Category Archives: Metaphysics

Philosophy of Sufis

The Pitch-Black Raven

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Discourse of the Pitch-Black Raven

Then the Raven stood up (to be distinguished) and said: I am the scaffold for lights (pl.) and the transporter of the place of Al-Asrar (i.e. Divine Observatory) and the place of Al-Kaif (How-ness qualitative) and the place of Al-Kam (How-much-ness quantitively) and the instrument of joy and soffow, the leader of the followers, the ‘sense’ and the ‘sensed’ are for (from) me. Through me emerged the material designs (blue-prints) and from on me (from me) stood the realm of corporeal bodies.

 

 

 

The Alien ‘Anqā’ Mugharrib

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Discourse of The Alien ‘Anqā’

And when the Eagle finished his words elucidating his rank,  ‘Anqā’, stood (to be seen), elucidated the nature of her existence and like a sun set at her boundary of greatness (disappeared into the sunset).

She said: I am the ‘Anqā’ Mugharrib (Alien), my dwelling ceases not to be in Mugharrab (Exiled), a middle place, on the banks of surrounding sea.

Greatness has surrounded me from both sides (Spiritual Realm vs. Corporeal Realm) and for my existence there has never be any contrast (to be seen by any eyes).

All boundaries/limits are due to me (or end at me) and existence of all things stops/ends at me. I am heard (or talked about) but not seen (invisible), and I am not fictitious. I am the absent ‘Anqā’, my mother the Green Ring Dove and my father the Regal Eagle and my child the Pitch-Black Raven.

I am of the race of Light and Darknesses (I am made from elements of light and darknesses). A place for both trust and suspicion. I have no Qabiliyat (Receptivity) for the Absolute Light and have cognizance of any knowledge since I am (extremely) uncommon (no one can have any cognizance of me since I am so acutely unusual).

 


Lisan Al-Arab
Ibn Manzur

Anqa a large bird that is not eagle.

It is said (by the Arab): ‘Anqā’ Mugharrib i.e. there is no root for the word (it is a word by itself without any derivation from any other word, since most Arabic words are derivations from three-letter verbs of the form fa’ala).

Jalal: Due this attribute the ‘Anqā’ Mugharrib has no beginning unlike the Regal Eagle.

It is said: It is called ‘Anqā’ since the neck (‘Unuq) is white like a ring.

Al-Zajaj: ‘Anqā’ Mugharrib is a bird no one has seen. (Hence the estranged uncommon comments in Ibn Arabi’s text).

لسان العرب  ابن منظوريعني الشدَّة أَي من الحادي أَو من الجمل. ابن الأَعرابي: يقال منه لقيتُ أُذُنَيْ عَناقٍ أَي داهية وأمراً شديداً. وجاء فلان يأُذني عنَاق إذا جاء بالكذب الفاحش. ويقال: رجع فلان بالعَناق إذا رجع خائباً، يوضع العَناق موضع الخيبة. والعنَاق: النجم الأَوسط من بنات نَعْش الكُبْرى: والعَنْقاءُ: الداهية؛ قال: يَحْمِلْنَ عَنْقاء وعَنْقَفِيرا،
وأُمَّ خَشّافٍ وخَنْشَفِيرا،
والدَّلْوَ والدَّيْلَمَ والزَّفِيرَا
وكلهن دَواهِ، ونكرَّ عَنْقاء وعَنْقَفِيراً، وإنما هي العَنْقاء والعَنْقَفِير، وقد يجوز أن تحذف منهما اللام وهما باقيان على تعريفهما.والعَنْقاء: طائر ضخم ليس بالعُقاب، وقيل: العَنْقاءُ المُغْرِبُ كلمة لا أَصل لها، يقال: إنها طائر عظيم لا ترى إلا في الدهور ثم كثر ذلك حتى سموا الداهية عَنْقاء مُغْرِباً ومُغْرِبةً؛ قال: ولولا سليمانُ الخليفةُ، حَـلَّـقَـتْ  به، من يد الحَجّاج، عَنْقاءُ مُغْرِب
وقيل: سمِّيت عَنْقاء لأنه كان في عُنُقها بياض كالطوق، وقال كراع: العَنْقاء فيما يزعمون طائر يكون عند مغرب الشمس، وقال الزجاج: العَنْقاءُ المُغْرِبُ طائر لم يره أَحد، وقيل في قوله تعالى؛ طيراً أَبابِيلَ؛ هي عَنْقاءُ مُغْرِبَة. أَبو عبيد؛ من أَمثال العرب طارت بهم العَنْقاءُ المُغْرِبُ، ولم يفسره. قال ابن الكلبي: كان لأهل الرّس نبيٌّ يقال له حنظلة بن صَفْوان، وكان بأَرضهم جبل يقال له دَمْخ، مصعده في السماء مِيلٌ، فكان يَنْتابُهُ طائرة كأَعظم ما يكون، لها عنق طويل من أَحسن الطير، فيها من كل لون، وكانت تقع مُنْقَضَّةً فكانت تنقضُّ على الطير فتأْكلها، فجاعت وانْقَضَّت على صبيِّ فذهبت به، فسميت عَنْقاءَ مُغْرباً، لأَنها تَغْرُب بكل ما أَخذته، ثم انْقَضَّت على جارية تَرعْرَعَت وضمتها إلى جناحين لها صغيرين سوى جناحيها الكبيرين، ثم طارت بها، فشكوا ذلك إلى نبيهم، فدعا عليها فسلط الله عليها آفةً فهلكت، فضربتها العرب مثلاً في أَشْعارها، ويقال: أَلْوَتْ به العَنْقاءُ المُغْرِبُ، وطارت به العَنْقاء.
والعَنْقاء: العُقاب، وقيل: طائر لم يبق في أَيدي الناس من صفتها غير اسمها.
والعَنْقاءُ: لقب رجل من العرب، واسمه ثعلبة بن عمرو. والعَنْقاءُ: اسم مَلِكِ، والتأنيث عند الليث للفظ العَنْقاءِ. والتَّعانِيقُ: موضع؛ قال زهير: صَحَا القلبُ عن سَلْمَى، وقد كاد لا يَسْلُو،وأَقْفَرَ، من سَلْمَى، التَّعانِيقُ فالثِّقْلُ
Rabi’a Al-Abrar (The Spring of the Pious)
By Al-Zumukhshari (Linguist of the Arab 700 years back?)From Ibn Abbas (child-companion of the Prophet):

Allah created in the time of Moses peace be upon him a special bird, her name Anqa’, She had 4 wings in either side, and her face like a human, and gave her many goodness and beauty, and Allah created for her a male mate, and Allah inspired Moses that I have created a strange couple of birds, and gave her provision amongst the wildlife of Holy House of Jerusalem, and I made them company for you even as additional blessings for the children of Israel and Allah made these birds flourish.

And after Moses died they moved to Najd and Hijaz (around Saudi Arabia) and they did not descent to hunt and dropped their offsprings until a prophet called Khaled Ibn Sanaan appeared between the Jesus and Muhammad’s time. And they complained to this prophet (sorrowing for absence of Moses) and the prophet asked Allah to make them extinct and they gradually disappeared.

ربيع الأبرار  الزمخشري

عن ابن عباس: إن الله خلق في زمان موسى عليه السلام طائراً اسمها العنقاء، لها أربعة أجنحة من كل جانب، وجهها كوجه الإنسان، وأعطاها من كل شيء حسن قسطاً، وخلق لها ذكراً مثلها، وأوحى إليه أني خلقت طائرين عجيبين، وجعلت رزقهما في الوحوش التي حول بيت المقدس، وآنستك بهما وجعلتهما زيادة فيما فضلت به بني إسرائيل. فتناسلا وكثر نسلهما.
فلما توفي موسى عليه السلام انتقلت فوقعت بنجد والحجاز، فلم تزل تأكل الوحوش وتخطف الصبيان إلى أن تنبأ خالد بن سنان العيسى بين عيسى ومحمد. فشكوها إليه، فدعا الله تعالى فقطع نسلها وانقرضت.

 

Regal Eagle: ‘Uqab Al-Malik

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Discourse of the Regal Eagle

And when the Eagle heard what Green Ring Dove had mentioned to him and what she conveyed to him of indubitable knowledges, he then said: (Green Ring Dove) has veracity in what had claimed and she has emerged for you (pl.) of what she contains (of knowledge).

I said to him (Eagle): Fly through the atmosphere of your Bayān (Rigour) and elucidate for us your nature. The throne of the eagle shook and while he flapped his wings with joy:

I am the Eagle, for me most-high rank, the goodness, the most beautiful resplendent light
I execute the affairs, orderly, in compliance with wisdom
From the shores of the corporeal realm, my power forbids (or forbidden for me to enter this physical realm or the physical realm come close to me)

I was non-being without any ‘Ayn (Contrast to be seen), until Divine Providence (graceful attention) brought forth my existence, (an existence) with a beginning. And this was so due to IT lucently manifested (Tajalli) ITself to ITself, consequently my existence was prolonged by instrument of IT SEEING ITself.

consequently my existence was prolonged by instrument of IT SEEING ITself: IT shone light upon ITself, So IT sees ITs own Divine Beauty, and such process requires:

1. An Eye to see
2. Light to illuminate
3. Beauty to endue the seeing with Divine Gift of pleasure

From the leftover of 1-3 there was enough light and Eye to focus on a contrast to see the Eagle (Eagle contrasted), and as long as this light shines and this Eye sees the contrast (‘Ayn) then the Eagle prolongs to be.

…

Fly through the atmosphere of your Bayān (Rigour): The Regal Eagle is Al-‘Aql Al-Awwal (Primordial Intellect) as depicted in the Hadith (Prophetic Narration). The Aql is spatial i.e. has attributes of space, as those of our brain and thoughts. They, our minds and thoughts, have spaces within which they do signals, computations, thoughts and imagination and so on. Therefore the Eagle is told to fly i.e. move rapidly within the space of Primordial Intellect. Each motions becomes or rigorously brings forth knowledges or thoughts or rationalizations in most precise accurate manner hence the word rigour. In other words, when a bird flies in the atmosphere of this planet, it produces waves and eddies, sounds and images as the result of its motility. This Eagle in place of waves and sounds and images produces thoughts and knowledges and so on as the result of his motility.

I was non-being without any ‘Ayn (Contrast to be seen): Some entities might not have existence but can be SEEN, we all have experienced that, almost on daily basis when scientists imagine some fact (yet to be observed) or the weather man forecasts the future of the weather. Although the entity is not in existence, yet it has an image that forms in our minds, forms by the optical-like act of increasing its contrast so we can see it before it even becoming. So the Eagle said he was so non-existence that even did not have such an ocular image that could be contrasted and viewed.

(an existence) with a beginning: There are some forms of existence that have no beginning, there is no knowledge that can explain how the entity started. But the Eagle informs Ibn Arabi that he had a beginning. For example the Estranged ‘Anqa’ has no beginning, but Eagle does.

And I become ITs throne by (my) Sarira-t (Divine Observatory): When the light shone and when the Divine Eye saw the contrast that formed i.e. the Eagle, the Eagle itself developed an eye of its own, this de novo eye sees the Divine Knowledges and Divine Secrets like an observatory which is called Sirr in Sufism e.g. Sarira-t is another version of the word Sirr. Therefore people and things can use the Eagles new eye to see things about Allah and feel an ocular form of Divine Presence without actually seeing Allah and that is called the throne: Place a king is being exhibited to honour and adore and fear.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Shajara Kulliya or Insan Kulli

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“I am The Omnipresent/Ubiquitous/Universal Tree … with roots and branches…”

Qidam is the seed of all things. Qidam is the infinite past, or realm of actualities free of all potentialities and probabilities. Everything in Qidam is actual i.e. has no potentiality to become, it just is. And it is so actualized and certain that it has the feel of the past, since all things in past are actual and exact since they already happened. There are no potentialities in the past, it either happened or not.

Our universe, here, is a universe of potentialities. Flip a coin, it is either Head (H) or Tail (T). No event has any certainty for its outcome.

 

 

 

Q: How did the universe of Qidam (Infinite Past) free of all potentialities, link to our fully potential-probabilistic present universe?

If you could imagine flipping a coin in Qidam there are no discernible outcomes. Head (H) and Tail (T) are one and the same i.e. had you flipped a coin you would have got both H and T at the same time since you could not tell them apart.

 

 

 

As you move away from Qidam i.e. become closer to the present moment, little by little two outcomes become almost discernible. If you flip a coin here then there are two outcomes, H and T and both happen at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

Move more and more towards this present moment and H and T become more discernible and yet one and the same thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There arrives a time, quite close to the present moment, when suddenly there are two distinct outcomes to the flipping of the coin i.e. H and T and there are now two different entities as the outcome of the flipping.

 

 

 

 

Imagine all the events in the cosmos going through the same process all those branchings assemble to a tree:

 

 

 

And this tree, of course, is Omnipresent or Universal.

At the end of the book Ibn Arabi calls this Omnipresent Tree another name Insan Al-Kulli which can have two meanings:

1. Omnipresent Human Being
2. Omnipresent Eye

Omnipresent Human Being
All potentialities in our universe is caused by the appearance of human beings i.e. exit of man from Qidam (Infinite Past) into the present moment. It is the nature of the human essence that causes all the potentialities in the universe. Thus the said tree is really the structure of human presence in this world, connecting Qidam to present moment.

Omnipresent Eye
Our vision and for that matter all our senses operate in the past i.e. immediate past. What you see of the words in this sentence appeared few micro seconds ago to your eyes but it takes a bit of time to transfer and process in the brain to understand. Therefore your eyes are always viewing the past! Consequently you are looking backwards along the branches towards the trunk/root of the said tree whenever you look! So this tree is really a structure attached to your eye, an extension of your biological eyes.

 

 

 

 

Al-Ittihad Al-Kauni: Synchronous Existence

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Ibn Arabi’s book with the same title starts with the following introduction:

(Pointing) Towards the Three-ness and Two-ness (spiritual states), while (their) administrator/governor (is Hu or Allah) Lord of the Three-ness and Two-ness (states), all the while pointing at Him/Hu from within the Al-Mathāni (Surah Al-Fatiha)…

 

 

(Pointing) Towards the Three-ness and Two-ness (spiritual states): Ibn Arabi is pointing at the two discernible states of human spirituality saying that their Lord who administrates and organizes them is no one other than Allah who has been pointed at in the Surah Al-Fatiha of Qur’an. Therefore those who experience the Two-ness spiritual state should not be mislead that they are coming into contact with spirits or demons or other beings or psychological anomalies, rather they are in communication with Allah in a modality that there is the person and no one else.
There are modalities and states to the Divine Presence and experience and feeling the Divine Presence, two of which are:

Three-ness spiritual state: This is when there are three agents involved in the experience of the Divine Presence:

1. Servant invoking Allah
2. Allah
3. All else i.e. the people and the world around us

The total adds up to three entities.

Two-ness spiritual state: This when there are only two agents involved in the experience of the Divine Presence:

1. Servant invoking Allah
2. Allah

And no one else!

The former, i.e. the  Three-ness state, is experienced by all of us and it is an ‘Ām (General Public) state enjoyed by all.

The latter, i.e. the Two-ness state, is experience solely by few exclusive servants or Khās (Khawās, pl.); and it is based upon a Hadith (Prophetic Narration):

“For me (Muhammad) there is an instant (or period of time) (so exclusive) that even an angel close to Allah or a sent prophet cannot afford to catch-up/share/fit/afford (that moment)”.

In Risala Qushairi another version is found: For me (Muhammad) there is an instant (or period of time) (so exclusive) that no one other my Lord is in it (during this moment no one but Allah is present).

Two-ness state is coined as Ithnainiyat.

Remark: Awkward creative words like Three-ness and Two-ness are used to avoid intermingling with any other concepts of duality or trinity. Some Juhhal (Intensely Ignorant) Arab accused Sheikh Ibn Arabi of subscribing to the Christian Trinity and therefore accused him of heresy.

الجامع الصغير.  – لجلال الدين السيوطي
المجلد الرابع >> [تتمة باب حرف الراء]
4377- رأيت ربي عز وجل [وزاد في رواية الدارقطني: “في أحسن صورة”]ـ
[“رأيت ربي عز وجل”: بالمشاهدة العينية، التي لم يحتمل الكليم (موسى عليه السلام) أدنى شيء منها، أو القلبية، بمعنى التجلي التام، فقد روي عنه عليه السلام: لي مع الله وقت لا يسعني فيه ملك مقرب ولا نبي مرسل (وقول المناوي “روي” يشير إلى ضعف الحديث). والأرجح أن الله جمع له بين الرؤية البصرية والجنانية، ولا يعارضه قول الله لكليمه “لن تراني”، وإن كان حرف “لن” لتأبيد النفي: إذ لا يلزم من نفيها عن موسى عليه السلام نفيها عن محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، والله سبحانه حي موجود، فلا يمتنع رؤيته عقلا، وحاسية العين غير ركن (أي غير ضروري) للرؤية، ولولا حجب النفس والهوى لرأت العين في الدنيا ما يراه القلب، وعكسه.
{فائدة} قال المؤلف (السيوطي): من خصائصه رؤيته للباري تعالى مرتين، وركوب البراق في أحد القولين.
{تنبيه} هذا الحديث رواه الدارقطني وغيره عن أنس، وزاد فيه: “في أحسن صورة”. قال المؤلف: وهذا، إن حمل على رؤية المنام فلا إشكال، أو اليقظة فقد سئل عنه الكمال بن الهمام فأجاب أن هذا حجاب الصورة. انتهى.]ـ
التخريج (مفصلا): أحمد في مسنده عن ابن عباس [ورواه الدارقطني وغيره عن أنس]ـ
تصحيح السيوطي: صحيح
تصحيح المناوي: قال الهيثمي: رجاله رجال الصحيح. ومن ثمة رمز المصنف (السيوطي) لصحته.
كشف الخفاء،  – للإمام العجلوني
حرف اللام.
2159 – لي مع الله وقت لا يسعني فيه ملك مقرب ولا نبي مرسل.
تذكره الصوفية كثيرا، وهو في رسالة القشيري بلفظ لي وقت لا يسعني فيه غير ربي،
ويقرب منه ما رواه الترمذي في شمائله وابن راهويه في مسنده عن علي في حديث كان صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أتى منزله جزأ دخوله ثلاثة أجزاء جزءا لله وجزءا لأهله وجزءا لنفسه ثم جزأ جزأه بينه وبين الناس كذا في اللآلئ،
وزاد فيها ورواه الخطيب بسند قال فيه الحافظ الدمياطي أنه على رسم الصحيح،
وقال القاري بعد إيراده الحديث قلت ويؤخذ منه أنه أراد بالملك المقرب جبريل وبالنبي المرسل أخاه الخليل انتهى فليتأمل،
ثم قال القاري وفيه إيماء إلى مقام الاستغراق باللقاء المعبر عنه بالسكر والمحو والفناء انتهى.

This meaning can be felt by investigating the Divine Name/Attribute of Al-Qayyum i.e. every creature only needs Allah to subsist its existence, and therefore can have modality of existence that there is only itself and Allah and no one else.

all the while pointing at Him/Hu from within the Al-Mathāni (Surah Al-Fatiha):

Q: Why Surah Al-Fatiha was mentioned in regards to the Two-ness and Three-ness?

A: The ‘second segment’ of Fatiha in the blow Hadith clearly indicates the short-lived state of Two-ness while reading the 5th verse of Fatiha:

Allah has said: “I have split the Salāt (Daily mandatory Dhikr/worship) into two parts between Myself and My slave”:

(First Segment, Allah’s portion)
When the slave says: “(2) Praise (be) to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds”, Allah replies: My slave has praised me.
(For full discussion see Al-Hamd (Praise to Allah))

When the slave says: “(3) Most Beneficent, Most Merciful”, Allah replies: “I am being extolled by My slave”.

When the slave says: “(4) Master of the Day of Judgment.”, Allah replies:” My slave has glorified Me”.

(Second segment, shared between Allah and the slave)
When the slave says: “(5) YOU we worship, and (from) YOU we seek (aid and help)”, Allah replies: “This is between Myself and My slave and for My slave whatever he asks for”.

(Segment solely for the slave)
When the slave says: “(6) Show us the straight way, (7) The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.”, Allah replies: This is for My slave and for My slave be whatever he asked for.

 

ولنا حديث أبي هريرة قال: سمعت النبي عليه السلام يقول: ” قال الله تعالى قسمت الصلاة ـ أي الفاتحة ـ بيني وبين عبدي نصفين ولعبدي ما سأل فإذا قال العبد { ٱلْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ } قال الله تعالى: حمدني عبدي. وإذا قال { ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ } قال الله تعالى: أثنى عليّ عبدي. وإذا قال { مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدّينِ } قال: مجدني عبدي. وإذا قال { إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ } قال: هذا بيني وبين عبدي ولعبدي ما سأل. فإذا قال { ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصّرَاطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ * صِرَاطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ ٱلضَّالّينَ } قال: هذا لعبدي ولعبدي ما سأل

The said spiritual state of Two-ness is called Al-Ittihad according the Sufi references compiled by Farhang-e Istlihat-e Irfani by Dr. Sajjadi. The latter gives a reference from Misbah Al-‘Uns of Qunawi which talks about a modality of Divine Presence felt by the person which is free of all else other than Allah and even most of the corporeal attributes of the person is not included. Therefore the English translation of Synchronicity is best suited for this circumstance.

Q: What does then the title Al-Ittihad Al-Kauni means?
A: Ibn Arabi is detailing a modality of existence i.e. Al-Ittahid Al-Kauni, which the two realms of Malakut (Spiritual Realm) and Mulk (Corporeal Realm) are synchronized. In other words the person experiences happenings of this world synchronized with spiritual entities of the other world, no longer the person perceives two un-linked independent realms, indeed feels the two discernible and partitioned realms are suddenly are synchronized in spite of any physical linkage. Additionally the person feels very little of this world and his personal attributes during this modality of existence.

Reference to Ibn Arabi’s Fusus

According to the Adam’s Seal i.e. the beginning of Ibn Arabi’s Fusus the universe is a mirror, and using this concept we can render the Three-ness and Two-ness states under a different light:

Three-ness: When there is an object, object’s reflection and a mirror. This is the world we are used to.

Two-ness: When there is an object and an object’s reflection but there is no mirror! This is a little experienced form of existence these days.

In the back of the collection of Ibn Arabi’s Rislalaat (Treatise) the following short guide to the words and their spiritual meaning is found, and one can easily deduce the English translation of Synchronicity from Ibn Arabi’s definitions:

Book of Sufi Terminologies
Ibn Arabi

Al-Ittihad: Tasyir (Transformation, Happenings) of two discernible/independent entities as if one (acting as one entity), and they are (considered to be) two entities only due to (the process of) counting, i.e.  that is (being one in) Hala (being in the same temporary state)

كتاب اصطلاح الصوفية
ابن عربي
الإتحاد : تصيير الذاتين واحدة و لا يكون إلا في العدد و هو حال

 

 

 

Irfan(Gnostics) of Bird

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Why peacock? Why not horse? After all the Arab valued the horse far more than the peacock in their lives.

Therefore the usage of the word peacock must have some other meaning. This Rahi (Author) has spiritual ‘experience’ with birds that has find its counterpart in form of genome ‘data’:

“Relative to other birds (and indeed, all tetrapods), hummingbirds exhibit small and minimally variable genome sizes. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the metabolic demands of powered flight, which are extreme in these hovering birds, have played a role in the evolution of reduced genome sizes of birds, probably through the intermediate of cell size.”

Source: “The smallest avian genomes are found in hummingbirds”, T. Ryan Gregory, Proc. R. Soc. B. 

67:19. Didn’t they look ‘Ila (at/towards) the bird(s) above them Sāff-āt and Ya-Qbidh-na, what preserves/maintains/holds them (birds) other than Al-Rahman

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَنُ

Sāff-āt: In the language of the Arab also means to cleanse or purify or remove anything extra or unnecessary, and indeed the genome of the birds have removed all the unnecessary ‘junk’ or ‘repetitive’ DNA in order to become genomically much smaller than most other mammalian or otherwise species. You might want to translate this word into ‘cull’ or ‘culling’.

Ya-Qbidh-na: Which really means to constrict or shrink in size might be translated, properly in this case, into compressed or shrunken. Which after the culling of the DNA in the bird genome, the resultant creature with compressed genome needs much less energy to maintain its living and its motility therefore the high-metabolic flight ranging from the hummingbird to largest migratory birds became possible.

Remark: The non-flying birds have much larger genome than the flying ones e.g. hummingbird genome is 0.91 pg while the ostrich is 2.16 pg. 

 

The birds were in the darkness of ‘Adam (Non-Being) and the Nur shone upon them and they become Wujud (Being) but they followed the light in a different path than any other creature, and they came close to Allah in a different sort of proximity and that nearness was manifested into our world via two projections:

1. Flight

2. Condensed genome

 

Therefore something very intimate and special took place between Allah and the flying birds! And what incident was of spiritual nature in the Malakut (Spiritual Realm) the choice of peacock points to this special relationship.