SIRAT-E-SULUK [PART 2]

Turayhi writes:

The phrase “I have been given the comprehensive words” (u’titu jawaami’ al-kalim) [1] that has come in one of the [prophetic] traditions, refers to the Noble Qur’an for although the letters of Qur’an are few, they have ample meaning, to the extent that it has been narrated that every letter of the Qur’an has seventy thousand meanings [2].

Obviously when one figure of geometry well-known as “The Figure of the Sector” (shakl-e quttaa') has 497,664 geometrical principles [3], it is not far fetched at all that every letter of the Qur’an comprehends seventy thousand meanings. For an exposition of this reality, read our Epistle on Time and Qibla [4].

O special servants of Allah, here [before us], are the concluding verses of Surat al-Furqaan of the Holy Qur’an. Draw closer and do not limit yourselves with their pronunciation, but ponder over them, for each of them is an instruction (dastur al-‘amal) [in itself], and whosoever acts according to it would be emancipated and attain salvation: [The verses begin with]: “Wa ibaad al-Rahman alladhina yamshuna ‘ala al-ardhi hawnan…”[25:63-75]

The special servants of God are as follows:

1- They move in the earth with humility.
2- When the ignorant reprimand them, they respond to them with the soundness of spirit and pleasant speech.
3-They spend their nights in extreme love for God and prostration and standing in prayer for His pleasure.
4-They constantly express in the state of supplication and humility: O Lord! Make us aloof from the punishment of Hell Fire, for indeed it is an abominable punishment; and the [abode of] Hell fire (jahannam) is a bad place and an evil outcome.
5-When they spend [what Allah has given them] they do not transgress the limits, and adopt the state of moderation.
6-They do not believe that God has a partner, and seek only Allah
7-They abstain from murder and crime that Allah has forbidden.
8-They never wander around the vile deed of fornication, for whosoever performs this ugly deed, would experience its eternal punishment, and on the Day of Resurrection its punishment would double, except those who do tawba (return in penitence) and perform good deeds, for in that case God will transform their misdeeds into reward; and whosoever does tawba, Allah would obviously accept his penitence.
9-They do not give false testimony
10- Whenever they come acrossy a futile and ugly deed performed by the ribald, they pass by with [dignity and] nobility
11- Whenever they remember the signs of God, they do not pass besides them like the blind and deaf; rather they comprehend them with an aware heart and insightful eye and contemplate on them so that their state of knowledge and belief is increased.
12- During supplication they say to their Lord: O Lord, make among our spouses and children those that bring about luster in our eyes, and make us the chiefs of the spiritually purified of the world and leaders of the God-wary. The reward of the patience of such servants shall be paradisal palaces, where they would meet each other with peace, salutations, and happiness; and they would eternally reside in the beautiful Paradise.
O Prophet, tell your nation: “Was it not for your supplication, wailing, and weeping, God would not have paid any attention to you; for in the past, you rejected the signs of God and the Divine Prophets and this rejection would hold you and not leave you. (Therefore separate from it by means of supplication (du'a).” [25:63-76]

Narration of Presence

[Following are narrations of the compiler [Ali Muhiti] about Ayatullah Hasan Zadeh Amuli. Here he refers to him as Hadhrat Ustaad daama izzuh (perpetual be his esteem).]

1- Be a Qur’anic Human Being!

One day I went to the house of Hadhrat Ustaad (perpetual be his esteem), and he had brought about a discussion on the Qur’an being a Divine Covenant [5]; Thereafter he continued:
Once they knocked at my door. I opened the door and saw a youth. He said to me: Haaj Agha, give me a [spiritual] instruction (dastur al-‘amal) [to follow]:
I said: Firstly, be a Qur’anic human being, and secondly be steadfast
He said: Give me another direction.
I said: You [first] go and perform the very first instruction!!

2. Let the Teacher be God [Himself]

One day during the lesson of Ustaad, from whose knowledge I would benefit, he said:

Mr.! If you require dhikr [recital of Divine remembrance], then [know that] one of the names of Qur’an is dhikr; Dhikr is the very Qur’an. However, you must be careful that the way you have an appointed time for your lesson, you must likewise have the same for Qur’an. Appoint one of your lessons as Qur’an; Sit in His Presence; and let the Teacher be God [Himself]![6]

3. The Kernel of Misleading Books

Hadhrat Ustaad (perpetual be his esteem) would say: One night I saw in the realm of Dreams that in a black and tar colored pit there were some pieces of meat, and I am busy shifting them, and they were extremely stinking and had a very foul stench. When I woke up from my sleep, their foul odor continued irritating me. At eleven o clock that morning, someone knocked at my door. It was a person in a motorcycle. He had brought a black plastic bag full of misleading literature, and said:

I wanted to burn these books.[However,] I said to myself: Perhaps they would be advantageous to you. It would benefit you in reading and responding [the misleading ideas]. This event made me remember the dream that I saw the previous night, and I said: Dear Mr.! When we have the Qur’an, Usul-al-Kafi, and the Holy Traditions, why should we go after these?

FOOTNOTES

1. ‘Allama Majlisi, Bihaar al-Anwaar, v.16, p. 324, tr. 16
2. al-Turayhi, Majma’ al-Bahrayn, Root word jam‘a
3. Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi, Kashf al-Qinaa’ 'an Wajh al-Qattaa’
4. Ayatullah Hasan Zadeh Amuli, Epistle on Time and Qibla, Lesson 12, p. 53
5. This statement of Hadhrat Ustaad refers to the tradition of Hadhrat ‘Ali (‘a) “Al-Qur’an ‘ahdulLaahi ilaa khalqih” (Qur’an is covenant of Allah to his creation…(Ref: Al-Kashani, Al-Waafi, v. 14, p. 64)
6.In many verses of Qur’an dhikr is employed to refer to Qur’an. For example: “Indeed we sent down the Dhikr, and it is We who are its protectors.” (15:9)

To be continued soon Insha Allah...