BB00006: Tafsir-i-Suratu’l-Baqarah (2nd Juz’) (Commentary on the Surah of the Cow II)

On the verse “The foolish among men will say: What hath turned…”

God, exalted be He, hath said: “The foolish among men will say: What hath turned them from the qiblih which they formerly observed?’ Say: Unto God belong the East and the West; He guideth whom He willeth unto a straight path.”’[Q2:142]

And God willed, in the realm of the Godhead of action, from mankind the very hearing, the appointed term, and the Book; for they said: Will, decree, and judgment—what hath turned them from their qiblih, which is the Will? Say: It proclaimed: God manifested Himself unto the East of creation through Me, by My Self; and unto the West of origination through Me, by My body. Ye behold nothing in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth but that it is a sign of My manifest sovereignty. Thus did God create it as a sign unto His own Self, a dawning-place of His Presence, a geometry of His greatness, and a mirror of His Being, whereby He guideth unto Himself whom He willeth of His servants; for it is the Balance of Justice for God, wherein its “I-ness” is weighed against His Selfhood, and its selfhood against His Being.

It is, moreover, a Path that calleth from itself unto itself, proclaiming His Godhead, as though it were neither wholly other than His pre-eternity nor He other than it. God revealed the Qur’an from its tongue, saying—and His word is the truth—“Verily my Lord is upon a straight path.”

And thou, O gazer upon the Dawning-Place of the Cloud, O drinker of the water of effacement from the cup of abiding life at the hands of decree—turn every letter of the Book of the Ha of Splendor in accordance with that Sun of Beginning wherewith We illumined thee, and with the ordinances of consummation wherewith We made thee to know, that in the reality of origination there is the law of the element of water like unto air. This is indeed the White Path in the Crimson Countenance, the White Page, the Yellow Form, and the Green Tree. This is an interpretation, from the horizon of exposition, of the verses of meanings within souls and horizons. Interpretation, in the station of exposition, admitteth of no pointing within the realm of possibility; for it is the station of pure manifestation in the countenance of Oneness, through the negation of bare mention and fixed attribution. Glory be to God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Throne, above what they ascribe!

If thou wouldst tremble in thy quest to know the stations of meanings, then know the manifestations of the stations of the Gates. For the foolish—who utter that which God revealed from their own speech—are the people of the Fire after the first rank; they are those who believed not in the causality of the Family of God, peace be upon them, within the chain of existence; and whoso is not assured that nothing descendeth from God save through them, and that nothing ascendeth unto God save through them—he, indeed, is of the foolish who shall be gathered unto the Fire.

Today they are a people who say to those who followed the ordinance of God and prayed toward Jerusalem aforetime: Ye were content, in the recognition of the Gates, with a bare and absolute dawning, and with the pure manifestation of Fire in the rank of earth. Say: If ye be in the right, why then do they turn away from the mention of the Fire’s dawning among men, and silence some concerning that which they themselves affirmed before? Today they turn toward the Ka’bah in silence. Say: The judgment is God’s; He giveth life and causeth death; He commandeth and forbiddeth; He doeth whatsoever He willeth, as He willeth, by what He willeth; and His are the East and the West and whatsoever lieth between them.

If ye disclose your sovereignty among men, ye were His servants; and if ye cleave open the gate of your praise for that which men’s hands have earned, ye were His friends. God is, verily, independent of that which ye describe. And whoso saith that the Gates who rule by God’s leave are dead, according to the judgment of the Book—these are the companions of the former [error]; God hasten His retribution upon them; they are indeed the lost.

Unto the beholder in the thicket of the Kingdom it behoveth him to interpret the qiblih as Muhammad, the Messenger of God, upon the Throne of the Godhead; the East as Hasan, peace be upon him, upon the Throne of Might; and the West as Husayn, peace be upon him, upon the Throne of the Kingdom. This is the Path of Justice for those whom God hath placed in the land of human existence.

And for him who gazeth into the essences of essential realities, it behoveth him to interpret that verse in the gardens of Oneness, in the stations of Unity, and in the manifestations of the All-Merciful—through the verses of the Godhead, the signs of Might, the evidences of the Kingdom, and the forms of the human realm—according to that which God willeth in His Self and hath permitted His servant. This is but a sprinkling from the surging sea of the Greater Jafr. We shall, God willing, sprinkle thee with a further sprinkling that will teach thee what thou knewest not before.

Therefore set the buried bird flying in the depths of those tender words; then the purified bird in the hidden recesses of those expanded proofs; then the moving peacock in the beings of those allusions as a point beneath the Ba’ in the first Ba’; then the crowing cock in the identities of those signs as a point beneath the Ba’ in the second Ba’.

Then gather the number of letters that have shone upon thee, and quicken them by the hidden Alif—the fire of creation—whereupon thou shalt behold the bird of Identity singing in the Caller with the letter of invocation. Settle upon thyself the judgment of those endowed with understanding: that what is there is known only by what is here. This, indeed, is the branching tantanj from the surging sea of decree. Drink thereof, and hasten beyond all thou beholdest therein with the spirit of faith. For the All-Merciful hath said:

“The All-Merciful taught the Qur’an; He created man; He taught him utterance.”

Today thou art before the sun and the moon in the land of the Kaf, by measure.

They are powerless to speak the like of that which the All-Merciful hath taught—the ordinance of the Qur’an through exposition. This is the interpretation of the verse in the world of the Gates. If thou desirest the interpretation of the verse in the rank of the Imamate, then be assured that the existence of the East is realized only by the existence of the sun; it is the garment of Prophethood in the countenance of the Muhammadan Presence. When it setteth, the West appeareth at once; night cometh with its deep darkness; then the moon ariseth—the sign of Guardianship—with radiant light. It is he who proclaimed majesty upon the Throne of the Greatest, saying—after what he had said in his sermon of exposition: “I am the meaning that falleth not under name nor likeness; I am the Gate of Forgiveness. There is no power nor might save in God.” He spoke the truth—and God is witness to the truth—by the Most Great Vision in the Book of the Messenger, the Bearer of glad tidings: “The Hour hath drawn nigh, and the moon hath been cleft.”

Then God created by him the radiant stars, whose number He fixed in the Qur’an as twelve; they are the Pilgrimage, the Sacred House, and the Greatest Month. They are the Face of God; through them doth every one who turneth—whether advancing or retreating—turn unto Him. Even as God hath ordained, in the world of bodies, a qiblih toward which bodies stand, so hath He ordained, in the world of souls and spirits and hearts, a qiblih toward which all must turn in prayer. Whoso turneth away from it—he is, by the explicit word of the Sadiq, in the form of an ass.

Fear God, O man, in thy prayer: worship not God, thy Lord, through the mention of aught beside Him. For whoso worshippeth God through a prophet, an imam, or a man, hath associated partners with his Lord and hath worshipped nothing. Know, then, the paths of worship through knowledge itself, even as ʿAli ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon him, hath said in his supplication at the end of the night in the Greatest Month:

“O my God! Through Thee I knew Thee; that is, I worshipped Thee through Thee. Thou didst guide me unto Thyself and didst summon me unto Thee; and but for Thee I should not have known who Thou art, and but for Thee I should not have worshipped Thee.”

When thou worshippest God, thy Lord, upon that path, thou shalt taste the sweetness of His remembrance and know the station of His recognition—that even as He is, none knoweth Him, nor worshippeth Him, nor uniteth Him, nor loveth Him save He Himself. For His Essence cutteth off contingent beings from worship and knowledge; His Being forbiddeth existent things from narration and expression. The servant worshippeth Him through that whereby He hath manifested Himself unto him; and this, in truth, is the utmost effusion of the All-Merciful within the realm of possibility—an effusion that pointeth only unto the All-Merciful.

And thou, O witness of the dawning of the heart in the prolonged night—if thou wert to know the ordinance wherewith We have aided thee by the assistance of the Spirit of the angels, thou wouldst be assured of the truth of that which the Sadiq, peace be upon him, hath said concerning prayer:

“I continued to repeat these verses until I heard them from their Speaker—that He is He Who manifesteth Himself by that whereby He is manifested.”

The Essence hath ever remained unassociated with anything, and its condition hath not changed. If only they were aware, in what they utter in the remembrance of God, they would hear whatever they themselves pronounce.

When thou hast recognized the decree of divine manifestation, make the qiblih of thy heart the appearance of the verse “There is no God but God”, and the qiblih of thy mind “Muhammad is the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family”, and the qiblih of thy soul him whom God hath named today as the Remnant of God, who is better for the believers than their own selves, would they but understand. And make the qiblih of thy body the House of God in the Sacred Mosque, which God hath made namesake of Him Who judges among the people through divine knowledge, and who is today possessed of severe might by reason of what the doer of remote deeds hath perpetrated, for God hath decreed that He doeth whatsoever He willeth.

Verily, if people were to turn in the worlds of the abstract according to what God hath prescribed for them, but failed to turn in this thy world according to what God hath commanded all people, their deeds would not be accepted by God, and they would be like unto asses in the moment of their deed, would they but understand. They are indeed dead today, though they perceive it not.

When thou art illumined by the effulgences of that blessed verse in its visible ranks, know thou the meaning of the verse in the rank of the pillars—that it is a tree neither of the East nor of the West, which God hath made the qiblih of the hearts of the Prophets and the truthful ones, for the origin of their existence was nourished from the manifestation of the form of Fatimih, the blessings of God be upon her. God hath indeed detailed all that people have said concerning the Prophets regarding their qiblih in the mystery of that verse, yet most people are not grateful.

And shouldst thou desire to tread the rugged pathway and traverse the arduous road, then expound thou the meaning of the verse within the diverse aspects of thine own soul, and hearken unto the speech of the foolish ones—proceeding from the contingent identities within thy secret heart—saying:

“What hath turned thee from thy Qiblih, which is the ordinances of Ahmad aforetime?”

Say: Both the East—which is the remembrance of God made manifest, namely Ahmad—and the West—which is the bearer of His testament—belong to God. Indeed He is the Countenance in the kingdoms of Command and Creation, and He hath spoken what He hath spoken through His intimations. If thou wouldst gaze upon the glory of His sacred praise, thou wouldst witness what I have indicated to thee. All thoughts that occur to thee regarding religious laws, suggesting that if things were thus it would be better, arise from the promptings of the polytheists. For God is the Ever-Living, the All-Powerful, Who causeth to flow what He willeth as He willeth.

There is no difference between the words of the foolish who say what turned them from their qiblih, or one who says if God would manifest through His servant a sign of power, or what God hath related in the Qur’an “Bring back our fathers.” All these stem from imperfection. The one who submits to God’s decree and is content with His judgment sees all that God sendeth down as the best possible. But let not the matter confuse thee, for if it were thus, how would some distinguished men seek exemption from matters of divine power? This is because they ask, as did the people in the time of Moses and Abraham, peace be upon them, and as Abu Basir asked of the Baqir, peace be upon him. In reality they ask only by God’s leave.

The supreme honor, the lofty portion, and the exalted destiny lie in the knowledge of certainty through the manifestation of the eye of certainty, as He, exalted be His remembrance, hath said: “Were the veil to be lifted, my certainty would not increase.” And when God’s ultimate decree appeared concerning him, he spoke similarly to His words regarding the ultimate glory of God: “I have attained unto the Lord of the Ka’bah.” O thou who asketh, when thou findest the verses of Paradise in the shade of the dark waters of the Paradise of human knowledge—then know what I AM. Then I shall inform thee, by God’s leave, concerning the manifestations of the resplendent ones, the radiant conditions, the effulgent essences, the sanctified realities, and the gleaming identities. This is the descent of the verse regarding the station of the Chiefs.

The foolish who speak words of remoteness concerning them shall be gathered in the sixth level of the fire, which is the shadow of Paradise in Sijjin. Just as it behooveth man to know the stations of the people of Paradise and distinguish in this world between their deeds and words, so too must he recognize the levels of the fire and its people, then their deeds and words, as commanded by al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, in his words—and his word is truth. God the Exalted hath said: “I have made ten obligations binding upon My servants. When they know these, I shall cause them to dwell in the kingdom of My Paradise. The first is knowledge of Me. The second is knowledge of My Messenger to My creation, and acknowledgment and acceptance of him.

The third is knowledge of My friends who are My proofs to My creation—whoever befriends them hath befriended Me, and whoever shows enmity to them hath shown enmity to Me. They are the knowledge between Me and My creation. Whoever denieth them, I shall crucify in My fire and multiply My punishment upon them. The fourth is knowledge of the Persons who have been established from My holy radiance—they are the maintainers of My justice. The fifth is knowledge of those who maintain through their grace, and acceptance of them. The sixth is knowledge of My enemy Iblis and what he was as a creature and his helpers. And seventh is acceptance of My Cause and belief in My Messengers. And eighth is to conceal My secret and the secret of My chosen ones.

And ninth is to honor the people of My image, to accept from them and refer to them in matters wherein ye differ, until explanation cometh forth from them. And tenth is that he and his brother in faith and in the world be legally equal. When they are thus, I shall admit them to My Kingdom and grant them security from the great terror, and they shall be with Me in the highest heaven.

Know thou with certainty that the shadow of the lower chain in relation to the higher chain is the essence of poison and the most intense fire, for the punishment of one who denies the Successor is the punishment of one who denies both the Prophet and the Successor. Apply this principle from the highest pearl to the lowest particle.

Today, turn away from the reversed letters and count it among the sins of the first, for it is the essence of his unbelief. The first is the manifestation of calamities, the second the manifestation of evil, and the third the very essence of Satan. The difference between their words is as God hath ordained between their deeds. If thou lookest with truth, thou shalt see their deeds correspond to the deeds of those who came before in their acknowledgment of the Guardianship and their following. Nay, they performed even more in the station of faith, for they believed, emigrated, delivered the message, and wrote the Book of Attestation, while those before did not act similarly. God punished them for what their hands had wrought.

Thou knowest they are rejected before their own kind, and none desire to mention them, but God mentions them only to express His wrath. We have made known to thee something of their station that people might dissociate from them and they might be among the known ones.

When thou hast understood the decree concerning the foolish ones, know then the decree concerning the House, for it is today the Qiblih for those who previously turned toward the Holy House. Pilgrimage to the House is prescribed for those who are able to make their way there. The East hath shone forth with the dawning of that which shineth from the Orient of the name of the Guardianship, and the West shall rise after the setting of that which shineth from the Sun of Rising. God guideth whom He willeth through His word: “This is God’s path in the heavens and earth.” Whoso willeth may accept, and whoso willeth may turn away. As for those who disbelieve, truly God is independent of all worlds.

When thou hast learned of the six aspects in the interpretation of the verse, know then concerning the rank of the excellent ones thy Lord’s decree, even as was revealed to thee regarding the station of the chosen ones. Therefore all are commanded to know the right of the first believer in the verses of the Book, and likewise is the decree for those who follow that ultimate Cause, from the summit of the chosen ones—servants who dwell in My presence—to the furthermost particles of mysteries. It is incumbent upon all to love them and dissociate from their enemies, for by them are moved the moving things in the thickets of the Divine Realm in their rank, and by them are stilled the still things in the thickets of the Realm of Might in their station. Those who know them not by their names and are not content to follow them—these are the lost.

Those who revile the believing men and believing women, if they return not unto God and repent, God will never forgive them nor guide them. Grievous indeed is it in God’s Book that they should say that which they know not. The enemies of God in that rank shall suffer more severe punishment than those of the higher rank. Therefore be patient and forbearing, and walk with them until thou guidest them to follow thou the path of justice, for verily if one guideth a soul it is better for him than all that the sun shineth upon, and it is as though he hath guided all mankind. But fear God, lest thou incline unto them or accept abasement in the land, for verily God hath linked the glory of the believer with His own glory, and all power belongeth unto God.

And verily all that We have illumined thee with, caused to shine forth from thee, acquainted thee with, confirmed thee in, exalted thee through, taught thee, and prepared thee for from the seven degrees is a portion for the people of knowledge and those who perceive with the light of discernment. And since the weak ones among the people of the Law have a share in the decrees of Truth, I shall indicate some of the outward meaning of the noble verse. Verily the Messenger of God did pray in Mecca for thirteen years facing toward Jerusalem, and when He migrated to Medina and the Jews grew arrogant with false claims, the Messenger of God—peace be upon Him and His family—complained unto God, and verily He did turn His face toward heaven at that time, and verily this verse was revealed before the verse which I explained to thee.

When God answered His prayer, the Faithful Spirit descended upon His heart while He was in prayer, having completed two prostrations of the noon prayer, and commanded Him to turn toward the Kaaba. He obeyed God’s command at once and all prayed with Him facing the Kaaba. Then after that the Christians and Jews came unto Him and some disputed with Him in ways unsuitable to mention in this Book. And I shall mention what the Messenger—peace be upon Him—declared concerning them as a remembrance for all peoples. And verily as mentioned in the Safi, the Imam—exalted be His mention—said [here follows a long tradition quoted in the Safi from the Ihtijaj]

When thou hast learned the writing of men, hearken unto the buzzing of the bees of the Kingdom, that they may cause thee to soar upon the carpet of fellowship before God and teach thee the portion of the jinn in the countenance of the heart, and of the angels, animals, plants and minerals from that blessed verse. And verily He saith the portion of the jinn in the countenance of the heart is the human temple, and the portion of the angels is recognition of the station of Solomon, and the portion of the animals is the physical conditions of the people of the Bayan. Thus doth the ant believe that God hath two antennae just as man believeth He hath two attributes such as knowledge and power. Glory be to Him, exalted is He above all that they ascribe!

Each describeth themselves and their stations, yet none knoweth the Essence as it is in its sanctification beyond all names and attributes save Him. And verily the All-Glorious hath manifested Himself to the ant even as His manifestation to the Primal Will—glorified and exalted is He above what they describe! And verily the portion of the plants is to enter into the body of animals, and in the station of the temple of universal authority it is the pomegranate. Therefore did He choose it from among all fruits and made its interior universal mercy. And if man partaketh thereof on Friday, God will illumine his heart to the extent of Moses’ appointed time. Therefore neglect not the pomegranate on Friday, for if thou partakest of it then thou wilt find what God hath promised thee. And verily the portion of the mineral is itself, for God hath made manifest what was in the power of its secret. And when man taketh it, it glorifieth God its Lord, that there is no God but Him, the Most High, the Most Great.

On the verse “Thus have We made you a middle nation…”

God the Exalted hath said:

“Thus have We made you a middle nation that ye may be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger may be a witness over you.”

[Q2:143]

Verily, God hath ordained in the degrees of action the middle community, which are the six ranks: Will, Destiny, Decree, Permission, Term, and Book. These are the causes of creation and the witnesses unto the people of the cloud of unknowing. And verily the Messenger who beareth witness unto them is the Will itself. These seven are the ranks of the people of God in the world of divine law, corresponding to creation, for those possessed of understanding know not the effulgences of the Divine Essence, the manifestations of the Realm of Might, the conditions of sovereignty, and the emanations of the Kingdom save through what God hath revealed in the essential realities of the human realm. This is an irrevocable decree from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed.

Look not upon the world of action and reaction through the vision of isolation and separation, but rather through the eye of divine attributes. For by beholding these, thou shalt lift away veils and doubts, and knowledge thereof shall establish thee upon the carpet of nearness and beauty. How can I allude to the meaning of that verse which calleth out like the Tree upon the Mount and speaketh unto those around it as it spoke upon the Mountain of Manifestation? If God were to remove the covering from thine insight, thou wouldst hear its call from every direction and wouldst say what God hath willed for thee in the call:

“Glory be unto Thee! I turn unto Thee, and I am the first of believers!”

But as God hath created within my soul the signs of His dominion, I shall indicate some of what God hath intended in that Book. The Lord’s testimony concerning thee is thy creation. He hath ever been the Knower, while naught was witnessed or known before Him. God hath ever been witness over all things through the existence of all things, and the proof thereof is His independence and existence. Glorified and exalted is He! There is no “how” to His testimony, and none can know His presence. Until this day, God the Exalted hath not permitted anyone to open that door in the knowledge of His attributes and names.

Since I have no recourse but to taste death, I shall give thee that red elixir: Man cannot be a true believer in divine unity except by negating names and attributes from the countenance of the Divine Essence. The mention of affirmative attributes is identical to the mention of negative attributes, for the knowledge that man establisheth for his Lord is like his ignorance which he negates. There is no altering God’s decree.

It is incumbent upon the believer in God to negate the power that he knoweth just as he negates powerlessness. What hath been revealed in the Qur’an and what the people of the Bayan have said concerning His names and attributes is but to enable comprehension. Today I educate all as Ali, peace be upon him, said in his words that the perfection of divine unity is the negation of attributes from Him. The essence of what is intended is what We have given thee by the pen of ink. Therefore, describe not the Creator of the servants henceforth with the attributes of creation, and judge by what We have caused to shine upon thee from the decree of the heart, for most people know not what is intended and perchance they deny thereby the outpouring of divine assistance.

The mention of the decree We have confirmed for thee is in the interpretation of the verse through the very manifestation of its exposition in it, by it, and through it. When thou desirest exposition in the temple of meanings, then bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, was witness over the creation of all things, and verily He is the Witness over all things before their existence, during their existence, and after their existence. Not an atom’s weight escapeth His knowledge in the heavens or on earth. He is the Essence of creation and the Reality of invention. Verily He knoweth all things and beareth witness to all things even as thou beholdest thine image in a mirror.

Let not thy inner being magnify God, for the essences of Paradise, the material realities, the divine essences, the celestial realities, the heavenly causes, and the spiritual kingdoms are, in their stations, cut off from Him. The testimony of the Manifestation of the Divine Essence to those immersed in the depths of creation and the vast ocean of invention, by virtue of His transcendent Reality which hath no association with aught else, is identical to Muhammad’s testimony, the Apostle of God, peace be upon Him and His family, to the word “Be!” This word, after the removal of the ten portions, is identical to the addressing letter in the words of the Speaker, exalted be His remembrance: “that the Apostle might be a witness over you.” Know then what hath shone upon thee from the Sun of the Manifestation of Testimony from thy Great Lord, and be of them that render thanks unto God.

When thou hast tasted what We have taught thee concerning the testimonies of the Divine Essence’s attributes and the Pivot of the circle of Names in the Kingdom of heaven and attributes, then be thou assured of the testimony of the middle community, the greatest seat, the supreme proofs, and the most exalted testimony. For they are witnesses to the Essence of existence through the all-encompassing knowledge of the Worshipped One. No mystery in the heavens or earth is hidden from them. Verily their degrees of testimony differ according to the stations of the Bayan. Among these is the station of the Manifestation of the Divine Essence, wherein they were knowers of all things while the known had no existence before them.

Names, attributes, effulgences, manifestations and conditions are severed from their holy precincts, their exalted heights, their supreme majesty and their mighty station, for they were the repositories of knowledge and the pillars of grandeur. This station belongeth even to the poorest of the poor and the most abject of atoms. None knoweth the manner of their testimony to contingent beings before their existence in the realm of possibility save God Who created them and made them witness the creation of the heavens and earth, and made them witnesses over the worlds.

From these testimonies is their witness over existing things through their own selves, as they appeared unto them in the realm of their possibilities and their coming into being. The hearts of all atoms are before them as a particle of red ruby in the palm of one of them. God knoweth their truth and is capable of praising them, while I know not how to describe them save as an ant might know of a manifested language. Thus do I confess my shortcoming before them. How then can I enumerate the explanation of bearing witness in your testimony over the servants, when hearts circle round the ink yet know naught save their portion of existence? I beseech your grace to forgive my testimonies against myself, which were they to be known by anyone in the heavens or earth besides you, they would weep in mercy for me as long as the heavens and earth endure. O people of mercy, your pardon!

O people of grandeur, your mystery! O people of power, your bounty! O people of wisdom, your grace! For I am less than an atom to claim that I am of the believers. And amongst these stations is this: that they have borne testimony unto mankind through the witness of every soul-possessing entity in accordance with whatsoever it hath earned. And the attestation of differentiation lieth immersed within the depths of conjunction. And in every number less than ten, the ninth doth bear witness—for all created things testify in the presence of the Imam, may peace rest upon Him—unto that which each hath acquired of the Divine Realities, the Essential Substances, the Spiritual Entities, and the Ontological Beings dwelling within the eight Gardens of Paradise; then in terms of the empyrean realms, material manifestations, gradual developments, and essential natures in the seven heavens and what lies beyond them in the spheres of the Divine Throne and Seat; then in terms of the celestial kingdoms, radiant effulgences, resplendent lights, and psychic realities in the layers of the eighth clime which none can encompass save whom God wills; then in terms of earthly conditions, accidental qualities, shadowy forms, and individual identities from the stations of the denizens of fire and what God has ordained in the earths—even to the treachery in an ant’s breast, which testifies to its betrayal before the Imam (peace be upon him).

Indeed, he judges it according to what it has earned for itself by its own choice. Its testimony is the very form of its deed, just as silence at the time of silence testifies to your silence, and speech at the time of speech testifies to your speech. And you know, as We have shown you in My acknowledgment of the conditions and manifestations, whatsoever upon which the name of a thing falls, from the depths of the Divine Will to the vast ocean of creation. That moment before God is the Day of Resurrection, and those words testify before the Imam (peace be upon him) by the leave of Him Who revealed them in those tablets. Acknowledge your testimony according to what God’s knowledge encompasses, and acknowledge your inability to comprehend His truth, so forgive him through Your grace, for I am among those who bear witness.

Among these are that which causes the martyrs to rejoice at righteous deeds just as those in Paradise rejoice at meeting the All-Merciful, for they are the ones who work through the temples of the people of the Bayan. And among them, the color of the martyrs changes due to evil deeds just as your fair countenance changes in a green mirror. And whoever bears an evil deed weeps until the fires are troubled by his wailing, saying “O God, my Lord, inspire him to repentance, for I am among those who seek forgiveness.” By your Lord, O questioner, if the sinners knew the magnitude of sin, they would not approach it, for the change in the countenance of God’s Greatest Remnant is worse than all the fires of hell, but people do not understand.

In this the Imam (peace be upon him) testifies to what the angels testify in his presence, and what the angels have not been informed of, he conceals it and does not mention it out of his generosity, as indicated in his noble words according to what Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni reported in al-Kafi from Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Safwan ibn Yahya from Ishaq ibn Ammar from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) who said: “When two believers embrace, mercy encompasses them. When they remain thus, seeking nothing but God’s face and desiring no worldly purpose, they are told: Your sins are forgiven, so begin anew.’ When they turn to conversation, the angels say to one another: ʿMove away from them, for they have a secret and God has concealed it for them.”’ Ishaq said: “May I be your ransom!

Are their words not recorded, though God the Mighty and Glorious has said: ʿNot a word does he utter but there is a sentinel ready’?” Then Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) sighed deeply and wept until his tears wet his beard, then said: “O Abu Ishaq! God the Blessed and Exalted has only commanded the angels to withdraw from believers when they meet out of respect for them. Though the angels neither write their words nor know their speech, He knows it and preserves it concerning them.”

O Knower of the secret and of what is yet more hidden! By God, the matter has been decreed that there shall be no differences among the believers. For this reason hath He made them witnesses unto mankind, that Muhammad—the blessings of God rest upon him and his family—may bear witness unto us, and that we may bear witness unto our followers, and that our followers may bear witness unto all mankind. Among these witnesses is he who beareth witness as thou dost when thou desirest to make mention of the Divine Unity, saying “There is no God but Thee.” And among these are stations without end unto infinity, wherein the glance of him who gazeth upon the inmost hearts perceiveth that which no ink can contain. And at that station have I sealed the mention of witnesses with the water of ink.

When thou hast understood the law of witness-bearing among the Imams, know it through its manifestation in the pure ones among their followers, even as the Imam—peace be upon him—hath indicated in his words: “Verily the stations of witness-bearing among the followers are diverse according to their stations. Among these is that they gaze upon the inmost hearts of created things and bear witness concerning what they say and do, that they have followed him whom God hath made His proof unto them. Thus do they bear witness to their faith, else would God judge them worthy of the fires, and He is not unjust to His servants. And among these is that when they hear from their innermost beings a word of what God hath ordained for them, they bear witness with pure faith; else do they beseech God for their guidance, for verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

All that We have caused to flow forth is along the path of the outward. And if thou desirest to hear the melodies of the Bird of the Divine Cloud, and the qualities of the Peacock of Destiny, and the humming of the Bees of Accomplishment, then cast away what is in thy right hand and what God hath created in all the left hands, and ascend with thy spirit to the sacred court of the inmost heart. There establish thyself upon the throne of the manifestation of the Lord of all beings, and take what is thy due from the ink of assistance.

Know thou that the witness in the station of the efficient cause of existence is the witness in the station of the final cause through the existing remembrance, by virtue of what God hath caused to be revealed unto him in his station and rank. And even as God hath made the air a witness unto water, He hath made the earth a witness unto what He hath placed above it, for the station of that which is revealed appeareth only through the station of revelation, and verily the essence of revelation appeareth only through the essential nature of what is revealed.

When thou hast recognized this through the dawning of the Sun of Power in the dark and predestined well of hell, then know the reality of the witness from the witnessed, and the existent from the non-existent. Divulge not the secret of the Family of God to one who is not praiseworthy in the station of the witnessed. For verily the kingdom, though bare and rough—when thou gazest upon it with the glance of the Beginning—may the All-Merciful cause thee to attain unto the station of its knowledge. Otherwise, fear God and preserve it in the midst of the pomegranates of the Divine Realm, and the apples of the Empyrean, and the gardens of Dominion and Kingdom, and the ears of corn of the human realm.

For whosoever hath pointed unto him, and hath spoken concerning him, hath verily followed that which the Samirí cast amongst the people; and he, of a truth, is of the wrong-doers. And on this Day I, even I, am a Witness, with the eye of Truth, unto him who hath entered the pure Religion through faith. And those whom I know by their names, and unto whom leave hath been granted to make mention of the Book of Justice, they are witnesses unto the people. It is incumbent upon all to acknowledge the right of their testimony, and to dissociate themselves from their enemies. For the summit of faith, the nobility of man, and the standard of utterance is this: that the servant should account himself among those whom God hath caused to bear witness unto such as are beneath his rank. And this is attained through the servant’s hope in his Lord, his contemplation of His wondrous beginnings, his fear of His chastisement, and his longing to attain His presence.

How can I describe to thee the path of one who warbles in His primal grasp within the thicket of the Divine, while the detached one is imprisoned in the abode of patience? By thy Lord! Within my breast there lies a vast knowledge which, were I to impart it to thee, would be sweeter to thy heart than drinking the wine of Paradise from the fountain of Salsabil. Let not the illusion of ego enter thy mind, questioning how one whom God has caused to witness the creation of a thing can attain such a station in this world. For this matter, from the Most Exalted Perspective and the Supreme Horizon, is indeed thus. Read the tradition wherein al-Sadiq said to him who sought to test him: “Eat the dates, for therein lies the secret of the matter.” If thou followest God’s decree in this thy world, it hath been ordained in God’s knowledge that thou art among the witnesses.

But if thou disobeyest, God knoweth that thou art not among those whom He hath caused to witness the creation of what is beneath their station. The knowledge of these stations is among the requisites of the proofs and the complexities of the signs. None hath understood the mystery of this station save he who hath recognized the position of justice between the two positions. Know thou the truth of what We have given thee to drink from the brackish water, for from water all things live—will ye not understand? When thou art perplexed by the perplexing recognition of the witnesses, then take shelter in the shade of the dark clouds of Paradise, and know the truth of the middle way in the banner of Paradise’s paths. Be thou assured that the center of a thing is the station unto which all its manifestations and conditions return.

This is what is meant by the Pole according to the mathematicians among the people of truth. The knowledge of technical terms used by the people of outward learning is not in itself the ultimate goal for all, but since the knowledge of such terms is a prelude for some people to attain the station of understanding the Qur’an and traditions, the learned ones have permitted it for some men. However, for one whom God has brought to the station of certitude and who understands the meanings of the verses of the Qur’an, there is no portion or benefit in learning these terms. For the purpose of logic is to preserve the tongue from error in speech, but he whose breast God has expanded with exposition and opened the gate of the celestial realm to his nature has no need for the science of logic.

It is incumbent upon one who seeks the pure essence of that knowledge to weigh the judgment of the minor and major premises with the balance of divine utterance and derive the conclusion from the measure of My verses. But most people, since they think ill of God’s power, neither know the matter nor reflect upon it. All that We have taught thee regarding the paths of limitations pertains to those who are capable, for beyond the realm of the heart, allusions cannot be separated, since the Pole of the contingent world is too exalted in station to be witnesses who are associated with and testify to the circles of finitude and infinity.

Indeed, the Family of God are too exalted in station to be witnesses over the people, and God intended none other than them in that verse, as the Imam, peace be upon him, indicated regarding the station of limitation in His mighty Word:

“Dost thou think that God meant by this verse all the people of the Qiblih from among the monotheists? How can it be that one whose testimony regarding a measure of dates is not acceptable in this world, God would seek his testimony?”

Nay, God did not intend such a thing from His creation—meaning the people to whom Abraham’s call was incumbent. “Ye are the best nation raised up for mankind”—they are the middle nation, and they are the best nation raised up for mankind. And verily in that regard I shall mention to thee those traditions shining from the heaven of the suns of power, that thou mayest explain to the people what the Imam permitted them. And forget not the grace of the Imam, peace be upon him, in his saying that Salman was one who received divine inspiration, though the difference is that his utterance was but a sign and shadow compared to the utterance of the Imam, peace be upon him.

Ali, exalted be his remembrance, said concerning the meaning of that verse: “By His words that ye may be witnesses over mankind’—the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family, is a witness over us, and we are God’s witnesses over His creation and His proof in His earth, and we are those of whom God said Thus have We made you a middle nation.”’ And the Baqir, peace be upon him, said: “We are the middle way.” It was asked: “What is the middle way?” “The middle of ways.

Indeed God saith ʿThus have We made you a middle nation.”’ He said: “To us returns the one who exceeds bounds and catches up the one who falls short.” And from him, may my spirit be his sacrifice: “We are the middle nation, and we are God’s witnesses over His creation and His proofs in His earth and His heaven.” And verily what We have caused to shine forth from the temples of those traditions is the station of the chosen ones, that they may behold the countenance of mysteries in the dawning-places of lights. And the references to the interpretations of the learned ones befit not the wisdom of that Book, for the author of the Safi interpreted the testimony of the Family of God in that verse as being on the Day of Resurrection.

And that is mere shell to one who has found the sweetness of the kernel, for they were God’s witnesses over all in creation and invention, and all days with them are the Day of Resurrection. They judge by God’s leave between all that God’s knowledge encompasses. Rather, the Day of Resurrection with them is created like the creation of all things—they bear witness to it as they bear witness to other things. And they are the people of grandeur and sovereignty and might and power and majesty and wisdom and will and purpose. They see things before their existence just as they see a speck of dust after its existence before them. And they judge everything before its existence just as after its existence. Veils conceal them not, nor can all scriptures equal their mention, for they were above the perception of essences in that which none among contingent beings can encompass in knowledge. And whoever said regarding the station of the Bayan concerning their right that their testimony over mankind is mentioned, hath indeed associated partners with them in God’s knowledge, and if he seek not forgiveness of God his Lord, he shall be among the wrongdoers.

On the verse “We appointed the qiblih to which thou wast used…”

God the Exalted said:

“We appointed the qiblih to which thou wast used, only that We might know him who followeth the Messenger from him who turneth on his heels. In truth it was a hard test, save to those whom God guided. But God would never make your faith of no effect. For God is to mankind full of kindness, most merciful.”

[Q2:143]

And verily We have caused to shine forth in the manifestations of the light of glory that God hath created every letter of the Qur’an like the creation of the greater world, wherein is reckoned all that His knowledge encompasses.

And among the things which God hath decreed by confirmation, and which He hath caused to come to pass through bada’, is that whereunto I now allude in the obscurities of these intimations, that it may draw thee unto the sacred court of the Throne of the Names and Attributes. It is this: that for the letter waw, the first letter of that verse, there should be appointed a direction abstracted from the six directions. This was the direction of its simplicity, and the letter of its identity—a reality which its people designate by the holy Names, the manifest Appearances, the true Theophanies, and the paradisal Verses, all of which are mentioned beneath its shadow and bounded within its domain—inasmuch as the beholder, turning toward the extremity of the inmost heart, perceiveth all upon which the name of origination hath fallen in the degree of the manifestation of those letters.

Should one utter “He is God,” it betokeneth naught but His creation and relateth to naught save His invention. And should one utter “Muhammad is the Apostle of God”—peace be upon him and his family—it is the letter of the station of meanings in its place, whereby is known whatsoever hath been attributed from God unto Him of His essence, His self, His spirit, His being, His identity, and His might, and that which none knoweth save God. Were the people of truth to lift the veil from His countenance, and were the Essence of God and His Self to be ascribed unto Him as the Kaaba is called the House of God, and likewise the Hand of God, the Face of God, the Command of God, and His Knowledge, then would be witnessed therein with certitude, even as is witnessed in the essence of the Apostle, the attribution of these holy names without similitude or metaphor, as the very truth of certainty.

Yet fear thou God, lest thou raise anything above the station God hath ordained for it, nor incarnate the signs of divinity in humanity, for such was the deed of the Christians in deriving the form of the cross from the figure of the triangle. When thou art illumined by the gleaming rays of the Sun of Utterance in the first sphere, manifest from pre-existence—not the pre-existence that is manifest through pre-existence—and when thou art enlightened by the effulgences that have shone forth from the light of the Morn of the pre-existence of meanings in the second sphere, then know thou the Command of God in the station of the Vav in the five stations: the Vav of the Gates, of the Imams, of the Pillars, of the Deputy, and of the Beloved, even as We have taught thee concerning the manifestation of the meaning of the surging ocean of Oneness after Unity.

And shouldst thou taste what I have tasted of the knowledge of these subtle stations, thou wouldst know the decree of the Vav in these stations, and wouldst not be confused in deriving the conclusion after the two primary premises, and wouldst know the Command of God in the letters as the manifestation of the Manifest One from His manifestation in the kingdom of the divine cloud and names. And verily this is the decree of the direction of the Tree which warbleth what it warbled in the mysteries of the letters of creation and invention.

Likewise thou knowest concerning the direction of duality, which is expressed as duality, the reflections of the stations save that unto which no name can be given, nor designation in creation—the letter of light which hath no shadow from the determined stations of quantity, quality, limitation and place, unto that which the knowledge of the All-Merciful—glorified be He—encompasseth. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Bestower. And verily what We have taught thee concerning the meaning of the verse is in the way of the outward, and if thou desirest the path of the inward, then know from the mention of the Qiblih the green pillar of the Throne, which is the Guardianship wherein the believers were certain concerning the Family of God, the Imams of the Faith.

And from the decree that it is indeed great is the red pillar of the Throne, that it might be made manifest whosoever followeth the Messenger within the Sacred House, and whosoever turneth aside from His decree and adhereth to the Qiblih of old. And for this reason hath God attributed guidance unto the people through mention of the Name of His Own Self, and hath promised that He will not cause the faith of any soul to be lost after they follow God’s Cause in the Crimson Pillar, for when the Command descendeth to the station of Divine Decree, His judgment is executed, and that which is subject to change through God’s command—glorified be He—is a fixed destiny from the presence of the Mighty, the Wise.

And what We have taught thee now concerning this path is a mystery from the depths of Unity, and a light from the vast ocean of Oneness, and a talisman from the talismans of the Divine Spirit, and a symbol from the prescriptions of the Form of Emanation. Know thou its truth and conceal it except from its people, for verily all shall be gathered unto God. And if thou desirest the outward path in unity, make all letters into the letter Ha, and make the Ha praise for Him Who speaketh in the verses of splendor through the decree of change before the Divine Decree and after its execution.

And say to whomsoever He willeth, as He willeth, through what He willeth from among the people of creation, that which God hath sent down in those darknesses—the deafening, the pitch-black, the blind, the burning, the hellish, the gloomy, the dust-covered—unto each according to his station of recognition of God’s Command, and his concealment of God’s mystery, and his holding fast to God’s cord, and his reliance upon God. But fear thou God in this path, for verily it is most bare and pure yet rough, difficult, and smooth, wherein are wild beasts of the land to its left and wonders of the sea to its right, and none shall be saved except he who turneth not to contingent things and seeth the Countenance beneath the Ha in every extinction through the glance of the Manifested One and the appearance of the manifestation.

And when he becometh steadfast in that station, verily he is among the humble ones. And if thou desirest the meaning according to the outward way, there is no path to it except through the tongue of the people, and it is that which the Imam—peace be upon him—mentioned in his saying, where he said—exalted be his remembrance—in the station of Revelation, meaning:

“Verily We know that from his bounty after We knew it would come to pass.”

He said: And that is because the desire of the people of Mecca was in the Ka’bah, so God desired to distinguish the follower of Muhammad—peace be upon him—from who opposed him through following the Qiblih which they disliked while Muhammad commanded it. And when the desire of the people of Medina was in the House of Jerusalem, He commanded them to oppose it and turn toward the Ka’bah so it would become clear who agreed with Muhammad in what he disliked, for he was his confirmer and follower. And though the prayer toward the House of Jerusalem at that time was indeed difficult except for those whom God guided and who knew that God is worshipped through that which opposeth what man desireth, that his obedience may be tested through opposing his desires. And God would not cause your faith to be lost, meaning your prayers.

Verily God is Kind and Merciful unto mankind. And all that We have caused to flow forth from the appearance of the ocean of Divine Will, and the affairs of the vast sea of Purpose, and the awe of the mystery of the ocean of Destiny, and the change of the river of Decree, and the execution of the First Sea, and the term of the African Spring, and the book of the Countenance of the Essential Nature of Glory in the garments of radiance—it is but a letter from the interpretation of the outward of the inward, and a yellow veil from the veils of the Maiden whom God hath created for the manifestation of those conditions in her shadow. He who knoweth her not recognizeth her without her countenance, and he who knoweth her remaineth ignorant of her in the garments of her countenance.

And if thou hast attained unto that which We have intimated unto thee, illumined thee withal, confirmed thee therein, and enkindled within thee, then hast thou indeed witnessed the stations of separation, and recognized the dwelling-places of union. Thou hast plunged into the depths of separation and withdrawn from the most equitable station in fear, and thou didst say:

“What God willeth, there is no power but in God! This is naught but a noble sovereign!”

And if thou desirest to witness the essence of that verse in the station of the ocean of His unity and the deep waters of His detachment, then hearken unto the decrees of the Divine Realm from this Bird soaring in the atmosphere of the cloud of unknowing, and the decrees of the Realm of Might from this Peacock upon Mount Paran, and the decrees of dominion from this Bird warbling in the heaven of the names of creation, and the decrees of the Kingdom from this Cock that crieth out from the horizon of the Throne, saying:

“The first is the white pillar for the manifestation of the unity of the Divine Essence; and the second is the yellow pillar for the dawning of the unity of the Sun of Attributes; and the third is the green pillar for the manifestation of the unity of deeds; and the fourth is the red pillar for establishing the unity of worship before the countenance of the Divine Essence. He revealeth not unto the one receiving revelation save through that whereby He hath revealed Himself unto him.”

Raise up the letters of the alphabet from that verse unto the station of the manifestation of its benefits, that thou mayest witness in every letter that which We caused thee to hear from the warbling of the Nightingale of praise upon the mount of destiny, and that which We showed thee of the manifestations of the peacocks and their melodies in the wisdom of origination. And verily this is the spirit of the elixir of knowledge whereby the servant ascendeth from all that is still unto the station of motion, and manifesteth the causes of his existence in the degree of the effect, and the fruit of the final cause in the degree of the object and its realm.

This is the saying of Rida—peace be upon him—that “the possessors of understanding know not what is there save through what is here.” Until this day none hath opened the door of that knowledge whereby the letters are raised unto the station of His detachment and brought unto the mystery of His unity. Know thou then the truth of these days and render thanks unto God, thy Lord, for never hath the sun risen with the like thereof.

And if thou desirest to become aware of the mystery of the verse even as I have understood it, then extend the compass of thy knowledge and make the qiblih whereto thou wert turned the very manifestation of the letter Kaf in the Divine Will. It descendeth by God’s leave and becometh in heaven for the white pillar the Much-frequented House; then on earth for the yellow pillar; then for the green pillar the Kaaba, the Sacred House of God; then for the red pillar on the day which God hath willed, the tomb of Husayn—peace be upon him. And all this is the sanctuary of Muhammad—peace be upon him—until the Day of Resurrection, which changeth not throughout the ages of ages and the eternity of manifestation.

Therefore did Muhammad, the Messenger of God—peace be upon him—after he was sent forth by God’s command, pray toward the Holy House for thirteen years in Mecca for the signs of divine authority in the countenance of prophethood, and for seven months in Medina for the manifestation of trials within trials. And verily this correspondeth to the supernal realm, letter by letter.

And thou knowest the command of God from the beginning of the existence of the atom unto the end of the first Divine Will in the word “Be,” unto the final degrees thereof in attaining unto the pearl—the complete manifestation of the word “Be”—save that which hath no end in it, from it, through it, unto it, even as We caused thee to hear the melodies of the hosts of the Sovereign Bees of the Divine Realm, and the songs of the birds of the cloud of unknowing in the thickets of the Realm of Might, and the melodies of the Peacock of Paradise, and the conditions of the Ocean of Paradise, and the manifestations of the Holy Forms, and the attributes of the Cock of the Throne in the thicket of dominion and the Kingdom.

And verily this is a revelation from among the revelations of the light of creation, encompassing by His knowledge whomsoever He willeth among the servants of the All-Merciful. Verily, He is the Ancient Bestower of Bounty, Who knoweth what His servants desire in His path. Glorified and exalted be He above all that they may describe….