your life is a written word; it is a phrase displaying hikmah written by the pen of Qoudrah. By being both seen and heard, it indicates al-Asmâ al-Husnâ. Thus, the form of your life comprises matters such as these.

Now the mystery of the haqiqah of your life is this: It is to be a mirror to the manifestation of Ahadiyyah and the effulgence of Samadiyyah; that is, it is to be a mirror to the One Who is Ahad and Samad with a comprehensiveness that serves as a focal point for the Names that manifest over the entire ‘âlam.

Now, as for the perfection of your life within happiness: it is to feel and love the nûrs of the Azalî Sun manifested within the mirror of your life; as a conscious being, to feel an ardent yearning for Him; to pass beyond oneself through His love, and to lodge the reflection of His nûr in the pupil of the heart.

Thus, it is due to this mystery that it has been stated in the noble meaning of a hadith qudsî that raises you to a’lâ ‘illiyyin:

مَنْ نَه گُنْجَمْ دَرْ سَمٰوَات و زَمِينْ ٭ اَزْ عَجَبْ گُنْجَمْ بَقَلْبِ مُؤْمِنِينْ17

Thus, O my nafs! While your life is directed toward such sublime aims and encompasses such priceless treasuries, is it in any way compatible with intellect and fairness that you consume and waste it upon transient worldly pleasures and the temporary gratifications of the nafs, which are absolute nothingness within nothingness?

If you wish not to waste your life, ponder the oath and the answer to the oath in this Surah, which allude to the aforementioned analogy and haqiqah, and act accordingly:

18 وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَيهَا ٭ وَالْقَمَرِ اِذَا تَلَيهَا ٭ وَالنَّهَارِ اِذَا جَلَّيهَا ٭ وَ الَّيْلِ اِذَا يَغْشَيهَا ٭ وَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَيهَا ٭ وَ اْلاَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَيهَا ٭ وَ نَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّيهَا ٭ فَاَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَ تَقْوَيهَا ٭ قَدْ اَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّيهَا ٭ وَ قَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّيهَا

 

19 اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ عَلَى شَمْسِ سَمَاءِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَ قَمَرِ بُرْجِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ اَصْحَابِهِ نُجُومِ الْهِدَايَةِ وَ ارْحَمْنَا وَ ارْحَمِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ آمِينَ آمِينَ آمِينَ

 

***