LECTURE – 22 : ETERNITY TO DOOMSDAY

No matter how do we make an approach to our life, it has two aspects of Time and Space. When the features and patterns of life are taken into consideration we have to acknowledge that these are supplied from somewhere. A fetus does not have any features in its embryonic stages during pregnancy. The features are formed as the fetus grows and enlarges in the womb of mother. Another reality that cannot be denied by anyone is that of the phase of death, which everyone has to face after his birth in this world.

 One’s features remain there even when one is dead but the life cease to be there. This also establishes from this argument that life and features are two different and separate things. As long as the life supports the features these remain existing otherwise they perish. That which keeps the form and features active remains obscure from the physical sight. The life is based upon this very invisible entity. Life is time and the form and features representing life are the Space. The form containing features is the Space and that which is keeping these features active and alive is the Time, which cannot be observed by the physical eyes.

God proclaims, “By the Book that makes things clear, We sent it down during a blessed Night. In that Night is made every affair of wisdom distinct by Command from Our Presence.” That means the source and origin of every movement is the Supreme Being of God and therefore every movement from Him is insight and wisdom, which are the eventual parameters of human thinking. These parameters are the depth of the knowledge that takes us closer to the Time upon which depends the life.

The movement of the features is spatial activity. This thing can also be stated in these words that all the acts and deeds are based upon Time, which introduces a person with his Lord God. When a person happens to know this that his actual basis and origin is the Holy Command or the Behest (Time), he comprehends this reality that all the species and the galaxies of this universe are created and exist at the Behest of God. The forms and features keep on transferring from the Knowledge of God to the Realm of Behest and the phenomenal world of matter in order and sequence.

When the creation of the universe is taken into consideration, we see that space is accommodating countless creatures, each one having its own particular and typical form and features. As a species, every creature is distinct but every species is correlated with one another. When a pigeon and man are mentioned both of them appear to be two distinct species but when these are studied in the parameters of Space they are found to be having a common relation. Both the pigeon and man cannot live without taking food and water; both are involved, like any other species, in the reproduction process. Sharing of thoughts and communicating with other is prevalent in every species of birds and mammals just as the human beings practice it.

Be it the human beings, angels or jinn, in the sphere of space, every one of them has its own individuality but despite the individuality these all are correlated to one another because of such a relation without which life cannot be imagined.

The law of sighting

The sight that functions in space is called the physical sight. When we look at something and say that Tom saw Dick, we have to acknowledge that the distance existing between them is responsible for the relation between them and if that distance was not there the act of sighting was also not possible. This distance is a common relation between everything and the same thing introduces us with one another. When two persons see each other they see because of the distance betwixt them, if the distance between them is deleted, they will not be able to see each other. The distance is the cause of introduction for every one.

The distances found in the universe are the cause of sighting the universe. When the sun is sighted we see it because of its distance from us, which is reported to be about 90 million miles but when we look at it, we see it as if we are looking at a thing only at an arms length. The angle of our sight does not change when we are witnessing an object from a distance of more than ninety million miles. This thing again proves that there exists such a relation between the sun and us that is helping us to identify one another. If the reality of the distance between the sun and us is explored by means of spiritual lessons, we would be able to see everything, at any distance, from the very Beginning to the Last Ending of the creation.

The Extolled Veil - Lote Tree – Inhabited Dwelling

Light is of two types, one that is visible for the physical eyes and the other, which can only be witnessed by the inner eye. The light that is visible to the inner eye is constant and is invariant in its nature from the Eternity. This light does not contain forms and features but self-realization is there in it. This forever evenly poised light is known as sader-ul-ain (The Root of the Substantiality).

The other dimension of this light, which is not constant and therefore is variable in its nature, is called ain (The Substantiality). The origin of the variable and the invariant lights can be traced back to the Realm of Behest. The realm of forms and features commences after the stages of ain and sader-ul-ain and this realm, too, has two aspects. One of them is called Astrality and the other one is known as Elementality. The roots of the body composed of elements are in the material world and the body of lights and its features both belong to the Realm of Potentiality.

Distinguishing limits in the cosmic creation involves the interaction of attraction and aversion. The limits of Tom, limits of Dick, Interaction of attraction and aversion in them, in Sufism, are known as Dimensions, which can be detailed as: -

1. Sadr-ul-ain, that origin of the universe, which is invariant.

2. Ain, that origin of the light, which is variable but has no dimensions in it.

3. Astrality, Astral body or such a body of lights, which has forms and features but these forms and features do not belong to this material world. Only the inner eye can witness the astral body.

4. Elementality, it is such a body of light, which is visible for the physical eyes as it belongs to this material world.

When it was asked from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as to what was there before this universe? His single worded reply was, ‘amaa.’ The question that followed his answer was, what happened after that. He said, ‘maa’. The term ‘amaa’, is an Arabic word used to express such a negativity that cannot be comprehended by the human intellect and ‘maa’ is such an affirmation that can be perceived by the human perception though it does not have forms and features in it. This Positivity is the Realm of Behest. Amaa could technically be called, Beyond the Above and is known as the realm of Noor.

The final boundary of the human knowledge and understanding is called the Extolled Veil (Hijab-e-Mehmood), which is the extreme height of the Supreme Empyrean (Arsh). It is that ascent for which the human perception could train itself for the cognition of the Extolled Veil and Beatific Visions of the attributes of God that are operative in there. It is such a station where even the most intimate angels cannot reach there. The next below to this station is the Sidratul mintaha (Lote Tree), which is the last limit of the flight of the intimate angels. Next below to this is the height known as the Baitul mamoor (Inhabited Dwelling).

Groups of angels

Man and the universe both are made of two bodies of lights and matter. If the material body is not supplied with the information from the body of lights, the physical body becomes useless and ineffective. The physical body remains active and functioning as long as the body of lights supplies information to it. When the supply of information from the body of lights stops, the physical body expires and the elements that form features cannot play their role any longer. It means that all the urges, feelings and emotions are active only till the body of lights supplies information to the physical body of matter.

Universe has four dimensions. Out of these four dimensions, one is the matter, second one is the light, third one is the Noor and the fourth one is the Mind of God, which is known as the Knowledge of Incumbent (Ilm-e-wajib). The height of man’s knowledge is that he can witness the Extolled Veil or to say becomes versed with Knowledge of Incumbent. Extolled Veil is the final limit of the Supreme Empyrean. The stations starting from the earth towards the Extolled Veil are the seven heavens, High Throne (Arsh), Lote Tree, the Inhabited Dwelling, The Divine Veil (Hijab-e-azmat), The Grand Veil (hijab-e- kibria) and then the Extolled Veil.

The Exalted angels have a very significant role in the administrative set up established by God Almighty but the range of their flight is not beyond the Lote Tree, it is, the flight of man is much more that of them. One of the groups of angels, living between the Inhabited Dwelling and the Lote Tree, continuously celebrates the praises of God and remains busy in glorifying Him. The second group of angels is responsible for delivering the commands of God to all the realm of the universe. And, the third group of angels records the commands of God in their memory, for the Realm of Behest.

The Exalted Angels or the nearest to God angels have six wings and they enjoy the sagacity of the Nooric Realm, which means those commands of God that are issued from the Supreme Empyrean. The messages relayed by them are understood by the Celestial Angels and are forwarded to the Mystic Angels. The angels of lower cadre, known as the Angels of Elementality, carry out the messages of the Mystic Angels. That is, in the first cadre are the Exalted Angels, in the second cadre are the Celestial Angels, in the third place are the Mystic Angels and in the fourth place are the angels of lower ranks that are scattered all over the earth zones. It is the duty of these angels to inspire the creatures inhabiting the earth.

Once His Divine Grace Qalander Baba Auliya told me that twenty thousand angels remain associated with every human being. Every person performs the activities of life when these angels guide him. It could be taken as if there are twenty thousand strings tied to every person and a person cannot move around unless the angels do not move these strings. These twenty thousand angels inspire potentials and abilities of equal numbers to a person. You must have seen a puppet, which moves because of the different strings. Similarly, man is also tied to twenty thousand strings of light and Noor that are moved by the angels of same numbers.

The six wings of Exalted Angels denote six sagacities that help them in understanding the commands of the Realm of Noor. Just as a person has one intellect or one mind these Exalted Angels have six types of intelligences, which appear before the inner eye as their six wings or arms. These six wings denote the following six abilities.

1. They have the realization of the Being to some extent.

2. They have the cognition of the Attributes.

3. They enjoy the understanding of the sader-ul-ain of the Realm of Behest.

4. They are familiar with the arrangement and composition of the ain.

5. They are masterly versed with the knowledge of Astrality of the Realm of Potentiality or the Created Realm (alam­e-khalq).

6. They enjoy command over the components and ingredients of the Created Realm, that is, they are fully versed with the creative formulae.

This thing can also be stated in these words that the Exalted Angels are the combination of six types of Lights of knowledge. Knowledge is enlightening therefore, in fact, is a light and the light is the knowledge. Knowledge expresses itself in different shades and colors according to its properties and characteristics. When we mention the colors like blue, yellow, red, white or black, in actual effect we refer to one or the other type of knowledge as every color is also a form of knowledge. When the knowledge is envisioned it appears before us in one or the other shape or form and expresses its typical properties in the form of light of one or the other type.

This must be very carefully noted that according to the Presented Knowledge, nothing is without a typical form or shape. When something like air is mentioned, normally it is considered that air is a shapeless and formless thing but we feel the effects of air, we enjoy its pleasant and refreshing effects or suffer at the hands of winds, yet the air remains invisible to our physical sight. But, when a person versed with the Presented Knowledge pays attention towards the air it appears in its typical recognizable shape and form. The existence of air in a typical form can also be established by reason and intellect. When the air blow the physical body feels its pressure and if the breeze is refreshing the body enjoys its pleasantness although the air cannot be seen physically.