-- provisional translation by Moojan Momen
(please see some
background information at the end of the Tablet)
He is the All-
Glorious!
Praise be to
Thee, O Lord! O my God! Out of Thy Bounty and Mercy, Thou hast caused the
waters of existence to descend from the heaven of Thy Oneness and Thou hast
caused the showers of Thine Eternal Bounties to rain down from the clouds of
the heaven of Thy Mighty Oneness until, through this most mighty Beneficence,
the rivers of Thy most wondrous Grace flowed forth upon the soil of all
possible existent realities in Thine act of Creation. All lands and regions were
watered by these streaming, heavenly rivers. Every hill and city was inundated
by these torrential celestial floods. And then there shone forth upon them the
sun of Thy Mercy from the horizon of Thy holy Might. And the grains, O my God,
of Thine Exalted Word and Thy Most Mighty Verses were sown in the earth of human
capacity by Thy great Grace and Favour.
These existent
realities, however, became differentiated and diverged through the effulgences
of the Sun of Thy most great Name. Some of them, O my God, just as Thou hast
reckoned according to Thy secret knowledge, are pure and refined hearts upon
which that Sun imprinted its signs and from which there appeared traces of its
effulgence. It hath stirred up and fertilized their soil and there hath grown forth
from them the myrtles of love and knowledge of Thee. They have been adorned by
the sacred blossoms of yearning for and attraction towards Thee as like a
blessed and fertile land. Some, however, O my God, were soiled hearts obscured
by the rust of their vain imaginings, veiled from their Lord by the veils of
darkness. No trace appears among them of the effulgences of that sun nor of the
signs of the One Who hath created and ordained it. Upon their soil, the grain
of the mention of their Lord is as upon desolate and barren land. Thou art not,
however, O my God, neglectful in Thine effulgences upon the creation and the
appearance of Thy signs among existent realities, as Thou hast said, and Thy
word is the truth: “No fault canst thou see in the creation of the All-Merciful”
(Qura’n 67:3) and “Your creation and your resurrection is but as a single soul (Qur’an
31:28).
At this time, I ask of Thee by Thy Name, which were it to be cast upon the mountains, they would crumble into dust and flow away, were it to be scattered up on the seas, they would over flow, were it to be thrown up on shrivelled branches, they would turn green and flower, and up on the blind, they would see, and up on the dumb, they would speak, and up on the deaf, they would hear, and up on the dead , they would arise, that Thou mayest lift the veils which intervene between Thee and Thy creatures and which prevent them from entering into the wellspring of Thy Mercy, from setting out on the pathway of Thy mighty Oneness, from hearkening to the melodies of the birds of Thy throne, and from drinking from the chalice of Thy love and knowledge of Thee. Verily, they are the lowly at Thy gate and the needy before the manifestation of Thy wealth. For themselves they seek to acquire neither benefit nor harm, neither life nor resurrection. Raise then, O my God, these pure souls to Thee and cause them to ascend with the wings of Divine Unity in to the clouds of the highest heaven (‘amá) of the glory (bahá) of Thy Singleness. Shine forth upon them at every instant with what Thou wishest to bestow upon these compounded realities and these sacred hearts, for there is neither beginning nor end to signs of Thee, nor a first or last to Tokens of Thee. Wert Thou to shed Thy splendour upon the sincere ones among Thy creatures at every instant in all of Thy manifold ways, no reduction would there be in Thine Ancient Riches , nor any diminution in Thy Hidden Treasures.
And so, O my
God, be merciful to Thy needy servants. Cause them to be seated beneath the
tree of Thy Mercy and feed them from the table that Thou hast sent down from
the heaven of Thy glorious Oneness. For verily Thou are the True Giver and Thou
art the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Thou knowest,
O my God, that this servant is the neediest of all the servants in Thy realm
and is the lowliest of Thy creatures in Thy lands. How then, with such absolute
poverty, is it possible for me to explain the incorporated and hidden meanings
within the realities of Thy words and the secrets which Thou hast hidden from
the eyes of the mystic knowers behind the tabernacle of Thy word. Since, however,
Thou hast commanded me, I take up my pen trusting in Thee and relying upon Thy
Bounty and Mercy. For Thou hast willed, O my God, that there flow forth from
this ephemeral pen the seas of Thy Knowledge and the oceans of Thy secrets. Thou
dost not wish that the tongue of the Supreme Pen be silent amidst the concourse
of Thy creatures nor that the outflowing bounties of the Ancient Beauty be cut
off from the peoples. The command is Thine. Thou doest as Thou desirest and
Thou ordaineth what Thou pleaseth and the limit Thou hast set is: No God is
there but Thee, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
O
distinguished and excellent questioner! Know thou that from within every one of
the Words of God, there surge forth oceans of hidden meanings, without number,
and that from within every letter of the verses of thy Lord, there shine forth
the suns of secrets, heavenly signs and truths, that none can number except
God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers before you. That being the case how
is it possible for ink to flow forth with these hidden meanings, even were
there to be oceans of it, and how would sheets of paper suffice, even were they
to be as extensive as the horizon? There is no end to this most great gift and
no beginning to this most great mercy for it to be exhausted. Just as [God]
says, and His word is the truth: “Were the ocean to be ink for the words of my
Lord, verily that ink would be exhausted ere the words of my Lord were
exhausted, even were a similar amount of ink added to it” (Qura’n 18:109).
However, even if all of it cannot be mentioned, all of it need not be left out
either. Therefore I can mention some of the hidden and sec ret meanings
streaming from the torrents of the words of your Lord, the Exalted, the Mighty.
Know thou that
these holy verses and heavenly sounds having meanings that are outer (záhir) and inner (bátin) and also the inner of the inner (bátin
al-bátin) and so forth
endlessly. For the words of God are mirrors encompassing (muhítah) the forms (suwar) of all things. Thus is it that [God]
says: “There is nothing dry nor wet but that it is [inscribed] in a perspicuous
Book.” (Qur’an 6:59)
1] And as for
the outer meaning, God hath announced [in this surah] the destruction of the
might of the Persians and the victory and triumph of Byzantium [Rome], after
the Byzantines had been defeated and brought to naught at the hands of the
Persians -- their unity had been sundered and their alliances dispersed. The
explanation of this is that in the days when the sun of Divine Oneness was shining
from the Muhammadan point and the banners of guidance were raised over the
notables of Yathrib (Medina) and Batha (Mecca), the dove was warbling up on the
twigs of the Sadratal-Muntaha and the peacock singing in the heavenly sanctuary,
the idolaters said that Khusraw (Chroeses), the king of the Persians, who were
not people of the book, had defeated and was victorious over the Emperor of
Byzantium, who was of the people of the book. Similarly, they said, we will destroy
the might (kalima) of Muhammad the Messenger of God on account of his being of the people
of the book as is the emperor of Byzantium and we are not people of the book as
is the king of the Persians. And so God caused these heavenly (láhutiyya) verses to descend and announced that
Byzantium would defeat its enemy the Persians within a few (bid) years. And a few (bid) means between three and nine. And after
seven of those years, God caused to appear that which had been announced by His
most mighty Companion (Muhammad). The Byzantines were victorious over the
Persians and their ascendancy was established. Thus was it confirmed to the
sincere ones that the knowledge of God precedes all things and embraces all
that is in existence, whether of the seen or unseen.
This is that
which the hearts of those who write the commentaries hath sung in the gardens
of the mighty Qur’an. But other than this they have not penetrated to the
secrets deposited therein nor to the stored and hidden mysteries flowing within
the streams of the words of Thy Lord the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And with
this they cannot satisfy those who are sore athirst for the living waters
(Kawthar) of the spirit from the hands of Grace and Beneficence. And this is
nothing for those whom God has endowed with a penetrating vision and has taught
them the meaning of His word and has informed them of the true interpretation
of His verses. It is therefore necessary that I mention some of the things that
God has intended by these hidden verses, these heavenly songs.
2] I say that
Rome signifies that station which refers to and relates to the existent realities,
to pure being (sarfanniyyah) and to the concealing veils and the woes which issue forth from
the specifications of existence. And these are overcome and vanish with the
rise of the rays shining forth from the Sun of Truth. And so when the cycle of
the spirit has come to an end and the lamps of guidance have been extinguished,
and the breezes of righteousness have been stilled, and the winds of faithfulness
have died down, and the voices of the nightingales of Oneness in the gardens of
faithfulness have become fatigued, and the heaven of wealth and the garden of
victories has been transformed in to a barren wasteland and the owl hoots
balefully from the Tree of Zaqqum (Qura’n 37:62, 44:43, 56 :52), then does the
breeze of the spring-time of the All-Merciful waft from the Valley of Ayman[2],
the blessed spot, and the Sun of Divine Oneness rise from the dawning-pl ace of
the Will of Thy Lord the All-Merciful, the Compassionate, and the clouds of
Divine Bounty arise and pour out up on the hearts, souls and the inner
realities, causing the soils of capacity and receptivity to become verdant and
the earth of knowledge to sprout forth. Then does the blessed tree becomes verdant
from which can be heard the call: “O Moses! Thou art in the holy vale of Tuwa” (Qur’an
20:11-12) and the fire of reality appears in that “olive tree which is neither
of the east nor of the west. And its oil almost catches fire even though no fire
has touched it. It is light up on light. God guides to His light whomsoever He
wills” (Qur’an 24:35). Then doth the nightingale of inner meaning (ma’ání) sing up on the branches with the
most lofty melodies.
And it says
“The Romans have been defeated in the nearest of lands.” What land is nearer
than the realities of things and their specifications? Then the tongue of the
Ancient of Days announces, and it is indeed a mighty word, that the King of the
Living the Eternal has decreed that every affair should have a prescribed and
fixed term. And so at the end of this cycle, there will come days when this
shining sun will set and be followed by billowing clouds, and this spiritual spring-time
will be ended by darksome autumn, and this lofty garden will be transformed and
its trees uprooted, and its leaves scattered, and its breezes will be stilled,
and its rivers interrupted and their limpidity (clarity) destroyed. “This is
the way of God and thou wilt not find any change or alteration in His way” (cf.
Qur’an 48:23 and 17:77)
And so O
questioner! See thou with an insight which God created after your outer vision.
Is any just person able to say that all of the meanings of the words of God
exist with those who cannot distinguish their left hands from their right? No!
By the one whom the dove doth mention when it doth speak forth between heaven
and earth. On the contrary, it is certain that the meanings will inspire those
hearts that are pure and turned towards the Kingdom. Were God to desire it, He
would cause one of His lovers to arise and stand up on the center of guidance
amidst the concourse of creation and to commentate, with His assistance and
power, up on the realities within His verses, giving such meanings as are known
only to God and to those who are firmly established in His knowledge (cf.
Qur’an 3:7). Approach thou then Thy Lord with radiant face and seeing eye and
say:
O Lord! Make
firm my steps in Thy Cause and teach me Thy hidden knowledge and Thy treasured
secrets and raise me up to Thy lofty Kingdom and Thy most glorious Companion (rafiqika’l-
abha.). Cause me to understand
the meanings of Thy verses so that I may shine forth up on the horizon of Thy
Will with Thy knowledge, like un to the morning star, and may show unto the
people Thine eternal path and Thy straight way, which whosoever doth tread up
on it will reach the Orient of Thy signs and the Dawning-pl ace of Lights. For
this is that which will favour me as I contemplate Thy most great verses and gaze
up on the signs of Thine exalted effulgences. O Lord! Favour me with this most
great gift and this most mighty mercy. For this what I hope from Thee and it is
my goal and my desire. O my king and my desire at every stage, and the joy of
my heart and the sol ace of my soul in the day time and in the night season.
Thou art the Giver, the Generous, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
3] And in the
station of Souls, thou seest that these Divine verses have holy and heavenly
meanings. Among these are that God has intended by the word “Byzantium” the
forces of self and passion and the peoples of ignorance and blindness in that
it (Byzantium = forces of self, etc.) assisted, at the appearance of His Friend
(Muhammad), the forces of reason and intelligence, with great power until it
saw the signs of its Mighty Lord and heard the most sweet Call from the lofty
horizon and drank the sealed wine from the hand of the faithful cup-bearer. The
sweetness of the wine of the mention of its Lord the All-High captivated it to
the extent that it became drowned in the oceans of the Love of God. At this time
the reality of self and passion passed away with its conditions and powers at
the appearance of the signs of the Absolute Divine Reality and it was defeated
and vanished before the authority of the verses of its Creator. However, its
state of defeat was the very source of its power, its ability, its loftiness
and its might. For it grew and found reassurance in the remembrance of its Lord
and through this it was enabled to overcome everything and to encompass,
through the power of its Creator and Origin, the realities of the Kingdom in
accordance with its capacity and to understand the secrets of its Creator and
Fashioner. And what con quest could be greater than this, were people able to
see with the eye of God? Indeed were they able to able to soar with the wings
of the spirit in the heavens of knowledge they would bear witness that this is
the conquering power and the overwhelming might and the triumphant sovereignty.
However, when they are concealed behind the veils of neglectfulness and have
forgot ten what they used to bring to mind, God doth smite their eyes with a veil
and their ears with heaviness.
Rise then with
power, O revered questioner, and mention Thy Lord among the concourse of the
earth and say: “How long will you be satisfied with a brackish and malodorous
drop from the All-Mighty, All-Glorious Ocean which billows forth from His
Essence to His Essence and from a sprinkling (rashh) of which God hath created
all existence, living and enduring, just as He hath said, and His word is the
Truth: “And We made from water every living thing” (Qur’an 21:30)?
4] And on one
level, God intended by the word “Rúm” those souls who turn their faces seeking
enlightenment when the Sun of the Ancient of Days doth shine forth from the
Dawning-Place of the Greatest Name. They purify the mirrors of their hearts and
draw near to the rays of that noble light. For the noun “Rúm” according to
linguistic usage is connected with fine white (complexions) and people of reddish
(hair) and pure souls who look to their Lord with radiant snow-white rejoicing
countenance s. In this is the comparison and the relevance (of the metaphor).
And as for the
meaning of His Words, magnified be He: “The Byzantines were overcome,” that is
to say that those blameless souls who have effaced their designations and limitations
at the appearance of their Revealer so that they have become designated by the
attributes of the All-Merciful and they have appeared with heavenly signs --
they are overcome in the physical world. God has sent them the winds of tests
and difficulties and has thrown them into the clutches of those who have
repudiated His Truth, those who have not inhaled the breezes of life, have
renounced their intellect and clung to their passions. But when they [those blameless
souls] have overcome with respect to the spirit, they will similarly physically
overcome their enemies through the power of their Creator. For God has assigned
all good for His loved ones in every one of His worlds, even the world of body
and memory. Thou dost witness that mention of them dost fill the horizons and
their name raises the standards of harmony and through them the world is set a
flame and the potentialities of all things is illuminated by the light of existence
emerging from nothingness. Through them the stones have been shattered, days
have dawned and the oceans billowed; through them the holy laws have been
established, the waters have become clear, the outspread tables have been sent
down (cf. Qur’an 5:113), the diseases remedied, the dead brought to life, the earth
has been made to shake, the heavens have been cleft asunder, the mountains
split in two, paradise has been brought close, the trees have given forth
fruit, the secret things have been made known, the veils rent asunder, the
lights have shone forth, and the signs (al-áthár) have been made known.
Then, say: Praise
be to God, the Creator of these burning meteors, these brilliant stars, these
consummate words, these lofty souls, these singular minds, and these spirits
enraptured by God their Lord.
And say: O
Lord! Cause me to enter under the shade of the Tree of Thy Mercy. Immerse me in
the deep ocean of the Might of Thy Oneness. Sanctify me from all else save Thee.
Deliver me from the floods of self and passion so that I may arise just as Thou
hast caused them to arise in service of Thee and may stand ready to obey Thy
command by Thy Might and Power. Verily Thou art the Giver to whomsoever Thou
willest by Thy gracious hand and Thou art powerful over all things.
5] And in
another sense, God has intended by this word of the Qur’an, the Divine ordinances
(sharái’) and
prescriptions (sunan)
and the laws (hudúd)
of God and His decrees (hukm).
For the people, in the days of the interval [between Messengers of God] have
cast the laws of God behind their backs. They have forgotten the decrees of God
to such an extent that they replaced them and established a rule of ignorance (siyásatan
jahaliyyatan) and made
laws according to custom. They raised the banner of arbitrary and tyrannical
decrees to such an extent that they forsook all [spiritual] knowledge and guidance
and clung instead to the basest of fancies and passions. They fell from the
heaven of reason and [divin e] prohibitions and took up their residence in the
abyss of error and blindness. They chose the highway of the corrupt and imagined
it to be a straight path (sirátun mustaqímun). They applied themselves to theidols of luxurious living and did
not know the corrupt from the wholesome. Thus were the lamps of justice and
fairness extinguished and the storms of error intensified. The sign of tyranny
seized power and the traces of illumination were obliterated. The people were
afflicted by disasters by night and by predators during the day to such an
extent that they forsook the commands and prescriptions of God and abrogated
the Divine decrees and laws. Thus were the holy and divine laws overthrown (ghalabat) among the people.
Through the
power and might of God, however, at the time of the dawning of the Morn of Guidance
from the horizon of eternity, the clouds of doubt and error were dispersed and
the heaven of knowledge and righteousness restored. The wondrous light shone
forth and the gloomy darkness vanished. The Straight Path was manifested and
the Scales set. The Sure Handle, which cannot be rent, was extended and the
pollens of the spring of justice and wisdom wafted from the direction of the
Bounty of the Preexistent Lord. The trees of the human form became clothed with
the leaves of knowledge and Divine wisdom and the Goodly Tree, the roots of
which are firmly in the earth and the branches of which are in heaven, was
planted. Its fruit came in every season, its twigs and branches stretched forth
as far as the horizons. The birds of faithfulness sought refuge and built their
nests within the tree. The nightingales of awareness sang up on it the songs of
the Friend and the doves of love cry out from its twigs with the psalms of the
House of David to such an extent that spirits trembled, hearts were rent
asunder, eyes were consoled, souls were rejoiced and this existence became the
garden of paradise.
However, thou
dost see that there appeared a wild and evil people and an ignorant and
detestable group among the people; their ignorance was so great that they were
un able to distinguish right from left and they wrote up on sheets of water.
They performed every abomination and committed that which even the animals eschew,
and so how can they be called human beings. But when there appeared among them
the Most Great Friend (Muhammad), the most magnificent Light, the sign of the
Ancient of Days, the most joyful morn, they took refuge in the cave of His
teaching for a certain number of days and years until this ignorant people
ascended from the depths of ignorance to the summit of knowledge and wisdom and
became proficient in the arts and sciences and outstripped the most noted scholars
and learned men. They became famous among God’s creatures for the specific
qualities of humanity and for their divine attributes such that they became a
mine of perfections and knowledge and the pivot of the circle of praiseworthy
deeds and beneficence. Thus were they victorious as far as the horizons and
gained sovereignty over every tribe and people in creation. And so people began
to come from every direction to their lands in order to learn knowledge and
wisdom. They became adorned with the vestments of excellence and perfections.
And all this was only out of the Grace and Mercy of God who sent to be among
them the best of creatures with a power which no creature possesses.
6] And in
another sense, God intended by the word “al-Rúm” the existent realities, which
are revealed by the Divine Names and Attributes, are warmed by the flame of
Oneness, are kindled in the blessed spot within the delights of paradise,
appear and are seen up on four ancient pillars,[3] are established through the
divine and heavenly scriptures, and arise out of the essence of Singleness.
O would that
the All-Merciful would break open from the mouth of this servant the seals of
caution and concealment so that I could explain to you, O friend, the stations
of the Fire of Oneness and the Blessed Tree and its branches and leaves and the
state of the place of Paradise which God has concealed from the eyes of all save
those who soar with the wings of victory in the atmosphere which brings joy to
the soul s. And so inhale the fragrance of faithfulness from the shirt of Bahá
which hath been smattered with bright-red blood on account of what the
idolaters have done to His effulgent, illumined Beauty -- and this after God
hath hath established a Covenant with them in every holy book, scripture and
psalm that at the time of each effulgence of one of His Lights and the Dawning
of each Sun upon His horizons, they would recognize His Power and Sovereignty
and pros t rate themselves to Him on the Day when He comes to them in shadow of
His clouds and that they should sacrifice themselves at the time of His
appearance in order to attain His Presence. What a pity and what a cause of regret
for them that they have neglected nearness to God. And so there will come to
them an announcement of what they have neglected. Then will their skins shiver,
their livers bleed, their hearts melt, their souls mourn and their inner most
selves lament. And they will bite their finger-tips out of grief and remorse at
what they have done and that they have barred themselves from the table of life
sent down from the heaven of the Mercy of their Lord, the Mighty, the Forgiving.
We will now
return to what we were mentioning in explanation of the word “Rúm.” We said that its meaning was the realities of
things and their essences (máhiyyát) and the capacity of created things and their potentialities. And
the meaning of "were overcome" is that the outpourings of the
All-Merciful and the eternal effulgences pervaded the potential realities
pouring forth from the pre- existent light, filled them, overcame (ghalabat) them, and surrounded them from all
directions, both inwardly and outwardly, on the Day when the Sun of the Ancient
of Days shone forth from the horizon. For on such a blessed and promised day,
God does not look at the capacity of existent realities and their preparedness.
No, He pours forth up on them from the oceans of His Grace and Beneficence even
if they have not the capacity for a single drop of its rivers such that you
will see the poor man clothed in the robe of His wealth and the destitute beggar
wearing the garments of His Might and Loftiness. Just as He hath said, and His
word is the truth: “We desire to show favour unto the weak upon the earth, and
We make them leaders and inheritors” (Qur’an 28:5).
O Thou who art
soaring in the atmosphere of the love of God and travelling up on the sea of
Bounty. Arise from the torpor of idle fancies and open your eyes to witness how
the Ancient Beauty doth shin e forth upon you and up on the whole of creation
from the horizon of Bounty. His Countenance doth shine forth between earth and
heaven. You will observe the comprehensiveness of the Bounty of Your Lord and
the generality of His Beneficence towards those who draw nigh unto Him. You
will see how the ocean of His Most Great Mercy billows forth out of the right
hand of His Will and you will experience the fragrance of His Most Mighty Mercy
wafting from the direction of His Providence so that you will know that, in
this day, should a gnat desire to become an eagle or a drop to become an ocean
in the shadow of this Beauty, then it would be able to, with the assistance of
God and His Power. He hath said, and His word is the Truth: “Were an ant to
desire to have full mastery over the Qur’an and its inner meaning and the inner
meaning of the inner meaning (fí hukmi sawád ‘ayni há), it will undoubtedly be able to do so
for the secrets of eternity vibrate within the realities of all created things.[4]
Therefore say: Blessed be He who causeth His Might, His Sovereignty, His Mercy
and His Beneficence to appear in these days within all created things.
And as for His
saying, exalted be He: “And they will afterwards overturn their defeat.” That
is to say that there will come a day in which the Sun of Divine Oneness will
set in the Occident of Eternity, the winds of the spirit blowing from the
direction of Faithfulness will be stilled, the lamp of love in the breasts of
those possessed of understanding will be put out, the fires of longing in the
hearts of the wise will be extinguished, the table of Divine Knowledge that hath
descended from heaven of certitude will be withdrawn, the clouds of holiness
will be prevented from yielding rains and the seas of Divine Oneness from
surrendering the pearls of mysteries. Thus doth this most abundant favour and
most great bounty come to an end and this day of lights is turned in to darksome
night. And if you should find the creation in such a state, then be certain
that the morn of certitude is nigh and the day-break of the All-Merciful from
the Dawning-Place of Creation and the coming of Your Lord in the shadow of
clouds approaches. Then raise your hands towards your Lord and say:
Unto Thee be
praise and gratitude, O my most glorious Lord, in that Thou hast created me and
sent me forth in this day when Thy Countenance doth shine forth, Thy Beauty
hath appeared, Thy Visage shineth forth, Thy Mercy hath preceded all things,
Thy Bounty is abundant, Thy Power doth encompass all, Thy signs appear (Thy
verses are revealed), Thy Word is exalted and Thy proof is established. By Thy
Might! Were I to praise Thee for as long as Thy sovereignty endures, I would
not be able to produce a single word in praise of Thee. However, on account of
what I have seen of the universality of Thy Bounty and greatness of Thy
Generosity, a drop from among Thy servants would be enabled to approach the
station of oceans and an atom would be equivalent to the station of suns.
Therefore have I stepped before Thee offering my thanks, which are as the
buzzing of mosquitoes in the valley or the crawling of an ant along a chain.
Verily Thou art the Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
7] And among
the meanings intended by God in this Qur’anic word is the station of opinion
(speculative thought) and reasoning and the setting up of decisive evidences
and logical proofs of the Oneness, the Singleness, the Might, the Power and the
Sovereignty of God just as thou hast seen and observed in the days prior to the
appearance of the Most Mighty Light from the Dawning-Place of His Name the Generous,
to such an extent that no-one had any path way or any guide to Him except the
appearance of those signs and evidences which the intellect and opinion
(speculative thought) indicated . And the people inferred from these His
existence and steered clear of anything other than this. When, however, the sun
of the horizons dawned from the Dawning-Place of the Ancient of Days in the most
noble of forms and all existence was illumined by the rays radiating out over
all creation, the veils of speculative thought and reasoning were rent a sunder
and the banners of proofs and intimations were unfurled and the standards of
revelations (mukáshafát) and testimonies were raised over the signs of hearts and
perceptions. Then were the pure souls (ahrár) able to enter in to the presence of
their Lord on the day when the earth shook and mountains were cleaved.
Then say:
Blessed be God, the King, the Mighty, the Omnipotent who hath annihilated the
darkness with light with a Mighty Sovereignty.
“Al-Rúm was
defeated”: that is to say the drops of the waters of speculative opinion and
reasoning vanished in the face of the billowing oceans of the revelations (mukáshafát) and testimonies of He who is a coolness
on the brow of those who seek Him with ardor and is sweet water for their
thirst and healing for their ill. He destroyed and brought to naught that which
is nothing but idle fancies, vain thoughts, false inferences and empty speculations
-- for the likeness of these proofs before the face of Thy Lord is as the likeness
of shadow before the dawning of the sun. For even were there to be logical proofs
for It (the sun), they cannot be held to exist in the face of Its effulgences,
nor can they be said to endure before Its radiating rays. Indeed, they are
veiled from It even were they to be given proof of It. In the opinion of them
who have drunk a draught of sealed wine from the hands of the Bounty of His
Name the Eternal, the most mighty of the veils of His servants is that they
rely on the ephemeral shadow for knowledge of the Sun of the Ancient of Days
and depend up on mere traces and seek to give proofs in this way for that which
is the origin of all lights. And despite this, they consider that they have reached
the center of guidance and are proceeding up on the celestial spheres of the
mind. On the contrary, they are plunged in the depths of idle fancies and are
wandering lost in the wildernesses of vain imaginings.
Arise then
with power from God and strength from His Sovereignty call out to the negligent:
How long will you gallop in the deserts of ignorance? The flashes of inner
meanings lighten the heaven of the spirit and ignite the horizons with the fire
of God which hath appeared from the Sinaitic Tree up on the Mount of Eternity.
Verily, O Concourse of Lovers, draw near to it so that you may be warmed by it,
be guided by it, be ignited by a glowing brand from it and may hear its sighing.
Say: The eyes
of all things have been consoled by entering in to the Presence of their Lord
while you do not perceive. All created things have been aroused while you
remain negligent. All existence has arisen while you slumber up on the cushions
of negligence. The tongues of all things are speaking forth in mention of the
King of Heaven while you are silent.
If you do not
turn towards this Beauty, then to which beauty will you look? If you are not
aroused by this call, then by what call will you be aroused? If you are not
stirred by this Spirit, by what spirit will you be stirred? Do you count
yourselves as being alive? Nay, ye are among the companions of the graves. Do
you maintain that you are among those that perceive and hear? Deaf are ye and
blind, neither do ye understand. Has the Mercy [of God] not anticipated [all],
the Bounty not abounded, the proof not been spoken, the evidences not made
clear, the verses not descended or the word not been completed? Have the doves
of paradise not sung and has heaven not been brought near? Has the blessed Tree
not given fruit and the oceans of mystery
billowed forth? Nay, the most mighty battle (wáqi’ah) has occurred and the most great calamity
(támah) has
appeared and all things have been gathered (resurrected, hashara) in the presence of God, the
Protector, the Everlasting, even as the unbelievers are wandering astray in
their drunkenness.
8] And among
the things that God has intended by these consummate words are the bodily
stages and physical (násútiyyah) realities, together with their accidents and specifications in
their realm and domain. And the meaning of His words, may His station be
exalted: “A l-Rúm was overcome” is that the bodily stages pass away with the
manifestation of the spiritual verses and the rivers of reality inundate the
earths of the pure hearts when the All-Merciful is mounted up on His Most
Mighty Throne in the midst of all beings. For the armies of the spirit fall
upon and attack the troops upon the Day of the Return with the power of the
Lord of Lords. Thus are the bodily things overthrown and dominion belongs to
the things of the spirit. And in this are signs for those who discern.
9] And among
what God has intended by these firm and enduring words is concerning the idle
fancies and vain imaginings in the hearts of ordinary people. For during the
days when the Sun of Knowledge and Wisdom has set, thou dost witness that idle
fancies and vain imaginings have supreme sovereignty among the concourse of
created things. Thou dost observe that all are depending up on idle fancies for
knowledge and to solve problems, even for matters of the holy law and
ordinances. They have no capacity to swim in the oceans of knowledge nor to
plunge the depths of wisdom. When the Sun of Certitude doth shine forth from
the clear horizon, however, the rays of the Divine Beauty doth cause the
darkness of idle fancies and vain imaginings to disappear. Then doth the tongue
of creation speak forth saying: the Truth hath come and Error hath disappeared.
Verily Error was bound to vanish.
O Friend! speak
forth with a wondrous tongue: Thine is the bounty, the grace, the mercy, and
the beneficence upon this servant who is not worthy of anything in Thy Kingdom
in that Thou hast saved me from the wilderness of idle fancies and hast caused
me to seek shelter amidst the twigs of the tree of knowledge. O Lord! Cause me
to be firm in Thy Love and to arise to assist Thy Cause and to establish Thy
Rule. Make me one of Thy banners among Thy servants that I may be a focal point
for Thine inspiration and may be assisted by Thy signs. Verily, Thou art
powerful over all things by Thy Might and sovereignty, O Thou Be loved of the
worlds.
10] And among
what God has intended by these comprehensive words are the stages of the soul
and the states thereof, its degrees, its elevation and diminution, its ascent
and its fall, out of the bounty of its Creator, the generosity of its Originator
and the power of its Source. Know thou that the soul has various stages and
innumerable degrees. But its totality in the stages of existence is confined
and limited to: the static (non- developing) mineral soul, the growing
vegetative soul, the sensing animal soul, the earthly (násútiyyah) human soul, the commanding soul, the
blaming soul, the inspired soul, the contented soul, the accepting soul, the
accepted soul,[5] the perfect soul, the angelic (malakútiyyah) soul [of the Kingdom of God], the
soul of the realm of Command (jabarútiyyah) and the soul of the sanctified realm of the Primal Manifestation (láhútiyyah).
As for “the
mineral soul” (an-nafs al-ma’daniyyah), it consists of intrinsic matter in
the form of minerals and this is its perfection, its purity and the effects that
app ear from it. And so observe the precious stones that are mined; how they
are heated within the bowels of the earth until they reach their perfection and
beauty through the appearance of this soul within them and the emergence of
their essential qualities through this process.
And as for
“the growing vegetable soul” (an-nafs an-namiyyah an-nabátiyyah), it consists of an essence within
which arises the vegetative power through which seeds, leaves, branches and
trees grow and develop in that it takes matter and elements and gives these to
the trees and plants so that they grow and mature. They grow and extend their branches
and give forth their fruits, their flowers and their leaves.
And as for
“the animal soul” (an-nafs al-haywániyyah), it consists of an essence within
which arises the powers of sensing those physical things that can be sensed.
And as for
“the human soul” (an-nafsal-insániyyah), it consists of the rational soul that is to say an essence
within which arises the powers of the human being, the outer and inner senses,
the divine perfections and knowledge, the heavenly sciences, the eternal arts,
and the hidden wisdom. Likewise, it is the place where dark passions and earthly
(násútiyyah)
failings appear.
Praise be to
God for this astonishing sign, this mighty matter, this comprehensive word on
the scroll of existence. For thou dost observe that it has various stations,
diverse stages of ascent and manifold degrees to which there is no end. It has
the capacity to be the mirror for the manifestation of the realities of the
realm of the Primal Will (láhútiyyah) and the place wherein the divine and perfect attributes are
revealed and appear. It is also capable of descending into existential
darkness, where it is veiled with thick veils arising from its limitations and
its specific qualities which prevent it from attaining to its origin and point
of return and hide from it the signs of its Creator which have been deposited
within it through the grace of its Maker.
On account of
its progression to the stages of nearness and reunion and its descent in to the
regions of perdition and error, it is clothed in each stage and station in
clothes that are different from the previous. Therefore it is known in
each stage by a particular term. For example, in its descent into the lowest stations of animal passions,
its preoccupation with the trivialities of this vile world, its infatuation with evil and ephemeral
desires, its congealment from the coldness of the contingent world, its
extinguishing of the heat
of the love of its Lord, the Mighty, the Generous, its fall and its descent
into the turmoil of error
and its excessive preoccupation with reprehensible and brutish actions, it is
known as "the
commanding soul" (nafsin amáratin, the soul that commands to evil) as He
hath said, and His word is
the truth: "Verily, the soul commands to evil unless My Lord hath mercy
upon I" Qur'án 12:53).[6]
Then it progresses from this dire state and this base level
to a station wherein there comes to it from time to time an awareness of the
depths of its embroilment in danger, of its descent into the abyss of heedlessness, its treading such
pathways, its self-concealment from its Lord God, its neglect of its Creator, its bewilderment in the
wilderness of error and passion, and its forgetfulness of the mention of God the King, the Mighty, the
All-High. On occasions, there passes over it the breeze of the perception of its state and it is awoken to a
slight extent. It then blames itself for the depths that it perceives of its immersion in the tribulations
of heedlessness and transgression and reproaches itself when it sees itself bewildered in the
deserts of perversity and error. It regrets its baseness and its vile state in the lowest degrees of error and
ruinous passions and its concealment behind the accumulated veils which prevent it from ascending to lofty
spiritual stations and distract it from the remembrance of God through the evil whisperings of
Satan. And so on account of its regret and remorse concerning its station and its blaming itself it is called
"the blaming soul" (an-nafs al-lámi'ah) -- as He hath said, may His name be magnified: "No, I will swear
by the blaming soul" (Qur’án 75:2).[7]
And when the soul progressed from this lowly, brutish and
abased state and ascended to a more noble, more fortunate, nearer, concealed
location, it was assisted by the confirmations of God and inspired by the
contents of its own book -- as it is said: "Read thou thy book, sufficient
is it for thy soul as an account against thee on this day" (Qur'án 17:14). Then
there came to it the signs of inspiration and the reality of day became
apparent to it from that of night and it was summoned to the shore of the ocean
of knowledge ('irfán), was sustained by holy foods from the gardens of
paradise, harvested the fruits of the tree of beneficence, drank from the
streams of bounty and grace, benefited from the eternal bounty, and tasted the
sweetness of blessings. It came to understand the cause of its elevation and degradation,
its ascent and descent, and its rising and setting as it ought to be. It
reflected upon its state, its plight became clear to it, and this led it to
become averse to those things that perish (fániyyát) and to incline towards those
things that endure (al-báqiyyát). It closes its eyes to those things that exist
and turns instead to the court of the Almighty, the All-Compelling. It
anticipates the call of the Concourse on High and turns its attention to those
things that will cause it to ascend until it reaches the throne of assurance
and the seat of gratitude. It becomes the focal point of inspiration among humanity.
It discovers as a result of its efforts and strivings those beneficial things
which will lead it to its purpose and goal. Then it is termed the "the
inspired soul" (an-nafs al-mulhamah) for it is inspired as to that which
leads it to depravation or to righteousness -- as He hath said, blessed and
glorified be He: "By the soul and what is like unto it, He inspired it as
to that which leads it to depravation or to righteousness" (Qur'án
91:7-8).
And in a station which awakens it to the mention of its Lord
and arouses it to the call of its Creator from the slumber of vain imaginings
and brings its attention to the remembrance of God, the Almighty the
All-Knowing, to its arising and ascent to the stations of love and assurance,
its immersion in the ocean of certitude, its recognition of the signs of God in
the dawning-places of contingent being, the horizons of existence and the
breaths of the All-Merciful, the appearance of the evidence of Divine Oneness
from the dayspring of heaven, its entrance into and remaining in the heart of
paradise, its simmering in the heat of the love of its Lord, the Almighty, the
Beneficent, its pathway and passage to God the All-Powerful, the Ruler of
Paradise, its setting on the throne of calmness and repose, and its drinking
from the chalice of firmness and constancy at all times. Then it is termed
"the assured soul" (an-nafs al-mutma'innah) because it is assured in
its faith, its turmoil and unrest is calmed, it has quenched its thirst,
soothed its torment, it has thinned and removed its veils, it has changed its
darkness to light, it has ended its futility, its shortcomings have turned to
perfection, it has pierced its veils, torn its coverings, revealed its secrets,
shaken its foundations and unloaded its burdens. It has reported the tidings
that your Lord has revealed to
it. Exalted is God, its guide and its saviour, the One Who illumines it and forms it,
above all that the ignorant have said.[8]
And when it has reached this most mighty and perfect
station, this most pleasant, most pure, most sweet destination, and has drunk
from these clear spring waters of Sabá [9] it will attain to the station of submission and contentment, it
will leave behind its searching and neediness and will entrust its affairs to
God, the Mighty and Eternal King. It will rely upon Him and recline against the cushion of His bounty
and beneficence. It will not see in this station anything that is inconsistent
with its contentment (ridá) and it does not prefer the greatest ease to the most mighty calamity. Indeed it is content
with (accepts, rádiyah) whatever
God may decree for it and thou wilt observe it joyful and happy when troubles
descend and grateful and thankful when the oceans of misfortunes and disaster
billow forth. Even were the arrows of misfortune and grief to issue forth
from the clouds of destiny and the rains of sorrow and adversity to descend
upon it, thou wouldst observe it wetting its tongue with praise of its Lord,
the Help-in-Peril, and eloquently expounding in mention of the Generous King.
This is a station which, wert thou to attain unto it, thou
wouldst arrive at a happiness which would not be followed by sadness, a joy which
is not succeeded by grief, an ease and comfort that does not end in distress and hardship,
a prosperity that does not turn to destitution and misfortune, for the might of
thy Lord has
grasped firmly the reins of affairs. “The
earth is His handful on the Day of Resurrection, while the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand.
Praised be to Him and Exalted is He above everything that they ascribe as partner unto Him (Qur’án 39:67). Thus
is it that not a leaf stirs upon a tree nor does a fruit fall except by the
will of Thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
For the seeker in this exalted station there remains no
will, no rest, no motion, no destiny nor any fate except in God. Indeed, his
essence, his attributes, his being, his very sense of self all fade away overwhelmed by the signs of Divine Oneness, just as the shadows
disappear when the pre-existent sun shines forth.
And when his will has
faded away and vanished in the Will of the True God, and his will has become identical
to His Will,
and his pleasure is the same as His pleasure, and the veils have been lifted,
the coverings have disappeared, and idolatry (shirk) has
vanished from the reality of his heart then does there appear in the soul the sign
of acceptance. Then on account of its acceptance of the decree of its Creator
and its submission to the command of its Maker, it is known as "an accepting
soul" (nafsin
rádiyyatin).
Insofar as all-encompassing blessings and mercy reach it
[the soul], bounties and favours encompass it, a covering of grace and
beneficence enclose it, and God clothes it in the robe of obedience and His favour,
the Supreme Concourse addresses it, saying: 'Well is it with thee in that thou
hast traversed the path and covered the way until thou didst enter into the
spring of faithfulness and didst obtain the clear waters of submission and
contentment (ridá).
Thou hast left behind thy passions and accepted the decree of Thy Lord. Thou hast expended what is thine and
sacrificed thy spirit, thy heart and thine inner self upon the path to thy
Lord. This then is thy consolation -- thus hast thou attained unto this most
exalted station and this most glorious company. Thus hast thou become accepted (mardiyyah) and
approved in the sight of God, thy Lord, and hast sought the shelter of the
bounty of thy Lord, trembling with joy and happiness at His Bounty and
Beneficence. Verily, His Grace towards His sincere servants is mighty!"
And on account of its [the soul's] rising by means of
its acceptance (ridá)
into the heights of being accepted by God (al-mir’áj al-mardiyyah 'ind alláh), its Lord, and its being approved in its state of
nothingness (faná) by its Creator, it is known as "the
accepted soul" (an-nafs al-mardiyyah).
And when it (the soul) soared on the wings of holiness into
the atmosphere of this paradise and tasted of the sweetness of the
stations of reunion in the gardens of heaven, these illumined and lofty
stations were collected within it (the soul) and it arose to this elevated and
spiritual degree and there gushed
forth from the lofty heights of its reality the springs of the wisdom of
eternity (samadániyyah).
It became the focal point of inspiration and the dawning-place for the radiance
of the lights of this effulgence and became content with the remembrance of God
the Gracious Sovereign. It has become accepting (rádiyyptan) of His decree and
accepted (mardiyyatan) in nothingness (faná) at His gate, therefore it is known
as "the perfect soul" (an-nafs al-kámilah) on account of its being
characterized by these spiritual and divine perfections and being comprised of
these essential (al-jawhariyyah) and godly attributes.
Then is it (the soul) worthy and prepared for entry into the
heaven of the Kingdom of God (malakút), which is the paradise of the righteous
and the refuge of the free whose faces have been illumined by the glad-tidings
of God. In it appears the beauty of the All-Merciful and the sign of the
Beneficent One. To these stations do His words, may his Grandeur be magnified,
refer: "0 thou assured (mutma'innah) soul, return to thy Lord, accepting
(rádiyyatan) and accepted (mardiyyatan). Enter among my servants! Enter my
paradise!" (Qur’án 89:27-30). For the garden of refuge, the meads of
splendour, the exalted heaven and the all-high paradise are the pastures of the
Kingdom of God. In this Day, the doors [of this Kingdom] are open, its land
stretches out, its lights shine forth, its fruits ripen, its blossoms open out,
its streams flow, its oceans billow, its springs gush forth, its breezes are
gentle, its surface is delicate, its doves sing out, its mouths smile, its
sorrows are made joyous, its lightnings flash, its dawnings are filled with
light, its birds warble, its palaces are adorned and its joys draw near.
Therefore, rise and with the loudest voice proclaim: "Hasten, O ye
lovers, to the dawning-place of this most ancient light that shines forth and
glistens and head towards this lofty and sublime refuge."
The soul, when it has entered this exalted heaven, this
eternal paradise, has sought the dawn of this most luminous day, has entered
this most pleasant, most pure place, has taken on perfections, acquired the
illumination of the essence (jawahir) of names and attributes, has drunk from
this "cup tempered at the camphor fountain” (Qur’án 76:5), has roamed
throughout these lands, plunged the depths of these seas, and has been guided
to this fire kindled and aflame on the Paran of love, confirms in its reality the
profession of Divine Unity (kalimat at-tawhid) and establishes in its essence
the sign of detachment (ayat at-tajrid). It attains to everlasting life and
eternal living. It takes pleasure from delights the like of which no eye has
seen nor any ear heard. It drinks from the clear springs which flow from the
right hand of the Throne of Reality and tastes of the fruit of the tree growing
in the midst of Paradise, stirred by the breezes coming from the direction of
the Beauteous One, through which the hearts of those who believe in the Divine
Unity have been revived and the leaves on the branches of the hearts of the sincere
ones have been set in motion. It attains unto the seat (markaz) of eternal life
(baqá) in the shadow of the countenance of its Most Exalted Lord, such that not
the slightest trace of the ephemeral (faná) should be hidden within it nor the
misfortune of evanescence or annihilation befall it -- just as He hath said,
and His word is the truth: “All that are thereon (upon the earth) shall perish
(fána) and there remaineth but the countenance of thy Lord, full of Glory and
Honour" (Qur'án 55:27-8).
And when the soul hath unfolded the wings of the spirit,
been attracted by the Joy of God, hath soared to the most exalted horizon, hath
sought the most glorious Companion (rafíq al-abhá), it doth ascend to the
divine station of Jabarút (the realm of Command) and is assisted by an
overwhelming and all-conquering power and by the intricate and ancient secret
and by the noble and mighty mystery. It becomes aware of the secrets of hidden
and invisible realities which consumes in envy the hearts of the mystic knowers.
It is imprinted by the rays shining forth from the Sun of Truth and by its
effects and comes to resemble its appearance and its light in every state and
condition. It ascends to a station that God hath made to be far above the
understanding of the minds of men, for this station is created out of the
elements of power, strength, might, authority, sovereignty, omnipotence,
protection, and freedom and nothing that has limitations or pluralities has any
resemblance to it. On the contrary it is the very essence (jawhar) of unity,
the substance of singleness and abstraction, the light of lights, the mystery of
mysteries, the furthermost tree (Sidrat al-Muntahá), the exalted rank, the
all-highest station, the Masjid al-Aqsá (the remotest mosque), and the ultimate
goal in the world of creation even though perfections have no beginning nor end
to them and are beyond all limitations. Well is it with the one who has entered
this holy, noble and mighty station.
And as for "the Divine Soul" (an-nafs al-iláhiyyah),
it consists of the Universal Reality which brings together all of the Divine
realities of the realm of Primal Manifestation (láhútiyyah) and the eternal secrets,
the outer aspect of which is the ancient light and the inner aspect is the most
mighty and sublime mystery, the Primal Point from which appear all things and
to which they revert, from which they originate and to which they return. Thus
is it the Primal Oneness (al-ahádiyyah) in its essence and the derived Oneness (al-wáhidiyyah) in its attributes. And
from it there appears plurality through manifestation [is manifested plurality,
zuhúr] and illumination, and it becomes
divided, dispersed and manifold, and radiates . And so the horizons and souls become filled and illumined by it on the Day of the Covenant, and on account of it the tabernacles of
unity tremble and are set in motion. From it there grow the branches of the tree
of oneness and by it they are clothed in the primal garment and the most
perfect light. And from a single sign (ayah) from it there appear all of the
(Divine) names to which human realities can attain and from a mark (simah) from it there grow forth all of the
true hidden (Divine) attributes. And so it is the center of the circle of
existence through the manifestation (zuhúr)
of "There is no god but God" and the axis of the sphere of
eternity, around which circles the star of oneness and unity, such that all of
the hidden realities circle around this point of oneness in the realm of Primal
Manifestation (an-nuqtah al-ahádiyyah al-láhtiyyah) and all of the subtle luminous
essences (kaynúnát)
derive from this flame which is kindled, ablaze and speaking forth in
the tree of humanity saying: "There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Powerful, the
Eternal."
This Soul consists of the reality of the sanctified persons
and true thrones -- the horsemen of human intelligence can never gallop in this
pasture nor can the birds of the minds of creatures travel in this land. Only the
sincere ones among them receive the great bounty of the rays of this
most luminous light in their
haste and progress towards the state of nothingness (faná) at the gate of the Mighty King. Wretched and condemned are the people who
imagine that they have attained unto their highest station when they have not
even circled around their inner sanctuary. How can the gnats of ephemeral being (fanaá’) vie with the phoenix of the
dawning-place of eternity (baqá’). Why is it that for a putrid, salty, bitter drop, they
reject the sweet, clear and billowing sea.
To whatever extent they who seek to rise to the highest
stations of mystic knowledge may ascend or to whatever high station in the
degrees of certitude they that hold fast to the Divine unity may climb, they
are only reading the letters of the book of their souls (cf. Qur'án 17:14), only
attaining the sign that is refulgent, deposited, incorporated, and concealed
within the realities of their own inner being (kaynúnátihim) and only revolving
around the centres of the
circles of their own essential natures (dháyyátihim). And as for the stages that
are above their worlds and beyond their attainment, they are not able to seek
information about them nor to understand them.
Observe with the eye of reality physical (khárijiyyah), created
things. You will see that everything else is not able to understand what is
above it even were it to progress in its station to the
highest degree of [its] existence,
even as thou dost witness that
the mineral however much it may progress and ascend to the summit of perfection is
unable to know or to understand the station of the vegetable. And similarly, however
much the plant may increase in splendour and growth, it can never become aware
of the reality of the animal. And in the same way, the animal however much it may improve its goodness, splendor
and proportions, it will never possess knowledge of the essence (huwayyat) of humanity nor of its realities,
states and attributes.
Know thou therefore that, in the variety of their stages, degrees
and stations, souls are bound by this condition -- that none of
them are able to transgress their limits or station. No bird is able to fly
above the upper limit of its flight. And if matters are thus among these
created, contingent, physical (khárijiyyah) beings which share pertinent
and similar aspects, then how much more so between the stations of contingent reality
and those of the realities of Primal Manifestation, which the human intellect
fails to understand, souls become confused in trying to know, tongues
are powerless to explain and the wings of the birds of hearts and minds are too
feeble to fly to the heights of elucidating it.
Let us now return to our theme of the stations of the soul
and its degree and conditions, its elevation and decline and its exaltation. We
have stated that this most great sign in one station confirms the soul and its
degrees and is transformed from stage to stage and from station
to station. For in each degree it leaves behind its limitations and its
condition. It seizes possession through its efforts of the signs of the degree
that is above it and it leaves
behind [its former] condition through tests which purify it, refine it, cleanse
it and make it detached from whatsoever it not worthy in it in the path of its Creator. And when it is released
and saved from all of the lower degrees and ascends with the help of its
Originator and Fashioner to a high degree, it gains a victory over the power of
the lower degrees and vanquishes the hosts of the realities of the base states.
Then understand what He, glorified be He, hath said: “The
Byzantines were overthrown" -- that is to say it [the soul] has overthrown
and caused to diminish and fade away “the commanding soul" through the misfortune
of the thunderbolts that fell upon it from the realms of the Kingdom and the
flaming fire that entered upon it from the repositories of Might and Command (Jabarút). Then
was it aided by the hosts of guidance and victory and assisted by the angels of
spirit and righteousness. It was awakened from its slumber and its negligence
and it ended its immersion, its decline and abasement and bore witness to its
fall and its lowly condition. Then it called to mind its condition, refined its vision, purified its sight until
it came to know its state and what it was that veiled it and hindered it and
became a cause for its remoteness, denial, negligence and inebriation. Then it
grasped hold of the hem of Grace and Mercy and supplicated God and took refuge
in His Presence, until it ascended and was saved from that station and stage
and entered the loftiest station. Thus was it transformed in its stations and
degrees and was victorious over and over again until it went back to
its origin and returned to its center and was clothed in the robe of its
perfection and entered the shadow of its Lord, the Seat of Truth in the presence
of the Mighty King.
O thou who art kindled and aglow with
the fire of the love of God! Know thou that were this servant to wish to
interpret this Divine (láhútiyyh) verse
in all of the hidden stations and Divine realities and in the stations of
Jabarút and Malakút, the existent realities, the seen and unseen worlds, the
manifestations of Primal Oneness and the states of conditioned Oneness, the
spiritual essences (kaynúnát), the foundations of the
heart, the stations (mashá'ir) of reality and of the soul and that which pertains
and is supplementary to this with the most complete exposition and the most
perfect explanation, he would be able with the help of God, and His Power and
Grace and confirmation. But souls are not able nor do they have the capacity to
hear it and understand it. Therefore do we hold the pen back from exposition and
movement and give to you these keys of elucidation. Therefore open by the power
of your Lord all of the doors that have been shut in your face so that you may
be aware of the hidden and concealed mysteries of God, may witness and reveal
the preserved and guarded secret, may travel in that spacious and mighty
Kingdom, plunge into that swelling and billowing sea and that mighty and
rolling ocean, glean from the bright stars of light by the Grace of the King of
Manifestation.
By the Lord of forgiveness and the well-known beauty of
gratitude! Were one of the sincere ones to turn to God in this most great Day
and see with the purest vision, he would understand all of the realities and
meanings of every word of the verses of God, the Eternal Protector -- nay indeed,
every letter and every dot. For realities and meanings in their entirety flow
forth within their inner aspects and streams burst forth from them and oceans
billow within them. Well is it with those who attain thereunto!
These meanings which we have set forth appear and are made
manifest from this blessed verse when we read "the Byzantines are overthrown”
-- that is to say in the passive form but if we read it in the active form, there
appear from it other meanings which there is no opportunity today to explain
and make clear and to uncover its mysteries and secrets. We leave that for
another time.
We trust in God in all matters and we seek help from the
cord of His Mercy and Grace. Verily He gives answers to the questioner and
wealth to the needy.
Some background information (extracted from the original article)
In this Tablet 'Abdu'l-Baha gives a mystical commentary upon the
first few words of the thirtieth Súrah of
the Qur'án, the Súrah of Rúm
where the original words in the Qur’án refer to the overthrow of the
Byzantines. 'Abdu'l-Baha gives the standard Muslim commentary upon these verses. Despite
the fact that these verses have an obvious outward meaning, 'Abdu'l-Baha
goes on to give nine esoteric or mystical interpretations of the word "al-Rúm" and of the phrase
“The Byzantines have been overthrown." In the last of these
interpretations, 'Abdu'l-Baha delineates the different types of soul: mineral,
vegetable, animal, human and the Soul of Láhut, the realm of the Primal
Manifestation. With regard to the human soul, 'Abdu'l-Baha also lists the nine
stages in its
ascent. These consist of the commanding soul, the blaming soul, the inspired soul,
the assured soul, the accepting soul, the accepted soul, the perfect soul, the
soul of the Kingdom of God (Malaklút) and the soul of the Realm of Divine Command
(Jabarút). This last is the ultimate goal in the world of creation.
'Abdu'l-Baha describes these stages in the ascent of the human soul and how progress
may be
made from one
to the
other. This work of 'Abdu’l-Baha thus performs two functions. It establishes
the principle that the Word of God has many meanings some of which are external and obvious while
others are hidden and mystical. It is also a manual or guide to Baha’i mysticism in
that it lays out the pathway or stages for the ascent of the soul from its
lowest state of abasement and preoccupation with the things of the world to its
highest state where the human qualities are effaced and only the divine attributes are
manifest in the individual, the state where it becomes aware of the secrets
of hidden and invisible realities.
…..
The tablet can be dated to the period before the passing of
Baha’u’llah, since Baha’u’llah mentions it in a tablet dating from the 'Akka
period, and addressed to a certain 'Abd al-Ghani. Baha’u’llah states that a
question about these verses had been asked and that although a commentary on
these verses had already been revealed by the Báb, Baha’u’llah commanded
'Abdu’l-Baha to answer the questioner.[1]
It is not however certain from reading the tablet that
'Abdu'l-Baha's correspondent was a Baha'i. He may well have been from among
Baha’u’llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha’s wide circle of Muslim acquaintances. There are
no overt references to the Baha'i Faith or the Baha'i teachings in the tablet.
Although there are a few references to the greatness of "this day,"
these are vague enough that they could well have been written to a Muslim
correspondent without occasioning comment. If this speculation is correct, then
it is also possible to say that ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s correspondent was probably a
Sunni, rather than a Shi'i, and therefore also probably non-Iranian. This is
clear from the lack of the usual Shi'i references and honorifics that would
otherwise have been within the text if it had been written to a Shi'i . Thus, in summary, it is possible
that this tablet belongs along with ‘A Traveller's Narrative’ and ‘The Secret
of Divine Civilization’ among those tablets written by 'Abdu'l-Baha during
Baha’u’llah’s lifetime and intended primarily for a non-Baha'i audience, and in
this case, a Sunni audience.
In this tablet, 'Abdu’l-Baha gives some ten meanings in all
for the word "al-Rúm" and for the phrase "Ghulibat ar-Rúm (the
Byzantines have been overthrown) …
Notes (adapted from the original article)
1) Athár Qalam A’lá,
vol. 5, p. 47
2) The valley of the right-hand side, the place from which
the Burning Bush called out to Moses, Qur’án 28:30
3) This may be a reference to the four pillars or supports
upon which religion is based. The Shi'is believed in five pillars but the
Shaykhis reduced this to four. The Báb also refers to four pillars
4) Statement made by the Báb is quoted by 'Abdu'l-Baha in
several places. See quotation in Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice,
p. 46 and The World Order of Bahi'u'll4h, pp. 126-7.
5) Shoghi Effendi translates these last six terms in a
passage from the writings of Baha’u’llah thus: "Much hath been written in
the books of old concerning the various stages in the development of the soul,
such as concupiscence, irascibility, inspiration, benevolence, contentment,
Divine good-pleasure, and the like; the Pen of the Most High, however, is
disinclined to dwell upon them." (Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha’u’llah).
6) An example of the standard Sufi description of the
commanding soul can be found in 'Abd ar-Razzáq al-Qásháni, Istilahat as
Sufiyyah (trans. Nabil Safwat, London: Octagon Press), no. 245, p. 56:
"The Self which inclines towards bodily nature, and commands one to
sensual delights and lusts, pulling the Heart downwards. Thus it is the abode
of evil, the fountainhead of reprehensible morals and wicked deeds."
7) Al-Qásháni's description of this state of soul is (no.
246, p. 56): "The Self which has been illuminated by the light of the
Heart, to the extent that it becomes aware of its habitual heedlessness. Thus
it awakens and begins to improve its condition, vacillating between Godliness
and its natural state; so that whenever a misdeed occurs through its natural
propensity towards evil, it is corrected by the divine admonitory light, and it
starts to blame itself and turn in repentance to the door of the Forgiving, the
Merciful."
8) Al-Qásháni describes this state of the self thus (no.
247, p. 56): "The Self whose enlightenment has been completed by the light
of the Heart, so that it has divested itself of base qualities and has been
moulded by laudable moral conduct and orientated toward the way of the Heart,
generally following it closely and progressively rising to the sacred world –
free from sin, assiduous in its devotions, rising step by step ...."
9) As-Sabá, the East Wind. According to al-Qásháni
(Iztilahát as-Stúfiyyah no. 242): "It is the breezes of the All-Merciful
coming from the direction of the East of Spirituality and summoning and rousing
one to the good."