Imamology, Lesson 63-64: Commenting the verse of “NOOR” and the light is specified for the Divine saints

Previous Page

Commenting the verse of “NOOR” and the light is specified for the Divine saints

أَفَمَنْ شَرَحَ اللَهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْاسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَى نُورٍ مِنْ رَبِّه. ‏^[31]

‘… is he whose heart Allah has opened up to Islam, so that he receives light from his Lord better, or…  , (Qur’an: 39/22).’

And by means of this Light He guides those slaves who have perfected their belief:

 رِجالٌ لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَة وَ لَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذَكْرِ اللَه‏ ^[32]

because the same Light that illuminates the heavens and the earth, He guides His specific obedient worshippers by that; and it is the best and the strongest Light existing in the heavens and in the earth.

How excellent this Light and its revelation has been explained in ‘Chapter Light’, and He states the guidance of the specified slaves of His by means of that and the, places them at the uppermost position as possible. He states:

اللَهُ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَ الْأرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَوة فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِى زُجَاجَة الزُّجَاجَة كَأنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّىٌّ يَوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَة مُبَارَكَة زَيْتُونَة لَا شَرْقِيَّة وَ لَا غَرْبِيَّة يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيى‏ءُ وَ لَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ يَهْدِى اللهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَ يَضْرِبُ اللَهُ الْأمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَ اللَهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْ‏ءِ عَلِيمٌ﴿35﴾ فِى بُيُوتٍ أذِنَ اللَهُ أنْ تُرْفَعَ وَ يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَ الْأصَالِ﴿36﴾ رِجَالٌ لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَة وَ لَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ وَ إقَامِ الصَّلَوة وَ إيتَاءِ الزَّكَوة يَخَافُونَ يَوْماً تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَ الْأَبْصَارُ﴿37﴾ لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ اللَهُ أحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا وَ يَزيدَ هُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَ اللَهُ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَاب ﴿38﴾

‘… Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth! His Light is like to a niche ^[33] in which there is a lamp; the lamp is in a glass; the glass is just as if it were a glittering star kindled from a blessed olive tree, belonging to neither eastern nor western, whose oil always glows although never has fire touched it – it is light issued of light. Allah guides whom He desires by His Light. And Allah devises parables for man; and Allah is Knower of everything!

[That Light is] in the Houses that Allah has allowed to be raised up, and His name to be mentioned therein; in those [Houses], He is glorified in the mornings and evenings.

The men whom neither trading nor bargaining hinders from remembrance of Allah, and keeping up prayer and paying the due welfare tax; and they fear a Day when their hearts and eyesight feel upset.

so that Allah may return them for their best works and increase His bounty upon them;  for Allah provides whomsoever He desires without reckoning. (Qur’an: 24/35-38).’

‏

In these verses, it is seen that Allah has promised that: يَهْدِى اللَهُ لِنُورِهِ‏ مَنْ يَشَاء. ‘With His Light Allah guides anyone He wills.’

His Light is in such a way that It illuminates the heavens and the earth. He has assigned two veils for His own Light, and those two veils are also from Light and they light up by the Light of Allah. And the heavens and the earth are lighted up by means of the very light. One of those veils which has the lesser light, is niche and it gets its light from the inner veil; and the inner one is a glass lighting up with [the main] Light.

Therefore, the illuminating Light is the shiny glass placed within it; and the light of the glass is more than the main Light. Perhaps the light of the earth is by that Light, and even better than that is the light of the heavens which is through that glass, because He states:

يُدَبِّرُ الْامْرَ مِنَ السَّماءِ إلَى الْأرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إلَيْه.‏

‘… He governs the affair [of this world] from the heavens to the earth; then, [the account of] it ascends to Him, (Qur’an: 32/5).’

In this noble verse, [the case of] beyond the heavens and the earth have not been mentioned so that to be known where His Light come from, nor is it mentioned what kind of Light it is, except stating that: It is lighted with the oil which belongs to a blessed tree, and the tree is neither from the east not the north so that to bear hot sun or feel cold air sometimes and in this way, to lose the taste and freshness of its fruit. It benefits the light of a world-wide candle, and produces the best fruit.

And also He has stated: The oil of this light always illuminates, even if a fire does not touch it.

Then He has stated: The exemplary of this light and whatever inside it is: all are in the houses that Allah has permitted to be in the highest position; and all the time, from dawn to dusk, the godly men whom nothing of the world affairs stops from praying and paying the due welfare tax, are sayings their beads in them.

Yes, these men are the saints of Allah, because He introduces them as: They are not neglected mentioning Allah, nor are they neglected doing righteousness; and they are never deprived of remembering Allah, they care no one but Allah – their concern is only Allah – this is the real meaning of the Guardians and the Saints of Allah.

They are of those the purified, and have passed the different stages of the sincerity and now are landed in the main station of the genuineness – they have passed by the mere title of sincerity but have become the genuine sincere.

The near-stationed and the saints of the Holiness Right, the Blessed and Exalted, are surely of the sincere ones; there have been revealed some verses about them in the Qur’an: first of all, because of their nearness to Allah and the removal of screen between their Creator and them, they have attained such high position that can explain Allah in the best way; as is stated:

سُبحَانَ اللَهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ إلَّا عِبَادَ اللَهِ المُخْلَصِين.‏ ^[34]

‘… Glory be to Allah Who is over all being they describe, except Allah's sincere servants, (Qur’an: 37/59-60).’

Secondly, they are exempted from the fear and fright of the Resurrection, the hardship of it, hearing the trumpet, being questioned and asked for their accounts, about the Book and keeping them wait for their time to arrive, because they have gone through all these before their deaths in this world.

فَإنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ إلَّا عِبَادَ اللهِ الْمُخْلَصِين‏. ^[35]

‘… so they are certainly of those who appear except Allah's sincere servants, (Qur’an: 37/127-128).’

And thirdly, they are immune of Satan’s cheating, and he cannot approach them, as he has said:

قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَاغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أجْمَعينَ إلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصين‏.‏ ^[36]

‘…  [Satan] said [to Allah], ‘So by Your Might, I shall mislead men all, except for those of Your sincere worshippers, (Qur’an: 38/83-84).’

And on this base, every kind of sins: malice, adultery and disbelief are away from them, and they are pure:

ذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَ الفَحْشاءَ إنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصين.‏ ^[37]

‘… thus was the case, that We warded off evil and the sexual misconduct from Joseph; surely he was one of Our sincere worshippers, (Qur’an: 12/24).’

And fourthly, the punishment of everyone is according to his actions, but this group has no sins to be punished for, so theirs is the reward of Allah, as He says:

وَ مَا تُجْزَوْنَ إلَّا ما كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ إلَّا عِبَادَ اللَهِ الْمُخْلَصين.‏ ^[38]

‘… and will be recompensed for what you have been doing – except Allah's sincere servants, (Qur’an: 37/39-40).’

Therefore, it is this much Allah has honoured to His saints; and it is benefitted by whatever said so far that among the Holiness Right giving them are in three stages: action, attribute and spirit.

The first thing in them that reaches the morality stage is the action. And the least thing that the learned in their actions count on is six: death, life, sickness, health, poverty and wealth.

That is, they do not believe in activity getting through these, they see them all done by the Glorified Allah. Similar to one who sees a movement but cannot see the mover; but he knows that there is a mover behind it. In this case, the Gloried is at the position of the acting, and His Holiness is within this movement.

Back to Index

The revealed verses on the Unity – considering all the saints of Allah

In the case of the Unity’s activities the saints are at the service of the action; in the “UNITY” of Sadough, from the Holiness Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, in this noble verse:

 فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا انْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُم.‏ ^[39]

‘… so when they inflamed Us, We took revenge on them, (Qur’an: 43/55), is pointed.

إنَّ اللَهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لَا يَأسَفُ كَأَسَفِنَا وَ لكِنَّهُ خَلَقَ أوْلِيَاءَ لِنَفْسِهِ يَأْسَفُونَ وَ يَرْضَوْنَ وَ هُمْ مَخْلُوقُونَ مَرْبُوبُونَ فَجَعَلَ رِضَاهُمْ رِضَا نَفْسِهِ وَ سَخَطَهُمْ سَخَطَ نَفْسِهِ وَ ذَلِكَ لِأنَّهُم جَعَلَهُمُ الدُّعَاة إلَيْهِ وَ الْأدِلَّاءَ عَلَيْهِ فَلِذَلِكَ صَارُوا كَذَلِكَ وَ لَيْسَ أنَّ ذَلِكَ يَصِلَ إلَى اللَهِ كَمَا يَصِلُ إلَى خَلْقِهِ وَ لَكِنْ هَذَا مَعْنَى مَا قَالَ مِنْ ذَلِك‏.

He says about the Pharaoh and his followers that: “When they made us wrathful and raised our anger We revenged Ourselves on them, and destroyed them all.”

The Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, said that: ‘Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, never gets angry or upset like us, however, he creates such saints for Himself that their angers become Allah’s anger and their satisfactions are Allah’s satisfactions.

It is because Allah has assigned them as His Own missionaries and the guides toward Him. That is why their anger is Allah’s anger and their pleasure is His.

So it does not mean that in the same way that the creature gets angry or becomes happy, Allah too gets the same way; it is how Allah ahs stated. And then, the Holiness stated:

وَ قَدْ قَالَ أيْضاً: مَنْ أهَانَ لِى وَلِيَّا فَقَدْ بَارَزَنِى بِالْمُحَارَبَة وَ دَعَانِى إلَيْهَا.

‘And also Allah has stated: “Anyone who disturbs my saint and lets him down, he has certainly started war with Me and has made Me enemy of his.”’

وَ قَدْ قَالَ أيْضاً «: إنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللَه.‏ ^[40]

And He has stated: [O Messenger!] Certainly those who have sworn allegiance with you, they have indeed sworn allegiance with Allah, (Qur’an: 48/10).”

وَ قَدْ قَالَ أيْضاً «: مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أطَاعَ اللَه.‏ ^[41]

And He has stated: “Whoever follows the Messenger, he certainly follows Allah, (Qur’an: 4/80).”

وَ كُلُّ هَذَا وَ شِبْهُهُ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْتُ لَكَ وَ هكَذَا الرِّضَا وَ الْغَضَبُ وَ غَيْرُهُمَا مِنَ الْاشْيَاءِ مِمَّا يُشَاكِلُ ذَلِك.‏ ^[42]

‘And all these affairs and their alike that I have told you so far are in this grouping; as well, the satisfaction and anger are of these types.’

And in short, whatever the Holiness has stated, and also most things that are similar to those are well explained in the verses, such as this noble verse when He states:

وَ مَا رَمَيْتَ اذْ رَمَيْتَ وَ لكِنَّ اللَهَ رَمى.‏ ^[43]

‘… and when you threw [pebbles at them], it was not you who threw, but Allah threw, (Qur’an: 8/17).’

And His statement as:

وَ مَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى إنْ هُوَ إلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَى. ^[44]

‘… and [the Messenger] does he speak from some whim; this is just an inspiration that is inspired, (Qur’an: 53/3-4).’

And His statement as:

و قوله تعالى «: لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْامرِ شَى‏ء. ^[45]

‘… nothing of this matter is of your concern, (Qur’an: 3/128).’

And also similar the statement of the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, as he stated:

فَاطِمَة بَضْعَة مِنِّى مَنْ آذَاهَا فَقَدْ آذَانِى وَ مَنْ آذانِى فَقَدْ آذَى اللَه.‏ ^[46]

‘Fatima is a part of my body, so whoever harms him as if he has harmed me; and whoever disturbs me as if he has disturbed Allah.’

So far, it was a brief explanation concerning the temporary annihilation of the saints which was explained within the deeds of Allah. And after annihilation in actions, annihilation is found in the reasons; and the elements of this annihilation, according to the narratives of the immaculate Imams, upon them be peace, are five: life, knowledge; and power, hearing, and seeing. And in these five cases, Allah stands for His Guardians, (Saints); that means, the Devotee sees life, knowledge, the power, hearing and the seeing absolutely through Allah and sense it – he cannot attribute it to himself not anyone possible around him.

Back to Index

The revealed verses and the narratives on being annihilated in the Divine attributes

In the book of “KAFEE”, among other subjects, there is a narrative from the Holiness Imam Bāqir, Upon Him be Peace, that:

إنَّ اللَهَ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ قَالَ: مَا تَقَرَّبَ الَىَّ عَبْدٌ مِنْ عِبَادِى بَشَىْ‏ءٍ أحَبَّ الَىَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَ انَّهُ لَيَتَقَرَّبُ إلَىَّ بِالنَّافِلَة حَتَّى احِبَّهُ، فَإذَا أحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذى يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَ بَصَرَهُ الَّذى يَبْصُرُ بِهِ، وَ لِسَانَهُ الَّذى يَنْطِقُ بِهِ؛ وَ يَدَهُ الَّتِى يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، إنْ دَعَانِى أجَبْتُهُ، وَ إنَ سأَلَنِى أعْطَيْتُه. ^[47]

Allah, the Honourable the Exalted, states: “Never has a slave among My obedient worshippers got closer to Me by any means other than it is dearer to Me and I have incumbent him to do. My slave constantly gets closer to Me by fulfilling the deeds recommended him to do; he goes on until I like him, and when I love him, I act as ears to him who listens through, and I act as eyes for through which he sees, I am tongue for him to speak with and also I am hands for to do take things with.

If My slave calls Me I am there to answer him, and if he asks me I give him his need.”

Both religions of the Shiite Sunnite have related this narrative; it is considered to be of the current and colloquial narratives

And this following noble verse approves its authentic:

قُلْ إنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَهَ فَاتَّبِعُونى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَهُ وَ يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُم.

‘… [O Messenger!] Say, ‘If you adore Allah, then follow me so that Allah may care for you and forgive your sins, (Qur’an: 3/31).’

Anyhow, before attaining this stage, man was among the people and living with them, and by means of his tongue, carnal desires, hands, eyes and ears he communicated and made conversation with them. Now, with the Light of Allah, he is among the people, he lives and has communication with them, but that piety of his has changed into the Light of Allah, therefore, his tongue, feet, eyes, ears and hands are not his but they all belong to Allah.  

As in my heart shone the beauty of the Beloved

My inner eye saw Good in Perfection of Beloved, (MAQREBI).’ ^[48] 

In “ISBAT-el-WASEI‘IAT”, Masoudi has related in a sermon that the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, made concerning the movement of the Messenger of Allah from the era of Adam until he was born that the Holiness had the honor to implore Allah:

سُبْحَانَكَ أىُّ عَيْنٍ تَقُومُ نُصْبَ بَهَاءِ نُورِكَ؟ وَ تَرْقَى إلَى نُورِ ضِياءِ قُدْرَتِكَ؟ وَ أىُّ فَهْمٍ يَفْهَمُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ إلَّا ابْصَارٌ كَشَفْتَ عَنْهَا الْاغْطِيَة، وَ هَتَكْتَ عَنْهَا الْحُجُبَ الْعَمِيَّة؛ وَ فَرَّقْتَ أرْوَاحَهَا إلَى أطْرَافِ أجْنِحَة الْأرْوَاحِ فَنَاجَوْكَ فِى أرْكَانِكَ، وَ وَلَجُوا بَيْنَ أنْوَارِ بَهَائِكَ، وَ نَظَرُوا مِن مُرْتَقَى التُّرْبَة إلَى مُسْتَوى كِبْرِيَائِكَ، فَسَمَّاهُمْ أهْلُ الْمَلَكُوتِ زُوَّاراً، وَ دَعَاهُمْ أهْلُ الْجَبَرُوتِ عُمَّارا. ^[49]

‘O Allah, glory belongs to You! Whose eyes can put up with the illuminating Light of Yours? Who can go above or even reach to the powerful enlightening Light of Yours? And which sense can feel it or understand even lower than that? Only the eyes that You have removed the veils from over them, and have torn off the dark coverings and screens, can do that – and their souls that you have spanned the length of their wings about the souls!

Therefore, they have entered Your great and Exalted position, and they gently speak to You, and they enter your enlightening Light and gaze at You even while still covered in their earthly bodies. However, those in Your Kingdom take them as the pilgrims, and those under Your Dominion consider them the devout and worshippers.’

Here, it is clearly seen that he states: Only the eyes that You have removed the veils from over their eyes can see the great illuminating Light of Yours, and gaze at Your power shining Light – this is not possible unless the attributes to be annihilated in the Names and Attributes of Allah. Because as long as the position of annihilation is not proved to be true in the attributes, it is impossible seeing the Holiness Right. There is nothing left in the world of annihilation to cover him, he is alone, and he only sees himself.

And of the narratives that are related to annihilation of the attribute is a narrative that Sadough has brought in “Touhid” from Hisham, in the narrative of Zandaqi that it has been asked from the Holiness Imam Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, concerning the descendant of Allah, the Exalted, to the heavens of this world; and the Holiness had answered:

لَيْسَ كَنُزُولِ جِسْمٍ عَنْ جِسْمٍ إلَى جِسْم‏.

‘The descendant of Allah is not as the descendant of physical body;’ and he goes on saying:

وَ لَكِنَّهُ يَنْزِلُ إلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا بِغَيْرِ مُعَانَاة وَ لَا حَرَكَة فَيَكُونُ هُوَ كَمَا فِى السَّمَاءِ السَّابِعَة عَلَى الْعَرْشِ كَذَلِكَ فِى سَمَاء الدُّنْيَا.

‘However, when Allah descend to the heavens of the world, He descend with no moves or means, therefore, He is the same way as He was on the firmament in the seventh heavens.’

Here, the Holiness continues that:

إنَّمَا يَكْشِفُ عَنْ عَظَمَتِهِ؛ وَ يُرِى اوْلِيَاءَهُ نَفْسَهُ حَيْثُ شَاءَ؛ وَ يَكْشِفُ مَا شَاءَ مِنْ قُدْرَتِهِ؛ وَ مَنْظَرُهُ بِالْقُرْبِ وَ الْبُعْدِ سَوَاء. ^[50]

‘Allah removes the screen away from His Greatness and presents Himself to His saints in any way that He desires; he shows His power or veils it as He desires – and the amount of His opinion is the same in the short or long distances.’

Showing Himself without-being-annihilated-in-seeing-attributes to the saints of His is not of the Knowledge of Allah; because even with the everlasting life it is impossible to see Allah, because it means the limited dominating the unlimited. However, there is nothing in annihilation except the Essence of that Holiness who is the Observer. Thus, this showing is specified only for His saints from whom the screens have been removed.

In “Od‘dat-ad-Daee, the Late ibn Fahdaz Wahab bin Monba relates that:

فيمَا آوْحَى إللَهُ الَى دَاوُدَ: يَا دَاوُدُ! ذِكْرِى لِلذَّاكِرينَ؛ وَ جَنَّتى لِلْمُطيعينَ؛ وَ حُبِّى لِلْمُشْتَاقينَ؛ وَ أنَا خَاصَّة لِلْمُحِبِّين. ^[51]

‏‘Among the things Allah inspired David with was that He said: “O Dawood, I remember those who remember Me, and My paradise is for those who obey Me, and My affection is towards them who long to Me; and [with all these attributes, glories and beauties] I am for those who love me.”

In common supplications and prays, there are many such supplications and prayers; as the whispered prayer of ‘Sha‘banei’ia’ of the Commander of the believers, Upon Him be Peace, which goes on as:

ألْهِمْنى وَلَهاً بِذِكْرِكَ إلَى ذِكْرِكَ! وَ اجْعَلْ هَمىِّ إلَى رَوْحِ نَجَاحِ أسْمَائِكَ وَ مَحَلِّ قُدسِكَ! ^[52]

‘O Allah! Inspire me and honour me the desire of remembering and mentioning You so that by means of it to find the way higher than mentioning You; and direct my intentions and struggles in being successful through Your Names and the position of Your pure Holy Essence.’

Then, he continues saying:

إلَهى هَبْ لِى كَمَالَ الْانْقِطَاعِ إلَيْكَ، وَ أنِرْ أبْصَارَ قُلُوبِنَا بِضِيَاءِ نَظَرِهَا إلَيْكَ، حَتَّى تَخْرِقَ أبْصَارُ الْقُلُوبِ حُجُبَ النُ‏ورِ فَتَصِلَ إلَى مَعْدِنِ الْعَظَمَة وَ تَصِير أرْوَاحُنَا مُعَلَّقَة بِعِزِّ قُدْسِكَ إلَهى وَ اجْعَلْنى مِمَّنْ نَادَيْتَهُ فَأجَابَكَ وَ لَاحَظْتَهُ فَصَعِقَ لِجَلَالِكَ، فَنَاجَيْتَهُ سِرّاً، وَ عَمِلَ لَكَ جَهْرا.

‘O Allah!  Grant me the perfection of my return to You, and brighten my heart’s illumination towards You, so that the eyes of us all to tear apart the screens and join You’re the most perfect beauty and our souls to get suspended the Holiness Status of You!’

‘O Allah! Please assign me among those whom You have called and invited to You, and they too have answered Your call! And those that You have attentively cast glance on them! And those who have fainted to see Your Glory! Then, You have in Your secrecy whispered with them! And those who in secret and open got ready to serve You and they did it!’

Then, he continues saying:

إلَهى وَ ألْحِقْنى بِنُورِ عِزِّكَ الْأبْهَجِ فَأكُونَ لَكَ عَارِفاً وَ عَنْ سِوَاكَ مُنْحَرِفاً وَ مِنْكَ خَائِفاً مُرَاقِبا. ^[53]

‘O Allah! Join me to Your honourable Light that is superb and delightful so that to know Your status, and turn away from the aliens – and always to be aware of Your wrath!’

And after being annihilated in the attributes, the third step of annihilation comes into view, and that is annihilating in the Essence: the essence of the saint mixes up with Allah’s and annihilates, his being overthrown and there remains no signs of him.

Here, the name and reputation wade away and the Holiness Being substitutes him.

This position is the highest position and the best state to be explained by words, or to point out its quality. Generally giving rate to it is permissible and this is an honour from the Glorified Allah to His Messenger, Muhammad bin Abdullah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, after that Holiness, the case is the same with his off spring, and so is it with the saints of Allah who are of the nation of that Holiness; great many narratives relate that Allah, the Honourable and Exalted, will join such Shiites to them in the Hereafter.

In the narratives, concerning the annihilation in the Essence has been related in the Ascension of the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, where Allah states about the Saint of Allah:

وَ يُنْقَلُ مِن دَارِ الْفَنَاءِ إلَى دَارِ الْبَقاءِ، وَ مِنْ دَارِ الشَّيْطَانِ إلَى دَارِ الرَّحْمَن. ^[54]

‏”He is moving from the annihilating house towards the Permanent House; and from the house of Satan to the House of the Mercy-giving.”

It is benefitted from this that: whatever of the positions and generosities Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, has promised in the Hereafter, he has assigned it for His Saints in the world, and has provided them with – and joining to their Imams is also take place here.

And among the favours of the Holiness, the Exalted, to his saints is making them have the Divine Journey in the middle world, between the receiving and annihilation in their Creator.

Back to Index

The narratives about the “ASCENTION” or Ahmad in the traces of the behavior to the Guardianship

On these subjects, there are great many lengthy narratives in the ethical the Gnostic books, especially in the “Behar-al-Anwar” of the Late Majlisi, may Allah be pleased with. And as the sample, we are going to mention a few narratives of the ascension of the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, they are addressed as ‘O Ahmad’.

In the “ERSHAD-al-GHOLOB” ^[55] and the “Behar-al-Anwar” from “ERSHAD-al-GHOLOB” and by two other documents – which some parts are found in the latest and some others in the ancient books – there are a most authentic and subtle, and in the mean time, strange points about the Divine Journey towards Allah.

This narrative is certainly a comprehensive document, and it has explained every tiny point in details; now, we are to bring some parts of it in brief:

يَا أحْمَدُ: هَلْ تَدْرى أىُّ عَيْشٍ أهْنَأُ، وَ أىُ حَياة أبْقَى؟! قَالَ: اللَّهُمَ لَا!

قَالَ: أمّا الْعَيْشُ الْهَنِى‏ءُ، فَهُوَ الَّذى لَا يَفْتُرُ صَاحِبُهُ عَنْ ذِكْرى؛ وَ لَا يَنْسَى نِعْمَتى؛ وَ لَا يَجْهَلُ حَقِّى؛ يَطْلُبُ رِضَاىَ فى لَيْلِهِ وَ نَهَارِهِ!

وَ أمَّا الْحَياة الْباقِيَة، فَهِىَ التبَى يَعْمَلُ لِنَفْسِهِ، حَتَّى تَهُونَ عَلَيْهَ الدُّنْيَا، وَ تَصْغُرَ فى عَيْنِهِ؛ وَ تَعْظُمَ الْآخِرَة عِنْدَهُ؛ وَ يُؤْثِرَ هَوَاىَ عَلَى هَوَاهُ؛ وَ يَبْتَغِىَ مَرْضَاتِى؛ وَ يُعَظِمَ حَقَّ عَظَمَتى، وَ يَذْكُرَ عِلْمِى بِهِ، وَ يُرَاقِبَنى بِاللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ عِنْدَ كُلِ سَيِّئَة أوْ مَعْصِيَة؛ وَ يَنْقَى قَلْبَهُ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا أَكْرَهَ؛ وَ يُبْغِضَ الشَّيْطَانَ وَ وَسَاوِسَهُ؛ وَ لَا يَجْعَلَ لِابْليسَ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ سُلْطَاناً وَ سَبيلًا.

فَإذَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، أسْكَنْتُ قَلْبَهُ حُبّاً حَتَّى أجْعَلَ قَلْبَهُ لِى؛ وَ فَرَاغَهُ وَ اشْتِغَالَهُ وَ هَمَّهُ وَ

حَدِيثَهُ مِنَ النِّعْمَة التَّى أنعَمْتُ بِهَا عَلَى أهْلِ مَحَبَّتى مِنْ خَلْقى! وَ أفْتَحَ عَيْنَ قَلْبِهِ وَ سَمْعَهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ بِقَلْبِهِ وَ يَنْظُرَ بِقَلْبِهِ إلَى جَلَالى وَ عَظَمَتى؛ وَ اضَيِّقَ عَلَيْهِ الدُّنْيَا وَ ابَغِّضَ إلَيْهِ مَا فيهَا مِنَ اللَّذَّاتِ؛ وَ احَذِّرَهُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَ مَا فيهَا كَمَا يُحَذِّرُ الرَّاعى غَنَمَهُ مِنْ مَراتِعِ الْهَلَكَة؛ فإذَا كَانَ هكَذَا يَفِرُّ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَرَاراً؛ وَ يُنْقَلُ مِنْ دَارِ الْفَنَاءِ الَى دَارِ الْبَقَاءِ؛ وَ مِنْ دَارِ الشَّيْطَانَ إلَى دَارِ الرَّحْمَنِ.

[Allah, the Honourable and Exalted states:]

“O Ahmad! Do you know which pleasure is agreeable and which life is everlasting?” He answered: ‘O Allah, no.’

Allah addressed him; “But the agreeable pleasure is the pleasure that one who achieves it not to become unwilling in remembering Me, and not to forget my favours towards him, and not to be ignorant to My right, and all the time seeking for achieving My pleasure and bounties.

But the everlasting life is that one to take this world pointless and struggle to build his Hereafter – to consider this world lowly and the Hereafter main and great. To give priority to My will than his, to seek for My satisfaction, to respect the right of My greatness, to remember My favouring knowledge to him, and to remember Me in his prayers and crimes; and to purify his heart from all evils, and to consider Satan and his temptations to be against him and his enemy, and not to give way to Satan to enter his heart.    

Therefore, if he does so, I shall so let my love and affection settle in his heart that I will take his heart, his activities, his leisure, his try, his speaking for Me; I shall assign such a blessing for him that he becomes of Mine specific obedient worshipper.

I have bestowed the other slaves such blessings. I shall let his eyes see the things better, I shall so strengthen his sense of hearing that hears through his hear. He then observes My Majesty and Greatness, I shall shrink this world for him and I shall make unpleasant the joy and ornaments of this world for him. As a shepherd leads his sheep on the hill to pasture while looking after them, I shall look after him all through his life. “

يَا أحْمَدُ! وَ لَازَيِّنَنَّهُ بِالْهَيْبَة، وَ الْعَظَمَة؛ فَهَذَا هُوَ الْعَيْشُ الْهَنِى‏ءُ وَ الْحَيَاة الْبَاقِية؛ و هَذَا مَقَامُ الرَّاضِينَ.

فَمَنْ عَمِلَ بِرِضَاىَ الْزِمُهُ ثَلَاثَ خِصَالٍ: اعَرِّفُهُ شُكْراً لَا يُخَالِطُهُ الْجَهْلُ؛ وَ ذُكْراً لَا يُخَالِطُهُ النِّسْيانُ؛ وَ مَحَبَّة لَا يُؤْثِرُ عَلَى مَحَبَّتى مَحَبَّة الْمَخْلُوقينَ.

فَإذَا أحَبَّنِى أحْبَبْتُهُ؛ وَ أَفْتَحُ عَيْنَ قَلْبِهِ إلَى جَلَالِى؛ وَ لَا اخْفى عَلَيْهِ خَاصَّة خَلْقِى؛ وَ انَاجِيهِ فى ظُلَمِ الْلَّيلِ، وَ نُورِ النَّهَارِ؛ حَتَّىَ ينْقَطِعَ حَدِيثُهُ مَعَ الْمَخْلُوقينَ؛ وَ مُجَالَسَتُهُ مَعَهُمْ؛ وَ اسْمِعُهُ كَلَامِى وَ كَلَامَ مَلَائِكَتى؛ وَ اعَرِّقُهُ السِّرَّ الَّذى سَتَرْتُهُ عَنْ خَلْقى؛ وَ الْبِسُهُ الْحَيَاءَ حَتَّىَ يسْتَحْيِىَ مِنْهُ الْخَلْقُ كُلُّهُمْ؛ وَ يَمْشِىَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مَغْفُوراً لَهُ؛ وَ أَجْعَلُ قَلْبَهُ وَاعِياً وَ بصِيراً؛ وَ لَا اخْفِى عَلَيْهِ شَيْئاً مِنْ جَنَّة وَ لَا نَارٍ. وَ اعَرَّفُهُ مَا يَمُرُّ عَلَى النَّاسِ فِىَ يَوْمِ الْقِيامَة مِنَ الْهَوْلِ وَ الشِّدَّة؛ وَ ما احَاسِبُ الْأغْنِياءَ وَ الْفُقَراءَ وَ الْجُهَّالَ وَ الْعُلَمَاءَ.

وَ انَوِّمُهُ فِى قَبْرِهِ؛ وَ انْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ مُنْكَراً وَ نَكِيراً حَتَّى يَسْألَاهُ؛ وَ لَا يَرَى غَمْرَة المَوْتِ وَ ظُلْمَة القَبْرِ، وَ اللَّحْدِ، وَ هَوْلَ الْمُطَّلَعِ؛ ثُمَّ أَنْصِبُ لَهْ مِيزَانَهُ؛ وَ أَنْشُرُ دِيوَانَهُ؛ ثُمَّ أضَعُ كِتَابَهُ فِى يَمينِهِ فَيَقْرُؤُهُ مَنْشُوراً.

ثُمَّ لَا أجْعَلُ بَيْنى وَ بَيْنَهُ تَرْجُمَاناً؛ فَهَذِهِ صِفَاتُ الْمُحِبِّينَ.

“O Ahmad! And I shall furnish him with reverence and greatness! This is the very agreeable pleasure, and everlasting life! And this is the position of those who are pleased with Me.

Therefore, he who acts upon My pleasure, I shall always accompany him with three attributes:

I shall so let him know the way of thanksgiving that he will never ignore it, and I shall so make him remember that he will never forget it; and I shall show him such a kindness that he will never prefer people’s kindness to Mine.

And as he loves me so do I love him, and I shall open his eyes and ears to see and hear Me; and I shall not hide the specialties of My slaves from him. I shall speak to him in the middle of the dark nights and during the days in his privacy, I shall have whispered prayers with him so that he cuts his communications with the people and constant meeting them.

I shall make him hear the speeches of Mine, as well as My angels’ speeches, and I shall let him see the very secret ^[56] I have kept secret from My creatures. I shall thus dress him up with the decent clothing that all other people feel shy in front of him; he walks on the earth in a state of clemency, and I shall make his heart clear-sighted.

I shall not hide anything of paradise or hell from him; I shall present him whatever frights, worries, and agonies happen in the Hereafter. I shall show him the quality of how I deal with the riches, the poor, the learned and the ignorant on that Day. I shall make him sleep in his grave and then I shall command My two angels “NAKIR and MONKAR” to go to him and see to his state.

He will never feel the pangs of death, the darkness of the grave and the tomb-niche – and he is not afraid of the appalling states of the hereafter coming to him.

Then, I Myself, assign the balance of his deeds, and open the document of his deeds, and let his deeds’ document go to him by the right hand of him and he begins to read that open letter.

And that I shall not assign any interpreter between him and I to speak for him – these are the attributes of the beloved ones.” 

يَا أحْمَدُ! اجْعَلْ هَمَّكَ هَمّاً وَاحِداً! فَاجْعَلْ لِسَانَكَ لِسَاناً وَاحِداً! وَ اجْعَلْ بَدَنَكَ حَيّاً لَا تَغْفُلُ عَنِّى؛ مَن يَغْفُلْ عَنِّى لَا ابَالى بِأىِّ وَادٍ هَلَك.‏ ^[57]

“O Ahmad! Set your intention and will as a unique intention, and let your tongue say only one thing; do always enliven your thoughts and imaginations so that not to be neglected of Me. Whoever becomes forgetful of Me, then, I shall not care where or when he perishes!”

In “Kafi” he has related it by his documents that:

‘The Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, came face to face with Haritha bin Malik bin No‘man Ansari and asked him:

“O Harish! How are you getting on?”

فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَهِ: مُؤمِنٌ حَقّاً! فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَهِ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْه وَ آله وَ سَلَّم: لَكُلِّ شَىْ‏ءٍ حَقِيقَة؛ فَمَا حَقيقَة قَوْلِكَ؟! فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَهِ! عَزَفَتْ نَفْسى عَنِ الدُّنْيَا فَأسْهَرْتُ لَيْلى؛ وَ أظْمَأْتُ

هَوَاجرى؛ وَ كَأِنى أنْظُرُ عَرْشَ رَبِّى؛ وَ قَدْ وُضِعَ لِلْحِسَابِ؛ وَ كَأنِّى أنْظُرُ إلَى أهْلِ الْجَنَّة يَتَزَاوَرُونَ فِى الْجَنَّة؛ وَ كَأنِّى أسْمَعُ عُوَاءَ أهْلِ النَّار فِى النَّارِ

فَقالَ رَسولُ اللَه صَلَّى الله عَلَيْه وَ آله وَ سَلَّم: عَبْدٌ نَوَّرَ اللَهُ قَلْبَهُ؛ أبْصَرْتَ فَاثْبُت.‏ ^[58]

So he answered: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I am well, I believe in the right belief.’

The Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, stated: “There is a fact for every saying and everything; what is your fact of saying so?”

Haritha said: ‘My carnal desires have been cut off from this world! I am awake at nights, and during the days I am fasting and am thirsty. I consider that the firmament of Allah has been set up for testing out the accounts of the people; as if it is obvious to me that those in paradise often go to visit each other. It seems to me that the people in Hell are crying out in the Fire, they are howling!’

[After listening what he say,] the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, stated: “This is a slave that Allah has illuminated his heart with the Light of belief.” [Then, turning to him, stated:] “O Haritha, your eyes have been brightened up, you see the secrets, so try to remain in this state.”

By the direct concern of Allah, in the 2^nd volume of “Knowing the Resurrection” we have, in brief, explained about the conditions of the saints of Allah. So far, the foregoing discussions are short to explain the oceans of stories and narratives about the saints of Allah. If we consider the case carefully and patiently take a measure we will understand that the way to reach to the servitude and to get closer to Holiness Exalted Right is wide open – the door is not closed to anyone. Finally, the Imams and the religious Leaders are the best instructors and guides to direct one in this way – may their plentiful rewards be by Allah!

The necessity of the position of Imamate is that: they hold their followers hands and guide them to where they themselves have reach.

May peace be upon us and the rightful obedient worshippers!

Back to Index

Next Lesson

References

[31] Surah 39, "زمر", Verse 22.
[32] Surah 24, "نور", Verse 37.
[33] In the old days that lights were lit by oil and petroleum, they were put in niches built in the rooms and were called "كوة" or "مشكوة" in Persian. 
[34] Surah 37, "صافات", Verses 159 & 160.
[35] Surah 37, "صافات", Verses 127 & 128.
[36] Surah 38, "ص", Verse 83 & 84.
[37] Surah 12, "یوسف", Verse 24.
[38] Surah 37, "صافات", Verses 39 & 40.
[39] Surah 43, "زخرف", Verse 55.
[40] Surah 48, "فتح", Verse 10.
[41] Surah 4, "نساء", Verse 80.
[42] The "توحيد" of Sadough, section 26, pages 168-169, and Kolaini has also put this narrative in "كافى‏" quoting the Holiness Imam Sadiq, volume 1 from the fundamental, published by Heidari, page 144.
[43] Surah 8, "انفال", Verse 17.
[44] Surah 53, "نجم", Verses 3 & 4.
[45] Surah 3, "آل عمران", Verse 128.
[46] "بحار الانوار ", published by Kompany, volume 10, page 13; this style of narrating is by Jabir.
[47] Kolaini has related this narrative by two different documents; "کافی اصول ", volume 2, page 352, Heidary's publication.
[48] By Maghrebi
[49] "اثبات الوسیله ", letter-set publication, page 95.
[50] "بحار الانوار ", the book of argument, published by Kompany, volume 4, page 137, and the Late Majlisi has related this by means of some different copies from the "توحيد" of Sadough.
[51] "عدّة الداعی ", page 186.