This
letter, written for Mawlânâ Huseyn, provides information about the ’Arsh and the
Kursî:
May hamd be to Allâhu ta’âlâ. May salâm be to His slaves whom He has liked and chosen!
The ’Arsh-i-Mejîd is one of the marvelous creatures of
Allâhu ta’âlâ. It is located between the ’âlam-i-khalq and the ’âlam-i-emr. It
is within the ’âlam-i-kebîr. It is he vastest world in the
’âlam-i-khalq. It is similar both to the ’âlam-i-khalq and to the ’âlam-i-emr.
The ’âlam-i-khalq
[world
of matter] consists of places such as mountains and heavens; [it is also called
the ’âlam-i-shehâdat. That it is called
the ’âlam-i-mulk, too, is written in
the book entitled Reshehât, (written by Fakhr-ud-dîn ’Alî bin Huseyn ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ
’alaih’, 867 [1462 A.D.] - 939 [1533], Herat;)] this ’âlam was created in six
days. As a matter of fact, it is purported in the ninth âyat-i-kerîma of
Fussilat Sűra that He “Created the earth in two days....” The ’Arsh was created
before the creation of the ’âlam-i-khalq. As a matter of fact, the seventh
âyat-i-kerîma of Hűd Sűra purports that Allâhu ta’âlâ “created the
heavens and the earth in six days and His ’Arsh was over the
waters... .” This âyat-i-kerîma shows that the creation of water preceded
the creation of earth and heavens. Hence, the structure of the ’Arsh is
dissimilar to the structure of the earth as well as to that of the heavens.
For, the ’Arsh is very similar to the ’âlam-i-emr, whereas these things, (i.e.
the earth and the heavens bear no similarity to the ’âlam-i-emr. Similarity of
the ’Arsh to the heavens, (if it bears any,) is more than it bears to the
earth. It is on account of this relative similarity that it has been classified
with the heavens. However, it is neither terrestrial nor celestrial. Then, it
is by no means comparable to the earth and the heavens.
As for the Kursî; the
Âyat-al-kursî, which is the two hundred and fifty-fifth âyat-i-kerîma of Baqara
Sűre, purports: “... His Kursî doth extend over the heavens and the earth, ....” Hence, the Kursî also
is something different from the heavens. The Kursî is not something from the
’âlam-i-emr. For, it has been stated that it is beneath the ’Arsh. The ’âlam-i-emr, in its turn, is
above the ’Arsh. [It is immaterial and without time. The ’âlam-i-emr is also
called the ’âlam-i-melekűt or the ’âlam-i-arwâh.] Since the Kursî is from the ’âlam-i-khalq and was created
separately from heavens, it must have been created some time outside of those
six days. As a matter of fact, water, which is from the ’âlam-i-khalq, was
created some time outside of that six-day period; it was created earlier. Since
we have not been informed about the Kursî, I
leave it
to some other time. I hope that Haqq jalla wa ’âlâ will bless us with His Kindness and
Grace and inform us about it. Yâ Rabbî! Please do improve us in knowledge!
What has been written
so far has shed a light on two doubtful issues: One of them is this: How is the
six-day period determined in the absence of the earth and the heavens? How is
Sunday distinguished from Monday? When it is known that the ’Arsh was
created before the heavens, it will be known that time will be
discerned and days will appear. [There does not necessarily have to be nights
and days. As a matter of fact, in polar regions a six-month day is followed by
a six-month night. Yet we still call each ‘six months’.] Sunrise and sunset are
not necessary for days’ being separate from one another. As a matter of fact,
in Paradise days will be separate from one another. As a matter of fact, in
Paradise days will be separate from one another, although sunrise and sunset
will not take place in Paradise.
The second doubtful
issue is with respect to the knowledge of this faqîr, [i.e. Imâm Rabbânî.] Allâhu ta’âlâ declared as follows in
a hadîth-i-qudsî: “I shall not go into the earth or into heaven.
Yet I shall go into the
heart of a slave of Mine who is a Believer.” Hence, an out-and-out zuhűr[1] is exceptional to the
Believer’s heart. On the other hand, I have stated in a
couple of my other letters that an out-and-out zuhűr is peculiar to the ’Arsh
and that the zuhűr in the heart is a beam of light from the zuhűr reflected on
the ’Arsh. [A hadîth-i-qudsî is a hadîth-i-sherîf whose words have been uttered by our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ and whose meanings have been inspired by
Allâhu ta’âlâ.] It should be concluded from the explanations made above that the status of the ’Arsh-i-mejîd and the
prestige that has been attached to it exempt it from the earth and heaven. He will not go into the Believer’s heart, yet He will go into the ’Arsh. Its answer
is this: The earth and heavens and all the things within them are not so wide. Only, the heart of a slave who is a Believer has that capacity. It is in
comparison with the earth and heaven that the heart is stated to be wider, in the hadîth-i-qudsî (quoted above). It is not stated to be wider than all the other
creatures, so that the ’Arsh should be included. Then, the explanations that we have made in our other letters cannot be said to be contradictory to the
hadîth-i-qudsî.
A complete zuhűr takes
place on the ’Arsh-i-mejîd. If we placed the earth and heavens together with
all their contents against the ’Arsh, they would cease to exist at once,
leaving no trace behind them. One thing would remain: The Believer’s heart.
For, it is identical with the ’Arsh.
Such is the zuhűr on
the ’âlam-i-emr, which is above the ’Arsh, that the ’Arsh is a mere nothing
when compared with it. Then, so
---------------------------------
[1] Lexical meaning of ‘zuhűr’ is
‘manifestation’; ‘appearing’; ‘becoming manifest’.
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is the zuhűr on each upper grade in
comparison with the one beneath it. When the ’âlam-i-emr comes to an end, there
begins an ’âlam of bewilderment and ignorance. If ma’rifa(t) ever occurs in
this ’âlam, it will be a sort of unknown ma’rifat that is quite beyond the
creatures’ mental capacity and understanding.
We will also give some
information about the kemâl (perfection) of man and his heart. Although the
’Arsh-i-mejîd is the widest and is possessed of complete zuhűr, it is unaware
of this blessing it has been gifted with. It is unconscious of this perfection.
Man’s heart, on the other hand, is conscious. It is aware of itself. The second
blessing that the heart has been honoured with is that man in his entirety is
the ’âlam-i-saghîr
[minor
creature]. It is made up of the ’âlam-i-khalq and the ’âlam-i-emr. These things have come together to make up a compound system,
which bears quite a singular importance and prestige. This compound system does
not exist in the ’âlam-i-kebîr, [i.e. all creation other than man.] If it ever exists in them,
it is not genuine; it is in their outward appearance. The fayz (or faydh) and
other useful things that come to man and to man’s heart via this unique system
have very scarcely fallen to the lot of the ’âlam-i-kebîr or the ’Arsh, which
is the heart of that ’âlam. The earthen substances existing in man’s
construction are the building stones of the entire universe. Quite far as he is,
most of the zuhűr takes place on him. Perfections of the earthen substances
have spread all over the system of the ’âlam-i-saghîr, [i.e. man.] Because the
’âlam-i-kebîr does not have such a compound system, the perfections do not
spread over that being. Then, the human heart possesses those perfections as
well, whereas the ’Arsh does not possess them.
These perfections, which are peculiar to the heart, make it superior; yet that superiority is one that
is in one respect only. Superiority in all (other) respects is in the zuhűr that takes place on the ’Arsh. If we should call the ’Arsh a vast source of light
that illuminates deserts, plains, and all, the heart is like a match lit from that source. Only, some choice additives that the heart has been enriched with
makes it emit a different light. It is this exceptional light that lends it a superiority in one respect.
Allâhu ta’âlâ, alone, knows the true and inner essence of everything. Yâ Rabbî! Please perfect the light that Thou
hast bestowed on us! Forgive us our sins! Thou canst do all! May Allâhu ta’âlâ bless with goodness
and salâmat and barakat our Master, Muhammad ‘’alaihissalâm’, his Âl (Family)
and His As-hâb ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihim ajma’în’, and all the Prophets and closer angels
‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’!
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