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In the Name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful And bless be upon Muhammad and his pure Household, and may Allah's curse be on his enemies from now until the Day of Resurrection! And there is no power or strength except for the Lofty Glorious Allah. The Wise Allah has stated in His Glorious Book: أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ، الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ، لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَى فِي الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الآخِرَةِ لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ. [1] ‘… know that indeed Allah’s friends – no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they worry; those who have believed and done their duty, there is for them good news in the worldly life and so is in the Hereafter. There is no alteration in Allah's words; that is a great success, (Qur’an: 10/62-64).’ The quality of Allah’s communication with the believer Travelling the course of the Guardianship is ignoring everything except AllahIn these verses, we gather by the context of the comment of ‘أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ’ to the sentence ‘الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ’ that the Divine Guardianship does not prove to be true simply by the primary belief, but it is obtained after the stages of pieties and virtues; therefore, it is a kind of strong belief, that after the first belief and practicing it, following the pieties, and a long time practicing the righteousness, it is obtained. Because of the continual belief and practicing it, and by the divine piety, the belief continuously becomes stronger and stronger, until the sensual veils, setting up between the Honorable and Exalted Creator and His slave, become weaker and weaker until his interests to the material world are totally cut off and there remain no veils between Allah and the creature. This is the meaning of the guardianship and the quality of how to reach that degree. In this case, as the guardianship is based on two subjects – Allah and the slave of Allah – Allah is the Master so is the slave called the master; Allah in the point of divinity and subject and the slave from the point of servitude and acceptance. This is the Divine Guardianship, because the removal of the screen takes place between Allah and His slave. On the other side, it is the guardianship of the Satan, that is between an aggressive and the sinful person and Satan which remains no veil. Satan becomes his master and principle and planner in his affairs, any kind of veils are removed from between them – Satan is permanently active and the poor person is abject. Satan is his master so is he Satan’s master. Of course, it is a great loss that Satan to be one’s master, because for oneness and unity of him he always interferes in one’s affairs. As it is stated: وَ مَنْ يَتَّخَذَ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيّاً مِنْ دُونِ اللَهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَاناً مُبينا.[2] ‘… and anyone who chooses Satan as a friend, instead of Allah, has obviously lost out, (Qur’an:4/119).’
قُلْ أمَرَ رَبِّى بِالْقِسْطِ وَ أقيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَ ادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ كَمَا بَدَأَكُم تَعُودُونَ﴿29﴾ فَرِيقاً هَدى وَ فَرِيقاً حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الضَّلَالَة إنَّهُمُ اتّخَذُوا الشَّياطِينَ أوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُون اللَهِ وَ يَحْسَبُونَ أنَّهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ. [3] ‘… Say, ‘My Lord has commanded for justice; and that in every place of worship keep your faces upright [toward Him] and appeal to Him sincerely; religion belongs to Him – as He originated you, so will you return [to Him]. He has guided a party aright, and a party is deserved to go astray; [for] indeed they chose the devils as friends instead of Allah, and they suppose that they are guided, (Qur’an:7/29-30).’
إنَّا جَعَلْنَا الشَّيَاطِينَ أوْلِيَاء لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُون.[4] ‘… We have indeed appointed the devils as friends for those who do not believe, (Qur’an:7/27).’ Satan invites man to obscene acts, unlawful acts, ostentation, haughtiness and disbelief, and leads man to loss and abjectness. He promises an everlasting life to man, makes one to be afraid of loss of one’s wealth and to face hardship. On the other hand, Allah commands His slave to justice, good deeds, and descent acts, monotheism, Gnostic, observing Allah and guides him to them. And He promises the life in the Hereafter, the stability of Allah and meeting Him, annihilating in Allah’s Fine Names and the Lofty Attributions and His Holy Essence; but He warns man of meaningless life, vainness, haughtiness – He invites man to the Amnesty and peacefulness. According to these, the best way is keeping away from Satan, his plans and thoughts, not following his commands, going towards the haughtiness and ostentation, and on the other hand, following the fact of Gnostic, moving towards meeting Allah, abstaining the void delight and enjoyment, and by calling ‘Allah is the Greatest’ taking right steps towards the peace and Amnesty of the Almighty. And this is obtained by the oblivion of the multitude, remembering and mentioning Allah, always keeping on His remembrance, weeping in being separated from Allah and burning in the being away from Allah, the Almighty. How beautifully this verse clarifies the fact, that the only way to the Guardianship of Allah is remembering Him, mentioning Him always; and forgetting the remembrance of Allah is the main reason falling into the abyss of deviation.
فَأعْرِضْ عَمَّنْ تَوَلَّى عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَ لَمْ يُرِدْ إلَّا الْحَيوة الدُّنْيَا﴿29﴾ ذلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ انَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلهِ وَ هُوَ أعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدى. [5] ‘… Therefore, (O Messenger,) withdraw from those who turn away from Our remembrance and only want the worldly life; that is the range of their knowledge. Your Lord knows those who have been strayed from His path, and so is He Aware of one who is guided, (Qur’an:53/29-30).’ First of all, in these verses we see that the mean and lowly life of this world, all in passions and fashions, void thoughts and useless plans are distracting us from remembrance of Allah. And secondly it makes us understand that there is no absolute knowledge and perfection in this temporary stage, this short stop is for the narrow minded and those after the trifles – the utmost knowledge and the perfection of those who always remembering Allah are somewhere other than this temporary stage. And thirdly it says that these people are lost, Allah knows their conditions better than they are aware of their conditions. And it also let us know that there are some other than these ignorant people who are always busy in remembering Allah and glorifying Him, they are the prosperous ones; and Allah is also aware of their conditions. Therefore, this verse clearly denotes that perversion from the path of Allah is from not remembering Allah, on the other hand, getting closer to Allah is by mentioning Him constantly. Therefore, mentioning Allah is the only way to get the stage of the Guardianship; And the verses of the chapter 102, ‘The Worldly Gain (ăt-tăkāthor)’ clearly relate that: ‘paying attention to the affluence of this world deprives man from meeting his Beloved, entering His paradise and enjoying His Guardianship. Therefore, attaining the blessed Guardianship, and entering the wide open and with no covering or veil peaceful divinity amnesty, is due to ignoring the affluence and ornaments of this world; as He states:
ألْهيكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ﴿1﴾ حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ﴿2﴾ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴿3﴾ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴿4﴾ كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقينِ﴿5﴾ لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحيمَ﴿6﴾ ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّها عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ﴿7﴾ ثُمَّ لَتُسْئَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيم. [6]
‘… The common conflict diverted you until you visited the graves! Not indeed; you will know [it] soon – again, no indeed; but you will know it soon! No indeed, if you could realize it with absolute certainty, you would surely see Hell then you would see it with the eye of certainty, thereafter, on that Day, you will be questioned about true bounties [of the Guardianship], (Qur’an:102/1-8).’
By the power and strength of Allah, we have proved it in the eighth session of the ‘Knowing the Resurrection’ that the meaning of ‘blessing’ is the Guardianship, and wherever in the Holy Qur’an the blessing is mentioned it exactly means the Guardianship. In this case, we see that he verses of this chapter ‘The Worldly Gain (ăt-tăkāthor)’ consider any worldly gains: whether they are children, wives or wealth and properties, or it is knowledge or position, all are through the lack of remembering the Unity of His, therefore, they lead to nowhere but loss and block the main road reaching the blissful Guardianship. And consequently, one who is after the worldly desires is questioned of his missing the Guardianship. This bless, that is, the Guardianship, means removing the veil of duality and reaching the state of mere servitude, and it is stop for ignoring the affluence, getting rid of the void wishes and desires; and it is clear that it is obtained only by mentioning the Almighty Allah. Therefore, the constant mentioning of Allah leads man to the main destiny and brings him closer to the Guardianship. Travelling the course of the Guardianship is ignoring everything except AllahAnd moving towards Allah is not possible unless removing the carnal veils, ignoring the worldly pleasures, and doing away with lust and passions. Allah, the Glorified and Exalted states:
وَ اصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالغَدوة وَ الْعَشِىِّ يُريدُونَ وَجْهَهُ وَ لَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُم تُرِيدُ زينَة الْحَيوة الدُّنْيَا وَ لَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أغْفَلنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَ كَانَ أمْرُهُ فُرُطا. [7] ‘… and content yourself with those who appeal to their Lord in the morning and evening, desiring His countenance, and do not let your eyes wander away from them, desiring the attraction of the worldly life. And obey not one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, so that he pursues his caprice, therefore, his affair has been lost, (Qur’an:18/28).’
As well this blessed verse says that: وَ تَبَتَّلْ إلَيْهِ تبْتِيلا. [8] ‘… Keep away [from all] and dedicate yourself to Him devoutly, (Qur’an:73/8).’ It means that one, who is going to visit the Shrine of Allah, must sever his connection from everyone and everything except Allah, and set out the sincerity path, not to after anything but the pleasure of Allah otherwise, he will not reach his destination; as it is stated: قُلْ إنْ كُنْتُمْ تَحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ وَ يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُم. [9] ‘[O Messenger!] Say: ‘Obey Allah and [His] Messenger,’ but if they should turn away, then indeed, Allah does not love disbelievers, (Qur’an:3/31).’
The forgiveness of sins is by removing the causes that contaminate the soul, and the affection of Allah is the ravishment that comes to a believer and always draws him towards Allah. It must be known that worship may happen in three ways: first, because of the desire for paradise, the second is because of the fright of hell, and the third one for the love of Allah: for getting closer to Him and meeting Him, but not for the desire and fright. Therefore, the worship, prayer and every activities of the third group, the devotees to Allah, whose utmost aim and destination is only to reach the Guardianship and remain as the servitude, must be for the love of Allah, the Highest. It is because the most benefit of the first and the second is either reaching to ease or keeping away from the chastisement. Therefore, it is just reaching to one’s soul desire, and it is caring Allah for His this for that reward; in this case, Allah has been considered a means for success and helping one to achieve his desires and wishes. It is obvious that here the meddler is not the main purpose for his meddling, but the purpose is latitudinal and subordinate, therefore, this kind of praying is not really for Allah, it is only getting one’s carnal desire! Thus, the rightful worship is the third one that the seekers of the Guardianship have tendency towards it. Muhammad bin Ya‘qūb Koleini, quotes Ali bin Ibrahim, quoting his father, and he from ibn Mahboob, and he from Jamil, and he from Haroon bin Khareja and finally he from the Holiness Imam Ja‘far Sādiq, Upon Him be Peace, who relates that:
قَالَ: إنَّ الْعُبّادَ ثَلَاثَة: قَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا اللهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَوْفاً، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَة الْعَبِيدِ؛ وَ قَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا اللهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى طَلَبَ الثَّوَابِ، فَتِلْكَ عِبادَة الْاجَرَاءِ، وَ قَوْمٌ عَبَدُوا اللهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ حُبّاً لَهُ فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَة الْاحرَارِ؛ فَهِىَ افْضَلُ الْعَبادَة. [10] ‘The worshippers are divided into three groups: a group prays Allah, the Honourable and Exalted for being in fright of Him, thus, this is the worship of the slave. Another group prays Allah, the Exalted for His reward and wages, this is the pray of the employee for wages; however, a group prays Allah affectionately and through their loving Him, so this is the worship of the broad-minded and it is the most excellent of worshipping. ‘
And it is put in “Nahj-ul-Balagha” that: إنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدوُا اللهَ رَغْبَة، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادة التُجّارِ، وَ إنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدوُا اللهَ رَهْبَة، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَة الْعَبِيدِ، وَ إنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدوُا اللهَ شُكْراً فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَة الْأحْرَارِ. [11] ‘A group of people worship Allah out of desire for reward which is surely the worship of the traders. Another group worship Allah out of fear, this is the worship of slaves. However, another group worship Allah out of gratefulness, this is the worship of the broad-mined – free men.’
By his chained documents, Sadough quotes Yunus bin Zibyan in “Khisal” that:
قالَ: قَالَ الصَّادِقُ عَليْه السّلام: إنَّ النَّاسَ يَعْبُدُونَ اللهَ عَزَ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى ثَلَاثَة أوْجُهٍ: فَطَبَقَة يَعْبُدُونَهُ رَغْبَة فى ثوَابِهِ، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَة الْحُرَصَاءِ وَ هُوَ الطَّمَعُ؛ وَ آخَرُونَ يَعْبُدُونَهُ فَرْقاً مِنَ النّارِ، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَة العَبِيدِ وَ هِىَ الرَّهْبَة؛ وَ لكِنِّى أعْبُدُهُ حُبّاً لَهُ عَزَ وَ جَلَّ؛ فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَة الْكِرَامِ وَ هُوَ الْأمْنُ؛ لِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: «وَ هُمْ مِنْ فَزَعِ يَوْمَئِذٍ آمِنُونَ»، وَ لِقَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: «قُلْ إنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ وَ يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ»، فَمَنْ أحَبّ اللهَ أحَبّهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَل وَ مَن احَبَّهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ كَانَ مِنَ الْآمِنينَ. [12] He said: ‘The Holiness Ja‘far bin Muhammad, Upon Him be Peace, stated: “People worship Allah, the Honourable and Exalted, in three ways: a group of people worship Allah out of desire for reward which is surely for the greedy ones who have views upon something. Another group of people worship Allah to be saved from the Fire, and this kind of pray is out of fear. However, I worship Allah out of love and gratefulness, this is the position of the generous, and this is my position.’ Because Allah, the Honourable and Exalted states: “On the Day of Resurrection, these kinds of people are secured of Fire and fright.” And also Allah, the Honourable and Exalted, states: “[O Messenger!] Say: ‘If you people, if you are affectionate to Allah, you must follow me until Allah becomes affectionate to you and to forgive your sins.’ “Therefore, whoever loves Allah, Allah, the Honourable and Exalted, also loves him; and whoever loves Allah, he becomes of the people who are secured.” Anyhow, as without caring Allah, the real worship is irrational, therefore by constant prays and attention to Allah one becomes more attentive to Him, and then, gradually this deliberate attention disappears and His remembering becomes natural and a certain belief. Although there are many verses and narratives on this principal, it is also sensible, because love and affection towards everything creates attachment to that, and as this attention is through action, it increases and stables the affection in one’s heart. And then when that thing settles in the heart, and in the process of time strengthens it manifests itself and all its affects come to sight. It does not take long until a believing man turns to his real beloved and finds his Creator, he knows Him, and above all, he considers everything to be of His Own and observes them through the eyes Allah. In this case, one gets to know his servitude attention and his worship is not in a way to observe Allah when praying. Because that kind of worship is not more than imaginations, and Allah does not deserve it; because is this way, his beloved is only felt by the imagination and he gradually personalize Him in his imagination! So, that cannot be the true and main beloved – it is other than He means. In truth, this kind of worship must not be accepted by Allah, the Right Exalted, however, it is through His generosity and mercy He accepts it; as He states:
وَ لَوْ لَا فَضْلُ اللَهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَى مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أحَدٍ أبَدا. [13] ‘… and if it was not for the bounty and mercy of Allah upon you, not one of you would have been pure ever, (Qur’an: 24/21).’ The real Gnostic worship of the Essence of AllahTherefore, the Gnostic and those closer to the Court of His Holiness never imaginarily personalize Him when praying the Holiness, they never worship a thing is formed in their minds, but their worshipping is the essence and abstract of their the Greatest Creator – they call Allah in His presence, without seeing but feeling Him: سُبْحَانَ اللَهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ الَّا عِبَادَ اللَهِ المُخْلَصِينَ. [14] ‘… Glory be to Allah Who is over all being they describe, except Allah's sincere servants, (Qur’an: 37/160).’ And the only way keeping in mind this subject is remembering Allah all the time; as it is stated: فَاذْكُرُوا اللَهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ أوْ أشَدَّ ذِكْرا [15] ‘… so do remember Allah, just as remembering your fathers – still more fervently remember Allah, (Qur’an: 2/200).’
And this presence and Gnostic have different stages and degrees, at whatever degree one arrives, one gets as much knowledge. The first stage is witnessing (imagining) the presence of the unity, which there is mortality in it, and the second degree is witnessing the nominal unity and also its mortality; however, the third degree is the Essence of Unity which there is no mortality in the Essence of the Holiness, the Exalted. Perfection comes to one that all three stages prove to be true in his case, in other word, one must feel perishable in all three stages; and a man moving towards Allah must go through these three processes until to reach the true Monotheism. However, the remarkable subject is here that a man never gets to such perfection degree until by giving up the ghost and the stability of that Perfection in His place; because the meaning of annihilation is passing by the boundary of non-existence, not from his being. Therefore, when journeying toward Allah, and achieving this stage of annihilation, the main being is remained and it is possible to pass through the other stages to the end, where nothing is left except the Holiness Being, the Highest and Exalted. And because of this, in every stage of these stages, he becomes aware quite aware of the stage he has passed by and he gets to know all the quality of it until he reaches to the Essence Monotheism, until there remains no name and fame of his, as: وَ الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذِ لِلَه Therefore, the Saints of Allah at any place of the places and at any stage of the stages are aware of the blessing of that very situation and know that the uppermost is with Allah not by them. When they reach their destination, that is, the absolute servitude, the position of the Guardianship, and the utmost of the carnal veils, then there remains no screen between them and Holiness beloved. This is the very stage of the Guardianship, and at that moment all the Names and Attributes of the Exalted are explained – this is the position of friends of the Right, Glory to Him. The great men of wisdom have put in their books a section for the status of the saints of Allah. And Sheikh ar-Raees, in the ninth Namat of “ESHARAT” has explained in details. But as our purpose in this book of “Knowing the Imam” is to explain the Guardianship of the Immaculate Imams, upon them be peace, therefore, we bring a brief explanation of the verses and narratives concerning the signs and the attributes of the saints. The first point is to clarify the conditions and attributions of those great saints, and wherever we come across to any verses or narratives about their status, virtues, generosities and clear miracles to explain but not to scrutinize them because their conditions are according to their situations and our conditions are according to ours. As it is said: كار پاكان را قياس از خود مگير گرچه باشد در نوشتن شير شير Do not analogize the deeds of the others as yours Though in writing and rhyming ‘well’ is ‘well’
As the names and characters of the saints have been annihilated in the Essence of Right, and He has taken their authorities, they are the transfigured of Allah, and their Guardianship along with the Holiness Right have been reflected in the mirrors of their hearts – therefore, no one can understand such an utmost perfection; it is stated: وَ لَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْما. [16] ‘… and they cannot scope it in knowledge, (Qur’an: 20/110).’ The Attributions and Status of Allah’s saintsAs the saints of Allah have reached the endless ocean of the Divine mercy not any loss or shortcomings affect them: لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ لَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُون. ‘They are neither afraid of losing something [in the future] nor are they worried about their past.’ If someone has a pot of water with him, now and then he is afraid it might be poured out of the pot, and the past he thought the same, it is because his only capital is that water, so by losing it he faces a great loss. However, the saints of Allah have not only been seated in the ocean of mercy but they are actually swimming in that endless ocean; so there is nothing for them to worry about – they were not worried in the past nor will they be worried in the future. If someone takes a bowl of water out of the ocean does the water settles down? Or if he pours a pot of water into the ocean does the water increase in it? Neither. The conditions and attributes of the saints of Allah are the same. The saints of Allah are the feature of Allah; therefore, they remain forever with Allah. مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَنْفَدُ وَ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ بَاق. [17] ‘… Whatever is with you ends up, but that which is with Allah remains, (Qur’an: 16/96).’ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إلَّا وَجْهَه. [18] ‘… Everything is perishable except the Holy Existence of Allah, (Qur’an: 28/88).’ The face (existence) of everything is what one faces when he refers to it; the faces of things are not something separate from them. Therefore, the saints of Allah who are the ‘as the Faces of Allah’ with their rightfulness and right detentions are absorbed in the Lights of His Holiness Being; they do not belong to a specific time or a certain place, thus is stated: فَأيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَه. [19] ‘… so wherever you face, there is the Holy Existence of Allah, (Qur’an: 2/115).’ كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ وَ يَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذوُ الْجَلَالِ وَ الْإكْرَام. [20] ‘… whatever on the earth exists is perishable, but only the Majestic and Splendid Self of your Lord remains forever, (Qur’an: 55/27).’ All the readers of the Qur’an unanimously agree that the term ‘ذوُ الْجَلَالِ’ has the upper vowel-point, and it is an adjective for the Face, but not the adjective for the ‘رَبِّ’, (the Creator). And no one should take it as an absolute adjective for ‘هُوَ’, because it is in the position to describe the Face, but not the adjective. A good witness to this meaning is that the statement of Allah: ‘سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّك’ and ‘وَ سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّك’ is for stating the position of the Beauty and the Holiness of the Name, but not the Essence of the Lord. And as the ‘إكْرَام.’ is the very ‘جَمَالِ’, therefore, in the noble verse they are the full meaning of ‘جَمَالِ’ and ‘جَلَال’. Therefore, none of the Exalted Attributes and the Best Names of Allah is out of these two adjectives. And the saints of Allah, who are as the Existence of Allah, own the attributes and names of ‘جَمَالِ’ and ‘جَلَال’; ‘جَميلِ’ and ‘جَليل’ – they all own the Names and Attributes of the Right Holiness. The saints have power in these Names and Attributes, there is remained no names for them except the Names and the Attributes of Allah. The veil has been removed and apart from the Name of the Divine Face, which includes two attributes of the Glorify and Generosity there remains nothing for them. There is a narrative from the Holiness Imam Ja‘far, Upon Him be Peace, who stated: لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ حِجَابٌ الَّا خَلْقُهُ، فَقَد احْتَجَبَ بِغَيْرِ حِجَابٍ مَحْجُوبٍ، وَ اسْتَتَرَ بِغَيْرِ سَتْرٍ مَسْتُور. [21] There is no veil between Allah and His creatures, except the creatures themselves, though Allah is within the veil, He is not screened – it is a veil with no power of covering. Unless the mirror-like and miraculous being of them, the saints of Allah have no veils, and of course we know that their mirror-like and miraculous existence is only literal. And accordingly there is a narrative in this respect that when the angels descend to take the souls of the saints of Allah away, they bring a letter from Allah giving glad-tidings to them to go to paradise, the letter is: مِنَ الْمَلِكِ الْحَىِّ الْقَيُّوم إلَى الْمَلِكِ الْحَىِّ الْقَيُّوم. [22] ‘This is a letter from the Alive and Everlasting King and Sultan of the creatures to the everlasting King and Sultan of the creatures.’ As it was mentioned, the saints of Allah are at the position of the proximity, and they are in the closest screen and Allah has called them a nearest ones; he has mentioned them as the Foremost, and has called the Foremost by good names: وَ السَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ أوُلئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُون. [23] ‘… and the ‘Foremost’ [who] are the foremost, (Qur’an: 56/10).’ ثُمَّ أوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَه. [24] ‘… then We allowed some of Our worshippers, whom We had singled out, to inherit this Book. Yet there are some of them who wrong themselves while some others are lukewarm, and there are some who compete in performing good deeds with the permission of Allah, (Qur’an: 35/32).’
Allah has prohibited them doing anything disbelief and tainted, and He has explained them to be certain of the verses and the adorers of the Holiness; and He has branded them being of the good-doers. He has stated: إنَّ الَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَة رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ، وَ الَّذينَ هُمْ بِآياتِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ لَا يُشْرِكُون. أوُلئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِى الْخَيرْاتِ وَ هُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُون [25] ‘… surely those who feel anxious for the fear of their Lord, and those who believe in their Lord’s signs, and those who do not set up partners with their Lord. And those who give [in Allah's way] what they give, while their hearts feel cautious that they are to return to their Lord; and He states: those who haste for good deeds and are outracing to them, (Qur’an: 23/57-61).’
Allah has promised the foremost to remove the ignorance veils of them from their hearts so that the unseen worlds to become evidence to them and let them know the secrets of the Height and the Kingdom of the firmament.
كَلَّا إنَّ كِتَابَ الْآبْرَار لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ﴿18﴾ وَ مَا أدْرَكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ﴿19﴾ كِتَابٌ مَرْقُومٌ﴿20﴾ يَشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُون﴿21﴾ [26] ‘… no indeed, the book of the pious is in ïllïj’jūn. But what could teach you what the ïllïj’jūn is! [It is] a book inscribed [good deeds which], the foremost witness it, (Qur’an: 83/18-21).’
Allah has promised to alter their beings to mere lives, and to bestow them the intellectual lights to walk in the land by means of that. أَفَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتاً فَأحْيَيْناهُ و جَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُوراً يَمْشِى بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِى الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَا. [27] ‘… is he, who was dead and We revived him by granting life so that he might walk along with the people around, similar to someone who is in such darkness that he cannot leave it, (Qur’an: 6/122).’ The saints of Allah own the Divine Light and they are among the people with that Light, and they communicate with the people through the senses of Divine and distinguish between the ignorance and intelligence, the right and void, happiness and abjection, the Mercy-giver’s inspirations and the evidences of Satan – they distinguish them and separate bad from good. Allah has stated that their given Light is Spirit and has sense and wisdom, and by means of that they guide the people whom Allah wills. وَ كَذَلِكَ أوْحَيْنَا إلَيْكَ رُوحاً مِنْ أمْرِنَا مَا كُنْتَ تَدْرِى مَا الْكِتَابُ وَ لَا الْايمَانُ وَ لَكِنْ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُوراً نَهْدِى بِهِ مَنْ نَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا. [28] ‘… thus We have inspired in you a Spirit of Our command [in the form of the Qur’an, otherwise,] you did not know what the Book is or what the Faith be. But We set it up as a Light by means of which We guide any of Our servants whom We desire, (Qur’an: 42/52).’ Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, guides His Own saints with His Own Light, the Light that He has specified for His Own – they are benefitting such a Light: يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَهِ بِأفْوَاهِهِمْ وَ اللَهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ. [29] ‘… they want to blow Allah’s Light out with their mouths while He is Perfecting His Light, (Qur’an: 61/8).’
يَا أَيُّها الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَهَ وَ آمِنُوا بِرَسُولِهِ يُؤْتِكُمْ كِفْلَيْنِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ نُوراً تَمْشُونَ بِه. [30] ‘… O you who believe, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; so that He may grant you double shares of His grace and grant you a light to walk by, (Qur’an: 57/28).’ References [1] Surah 10, "یونس", Verses 62-64. [2] Surah 4, "نساء", Verse 119. [3] Surah 7, "اعراف", Verses 29-30. [4] Surah 7, "اعراف", Verse 27. [5] Surah 53, "نجم", Verses 29 & 30. [6] Surah 102, "تکاثر", Verse 102.
[7] Surah 18, "کهف",
Verse 28.
[16]
Surah 20, "طه",
Verse 110. |
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