Daily Archives: December 4, 2011

Ibn Arabi’s Circle & ‘Aql

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Ibn Arabi’s Circle

Ibn Arabi

“Rendition of the Aql (The Primordial Intellect): If Wujud (Being-ness) is a circle then the beginning of the circle is the Aql, that which entered within the Prophetic narrations i.e. it is the case that the very first of what Allah created was the Aql, the Primordial Common Ancestry of all species (genus) that ended the creation (speciation) towards the human specie i.e. the circle completed, and the human being reconnected to the beginning of the circle i.e. the Aql. And all the points on the circumference of this circle render all species created by Allah ranging from the Primordial Intellect (Aql) which is also the Qalam (The Divine Pen) up to the human being that is the final Maujud (Objectified Being). All the points on this circle radially point at the center, and that renders the relationship between all Maujud (Objectified Being) and Allah i.e. objects face Allah at all times.

Moreover Allah erected the Human Surat (Shape, Form, Attributes) like a tent pole, and the dome shaped consequent space holds the skies, kept in place ceaselessly due to the tent pole i.e. the human Wujud (Being). And if this Human Surat (Shape, Form, Attribute) ceases i.e. no one is left upon this earth breathing “then the skies split asunder in a flimsy day [69:16]” since the tent pole that was holding the dome structure has ceased, structure is being transferred due to the transfer of its holding pole i.e. as the human being is transported from this world to the hereafter, this life is destroyed due to the human transfer.”

الفتوحات المكية  محيي الدين ابن عربي
فهو نظير العقل الأول وبه ارتبط لأن الوجود دائرة فكان ابتداء الدائرة وجود العقل الأول الذي ورد في الخبر أنه أول ما خلق الله العقل فهو أول الأجناس وانتهى الخلق إلى الجنس الإنساني فكملت الدائرة واتصل الإنسان بالعقل كما يتصل آخر الدائرة بأولها فكانت دائرة وما بين طرفي الدائرة جميع ما خلق الله من أجناس العالم بين العقل الأول الذي هو القلم أيضاً وبين الإنسان الذي هو الموجود الآخر ولما كانت الخطوط الخارجة من النقطة التي في وسط الدائرة إلى المحيط الذي وجد عنها تخرج على لاسواء لكل جزء من المحيط كذلك نسبة الحق تعالى إلى جميع الموجودات نسبة واحدة فلا يقع هناك تغيير البتة كانت الأشياء كلها ناظرة إليه وقابلة منه ما يهبها نظر أجزاء المحيط إلى النقطة وأقام سبحانه هذه الصورة الإنسانية بالحركة المستقيمة صورة العمد الذي للخيمة فجعله لقبة هذه السموات فهو سبحانه يمسكها أن تزول بسببه فعبرنا عنه بالعمد فإذا فنيت هذه الصورة ولم يبق منها على وجه الأرض أحد متنفس وانشقت السماء فهي يومئذ واهية لأن العمد زال وهو الإنسان ولما انتقلت العمارة إلى
الدار الآخرة بانتقال الإنسان إليها وخربت الدنيا بانتقاله عنها

Aql Al-Awwal (Primordial Intellect)

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Aql: The Primordial Beloved Intellect

“Allah created Al-‘Aql (Intellect) first and said to it: “Come forward” and it came forward, then Allah told it:” Go backwards” and it went backwards” said the Prophet, peace be upon him. In other versions: “Allah told it (Aql): Sit and so it sat, speak and so it spoke and told it : “Silence”! And  it became silent”.

Further, Allah swears by Hu’s (His) own Might and Glory: “I have not created any creation more loved by Me other than you (Aql)”.

Further, Allah confirms the instrumentation of the ‘Aql: “With you I will praise! And with you I will endow! With you I will take and with you I will give!”

تخريج أحاديث الإحياء، الإصدار 2.07 – للحافظ العراقي
المجلد الأول >> كتاب العلم: الباب السابع في العقل
3 – حديث “أول ما خلق الله العقل قال له: أقبل فأقبل، ثم قال له: أدبر فأدبر، ثم قال الله عز وجل: وعزتي وجلالي ما خلقت خلقا أكرم علي منك، بك آخذ وبك أعطي، وبك أثيب وبك أعاقب”
أخرجه الطبراني في الأوسط من حديث أبي أمامة وأبو نعيم من حديث عائشة بإسنادين ضعيفين

كنز العمال الإصدار 2.01 – للمتقي الهندي
المجلد الثالث >> الإكمال من العقل
7057- لما خلق الله العقل قال له: أقبل فأقبل. ثم قال له: أدبر فأدبر، ثم قال له: أقعد فقعد، ثم قال له: انطق فنطق، ثم قال: اصمت فصمت، فقال: ما خلقت خلقا أحب إلي منك، ولا أكرم، بك أعرف، وبك أحمد، وبك أطاع، وبك آخذ، وبك أعطي، وإياك أعاتب، ولك الثواب، وعليك العقاب وما أكرمتك بشيء أفضل من الصبر.
الحكيم عن الحسن قال حدثني عدة من الصحابة. الحكيم عن الأوزاعي معضلا (الحديث المعضل: (بفتح الضاد) وهو ما سقط من إسناده اثنان فأكثر بشرط التوالي، كقول مالك: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقول الشافعي: قال ابن عمر. قواعد التحديث (130) ص

Note: The above Hadith (Prophetic Narration) may have missing persons in the chain of narration, however it was narrated from many companions and from the Prophet’s wife ‘Aisha and is commonly referred to by both Shiites and Sunnis scholars and of course by the Sufis.  

It is clear from the above prophetic lections that ‘Aql (Intellect) is the beloved of Allah, a primeval Wujud (Being) as following:

1.    Very close to Allah, as was said by the Prophet: “When people draw near to Allah via their righteousness, you draw close (instead) with your ‘Aql (Intellect)”.

تخريج أحاديث الإحياء، الإصدار 2.07 – للحافظ العراقي
المجلد الأول >> كتاب العلم: الباب السابع في العقل
2 – حديث “إذا تقرب الناس بأنواع البر فتقرب أنت بعقلك”

2.    Compliant with Allah’s orders
3.    Self-aware; it knows it has been addressed and it complies
4.    Endowed with speech and silence
5.    Alive with some peculiar form of spiritual life
6.    Endowed with physical attributes of motion i.e. forward and backward motion, stillness
7.    An instrument/agent of some kind as said by the Prophet (reported by Ibn Abbas): “For every object there is equipment and instrumentation and the instrumentation for the believer is ‘Aql (Intellect)”.

تخريج أحاديث الإحياء، الإصدار 2.07 – للحافظ العراقي
المجلد الأول >> كتاب العلم: الباب السابع في العقل
1 – حديث ابن عباس “لكل شيء آلة وعدة وإن آلة المؤمن العقل ولكل شيء مطية ومطية المرء العقل ولكل شيء دعامة ودعامة الدين العقل ولكل قوم غاية وغاية العباد العقل ولكل قوم داع وداعي العابدين العقل ولكل تاجر بضاعة وبضاعة المجتهدين العقل ولكل أهل بيت قيم وقيم بيوت الصديقين العقل ولكل خراب عمارة وعمارة الآخرة العقل ولكل امرئ عقب ينسب إليه ويذكر به وعقب الصديقين الذي ينسبون إليه ويذكرون به العقل ولكل سفر فسطاط وفسطاط المؤمنين العقل”
أخرجه ابن المجبر وعنه الحارث.

 

8. The gifts of cognizance and creativity are endowed through the ‘Aql .

Ta’ayyun (Contrast)

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Qaisari/Jurjani
(Kasshaf Istilahat Al-Funun)
“Ta’ayyun is an entity/operation that allows for Imtiaz/Tashkhis (Discernment) of an object from all else that is not it.“

التعريفات  الجرجاني
التعين
ما به امتياز الشيء عن غيره، بحيث لا يشاركه فيه غيره.

In modern English language Ta’ayyun means Ocular/Optical Contrast i.e. like a lens that goes in and out of  focus thus making high-contrast detailed or low-contrast blurred images. As we read later on, the contrast might not be optical in nature e.g. contrasting a thought from all thoughts, but it is optical-like meaning Ta’ayyun shares some attributes in its operations with an ordinary camera lens.

 

Warqā’ (Green) Ring Dove (Mutawwaq)

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Discourse of Warqā’ (Green) Ring Dove (Mutawwaq)
And when she (Green Ring Dove) heard the words of the Omnipresent Tree and what came to it (dove or tree?) from the gnostics of sempiternity, let out a loud call/chant midst the meadows of her (Tree’s) sanctities to CLEARLY announce herself (the dove).

Jalal: The said Ring Dove is green and the Tree is also green and as such the green dove is camouflaged! She needs to call out loud to attract attention to herself. “meadows of tree’s sanctities” indicates a realm where there is tree and nothing else. In other words Ring Dove is trying to become something other than the tree and yet she is stuck in the boundary of sanctity of tree-ness and cannot therefore become (to exist as a separate entity).

She (Green Ring Dove) said: When Allah willed to make my existence to become and to contrast my observations (discern me from the tree and all else so I can be observed) and to collar me with the collar of Bahā’ (Immense unbearable Beauty) and to place me to reside me in Sidra-t Al-Muntahā, therefore (for that purpose) called upon His Eagle and assured him he would be secure from any punishment while the Eagle was the His door’s courtyard, therefore the Eagle replied obediently (Affirmative): ” I heard Your call”.

Jalal: Green Ring Dove completely concealed within the verdant Omnipresent Tree and has no way of becoming something in and of herself until Allah wills her to become another entity discernible from from the Tree. For that to happen Ring Dove needs to contrast from the vernal background of the Tree since she is herself green. So Allah givers her Ta’ayyun (Contrast) because she could be an existence but not contrasting enough from the Tree. And Allah wished one more thing for her: to be collared! Animals are collared to be dragged and thus subjugated to the will of their owner. In this case the Ring Dove is collared and subjugated to immense beauty that no eye in cosmos has capacity to endure to enjoy in full! Bahā’ is used as the word for that collar which is related to the letter Ba (‘b’ sound in Arabic) and the first letter of Basmala (Bismillahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim) as the Divine letter of ignition i.e. every object is objectified only by the appearance and involvement of the letter Ba to commence to be.

Q: Why did Allah give the Eagle the immunity from punishment?
A: Because Ring Dove is within the ‘meadows of sanctities’ of the Tree and in order for the Eagle to help to become another entity all to herself and away by Sidra-t Al-Muntahā he needs to violate the sanctity of both Omnipresent Tree as well as the Sidra-t Al-Muntahā! These are punishable sins judged for the transgressors of the said trees. So Allah tells the Eagle not to worry he is give immunity.

Allah continues telling the Eagle: “You are in an estranged realm since you are in My close proximity (since there is nothing close to Allah due to Taqdis (sanctification)) and I (Allah) am not of your kind and for sure you are feeling lonely. However there is a delightful darling (Qurrat Al-‘Ain) within you (Eagle) make her emerge (become patent from deep within you) by using the contrast of intimacy by keeping her company and her conversations, for sure the intimate relationship of any kind with Me (Allah) is impossible since I am mighty in power”.

Eagle replies: How can I emerge anything from deep within me and my abilities are abysmal and no authority or power (within my reach)?

Allah replies: The prerequisite (for her emergence from deep with you) is cooing and she will then appear and this (regular back and forth cooing) is the method for Two-ness and union through being-Two.

Consequently (the Eagle) cooed and she (Green Ring Dove) emerged.

 

 

Cipher

Kitab Al-Istilah Al-Sufiyya
Ibn Arabi
Eagle: ‘Aql Al-Awwal (Primordial Intellect) or Qalam (Primordial Pen); gendered as male.

Al-Ittihad Al-Kauni
Ibn Arabi
Green Ring Dove: Al-Nafs Al-Wāhida-t or Al-Laud Mahfuz (Preserved Tables); gendered as female; singleton self/entity. See the word used in Qur’an:

4:1 O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a Nafs Al-Wahida, created, of like nature, his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for Allah ever watches over you.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا

 

6:98 It is He Who hath produced you from a Nafs Al-Wahida: here is a place of sojourn and a place of departure: We detail Our signs for people who understand.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآَيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ

 

7:189 It is He Who created you from a Nafs Al-Wahida, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her (in love). When they are united, she bears a light burden and carries it about (unnoticed). When she grows heavy, they both pray to Allah their Lord, (saying): “If Thou givest us a goodly child, we vow we shall (ever) be grateful.”

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلًا خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ فَلَمَّا أَثْقَلَتْ دَعَوَا اللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ آَتَيْتَنَا صَالِحًا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ

 

31:28 And your creation or your resurrection is in no wise but as an Nafs Al-Wahida: for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things).

مَا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ

 

39:6 He created you (all) from a Nafs Al-Wahida: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)?

خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَنْعَامِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِنْ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَاثٍ ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ