This letter, written as
an answer to two questions asked by Muhammad
’Abdullah ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’, one of the sons of his teacher
Bâqî-Billâh ‘quddisa-sirruh’, (971 [1563 A.D.] - 1012 [1603], Delhi,)
expatiates on the ’ayn-ul-yaqîn:
I offer my hamd to
Allâhu ta’âlâ, send my salât to
Muhammad Mustafâ ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, an invoke a blessing on you. Your valuable letter has arrived here, and we have read it with great pleasure
and gladness. You inform that you always remember, every moment. How beautiful, and how blessed. If the blessing that you have obtained in three months had been
attained in ten years in other paths, it would be deemed as great gains. Be thankful for that blessing! Because I know of the high nobility innate in your nature, so that being
told about the value of such states will not spoil you with pride and
arrogance, I write about the greatness of the blessing. Do not ever forget
the âyat-i-kerîma that purports: “I shall add to My blessing
if you behave gratefully!”
You say that earlier
the pieces of knowledge concerning tawhîd have begun to appear. These things
also are plenty of gains. Pray so that you will be blessed with that high
state. However, strive in the meantime, to the best of your ability, to be
watchful of the Islamic âdâb![1] Perform your duties as a slave (of Allâhu ta’âlâ)! If these states attained are proper and not defective, they are the fruits of a profound affection towards the beloved one. For, whereever the
lover goes, he will see and know none other than the beloved one. Regardless of whence a pleasure or flavour that he is relishing may be coming, to him it is
exclusively from the beloved one. A lover in that state sees the creatures as well, yet to him they all are a beloved one. Fanâ is not obtained in that state.
For, when Fanâ takes place, only one existence will suffuse the lover, the creatures becoming thoroughly non-existent in his view. In fact, it has been called
Fanâ because creatures are not seen. The true Fanâ, however, is attained when none of the Sifât-i-ilâhî or the Names (of
Allâhu ta’âlâ) or any attachment or any separate appearance is seen, all of them being completely gone. Nothing
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[1] Âdâb is
the plural form of adab (or edeb), and it means ‘manners to be observed to do
something in the most beautiful way, i.e. in a manner Allâhu
ta’âlâ likes best. See, for instance, the sixth chapter for the ‘âdâb’ in
eating and drinking.
other than the Dhât-i-ilâhî is seen or ever thought of. It is at
this stage that the Seyr-i-il-Allah (journey to Allah) ends. It is here that
all the fancies and appearances are completely gotten rid of; the ’ârif is
always with the origin of origins; he has transcended the symptoms and attained
the origin. ’Ilm (knowledge) has developed into ’ayn.[1] Hearing has become
attainment. The great happiness of Wasl-i-’uryânî, [i.e. attaining Him, alone,]
has come true, and many another blessing, and what not. That rank, that
superior grade can be expressed only by way of signs, symbols, and codes. And
that, again, can only be covered and curtained.
Question: The valuable son
asks us to describe the ’ayn-ul-yaqîn. Does he think that this ’ayn is
something comprehensible?
Answer: It is a difficult
job to describe it. What should I do? What should I say?
What should I inform? What should I do to bring it into
alignment with mind? My valuable child! I
hope you
will excuse me. I recommend that your demand be to acquire it and adapt your inner
nature to it, rather than hear and learn!
Question: Scholars who are
called râsikh know the meanings of (those esoteric âyat-i-kerîmas of the Qur’ân al-kerîm that are termed) the
Mutashâbihât. How are their meanings understood?
Answer: This question is
even subtler and more covered than the former one, and its answer should be
even more covered. These two questions are symptomatic of a very high nature
congenitally possessed by that valuable child.
Understanding the
meanings of the mutashâbihât in the Holy Books of Allâhu ta’âlâ is something that can be done only by Prophets
‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’. They may have let very few of their
Ummats taste a mouthful of this knowledge since those fortunate people have
been honoured with being their inheritors and as a reward for their fully
adapting themselves to Prophets. For those fortunate people also they may raise the curtain
covering the face of that beauty, (even) in this world. It is hoped that after
the Rising many another person among their Ummats will be blessed with this
greatest fortune as a reward for their obedience to their Prophets. To my
understanding, even in this world Believers in addition to the very few most
fortunate ones will be honoured with that great fortune. Yet those people will not
know the inner essence of the matter because the (inner) meanings will not be
revealed to them. Those people will explain
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[1] Its lexical meaning is ‘definite knowledge
acquired as if by seeing’.
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the mutashâbihât with their true meanings, although they will
not know what those meanings are. The mutashâbihât are the signs showing the
treatments and states. Those people may experience those states. Yet they will
not be let to know what those states are. We have been observing those states
being experienced by one of the people we love. It is up to you to use your
imagination concerning the others. This question of yours has opened the door
to hopes.
Yâ Rabbî! Please add
to our nûr, which Thou hast so kindly bestowed on us! Please cover our sins and
faults! Thou canst do all! I send my salâm (salutation, greeting).