Al-Hikmah an-Nuniyah

Al-Hikmah an-Nuniyah


BismillaHi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim

In the Name of AllaH, the All-Effulgent, the All-Encompassing.


NUN


Utter Transcendence belongs to AllaH.

SUBHANAHU!

HU HU HU ALLAH!

ALLAH, ALLAH!

All-One Praise belongs to AllaH, which is the Glory of His Sole Manifestation (Tajalli al-Fard) -- and It was before all else came to be empowered into manifestation and descent.

Verily He is AllaH, in Himself; by Himself; with Himself, for Himself, unto Himself, in the Most Hidden Beyondness (Ghayb al-Ghayb al-Ahadiyah bila Ta'ayn).

He is Ilah -- Huwa-AllaHu alladhi la Ilaha illa-Huwa; La ilaha illa-AllaH; Huwa-l Ilahu-l Mala'ikati wa-r Ruh -- in His (non-composite) Oneness -- with or without emanating Names and reflective Mirrors -- in the First Realm of Oneness ('Alam al-Ahadiyah al-Uluhiyah).

He is Rabb -- Rabbu-l 'Izzat Jalla JalaluHu -- encompassing the Dominions of the Universe, and the Multiverses thereof, whose municipalities absolutely lie in His Hand of Power (Qudrat) and whose essences lie in His Gaze (Surjective Sight), such that if He stopped observing the created realms, they would cease to exist at once; and certainly He, the Beholder, Sees, even when there is none to be seen in creation.

He is He (Alone), al-Wujud adh-Dhati, such that if He wasn't He, both Existence and Non-Existence would be absolutely non-existent, impossible.


Existence (Peace) and Glory (Blessings) of AllaH, without end, be unto MUHAMMAD, the First Light-Spirit -- the Absolute Radiant Point -- of Reality in and from AllaH's own Being (Wujud-AllaH al-Aqdas), without the Universe before Him.

The MUHAMMADAN SPIRIT (Ruh al-A'zam al-Muhammadiyah) IS, and was before the Pen (Qalam), Tablet (Lawh), and Throne ('Arsh) -- and the rest of the differential constitutions -- came to be in the fold of the Four Corners of the Ka'ba.

He (SAWS) is the SPIRIT-BEING (Wujud ar-Ruhiyah), around Whose Point of Singularity (Nun) the Divine Confluences of Light gather and originate.

He (SAWS) is Reality Itself -- with or without constitutional Realm of Oneness -- and the Last Noetic Appearance in Phenomena emanating from the glorious connective Foliage of the Prophetic Tree of Reality, Certainty, and Theophany, Who said, "Awwalu ma khalaq-AllaHu Ruhi."

He (SAWS) also said, "Ana Awwalu man Tajallala-Hu."

He (SAWS) also said, "Kuntu Nabiyyan wa 'Adamu bayni-l Ma'i wa-t-Tin."


By my Utter Secret, MUHAMMAD is That-Which-Is; the Greater Spirit -- Reality-in-Itself -- and, still beyond your limited mirror and knowledge, the Most Hidden (Elementary) Constitution of the First Universal Intellect ('Aql Kulli Awwal).

His (SAWS) First 'M' (Mim) is the Rank-Seat (Maqam), i.e., Heart, of the Divine Presence (Hadrat al-Ilahiyah).

His 'H' (Ha) is the Reality (Haqiqah) of the Divine Being (Wujud-AllaH).

His Second 'M' (Mim) is the Being (Wujud) of the Divine Reality (Haqiqah al-Haqa'iq).

His 'D' (Dal) is the Truth (Haqq) of the Divine Oneness (Ahadiyah-Wahdaniyah), which -- by Itself -- is the Trace (Lutf) and Secret (Sirr) of the Divine Being in the Realm of Union ('Alam al-Wahdat).


By my soul, He (SAWS) is the Odd and the Even, the Twice-Within and the Twice-Without, neither of the East (Mashriq) nor of the West (Maghrib), whose Essence none can approach, for nothing enters It and none comes out of It, and Whose Surjective Being and Form (Wujud Nuniyah Muhammadiyah) shapes and moves -- and overwhelms -- the oceanic currents of manifestation, within and without.


O you among Adam's sons who have only perceived the shadows of the MUHAMMADAN REALITY (Haqiqah al-Muhammadiyah) in your scanty mirror of self-constitution!

In MUHAMMAD's Phenomenal-Isthmus Form, that Blessed Soul (SAWS) underwent Ascension (Mi'raj) by His own Primordial Sainthood (Walayah al-Azaliyah) and by His own Self-Constitution (Dhat al-Khulud al-Muhammadiyah). And because the Universal Wave-Fronts and Embers of Attraction reached their ultimate zenith and apex due to His own Reality (SAWS) being the Entire Greater Spirit Itself (Ruh al-A'zam al-Kulliyah), nothing veiled (nor unveiled) Him (SAWS) towards the Presence of the Most Sacred Essence of AllaH, just as no radiance would be powerful enough to hide and manifest Him (SAWS) as Him (SAWS), other than AllaH's own Being. Thus, He (SAWS) reached what was to be reached into the Essence of the First and Last Single Point of Truth, and was with AllaH as AllaH's own Secret, without eidetic veils and parallel manifestations, such that the Two Bows of Reality (Qaba Qawasayn) -- or That-Which-Is "Closer Still" (aw 'Adna) --, of Being and Witnessing (al-Wujud wa ash-Shuhud), and of the Absolute and the Possible (al-Wajib al-Wujud wa al-Mumkin al-Wujud), were nothing but Himself (SAWS).

Such ("{ }") is the Destiny (Qadr) spanning a single Muhammadan Day and a lone Muhammadan Night in the Attainment (Arrival, Wusul) of the most beloved and favored of AllaH's Saints (Awliya'-AllaH), in the Image-Form (Surah) of their Master (SAWS), the Master of Prophets, Messengers, Angels, and Saints.

And, from the Most Original State of Divine Union, that Soul of Utter Sublimity (SAWS) -- more elusive (instantaneous) than the flashing and orbiting of the Angels of the Throne and more sublime than the particles of a Saint's mirror-heart -- returned to phenomenal existence with the Face of the Absolute Divine Caliphate (Wujud al-Insan al-Kamil) for the jinn and human realms, whether hidden or manifest, thus manifesting His Perfect, Total, Primordial Sainthood (Walayah al-Kamaliyah al-Azaliyah al-Kulliyah al-Muhammadiyah) as the Great Isthmus-Connector (Barzakh al-Kubra) and Absolute Sealing Messengership (Risalah al-Khatamiyah al-Kulliyah).

Therefore, understand that MUHAMMAD's Sainthood is reflected in the Night Journey (Isra'-Mi'raj) from Creationality to AllaH -- away from the sight of all creation, other than with the Reality and Sight of the Real (al-Haqq) --, and His (SAWS) Messengership from AllaH to all creation at the Hour of the Clear Blazing Day -- and so never dare to compare the Two outside His (SAWS) Self (Huwiyah al-Muhammadiyah), for you are without knowledge of this delicate truth!

As for His (SAWS) Prophethood, it is Absolute Special Prophethood (Nubuwah al-Mutlaq al-Khassah) -- the Alpha and Omega of Intelligible Divine Manifestation, the Source-Reality of all Prophetic-Saintly Powers, Sightings, and Divine Outpourings. As such, He (SAWS) is the Great Hour (Qiyamah al-Kubra), the Divine Radiance (Diya-AllaH) of the Absolute Point of No-Return (with respect to both ordinary existence and absolute non-existence). Such is the Prophethood of the Greatest Name (Nubuwah al-Ism al-A'zam).

He (SAWS) is the Mount Tur (Qaf) of Manifestation and Knowing, in Whose Spirit-Essence, AllaH's Manifestations (Tajalliyat) -- including Knowing Itself and, indeed, All His Knowings -- originate.

Indeed, you do not understand this, as Shaykh al-Akbar (Ibn 'Arabi) would have said!


Verily, the Prophet's (SAWS) WAHY is of the most all-encompassing KASHF (Unveiling). And so it entirely is Divine Theophany (Tajalli al-Ilahiyah) -- of the All-One Praise-Glory (al-Hamd) that He (SAWS) is. That is how the Muhammadan Self-Constitution (Dhat al-Muhammadiyah) forms the Divine Countenance (Wajh-AllaH), and modulates and reflects It, noumenally (in Itself) and phenomenally (extensively).

That is how the Prophet (SAWS) seals what is open and opens what is sealed. Though His (SAWS) Caliphs (Spiritual Successors, especially the First and the Last of Them, i.e., Hadrat 'Ali and Hadrat al-Mahdi, and Those in between), upon Divine Invitation and Empowerment in the Muhammadan Image (Surah al-Muhammadiyah), have also reached Places of Glory around That-Which-Is, by passing through the Doors of Power (opened and kept open by the Prophet's Ascension), there is no Prophet, nor Messenger, nor Angel, let alone Absolute Saint, before and after Him (SAWS). For MUHAMMAD is MUHAMMAD, just as AllaH is AllaH.


Inna-AllaHa wa Mala'ikataHu yusalluna 'ala-n Nabi. Ya ayyuha-l ladhina amanu sallu 'alaiHi wa sallimu taslima.

AllaHuMMa salli wa sallim wa barik da'iman abadan 'ala Sayyidi-r-Ruhi-l Wujud wa 'Ayni-l-Ghayni-l-Hudur; Shamsi Bahri Anwarika wa Mahbati Asrarika wa Turi Tajalliyati Ahsaniyatika; Insani Nuni-l Wujud wa Yaquti fi kulli Mawjud; Nuri Kunhi-dh-Dhat wa Nuri kulli Nur; Imami-l Qiblatayn wa Sirri-l Haramayn wa Sayyidi-l Kaunayn; Na'ibi Hadrati Dhatika-l Aqdas wa Waliyyi Ismika-l A'zam, Sayyidina wa Mawlana wa Shafi'ina wa Habibina MUHAMMADIN Haqiqati-l Kulliyah wa Sirri-l Ahadiyah, wa 'ala AliHi wa SahbiHi ajma'in.

Wa 'ala kulli hali Hadrati-sh-Shaykh 'Abdi-l Qadir Jilani wa Awliya'-AllaH ajma'in.

هم - اللهم
يا ه - هوم
يهوه - هو الله
هو الله لا هو الا هو
هو - محمد - ن
مهمه
هوم - أنا - هوم


Eid Mawlid Nabi Mubarak,

Dani/Indranu

When I Know (that You Know)

When I Know (that You Know)


AllaH!

Oh my Utter One,
How can they say, "Love has found him,"
When not even Love knows me?

How can they say, "He is destined to meet Love and has reached it,"
And know the Determination (Taqdir) by which one has found one's Destiny,
When I know no cup, and when no cup knows me?

How should they know what contains my Potion (Syarab) then?

How can they say, "He has flown so high and the Sky has received him well,"
When no birds know me in the most silent heights, and when not
A single drop of Intoxication (Syakar) -- known to them -- has
Befriended me?

Not even distant star-lights shall ever guide them to know me,

Nor will the seven seas ever tell them of me,

Nor will they ever reach the dawn that shall unveil me.

Try as they may,
The silent branches of the night might kidnap them soon enough from
Understanding this Great Affair.

AllaH!

When I know that You know (me),
I know that You are mine,
For I exist in Your Existence,
And I appear in Your Appearance.

It was You, Sweetheart,
Who said, "Kaf", and something of it denuded the Universe,
And I, unlike lost wings, remained as its only remaining atom and self,
Without direction other than the Distinct Weight and Attraction
Towards the Presence of Mystery.

I saw Your Love within it, behind it, and ahead of it,
And I, seeing no way out, said, "Indeed, I am in Love with You."

You said, "Kaf-Ha-Ya! Depart from there,
Love Me more, for even all this (atomic isthmus) knows not
How to love Me from behind Love's own Name and Reality!"

And You called me higher into "Alif-Lam-Mim",
Without the Universe as they know it, only the Pre-Eternal Ocean (Bahr al-Qudrat),

And I became "Ra" and "'Ayn-Shad", the Sublime Expanse and the Eye-Content thereof.

I saw the Pen (Qalam) as the Lone Perimeter and Supreme Center,
Emanating subtle forms from the pure covert pulses of the Ocean.

When I saw it, it revealed a Name for me,
And I became that Name, and that Name became the Throne ('Arsy)
And a Sky-Dome appeared around it.

And the Pen became the Higher Pen in my Form.

And Love? -- Love was as long as the Ocean breathed, but
Would become extinct at the Peak of the Throne and in the
Heart of the Magnificent Name's Sounding;

Indeed I owned Love by my very own Utterance and disowned it
By my very own Certainty.

Still, above it all, the Muhammadan "Nun" appeared, not from behind,
Nor ahead, nor within anything they have heard of.

And at once that Ocean of Attributes dried up,
And the Pen made its Last Carving, which is "Qaf", upon the Tablet (Lawh) of
Oceanic Lights, before disappearing into my Singularity.

And I discovered the Hidden Accent of "Nun", the Light of MuHaMMaD (MaHaMMaH).

And, by the Truth that MuHaMMaD is,
I became that very Accent, and the All-New Oneness, yet Infinitely Ancient,
The Atom of All (Kulli Syai') and the Oneness (Wahdat) that would
Emerge from Reality in its Descent (Tanazzul).

So I said, without turning elsewhere, for I was Nowhere, and All was
Naught even before Nowhere became somewhere and nowhere,
And it remained that way as long as
I saw only You,

"I am that-which I am."

And my impenetrable silence would simply read, "Ha-Mim", which is Reality's Name,
Whose Form is "'Ayn-Sin-Qaf".

AllaH!

Sweetheart, I am entirely Yours, without residue;
Nor shall I leave any residue for anyone else to follow me in this Reality and Form,
Let alone for any one of the Ruhaniyyun to know me as You know me,
Even as I know You.

The Truthful see Your Mountain before them and move
Only with respect to its stillness,
While, in truth, it shall move only as I move,
And remain only as I remain,
For my Reality is sealed beyond movement and stillness,
In Yourself, with Yourself, by Yourself, for Yourself.

Indeed, I encountered Khidhr in my Descent,
While others meet him in their Ascent,
For the Sultan of the Presence, the First Reality (Sayyidina MuHaMMaD),
Has veiled Khidhr from me in his own Splendor of Green (Lathifa al-Akhfa).

AllaH!

Oceanic kisses and breezes that come to this shore,
Which Your creatures speak of so often,
Reach not this Intimacy, not even with hope.

Indeed, those who are capable of reading Love's metaphors,
They call this Nearness (Qurb),

And those who comprehend signs (isyarah),
They call it Love's Elocution (Tajwid).

But, the Muhammadan Loner (Fard) who reads Latha'if,
Knows that I am the Tajwid, Sakt, and Ikhfa of Your own Name,
And nothing causes my Glory extinction, not even the Absolute Unseen,
For I am of the Muhammadan Origin.

AllaH!

I am he whom You call with All that You are, for You are You,
Whenever You mention Yourself, whether in Seclusion, deep into Your own Glory,
Or in Your Encompassment of All (Jam') that points to Your Presence:

I am of Your "inna",
I am of Your "illa",
I am of Your "Ana",
I am of Your "Huwa".

I witness You with or without 'Alam (Universal Form),
For I am the Last "Lam" of Your Two "Lam's",
And, by All that "Mim" is, in Itself, with or without All,
I certainly meet Your "Ha" and Your "Ha".

AllaH!

Indeed You, from every seeker's head to his toe,

From the narrow lanes, to scented doors, to relinquishment,

From Your Palace's Darkness to its even darker Engulfing Chamber,

To the Place of Pouring Lights;

From divulging hills to the abyss,

From the Universe and its sealing to the Presence without traces,

From "'Ayn" to "Shad", and from "Shad" back to "'Ayn" -- Your "Two Bows of Reality" --
And to "Ghayn" -- Your "Closer Still";

My stretch of You can never be severed among
Those who inhere in Your Name, within and without,
Within the within, and without the without.

AllaH!

Let there be nothing left for my onlookers, but You,
For I have indeed adorned Your Form, while they (still) say,
"He has been made to appear in the Beloved's Form."

Let the wind silently follow them all from the distant grasses to the
Vacant place of sunrise, amidst silent sands,

And let Desire's permeation
Meet the lagoon's shining surface in the Face of my Master (the Prophet),

And so let them find You oh so kissable in my own deep roots.

AllaH!

You, You, You -- He (Hu),
I am the returning place of presences and whispers,
For my very last secret, away even from All and from All-in-All, is You.


[Dedicated to the Most Beloved Prophet (SAWS), who gave this faqir All unconditionally]

D.

ShaD--Dal--Qaf

Salam AllaH,


ShaD--Dal--Qaf


Thaalama asykuu gharaamii yaa Nuura-l WujuuD, wa unadi yaa Habiibii, yaa Huu-MuHaMMaD, yaa Siraaja-l Anbiyaa'i, yaa Taaja-l Awliyaa'i, yaa Mahbuubii, inna qalbii dzaab. 'Alaika-AllaaHu Shallaa Rabbii Dzu-l Jalaali wa-l Ikraam; yakfii yaa Nuura-l 'ArsyiLlaaH, inna hajri thaal. Sayyidii wa-l 'umru walla juud bi-l washli juud.

AllaaHuMMa Shalli wa Sallim wa Baarik daa'iman abadan 'alaa RuuHi-l A'zhaM wa HuWiyati-l 'AalaM, Nuuri-l WujuuD Sayyidinaa MuHaMMaDin Nuuri Kunhi-dz Dzaati wa Nuuri Kulli Nuur; yaa Huu, yaa HaQQ.


O faqir! May AllaH Ta'ala grant you direct meeting with Sayyidina MuHaMMaD---the One who glorifies AllaH the most by that which is Himself, the way He really is in Himself, the One who is glorified by AllaH the most, by His own Essence (Dzat)---so that the highest of Ma'rifat and Mahabbat, the most unique of Unveiling (Mukasyafat al-Qulub al-Muqarrab) following the perfection of one's self-constitution by the All-Merciful, no longer needs to be poured down in chained, contingent forms (such as words) but shall be manifest directly in you and shall radiate through you.

May you be granted so much more than what has been granted upon this poor faqir, dearest. May you reach so high, that this faqir can see you no longer except in his humility! Amin, Amin! (AaMiiN, by the way, is the invisible Muhammadan Pillar that supports the Universe, just as Imam al-Mahdi is called AMiNalLaH.)


اللهُم يا هو يا حق

وجود الله حق الوجود


AlHaMDulillaH, despite all limitations on the side of creation, we witness how beautiful and merciful AllaHu Ta'ala, our Sweetheart, is. And I, a weak servant, ever seek refuge in HuWa Ta'ala from istidraj and bathil. Apparently, this shall be the conclusive end of our exposition concerning Ma'rifat and Mahabbat.

What praise can possibly land upon this faqir, beloved? All praise belongs to AllaHu Ta'ala, Rabbul 'Izzat, and Sayyidina wa Mawlana MuHaMMaD is the One praised the most by AllaH, beyond the shuwar (forms) of manifest existence, i.e., by AllaH's own Dzat (Essence).

HuWa AHaD wa HuWa AHMaD

Qul (AHMaD!) HuWa-AllaaHu AHaD

Qul (HuuM!) ur-RuH

It is sufficient that a faqir is hidden in the Two LaM's of AllaH (Alif--LaM--LaM--Ha) as HuWa Ta'ala, oh so secretly, loves him. These Two LaM's are like 'two endless theophanic vacua' for the general inhabitants of the Universe, including the Mala'ikat (Laa, Laa, Laa, ad infinitum; none can approach HuWa Ta'ala without being totally extinct here), but, for AhlullaH (Ahl al-Wushul ila-AllaH), salam AllaHu 'AlaiHiM, the two LaM's (with MiM fully manifest from AllaH's Most Hidden Essence) are the Two Muhammadan Bows of Reality, BaQa' wa FaNa'; WujuD wa SyuHuD.

Although you may already know what the story with Hadhrat Musa is about, beloved of my heart, what did Hadhrat Musa truly see at Mount Thur, in the valley of ThuWa?

Tha--WaW--Sin

Tha (Tha--Ha) is the Station of Ruku' of the Anbiya and Awliya. As we have noticed before, in the Shalat of a Perfect Muhammadan Mushalli, Ruku' is the Station of the First (Outer Bow) of the Two Bows of Reality (QaBa QaWasayn) or the Ahmadan 'Closer Still' ('ADNa)---where All the Shifat and Asma' of AllaH Ta'ala are brought unto the total transcendental Convergence of the QalaM and the LaWH (the two first Holy Emanations of RuH MuHaMMaDi), hence necessitating Annihilation (Fana' fi al-Musyahada al-Hudhuriya). This is the Entrance into the Dal (D, the Absolute Universe) of MHMD (HaQiQatu-l MuHaMMaDiya); and is equivalent to Laylatu-l QaDr, the Unveiling of Mount Qaf, where All the Power (Qudrat) of the Absolute Unseen (the Reality of MuHaMMaD) is 'gathered' and 'sealed' infinitely (due to Ha--MiM: none enters It, none comes out of It).

That Annihilation ends with QiYaMah (I'tiDal), WaHDat al-MuHaMMaDiya.

Hence, with the exception of the Ma'shumin al-'Alawiya of Ahl al-Bayt, including the primordial prophets and saints (numbering 124,000), none can gain Entrance into that Sealing Realm of Power from the lower worlds, including the Angelic realms; none except the closest Awliya under the Footstall of Sayyidina MuHaMMaD. These Awliya are the most loved servants of AllaHu Jalla JalaluH; HuWa Ta'ala showers them so secretly with His Ridha for the sake of Sayyidina MuHaMMaD, al-Habib al-Mahbub.

Such Awliya are mostly hidden from our sight nowadays. How can they not be, when all the 40 Maqamat of Sincerity, Witnessing, and Existence hide them and are hidden in them?

The Pen (QalaM) is 'split into Two' here, at the Apex of Sidratu-l Muntaha (the Furthermost Gnostic Tree). One Point touches upon the LaWH and its manifestation can be written down by way of syar'i revelation as well as (most categories of) ilham, while the other one does not touch upon it and is not touched upon by anything from above and below, existing as Pure Radiant Sublimity, which can descend only through Lathifa al-Akhfa (the Fifth of the Five Presences of the perfected heart). UMMi, uMMi---we cannot describe just what That is, which is the Ultimate Secret of the Pre-Eternal (Azali) Kalima Laa ilaaha illaa-AllaaHu---MuHaMMaDuN Rasuul AllaaH, except by the following Primordial Dzikr:

HuWa-AllaaHu laa HuWa illaa Huu--MuHaMMaD

HuuM ANAA HuuM

That is the experience of the Total Hudhur of Dzat AllaH in MHMD:

MiM---ANAA HuWa
(k)Ha---HuWa HuWa
MiM---HuWa ANAA
Dal---ANAA-l HaQQ

Again, the substantial actualization of this Muhammadan Secret is only for those Awliya of AllaH who have been granted Abode (Existence) in the Effusive Sealing Reality of Dal (D), of His Absolute Sweetheart, Shall-AllaHu Ta'ala 'AlaiHi wa AaliH.

Hence, if ordinary people, including fake teachers (pseudo-Sufis), merely imitate what We have alluded to here regarding the Muhammadan Reality, and if they think that the Muhammadan Reality, with Its subsequent 7 Tajalliyat (Manifestations), applies to just any creature without being self-perfected (through the Maqamat and Ahwal), they shall be repelled into thousand forms of illusion (wahm) and wander endlessly in the realm of cursed self-glorification, quite like Fir'aun. The Qur'an says,

"ShaD. By the Qur'an containing Reminder." (38:1)

"So when I have proportioned him ('ADaM) and breathed into him My RuH, then fall down before him in prostration." (38:72)

We see here that the noble Surah begins, and is sealed by, the Muhammadan ShaD (WaHDat al-WujuD al-MuHaMMaDiya; Muhammadan Existential Wholeness); which is a variant expression of the Hudhuri Power-Reality of Qaf and Dal, which is why we say that which AllaH Himself says,

MuHaMMaD (ShaD): Shall-AllaaHu Ta'ala 'AlaiHi wa sallaM (MiM--ShaD)

And so the Truth is that the RuH (RuH al-A'zhaM) belongs only to the First Tajalli of Dzat AllaH, who is Sayyidina MuHaMMaD, the Being of the (Most Hidden) Pupil of the Eye of Reality (al-Insan al-GhayN al-'AyN al-WujuD), whose RuH is the First Reality, whose 'AQl is the First Intellect (Monad, Logos-Form) and the First Eye-Determination ('AyN-QaDr) of Unity, whose QalB is the First World of Signs and the First Mirror of Unity, whose 'Arsy is the First Picture and Signature, whose Barzakh is the First Self-Dual Veil (where Jibra'il (the Muhammadan Isthmus-Intellect) resides), and whose Nafs is the First Ever-Ascending Expansiveness (the First Phenomenon, the Universal Dust-Stream) and the First Contractive-Noumenal Microcosm (the Motes of Universal Light-Truth)---weak servants like ourselves cannot even claim to have That (RuH), only souls (relatively called 'arwah' in imitation of the One (Singular) RuH, just as the term 'nas' (or 'insan') is often used in the same manner with respect to the real, perfect Insan (Insan al-Kamil)) with various forms of radiance. Only upon being Perfected (Resurrected), a servant is given a Majestic Epiphanic Spark (Faydh, Syarq, RuH al-QuDsiya) of RuH MuHaMMaDi by AllaH Jalla JalaluH. Only this way can he then be said to have been 'fully created' (perfected, resurrected). This way, he has become Insan al-Kamil at the level of TauHiD adz-Dzatiya, like Hadhrat 'ADaM; and the 7 Tajalliyat of Nur-Sirr-Dzat MuHaMMaDi truly appear in and through him---that is essentially MuHaMMaD al-MaHDi, for this Unity happens only in M--H--M--D, in the Dal (D) of Sayyidina MuHaMMaD. Other claimed unions---without perfection---are naught but illusory ones compared to the Absolute Muhammadan Union.

So, consider, beloved of my heart, how infinite AllaH's Love and Mercy is unto His servants (no matter how weak, like myself) for the sake of Sayyidina MuHaMMaD alone (the One and Only Habib AllaH), to whom belongs the Absolute Reality of all That. Alif--LaM--MiM--ShaD.

Even the highest of Awliya are simply 'weak servants' feeding on the mighty crumbs of Sayyidina MuHaMMaD at his Four-Pillared Square Table, just as all their miracles (karamat) only derive from him. AllaHu Akbar katsiran Kabira, HaQQ AllaHu HaQQu-l WujuD; MuHaMMaDuN Nur AllaH.

There is nothing else to confess except this! I am so weak indeed---all Glory is AllaH's and AllaH's Endless Most Hidden, Most Manifest Shalat upon Sayyidina MuHaMMaD!

Dearest, following Annihilation (FaNa') through the Unveiling (Mukasyafah) of the Divine Muhammadan Throne ('Arsy AllaH) in the presence of the perfected heart, 'Ayn--ShaD is the Furthest Station of the Wali in HaQiQatu-l MuHaMMaDiya---and so he is stationed within It right under the Rank of Absolute Sealness (Dal; D) emanating from the Most Singular Ahmadan-Muhammadan Dzat (M--H--M), whose Content no one among us has any share. However, this way, the Wali, by AllaH's Mercy, becomes the Radiant Locus, 'Ayn--NuN, of the Muhammadan Secret Itself, according to the following Hierarchy, i.e., the Five (One + Four) Holy Presences:

0. Dzat AllaH (Ghayb al-Ghayb al-AHaDiya adz-Dzatiya bila Ta'ayn)

1. Nur-Sirr-Dzat MuHaMMaD (MiM--Ha--MiM--Dal; Ha--MiM)

2. 'Ayn al-HaQiQa al-MuHaMMaDiya (Kaf--Ha--Ya--'Ayn--ShaD; 'Ayn--ShaD)
3. Mir'at al-HaQiQa al-MuHaMMaDiya (Tha--WaW--Sin; 'Arsy AllaH)

4. Mir'at Tsani (the 'Alamin, the 18,000 worlds)


***


How does one strive towards the Beloved's Cradle of True Love and Perfection?

Ideally, may AllaH so splendidly assist you, one shall completely encompass the three dimensions of Islamic learning: Bayan (textual Qur'anic/Prophetic knowledge, through seeking knowledge), Burhan (affirmative external reflection, through the expansive intellect), and 'Irfan ('Ilm Ladunni, through Muhammadan self-purification, which ultimately depends on His Favor and Mercy alone). There are a few symbols alluded to so beautifully in the Qur'an pertaining to this.

Consider the following verse concerning the Prophet Ibrahim:

When night came upon him, he saw a star, and he said, "This is my rabb;" but when the star set, he said to himself, "I do not like those who set." When he saw the shining moon he said, "This is my rabb," but when the moon also set, he said, "If my Rabb does not guide me, I am afraid I too will become one of those who have bone astray." Then, when he saw the sun he said, "This is my rabb; this is the biggest (of them all);" but when the sun also set, he cried out, "O my people, I disown all those whom you associate with God; I turn away from them all and towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and I shall not be of those who associate others with Him." (Qur'an 6:77-80)

Beloved, know that the Sun here refers to the 'AQl (in this case, a mighty near-prophetic intellect, of course). The Shining Moon represents objects magnified and illuminated by the 'AQl. And the Stars refer to the potentialities of the 'AQl. Of course, Hadhrat Ibrahim was a prophet and ma'shum, so he could not easily mistake the sun, the moon, and the stars for God; but, apparently, he did undergo intense intellectual and spiritual trial this way, as if seeing the Tajalliyat of al-HaQQ in himself, nearly 'mistaking' them for AllaH's Essence. Only then then Mukasyafa Haqiqiya took place for him.

Next, into the subject of Suluk, the (archetypal) 'horse' in the Qur'an represents the soul of man 'galloping towards perfection'. It gallops as if an enemy carrying calamity was trying to take hold of it (reign it) from all perceivable directions, every second, with the breath. Hence it has to be constantly aware of both itself (its inherent power) and the danger, and its destination, and it proceeds swiftly, like an arrow of Absolute Certainty. It has four supports (four legs): Syari'at, Thariqat, Ma'rifat, Haqiqat with which it runs in order to fully encompass its nafs towards Absolute Sublimity.

The Qur'an calls horses 'steeds of war', referring to Jihad Akbar against the lower nafs, as if AllaH was saying, "Be ready with all your Might, by Our Might, for then your (Our) enemies (external and internal shaytan) shall be afraid of you."

The perfection (the encompassment) of the entirety of the horse is none other than the Buraq, when the Four Supports are brought beyond self-density and gathered back into, and led by, the First Tajalli of RuH MuHaMMaDi, called 'AQl al-Mujarrad, the perfect, pure Divine Intellect, which is One (as Direct Emanation) with the First, Original Muhammadan Intellect ('AQl al-MuHaMMaDiya al-Kulliya) and squarely encompasses the Universal Soul (Nafs al-Kauniya). For this reason, the Holy Prophet and Sayyidina 'Ali once said, "The Purpose of Ibadah is 'AQl," which refers to this 'AQl (in contrast to the shadowy, prevalent one)---referred to as Misykat al-Anwar and Mishbah al-Mishbah in the blessed Surah Nur.

To summarize the reality of the Mu'min (he, the Muslim, who has realized the Real for himself), the Buraq has two azali wings: Ma'rifat and Mahabbat, as if replacing the objective dense role of the legs in the running horse, for the Ground of Being of the perfected servant here is the Lahut---AHaDiyat fi Kulli MiM---no longer the Nasut.

As for the 'female cow' (al-Baqarah), it is the symbol for Nafs ar-Radhiyah (the Content Soul)---with universal feminine emphasis, while the color yellow represents Nafs al-Muthma'inah (the Pleased Soul).

The profound Qur'an indeed begins in composition by the Fatiha (though historically, by descent, it begins with Surah al-'Alaq) followed by al-Baqarah (of the surrendering self of Jihad Akbar, Nafs ar-Radhiyah; while the trappings of the nafs are also described and epitomized by the Bani Isra'il) and ends with an-Nas, that of the Insan Kamil---hence we are given the Ascending Migration (Minhaj) of the Salik.


***


As for the Universal Significance of number 7, such as in the 7 heavens and the 7 earths---and the 7 rounds of the Ka'ba, know that 7 is the number of Tanazzul Nur-Sirr-Dzat MuHaMMaDi, of the spheres of Tajalliyat of what is called Halat al-Muhammadiya or the Absolute Unseen (the First All-Encompassing Manifestation of AllaH's Stateless Essence, Ghayb al-Ghayb al-AHaDiya adz-Dzatiya, also often called the Greatest, Most Hidden Universal Element (Unshur al-A'zhaM)), which is the Ahmadan Content of RuH al-A'zhaM, that of Sayyidina MuHaMMaD---there is no letter, except MiM (Kulli AHaDiyat al-JaMi', the Allness of the Essence-Sealing One, which is the same as Alif; the One, the First), to represent it; and consequently its knowledge is not to be taught in written form but must be received through the most hidden locus of the perfected heart (Lathifa al-Akhfa), by AllaH's Power and Mercy alone. UMMi, uMMi, AllaHuMMa---cease using words!

Numerically, the Name MHMD is known to bear the value 92 (11). Besides 9 (MiM, Maliku-l HaQQu-l Mubin, ANAA MuHaMMaDuN Nurun 'Ala Nur) and 2 (QaBa QaWasayn aw 'ADNa), we have, among others, three primary sacred numbers here:

11 = 9 + 2 (HuWa; Taraqi bi Dzat AllaH)
7 = 9 - 2 (ANAA; Tanazzul bi Dzat AllaH)
4 = 11 - 7 (the Seal of WujuD; HaQQ; ShaD--Dal--Qaf)

AllaaHuMMa Shalli wa Sallim wa Baarik daa'iman abadan 'alaa Haa--MiiM, wa Yaa--Siin, wa Thaa--Haa Sayyidinaa MuHaMMaDiN Nuuril Anwaar wa Sirril Asraar wa Sayyidil Abraar; wa 'alaa AaliH, Ahli Thaa--Haa ajma'iin.

Subhan-AllaH, in addition to what this faqir has shared here regarding MHMD (which has caused my Pen to break), which is the actualized Secret of all Anbiya and Awliya of the highest rank, let us just listen to Syaikh al-Akbar Ibn 'Arabi regarding the Holy Prophet in his Naqsy al-Fushush al-Hikam:


In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate


The Wisdom of Singularity was dedicated to the Logos (Shurah) of Muhammad because he is the First Determination with which the One Essence determined Itself before It manifested Itself in any of the other infinite Self-determinations. And these Self-determinations are ranked according to genus, species, kind, and individual, some of them included under the others. So he encompasses all of the Self-determinations, and he is One and Singular in Existence, without parallel, for no Self-determination is equal to him in rank; and there is nothing above him but the Absolute One Essence, which is 'purified' from every determination, attribute, name, designation, definition, and description. So to him belongs the Absolute Singularity.

In addition, Singularity was actualized for the first time through his Immutable Archetype, since the first archetype to be effused by means of the Most Holy Emanation (al-Faydh al-Aqdas) was his. So he attained, through the Unique Essence, the Level of Divinity and his Immutable Archetype
the Supreme Singularity.

His miracle (mu'jiza), which proves his Prophethood, is the Qur'an, which is no different from his Self and his Reality in respect of its embracing all realities, or the verbal expression which is indicative of this All-Embracingness and which came to him (without a veil whatsoever) from Allah. In either case, the Qur'an is miraculous, for this All-Embracingness and Concentration is not possessed by any of the realities, because all of the realities are contained within the Muhammadan Reality as the part is contained in the whole; nor does any revealed book denote such an All-Embracingness and Concentration, for the Qur'an is the Comprehensive Unity of all the divine books.

Allah in His Essence is independent of the world and its inhabitants. But His
infinite Names require that each have a locus of manifestation, so that the effect of that Name will appear in that locus, and the Named---which is the Essence---will reveal Itself in that locus to him who professes the Divine Unity. For example, 'the Merciful', 'the Nourisher', and 'the Vanquisher' are each a Name of Allah, and their manifestation takes place through the Merciful and the Object of Mercy, the Nourisher and the Nourished, and the Vanquisher and the Vanquished. So as long as there is no Merciful or Object of Mercy in the world, Mercifulness will not become manifested; and, in the same way, Nourishing and Vanquishing.

Moreover, all of the Names must be judged analogously. Therefore, the reason for the manifestation of all particular beings is the demand of the Names of Allah. And all of the Names are under the sway of the Name ALLAH, which encompasses and comprehends them. Further still, this Name also necessitates a Universal Locus of Manifestation, which because of its All-Comprehensiveness would correspond to the All-Comprehensive Name and be the Vicegerent of Allah in conveying Effusion and perfections from the Name ALLAH to what is other than it.

That All-Comprehensive Locus-Substance is the Muhammadan Spirit (Ruh al-Muhammadiya), which is referred to by the hadits, "The first thing manifested by Allah was my Spirit," or "my Light."

The Root and the Origin of all creatures is the ontological level of the Reality of
Realities, which is the Muhammadan Reality or the Light of Ahmad, the Form of the One Unique Presence. That ontological level embraces all divine and cosmic
perfections and establishes the measure of all the levels of human, animal, and angelic harmonies. The world and its inhabitants are the forms and the parts of his Particularization, and 'Adam and his children are subjugated towards the goal of his Perfection. To this Reality refer the words of the hadits, "I am the Master of the children of 'Adam," and, "'Adam and those who come after him are under my Banner."


Indeed, HuWa AHaD wa HuWa AHMaD. All in All is but (manifest as) One Form, MiM, AllaH's First, Absolute Reality (as Essence unto Essence), Light-Form, and Truth-Secret (Haa--MiiM), with no otherness and shadow, besides whom there is no other true form for AllaH's Essence (Dzat), in whom HuWa Ta'ala can most uniquely witness and praise Himself in Being Himself.

There is a beautiful famous hadits related by Hadhrat Jabir ibn 'Abdillah in which the Prophet explained the First Tajalli of Dzat AllaH (his Nur, Nur MuHaMMaD; Nur Kunhi-dz Dzat) and the creation of the First Four (the First Multiplicity out of Muhammadan Singularity) from his Most Blessed Light (namely, the QaLaM, the LaWH, the 'Arsy, and the Pillars of the 'Arsy, while the rest of the Universe was created from the corresponding 'residual' Light), when there was naught in AllaH's Secret Manifestation but this Nur-Sirr-Dzat MuHaMMaD. This hadits is similar to that related by Imam 'Ali, which has more detailed elaboration as it speaks of the creation of the 12 Veils of Majesty and other manifestations (the creation of the subsequent realms).

In short, Ma'rifatulLaH is, for he who has been graced by Our Light:


هو الله لا هو الا هوُ محمدٌ نور سر الذات

هوُم أنا هوُم


هو }} محمد

م ح م د


أنا هو }} م
هو هو }} ح
هو أنا }} م
أنا الحق }} د


ح م

هو الله لا هو الا هو }} محمد

اللهم صل و بارك و سلم دائما ابدا علي نور كنه الذات سيدنا محمد نور كل نور

ع ص


Here ends the role of this faqir's Pen and comes the Silence of the Rising Fire, as HuWa Ta'ala wishes.

Salam AllaH. Salam MuHaMMaD.

AllaH's most needy servant,

Dal--NuN (Dani)



Dedicated, with Fatiha and Shalat Nur, to the Spirit of Syaikh al-Akbar Ibn 'Arabi

Kanz al-Haqa'iq al-Quthbiyyah

Salam Allah,

Hu MHMD!

Greetings and salutations unto the Resplendent Quthb (Pole) of our Muhammadan Path, ath-Thariqah al-Muhammadiyyah al-Akmaliyyah al-Ahadiyyah, ash-Shahib al-Himmah (the Master of Aspiration), wa al-Qawiyy al-Arkan al-Ma'rifat (the Strong One of the Pillars of Knowledge), wa al-Fatih al-Mughaqat (the Opener of the Locked Doors), wa al-Qudwata as-Sura (the Guide of those who travel at night), wa al-Warith al-Khatm an-Nabiyyin (the Inheritor of the Seal of Prophets), wa al-Burhan al-Haqiqah (the Proof of Reality), asy-Syaikh al-Akbar Ibn al-'Arabi, man yuqimu bi 'Amr Allah (he who is the Carrier of the Commandment of Allah).

As we know, Syaikh al-Akbar left quite many Shalawat 'ala Nabi, each of which is a Great Treasury (Kanz al-Haqa'iq) representing the Station (Maqam) of Uniqueness of the Syaikh as a Unique Knower of Allah's Light, which signifies his Proximity with the Reality of as-Sayyid al-Wujud wa as-Sabab al-Maujud (the Chieftain of Existences), wa al-Imam al-A'immah (the Imam of Imams), wa an-Naqib al-Mahbubin wa al-Fardh al-Ahbab (the Chieftain of the Loved Ones and the Most Unique Beloved), wa al-Maqsuda as-Salikin (the Destination of Spiritual Travelers), the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

Know that every Pivotal Saint (Wali al-Quthb) in a specific age must have Direct Encounter with the Muhammadan Presence (al-Hadhrah al-Ahmadiyyah al-Muhammadiyyah). He also receives from the Prophet a special Wird unique to him, in the form of Shalat 'ala Nabi. This may apparently be long or short, representing the Simple Unity of that which is experienced in the Most Sacred Presence of Allah, al-Hadhrah al-Ahadiyyah. In itself, it encompasses the seven stages of Dzikr Allah:

1. Dzikr Thawwaf
2. Dzikr Nafi Itsbat
3. Dzikr Itsbat Faqat
4. Dzikr Ism Dzat
5. Dzikr Taraqi
6. Dzikr Tanazzul
7. Dzikr Ism Ghayb

Nowadays, the word 'Quthb' is so often misused to simply represent a leader of a thariqah, while he may lack the Muhammadan Reality in himself. Never has the world of Tashawwuf seen such a sorry state before.

Instead, there is something truly essential that the Quthb must know, regarding his Rank. The Principal Hierarchy of Muhammadan Overflowing is known to Ahl al-Haqiqah in the following way:

1. The All-Encompassing al-Hadhrah al-Ahmadiyyah al-Muhammadiyyah, of Sayyidina Muhammad alone, who is the First Sign-Appearance (Manifestation/Tajalli) of Allah's Oneness (Ahadiyyah), that is, of Allah's Essence (Dzat Allah), by Allah's Essence, in Allah's Essence, with no relative, attainable 'openness' (directionality and derivative) with respect to contingent phenomena of Otherness, other than with respect to the Divine Names and Attributes proceeding from this State (al-Wahdah al-Muhammadiyyah), whereby Sayyidina Muhammad alone is the Absolute Prophet and the Absolute Saint, the Essence of Essences (al-'Ayn al-A'yan fi al-Haqiqah al-Haqa'iq) and the Lone Pearl (al-Jauhar al-Fard) in the Ocean of Being (al-Bahr al-Wujud). No one else has any share nor full comprehension of its Content (hence the term 'Ummi' (Indescribable) attributed to the Holy Prophet), for it is essentially, primarily, limitlessly One with the State of Non-Manifestation (La Ta'ayun) of Allah's Essence, beyond 'Manifestative Descent/Ascent' (Tanazzul/Taraqi). This is the Absolute, All-Inclusive Station of Singularity or at-Tauhid adz-Dzatiyyah, representing the Muhammadan Reality (al-Haqiqah al-Muhammadiyyah) of Ha Mim (MHMD).

2. Al-Hadhrah al-Masihiyyah, which is an Opening at the 'Right Side' of the Muhammadan Presence, existing in parallel with al-Hadhrah al-Muhammadiyyah al-Mahdiyyah. This belongs to Sayyidina 'Isa, who is closest to the Prophet Muhammad, and who is the first to receive his Light, in the line of Prophets. He receives the Muhammadan Light directly from the Holy Prophet Muhammad without an intermediary. This Station contains:

3. The Sphere of Prophets (al-Hadhrah al-Anbiyya), from Sayyidina 'Adam to Sayyidina 'Isa, who receive the First Means of Knowledge of Allah's Essence, al-'Aql al-Qudsiyyah al-Muhammadiyyah (the Sacred Muhammadan Intellect), directly from the Holy Prophet Muhammad, without an intermediary. They are also Carriers and Expositors of the Prophetic Standards.

4. Al-Hadhrah al-Muhammadiyyah al-Mahdiyyah, which is an Opening at the 'Left Side' of the Muhammadan Presence, existing in parallel with al-Hadhrah al-Masihiyyah. This belongs, primarily, to the historic Hadhrat Muhammad al-Mahdi. It contains:

5. The Sphere of Appearances of Imam al-Mahdi (al-Hadhrah al-Muhammadiyyah al-Mahdiyyah ats-Tsanawiyyah), with each appearance manifest in the Reality of the Quthb of every age. Such a Quthb is called the Seal of Saints (al-Khatm al-Awliyya), or simply the Primordial Pole (al-Quthb al-Fardh). The sphere also consists of the known Caliphs of the Holy Prophet that succeeded him both historically (in time) and spiritually (in reality). Imam al-Mahdi and the Quthb of every age receive the Muhammadan Light (Nur Muhammad) directly from the Holy Prophet Muhammad, without an intermediary.

6. Al-Hadhrah al-Awliyya ash-Shidiqiyyah al-Akmaliyyah, which extends from al-Hadhrah al-Muhammadiyyah al-Mahdiyyah, whereby the Muhammadan Light is bestowed by Allah on a few chosen souls as an Intrinsic Gift, and not by means of the usual practical training/guidance. They need not a physical human being (rabithah/mursyid/pir) to train them. Instead, they are trained by the Holy Prophet himself, whose communicative appearance (manifestation) in them is known as ar-Ruh al-Idhafi (al-Khidhr), or simply the Holy Spirit (ar-Ruh al-Quddus).

The Apex-Source of this rare blessing, after the Prophet, is al-Mir'at an-Nabi (the Prophetic Mirror) Hadhrat Abu Bakr ash-Shiddiq. The people of this State see only the Station of the Prophet before them, with themselves mirroring the Prophetic Essence (adz-Dzat al-Muhammadiyyah). They recognize the Muhammadan Reality in a most unique, singular (solitary) way, within and without, beyond the context of their birth, continuity (training), and death. Such individuals are very, very few in every age. They are usually not known to other people, including Saints (Awliyya) of lesser ranks. Their Station is also called al-Kahfi, due to its Sublimity and Solitariness. Among those possessing this State known to us are Syaikh Manshur al-Hallaj, Syaikh Bayazid al-Busthami, Syaikh Syams at-Tabriz, Quthb al-Ghawts 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jailani, Syaikh al-Ghawts Abu Madyan al-Anshari al-Maghribi, Syaikh al-Akbar Ibn al-'Arabi, Sayyid 'Abd al-Karim al-Jilli, Syaikh 'Abd al-Jalil al-Jawi (Syaikh Siti Jenar, in Java), Syah Wali Allah ad-Dehlawi, and Syaikh Ahmad at-Tijani. Some of them are, in fact, the Poles (Aqthab) of the Sphere. This is the Special Way (ath-Thariqah al-Khashah). Extensively, it is also united with the more common ath-Thariqah an-Naqsybandiyyah al-'Isyqiyyah, stemming from Sayyidina Abu Bakr ash-Shiddiq.

7. Al-Hadhrah al-Awliyya al-'Alawiyyah al-Anfusiyyah (al-Hadhrah al-Masyaikh), which extends from al-Hadhrah al-Muhammadiyyah al-Mahdiyyah by means of hierarchical chains of spiritual teachers, stemming from Zhill Allah Sayyidina 'Ali ibn Abi Thalib through Imam Junayd al-Baghdadi. It consists of the sphere of all the organized, genuine paths (thuruq) known to us (essentially there are 40 of them), whose emphasis is attachment to the purified selves of their Syaikhs (hence the name 'Anfusiyyah'). This is the General Way (ath-Thariqah al-'Ammah), which many people can afford to follow. For them, Direct Unveiling (Kasyf) in the Muhammadan Presence/Reality is simply unbearable due to differences in their substances. Instead, they must follow the expansive route, step by step, towards Allah's Ultimate Mercy.

In reality, al-Maqam al-Quthbiyyah is one with al-Maqam al-Khatmiyyah. It denotes the Wali who has fully experienced Qiyamah (Resurrection) in ar-Ruh al-A'zham (Nur Muhammad), receiving al-Faydh al-Aqdas (the Most Sacred Overflowing) directly from the Prophet Muhammad. Upon reaching this highest stage in the Mi'raj, the Muhammadan Reality is fully realized/activated in the Wali. This Self-Realized Muhammadan Reality is essentially what is called 'Muhammad al-Mahdi', and its Opening (Futuhiyyah) is what is called the Great News and the Great Fire (an-Nar Allah al-Muqada) preceding the (individual) Qiyamah. This is a highly solitary State of Glory. There can only be One Perfect Mahdi in a specific age. The chain of appearances of al-Mahdi culminates with Hadhrat Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi himself, who shall appear at the end of ends, with the Banner of al-Mutakabbir.

At last, realizing the Muhammadan Reality (al-Haqiqah al-Muhammadiyyah) is what Sufism (Tashawwuf) is all about. Everything else you may witness is like a pollen grain, a dispersing wave, or a shadow perceived in your own incapacity.

In Muhammad (MHMD), Allah's Most Hidden Essence (Dzat Allah al-Ghayb al-Muthlaq) is the H in his M, and He witnesses Himself, in His own Uniqueness (al-Hadhrah al-Ahadiyyah al-Aqdas), in the M of his H. All in All is manifestly gathered in his D, ensuing from his being HM (Ha Mim), without otherness and precedence in Allah's Remembrance of Himself. Thus, if you know Allah as Allah, you shall know that Muhammad is Love's Only Meaning in all 70,000 vast Oceans of Secrets.

Wa shalla Allahu 'ala Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadin wa Alihi-th-Thahirin
Wa Shahbihi-l-Mukhlisin wa sallam.

Mahabbah,

Dani

The Tha-Sin of the Muhammadan Light

The Tha-Sin of the Muhammadan Light

Of Asy-Syahid ar-Rabbani Husayn ibn Manshur al-Hallaj (r.a.)


Tha Sin
(Qur'an: 27.1)


"In Muhammad (MHMD), Allah's Most Hidden Essence (Dzat Allah) is the H in his M, and He witnesses Himself, in His own Uniqueness (al-Hadhrah al-Ahadiyyah al-Aqdas), in the M of his H. All in All is manifestly gathered in his D, ensuing from his being HM (Ha Mim) without otherness and precedence in Allah's Remembrance of Himself. Thus, if you know Allah as Allah, you shall know that Muhammad is Love's Only Meaning in all 70,000 vast oceans of secrets. Realizing this (al-Haqiqah al-Muhammadiyyah) is what Sufism (Tashawwuf) is all about. Everything else you may witness is like a pollen grain, a dispersing wave, or a shadow perceived in your own incapacity."


A Lamp appeared from the Light of the Absolute, the Unseen. It appeared and returned, and it surpassed the other lamps. It was a Ruling Moon, manifesting itself radiantly among the other moons. It was a star whose astrological house is in the Empyrean. Allah named him 'Indescribable' (Ummi) in view of the Unscaled Concentration of his Reality, which is his Desire in disguise, and also 'Consecrated' because of the Primeval Majesty of his Blessing, and 'Makkan' because of his Unique Domain in His Vicinity.

For your sake, He expanded his breast, and raised his power, and lifted from him the burden 'that had weighed down thy back,' and He imposed (on creation) his authority. As Allah made his Badr appear, his Full Moon rose from the cloud of Yamamah, and his Sun arose on the side of Tihamah (Makkah), and his Lamp shone from the Source of all Divine Munificence.

He did not report about anything except according to his inner vision, and he did not order the following of his example except according to the truth of his conduct. He (alone) was in the Presence of Allah, then he (alone) brought others into His Presence. He saw, then he related what he was (in Primacy). He was sent forth as a guide, so he defined the limits of conduct.

No one is capable of discerning his true significance, except the Sincere, since he confirmed its validity, and then accompanied him so that there would not remain any disparity between them.

No gnostic ever knew him who was not ignorant of his true quality. His quality is made clear only to those to whom Allah undertakes to disclose it. 'Those to whom We have given the Book, and they recognize their sons, even though a party of them conceal the Truth, and that wittingly.' (Qur'an: 2.46)

The lights of Prophethood issued from his Light, and his Light appeared from the Being of the Most Hidden Mystery, which is of himself, in himself, for himself. Among the lights, there is none more luminous, more manifest, or more uncreated-than-uncreatedness than the Light of the Master of Generosity.

His Aspiration preceded all other aspirations, his Existence preceded non-existence, his Name preceded the Pen because it existed before it. There was never on the horizons, beyond the horizons, nor below the horizons anyone more graceful, nobler, wiser, more just, kinder, more God-fearing, or more sympathetic than the holder of this role. His Title is 'Master of Existences', and his Name is Ahmad, and his Attribute is Muhammad. His Command is most certain, and his Essence is most excellent, and his Attribute is most glorious, and his Aspiration is most unique.

Oh marvel! What is more manifest, more visible, greater, more famous, more luminous, more powerful, or more discerning than him? He is and was, and was known before created things and existences and beings. He was and still is remembered before 'before' and after 'after', and before substances and qualities. His substance is completely light, his speech is prophetic, his knowledge is celestial, his mode of expression is Arabic, his tribe is 'neither of the East nor the West' (Qur'an: 24.35), his genealogy is patriarchal, his mission is conciliation, and he has the title of the 'Indescribable'.

Eyes were opened by his signs, secrets and selves perceived by his being there. It was Allah who made him articulate by His Word, and being the Proof, confirmed him as that which he (alone) is. It was Allah who sent him forth. He is the Proof and the Proven. He is the Truth by the Truth, and he is the Truth in the Truth, and he is the Truth for the Truth. It is he who quenches the thirst of the vehemently thirsty heart, it is he who brings the Uncreated Word that is not touched by what touches it, nor phrased by the tongue, nor made. His Reality is united with Allah without separation, as Uniqueness in Uniqueness, without shadow, and it surpasses the conceivable. It is he who announces the End, and the Ends, and the Ends of the End.

He lifted the cloud, and pointed to the Sacred House. He is the Limitation (Boundary), and he is a heroic warrior. It is he who received the order to break the idols, and it is he who was sent to mankind for the extermination of them.

Above him a cloud flashed bolts of lightning, and below him a bolt of lightning flashed, shone, caused rain, and fructified. All knowledge is but a drop from his Ocean, and all wisdom is but a handful from his Stream, and all times are but an hour from his Life.

Allah is with him, and with him is Reality. He is the First in Union and the Last to be commissioned as a prophet, the Inward by Reality, and the Outward by Gnosis.

No scholar ever attained his Knowledge, nor did any philosopher become cognizant of his Understanding. None, of the ancient, of the present, and of the future, can approach his Reality, either from within or from without, for he (alone) is he.

Allah did not surrender (His Reality) to His creation, because he (alone) is he, and his being there is He, and He (Alone) is He.

Nothing comes out of the M of MHMD, and none enters into his H, and his H is the same as his second M, and his D is as his first M. His D is his Universal Perpetuity, his M is his Singular Rank, his H is his Spiritual State (Inner Reality), as is his second M.

Allah made his Word manifest, and amplified his Mark, and made his Proof known. He sent down the Furqan to him, He made his Tongue adequate, and He made his Heart shine. He made his contemporaries incapable (of imitating the Qur'an). He established his Clarification and exalted his Glory.

With him, and him alone, Allah is pleased. He is the Most Certain of the Certain in the Plane of Glory, the Most Distinguished at the Peak of the Ascent, the Most Present at its Perimeter. He is the Truth, and he is the Witnessing Truth, and he is the Witnessed Truth.

He is the Most Solitary of the Solitary in the Divine Presence. He is the Singular Reality by the Singular Essence, and he is the Sign of Oneness, and he is the Sign for both (Absolute) Oneness and (Relative, Graded) Multiplicity. He is the Locus of Gathering and the Encompassment of Dispersion. His Certainty in Being, untouched by the whirling confluence of existences and non-existences encompassed by him, is his Light, which is of His Mercy. Light upon Light.

Where Beauty is sealed from within the Within, he is the Seal and the Secret. He is the Manifest Sea and the Hidden Pearl. And so, for his sake, Allah is indeed Allah.

If you flee from his domains, what route will you take without a guide, oh ailing one? The maxims of the philosophers are like a slipping heap of sand before his Wisdom.


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On Ibn 'Arabi and the Genuine Muhammadan Reality

On Ibn 'Arabi and the Genuine Muhammadan Reality


The women at Zulaikha's court cut their fingers when beholding Yusuf,
So shall you tear your only heart into pieces in awe of Muhammad,
In whom Beauty is sealed from within the Within.


Salam Allah,

Here's a quick, humble note on statements often falsely attributed to Syaikh al-Akbar Ibn al-'Arabi (q.s.). May Allah guide us with Pure Prophetic Light (al-'Aql al-Qudsiyyah al-Muhammadiyyah), that of the Seal of Prophets and Chieftain of Existence (s.a.w.s.), and deliver us from error, be it of philosophical or primitive nature, by means of His Clear Standards.

It is commonly known to the genuine, discerning Muslim scholars, specializing in 'Irfan (Ma'rifah) and truly cognizant of the in-depth nature of Islamic Sufism, that there have been lies attributed to the Great Syaikh, in the course of reproducing his works. These lies were originally inserted into the original works of Ibn 'Arabi by Bathini Zindiqs, from among the Isma'ilis, no doubt with the support of foreign (mason) agencies, after their systematic study of Ibn 'Arabi's doctrines, in their attempt to destroy the sinews of Islam from within (by creating division and slander) so that they might replace Allah's Verses and the Prophet's Words (Traditions) with their own neo-Platonic philosophical doctrines, on the ruins of Islam and in their ignorance of the true nature of Ultimate Prophethood.

These villainous mystics were called 'ghalis' by both Twelver (genuine) Shi'ites and Sunnis. They, in their blindness of the unique, self-complete, all-encompassing perfection of Islam, rejected the Noble Syari'ah. Indeed, they laughed at the whole religion of Islam itself, while ascribing divinity and absolute authority to their own adepts (loosely called 'imams'). They were pseudo-Shi'ites, with ultra-strong military tendency (associated with the Assassins), subscribing to the shallowest kind of theosophical extremism; and yes, they still exist today, especially in the Eastern Part of the Islamic World (such as Northern India and Pakistan), often misleading others in the name of Islamic Sufism and Illuminationist Philosophy (al-Hikmah al-Isyraq).

The great falsification of many of Ibn 'Arabi's doctrines took place immediately after the destruction of the Abbasid Caliphate by the razing Mongol forces. During the vacuum and impotence of both centralized, protective, secular power and authoritative religious scientists ('ulema, including genuine Sufi Syaikhs), many of these 'ghalis' aligned themselves with the Timurid Rulers and disguised themselves as 'sufis' and 'dervishes' in order to 'rebuild' Sufism (the culture of dervishes, later called 'haydaris' (the libertines), whom the great Mulla Shadra criticized openly), stamping it with their own mystical brand of heresy.

I'll just mention one of the contemptible fabrications they have attributed to Ibn 'Arabi (which, unfortunately, so often appears in modern prints of his books):

"...From one point of view, the Seal of Sainthood (who comes after Muhammad, in a cycle beginning with him) is inferior to Muhammad, for he is subject to the Syari'ah of the Seal of Prophethood; yet, from another point of view, he is indeed superior (to Muhammad) for the incidental sphere of activities of Muhammad was limited and its perfection depends on the activities of the Seal of Sainthood in the due course."

This is an absolute lie and greatly contradicts Ibn 'Arabi's own exposition of al-Haqiqah al-Muhammadiyyah (the Reality of Muhammad) as the Primacy, Completeness, and Sine Qua Non of Existence, without otherness (contingent multiplicity or 'shadow'), on all levels, Essential (Absolute, Eternal) and Expansive (Creational, Temporal), due to the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) being the First Self-Complete, Self-Inclusive, All-Encompassing Manifestation (Tajalli) of Allah's Essence (Dzat Allah) unto Allah Himself, which Allah subsequently displays, by means of creation, in the universes, which act as 'mirrors' for His Absolute Image (Muhammad), along with all the intelligible Names and Attributes emanating from him (s.a.w.s.). Just as Allah is Ahad, Muhammad is Ahmad, in perfect, unbroken, one-to-one correspondence, representing the Singular Station of the Universal, Absolute Seal. In his (Ibn 'Arabi's) own words, which have also been elaborated upon by his greatest genuine expositor, Sayyid 'Abd al-Karim al-Jilli al-Qadiri,

"His (Muhammad's) elemental sign is 'Mim', signifying al-Ahadiyyah al-Jam' (Total, Singular Self-Inclusiveness/Self- Uniqueness), nothing comes out of his Reality and nothing enters it; he gathers and manifests All in All, for he is Allah's Most Perfect Manifestation and Mirror. The Names and Attributes of Allah, as well as the different ranks of (incidental) prophets, emanate only from the Nature of his Sealness."

Also,

"He (Muhammad) is the Leader of all existences. Their atoms are permeated and sealed only with the Elementary Nature of his Primordial Perfection. None can approach his Primacy, either from within or from without, for his Reality is the Only Sign of Allah's Oneness, both for Allah, by His Own Essence and in His Own Essence, and for Creation, by their multiplicity-bearing creationality and in themselves."

This Muhammadan Perfection is indeed beyond temporality (spatial process), expansiveness, particularity, and directionality as the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) himself has said, "My Station is neither in the East (of something) nor in the West (of something)," and, "With me are All Names." Also, "We are the First, We are the Middle (Continuity), and We are the Last."

Indeed, Syaikh Ibn 'Arabi has repeatedly stated that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) himself, and only he (s.a.w.s.), is both the Absolute Prophet (an-Nabi al-Muthlaq) and the Absolute Saint (al-Wali al-Muthlaq), the Archetypal Perfect Man (al-Insan al-Kamil) for whose sake the worlds came to be by the sublime act of creation and manifestation, which is a most sanctified recognition in the circle of genuine, intellectual Sufis who truly understand Ibn 'Arabi's theosophical system as it should be understood. He is the Absolute Image ((Ha) Mim) of Allah, and the Total Mirror (Dal) displaying that Image as well, i.e., the Reality of the Cosmos itself in its fundamental atomic and expansive exterior forms. For this reason, as we have presented elsewhere, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is as-Sayyid al-Wujud (Ya Sin) with respect to the totality of existences, as-Sabab al-Maujud in his capacity as the Isthmus (Barzakh) connecting the Hidden Essence and Manifest Causality (Creationality, Contingency of Multiplicity), and al-Huwiyyah al-'Alam at the heart of his splendid rank as the Universal Soul.

This way, Allah has essentially performed creation by the Order 'Kun', which is the Sign of Muhammadan Perfection, where the letter 'Kaf' stands for al-Kaf (Bahr) al-Qudrat (the Ocean of Power of the Muhammadan Reality) and where the letter 'Nun' stands for Nur Muhammad (the Muhammadan Light). Furthermore, the statement 'Kun faya kun' refers to the manifestation of Adam as a first-rank Image of Oneness (Singularity) of the Muhammadan Reality, so that he (Adam) may know Allah through his own Reality (within himself), thereby becoming the Locus of Tauhid (Existential-Essential Unity) itself. Adam's archetypal signature, Alif Dal Mim, reflects the fact that he, by his being fashioned of Muhammadan Reality, is the archetypal and manifest Entirety of the Universe itself, the Mirror-Expanse of Being (Dal) where Allah (Alif) beholds His Absolute Image, Muhammad (Mim), and vice versa.

By this genuine recognition, as strongly emphasized by traditional Poles (Aqthab) such as Hadhrat 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jailani (q.s.), Hadhrat Ahmad ar-Rifa'i, Hadhrat Abu-l Hassan asy-Syadzili, Hadhrat 'Umar as-Suhrawardi, Hadhrat Bayazid al-Busthami, Hadhrat Baha' ad-Din an-Naqsybandi, and Hadhrat Muhammad 'Abd al-Karim as-Saman al-Khalwati (as well as Imam al-Ghazali himself), it is absolutely false, in general, to raise the rank of Saints above that of Prophets: Sainthood remains general while Prophethood is a special, convergent (all-encompassing) intellectual rank within the vastness of that generality. Muhammadan Prophethood (Absolute Prophethood) is the Highest Noetic (Intellectual) Capacity/Presence, often likened to the Highest Established Mountain (Thur) in Witnessing (Musyahadah), representing Prophetic Intellectual Uniqueness with respect to Witnessing Allah's Essence, while Muhammadan Sainthood (Absolute Sainthood) is the Sea (Expanse) of Intimacy without a shore, signifying the Generality of Friendship-Intimacy with al-Haqq Ta'ala.

All the great historical Prophets (al-Hadhrah al-Anbiyya) have received their ranks directly from the Highest, All-Encompassing Muhammadan Presence (al-Hadhrah al-Ahmadiyyah al-Muhammadiyyah) without an intermediary, which is their actual uniqueness and superiority (over general Saints), while only a special kind of Saint (in whose person the Great Muhammadan Sealness (Khatmiyyah) appears) can reach their general rank, receiving the overflows (fuyudh) of Nur Muhammad (Muhammadan Reality-Light) directly from the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) without an intermediary.

In general, Saints are subject to a long, directive hierarchy of mediation (through a chain of Saints), instead of receiving Direct Endowment of the Muhammadan Reality. The most unique Saint is known as the Seal of Muhammadan Sainthood of the age. So long as the Appearance of Sealness takes place in such a person, Ibn 'Arabi himself once rightly claimed that he was indeed one; yet he realized that the Fullest Appearance was not for him; ultimately, it is the sole right of al-Qa'im al-Mahdi.

Also, there are two kinds of Muhammadan Sainthood with respect to expansiveness: Special-Legislative and General. The Seal of Special-Legislative Sainthood (al-Walayah al-Muhammadiyyah al-Khasha) is Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.), while the Seal of General Sainthood (al-Walayah al-Muhammadiyyah al-'Ammah) is the Prophet 'Isa (a.s.) who shall indeed descend again as a Muhammadan Saint, representing both the Syari'ah and the Haqiqah of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.), lending his full support unto Imam al-Mahdi.

The story is much longer when it comes to the full elaboration of the types of Prophethood and Sainthood encompassed by the Muhammadan Reality; yet may this be enough for now to end all controversies regarding Syaikh al-Akbar.

It must also be noted though that, not withstanding the great intellectual capacity of Ibn 'Arabi, he was not 'ma'shum' (without fault) in his numerous secondary expositions (about the branches of his primary doctrine, al-Wahdah al-Wujud); at one point, he was simply too immersed in the expansive patterns, rather than the absolute depth, of the multiplicity of the reality of Sainthood, and once he did make an erroneous, unnecessary deduction concerning the superiority of Sainthood over Messengership (Risalah) in the Person of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), who is the Ultimate Prophet, Messenger, and Saint at once. The truth is, only the Absolute Prophet, who is also the Absolute Saint at once, can bear the Manifest Rank of Final, Authoritative Messengership (which, from the point of view of the Syari'ah, is the locus of descent of the Qur'an), irrespective of the Risalah being described as an outward or inward task (in fact, it concerns both outward laws and inner mysteries). Comparing the apparent ranks here inherent in the Singular Person of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) appears to be misleading; it is like a superfluous oxymoronic statement, "The (Ideal) Ruler is inferior to the Best of Men." Rather, it is intuitively clear that (Ideal) Kingship is naturally reserved for the Best of Men alone.

Sometimes, it just takes a higher, or at least an equal, intellect (as long as it is also supported by a most unique, singular emanation/concentration of the Divine Essence) than that of Ibn 'Arabi to be able to genuinely assess him, apart from simply being mesmerized by his genius. For, although he was a great genius, almost beyond comparison for many, many centuries, we, Muslims, should expect a greater genius ('Arif) to supersede him, explaining the science of Haqiqah (Reality) perhaps with fresh emphasis and from hidden angles. Soon, insya Allah.

I shall close this note by quoting Ibn 'Arabi's words regarding Sufism and himself:

"The Most Perfect Saint is he who sees no other station in front of him, other than the Station of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.). In his capacity (as Watad, 'Pillar'), he does not even see the station of the Pole (Quthb)."

"My system of knowledge is entirely based on Kasyf (Unveiling), not as many (philosophers and jurists) imagine, for there is no rational direction in which this Station can be approached, nor can it be achieved merely by means of striving towards excellency. Rather, this is the reward of my fully following the Sunnah of the Prophet and a great bounty from Allah Himself; in fact, I have received the entirety of gnosis, including the Pillars and Explanations, directly from the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) himself, both in wakefulness and in sleep, as an 'Arif has said, 'By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah was veiled from me even for just a second, I would not consider myself as being among you (Muslims).'"


Mahabbah,

Dani