The issue concerns a sound tradition relayed by `Aṣām ibn Ḥamīd from Abī `Abd-Allāh
[= Imam Ja`far al-Şādiq]. He said:
`I recollect what Abā
`Abd-Allāh [the 6th Imam Ja`far al-Şādiq] (upon him be peace) in this respect
relayed regarding the [luminous] vision (al-ruyā') when he said,
"The Sun
(al-shams) is a portion (juz') among 70 portions of Light from
the divine Chair (al-kursī). And the divine Chair (al-kursī) is a portion (juz')
among 70 portions of Light from the divine Throne (al-`arsh). And
the divine Throne (al-`arsh) is a portion (juz') among
70 portions of the Light from the divine Veil (al-ḥijāb). And the
divine
Veil (al-ḥijāb) is a portion (juz') among 70 portions of
the Light from the divine Covering [Shield] (al-sitr). These realities are indeed
things firmly established (ṣādiqīn) such that [if experienced in vision] they
might utterly bedazzle [confound] the eyes by virtue of the [light of the] Sun.
There is not aside from this [dazzling luminosity] any [veiling] cloud (saḥāb)."'
Now I (Shaykh Aḥmad)
say [by way of commentary] that the standpoint (al-maqām) [which I shall adopt] in exposition of this noble tradition is
necessarily on a threefold level. Firstly, What are these Lights?
Secondly, Why are they fivefold? Thirdly, why are certain of these Lights
seventy fold [brighter] than others.
[I]
On
then, the first
level [of exposition]. Know that God, exalted be He, is supremely aware
of your [limited] capacity [and thus merely] explains that the intention of al-Kursī (the divine Chair) is the Logos-Self
of the Celestial Sphere of the Zodiac (nafs falak [fulk] al-burūj). It
is that outward gnosis (al-`ilm al-ẓāhir) which encompasses
everything. God has said, exalted be He, "The expanse of His divine Chair (al-kursī)
is [the length of ] of heavens and the earth".
And the intention of the divine Throne (al-`arsh) is the Logos-Self (nafs)
which is the Celestial Sphere (falak [fulk]) of Muhammad, which is
determinative of direction. It is expressive of the hidden gnosis (al-`ilm al-bāṭin) and
is the gnosis of how things are (?`ilm al-kayfūfa), of the
causes of things (`ilal al-ashyā') and of the basis of origination (maṣdar al-badā').
And the significance of
the divine Veil (al-ḥijāb) is the way-station of the Cherubim (manāzil
al-karūbiyyīn) who are the embodiments of the divine Unity (hayākil al-tawḥīd)
which were alluded to by Amīr al-Muminīn (the Commander of the
Faithful = Imam `Alī, d. 40/661) [when discoursing about al-ḥaqīqa] before Kumayl
ibn Ziyād [al-Nahā'ī, d. c. 81/701] and likewise alluded to by [the 6th Imam] Ja`far
al-Şādiq (upon him be peace) for such was transmitted by al-Şafar in al-Baṣā'ir
through an isnād relayed from him [Imam Şādiq]. [It was thus recorded that] He asked
about the Cherubim (al-karūbiyyīn) and was told that,
"They are a people of our [Shi`i] party
among the primordial creation (al-awwal al-khalq)". God placed them beyond the
divine Throne (al-`arsh). If but a portion of the Light one of them should come
upon the earth, this would assuredly more than suffice them all [that are on the earth].
Thus, when
it transpired that Moses asked [God] what he asked [to vision Him, see Q. 7:143] He merely
commanded a person among the Cherubim (rijal an
min al-karūbiyyīn) and its divulged its divine Glory before the
Mountain [Sinai] (tajalli li'l-jabal) at which the mountain was
crushed to dust!
Now the secret
significance of the
Covering Shield (al-sitr) is the Light of the Divine Grandeur
and Beauty (nūr al-`azimat wa'l-jamāl) which is the first level
(maqām)
of determined existence (al-wujūd al-muqayyid). This is that of which
God, exalted be He, made mention of when He said, "Until there was [only] a distance of two arcs [bows]
(fa-kāna
qāba qawsayni)" (Q. 53:9a). And in the supplication (al-du`a) [ it
says] : "I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou did ennoble the
heavens and the earth".
[II]
Now as for the
second level [of exposition]. Know that he, when he [Imam Ja`far al-Şādiq]
(upon him be peace) mentioned the five [luminaries or modes of Light
= (1) al-shams ("the Sun"), (2) al-kursī ("the Chair"), (3) al-`arsh ("the
Throne"), (4) al-ḥijāb (the Veil), (5) al-sitr (the Covering Sheild)],
this
since the lowest of the luminaries is that which one is incapable
being of gazing upon, namely [1] the Sun. Then the most elevated of them [the
luminaries] which cannot be speedily grasped by the intellect in view of its
bewildering nature is [5] al-sitr (the Covering Shield). The
significance of this latter [luminary] is the unicity of all of the mutually
interacting luminaries (al-anwār al-mutanāsiba) relative to what is higher to
a seventy-fold extent. ADD
[III]
Now regarding the third level [of exposition]. Know that the figure seventy in
the [abovementioned] tradition (hadith) ...
betokens an outward Logos-Command (amr ẓāhirī) and a
Logos-Command expressive of Reality (amr ḥaqīqī). As as for the outward one, know that it, verily,
[--]
p.199
The Commander of the
Faithful [Imam `Alī] said:
"God, exalted and
glorified be He, is the bearer of the [Divine] Throne (ḥāmil al-`arsh) and the heavens
and the earth and what lies within and between them. Thus [this accords with]
the saying of God [in the Qur'ān], "God holds in position the heavens and the
earth lest they should deviate; and should they deviate there would be none to
hold them in place aside from Him. He hath ever been the One Clement and
Forgiving" (Q. 35:41).
He [the Armenian
Catholic?], quoting the Qur'ān!] said,
`Then inform me about
His saying, "and eight of them [angels] shall bear aloft the Throne of thy Lord
(`arsh rabbika) above them" (Q. 69:17b). How can this be when you [Imam `Alī]
have said [citing the Qur'an] that He bears the Throne and the heavens and the
earth? He [Imam `Alī] said:
`The [celestial
divine] Throne (al-`arsh) was created by God -- blessed and exalted be He --
from four Lights (anwār): a Crimson Light (nūr aḥmar) by means of which redness
(al-ḥumrā) was reddened; the Green Light (nūr al-akhḍar) by means of which
greeness (al-khuḍra) was made green; the Yellow Light (al-nūr al-aṣfar) by means
of which yellowness (al-ṣufra) was yellowed and the [Snow-] White Light (al-nūr
al-abayḍ) through which [snow-] whiteness (al-bayāḍ) is [whitened] realized.
This [the Light of the Throne?] is the knowledge (huwa al-`ilm) which God, the
Bearer (al-ḥamla?) has borne aloft [upheld]".**
[between ** = cited
Shaykh Aḥmad , ibid p.199).
And that Light (al-nūr)
is of the Light of His Grandeur (min nūr `aẓimatihi) and of His Power (qudratihi).
It is thus through His Grandeur and His Light that the hearts of the believers
are made perceptive... So all that hath been born aloft (maḥmūl) hath been born
aloft by God by virtue of His Light, His Grandeur and His Power"
[see al-Kulayni, al-Kāfī
1:129-130 ; Majlisī, Biḥār, 58:9-10].
Interpreting these
four "Lights" (al-anwār) Shaykh Ahmad has it that "the confluence of these four
Lights constitutes the "Throne" (al-`arsh) in its totality." He states that:
"The [Snow-] White Light (al-nūr al-abyāḍ) is
the most elevated [transcendent] (al-a`lā) [reality] and is at the right-hand
side of the Throne (yamīn al-`arsh); that is to say, its right-hand Pillar
[Support] (rukn).
The Yellow Light (al-nūr al-aṣfar) lies
beneath it while the Green Light (al-nūr al-akhḍar) is at the left-hand side of
the Throne (yasār al-`arsh) and is its left-hand Pillar [Support] (rukn).
The Crimson Light (al-nūr al-aḥmar) lies
beneath it such that the Yellow Light (al-nūr al-aṣfar) is the right-hand Pillar
[Support] (rukn) beneath the White (al-abyāḍ). The Crimson Light (al-nūr al-aḥmar)
is the left-hand Pillar [Support] (rukn) beneath the Green (al-abyāḍ).
These four Lights are subḥān Allāh ("Glorified
be God") which is the "White" [Light-Pillar] (al-abyāḍ), al-ḥamdu lilāh
("Praised be God") is the Yellow [Light-Pillar] (al-aṣfar) while lā ilāha ilā
Allāh ("There is none other god but God") is the Green [Light-Pillar] (al-akhḍar)
and Allāh al-akbar ("God is Greatest") is the crimson [Light-Pillar] (al-aḥmar).
These Four PiIlars (al-arkān) consitiute the
totality of established existence (jamī` al-wujūd al-muqayyad) whose beginning
is the First Intellect (al-`aql al-awwal) and whose end is the [dusty] earth
(al-thurā). He [God] -- glorified be He -- set up an Angel (malak) for every
Pillar so as to bear it. They are [1] Gabriel [Jibrīl], [2] Michael [Mīkā'īl],
[3] Isrā'fīl and [4] `Azrā'īl.
The meaning of [`Alī's saying] "He [God] bore
it aloft" is that His gravitas was focused into this [Arch-] Angel. And for
every [Arch-] Angel there are [subsiduary] hosts of angels (junūd min
malā'ika) the number of which none can estimate except God...
