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ABD AL-KARIM AL-JILI: Tawid, Transcendence and Immanence – Dr Nicholas Lo Polito [University of Birmingham] - The Cave and the Inscription

SECTION 10

Comment

(49) In the Basmala the Ba’ and the Sin adhere to each other because of a sublime secret: that the place of the Sin among the letters is at the sixth position, which comprises six times the “One.” These are the places in which the Ba’ appears, created and jointly referred to as “throne”. And in every part in which the Ba’ appears, is the countenance of God in its fullness. As also the [number] one is present in its fullness in each of the six positions of the Sin.

(50) You [should] know that the Sin is an expression of the secret of God - may He be exalted - the human being, that is.

Some interpreters [of the Qur’an] said [concerning] “Ya-Sin” that the Ya’ in it is the letter of the vocative and the Sin [represents] the human being. This discussion pertains to the field of symbolic expression, [as if] God - may He be exalted - were saying,

“O human being!” while addressing Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him salvation. That is, “O human being, essence (‘Ayn) of My being (Dhat)! By the sapient Qur’an!”

 [The words] “By the sapient Qur’an!” are an attachment to “essence of My being” ascribed to the human being who is the mystery of the being and the mystery of the sapient Qur’an. You [should] know that the sapient Qur’an is an attribute of God – may He be exalted.

(52) The conceptual significance of the Qur’an is the comprehension of which of the divine attributes are befitting only to [God]. This comprehension is like a recitation. However there is no [chance] of you comprehending the divine being [Himself] because of the ineffability of His oneness, free of the plurality of the names and the like. So “each time you recite something from the sapient Qur’an - which is the attribute of God within yourself - the attributes of God will become manifest to you” according to the capacity of this level of recitation.

(53) For this reason [the appellative] sapient has been attached to it, because the recitation at this level belongs to an order of divine sapience. In no way it comes to an end or reaches its climax or ever strays. Thus the order, God and sapience [constitute] the essence of being (‘Ayn al-Dhat) that is you. The only thing that [appears] to your manifested consciousness (Shahada) is what your transcendent (Ghayb) [self] has recited from [within] you. As for what your transcendent [self] has not recited from [within] you, that is (intended) for your transcendent [self], not intended for your manifested consciousness. In fact, in essence the function of your manifested consciousness is the function of your transcendent [self].

You have been greatly confused by [the name] God. I refer [here] to the name which is given to the Essence (Dhat). Because it does not contain (Istifa) [His nature] in full. It does not reflect - that is - the conceptual significance of His [nature], even within the fullness that is behind the name. God knows best [all that has to do] with Him. But in spite of this, this name is the one thing that does indeed represent (Waqa‘ ‘ala) [God’s nature].

If what we have said seems to contradict what we said earlier, this is because of the divisibility of our individual condition, which prevents us from grasping reality such as it is in itself: indivisible Essence. Therefore, the name Allah is suitable for the Essence. And if it is not suitable, [yet it still] is insofar as the Essence is not an object.

This matter causes shameful confusion to the intelligent, but agreeable confusion to the people of God. Indeed if God - I mean the name - is confusing in itself, how much more confusing in this matter [will it be] for you [humble] servant!

(54) I have become confused: where does my confusion come from?
My intellect is indeed confused in its delusive imagination.
I do not know whether this confusion is
Due to the ignorance of my intellect or to its knowledge.
In fact if I said it is due to ignorance I would be a liar.
But if I said it is due to knowledge, than I belong to it.

(55) With this [same] meaning are my own words from a long poem for which there is no place here:

Does my conscience embrace the totality of Your Essence summarily and in detail
O, You Who are the sum of all the attributes!
Or is Your appearance too majestic for its hidden essence (Kunh ) to be grasped?
What I grasp cannot be grasped in its nature (Dhat).
Alas You should be grasped! Alas people should be
Ignorant of You outside of their confusions!

(56) The meaning of “Ya-Sin. By the sapient Qur’an!” is the divine unintelligible Essence (Dhat) and the source (‘Ayn) of the Qur’an as it is recited on behalf of God, laid down by the wisdom of pure unity.

“Indeed you are one of [God’s] emissaries”: from that exalted presence, holiness and unity, to this natural conditioned human place.

“On the straight path” to the customary practice of the Eternal One Who stands on His own and with the whole world.

“Revelation of the Mighty Merciful One”: the revelation of the Mighty One who is not accessible except within this Muhammadan framework.

(57) “The Most Merciful”: because when He showed mercy on the world He wished that He should weaken Himself, Who is the Mighty One and humbled Himself in their bodies.

“Indeed has come unto you an apostle from among yourselves” to direct them to Himself and entice them to Himself, out of His consideration for them and out of benevolence from the treasuries of His liberality towards them.

“He cares for your condition”: because he is the bearer for you, the agent in you and with you, and you have no existence, but absolute existence is in his being (Dhat).

“With the believers”: those, that is, who have believed that he is their essence (‘Ayn).

“Benevolent and most merciful. And if they turn away”: not accepting their understanding of the vision of Your unity in their plurality.

(58) “Say: God is sufficient for me”: because Divinity is the sum of everything: wherever you turn, the countenance of God is there. This is witness to them who flee from his right to his left, since both hands of God are right and blessed. [The Prophet] – may God bless him and grant him salvation - has meant mercy for the whole world, the one believing in him and the one not believing in him, the one acknowledging him and the one disowning him - may God bless him and grant him salvation.

We have been previously carried away by the enthusiasm of our discussion on the field of the Qur’an and we have conversed on secret heavenly matters. So let us return to what we were concerned [before] with respect to an explanation of [the formula] “In the Name of God the All Compassionate and Most Merciful.”