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WHAT IS
THE REALITY OF THE ASCENSION?
It
is the journeying of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be
peace and blessings, through the degrees of perfection.
That is, Almighty God has various Names and titles
manifested in the arrangement and disposition of
creatures, and displays diverse works of His Lordship (His
upbringing, training, sustaining and providing) as the
results of execution of His absolute authority in
invention and administration of creatures in the levels of
the heavens where He executes His Lordship in different
ways according to the conditions of each level.
Thus,
in order to show those works of His Lordship to that
special servant of His and thereby make him a being
encompassing all human perfections and receiving all the
Divine manifestations, one who would view all the levels
of the universe and announce the sovereignty of His
Lordship, and who would proclaim the things of which He
approves and unveil the enigmatic meaning of creation, God
Almighty mounted him on Buraq (a mount of Paradise)
and had him travel through the heavens like lightning,
promoted him to higher and higher ranks, and caused him to
observe the Divine Lordship from mansion to mansion and
from sphere to sphere, and showed him the Prophets, his
brothers, whose abodes are in the heavens of those
spheres, one after the other. Finally, He raised him to
the station of the distance of two bows’ length
and honoured him with the special manifestation of all of
His Names to the fullest degree and with His Speech and
the vision of Himself.
We
may examine this sublime truth through the telescope of
two comparisons.
First
comparison: As is explained in The Twenty-fourth Word,
a king has different titles in the departments of his
government, different names and attributes vis-à-vis the
different classes of his subjects, and different
designations and marks in the spheres and offices of his
rule. For example, just ruler in the department of
justice, sovereign in the civil service,
Commander-in-Chief in the army, chief teacher in the
department of education, and so on. In each sphere and
department he has a seat or chair, which has the meaning
of a throne. That single king may have a thousand names
and titles in the spheres of his sovereignty and
departments of his government. He may have a thousand
thrones of sovereignty one within or adjacent to the
other.
It
is as if that ruler is present, and knows what is going
on, in every sphere through his collective personality and
through his telephone. He sees and is seen in every
department through his laws and regulations, and
representatives, and he administers and observes from
behind the veil in every level through his rule, knowledge
and power. He has a different center and headquarters in
every sphere. The rules of every sphere and department are
different from one another. That king designates a person
among his subjects, and showing him to all those spheres
and departments of his government and making him witness
his imperial dominion and commands special to each, brings
him to his presence. Then he entrusts him with certain
general and universal commands concerning all those
spheres and departments and sends him back.
Likewise,
the Lord of the Worlds, Who is the Sovereign of eternity,
has attributes and qualities in the levels of His Lordship
that are all different but that are related with one
another; and Names and signs in the spheres of His
Divinity that are all different but appear one within the
other; and manifestations and inspirations in the
performance of His majestic acts that are all different
but resemble one another. He has also titles in the
execution of His Power that are all different but hint at
one another; and sacred revelations in the manifestation
of His Attributes that are all different but point to one
another; and operations in the manifestation of His
actions that are all different but complement one another;
and He has aspects of His majestic Lordship in His
colorful art and multicolored creatures that are all
different but observe one another.
It
is because of this mysterious reality that He has
organized the universe in an amazing and wonderful fashion
with different formations one over the other from
particles (which are the smallest level of creatures) to
the heavens, and from the first level of the heavens to
the Greatest Throne of God, each heaven being the roof of
a different world, a chair for exercise of Divine
Lordship, and a center for the Divine operations. Although
on account of His Absolute Oneness, all the Divine Names
may be found in all those spheres and levels, and He may
manifest in them Himself with all His titles, just as in
the department of justice the title of Just Ruler is
dominant with the others subordinate, so too, in each
level of creatures, in each heaven, a Divine title is
dominant and the others are subordinate to it. For
example, in whichever heaven the Prophet Muhammad, upon
him be peace and blessings, met with the Prophet Jesus,
upon him be peace, who had been made distinguished with
the manifestation of the Divine Name of the All-Powerful,
Almighty God is in constant manifestation in that heaven
primarily with His Name, the All-Powerful. Again, in the
sphere of the heavens which is the Prophet Moses’ abode,
upon him be peace, God’s title as Speaker, with which He
distinguished Moses, is most predominant. And so on.
The
Prophet Muhammad was connected to all the spheres of
Divine Lordship
Finally,
the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings
(since he was honored with the manifestation of the
Greatest Name of God and also with those of all His other
Names, and since his Prophethood is universal) must
certainly be connected with all the spheres of His
Lordship. Also, it was certain that the reality of the
Ascension would require the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be
peace and blessings, to meet with the Prophets whose seats
are in those spheres, and to pass through all those
levels.
Second
comparison:
The title of Commander-in-Chief, which is one of the
titles of a king, is manifested in every rank in the army
from that of the head of the military staff to that of a
corporal. A private sees in the person of his corporal the
sample of the imposing title of Commander-in-Chief, and so
takes his orders from him and obeys him. When the private
becomes a corporal, he sees the sergeant in the commanding
position and obeys him. Then, if he becomes a sergeant, he
sees a sample of the title of Commander-in-Chief and a
manifestation of it in the lieutenant’s office. And so
on. He will see the title in each of the spheres of
captain, major, colonel, general, and field-marshal in
proportion to the smallness or largeness of the sphere.
If
the Commander-in-Chief wills to entrust a private with a
duty connected with all the offices of military ranks, if
he wills to accord him a rank where he can appear in every
office and control it like an inspector, then, for sure,
in order that the private should have the necessary
knowledge of all the offices and be recognized by the
personnel, he will cause him to make a tour of study and
inspection of the offices from that of a corporal to the
highest. Then he will admit him into his presence, and
honoring him with private conversation and bestowing on
him a decoration and decree, will send him back whence he
came.
The
following point must be noted in the comparison: if the
king is not powerless and, besides governmental, has also
spiritual power, he will not deputize persons like
field-marshal, general and lieutenant to act in his name
in different offices, but himself will be present
everywhere in person and give orders directly, appearing
in the form of those persons of certain ranks. In fact,
there are narrations that certain kings who were saints of
the highest level executed their rules in many spheres in
the form of certain individuals. As far as the truth we
are trying to explain in this comparison is concerned,
since the Commander-in-Chief is in no way powerless, the
decrees and commands come directly from him in every
office and are executed through his command, will, and
power.
So,
as in the comparison, the Ruler of the heavens and the
earth, Who is the Absolute Sovereign and the Lord of
Eternity having the command of ‘Be!’ and it is,
has a sphere of Lordship, a level of rulership in the
levels of creatures and classes of beings, ranging from
particles to the planets, from flies to the heavens,
which, whether small or great, particular or universal,
are all different but related with one another. In each of
these spheres His regulations, statutes and commands are
carried out in perfect order and obedience. Thus, in order
to comprehend the elevated aims and tremendous results in
the whole of the universe and, witnessing the duties of
worship particular to each of those levels and classes and
observing the sovereignty of Lordship of the One of
Grandeur and the majesty of His rule, to understand what
is pleasing to Him, and to be a herald of His sovereignty,
one must make a journey through all those levels and
spheres of His rulership until one reaches the Supreme
Throne, which is the title of the greatest,
all-encompassing sphere, and attain to the rank which is
the ultimate one a servant can reach, and is called the
distance of two bows’ length, and meet with the One of
Majesty and Grace. This journey constitutes the reality of
the Ascension.
Like
ordinary human beings travelling in the mind with the
speed of imagination and saints journeying in the heart
with the speed of lightning, like angels, whose bodies are
of light, circulating with the speed of spirit from
God’s Throne to the earth, from the earth to God’s
Throne, and like the people of Paradise who will rise from
the Place of Gathering to Paradise covering a distance of
five hundred years (a distance which is normally covered
in five hundred years on foot) with the speed of Buraq, it
is certain that the body of Muhammad, upon him be peace
and blessings, will go as far as God’s Throne together
with his elevated spirit. For the body of Muhammad, upon
him be peace and blessings, is the store of the faculties
of the spirit of Muhammad and the means for the
performance of its duties, which is of pure light and has
the abilities of light, and is more refined than the
hearts of the saints, lighter than the spirits of the dead
and the forms of angels, and finer than the energetic
envelopes of beings.
Now,
turning to the atheist who is in the position of listener,
and says to himself: ‘I do not recognize God or know of
the Prophet, so how should I believe in the Ascension?’,
we say to him:
The
universe must have an Author
Since
there is the universe with all the creatures and many
diverse acts in it, and a continual creation is observed,
and since an orderly act cannot occur without an author, a
meaningful book cannot be without a writer and a skilful
design cannot be without a designer, for sure, the wise
and purposeful acts that fill the universe must have an
author, and the meaningful letters and amazing
inscriptions or designs that cover the earth and which are
renewed from season to season, must have a writer and
designer. Also, since when two rulers interfere in the
same affair, it causes disorder, and since there is a
perfect order in everything from the wings of a fly to the
lamp of the skies, then the ruler is One. For if He was
not One, since the art and wisdom in everything are so
wonderful and amazing that they require an All-Powerful
and All-Knowing Maker, then there would have to be gods to
the number of creatures. Since in this case those gods
would be both opposite and similar to one another at the
same time [because the acts and creatures in the universe
are in infinite diversity and yet resemble one another in
many ways], it is infinitely inconceivable that this
amazing order would not be upset.
Again,
since those creatures are clearly seen to be moving with a
command in an order a thousand times more organized than
an army; and since each group of creatures from the sun,
the moon and stars to almond flowers, display in a perfect
and organized manner and in a thousand times more orderly
fashion than an army, the uniforms, decorations and other
kinds of beautiful garments that the Eternal All-Powerful
One has accorded them, and exercise the movements that He
has assigned to them (since this is so, then this universe
has an Absolute Ruler behind the veil of the Unseen, Whose
commands all of the creatures heed and carry out.
Furthermore,
since, as testified by both all of His wise acts and the
majestic works He displays, that Ruler is a Majestic King;
since, as is demonstrated by His favors, He is an
extremely Compassionate Lord; since, as the most beautiful
works of art He has produced bear witness, He is a Maker,
Who is Lover of art and loves His own art; since, as is
apparent from the decorations and curiosity-exciting arts
He exhibits, He is a Wise Creator Who wants to attract the
appreciative gaze of conscious beings to His works of art;
since, as is understood that, due to the wisdom of His
Lordship, He wants to inform conscious beings of the
meaning of the amazing and wonderful decorations He has
displayed in the creation of the universe, and of where
creatures come from and where they are bound to go; then,
for sure, this Wise Ruler and All-Knowing Maker wishes to
demonstrate His Lordship. Also, since He wills to make
Himself known to, and loved by, conscious beings through
all those traces of grace and mercy and the wonders of art
that He displays, then, of a certainty, He will by means
of an envoy inform conscious beings of what He wants them
to do and what is pleasing to Him. He will choose one
among conscious beings and declare His Lordship by means
of him. In order to exhibit His favorite arts, He will
honor a herald with the nearness of His presence and
employ him in exhibiting them. In order to display His
perfections by informing conscious beings of His lofty
purposes for the creation of the universe, He will appoint
one among them as a teacher. He will certainly appoint a
guide so that the mystery of creation, the enigma of
existence do not remain meaningless. In order not to allow
the beauties of art that He displays for the eyes to see,
to remain useless, He will choose a guide who will teach
the purposes contained in them. Also, He will pick out one
among conscious beings and, in order to communicate to
them the things that please Him, raise him to a rank above
the others, and inform them of those things by means of
him.
Since
reality and wisdom require it to be so and the one most
worthy to perform these duties was the Prophet Muhammad,
upon him be peace and blessings, because He actually
performed them most perfectly, a fact to which the world
of Islam that he founded and the light of Islam that he
showed are truthful and just witnesses, then he would have
to rise high above all other creatures and attain to a
rank where he held a universal and elevated conversation
with the Creator of the universe. This is what lies in the
reality of Ascension.
In
short: Since Almighty God has formed, organized and
decorated this vast universe in this way for mighty
purposes and great aims such as those mentioned above; and
since among beings there is mankind to see the universal
Divine Lordship with all its subtleties, and this mighty
Divine sovereignty with all its truths, most certainly,
that Absolute Ruler will speak to mankind and inform them
of His purposes. However, since everyone is not able to
free himself from being a simple individual occupied with
low matters and rise to the highest, universal position to
directly receive the Ruler’s universal address, then,
for sure, certain special individuals among mankind will
be entrusted with that duty. Those individuals should be
from among mankind so that they can teach human beings,
while, in order to be able to be the direct addressees of
God, they should also be extremely exalted spiritually.
So,
since among human beings the one who taught the purposes
of the universe’s Maker most perfectly, unveiled the
mysterious meaning of the universe and creation, and
heralded the beauties of the dominion of His Lordship in
the best way was Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings, most certainly, in order to rise spiritually
high above all other human beings to the most exalted and
comprehensive rank, he would make an Ascension in the form
of journeying through the corporeal world and then
reaching beyond seventy thousand veils which consist in
the manifestations of Divine Names, Attributes and acts,
and all the levels of creation. This is the Ascension.
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