The Twenty-Third Word

[This Word contains Two Discussions]

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا اْلاِنْسَانَ فِى اَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ اَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ اِلاَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ1

FIRST DISCUSSION

We explain only five of the thousands of virtues of îmân in the “Five Points.”

FIRST POINT:

Through the nûr of îmân, man rises to the a’lâ ‘illiyyin; he acquires a value worthy of Jannah. And through the darkness of kufr, he descends to the asfal sâfilîn; he falls into a situation that will lead him to Jahannam. Because îmân relates man to his Sâni’ Zuljalâl; îmân is a relation (intisâb); therefore, man acquires value through the art of Allah and the embroideries of the names of Ar-Rabb that manifest on him through îmân. Kufr severs that relation. Due to that severance, the art of Ar-Rabb is concealed. His value is only in terms of his material value. And since the material is a transitory, perishable and temporary animal life, its value is nothing.

We shall explain this mystery through a comparison: For example, in man's arts, the value of the material and the value of the art differ. Sometimes they are equal, sometimes the material is more valuable, and sometimes it happens that art worth five dollars is found in a material like iron worth five cents. Rather, an antique work of art sometimes acquires a value of a million, while its material is not worth five cents. Thus, if such an antique work of art were taken to the antique market and exhibited with that art by relating it to its very old and talented artist capable of wondrous crafts and by mentioning the artist, it would be sold at the price of a million. If it were taken to the scrap dealers, it would be bought with the price of five cents of iron.

Thus, man is such an antique art of Janâb-i Haqq and a most delicate and beloved miracle of His qoudrah; He has created man in the form of a place of manifestation of all His Names, an arena of embroideries of His Names and a miniature sample of the universe. If the nûr of îmân enters into him, all the meaningful embroideries on him are read by that light; that mu’min reads them by that consciousness, and through that relation (intisâb) makes them to be read. That is, the art of Ar-Rabb in man becomes visible through meanings like, "I am the work of art and creature of As-Sâni’ Zuljalâl. I am honoured with His rahmah and generosity." It means that îmân, which consists of being related to one’s Sâni’, makes all the works of art in man visible. The value of man is in accordance with that art of Ar-Rabb; it is due to being a mirror to As-Samad. In that case, due to this, insignificant man becomes the addressee of Allah superior to all other creatures and a guest of Ar-Rabb worthy of Jannah. 

If kufr, which consists of the severance of the relation (intisâb), enters into man, then all those meaningful embroideries of the names of Allah fall into darkness and cannot be read because if As-Sâni’ is forgotten, the ma’nawî aspects that look to As-Sâni’ cannot be understood. They simply fall upside down. Most of those meaningful elevated arts and ma’nawî elevated embroideries hide. The parts that remain and are seen with the eye infinitely decline due to being attributed to lowly causes, nature and random coincidence. While each of them is a brilliant diamond, they become dim glass. His importance will be limited only to animal physical matter, and the aim and fruit of the material are — as we said — only to have an insignificant life in a state where he is the most impotent, neediest and saddest of animals in a brief lifetime. Then he decays. Here, in this way, kufr destroys the essence of man and transforms it from diamond into coal.  

SECOND POINT:

Just as îmân is a nûr that illuminates man and makes all the letters of As-Samad written on him to be read, so too it illuminates the universe and saves the past and the future from the darkness. We shall explain this mystery through a comparison I saw in an event concerning one mystery of the noble âyah اَللّٰهُ وَلِىُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِ2. It is as follows:

In an imaginary event,3 I saw that there are two high mountains situated opposite one another. A dreadful bridge was built between them. A valley of great depth was beneath the bridge. I was on that bridge. A dense darkness that is dark all around has invaded the world. I looked to my right and saw a huge grave amidst infinite darkness, that is, I imagined it. I looked to my left, as though I saw immense storms, difficulties and calamities waiting amidst terrifying waves of darkness. I looked beneath the bridge; I thought I saw a bottomless abyss. I had a dim pocket torch against this terrifying darkness. I used it and looked through its insufficient light; a truly terrifying situation appeared to me. Even such terrifying dragons, lions and monsters appeared around and on the bridge in front of me that I said, “I wish I did not have this torch and had not seen these horrors.” Wherever I turned it, I saw such horrors. I said, "Alas! This torch is a trouble for me!" I was mad at it; I cast that pocket torch to the ground and broke it. When it broke, the darkness suddenly flowed, as though I had touched the switch of a huge electric lamp that illuminates the world. Everywhere was filled with the nûr of the lamp. It showed the haqiqah of everything.

I saw that the bridge I had seen was an extremely well-ordered highway on the ground in a plain. And the huge grave that I had seen on my right, I realised that, from beginning to end, it was beautiful verdant gardens and gatherings for ‘ibâdah, service, conversation and dhikr under the leadership of luminous men. And, the abysses and peaks on my left, which I had imagined to be stormy and tempestuous, I vaguely saw that they were an immense place for feasting, a beautiful sightseeing place and an elevated place of recreation behind adorned, lovable and charming mountains. And the creatures I had imagined to be terrifying monsters and dragons, I saw that they were familiar domestic animals like camels, oxen, sheep and goats. Saying, "Alhamdulillâhi ‘alâ nûri’l îmân," I recited the noble âyah, اَللّٰهُ وَلِىُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّورِ and I awoke from that event.

Here, those two mountains, the beginning and the end of life... that is, the ‘âlam named earth and al-‘âlam al-barzakh. As for the bridge, it is the road of life. As for the right side, it is the past. As for the left side, it is the future. As for the pocket torch, it is man’s ananiyyah that is self-centred, relies on what it knows and does not heed wahy revealed from samâ. As for the things imagined to be the monsters, they are the events and strange creatures of the ‘âlam.

Thus, one who relies on his ananiyyah and falls into the darkness of ghaflah and who is addicted to the darkness of dhalâlah resembles my first state in that event: with deficient knowledge soiled with dhalâlah like that pocket torch, he sees the past amidst darkness soiled with non-existence and sees it as a huge grave. It shows the future as an extremely stormy and dreadful place tied to random coincidence. Furthermore, it informs that the events and beings, each of which are submissive officials of a Hakîm, Who is Rahîm, are detrimental monsters. It makes man a place of manifestation for the decree  4 وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ

If the hidâyah of Allah reaches him, îmân enters his heart, if the nafs’ state of being a pharaoh is shattered, and if he heeds the book of Allah, he will resemble my second state in that event. Then, the universe suddenly takes the colour of the day and is filled with the nûr of Allah. The ‘âlam recites the âyah اَللّٰهُ نُورُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَاْلاَرْضِ5. In that state, the past is not a huge grave. Rather, with the eye of the heart, he sees that each century, the groups of purified rûhs, who performed their duties of ‘ubûdiyyah under the leadership of a prophet or awliyâ, fly to exalted ranks and pass to the future by saying, "Allahu Akbar!" on completion of the duties of their lives. 

He looks to the left; through the nûr of îmân, he recognises from a distance a feast of Ar-Rahmân set up in palaces of bliss in the gardens of Jannah, behind the mountainous transformations of the barzakh and the âkhirah. And he knows that the events, like storms, earthquakes and plagues, are all submissive officials. He sees that events, like rain and spring storms, are apparently harsh but, in meaning, are the means of many subtle hikmahs. He even sees death as the introduction to eternal life and the grave as the door to eternal happiness. Compare the other aspects! Apply the haqiqah to the comparison! 

THIRD POINT:

Îmân is both nûr and strength. Yes, a man who obtains true îmân can challenge the universe and be saved from the pressure of events according to the strength of his îmân. He says, "Tawakkaltu ‘Âlallah," and travels with complete safety on the ship of life amidst the mountainous waves of events. He entrusts all his burdens to the absolute Qadîr’s hand of qoudrah, passes the world with ease, and rests in the barzakh. Then he can fly to Jannah in order to enter eternal happiness. Otherwise, if he does not do tawakkul, instead of flying, the burdens of the world will rather drag him to the asfal sâfilîn. It means that the necessary result of îmân is tawhîd, the necessary result of tawhîd is submission (taslîm), the necessary result of submission (taslîm) is tawakkul, and the necessary result of tawakkul is happiness in both worlds. But do not misunderstand. Tawakkul is not a complete rejection of the causes. Rather, it consists of conforming to causes by knowing that causes are veils to the hand of Qoudrah, accepting that taking action by using causes is a sort of du'â by action, asking for the effects only from Janâb-i Haqq, knowing that the results are from Him and being thankful to Him. The example of the one who does tawakkul and the one who does not resembles this story:

One time, two men shouldered heavy loads onto both their backs and heads, bought tickets and got on a large ship. One of them left his load on the ship as soon as he got on and guarded it by sitting on it. The other one did not put down his load since he was both stupid and proud. He was told, "Leave your heavy load on the ship and rest." He said, "No, I will not leave it; it might get lost. I am strong; I will protect my property on my head and back." Again, he was told, "This reliable ship of the sultân that carries you and us is stronger; it protects much better. You may get dizzy and fall into the sea with your load. You will also gradually lose your strength. Your bent back and mindless head will not be able to put forth power for those loads that get heavier gradually. And if the captain sees you in this situation, he will either order your expulsion and call you crazy, or he will order your imprisonment and say, “He is a traitor; he discredits our ship and ridicules us!” Also, you will be a laughingstock to everyone because you have made yourself a laughingstock to the people due to your conceit that demonstrates your weakness, your pride that demonstrates your impotence, and your pretence that demonstrates your abasement and riyâ to the eye of those who have careful consideration. Everyone is laughing at you." Whereupon that unfortunate man came to his senses. He put his load on the floor and sat on it. He said, "Ah! May Allah be pleased with you. I have been saved from the difficulty, prison and being a laughingstock."

Thus, O man who does not do tawakkul! You too come to your senses like that man and do tawakkul, so that you can be saved from begging the entire universe, trembling before every event, being boastful and a laughingstock, the misery in the âkhirah and the prison of the pressures of this world.

FOURTH POINT:

Îmân makes man a man. Rather, it makes man a sultan; therefore, man's fundamental duty is îmân and du'â. Kufr makes man an extremely impotent beast animal.

Out of thousands of proofs on this matter, only the differences in how animals and humans come into the world are clear evidence and a conclusive argument.  

Yes, the differences in how animals and humans come into the world show that humanity becomes humanity through îmân. Because, when animals come to the world, they come complete and perfect in all points according to their disposition as though they have been perfected in another ‘âlam; that is, they are sent. In either two hours, two days, or two months, they learn all the conditions of their lives, their relation with the universe and the laws of their lives; they acquire mastery. In twenty days, an animal, like a sparrow or a bee, learns the knowledge of the ability to live and the mastery in its actions that man acquires in twenty years; that is, ilham is given to that animal. It means that the fundamental duty of an animal is not to be perfected by learning; it is not to progress by acquiring ma’rifat and not to seek help and offer du'â by displaying its impotence but rather to work and act according to its disposition, and it is ‘ubûdiyyah by action.

As for man, he is in need of learning everything when he comes to the world, and he is ignorant about the laws of life and cannot even completely learn the conditions of life in twenty years. Rather, he is in need of learning until the end of his life. Furthermore, he is sent to the world in an extremely impotent and weak form; he can hardly rise to his feet in one or two years. In fifteen years, he barely distinguishes between harm and benefit. With the assistance of mankind's social life, he can barely procure benefits and avoid harm. It means that the duty of man's fitrah is to be perfected by learning and ‘ubûdiyyah through du'â. That is, it is to know: "Through Whose mercy am I directed in this manner full of hikmah? Through Whose generosity am I so kindly given tarbiyyah? Through Whose favours, am I so gracefully nurtured and directed?" Through the language of impotence and poverty, it is to beseech, want and offer du'â for his needs that his hand cannot reach even one out of the thousand to the One Who satisfies the wants of all. That is, it is to fly to the elevated rank of ‘ubûdiyyah by the wings of impotence and poverty. 

It means that man came to this ‘âlam to be perfected by means of ‘ilm and du'â. Everything is tied to ‘ilm regarding their essence and disposition, and the foundation, source, nûr and rûh of all true ‘ilm is ma’rifatullah, and its fundamental foundation is îmân in Allah.

Furthermore, since man is subjected to infinite troubles and attacks of boundless enemies, despite his infinite impotence, and afflicted with infinite needs and is in need of infinite wishes, despite his infinite poverty, the fundamental duty of his fitrah after îmân is du'â. As for du'â, it is the foundation of ‘ubûdiyyah. Just as a child cries or asks in order to obtain his wish, or desire that his hand cannot reach. That is, he offers du'â by words and action through the language of his impotence. He succeeds in his aim. In the same way, man is a delicate, beloved and indulged child in the entire ‘âlam of living beings. It is necessary for him to either cry with his weakness and impotence or offer du'â with his poverty and need at the court of Rahmânurrahîm so that his aims can be subjugated to him, or he can offer shukr for his aims being subjugated. Otherwise, like a fool and naughty child who makes a fuss over a fly, deviating to kufr an-ni’mah by saying, "I subjugate with my strength these strange things that are not possible to be subjugated and thousand times more powerful than me, and I make them obey me through my thought and administration" is contrary to man's real fitrah; he also makes himself deserve severe punishment.

FIFTH POINT:                                                              

Just as îmân necessitates du'â as an absolute means and man’s fitrah desires it intensely, so does Janâb-i Haqq decree قُلْ مَا يَعْبَؤُا بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلاَ دُعَاؤُكُمْ , in meaning, “What importance would you have if you did not have du'â?” He also commands 6 اُدْعُونِى اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

If you say: “We many times offer du'â but they are not accepted. Whereas the âyah is general, it states that there is an answer for every du'â.”

The Answer: To answer is one thing, but to accept is something different. Every du'â is answered, but to accept it and to give exactly what was sought are dependent on the hikmah of Janâb-i Haqq.

For example, a sick child calls out, "O, doctor! Look at me." The doctor says, “Labbayk7,” and answers, “What do you want?” The child says, "Give me that medicine!" The doctor gives him exactly what he asks for, or something better in consequence of his benefit, or he knows that it is harmful for his illness and does not give anything. Thus, since Janâb-i Haqq, the Absolute Hakîm, Whose presence is everywhere and sees everything, He answers the du'â of the ‘abd. He transforms terror arising from desolation and fear into familiarity through His presence and answer, but not through man’s commandment that is enslaved by his nafs and follows its desires. Rather, through the requirement of the hikmah of Ar-Rabb, He gives either what he sought, or what is better than it, or He does not give anything.

Furthermore, du'â is an ‘ubûdiyyah. As for ‘ubûdiyyah, its fruits belong to the âkhirah. The purposes related to this world are times for that kind of du'â and ‘ibâdah; these purposes are not their aims. For example, salâh and du'â for rain are an ‘ibâdah. Drought is the time of that ‘ibâdah, but that ‘ibâdah and that du'â are not for bringing rain. If it is offered only for that intention, that ‘ibâdah and that du'â will not be worthy of being accepted because they were not sincere.

Just as sunset is the time for the maghrib salâh, and the eclipses of the sun and moon are the times for two particular ‘ibâdahs called as-salâh al-kusuf and as-salâh al-khusuf. That is, at those times, Janâb-i Haqq invites his ‘abds to a kind of ‘ibâdah since, with the veiling of luminous âyahs of the night and day, their eclipses become the means of proclamation of the grandeur of Allah, but that salâh is not to reveal the eclipses of the sun and moon. (Whose appearances and the length of their continuance are known by astronomers’ calculations.)

In just the same way, drought, too, is the time for the rain-request salâh, and the invasion of calamities and the attacks of harmful things are particular times for certain du'âs that man understands his impotence at those times, and through du'â and supplication, he seeks refuge at the court of Absolute Qadîr. It should not be said, “The du’â was not accepted,” if calamities are not repelled in spite of du'âs being offered many times. It should rather be said, “The time for du'â is not over and has not become qadha.8 ” If through His fadl and munificence Janâb-i Haqq removes the calamity, nûr upon nûr, then the time for du'â will be over and it will be qadha. It means that du'â is a mystery of ‘ubûdiyyah.

As for ‘ubûdiyyah, it should be sincerely for the sake of Allah. Through displaying his impotence, one should only seek refuge in Him with du'â. His rubûbiyyah should not be interfered with. One should leave the arrangement and management to Him, trust His hikmah and not accuse His rahmah.

In fact, what is demonstrated through the expression of evident ayâhs is that just as all beings, each of them offers a special tasbîh and performs a particular ‘ibâdah and sajda; it is du'â what rises to the court of Allah from the entire universe. 

This is either through the language of disposition. (Like the du'âs of all plants; each of them desires a form from the Absolute Fayyadh through the language of its disposition and requests to be an extensive place of manifestation of His Names.)

Or it is through the language of the need of fitrah. (These are the du'âs offered by all living beings for their essential needs that are beyond their power to obtain; through such a language of the need of fitrah, each of them asks the Absolute Jawwâd for certain wishes that are a kind of rizq for the continuance of their lives.)

Or it is a du'â through the language of sheer necessity. (Each helpless being with rûh offers du'â by seeking a shelter and takes refuge in an unknown protector; indeed, they turn towards their Rabb, Who is Rahîm.) If there is nothing to prevent them, these three sorts of du'âs are always accepted.

The fourth kind is the most well known; it is our du'â. This, too, is of two kinds: one is through action and being, and the other is through the heart and with words.

For example, taking action by using causes is du'â by action. Gathering the causes together is not for creating the effect but rather to take up an acceptable position in order to seek the effect from Janâb-i Haqq through the language of being. Ploughing even is to knock on the door of the treasury of rahmah. Since this kind of du'â by action turns towards the name and title of the Absolute Jawwâd, the absolute majority of them are accepted.

The second kind is to offer du'â through the tongue and the heart. It is to seek the wishes that one’s hand cannot reach. The most important aspect, the most beautiful aim and the sweetest fruit of it is this: "The man who offers du'â understands that there is Someone Who hears the thoughts, feelings and content of his heart. His hand can reach everything; He can fulfil each of his wishes; He shows mercy on his impotence and assists his poverty." 

Thus, O impotent man and O poor mankind! Do not abandon a means like the du'â, which is the key to the treasury of rahmah and the source of inexhaustible strength! Adhere to it and rise to the ‘a’lâ ‘iIlliyyin of humanity! Like a sultân, include the du'âs of the entire universe in your du'â! Say,اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ9, like a universal ‘abd and general representative! Be a beautiful form of the universe!

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