Iqazh al-Himam fi Sharh al-Hikam, Chapter One, Part Nine

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is taken from the first chapter of Iqazh al-Himam fi Sharh al-Hikam, a commentary on al-Hikam of Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari (q.s.), by Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ajibah (q.s.). 

When the heart enters the presence of purity and the place of intimacy, they are fine secrets and filled with gifts and lights.  Our shaykh indicated that by saying, “If it has not turned away in regret from its lapses, how can it hope to grasp the subtleties of secret knowledge?”  Hope is to desire something while striving to obtain the means to it.  Otherwise it is wishful thinking.  Fahm, grasping, is to obtain knowledge of what is desired.  The subtleties of secrets are the inscrutable parts of tawhid.  Tawbah is to turn away from every blameworthy attribute.  This is the tawbah of the elite.  Lapses are slips and errors.  Grasping the subtleties of secrets only occurs when there is persistence, or you could say that the inscrutable parts of tawhid are only understood by an isolated heart.  If someone does not turn from his lapses and free himself from the bondage of his appetites, he will not aspire to grasp the inscrutable parts of tawhid nor taste the secrets of the people of isolation. 

Shaykh Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Abu al-Hawari (q.s.) said, “I heard my shaykh, Shaykh Abu Sulayman ad-Darani, say, ‘When the selves are accustomed to abandoning wrong actions, they travel in the Malakut and return to their owner bringing exquisite wisdoms without a scholar bringing about their knowledge.’” 

Imam Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal (r.a.) said, “You spoke the truth, Ahmad, and your shaykh spoke the truth!  I have not heard in Islam any wisdom I like better than this.  If anyone acts by what he knows, he will be Given knowledge which he did not know by Allah (s.w.t.).” 

Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Junayd ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi (q.s.) was asked, “What is the path to realisation?” 

He replied, “Tawhid which removes persistence, fear which cuts off procrastination, hope which goes forth on the paths of action, abasement of the nafs by bringing the final term close to it and putting it far from hope.” 

He was asked, “By what will one attain to this?” 

He replied, “By a heart isolated in which there is divested tawhid.  When the heart is isolated with Allah (s.w.t.) and purified of what is other than Him, it grasps the subtleties of tawhid and its inscrutable concepts which cannot be expressed.  They are allusions and indications which are only understood by their people and only Disclosed to them; few they are!” 

If anyone divulges something of their secrets to other than its people, his blood is allowed and he has exposed himself to killing, as Shaykh Abu Madyan Shu’ayb ibn al-Husayn al-Maghribi (q.s.) said, “There are fine subtle secrets in the secret.  If we were to divulge them openly, our blood would be shed.” 

Another said, “I have a dear Beloved whom I do not disclose.  I fear my disgrace on the day I meet Him.” 

These secrets are the secrets of the Essence and the secrets which Allah (s.w.t.) Manifests in the field of phenomenal beings.  That is what Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah (q.s.) indicated when he said, “Phenomenal being is utter and total darkness.  It is only the Manifestation of the Real in it that gives it light.”  Phenomenal being is what is formed by Power and Manifested to witnessing.  Darkness is the opposite of light and is not in existence.  The light of existence is illuminated; that is, becomes light, and the Manifestation of the Real is His Tajalli. 

Phenomenal being, inasmuch as it is being, and the manifestation of all that is sensory is darkness because it is a veil for the one who stops at its outward and thus does not witness his Lord, and because it is a cloud which obscures the sun of meanings for the one who stops at the outward sensory vessels.  That is indicated by Shaykh Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shushtari (q.s.) when he said, “Do not look at the vessels.  Dive into the sea of the meaning and perhaps you will see Me.”  Thus, by that consideration phenomenal being is all darkness.  The Manifestation and Tajalli of the Real in it is what illuminates it. 

If anyone looks at the outward of his senses, he sees it as dark sensory.  Whoever penetrates to its inward, sees it as a light of Malakut.  Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ النُّور

۞ ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ ... (٣٥) 

Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth ... (Surah an-Nur:35) 

Thus the words of the shaykh, “Phenomenal being is utter and total darkness,” is about the people of the veil since of the outward of the forms of beings is embedded in the mirror of their hearts.  As for the people of gnosis, their insight penetrates to witnessing the Real and so they see phenomenal being as a light emanating from the Sea of Jabarut, and thus for them Being is all light.  Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ یُونس

قُلِ ٱنظُرُواْ مَاذَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ ... (١٠١) 

Say: “Behold all that is in the Heavens and on Earth.” … (Surah Yunus:101) 

That is at the light of His Malakut and the secrets of His Jabarut, or at the secrets of the meanings set up in vessels.  Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said, “Allah (s.w.t.) is Veiled from the people of Heaven as He is Veiled from the people of the Earth, and the people of the Highest Assembly seek Him as you seek Him.  He is not inside anything nor absent from anything.” 

They meanings are tastes which are not perceived by the intellect nor transmitted by pages.  They are perceived by the company of the people of tastes.  So submit and do not criticise if we do not see the new Moon.  Submit to people who have seen it with eyes.  Then people are divided into three categories in respect of witnessing the Real: the common, the elite and the elite of the elite. So Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah (q.s.) said, “When you see phenomenal being and do not see Him in it, with it, before it or after it, then you are truly in need of light.  You are Veiled from the suns of gnosis by the clouds of secondary traces.” 

The people of the station of baqa’ witness the Real simply by their sight alighting on phenomenal being.  They confirm the Effect by Allah (s.w.t.) and do not witness other than Him.  By their perfection, they affirm the medium and the means.  So they witness the Real by simply witnessing the means or at the means or with it before it or after it.  Shaykh ibn ‘Atha’illah (q.s.) said, “Since I recognised Allah (s.w.t.), I do not see others.  So other with Him is Forbidden with us.” 

Mawlay Abu Muhammad ‘Abd as-Salam ibn Sulayman ibn Mashishi (q.s.) said to Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shadzili (q.s.), “Abu al-Hasan!  Sharpen the sight of faith and you will find Allah (s.w.t.) in everything, with everything, at everything, before everything, after everything, above everything, under everything, near everything and encompassing everything with nearness.  It is His Quality, and by Encompassment, it is His Quality and free of conditions and limits, from places and directions, from company and nearness by distances, and from moving by creatures.  Efface all by His Attribute of al-Awwal, and al-Akhir, and azh-Zhahir and al-Bathin.  He is He is He.  ‘Allah was and nothing was with Him, and He is now as He was.’” 

One of them said, “I have not seen anything but that I saw Allah (s.w.t.) in it, and I did not see Him in temporality.”  That is what one of the gnostics said.  So the people of travel among the muridun witness phenomenal being and then they witness the Maker of Being there and by His Effect.  Then being is effaced from their sight by their looking at Him.  This is the state of those who are looking upwards.  The people of annihilation witness Allah (s.w.t.) before witnessing Creation, meaning they did not see Creation at all since it has no fixity with them because, by their intoxication, they are absent from the means, annihilated to the wisdom, drowned in the sea of lights.  Effects are obliterated for them. 

One of them said about this station, “I have not seen anything but that I saw Allah (s.w.t.) before it.”  The people of the veil among the people of evidence and demonstrable proof witness being, but do not witness the Maker of Being before or after it.  They use proofs to deduce His Existence through the existence of being.  This refers to the common Muslims among the People of the Right Hand.  They miss the existence to lights and are denied them and the suns of gnosis are Veiled from them by the clouds of secondary traces after they have risen and their light shines, but the sun must have a cloud and the beauty must have a veil. 

How excellent in the speaker who said, “She is only Veiled by lifting Her Veil.  It is a Marvel that Manifestation Veils!” 

And another said: 

“She Appeared and was not hidden from anyone.

Except the blind who does not see the moon.

But she was Concealed by what appeared Veiled.

How will the One Veiled by Might be recognised?” 

Then His being Veiled when He is Manifest shows you to the Existence of His Overwhelming Force, as the author says, “One way He Shows you the Existence of His Overwhelming Power is by Veiling you from Him by that which cannot exist alongside Him.” 

al-Qahhar, The Subduer, is one of His Names, and one of the Manifestations of His Force is His being Veiled when He is Manifest, Manifest when He is Hidden, and Hidden when He is Manifest.  One way He Shows you the Existence of His Overwhelming Force is when He is Veiled without a Veil, Near without drawing near, far in His Nearness, and Near in His distance.  He is Veiled from His creatures in the state of His Manifestation to them and Manifest to them in the state of His being Veiled from them.  So He was Veiled from them by something which does not exist: illusion, wahm.  Illusion is a non-existent matter.  So He is only Veiled by the Intensity of His Manifestation and eyes are only Prevented from seeing Him by His Overwhelming Force.  So giving the Real sole Existence results.  There is no existent along with Allah (s.w.t.).  Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ القَصَص

... كُلُّ شَىۡءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجۡهَهُ ۥ‌ۚ ... (٨٨) 

... Everything (that exists) will perish except His own Face ... (Surah al-Qaswasw:88) 

“Halik”, “passing”, or “perish” as in this translation, is an active participle, which is real in the state.  Allah (s.w.t.) Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ الحَدید

هُوَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُ وَٱلۡأَخِرُ وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ وَٱلۡبَاطِنُ‌ۖ ... (٣) 

He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Hidden ... (Surah al-Hadid:3) 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

... فَأَيۡنَمَا تُوَلُّواْ فَثَمَّ وَجۡهُ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ ... (١١٥) 

… whithersoever you turn, there is Allah’s Countenance ... (Surah al-Baqarah:115) 

سُوۡرَةُ الحَدید

...‌ۖ وَهُوَ مَعَكُمۡ أَيۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ‌ۚ ... (٤) 

... And He is with you wheresoever you may be ... (Surah al-Hadid:4) 

سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء

... قُلۡنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِٱلنَّاسِ‌... (٦٠) 

… We Told you that your Lord does Encompass mankind round about ... (Surah al-Isra’:60) 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنفَال

... قَتَلَهُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَا رَمَيۡتَ إِذۡ رَمَيۡتَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَمَىٰ‌... (١٧) 

… when you threw (a handful of dust) it was not your act, but Allah’s ... (Surah al-Anfal:17) 

سُوۡرَةُ الفَتْح

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ ... (١٠) 

Verily those who plight their fealty to you do no less than plight their fealty to Allah ... (Surah al-Fath:10) 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “The best words which a poet has uttered is what Labid said: ‘Everything except Allah is false and every bliss must pass.’” 

He reported that Allah (s.w.t.) Says, “My slave, I was ill and you did not visit Me.” 

The slave will say, “O Lord, how could I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds?” 

Allah (s.w.t.) Says, “My slave so-and-so was ill and you did not visit him.  If had visited him, you would have found Me with him.”  Then He Says, “My slave, I asked you for food and you did not feed Me.”  Then He Says, “I asked you for water and you did not give it to Me.”  This hadits qudsi indicates that these shapes and persons are illusions without any reality.  The thing they most resemble is the shadow.