Ibn Arabi - Journey to the Lord of Power.pdf

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ais o o t ad t uardia o Al Aa  rous O t ais  ist t r rst.

JOURNEY TO THE LOD OF POWER A uf Manual on Retreat by Muhyiddin Ibn' Arabi

wih Noe from a Commenary by buarim Jii an an Inroucion by Sheih Muaffer Oa alJerrahi ransae by Rabia erri Harris

NNER TN NTERNATNA   k  R V

 dio ol  k Street Roh, Vmo  wwwdocom nne Tadions would lie to expss its appeciation to the Halveti Jehi Ode of Ameica fo its help nd coopaon in maing this boo possible We would also le to th Tosun Bay fo photogaphing the calliaphy in ths boo  well  ndly poviding the tslaion ad the commentay on them Copyight © 1981, 1989 Jeh Ode of Ameica All ights eseved No pa of this boo may b epoducd o utilized in any fo o by ay mas eleconic o mechical including photocopying coding o by ay infomion stoage ad eval system wthout pemission in wting om the publishe

b  gs ggbc D bn alAabi 11651240 ouey to the Lod of Powe Tslation of Risal al-anwa 1 usmEaly wos to 1800   Abd alKaim ibn bhim b 1365 o 6 Asf n Risalat alw English elections 1980.  Title BPI889251 297'4 828 BN 089281-024-6 BN 0-8928-08-1 (Pb)

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Joue to the Lo o Poe is the t in  seies of boos on

usm om the ibay of the Halvetiehi Ode of Dvishes pogphy by Posie pe Pinted nd bound n the United tates 0 9

CONTENTS

Tansatos Peface ntoducton

7

Gmpses of the Life of Ibn 'Aabi

IS

jouney to  the Lod of Powe

23

Notes fom the Commentay by 'Abdu-Karim l Gossay

67 lOS

NOTE ON THE LLTRTON Th caaph of h Bafl Nam of llah fom whch h cov  an  fom h Gan Moq l Cam  n  n Ba T Th ona a monmnal ma compoon of callaph appo ma h f n hh pan n h nnnh cn  h wolnow calaph Mhm h

NOTE ON THE COVER LLTRTON o fom h Gan Moq h cov calaph a Hu Th  no Go  H nohn  H Hu  lah mo pfc Nam  whch ho who  nohn  lah ca pon Hm Tho a h pfc mn who hav ach h lv of now of Go h on who hav can h ha who hav com on wh h nc ho who ahoh h nam a  n h wo hav annhla h v n h  am of vn ov an mov o h wol of n h wol of Go En

LIS OF ILLSRIOS

lh he Generou One He  llh Lh pon Lh he One Who Pln n Rule he nivere llh he Ever Livn One llh My H Gory Be Exe llh he Ju llh, he Suiner He I he Creor llh he One whoe exience  ene

 33

37 41

5 9 53 57

61 65

IN H NAM F GD M BNFIN MT MRIFUL

RALAR PREFACE

ouy o h Lod of Pow known mot wdely n Abc nde the ttle Riaauawaa yuah ahib ahawa i aaa (Tete on the Lght n the ecet Gnted ne Who Undetke Retet")  by Mhyddn bn l Ab ( 1  65  20) w ognlly edted n 1 2/ 205 n Kony Tkey Thee now ext ome eventy mncpt cope n the lbe of the wold nde thee ttle nd ch vnt  The Book of Joney n Relty" nd he Book of Retet" hee hve been two pnted edton n Abc o  9   nd Hydebd 198 h  the wok t pblcton n nglh No ctcl edton ofouy o h Lod ofPow ext  hve conlted both pnted edton of the text nd the ptl eventeenthcenty mncpt copy n the Gett ol lecton t Pnceton Unvety Howeve the tnlton lgely follow  thd pnted veon whch ccompne the commenty Abot the commenty aa a iaa-uawa a yaaaa i ah idhi i aaa (Unvelng of 'ete on

URN T TH LRD F PWR the ecet Reveled to the People of Dhi   by Abdl Kim ili   65 408 little infomtion i vilble It i ndted bibliogphic oce lit only two mncipt It exit o nde the tente tite Shah uhawat iuta (xplntion of Abote Retet) The ony veion vible to e w pblihed in Abic in Dc in 1929 The eection pblihed hee epeent the fit ngi lngge tnltion of the commenty  we Ibn ' Abiouey t the Lo  Powe w witten  the text mke cle to nwe the qetion of n nnmed fiend who w himef  int nd fi mte Althogh he podced mny volme Ibn  Abi climed neve to hve witten nything except in obedience to  divine commnd I thi lette he de with the condition expeience nd elt of nnihiltion in God. ouey to the Lo ofPowe i  dicion ofhawa, piit etet n dvnced nd dngeo fi pctice fo the ttinment of the Peence of God thogh bote bndonment of the wod Khawa i by no men  techniqe fo eveyone Ibn  Abi explicitly tte tht bece of the deception of the imgintion it my be ndetken only t the ode of  hykh o by one who h mteed himelf He fthe point ot tht to pe the expeience of haJwa withot being thooghy ccompihed in the dte nd pctice of Im i to invite piit detction Finy ech tge of the cent which he decibe i  tempttion yielding to which bing clmity nd lo ny one with n 2

RANLAR PRFA ovepoweng dee fo God nd no ce fo nythng ele  fe n ch ccmtnce he pctce of aJwa n Ilm begn wth the Pophet Mhmmd (my Allh pece nd bleng be pon hm), who ed to ete to  cve n Mont H fo contemplton he ptl cent thogh ll the degee of extence to the Dvne Peence whch Ibn ' Ab decbe lo h Pophetc pecedent In the get Nght oney nd Acenon Mhmmd w tnpotedn n ntnt whch w 70000 yefom Mecc to elm nd fom elem thogh ll the heven to t e Peence of the Beloved, nd etned hee   tdton tht Abhl, one of the Pophet mjo eneme nd peecto, hed epot of th event nd went to ee Mhmmd he Pophet eceved hm Lft one foot off the gond Abhl d he Pophet compled Now lft the othe," he contned I cnnot," nweed the Pophet How cn yo who cnnot even lft yo two feet off the gond clm tht yo went to the hghet heven l nght? Abhl demnded Ah, bt I ddn y I we,  the Pophet epled I d I w ae  A ' AbdlKim l pont ot n h commenty the gft of th cenon thogh gven wthot pepton to the pophet mt be ened by the nt It pce  the   pefecton of ll the nteo nd exteo t of Ilm wh ch 

JOY O  O O O mans submission o od iou  knodg gaind oug ad a and inn ba i  s  an b no onmpaion o as bn Aabi is aion osponds o  n and om o knodg.  knodg o im om im a ou aqui a  im o ou su and aining ou i aiz in onmpaion a Bu a ou onmpa o im i b  om o  knodg i ou sabisd pious. You adan noing p ou ansn om knodg ( o ision (ay) and  om is on. oey to the Lod o Powe in  spa o a bi and ig ondnsd  ous on man ms i ind i u dopmn on in bn Aabis o oks Abdu Kaim Jii maks is a in is ommna and iuminas man ois obsu samns b binging o ba is dp insig and ga amiiai i bn Aabis ok. is ommns on som o  mo diiu passags a bn appndd as nos. Man sois o bn  Aabi a om dn o us. a o m a ad in  noduion. Mu ss o is knon o Abdu-Kaim Jii is ig spd man o did bn 40 and 4 as aso a sak a dsndan o  ga sain Abdu-Qadi Jiani.  is  omos ssmaiz and on o  gas ponns o  ok o 4

RANLAR PRFA Ibn  Arb Hs boo ala al-ail ( Perfect Mn  n expnton of Ibn ' Arbs techngs on the strctre of rety nd hmn perfecton, s held to be one of the msterpeces of f tertre  ts own rght he object of fsm hs been sd to be the prodcton of snts he snts of Ism re cled awliya the frends of God he Korn descrbes ther stte the frends of Allh no fer comes pon them, nor do they greve" (062 he awlya re those n whom no tce of flse exstence remns God eeps the contnosly n obedence, so tht ther cton s Hs cton. A hadh qdsi sttes, Nothng s more pesng to Me, s  mens for My servnt to drw ner to Me, thn worshp whch I hve mde bndng pon hm nd My servnt does not cese to drw ner to Me wth dded vontry devotons nt I ove hm nd when I love hm I become the herng wth whch he hers nd the eye wth whch he sees nd the hnd wth whch he grsps nd the foot wth whch he wls.  hrogh the snts, whose fe s  testmony to sch  stte hmnty my nderstnd the wor for whch t ws creted, n recognze tht the tre hmn beng s the representtve of God By dvne promse, the word shl not be wthot them nt the end of tme I wold le to cnowledge the ssstnce of Professor Roy Prz Mottheeh of Prnceton Unersty nd Mr. mon Bryqer of New Yor n the revson of the mnscrt Prse s de to Ah for the generosty of Hjj heh 5

URNE T THE LRD F PWER Mzffeddn zk Efend lJeh lHlvet of tnbl whoe wod povde n enlghtenng ntodcton to bn  Ab text nd fo the nvlble gdnce of Hjj hekh Ton Bek Byk Efend Jeh lHlvet of New ok.  wold lke to dedcte th tnlton to my fthe nd my othe Any eo tht e n th book e ne the pe  H My the ede fnd h edng poftble Raa T Ha

6

IRDUCI by heikh Mzaffer Ozak alJerrahi Thi treatie whih ontain divine mytee i an illminating gide for eeker of tth and viion hoe who wih to be intimate of God who troll in the garden lookng for the roebd of inner knowledge hold read thi book and learn to  be  ine the athor of thi work i bn  rabi whoever browe throgh it word will be onvering with him Te miralo pirital inflene of thi aint in the Eat and in the Wet i brilliantly lear He ha taght makind  awh Unity and will ontine enlightening it ntil the ay of at dgment Hi teahing of the wonder of Creation and hi miralo knowledgediplayed in h book a aJ Fuuha aJ-Mayya  Mean Revelation" Fuu aJha Bezel of Widom" and many other nmbering over 500bear witne to hi impotane He had a many enemie a people who loved him bigot who like bat were blinded by the  ight of the aint ome men beome enemie of thoe they do not know annot know and 7

JOURNEY TO THE LOR OF OWER canno unersan Een he ones who name himl-hyh  b he Greaes haykh) were among hose who i no unersan him ome of hem een hae him The sain no only forgae hese eficien people bu eclare ha he woul inercee on heir behalf on he ay of as ugmen for hey were o be piie for no haing been able o comprehen him. Cerainly jus as he golsmih knows he alue of gol he wise know he alue of knowlege an he allknowing Perfec Man forgies he ignoran heir poery This compassion of he sain is sufficien proof of his perfecion One ay one of Ibn rabis opponens was aken sick The shaykh wen o isi him. He knocke on he oor an begge he sick mans wife o announce ha he wishe o pay his respecs. The woman ook he message an reurning ol he shaykh ha her husban i no wish o see him The shaykh ha no business in his house she informe him The proper place for him was he church The shaykh hanke he woman an sai ha since a goo man like her husban woul cerainly no sen him o a ba place he woul comply wih he suesion. o afer praying for he healh an welfare of he sick man he shaykh epare for he church When he arrie he remoe his shoes enere wih humble couresy an slowly an silenly heae owar a corner where he sa own The pries was in he mis of eliering a sermon o which Ibn 'rabi lisene wih he umos aenion uring he sermon he shaykh fel ha he pries ha slanere esus by aribuing o him he claim ha 8

INTRODUCTION he wa he on o God. The haykh ood up and oureouly obeed o hi aemen.  venerable prie he began Holy eu did no ay ha. On he onrary he oreold he good new o he arrival o he Prophe  hmad Muhammad peae and bleing be upon him. The prie denied ha eu had aid hi. The debae wen on and on Finally he haykh poining o he image o eu on he hurh wall old he prie o ak eu himel. He would anwer and deide he iue one and or all The prie proeed vehemenly poining ou ha a piure ould n  peak. Thi piure would inied he haykh or God who had made eu peak while a baby in he arm o he Holy Virgin wa able o make hi piure peak a well. he ongregaion ollowing he heaed debae beame exied a hi aemen. The prie wa ored o urn o he image o eu and addre i  on o God how u he rue pah. Tell u whih o u i righ in our laim." Wih God Will he piure poke and anwered I am no he on o God I am Hi meenger and aer me ame he la o he prophe he Holy hmad; I oreold ha o you and I repea h good new now. Wih hi mirale he whole ongregaion aeped Ilm and wih Ibn  rabi leading hem marhed hrough he ree o he moque  hey paed by he houe o he ik man he ould be een wihin hi eye wide open in aonihmen looking ou o he window a hi uriou igh. The ain opped and bleed and hanked he man who had 

OURNEY TO THE LOR OF POWER inulted him, aying that he wa to be praied for the alvation of all thee people Not man people undertood the aint during hi lifetime One day he went up the mountain in amau where he preahed and aid People of amau, the god whih you worhip i under my feet." On hearing thee word, the people jailed him, and were prepared to kill him In fat, aording to one tradition, at that inident he wa martyred ording to another tradition, a haykh of hi time, bulHaan, mitigated hi word and aved him from death with the following dialogue  How ould people imprion omeone he aked Ibn  rabi through whom the world of angel ame to the mortal world? My word were poken, the haykh replied, through the intoxiation of the tate you deribe Yet Ibn  rabi  word and hi work reated uh a violent reation in hi time that the people detroyed hi tomb after hi death without leaving any trae of it One of hi many enigmati tatement wa Idha dahaa a s a ash / yazhaa abu Muhydd  whih ean  When S will enter SH [the letter s and sh in rabi, the tomb of Muhyiddin will be diovered When the ninth Ottoman ultan, elim II onquered amau in 56 he learned of thi tatement from a ontemporary holar named Zembilli li Efendi, who interpreted it a a prophey whih meant When elim whoe name tart with the letters] enter the 0

INROUCION ity of ham [the Arabi name of ama whih begin with the letter hi he wil diover Ibn ' Arabi tomb.  o ltan elim fond ot from the theologian of the ity the pae where the aint had made the delaration he god whih yo worhip i nder my feet" and had it exavated. Firt he novered a treare of gold oin whih revealed what the aint had meant. Nearby he diovered hi tomb. With the treare he fond tan eim bit a magniient hrine and moqe on the ite of the tomb It til tand today in the ity of ama and i fond at a pae aled alihiyya on the ope of the montain Qaiyn Mhibbddin a-abari attribte the following tory to hi mother Mhyiddin Ibn  Arabi wa deivering a ermon at the Kaaba on the meaning of the Kaaba Inwardy I diagreed with hi teahing hat night I aw the hayh in my dream In thi dream Fahrddin al-Razi one of the greatet theologian of the time ame to the Pilgrimage with great pomp and eremony and wa irmamblating the Kaaba Hi eye fe on a imple man in hi pigrim hrod who wa itting there qetly. He aid to himef he inolene of thi man not to tand in the preene of a great man ie me!  A ittle whie ater he ame to preah in the Grand ·S Gloss

11

OURNEY TO THE LOR OF POWER Moqe in Mea The whole poplaion of he Holy Ciy had gahered o hear he word of hi grea holar who wa he ahor of he mo imporan inerprea ion of he Koran Fahrddin alRazi lowly moned he plp and began  grea ongregaion of Mlim and nohing ele ame o of hi moh I wa a hogh all he onen of hi mind had been eraed He began o wea wih embarramen He exed himelf aying he wa no feeling well and lef he plpi wiho a word When he reahed home he proeed and prayed  Lord wha have I done ha yo hold pnih me wih h embarramen Tha nigh in a dream he wa hown he man whom he had erely reproahed for no anding in hi preene I wa Mhyiddin Ibn  Arabi For day he earhed for him everywhere  a he had given p hope of finding him here wa a no a he door and Ibn Arabi wa anding in fron of him He aed for forgivene and hi nowledge wa rerned o him In reen ime here wa he ae of anoher holar Ibrahim Haleri he imam of he Faih Moqe in Ianbl an exremely orhodox man who oppoed he religio eahing of Ibn ' Arabi One day in heaed diion wih people who defended he hayh he amped hi foo aying If I old have been here I wold have rhed hi head lie ha! In o doing he epped on a hge nail The wond never healed 2

INTROUCTION cang h death. The Fath Moqe ha a tone not a wooden loor. ccordng to an oral tradton one day n amac Ibn 'rab aw a beatl yong ewh boy  he looked pon hm the boy came to hm and addreed hm a athr." From that day on the boy never let hm. The ather o the boy earched ond hm wth the haykh and wanted to take m away The boy dd not recognze hm and clamed that the haykh wa h ather. The ather n amazement told the haykh that he cold bring hndred o wtnee to prove hat the boy wa h on The haykh reponded I the boy clam that I am h ather then I am h ather  The ather went to cort clamng h boy howng hndred o wtnee W hen the jdge aked the haykh  the boy wa h the haykh demanded that the boy be aked The boy clamed the haykh a h ather. Then the haykh aked the wtnee  h ewh boy had memorzed the Koran. They anwered ow cold a ewh boy memorze the Koran?" The jdge aked the boy to recte the Koran whch he dd wth great kll and beaty. Then the haykh aked the wtnee  the boy knew the tradton o the rophet Mhammad They anweed How cold a ewh boy know ch a cence whch doe not belong to h way o le" The jdge cloely qetoned the boy abot rophetc tradto The boy anwered h eey qeton correctly and completely. The ew who ndertood th mracle accepted Ilam The ollowng tory  nclded oward the end o the 3

OURNEY TO THE OR OF POWER Fha aMaiyya n the orthodox atmophere of a hool of  anoni law a teaher wa explaining the root of the word for hereti ndq ome mihievo tdent wondered if perhap it ame from the word nuddn whih mean religio woman" Another mihievo tdent aid "Zndq i omeone like Mhyiddin bn Arabi    int that o Mater?" The teaher rtly anwered ye t wa Ramadan the Month of Fating and the teaher had invited the tdent bak to hi hoe to break the fat with him itting and waiting for the meal to tart the ame mihievo tdent teaed their teaher aying If yo annot reveal to  the name of the greatet aint of or time we will not break or fat with yor fd. The teaher anwered that the greatet haykh of all time wa Mhyiddin bn  Arabi The tdent proteted aying that earlier at hool when they had given bn 'Arabi a an example of a hereti he had agreed. Now he laimed that the haykh wa the greatet aint of their time The teaher anwered a hint of a mile abot hi lip  A the hool we are among men of orthodoxy holar and egit here we are among men of love. "



GLIMP OF TH LF OF IB ARAB by Tosu Bayra alJerrahi

Ib  rabis aher, ' li ib Muhammad ib ' rabi, we o Baghdad a a advaced age His deares wish was o leave a so i his place whe he passed away. He we o see he grea shayh MuhyiddibdulQadir Jilai ad ased him o pray or God o give him he gi o a so. The shayh secluded himsel ad we i deep coemplaio. O his reur, he iormed li ib Muhammad I have looed io he world o secres ad i has bee revealed o me ha you will have o descedas so do o ire yoursel ou ryig. lhough cresalle, he old ma would o give up He begged ad isised  ai, God will ceraily gra your prayers. I as you o iervee i his maer or me hayhbdulQadir Jilani oce agai wihdrew ad ell io deep coemplaio. er a while he came bac ad said ha alhough li ib Muhammad was o desied o have a S

OUREY TO THE LORD OF POWER dscdt th sit himslf ws so dstid. Would th old m li to h th sis futur so His isitor gldly ccptd. Th two m stood bc to bc thir rms itrlocd Ali ib Muhmmd ltr rcoutd this icidt Wh  ws bc to bc with th sit Abdul-Qdir ili  flt somthig wrm ruig dow from my c to th smll of my bc Aftr  whil  so ws bo to m dI md him Muhyiddi s Abdul-Qdir ili hd ordrd. Muhyiddi b Arbis full m ws Abur Muhm md ib Ali ib Muhmmd lHtimi l-Ti l-Adlusi H hs b gi my titls shayh aaba th Grtst Shyh hai aawiya aMuhaadi th Sl of th Sits of Muhmmd; ahayh aa za th Exltd Shyh; qub a a Axis of Tru Kowldg; ia uuahiyuddi Rligious Ldr of th Corts; ahba uaa Guid ofth World; d my mor O his grt lrig b wziy hs commtd b Arbi ws wll rsd i lchmy d w th scrt of th Grtst m of God which is hidd i th Kor. Shyh Sduddi Hmwi* sid Muhyiddi is  oc of owldg which hs o shors Muhyiddi b Arbi ws bor i th city of Murci i th th slmic proic of Adlusi Spi o Mody th t th of th holy moth of md i th yr 60 A .H. uly 28  6) His fthr ws  Sufi d  rowd d rspctd ·See Gloss

6

GLIMPSES OF TE LIFE OF IN ARAI prso I hs arly chldhood h was rcogzd ad augh by wo wom sas Yasm of Marcha ad Fama of Crdoba. A h ag of gh, Ib  Arab ad hs famly movd o Sll whr h sudd wh Abu-Muhammad ad Ib ashuwal wo of h gras hologas ad scholars of h Prophc Trados of h m. y h m h was  yars old hs fahrs frd h famous phlosophr ad mysc Ib Rushd ow o h Ws as Avrros) xprssd a rs  mg hm. Much movd by h s powr whch h fl hrough xchagg oly a fw words wh h youg ma h scholar spo o hs fahr  rms whch Ib Arab rcalld as follows:  had God o hav b abl o m somo who had rd o sprual rra gora ad lf  as I had.  sad I was a cas whos possbly I had affrmd whou courg ayo who had xprcd . Glory b o God ha I hav lvd a a m wh hr xss a masr of hs xprc o of hos who ops h locs of s doors. Glory b o God o hav grad m h gf of sg o of hm myslf Sc  had b h rumor of wha God had rald o h youg ma  h cours of hs sprual rra whc had aracd h ao of Ib Rushd, w ow ha Ib  Arab had hs firs xprc wh h subjc of hs boo h

7

JOURNEY TO THE LORD OF POWER mystical ascent in hw while stil less than twenty years old He did not write ouy to th Lo  Pow, howeer, for another twenty years In 201, at the age of thirty-six Ibn 'Arabi traveled to Mecca for the Pilgrimage At that time he prayed for God to reveal to him all that was to happen in the material and spiritual worlds God, accepting his wish, opened the world of secrets to him Conceing the matters, Ibn 'Arabi later commented: I know the name and genealogy of every utb who will come until the Day of Judgment. But since to oppose what is destined is sure destruction, from compassion for future generations I have decided to hide this knowledge After the Pilgrimage, Ibn'Arabi traveled in Ept, Iraq and Damascus and stopped in Konya, Turkey, where he met Sadruddin Qunyawi, a young Sui scholar, whose mother he married The young Sadruddin became one of his closest disciples, whom he enriched with great material and spiritual knowledge ou y to th Lo ofPow edited in Konya by the author three years after his Pilgrimage, was probably originally addressed to this hoy man In the year �223 Ibn'Arabi returned to Damascus, where he met, visibly and invisibly, with many other Sufi masters There he spent the rest of his life He is believed to have died in 12+0. Ibn'Arabi mentions that he met Khidr, the hidden guide of the Suis three times His rst meeting he recounts in the folling manner 18

GLIMPSES OF THE LIFE OF IBN ARABI I wa early n my edcaon My haykh Al Haan ared ome knowledge o omeone Tha whole day I connoly dagreed wh hm ao  hen I lef hm whle reng o my hoe I me a eafl peron who greeed me and ad "The hng ha yor eacher old yo were rghaccep hem. I ran ack  o my haykh and old hm wha had happened He old me ha he had prayed o have Khdr come and afrm h eachng On hearng ha I once and for all decded never o dagree agan Of h econd meeng he ay     wa n he por of Tna on oard a hp I

coldn leep one ngh and wen rollng on he deck I wa wachng a eafl fll mn when ddenly I aw a all, wheearded man comng oward me walkng on waer alongde he hp I wa aonhed. e came rgh n fron of me and p h rgh foo on h lef foo n alaon I aw ha h fee were no we He greeed me ad a few word and ared oward he cy of Menare whch wa on a hll near To my amazemen he raveled a mle wh each ep he ook. From afar I cold hear h eafl voce channg he dhi. The next day I wen o he cy where I me a haykh who aked me how my evenng meeng wh Khdr had een and wha we had alked ao 19

JOURNEY TO THE LORD OF POWER Ibn 'Arabis third meeting with Khidr, according to one tradition, took place in a little mosque on the shores o the Atlantic in pain where Ibn 'Arabi was making his noon prayers He had someone accompanying him who denied the existence of miracles. Thee were a few other traelers in the mosque uddenly he saw among them the same being whom he had preiously seen in Tunisia The tall, whitebearded man took his straw prayer mat from the prayer niche, rose fourteen feet into the air, and made his prayer rom there. Later he came back to tell Ibn 'Arabi that he had done this as a demonstration or the skeptic in his company who had denied miracles When Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi eoled aboe the leel o haykh AbulHasn al'Uryani, he wrote a letter to his teacher saying, "Turn towad me with your heart and ask me your questions, and I will tu toward you with my heart and answer them. Ate a while he receied a letter rom his teacher, which said I dreamed that all the saints were gathered in a circle with two men in the center. One o them was Abul Hassan ibn iban. I could not see the face of the other. Then I heard a oice saying that the other man in the center was an Andalusian, and that one of the two would be the b of our time A erse from the Koran was chanted and both o them postrated themseles 20

GMPSS OF TH F OF BN ARAB and the oce sad Whoee lts hs head st wll be the utb The Andalsan lted hs head st.  asked the oce a qeston wthot lettes o wods The oce answeed me by blowng n my decton. Ths beath contaned the answes to all my qestons Both  and all the sants n the ccle went nto ecstasy wth ths beath.  looked at the ace o the Andalsan n the cente o the ccle t was yo  Mhyddn bn Aab

2

JOURNEY  TO THE LORD OF POWER

 THE AME  D MST EECET MST MERCUL

Prs s    h r  rgr f Rs rr  sr f h Trsmss. Hs r h gr  h mgh frm Hm r h wr  h srgh. Thr s   s H Lr f h Trms Thr A my h   bssgs f  b  hm  whm r sbsh h sgs f g whm H s wh h gh by whh H gs msswhm H ws   hs b fmy  r ms  h y f Jgm.  sh swr yr s  b fr  m m rg h Jry   Lr f Pwr my H b x) n h rr  Hs s  h rr hrgh Hm rm Hm  Hs Cr wh sr Cry hr s hg  xs x  Ms H gh Hs rbs  Hs s Eryhg s H  f Hm  frm Hm   Hm. f H wr  b  frm h wr fr h b f  y h wr w sh   sr  y rms hrgh Hs rsrg 

JOURNEY TO TE LORD O OWER wachi ve i weve i appeaace i i lih i  iee ha i vepwe u pecepi  ha we call i maifeai a veil  hall fi decibe (may Allah a yu ucce) he aue f he juey  im he he pcedue f aivi ad adi befe im a wha e ay  yu a yu i  he cape f i vii. The he aue f he eu fm im  he peece (hodo) f i aci: wih im ad  im. Ad I hall decibe abpi i im which i a ai le ha he ai f eu.  Kw  ble bhe ha while he pah ae may he Way f Tuh i ile Th eee f he Way f Tuh ae idividual S alhuh he Way f Tuh i e he apec i pee vay wih he vayi cdii f i eee; wih he balace  imbalace f he eee ciui he peiece  abece f hi mivai he eh  weae f hi piiual aue he aihe  deviai f hi apiai he healh  ille f hi elai  hi al Sme eee pe all f he favable chaceiic while he pe y me Thu we ee ha he eee ciui f iace may be a hidace while hi piiual ivi may be ble ad d. Ad hi piciple applie  all cae  mu fi mae clea  yu he wlede f he maice f Realm ad wha he Realm imply i hi place The  Realm (mowon) i a em f he ubaa f he mme i which hi cme  exi ad expeiece acually ccu  

OUNY TO TH LOD OF OW s necessry tht you know wht the Truth wns from you n ny elm, so tht you hsten to t wthout hestton nd wthout resstnce The elms lthouh they re mny, re ll dered from s The frst elm s [the pre-estence n whh we were sked the queston] Am  not your Lord? Our physcl estence hs remoed us from ths elm The second elm s the world we re now n The thrd elm s the nterl throuh whch we trel fter the lesser nd eter deths The fourth elm s the esurrecton on the wkenn erth nd the return to the ornl condton The fft elm s the Grden nd the Fre The sth elm s the Snd une outsde the Grden And n ech of these elms re plces whch re elms wthn elms nd th relzton of hem n ther multplcty s not wthn humn power n our stuton we only need n eplnton o the elm of ths world, whch s the plce of responsblty, trl, nd works Know tht snce God creted humn bens nd brouht them out of nothnness nto estence, they he not stopped ben trelers They he no restn plce from ther journey ecept n the Grden or the Fre, nd ech Grden nd Fre s n ccordnce wth the mesure of ts people Eery rtonl person must know tht the journey s bsed upon tol nd the hrdshps of lfe on fflctons nd tests nd the cceptnce of dners nd ey ret terrors t s not possble fr the trele to fnd n ths journey unmpred comfort, securty, or blss 2

JOUREY TO HE LORD O POWER or rs r riosy ford d h chgs, d h chrcr of h pop  ry pc hr o sops diffrs from hir chrcr  h  h rr ds o r h is sf from ch siio H s h compio of ch o for  igh or  hor, d h dprs Ho cod s  rsoy pcd y somo i his codiio? W h o miod his o sr h pop fod of comfor i his ord, ho sri for i d r dod  h cocio of ordy r W do o occpy orss ih or r or io o hos ggd i his py d compi ciiy B  mio i s cos o hor shs o hs h iss of compio  ohr h is gi Rm, d o hs h s of fn' ihio, shr h i is i pc, d ho dsrs sorpio i h R y ms of oirio from h ords+ Th msrs mog s r scorf of his  miio] cs i is  s of im d  oss of r] r, d ssocis h Rm h h hich is si o i or h ord is h Kgs priso o His hos d hor ss h Kig i His priso, iho dprig from  ry, ios h r of righ hior (adab), d somhig of gr impor scps him or h im offn h rh is h im of h dom of  sio highr h h o id. Rio corrspods o h  d form of odg Th odg of Him from Him, h yo 2

OUREY O HE LORD O OWER acui a h im of your srul and raining you will raliz in conmplaion lar u wha you conmpla of Him will b h form of h nowldg which you sablishd priously. You adanc nohing xcp your ransfrnc from nowldg ( l o ision ( ayn) and h form is on. n conmplaion you obain ha which you ough o ha lf o is propr Ralm, and ha is h Hous of  Ohr World in which hr is no labor. So i would b br for you if a h im of your conmplaion you wr ngagd in labor ouwardly, and a h sam im in h rcpion of nowldg from God inwardly You would hn incras iru and bauy in your spiriual naur, which ss is Lord hrough nowldg rcid from Him hrough wors and piy and also in your prsonal naur, which ss is paradis or h human subl naur is rsurrcd in h form of is nowldg and h bodis a rsurrcd in h form of hir ors ihr in bauy or in uglinss So i is unil h las brah whn you ar sparad from h world of obligaion and h Ralm of ascnding pahs and progrssi dlopmn. And only hn will you has h frui which you ha pland. f you ha undrsood all of his hn now (may God gran succss o us boh) ha if you wan o nr h prsnc of h ruh and rci from Him wihou inrmdiary and you dsir inimacy wih Him his will no b appropria as long as your har acnowldgs any lordship ohr han His. or you blong o ha which xrciss s auhoriy or you 29

JOURNEY TO THE LORD OF POWER f this there is no doubt. And seclusion from people will come inevitble for you, ad preference for retret alwa), over hun sociations, for the extent of your distce from creation is the etent of your closeness to G-outwardly ad inwardly. Your irst duty is to sarch for the knowledge which establishes your ablution and prayer your fasting and reverence. You are not obliged to seek out more than this This is the first door of the journey; then work; then moral heedfulness; then asceticism; then trust. And in the rst of the states of trust, four miracles befall you These are signs and evidences of your attainment of the first degree of trust These signs are crossing the earth, walkig on water, traversing the air, nd being fed by the universe And that is the reality within this door After that, stations and states and miracles and revelations come to you continuously until death And for God's sake, do not enter retreat until you know wht your station is, and know your strength in respect to the power of imagination For if your imgination ules you, then there is no road to retreat except by the hand of the shaykh who is discriminating and aware If your imagination is under control then eter retreat without fear. Discipline is incumbent upon you before the retreat Sprtul dscipline riyada) ms trining of chracter abandonment of heedlessness, and endurance of indignities. For if a peron begins bfore he has acquired diipline, he will never become a  except in a rare case.

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OURNEY TO THE LORD OF POWER Whn ou wihdraw from h word war of pop coming o s ou and approach ou for h who wihdraws from h pop dos no opn his door o hir visis ndd h ojc of scusion is h dparur from pop and hir soci and h ojc of dpaur from pop  no aving hir phsica compan u rahr ha nihr our ha nor our ar shoud  a rcpac for h supruous words h ring Your ha wi no com car of h mad ravngs of h word xcp  disanc from hm And vron who "wihdraws in his hous and opns h door o pop visiing him is a skr of adrship and sm drivn from h door of God Mos High; and for somon ik his dscion is cosr h h shoac of his sho For God's k for Gs sak proc oursf from h dci of h o in his saion for mos of h word is dsrod  i So shu our door agains h wod; and hus h door of our hous wi  wn ou and our pop And occup ousf wih dhikr, rmmranc of God wih whavr so of dhir ou chs Th highs of hm is h Grs Nam; i is our saing Aah Aah and nohing ond  Aah  Proc oursf from h misfouns of corrup imaginings ha disrac ou from rmmranc B carfu of our di  is r if our fo  nourshng u dvoid of anima fa7 Bwar of saiaion and xcssiv hungr Kp our consiuion in aanc for if drnss is xcssiv i ads o corrup imaginings and ong dirious ravngs

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JOUREY O HE LORD OF POWER f thr shud b a fuc whch atrs th csttutad that s dsrabdstgush btw agc ad dmc sprtua fucs by what yu d  yursf wh thy cm t a d. hat s f th uc s agc t s fwd by css ad bss Yu w t b awar f ay pa yu w t udrg ay atrat f frm ad th fuc as wdg ut f t s dmc phca dsrtat pa ad dstrss bw drmt ad ss su ad t as mta dsrdr. Prtct yursf ad d t cas rpatg thdhir  yur hart ut Gd drs th dmc fuc frm t hat s what th stuat cas fr.  sur that yu artcuat what yu td Lt yur cat at yur try t rtrat b that thr s thg  ut Gd Ad t ach frm that appars t yu  rtrat ad says  am Gd say Far xatd b Gd ab that! Yu ar hough Gd. Rmmbr th frm f what yu saw u yur attt frm t ad ccupy yursf wth dhir ctuay hs s  cat h scd  s that yu w t s frm Hm  rtrat aythg tr ta Hmsf ad that yu w t attach yur himma th pwr f th harts tt t aythg thr ta Hm Ad f rythg  th urs shud b sprad bfr yu rc t gracusy but d t stp tr. Prsst  yur ust, fr H s tstg yu. f yu stay wth what s ffrd H w scap yu. ut f yu atta Hm thg w scap yu 2

e s A esde whom here is o God he Beee he erf he K who ows ad es he uierse he Pure deoid of a errors weakesse shoroms ad heedessess, he Graer o oa seriy he Auhor of Peae.

OURNEY TO THE LORD OF OWER  you know this, then know that God tests you through what He spreads beore you What He irst disloses to you is His git o ommand over the material order, as I shall disuss t is the unveiling o the sensoy world whih is hidden rom you, so that walls and shadows do not veil you rom what people are doing in their houses However, i God has inormed you o anyones seret, you are obliged to preserve it rom exposure For i you were to expose it and say this one is a oiator and this one a drunkard and this one a slanderer and this one a thie you yoursel would be the greater sinner and indeed Satan would have entered into you So at in aordane with the Divine Name aaa the Veiler And i this person were to ome to you, wa him prvately about hs ations and ounsel him to have shame beore God and not to transgress Gods limit Turn away rom this type o pereption as muh as possible, and oupy yoursel with dhi. We shall explain [the means o telling] the dieree between sensory and imaginational subtle pereption That is, when you see someones orm or some reated ation, i you lose your eyes and the pereption remains with you, it is in your imagination but i it is hidden rom you, then your onsiousness o it is attahed to the plae in whih you saw it [ it is pereption o the latter kind when you tu your attention away rom it and oupy yoursel with dh, you will move rom the sensory to the imaginal level And there desend upon you abstrat intelligible ideas in 3

OURNEY O HE LORD O POWER ssory orms. s dsct s dclt sc o o ows wat s mat by ts orms xct a rot or womr God wlls amo t rtos. So do ot cocr yorsl wt ts.  yo ar ord somt to dr coos watr.  tr s o watr amo t ors coos ml. d  bot o tm ar rstd to yo comb t watr ad t ml. s also als to oy Dr t  carl o dr w lss t s mxd wt rawatr. Rra rom dr t otrws   t s mxd wt t watr o rrs ad srs. I  Occy yorsl wt dikr tl t world o maato s ltd rom yo ad t world o abstract mas r o mattr s rald to yo. Occy yorsl wt dikr, rmmbrac tl t Rmmbrd masts Hmsl to yo ad call Hm to mmory s acd  t actal rcollcto o H. Howr ts [as o dikr s t ssc ot oly o cotmlato bt also o sl.  way to dsts btw tm s tat cotmlato las ts dc ad s ollowd by blss wras sl las ot ad s ollowd o awa by rmors ad t as o orss.  lmty God srads bor yo t drs o t dom as a tst. s s aotd to yo as a oblato. rst yo wll dscor t scrts o t mral world Yo wll bcom acatd wt t scrt o ry sto ad ts artclar arml ad bcal alts.  yo bcom amord o ts world t wll tra yo ad yo wll b xld 36

Lght upon lght Allah gUides to Hs lght whom He pleases [Koran 24:35].

OURNEY TO THE ORD OF OWER from God He wll trp you of everythng you held on to, and you wll e lot But f you let go and occupy youelf wth dhr and take refuge at the de of the Rememeed, then He wll free you from that mode and unvel the vegetal wold Every green thng wll call out to you t harmful and enefcal qualte et your judgment e what t wa efoe At the tme of the unvelng of the mneral world let you nourhment e what ncree heat and moture, and at th unvelng of the vegetal world et t e what alance heat and moture And f you do not top, He wll reveal the anmal world to you. [The anmal wll greet you and acquant you wth ther harmful and enecal qualte Every ort of creature wll acquant you wth t proclamaton of majety and prae ay attenton to th: If you ecome aware of all thee world a engaged n the ame dhir whch occupe you, your percepton  magnatona, not real It  your own tate whch  called up for you n all extent thng But when you wtne n them the varete of ther own dhi, that  ound pecepton Th acent  the acent of doluton of the order of nature and the tate of contracton (b wll accompany you n thee world   Then after th, He reveal to you the nfuon of the wold of lfeforce nto lve, and what nuence th ha n evey eng accordng to t predpoton, and how the expeon [of fath are ncluded n th nfuon  ) And f you do not top wth th He eveal to you the urface gn  ou wll e admonhed wth terror, and 3

OURNEY TO THE LORD O OWER many ort of tate wl efa you You wl ee ceary the apparatu of tranformaton how the ene ecome ute and the ute ene An f you o not top wth th, the ht of the cattern of park wl ecome ve to you, an there wll e a nee to vel youref from t Do not e afra and perevere n the dhikr, for f you perevere n the dhikr dater wl not overcome you. If you do not top wth th, He revea to you the ht o the acenant tar and the form of the unvera ore An you w ee rectly the ada, the proper conuct, fo entern the Dvne reence an the ada for tann efore the Real an the ada for eavn H preence for Creaton an the perpetual contempaton y the fferent apect of the Dvne Name (aJ·ama  aJiahiyya) the Manfet" an the Hen"; an the erfcton of whch not everyone ecome aware or al that pae away from the apect of the Manfet come uner the apect of the Hen The eence  one Nothn ha pae away An after th you wl know the mean of recevn vne knowee from Go Mot Hh and how one mut prepare oneelf for t recepton So know the proper conduct of recevn an vn, contracton an expanon; an how to protect the heart, whch  the pace of the arrval of tate from urnn etructon; an that all the way are crcle. There  no traht lne Th etter  too ref to eal wt matter ke thee And f you o not top wth th, He revea to you the 0

The One who plan and rule the uniere and al that happen therein The enerou ardoner of repentant inner, the Benefactor without condition

OURNEY TO THE ORD OF OWER degee f peculaive cience, und inegal idea, and he fm f peplexing quein which cnfue undeanding He eveal he diffeence beween uppiin and knw ledge, he bih f pibiliie beween he wld f pii and he phyical wld,   he caue f ha genei, he infuin f he Divine Myey in he dmain f Hi lving cncen,1 8 he caue f abandning he wld by eff  hewie and he elaed mae which equie lng explanain And if yu d n p wih all f hi, He eveal  yu he wld f fmain and adnmen and beauy, wha i ppe f he inellec  dwell upn fm amng he hly fm, he vial beahing fm beauy f fm and hamny, and he veflw f languu and endee and mecy in all hing chaaceized by hem And fm hi level cme he uenance f pe, while fm he ne befe cme he  uenance f peache And if yu d n p wih hi, He eveal  yu he degee f he ub All ha yu wineed befe i fm he wld f he lef hand, n fm he wld f he igh hand And hi i he place f he hea f He manife hi wld  yu, yu will knw he eflecin, and he endlene f endlenee, and he eeniy f eeniie, and he de f exience and hw being i infued in hem Yu ae given he divine widm and he pwe  peeve hem and inegiy  anmi hem  he wie, and yu ae given he pwe f ymbl and a view f he whle, and auhiy ve he veil and he unveiling 3

OURNEY TO THE LORD OF OWER And if you do not top with thi H ra to you th word of fr and rag and za for tuth and fahod th foundation of apparnt diffrnc in th word th ariation of form dicord and hatrd And if you do not top with thi H ra to you th word of aouy and th uniing of th Truth for th mor prfct of Hi fac ound opinion tru choo and rad tradition and you wi  a a knowr that God Mot High ha adod thm among th hoy knowdg with th mot autifu adornmnt And thr i nothing that ptain to a tation which H ra to you that do not grt you with honor rrnc and xatation it dgr of th Diin rnc i mad car to you and [ ach on o you in it nc.  And if you do not top with thi H ra to you th word of dignity and rnity and irmn th u (makr) th nigma and th crt and othr mattr of that ort And i you do not top with thi H ra to you th word o widrmnt and hpn and inaiity and th trauri of work and thi i th hight han And if you do not top with thi H ra to you th Gardn: th dgr of thir acnding tp thi ndin into on anothr and how thy compar to on anothr i thir paur And you ar toppd on th narrow path an rought to th ink of H and ook down upon th dgr of it dcnding tp how thy nd into on anothr and how thy compar to on anothr in thir rigor H ra t you th work connctd to ach of th two aod And f 

lla he Evevng One, he Owne of all nowledge and powe, e SelfSainng  whom all b, he llPevave he Onl One, who pane o lene

JORNEY O HE OR OF POWER yu d nt stp wth ths He revels ne f the snctures where sprts re bsrbed n the vne Vsn In t they re drunken nd bewldered he pwer f ecstsy hs cnuered them nd ther stte beckns yu nd f yu d nt stp wth ths becknn  lht s reveled n whch yu d nt see nythn ther thn yurself In t  ret rpture nd deep trnsprt f lve sezes yu nd n t yu fnd blss wth Gd tht yu hve nt knwn befre ll tht yu sw prevusly becmes smll n yur eyes nd yu swy lke  lmp  nd f yu d nt stp wth ths He revels the [rnl frms f the sns f dm nd vels re lfted nd vels descend nd they hve  specl prse whch upn hern yu recnze nd yu re nt vercme Yu see yur frm mn them nd frm t yu recnze the mment whch yu re n nd f yu d nt stp wth ths He revels t yu the hrne f Mercy (arir aramaniyya Everythn s upn t If yu rerd everythn yu wll see the ttlty f wht yu knew n t nd mre thn ths: n wrld r essence remns tht yu d nt wtness there Serch fr yurself n eveythn If t s pprprte yu wll knw yur destn tn nd plce nd the lmt f yur deree nd whch vne Nme s yur Lrd nd where yur prtn f nss nd snthd exstthe frm f yur unueness nd f yu d nt stp wth ths He revels t yu the Pen the Frst Intellect the mster nd techer f everythn Yu 7

JORNEY O HE LOR OF OWER exmine it trcin nd knw the mee it ber nd witne it inverin, nd it receptin nd prticulriztin f the cmprehenive knwlede frm the nel + nd if yu d nt tp with thi, He revel the Mver f the Pen, the riht hnd f the ruth.  nd if yu d nt tp with thi, yu re erdicted, then withdrwn, then effced, then cruhed, then bliterted When the effect f erdictin nd wht fllw re terminted, yu re ffirmed, then mde preent, then mde t remin, then thered tether, then ined nd the rbe f hnr which [yur deree reuire re cnferred upn yu, nd they re mny hen yu return t yur th nd exmine ll tht yu w in different frm until yu return t the wrld f yur limited erthly ene. Or yu will hld ft there where yu were bent nd the detintin f every eeker depend upn the rd which he trveled mn the ne wh cmplete thi jurney] re the entruted with Hi Wrd, nd mn them re the nt entruted with Hi Wrd nd whever i entruted with  Wrd, n mtter which Wrd it i, becme the inheritr f the prphet f tht lnue* hi i wht i referred t by the  Each prophet manifests a particular aspect of the divine

discouse, and " speaks in the ' anguage of that aspect embodying a Wod. The saints who ealze these perfect reationships ae thus

4

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Ah m s go be exted (Ah the wod of go (Iafz al je/al) s the peson nme (ism al·dha) of God the nm of s essence nd s tott t s wtten wth fou ettes When the nt ette al s emoved the thee emanng ettes e the smbo of the unvese of exstence whch conssts of the vsbe wod (dunya); nd the nvsbe hevens bove the st fmment pugto (-zakh) d hven th heefte (akha). The fst ette al s the souce of  nd the st ette  hu [e1 s Ahs most pefct ttbute fee fom  ssoctons.)

ORNEY TO THE OR OF POWER popl of t Wy wn ty y tt ondo  of Mo o bm o Eno Inludd mon tm  t tut of two o t o fou o n mo Wod T Pftd On  ntutd wt t olltty of Wod nd   of Mummd ully Wl   t  dtnton  lon   do not tun t k  lld on wo top" (wq. To wo top nlud t on wo  bobd n tt tton  fo ntn bu-Il nd ot In t God tk tm nd  t ty  utd T lfton waq lo nlud t on wo  nt bk (madudun) T  mo pft tn t bobd on (mustahJu) f ty ul  ot n tton If  on k  bobd n   tton tn tt fom w not k tu tn w do not y tt t tund on   T ondton fo d  ompon  t mutul mbln of t two If tt ondton  mt tn t tund on l n dndd fom t tton of t bobd on o tt   t d of t bobd on nd up m n dwn n up m n omn down nd xl m n dlopmnt nd pton of knowld  fo t tud on t  two typ of mn mon tm T  on wo tun to mlf lon   t inhertos of the pophets who fit mnfeted them The Pophe Muhd  the el o Compleion of the pophes. hlds wthn hmef ll of hese pophetc Wods-a

51

JUREY  HE RD F ER dsdr whom w h mtiod his sort o m is th gosti, a mog s H rtrs to prtig himsl rom othr th th rod whih h trld Also mog thm s th o who is st b to Crtio with th lgg o dirtio d gid H is th ihritig owr, am ot ll mmors to God d ihritors r i th sm sttio, bt th sttio o thir llig gthrs thm togthr d som o thm srpss othrs i dgr As God Most High sid,   h md som o ths mssgrs l or othrs [Kor  Amog th ihritors r smmors i th  ord o Moss d ss d Shm d oh d s d shml d Adm d Eoh d Abrhm d Josph d Aro d othrs ths r th Sis h r th dpts o stts i ompriso to th mstrs mog  1 Amog [th ihritors] r lso smmors i th ord o Mhmmd p d blssig b po him) ths r thMaamyya th dpts o prm d rlitis Ad wh th smmo Crtio to God Most High, mog thm is th o who lls thm rom th door oaa  i th rlit o sritd ( ubudyya).32 [hisaa ' is rrrd to b] His sig m H b ltd  s  rtd o bor wh o wr othig [Kor ] Ad mog thm is th o who lls rom th door o tttio to sritd whih is lowliss d d d wht th sttio o sritd rirs Ad mog thm is th o who lls rom th door o tttio to th Mril tr d th o who lls rom th door o tttio to th ishig tr d 

All     on wo know  nn nc of n nd  ddn T on wo  nfcn o H con n  fn of w All  Cln

JURNY T TH LRD F PWR h n wh calls frm h dr f anin  h ivin nar which s h frh dr and h ms slim f hm nw ha prphhd and sainhd h shar n hr hns: n n knwld wih acqrd larnin; w n acn y i h hars nnin n wha s csmarily ivd n pssl xcp hrh h dy r ha fr whch h dy has n capaciy hr n sin h wrld f mas in h snsry wrld Th w dffr slly in hir md f addrssn ppl fr h dscrs f h san s hr han h discrs f h prph.4 D n spps ha h ascns f h sains qal h ascns f h prphs This is n s cas ascns rqir parclar ndrakins If sains and prphs shard in h sm sns y vr f makin h sam ascn hn sains wld  h sam as prphs and ha is n h cas wh s Alhh h w clsss shr a cmmn rndh sains f dvin ralinsill h acn f h prphs s hrh h fndamnal lh slf whil h ascn f h sins s hrh wha is prvidnially rand y ha lh Thh h [a san and a prph] mih  in h san f Trs fr insnc i wld n prsn h sm aspc  h ce Spriy is n fnd in h san f rlizain  n is aspc Th aspcs f rs dpnd pn h ns wh rs and h cas is h sam n vry sa nd sain f f and b, nin and sparain harmny and dsrd and s frh 

JORNEY O HE OR OF POWER n d knw tht vy snt  G d Mst Hh cvs wht h cvs thuh th sptul mdtn  th ppht whs scd Wy h lws nd t s m tht sttn tht h cntmplts nd th  ths wh knw tht nd ths wh d nt knw t nd sy Gd sd t m" but ths s nthn th thn th sptu ntu  th ppht nd th  scts  Hs subtlty h  whch ths ps ntndd ny s n ntductn  t nw mn th snts  th cmmunty  Muhmmdth Gth  th stts  th pphts pc nd blssns b upn hmth my b n nht  th stt  Mss but h nhts m th Lht  Muhmmd nt m th Lht  Mss Hs stt s m Muhmmd ust s th stt  Mss ws m Muhmmd Smtms  snt n hs dth wll pp t py hd t Mss  Jsus Odny pp nd ths wthut knwd mn tht h hs bcm  Jw   Chstn snc h mntns ths pphts t th pnt  dth but n ct ths mntn stms m th pw  th wnss whch chctzs hs sttn. h qut hwv blns dcty t th ht  Muhmmd nd w hv ncuntd mn bnn t th ht  Jsusmn thm s th st shykh whm yu mtnd mn blnn t  th ht  Mss nd ths blnn t th ht  bhm nd ths  sm ttnmnt nd ths wl mn  sct t  but u nds Knw tht Muhmmd (pc nd bssn b upn hm) s h wh v l th pphts nd mssns th sttns n 56

All e Susne e AllKnowng e one wose odes nd mnfesons e wsdom e ong One nd e onl one wo of loe e Poweful Gloous nd Geneous

JORNEY O HE OR OF POWER the Wrld f Sprts untl he ws snt n the bdy  We fllwed hm [thus nhertn hs drect udnce n the temprl wrld. he prphets wh wtnessed hm r wh descend fter hm jn wth us n ths nd the snts f the prphets wh preceded [hs physcl brth receve [ther sprtul nhertnce frm Muhmmd s well S the snts f Muhmmd shre wth the prphets n recevn [drect trnsmssn frm hm Becuse f ths t s reprted n hdth: he knwers f ths cmmunty re lke the prphets f Isrel  nd Gd Mst Hh sd cncen us     n rder tht yu be wtnesses f the peple" [Krn 22:7; nd He sd cncernn the Messeners nd tht dy We wll rse up frm every cmmunty  wtness nst them frm mn themselves [ Krn 6:9 S we nd the prphets re the wtnesses fr ther fllwers herefre devte himma n retret t the entre lecy f Mhmmd Knw tht te certn endurn perfect se s he wh trets every cndtn nd mment n the pprprte mnner nd des nt cnfuse them hs s the stte f Muhmmd pece nd blessns be upn hm) fr he ws tw bw lenths dstnce r less frm hs Lrd nd when he wke mn hs peple nd mentned tht t thse wh were present the plythests dd nt beleve hm becuse n mrk [f the scensn ppered n hm nd hs ppernce ws the sme s thers. hs ws nt pssble even fr Mses wh when the mrk [f vne Reveltn  ppered upn hm veled hmself 59

JOUREY O E LORD O OWER Er sr iib wi ric  i f  ss, d  bdig f  wrds wi  r bu  d fr is sg   sg f dii wisd rig wii  cusr uwrd ricis is icu b u i rscdc f  cusr rdr wi bc is scr s  s bd  rdir wi cc i rdiri  wi s ucsig wi r br M Lrd, icrs  i wdg wi   sr urs b Yur br39 d   sri  is M e is br W  ifuc f  M bfs i,  wi rci i L i bwr f bcig rd f  iuc f  M] bu  i rbr i, fr i wi b cssr  i i  isucs. Ms f  ss r iid s crs  b gcig  rbr w w  id, d bsiig fr i   M gs d srs i ccrdc wi  rsc f   w rs i i. r r s ws M is  ur r  d r  w r   r  r r c i  ifi Ad icudd] i ui is   w s  M. Fr   w is du f  brs s  urs i is wr d   is bd ; d   ws M is  rsc f  urs ss  brs; d   ws M is  ds ss  urs d   ws M is  ws s  ds; d   ws M is  rs ss  s d   ws M is is ifi ss  rs d 60

He is te Cretor te Giver of spe nd crcter te Bestower of most beneficient ifts te rdoner of sins te Overwelmin One

JORNEY O HE LOR OF POWER whoeve hs no Moment hs no fetme nd loses hs ftelfe It does not poon hs nm himma nd pesonl elevton ndctes the nowness of ones Moment nd the smlness of hs nowlede he one who hs no Moment s depved of t ony fo the duton of hs dsese, fo s on s he s ued by hs nm ntue Fo t s not possbe fo the doo of the nvsbe wold nd ts secets to be opened whle the het cves fo them s fo the doo of contempltve nowede of God, t does not open so on s the het nces towd nythn n the wod, vsble o nvsbe nd now concenn these mttes entusted to us by odthe dutes of Sced w: If  peson sees them nd ces them out, wth no ntenton (himma) of ny undetn ove nd bove them, except hope fo dsehe s the woshppe, compnon of wte nd the pye nche On te othe hnd, f someones ntenton s connected to wht s beyond woshp wthout pepton fo t, nothn w be eveed to hm nd hs ntenton wl not poft On the conty, such  peson esembes one who s dsesed Hs stenths nd cpctes e competely nufed, nd wth hm the wl, hmma nd bty to ct become seousy dmed How cn he possby ech wht he sees wth hs himma Conseuenty pepton to pefecton wth hmma nd moe, s eued. nd f he eches the essence of ety nd hs ntenton s dssovednd the ttnment of wht s beyond ths hs no

63

JEY  HE   WE imi i sys  is o pop o  us d t oy fo  s of  soism ic occus   isig of  is o oug  odg ic iss i compio  us o fc  is yod c ppc  u yod ppcs o  App , oug H is o i ssc, is ifii i spcs y  His cs i US43 Ad si  o is isy coiuy fo, d dsi d  c o Him coiuy fo. Ad fo  i of is   os o, d fo  i of is   cods cod Ad my  ssigs of od  upo ou Ms Mummd d upo is fmiy d compios d pc Ad pis  o od, od of  Wods



Allah th One who xtence  ndle

NOES FROM THE COMMENTARY OF 'ABDUL-KARIM JIl

NOTES

I  " sttion less thn the sttion of retu.  Bcas absorptio itihk) is a n ' i which o dos ot xpric th

mltipicit of th maifstatios of th ssc or th vari of its dscts io th Prsc of h Nams This sta of xpric of mltiplici is o of th characristics of bq aftr n ' ad is h cas of maifsatio th blovd kowldg for th sak of which H cratd th world  knowledge o the mtrices o rems.   ovrviw ot i

dail Th Ralms ar ot drivabl ti o kow whr o com from ad whr o a ad whr o ar goig Th o will kow i gral what ach o of thm rirs b is ow ssc or throgh rfrc o aothr Ralm or both I this wa o will b prpard to bhav appropriatl accordig o th Ralm o ar crrtl i d accordig to th Ralm to which o wil b trasportd b or bhavior hr Ad  wil mak clar what ths Ralms impy in thi plce that is i th Ram which o ar i ow ot wha 69

OURNEY O HE LOR OF POWER they are abstely heir abslte natre y wil encnter nly when y are transprted t them, s it is prtess t discss it he seeker mst ndertake what is mst imprtant he mst respect each Realm by ivin it its prper de Fr when a seeker is tranprted frm a Ream, if what he was reired t attain there has ecaped him, he wi never accmpish it his eads t his eternal faire crdin t the hadith ne f the beaties f Islam is a mans eavin what des nt cncern him" and ime is a cttin swrd; if y d nt ct it, it cts y" nd as it is said he Sfi is the sn f his mment; and he present des nt retrn nd knw that the wrd vanishes int nnexistence in every mment by the verwhemin victry f the Unity (ahadiyya) ver the mltiplcity nd its like is prdced at every mment by the athrity f essential ve r the wrlds existence is the instant f its nnexistence. hs the Manifest impses manifestatin p the first hiddenness, and the wrd is prdced Next the Hidden impses hidden ness pn the first manifestatin, and the wrd vanishes hen the athrity rets t the Manifestand s frth, ad infinitm his is what is termed renewed creatin" (khalq adid) he imainary prnatin which seems t rest frm this flwin f simiitdes is ime; and mtin is its measre Everythin that is ther than Gd is tempra nd if it is impssibe that the rea dratin f an event exceed an instant, then evey happenin is  the sn f its mment  and nt ther than it he event is necessary t its mment, and the 70

NOTS mome i ecea o i eve Rahe, he mome eeall deemie  eve, which cao be epaaed o of i Th he mome i he eve loc, o ealm ( waan) The mome ae ifiie heefoe he ealm ae alo ifiie Ad kow ha he eewal of imilide which i imagied a Time poceed o ha a hig vaihe ad i like follow Whie become oexie, ad Whe i podced f i wee o vaih ad i oppoie follow iif Whie i made o vaih ad Black i podcedha wold ae he ae of hg Ad if he loci of he imilide ae hei mome, he loci of he mome wold be he fom fom which he imilde ae eewed The Uiveal Realm,  elaio o he oali of he ealm, eembe he maix compoed of hee fom ad fo hi eao he hakh aid he eam i a em f he susaa fhe mmen n whch hn cme  e an expeience acuaJy ccu;  ha i o a b poceedig fom oexiece o exiece b eewed ceaio. Thi ba m i whee he happeig i while i happe. So dead, fo   a delicae poi I  neceay   de afe o owledge of he Realm, "ha yu knw wha he Tuh wan fm yu in any eam i which o ae pee  ha yu haen  i  ad podce i  he be fahio whu hean ha i wiho egageme i a mae ha hide o fom i fo ha lead o o decio an wihu eiance which 

JOURNY TO T OR O OWR u find in urelf wing t the difficult f what Gd ak f ufr that lead t ur lazine and failure t prduce it immediatel . Th Rlms abut which we have prmied t infrm

u lthouh may frm the pnt f view f ther particularit and their enumeratin' urpaing human capacit,  al divd cmprehenivel om ix  ThJist Ralm i the Realm f Am I not ou Lod? Thi i the Realm where u were befre ur phical exitence in the frm f an atm amng a crwd f pirit And u knew what Gd wihed f u in thi Realm when e caued u t knw that e hd deignated ur ingularit ut f heer generit and kindne. S u hatened t accmplih [what wa deired f u there] immediatel withut heitating becaue e willed it and demanded it directl The authrit f i Will i irreitible epeciall when demand i imultaneu with it thrugh remval f intermediarie hat which he aked f u in that Realm wa affirmatin f i Lrdhip. e aid (ma e be exalted ) And when ur rd tk the n f Adam frm their manifetatin a atm and called them t witne againt themelve Am I nt ur Lrd?' The anwered e Kran 7 172]. And here i a ubtle ecret knwn b ne wh i familiar with the realit f dut and repnibilit Then when u decended frm the pinnace f the wrld 72

NOTS o spirits to the depths o the word o bodies ou orgot that Ream and what happened to ou n t And i ou turn to God searching ou wi remember God wiing [our airma tion o his ordship ] And ou wi sa in that event what the Sea o the Saints o Muhammad [Shakh bn  Arabi ma God be peased with hm sad in verse  bore witness to ou as King beore our existence Through what the ee saw n a handu o atoms A particuar witness whose being  now understand At the time o testmon there was no deception The road  took was pain and jou taken  was not a prisoner in the grip o coninement The shakh has reerred to the separation rom this Ream b his comment  pysc exsee s emved us fm s em  Te wd e e  n  The second Ream] according to the shakh runs rom the concave surace o the Sphere o Heaven Mansions to the surace o the earth. The nterva lk; the third Ream) s the barrer between this word and the next The shakh (ma God be peased with him) said Know that interva is an expression or something which separates two other things ike the dividing ine between sun and shade and as He sadma He be 

ORNEY O HE OR OF OWER eltedcncernn te mture f te tw ses Between tem s  brrer(baah wc tey cnnt crss [Krn 55:20 e menn f tey cnnt crss" s tt tey cnnt m wt ne nter becuse f ts prttn wc dvdes tem e sense f st des nt dscern t Wen suddenly t s perceved te brrer des nt est nd wen te brrer s between te knwn nd te unknwn te nnestent nd te estent te neted nd te ffrmed  nd te rtnl nd te rrtnl t s clled ntervlnd [ts ntervl s te mntn r f yu perceve tnd yu re rtnlyu knw tt yur vsn s encuntered n estent tn wle yu knw uneuvclly tt t s nt  tn cmpletely nd fundmentlly nd wt  ts wse tnness" s ffrmed nd dened smultneusly? e mntn s nt estent r nnestent nt knwn r unknwn nt neted nd nt frmed nd te umn ben trvels t ts relty n s sleep nd fter s det nd e sees descrptve ultes s estn embded frms nd tere s n dubt f tt nd te ntutve persn sees n s wkn stte wt te sleeper sees n te stte f sleep nd te decesed sees fter det Thfoh Ral  h Ron nd t s te tern f men on h aann ah [see Krn  4. It s te 4

NOES suface f the eath and s caed awakenn" because n t ae the wakefuness and seep he shaykh sad: Knw  bthe when the pepe stand n the aves and Gd Mst Hh ws that the eath becme the than the eath that the eath w stetch by the pemssn f Gd and a bde w be made ve the dakness he whe ceatn w be upn t hen Gd w tansfm the eath as He ws hw He ws nt anthe eath caed awake" and t s an eath n the knwede f Gd Nthn seeps upn t Gd Gus and Exated w stetch t ke a skn n the expansn f t that He ws He w stenthen the weakness f what t was by stetchn t ut fm twenty-ne pats t nnetynne: He w stetch t ke a skn Yu w nt see n t ckedness  devatn.

nd he retu to he oriinJ condiion  hs na cndtn" (hr) by ts etymca ns means the way n whch a man came. It s sad s-and-s etuned n hs na cndtn" when he etuned as he came. nd the meann f the sayn  am f thse wh etun n the na cndtn" s that we etun vn afte death. The h Relm i the Grden  and t s betwee the cncavty f the staess sphee and the cnvexty f the Sphee f Heaveny Mansns and "the Fire  whch s fm the cncavty f the Sphee f Heaveny Mansns t the 75

URNY T T R F WR ente o the eath Fo the seven heavens and the eements wi hange thei om, ate the division and dgment into e "he xh Ream  he San Dune [See Koan 73 \4] t is a hi o white ms whee the eates ae at the time o the vision o God Goios and xated It is oe he aren bease it is in the Gaden o den whih is the stonghod and itade otside the othe Gadens The majoit o peope wi not ente the esene and Qaities o the King exept b vite o visiting this pae "In each of hee six Reams to whih we have aded "are pace whch are Ream whn Ream an he reaaon ofhem n her mupcy  no whn human power In our uaon we nee on an expanaon  he Ream ofh wor whch  he pace  repony ra that is testing an wor  whih

neessitate [ivine] bessing in the Reams whih oow Fo thee is no Ream among the Reams whih is the site o obigation [speiia the obigation to hoose God's sevie, (a] exept this one. This at points to the seet o [the saing] The moment does not extend its ewad And i o wee to sa that the moa esponsibiit o hiden and madmen wi etain aive in the Ream o the Resetion and that o pesent wod is the oot o the emainde o Reams, so that the Reams o the nteva, the Resetion, the Gaden and Fie and the and ne ae degees beonging to the maniestation o this wod Ream, o might onseent hod that a these Reams depend 7

NOTS pcificall on obligation U nd pcificall ndtan tandd tha th a thi i not h ca. Fo if o conid it o will find tha obligation i a [contitting] alit of th Ralm of th pnt wold. owv owv  if it appa appa in th Rcion Rcion it do not appa appa th bca i i nial that it do o. Th Rcin nlik th Ralm of th pnt wold do not fndamntall fndamntall i obligat obligation. ion. t i i  ckoning and appotionmnt nothing l. Similal if [th pnt wold] i obligation b i ntial c it migh alo i appotionmnt hogh omthing oth han i nial tct jt a th Rcion aci obligaion thogh omthing oth than i nc And th hakh do not alld all d [ fth] to h matic of Ralm bt tat ha w hav no nd to dcib an of thm h xcpt fo th Ralm of th pn wold. 4 ao aopo po    e ea ea y y mea meas s of oeao  om om e t n of pha. Th hakh aid that ods   Thi i a tchnical tn oblitation (maq) i o appaing in xinc in th

wold thogh im in vicgnc and dpthip fom im o that th dominion of h wold blong to o And  obliatio obliationn of o f oblitation oblitation (maq amaq) i o appaing appaing in i vil v il In oblitation  oblitation of oblitation o o vil i im m o popl ncont o a a cation withot igh [ of l l]. ]. o o th cannot know hat God nt o a a vil bfo thm il th n thi  to im Th obliation of oblitation tan tand d in i n conta conta to  oblitatio oblitationn   it i no an an 77

ORNEY O HE OR OF OWER exerted develpment f blitertin Rther it i like  the nnexitence f nnexitence ndeed the ervnt t hi deprture frm the preence f Gd t the Cretin i endwed with the men f ctin   ruler mn the peple Of thi they re nt cnci lthuh they my hve herd f me f thee ruler  Meener the pece nd blein f Gd be upn them) whm Gd nce ent  hi vice-reent n erth in rder t imprt Hi judment. Gd h cnceled thi cpcity in the inheritr f the prphet], wh wh re nnethele vicereet even when there i n wrene f them And knw tht mn the the peple f Gd blitertin f blitertin i cm blitertin cmple pleted ted in thi wrld, nd  blitert blitertin in i cmpleted in the next And nly the mt elect f the peple f Gd ucceed with the blitertin f blitertin it i fr the illuminted il luminted intellect intellect  he elect ucceed with blitertin it i fr the illuminted ul My Gd mke u prt f the blitertin f Hi blitertin nd my Hi riht be ttributed t Him lne m ater amn u are crnfu f thi  We re t 5 the mater dvctin cntempltin ndfana ndfana nd brptin i the Rel by blitertin in thi wrld Indeed the mater amn u u  cf fu f f th thi i  e cmpnie f int"ar int "aree c ert rtini inin n t thi i Hi yin my He be exlted:  he Meih by n men didi di dine nedd th thtt he i  er ervn vntt f G Gd d K  K r rnn    72 72 . ecae it i a wate f time time which we uht nt t pend excet in 7

OTS rul obrvaion and h acquiiion o h divin cinc o pi; and bcau i man "a oss o[e [e}} rank ra nk in viion and obliaion in h nx world or h viion o God in h nx world corrpon corrpond d o h maur mau r o h knowldg k nowldg o God acquird acqui rd hr hr  Thror Thror hi world i or h acquiiion o knowldg wih or Th nx i h abod o a and conmplaion n h im ou pnd in conmplaion in hi world ou lo a knowldg which had ou acquird i would ha incrad our conmplaion conm plaion in i n h nx. Thu conmplaion conmplaion in hi world, which bring abou ab ou our lack o acquiiion o hi knwldg knwldg i a los o conmplaiv rank o ou in h nx world or conmplaion corrpond o h maur o knowldg You conmplad im in hs world onl ar knowing im o om xn om xn,, and o ouu bhld on h h  or orm m o our knwldg. Tha knowdg which ormd h bai o our compla ion wa acquird in h purui o a grar knowlg ad ou aaind h grar knowldg our conplaion would hav corrpondingl dpnd.  conplaion cap ou in hi world on accoun o h purui o knowldg i will no cap ou in h nx; bu i knowldg knowldg ap ou in h world on accoun o conmplai conmplaio oor or i i a ana  wih which hr i no conciouncompla ion will cap ou in h nx Thi T hi i lo o viionar viionar rank A or is lo in rgard o obliraion Know ha maniaion o dpuhip and vicrgnc i no uiabl xcp in i n h nx world wo rld whr hr i nihr obligaio obligaionn nor 9

JOURNEY TO THE LOR O POWER perificaio of caegories of beig I he ex world [duplicaig e Koraic descripio of he creaive acio of God], m sa says ys o a hig  Be Be a add i is. Thus i was repored ha God seds o e people of he Garde Garde a message message wih e follow fol lowig ig co coe es s (ad God God ows ows be bes s))  A leer from e Life Everlasig o he Life Everlasig  say o a hig Be ad i is ad I ave made you o say o a hig Be, ad i is  ad ey do o say o a hig  Be" excep ha i is·. is·. Tis is he essece of e maifesaio of vice-regecy ad e world is o suiable for ha or his world is e hose hose of wor ad resposibil resposi biliy iy ad e degree degree o whic vic vicee-reg regecy ecy appears ere is e degree o which i is los i he ex world As God God Mos Mos Hig Hig a ass sa said id  Y ou used up your blessig blessigss i he life of his world [Kora 4620 However, Howe ver, his is he case ca se oly whe e maifesa maifesaio io of he he vice  rege regecy cy i his word is o from e Divie rder W e i is from he ivie rderas i was for e Messegers hey do o scor i for wha i coais of wa "ssocites the  elm  which is is world "with tht whih is usuitle to it : e maifesaio of vicerge vic ergecy cy ad he he abadome of he acquisiio of owledge khlw lw  he shay said: Kowad may God Mos 6. kh Hig gra us successha e roo of khlw is i e  e Sacred Law  Woever remembers Law remembers Me M e i imself I rem rememb ember er hm i Myself ad woever remembers remembers Me i assembly, I remember qudsi si]]   e roo of im i a assembly beer a is [hdth qud

80

OTES khala is alkhala  he void i which he wold exised [beore

is creaio]  I s ee fd e nshnB  so ha he cosiui wil o become imbalaced wih a predomiace o dryes  ded f anmal fa  because aimal a sreghes aimaiy ad is priciples wil domiae he spiriua pricipes 8 If hee shd e an nene hh ales he nsn  ie he pais which used o seize he Messeger o od om he adve o abrie upo him ad [he Koas] desce upo his pure hear. This sae was expressive o [abriel] presece Because [agelic aure] is o compaible wih [mas aue], i used o be very diicul or he ophe; hs cosiuio was sraied ad his brow woud perspire 9   l n ndeB an alean n fm   he iu were o origiae a he leve o absrac esseces ad arrive upo you a he level o he word o images he you woul suer o aleaio i orm hrough is iuece i you 10. nl d dves he demn enesfm  [ hea  or od is he compaio o he oe who meios Him, a he devi is disa rom od Mos High so od ad he devi are ever oud i he same compay 81

ORNEY O THE OR OF POWER I  . " you are oered omethng to drnk n s unvlng choose water,  fo  s  fom of bsolu knowldg  there s no water among the oerngs, choose mlk   smbol of pu ognl lgon s  Mssng pc nd blssngs b upon m dd wn  scndd o Hvn nd ws psnd w  sml coc Fo mlk s  fom of knowldg of  scd Ws A nd both them are presented to you combne the water and the mlk bcus  s  fom of  lonsp bwn  mnd of knowldgs nd  odnd scd lgl knowldg  s  lon of c on of m o  nd s lon o c of m Ths also apples to honey: Drnk t  fo  s  fom of  pmssbl plosopcl knowldg nd  sncfd ssms ld down b plosops nd dvd psoods fo  pupos of plsng God Be carul  drnkng wne  unmxd You wll  ld s b fo  s  fom of  knowldg of ss uness t s mxed wth ranwater  wc s  fom of knowldg gnd b God b wc ou wll b gl gudd T ss wn dvod of dvnl gnd knowldgs wc conn no o msld os  pk of m Even  t s med wth the water ofrvers and sprngs  wc s  fom of nul knowldg rranfrom drnkng t bcus  lds o s nd poss nd  coupon of opnons nd f  w mxd w wllw wc s  fom of nllcul knowldg  s  sm Fo· wn  ss  muddld b oug o ncss nd cocnss dmnss nk  w of vs nd spngs

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NOES unmxd, and al whn mxd wth anwat  mlk but d nt dnk t whn mxd wth wllwat  hny nd d nt dnk wllwat unl t  mxd wth anwat  mlk  2 . hi aent i the aent oj dioution bcau matal n dlv n t, a th haykh ha ndcatd nd th dntatn  nly n latn t th cncun f th k a th aanmnt wa nly by latn t h cncun Yu ctanly wll knw th alty f that h dlutn  nly f "the order amn th lmnt n th xt wld    Yu knw that "the tate oj ontration qabd) i aompany you n yu dcvy and xamnatn f all f thee ord bcau yu a n th acnt f dlutn n whch yu nc vanh; and that qu cnactn wthut a dubt 3 "the iuion oj the ord oe ore     lk th lf that appad thuh th hand f u upn whm b ac, n th lvn catu that w vd bcau f h a f ntanc th human dad whm h ad and th bd f clay whch h buht t lf h fct th lf-fc had n vy dad catu whch h buht t lf by t cpndd t th pxtnt tuctu f that bn F ntanc, f th nc w th nc f a bd, a bd ca t lf, and f  th nc w th nc f a man, a man cam t lf, th lf-fc ann a nl alty [ndpndnt f t bd

83

JUR  H R F WR h man, and any h d m] s cs d n accdanc wh h as  pxsn sucu xpsd   And how the expessons offah ae nluded n ths nfuson 

as,  nsanc, Hs sayn may H b xad whn yu shapd m cay h lknss  a bd by y pmss, and bw upn  and  was a bd, by y pmssn, and yu hald hm wh was bn bnd and h lp by y pmssn, and whn yu asd h dad by y pmssn [Kan 5: 1 1 0, and H sayn  bah n  and  bcms a bd, by Alahs a,  ha hm bn bnd and h lp and I as h dad, by Allas la [Kan 9. 1. "suae sgns.   d n knw h mann  h  suac sns (aJJawa h aJJawhyya) bu w ha knwld  h

sns  sa    Knw ha h shaykh, may Gd b pasd wh hm, sad  h sns (Jawah)  h p  Gd, mans h lan m sa  sa ha bns  appa  h nn snsy  us,  mans h ssna lhsh ans cndn y sn m h pspc  aman ah han  nanand h hs  h n ams whch appa a h cnmpan  h cs All hs bcms sb  h y unscd by d  S yu wll dsnush hs lhs As  h lan m sa  sa,  s ha n ds n un  a sa a han l   smhn hh 

OTES Te bect [f a state] is te diine infuences and nwledges f Gd wic it bings [Te sates temseles] ae stages, nt gifts f special gace. Tey may etun epeatedly but te ne expeiencing tem des nt ffe paise f tem except wen tey incease is nwledge f Gd [wic is n necessaily te case]

IS he Bh j he asendan sars   e say said  Te ascendant stas (aal') is a tecnical expessin used t mean te ligts f te declaatin f unity (ahd) aising in te eats f e gnstics wic extinguis te est f te ligts meaning te ligts f speculatie pfs nt tse f ppetic eelaty pfs. And tey extinguis as well te ligts f intuitin. Tis is te ahd desied by Gd fm His wsippe. Te pat f speculatie tugt in it is nly te declaatin f unity f degee His existence as te bect f wsip paticulaly s tat tee i nting tat can be wsipped te tan He Cncening tis e says te eidence is clea. 1 he rm j he nversal rder  is is an expessin f te appeaance f Gd in te fm f Ceatin And yu will nw tat te essential existence is cmpsed f haqq Tut, and khalq Ceatin but yu will nt attain tis until yu pass beynd te ligt f te ascendant stas. 1 7 . he deBrees j speulave senes cespnding t 85

ORNEY O HE OR OF POWER ctulity Yu wil knw which f them e highe nd which f them e lwe nd which shuld pecede nd which shuld flw nd He evels t yu the eity f "ound ntgal da stight nd fee fm e "and th fom ofpplng quton whh ou undtandng s tht the cnstitutins f thse wh cnside them becme unbnced "and th dn twn uppoton and knowldg nd thee e few mng the peple f knwledge wh knw this Mst bseves mke n diffeence between them in mst cses nd "th th of polt twn th wold ofpt and th phyal wold s Jesus ws bught t bith between My nd Gbiel pece be upn them nd the su between the spiit nd the bdy nd the cuse f this cnceptin 18. "th uon ofth Dvn Myty n th doman ofH lovng on  his is the unity f the Essence in the wld f the Nmes the unity f the Intelect in the wd f spiits nd the unity f the hne in the wd f bdies his unity is the essence f mecy he unity penettes int the peple f Gds cncen unti it pevdes thei essences thei ttibutes nd thei ctins s it pevdes the ivine Essence ntelect nd hne nd tht chcte ppes in the king nd the nt mng them With the pepe f misftune the ppsite ppies But if yu cn cimb with me nd fw me sy hee is n misftune F the ivine Mystey pevdes the entiety f the wd nd thee is n misftune  f wht Gd hs 86

E arrand i th dmain  i in nrn ba it i in th rap  th Ra What i in i rap i nar im and what i nar d i d and prrd mirtn i i and thr i n i in im  ndrtand!  ha apprahd by tp in th wrd a a  raiti and knwd  y attain th dpth  it and brin t it par thn y ar th mat  y mmnt And d may  b xatd i th id hr i n rd thr than im 19 "And hee s nohnB ha peans o a saon  t any tat r tatn priy mntind "whch H eveals o you  amn th han th mnt and th iin ratr "ha does no Bee you wh hono eveence and ealaon s deBee of he Dvne Pesence s ade clea o you and each one} loes you n s essence.  hi i a tt  d t  i  that  knw th ndn  yr nntratin n im and th inrity  yr arh r im and yr trnn away rm what i thr than    y bm namrd  th pri thin that  nd br y and tp with thm y wi b drin rm i dr and t And i y prr in i qt and tr away rm thr than im and arri in i y rn y trimph and ar itri and ain mmand by i rdr r a that had bn prad br y 20. he wold of bewdeen   mad it a wrd  "bewldeen and helplessness and nably ba th iht  7

JORNEY TO HE LORD O POWER e iepressibe beig-are o God (uwyya) ecompasses i ad o oe ca see i or perceive i rog e iesiy o is ig Ad gazig po e beig  are beqeas ie as cao be deied 2 1 . an u a k a amp i e boig o e breeze. Ko (may God ave mercy po yo) a is pace is a sage demadig e greaes corage rom seeers or i ey arrive i i ad is oeess maiess ise o em ad is ig ic e say as meioed rises po em ey sppose a ey ave arrived i e Presece o e iy (aaa) ad rimped i e esseia reveaio Tis occrs becase o e Divie biss ey id i is sage ad e ac a ay reaiy oer a eir o is abse rom i. So  Seeer o ese pas i yo arrive a is reveaio do o be bod by i ad do o desire i or is biss ad deig. 22. n e ae e n e een po efm Ofe n f am  Ad is is becase e e irs o s [Adam disobeyed God Mos Hig is orm aered. A vei rom e Name aaa e Veier desceded beee [Adam's aered orm] ad e res o e orms so a ey did o o a ad beae e ma or e aeraio  ic is rasgressio ad mared im. We e repeed is orm rered o a i ad bee. So e vei as ied rom Adam ad e res o e orms sa im i is origia sae is isses rom e mercy ad geerosiy o God     88

NOTES 2. a pal pa whh upo hag ou ogz. And it i Exalted i He Who reveal the beautiful and conceals the ugly. " 2. Ad ou do o op wh h,  that is, with the Throne of the Merciful "H al o ou    h F l which is the frst teacher, and the rst exitence of the world of record and inscription. It is the director and emanator of everything by permision and order of God Most High Hence it i h a of hg everything" meaning the Throne, the Soul of the Universe. For the ntellect tranmits to the Soul all that is received from God Most High. When the Throne i called a Tablet, the ntellect i the Pen alaa which writes upon it; when it i called a Soul, the ntellect i it Master. Thu the Intellect i its ah  You a  ag in the realitie of the world and the reality of it ate, and know h ag  ba     d w  o insofar as it is a en, for the sake of writing on the Tablet. For, when you write with a en, it i inverted And you witnes  po of the comprehensive knowledge [a in filling a pen with ink, and the paulazao of h oph [kowldg} in the Tablet o h agl alNuni" In regard to learning His language, they are like the governing and governed elements of a genitive construction. Know tha the shaykh wrote in his book Ula al-uwz The Spell of the Obedient Servant" that there is no mediator between the ntellect and the Creator, Glory to Him, 89

JORN TO TH ORD O POWR altoug t   a tat etwee Hm a t  a agel calle  Nu [le te letter nn  te Arevate Letter wc ope te evetet ura of te Kora, calle te Pe] wc compre te uveral owlege a  le a well, te Itellect le a pe a te oul le a talet T  ot correct Rater te teect  regar to te compreeve e of owlege  t eece  calle Nn a actvatg te etal of t owlege y wrtg tem o te Taet  calle te Pe 2 nd  d n p h h  tat , wt te Mater of evrytg wc  te Hget Pe e eve he ve of t Pe t  he Bh hnd f he h  meag H attrute of eauty, for tey are wat  reure for te extece of te wor. T  wy tey actate te Pe o uerta f Go wll, you all e rgtly gue A f you o ot top wt t He reveal to you te rapture Agel create from te ou A f you o ot top wt tem, He reveal to you te lou  wc our Lor ete efore He create te worl* a te Wor te meage of te ulme to u opee u to H realty. Te ay, may Go Mot Hg e pleae wt m a: Te lou  te eat of te ae te Lor / "The Pophet was asked:  W here was you Lod befoe he ceaion o he wod? He eped: In a coud. hee was o space ehe above o below  Trans

90

OTES Rabb a th hro i th at of th am th Mrifu aRahan_ h Cloud i th firt of thig. Withi it appard th oditio of pa ad dgr i Him Who do ot tr ito pa or dgr rom it maiftd th utrata [of al poi xit], o that it ri th atrat  of modimt aaan aanya of th ory ad imagial world. t i a xatd xitt who atrat  i th Truth; it i th truth y whih rythig i ratd, ad ot othr tha God Mot High. t i th tity i whih th our-form of all ig ar fixd ad aid. t ri th rality of poiiliti ad th oditio of pa ad th ra of dgr, ad th am th Sit. Ad from th arth to thi Cloud thr ar o am of God Mot High xpt am of atio.  th whol word, itigi ad pria, tw th two xtrm, thr i o tra of aythig othr tha thi i xit Ad ow that if you do ot top with th Cloud, H ral to you th Brath of th Mriful anafa aahan t i th our of th Cloud. Ad if you do ot top with thi, H ral to you th id of th am of Trad. h am of atio dpart. You wil ar th owdg of gatio, ad  hoord ao th who of th world. Ad you wi ow th dgr ary to you. 91

JOURNY O H LORD OF OWR 26. And  y d n p wh hi you a asd o h ssna onnss and eadaed h. h shayh sad adcaon ahw o h c may God b pasd wh hm s adcaon of habua chaacscs and h moa of dfc and of wha h Ra s and ngas. Hmay H b xadsad  G od ad cas and sabshs wha H ws" [Koan  : 9 Consquny H sabshd adcaon. Among h gass hs s xpssd as abogaon." I s a dn abogaon. God Mos Hgh ass whom H chooss and adcas hm af h has had a dmnaon n pos xsnc and bng. hs boh n hngs and n h pncps mans h mnaon of h na  aod o h xsnc and cossg h bounday whch cnus o an appond m" [Koan 6:2. Fo H sad yhng connus o an appond m and s sabshd un a dsgnad momn" [Koan 20  29 hn H mnas s dmnaon no s ssna fom(ayn fo H sad  connung o an appond ie and h ssna foms do no xs n m. And whn h appond m as hs connuaon (o fow" cass bu hs ogna fom mans 27 hen wihdawn  h hayh sad

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NOTS Abece hyb) o he people, i he he bece fom kowledge of wh pe i he wold, hough i beig occupied wih wh impee i Whe i i meel hi i i ol bece fom  divie mife io.  i o coec h bece be hough ome ceed hig h move oe [he i hould be becue oe i [ul occupied, be fom he codiio of he wold Ad b hi he Goup [of he people of Tuh i diiguihed fom ohe, becue bece [pe e ei viull i ll goup he bece of hi p i wih uh, fom ceio o i elio o hem [bece i oble d piewoh. Ad he people of God Mo High hve degee of bece, lhough he e ll bece i uh. he bece of he goic i bece wih uh fom uh he bece of he e of he people of God Mo High i bece wih uh fom Ceio. The bece of he gee of he kowe of God i  bece wih Ceio fom Ceio becue he hve elized h hee i o exiece ecep God, Who hpe he poible deemiio of he uchgig oigil fm. 28 "hen ruhed  Thi i  epeio fo he dippece

of he ucue of ou eli hough he domiig powe of he dicloue of he eil Oee.

9

OUREY TO THE LORD OF OWER 2.   d  The haykh, may God be pleaed h hm, ad Afmao o fxy; h]  he pedeed ode of he hole old. So hoeve eek he epeal of he habual ode cealy volae d he ule of gh coduc, ad  goa Wha ome people call he dupo of hab  elf a hab ce he coa dupo of hab  a hab. So cuom  o obleaed excep   affmao Bu fo h o b he cae] he oe ho udeake h afmao mu be coeced o he Real ad  mu be fo he ake of h coeco ha he eablhe he cuomay pcple. Fo h Fed ha lad hem do, ou of fedhp ad accod Ho ca oe be H fed ad coeced o Hm hle decdg aga Hm  he elmao of ha Wdom ha ee f o affm? Epecally ce he paake  h ao cealy ko ha God  a We ad Kog Oe  ha He eablhe ad caue o be. So he ll affm ha h Fed affm. f he doe o do h, ad ead eek he obleao of ha God ha affmed], he  a dpue. Whoe�e dpue h you  o you fed, ad you ae o h fed Sch a oe  cloe o agece. Bu he fed of ama  pepeually  coeco h he Tuh, o ha he affm he cuomay pcple ad ee Hm  9

OE them. One i not irmy etabihe in thi rienhip] i he ek  een the momentary repea o aw an not their obiteration. 0 Whie the attainer i he at at his destinatin  where hi eeking ene, he is aed ne wh stps ' (a- waqi the eize, the onume an to him i attribute ha o peretion, going with no oming," as n as he des nt etu  When he return, the peretion o peretion i attribute to him. Thse wh stp mean thoe who attain the etination o the roa aigne by their preipoition or there are no en eept in reation to beginning. The eitene o an aboute inaity i unimaginabe otherwie the reaitie wou be oerthrown The nes wh ae absbed in that statin  whih i the en o their roa, as f instane bu-'qa a-Maghribi, among the great Attainer, and thes ike Abu-azi Bitami, who, when he arrie among the eeker o the reene, wa honore with the robe o ieregeny an eputyhip an wa to, Go out to My reation in My orm, an whoeer e you, ee Me     " n it meaning in that tation in whih they are aborbe, G�d takes thm and in it they are esueted beaue a peron ie a he ie, an i reurrete a he ie.  1 . hey ae adepts fstates in mpaisn t the mastes amn us  who are aept o tation. 95

OURNEY TO THE ORD OF OWER 32  'ubudyy Know tht ubudyy evitde, i the eentil chcteitic o the evnt t i the eence o povety, ening poibility Ubudyy i ndivided ttention to the contepltion pope to  evnt it contino obevnce in evey tte, ttion, eveltion, dicloe, contepltion nd tge And evice i wht poceed in ccodnce with the eieent o evnthood F in o  contepltion [o [o the ubudyy en the nonexitence o poition o lodhip, nd el onenttion pon whteve pect [o the Rel peent itel 3 3  h m ub ubl lm m  h hm mbece it encope [ll] the doo    nd on [the people] to the totlity o Ne  Th    d  l  h md dd dd pp ppl lj j h dcu  h h   h h h dcu  h pph pph  The

int ddee whoeve i behind nd following hi The pophet ddee d dee whoeve i be beoe oe hi hi  thogh fnden fnden tl thoity, t hoity, not thogh thogh thei followi ollowing. ng. And the int pek pek o o  behind the veil of hi pophet while the pophet pek withot  veiltht i, withot the edition of nothe pophet followe,, ino ino   3 S  h h   h h c h u bece the followe he i  followe neve neve ttin the ttion o th thee on onee he ollow ollow t ll And he i not  int except inof  he i  followe, o hi inthood i the eence of hi following



NOTES 6 "h "hee asen asen of  h e pophes i s by by hef hefndaen ndaena a iiBh Bh  tha hatt s the dvey eveaed owedge udaeta because t pous foth to the fo the og, ot subsequetly ad they ae ot pophets except though the sg by ths lght " Whi Whie e he asen of he sains is hoBh hoBh wha is poideni poidenia a Baned to a pedsposto fo sathood "by ha iB iBh h  whch fas upo whoeve stads  t A level of sathood possesses the fudaeta lght oly  the extet appotoed to ts ogal fo The pedsposto fo sathood s oth ot hgg ese e se The capacty of the sats accues though hua effot So the sat asceds a sceds oly o ly o the stegth of that fudaeta fudaeta gh ghtt whch befals h  popoto to what he has eaed Ths sg s g s by the ght, g ht, because the ascet of the Tut Tuthh s da to the eyes of the gostcs Ths lght s the eveaed owedge wth whch He elghtes the It s gve to the pophets wthout pepaato O accou accoutt of ths pophethood cao caott be eaed Ths s a tue sayg ad the opo of the shayh Ad t s gve to the sats oly by eas of the eaed capacty though wo whch they have eceved fo the pophets The wos of the d have o pat  ths pepaato fo sathood s eaed though the wos of Saced Law, ot those of thg 7. "KnoV ha Mhaad though [as stated  the faous hadth hs beg a pophet whle Ada was betwee wate ad cay, "is he who Bae a he pophes and essenBes the 97

JOURNEY TO THE LORD  POWER sa ans ns   sees sre Ws  s  st sttes tes n h d f p ps s  beuse he s the guri of th thee  v ve e seets or hs sprt s the rst Iteet tre tresurer surer of of the  Dv Dvee  ppee of the wor pp wor of reor reor  srpto srpto  the ret of the frst etermto whh s the org of  eterm tos o org to the Nme the He" b hs ret  sprt spr t he s gver of  tht s gve Aorg to the the Nme the Mfest  who gve gfts re hs eputes  foowers The reeve from hm    th thee Nme of the He  tte to the wor  the the Nme of the Mfest A thus a  n n n h d d  the ther rue  ot ese n h a phs bo to th  thee b  the re" res  res tht s  of m.

38     h pph h nssd hm t the tme of hs ppere  the bo e Khr pee be upo hm who org to the shh s oe of the prophets  who met wth reeve from  foowe the Messeger  the mter wor Ths expresso oes ot refer to thg whh sre trto otrts e oe s ot to uerst uerst  t s sput sp utgg the gt of Mu Muhmm hmm s the st of the prophets beuse tht s ot orret ether b trsmtte tehg or b tuto  h dcnd from heve a af f hm  tht s fter Muhmm. hs s Jesus pee be upo hm who w ese t the e of tme tme rue ru e b b our Lw  swe sw e bre rosses   me to the ommut of Muhmm pe 98

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NOTS ad blessigs be upo him. He is he Seal of he Geeal Saihood. 9. event beyond the odinay wil accompany him odinai.  [He will possess] full osiousess i elaio o all saes as hey ome io exisee. his is eessay fo he auae balae of he sales [Koa :9 ad he oexisee of sho weigh ad measue. "e wil ay nceanB wth evey beath     of he beahs he Meiful whose obje is eewed eaio o by aohe eadg, wih eey huma beahad his is he moe obious iepeaio. while the heaven phee t by i beath  he shaykh said he you will kow he Su sayig ha he heaely sphee eoles hough he beahs of he wold, meaig he wold ha is beahed. ha is, he ause of is eoluio is he exisee of he beahs; wih is eoluio, God eews he beahs. 0 The Moment waqt is a expessio fo you sae i ime. he sae does o aah iself o he pas o he fuue.  is a exise bwee wo oexises. Ad if you Mome is he wellspig of you sae, you ae he so of you Mome ad you Mome deemies wha you ae beause i is exise ad you ae oexise you ae illusoy ad i is affimed. f you Mome is obediee, ad he oemplaio pope o seiude i eey sae he you ae oe of he 99

JOUREY O E LOR O OWER endurng And f t s the ppste f that, then yu are ne f the ephemera n the frst ase yur ment s seness, and n the send ase t s dstane n any ase, the ment w nevtaby gve yu ts eperene f yur ment s seness, yur experene s frm the resene f seness; and f yur mment s dstane, yur eperene s frm the resene f dstane And whever murns ver the past and fs the present mment wth the past, he s ne f thse made dstant.  he ets sp y what the urrent state demands, engrssed n what w nt return hs s the essene f nnestene And whever upes hmsef wth the future s n the same state 4   hi h har rasom hm  beause ravng(shaha) as the shaykh sad, s a mted natura desre Cnseuenty ravng des nt attah tsef t any jet eept y the nnatn f a natura drve f smene dsvers n hmsef an nnatn t smethng wthut the nvvement f a natura drveas fr nstane hs nnatn t abstrat meanngs and hgh sprtua essenes and perfetn and the vsn and knwedge f dthen he need nt wthdraw frm ths nnatn But f he s nned t these thngs thrugh the peasure f deeptve magnngs, then that same nnatn] s the attahment f ravng t s attratn] n aunt f the frm  the magnatn, when t has made rprea that whh has n frmand ths stems frm the atn f naturesmpy stps

100

NOTES    The Shakh aid Will i a divie pirital atra attribte   , . f iliatio oet to the immateral withot imagiatio    It i a iliatio of will ot of

atra deire or ravig ha o etr to etitie idepedet of matter bt wil ha oetio to ever objet of the o ad itelet whether that objet be attrative to the appetite or ot Cravig ha o oetio exept o the o obtaiig a partilar pleare 4 himma and moe Hextera worhip whih i the perfetio of hi exterior 4. And  the eeker i adored with the preparatio we have deribed ad he eahe the eene ojrealt ad that i the eee of reaizatio i form and h ntenton  that i to a, hi wil i the Will of Godhe kow that hi wil i a brah of the wi of God God Mot High ha aid Ad o do ot wil other tha what God wi  ora 760] f God had ot wied the eeker to reah Him he wold ot have doe o There are more paage oerig thi i the ora tha a be oted ad aog them i Hi aig He tred to them o that the wold tr to Him ora 9   8] ad  He ove them o the ove Him ora 554]. or reait i the egatio of the vetige of or attrbte b Hi attribte, ie He i the aget throgh o i o from o ad o are ot Ad there i o livig reatre exept that He eize it b the forelok 0

URE  HE R  PWER

  I 56 he disslui f hmma is he essece f he realizai f he huma beig i frm [ha is, i his rue esseial huma frm, because his aribues a ha ime are he essece f he aribues f Gd  udrsad d kw ha he jurey  Gd is limied, because i meas he crssig f he illusry disace [bewee ma ad Gd which is he essece f he wrld d as fr he jurey n Gd, ad ha is he kwledge f H m i His aribues, i s ifiie because His aribues (may He be exaled) are wihu ed herefre he aame  Gd has a ed, an the attanment of hat s eon ths has no mt  he e wh has arrived says i he vice f the attaner

he e  whm sme f he aspecs f Gd His ames, have arise t s not proper ha Gd exs wihi he limiai f his essece other than thus-ha wha he aaier has becme Fr [i ay her case i wuld limi Him ad He, Glry  Him, is ucdiied ad wihu budary r accrdig  aher udersadig f hs seece    is  ecessary ha wha has ccurred shuld have happeed as i didad his is mre bviusbu i happeed or the sake of the astonshment hh ours at the rasnB of the es " d al higs are he faces f Gd, which are His esseial frm d throuBh the knoeBe hh arses n ontempaton he turns tofae hat s eon eah appearane  ha is, ward wha is beyd

ha which had appeared i him crrespdig  his capaciy fr kwledge has a vasess which is  cmpaible wih ay arwess [ha is, ca be cfied wihi he limias 2

OE of the oe who sees it, but trasfors hi o whe He aifests to His serat i reeatio it reares the serat for et aother reeatio a this is so eess. o satiatio is uiagiabe i the erfet oer of the ea, a iitatio a eig are ioeiabe for the reeier of reeatio. Of this the shah sai  t is as if the exeriee of the e who is aware eters his heart through He Whose beig is ifiite iosig a fiiteess uo hi for the sae of the aifestatio thus ae ossbe i hi whih is beyond aearane For te Aarent ne toug e i one in eene i innite in aet Tey are i trae in u  His attributes are ot oete exet i us. o we gie Hi the attributes, a He gies us beig.  if the attaiet of what is beo this as o iit, it is beause eah oteatio resuts i brigig oe fae to fae with a oteatio sti ore exate  thus it is without e. ndfor te lke of t let te worker work andfor te like of ti let te ontender ontend    •  

0

GLOSSARY Abu-al al-MaBhb A u  he ae eeeh eur h ie i ea r ur ears ihu eaig r riig i a sae Bhaba (. s  he r. Abu-Yaz sta AuYazi aur i sa aBisami (  r  a grea ui amus r esas a msia raeig i reai. ras  a Zrasria he ase, H i u i ism he repie  huger a per  He meiae r hir ears a as e  hse h memrize he ra. Oe he  his s  see a e  sai  he ime He sa he ma spi i he irei  he aaa. He  his s a e immeiae saig  H u ae  a ma h es  e he aab  he rphe (peae a essigs e up him He sai ha he u  pu i rs he greaes iiu he ha euere  he spiriua pah, u he easies he rememere as ha e he his afs (..) reuse  mae praers he pushe i   riig aer r a ear. hah usa i 'sa reaes rm his aher ha Hazra Bisami sai u see 05

GLOSSARY a ma sttg crosslegge  te ar but you lear tat e oest totally follow te Sacre Law ot beleve  m." ada Etuette beavor  Sufsm te moe of rgt acto te sprtual courtesy of te Way ahada Te vsble Uty of Alla ow oly to Hmself a tose wo are ot oter ta He. am Kower;  ts geera use ay leare ma partcularly a teologa Here for b  Arab a master to wom Alla as assge te tas of teacg a guace folowg te Propetc trato  Te owers are te ertors of te propets a Gostc oe wo as become acuate wt te ve Beg Here for b Arab partculaly oe wo as o resposbty to te Creato but oly to te Creator asma aha Dve ames as metoe  Kora 208: Hs are te most beautful ames aama  ahna Te Dve ames are ve to ames of Essece epressg pure trasceece a ames of Attrbutes epressg ve ualtes a actos Sgular m ah an Eye but also te very self as for stace  te term an aaqn eye of certaty wc meas owlege see but also te very realty of owlege. aqa Te stalato of al te goo attrbutes  ma; eteral exstece. (See fan   aqa s te begg of traveg  Go. 06

GLOSSAR  neral any nermedae sae beeen o

derees of exsence, especally e orld of suble forms beeen e pyscal and supraformal orlds d emembern, menon; e recollecon of Alla rou e nocaon of Hs Names fn ' e oal dsappearance of e bad arbes from man, annlaon; as mpled n oran 6 ery n a s upon e ear anses e fac of your Lord remans n majesy and onor (See q '.  n' s e end of raeln o God usus m  Bezels of Wsdom,"  bn  Arabs scusson of e ropec Words, e uque arees of perfecon realzed n eac of e  maor propes uu yy  Meccan eelaons" so called because e anel of nspraon frs appeared o m n Mecca o announce s or, bn Arabs lars boo, conssn of 60 capers  s a collecon of eacns and obseraons on a as arey of subjecs y Absence; e sae of ben unonscous of e orld. Absence from e orld mples presece  omen else d Narraon accoun; repor of e acons and sayns of e rope (peace be upon m ransme rou rusory nermedares e rope sad eardn ad, e faful loos  e nu l of Alla  e beleers loo  an m nolede} and s ns spcaly en only o em" Nu n s case 0

LSSARY meas  ad bara A ado o he ohe o beomes hadh whe ewed wh  ad bara a g o Aah o he beee. hadth d Saed ao; a o-Koa De Wod eeaed hogh he ohe (eae be o hm hadra esee oe o he modes o ees o he e esee. hee ae e mao hadara: Hadra -Bhayb aq absoe omaesao e eed  he eea ed essees Hadra -Bhayb -da eae omaesao, e eed  he ese o ss Hadra -ha eae maesao eeed  he sbe oms hadra -hahada aqa absoe maesao, eeed  he hsa wod hadrat -aa he esee o he oa, eeed  he ee Ma hara Begg oga sae. ee Koa 9  : hey sa Sha we deed be eed o he oga sae (hara? ha h he Rea; he e Rea as dsgshed om Ceao (ee kha ha Resoo, deemao ado o  b  Aab he sa w, he oeaed owe o he heas eo. hyya om he oo ha e he eabe De dey od mse asedg abe o deso. 0

GLOSSARY

Ib awiya hamsuddi Muhammad i Au-Bakr al awiya (  25  56 a theoogia ad foower of  aymiyya fudametalist preacher ad writer b ush Au Walid Muhammad i Ahmad i Rushd (   26-  9 kow aso as Aerros the greates Ara phiosopher of Spai oted for his commetaries o Plato ad Aristotle ad his perceptie aalysis He was atacked as a heretic y cotemporay theologias ilm Kowledge sciece ilm is a light from the amp of prophecy i the heart of the serat through which he ds the path to God to the work of God ad to the oder of God. 1m is the special characteristic of the huma eig; it refers either to the uderstadig of the seses or to reaso teect is that which discrimiates etwee good ad eil he itelect which distiguishes the good ad ei of this word elogs to elieers ad ueieers aike he iteect which distiguishes the good ad eil of the ext word elogs oly to the elieers m is special to the elieers; im ad true itelect are ecessary to each other he kowlege of certaity ilm alaqi is to hear that fire exists he iio of ertaity ay al-yaqi is to see it yoursef But the eaiy of certaity haqq alyaqi is to be fire iihlak Asorptio for   Arai the state of eig cosumed or oerwhemed y the iie resece so that a cosciousess of multiicity ad the relatie word is destroyed 09

GSSR rma ere e arma  wa Gd as rdaed. (See mah) kha/a  Vd accrdg  Ib • rab e sae  e erse bere s crea ad e rg  e wrd kha/a (q..) khaq Crea e creaed wld as dereaed rm absle real. (See haqq.) kha/q adid Reewed crea. Frm Kra : ; e are llsed b a ew crea  Fr Ib  rab e sa bsa desrc ad re-crea  e wrld wc s e e maesa  lla kha/a Rerea e ac  al abadme  desre  e De resece. e e w derakes kha/a lke a dead ma srreders all wrld ad exerr relgs aars as e rs sep  srrederg s w exsece. I cmplee secls e csl repeas e ame  Gd.  ma was asked  e was a pres. He repled  am a garda  dgs seeg a e d' be peple w ma e le  peace ad secr I lcked p e dgs  m n ad am gardg em. /aaih ward appearace lks sgs  sae (ha)   cs s called /aaih r a s a slaed sae. e ccasall appearg sae  e lgeme  ces s /aa'ih  /aa'ih a pe sas " brg lgg wc par  eae are  llmag w? /aa ih /ahiyya Srace sgs r ward appearaces itha



OSSAY of the abet his epressio of b  Arabis is bscure Jii idetifies it with awa h haya (see awa h) Possiby the term deries from aawh a-mau the Guarded abet i which a destiies are writte idetica with the hroe of ercy (see sa aahmanyya)  the tet, howeer the abet is reeaed at a much hiher ee tha are these surface sis" mahq  biteratio the uchai state of ot bei abe to see ee oes sef t is he tate aboe mahw) for i the state of mahw traces remai, whie i the sate of mahq o traces remai Jii states that it is the maifestatio of the ice-reecy of od ad that its perfecio does ot beo to this word mahq amahq biteratio of obiteratio he oceamet of the ice reecy destied by Aah to the true huma bei ii states that mahq amahq may be perected i this word mahw Th eimiatio of oes habits (habitua attibutes) it correspods to ha (q ) actio from the ecessities of worship Mahw meas the erasure of errors from the isibe sef, of ucosciousess from the heart, ad of the tedecy to see other tha Aah from the sou ahw is what od by His Wi hides d eimiates ha is what He reeas ad mae eiset f oe eaes oes abits, a produc of oes ow doi, ad repaes hem with the wodrous atributes ad staes, ifts, ad returs rated throuh the worship of Aah, the oe has the quities of mahw ad ha 

GLOSSARY makr Plot, ruse The ruse of Alah is blessings which follow infringement of the w, continuation of a state despite violation of adab, and the appearance of miracles without spiritual effo. Malamiyya or Malamaiyya Those Sufis whose discipline is to take blame upon themslves accepting the worlds attribution of guilt while remaining secretly innocent Ibn  Arabi applies this term to the highest grade of ufis, who embody the secret of Muhmmad (peace be upon hm) Singular: Malami or Malamai maqam A stage or level of spiriual development mardudun Thos sent back; bn  Arabis term for those who having attained the Presence of Allah are returned by Him to His creation All else being equal they are counted as superior to those who remain in exclusive contemplation (See musahlikun) Singular: mardud. mawain Realms Ibn ' Arabis term for the ultimate grounds or homelands" of all created experience They are six in number: pre-Creation, this world, the subtle world, Resurrection, Hell/Paradise, and the site of the  Divine Vision outside of Paradise." Singular: mawin

Muhibbuddin Abul Abbas Ahmad ibn  Abdullah al-Tabari ( 1 2 18 - 1295, a traditionist and jurist in Mecca the author of a wellknown collection of hadith and 2 6 other surviving works. uyddin 'AbdulQadir Ji/ani Muhyiddin Abu-Muhaad  Abdul-Qadir ibn AbuSalih al-Jilani Zengi Dost (  077

Muhibbuddin al-Tabari

12

GOSSARY 1 1 66,  sn of mmense presge n sprul grce. Mulues of legens n sores surroun hm ne frs s  jurs, he becme  uf  he hns of Shyh Abul-hyr Muhmm bn Muslm l-bbs, who s s o hve brough hm o Sufsm by  sngle glnce. Shyh AbulQr Jn sre o prech publcly n Bgh n 1 1 27 He rply becme renowne s he mos movng n eloquen of speers n resse vs uences. He nswere quesons sen o hm from ll over he wor n srbue huge mouns of chry Hs sprul sus ws such h he once se,  My foo s on he nec of every sn  Mny echers of he hghes clber, n hs own me n ever snce, hve cnowlege hm s her mser. ustahun bn  Arbs expresson for hose los n he conemplon of Gos Uny o he excluson of Hs mnfeson n mulplcy. (See sha her se s no so hgh s he se of hose who encompss boh specs. (See adudun ngulr: usah anaas aahan he Mercful Breh; he vne Mercy whch brehes ou he exsence of he worl. nas Self, ego, eses I s s h here s no pproch o Go excep by Go, n here s no vel beween he servn n hs or excep hs na Sufsm recognzes seven sges of refnemen of he na. aun he one shpe le he leer nun he nme of n ngel, he personcon of he Frs nellec n s pssve spec s he conner of ll nowleges 113

GLOSSRY qad Ctrcti, clsig.  Sufism dimuti f self b

withdrawig frm the surface persality tward the terir s  stge, it describes the Sufi wh has passed beyd (fear f llah) ad aa (hpe). t that leve kawf becmes qad; aa becmes as expasi aw ad aa  pertai t the future, while qad is the fear f w ad as s the hpe f w aQaam The Pe, ttle f the Sevetieth Sur. It is the Kraic term fr the primrdi cmprehesive active dvie csciusess The paralll philsphical expres si used by b  rbi, is the rst Itellect qu xs r pvt the highesstati  the Su hierarchy f saits. he qu is directly respsible fr the welfare f the etire wrld The qu is said t be the spirtul successr f Muhammad aa Die Nme the Lrd The rabc mples the cherisher, the e wh guides the develpmet f smethig b  rabi sys tht this ame rules the Clud, the primrdial etty wthi which al cditis frm aaman Dve Nme the Merciful The Mercy idicted by this Nme s that cmpassi which eflds the whle uverse, ad thrugh which the uiverse was created.  rabi states that this Name rules the Thre f Mercy (See sa aamanyya ada Trig f chracter thrugh ascetc practces aduddn amaw Saddud Muhammd ib lMu ayd al Hamawi (  9  r 95 r '60 was e f the twelve  

GOSSAR ineio of e gea Sayk Najmddin ba, and a famo Sfi of i ime Sadddin Qnywi e diile of Ibn  Aabi, aended i gaeing a a yong man Sayk Hamawi wa known a a omoe of myial poey and S ex Many miale ae aibed o im Hi ol i aid o ae one lef i body fo ieen day. a alahmanyya e one of Mey, alled alo e Gaded able i e Sol of e Uniee Eey deiny  and eey knowledge ae enompaed by i alSata iine Name, e Veile (Wo oe man in hahwa Caing, naal appeie hayh Mae, piiual guide, lieally,  old an  e ile of a eae of Sufim A eed Shh ua om, wee pyial, uble, o aba tal e obligaon of a man being o ooe e eie of God Ca by Ibn  Aabi a oniing piniple of i wold awal' Aendan a In e oe of deelopmen ey follow e lawa h (q . e tawalae e  n of e iine Name wi illuminae e ean and beaify i aae ee ae e lig of tawhd wi epowe all lee lig. tawhd e delaaion of e Uniy of God expeed by e pae La 1aha la lah ee i no god b od budyya e qualiy of e ean, aid o be pfeed in Mammad (peae be upon im lat almutawz e Spell of e Obedien Sean,  5

GLOSSARY a book by bn  Arabi quoted by Jil t one the erfet Man and the degree of being and a ritten hen n  Arabi a in hi tentie or early thirtie before hi pilgrimage to Mea wa One ho top bn  Arabi ue thi term for the eeker at the time that he reahe hi obet hether that eeker then remain in ontemplation (ee mutahlikn) or return to the orld (ee madudn wa Moment; in Sufim the duration of an epiode of real oniou exitene of remembrane of Allah. waan Homeland from the ame root a mawan (q.v Realm

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