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Towards the Inner Vision of the Truth

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"Lo! those who believe and do good works, their Lord guideth them by their faith." — Holy Qur'an 10:9

 

Candle Posts :: Motivational Gems for Higher Spiritual Enlightenment

:: Candle Post #84 :: Recognizing the Light of Eternal Ali ::

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Ya Ali Madad. In preparation of the Imamat Day celebrations of Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam (a.s.), Khushiyali majlises will start on Chandraat in Canada. In order to understand the spiritual and luminous dimensions of our Holy Imam, let us study the following:

Part 1: Teaching of Pir Shams (r.a.)

Let us first read about the spiritual and luminous attributes of Light of Eternal Ali from the following ginan:

Hak tu paak tu(n) baadshah
Maherbaan bhi Ali tu(n)hi tu(n)
 
You are the Truth (haqq), you are the Holy (paak), the King (baadshah)!
[Eternal] Ali! Indeed, you alone are the Benevolent (maherbaan)!
1
Rab tu Rahemaan tu(n)
Ali awwal aakhar kaazi tu(n)hi tu(n)
 
You are the Lord (rabb)! You are merciful (rehmaan)!
[Eternal] Ali! Indeed, you alone are the first and final Judge (qaadi)
2
Te(n) upaaya te(n) nipaaya
Sirjanhaar Ali tu(n)hi tu(n)
 
You originated, and you brought forth!
[Eternal] Ali! Indeed, you alone are the Creator (sirjanhaar)!
3
Jal thal mur mandarhaarna
Ali hukam tera bhi tu(n)hi tu(n)

Maker of water and earth, the roots of Creation,
[Eternal] Ali! Indeed, yours alone is the [final] command (hukam)!
4
Teri dostie bolya Pir Shams
Mei(n) banda tera Ali tu(n)hi tu(n)

Pir Shams speaks out of your friendship;
[Eternal] Ali! Indeed! I am your devoted servant (bando)!
5

Sources:
Ginan transliteration: Ginan-e-Sharif, Volume 1, p. 45, ITREB Canada
Ginan Translation: Kassam, Tazim R. 1995. Songs of Wisdom and Circles of Dance — Hymns of the Satpanth Ismaili Muslim Saint, Pir Shams. SUNY press. p. 263. (ISBN 0-7914-2592-4)

Part 2: Teaching of Rajab Bursi

For this part, I have used knowledge from an article entitled 'The Dawning Places of the Lights of Certainty in the Divine Secrets Connected with the Commander of Faithful by Rajab Bursi (d. 1411)' by B. Todd Lawson (1999). The Mashariq-al-Anwar is the best known works of Rajab Bursi. The Mashariq proper consists of 204 chapters (fusul) introduced with a brief introduction and concluded with a short khatima. The material that I have chosen appears under the heading of 'Self-Knowledge'. The following excerpts appear on pages 271-272 of Lawson's chapter.

"The Glorious Lord says in the Gospel: "Know thyself, O man and know thy Lord. Thine external is for annihilation (fana) and thine internal is Me."
 
And the Master of the Sharia [Muhammad] said: "The most knowledgeable of you about his Lord is the most knowledgeable about his self."
 
And the Imam of Guidance [Ali] said: "He who knows his Lord knows his self."

"But, if the pronoun in his word 'nafsihi' refers to God it means "God himself warns you that they [the Prophet and the Imam] are the spirit of God and His word and the soul of existence and its reality". So in two ways it means "He who knows them knows his Lord." Thus at the time of death he will see with the eye of certainty none but Muhammad and Ali because the Real is too glorious to be seen by the eyes. And the dead one at the time of his death will testify in the Real state and station (hâl and maqâm) and see nothing but them at the time of death because he sees with the eye of certainty. Thus Amir al-Mu'minin [Ali] said: "I am the eye of certainty and I am the death of the dead." This is indicated in Kitab basa'ir al-darajat from Imam Ja'far: "No one in the East or the West dies, whether he loves or hates [Muhammad and Ali], but that he will brought into the presence of Ali and Muhammad. Then he will be blessed or condemned." This will be the time of the Trumpet ... the soul will be returned to its body. At that time he will see none but Muhammad and Ali because the Living the Self-subsistent, glorified be His name, is not seen by mortal eye, but is seen with the eye of spiritual perception. To this alludes to his statement: "The eyes see him not in the visible realm, but the minds see him through the realities of faith." The meaning is that His existence is testified because his exterior is invisible and his interior is not hidden." (Mashariq, p.190)

Source: Lawson, B. T. 1999. The Dawning Places of the Lights of Certainty in the Divine Secrets Connected with the Commander of Faithful by Rajab Bursi (d. 1411). Pages 261-276 In: The Heritage of Sufism — Volume II. The Legacy of Medieval Persian Sufism (1150 -1500), edited by Leonard Lewisohn, Oneworld, Oxford. (ISBN 1-85168-189-2)

Please note the connection of the role of first and final Judge (qâdi) attributed to the Light of Eternal Ali in the ginan of Pir Shams (r.a.) and the saying of Noor Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) "I am the eye of certainty and I am the death of the dead." from Rajab Bursi's writing. In many other places on the website, I have said that the Light of Allah, the Light of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.), the Light of Noor Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.), the Light of the Holy Qu'ran, the Light of the Holy Imams (a.s.), the Light of the Pirs (r.a.), the Light of Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam (a.s.), and the Light of first category mumins (true believers) is one Light. Thus, as we believe that we are being guided by the Noor of Imamat in the Ismaili Tariqah, we have to yearn to recognize the Light of Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam (a.s.) with our spiritual eye while we are still alive. Thus, at time of our death we will surely see the same Light in its most glorious form.

Part 3: Articles from the Preamble of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim Constitution

Let us now review the first four articles from the Preamble of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim Constitution in order to understand the structure of our faith and our individual relationship with the Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam.

(A) The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims affirm the Shahada 'La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulu-llah', the Tawhid theirin and that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Salla-llahu 'alayhi wa-sallam) is the last and final Prophet of Allah. Islam, as revealed in the Holy Qur'an, is the final message of Allah to mankind, and is universal and eternal. The Holy Prophet (S.A.S.) through the divine revelation from Allah prescribed rules governing spiritual and temporal matters.
(B) In accordance to the Shia doctrine, tradition, and interpretation of history, the Holy Prophet (S.A.S.) designated and appointed his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Mawlana Ali Amiru-l-Mu'minin ('Alayhi-s-salam), to be the first Imam to continue the Ta'wil and Ta'lim of Allah's final message and to guide the murids, and proclaimed that the Imamat should continue by heredity through Hazrat Mawlana Ali (A.S.) and his daughter Hazrat Bibi Fatimat-az-Zahra, Khatun-i-Jannat ('Alayha-s-salam).
(C) Succession to Imamat is by way of Nass, it being the absolute prerogative of the Imam of the time to appoint his successor from amongst any of his male descendants whether they be sons or remoter issue.
(D) The authority of the Imam in Ismaili Tariqah is testified by Bayah by the murid to the Imam which is an act of acceptance by the murid of the permanent spiritual bond between the Imam and the murid. This allegiance unites all Ismaili Muslims worldwide in their loyalty, devotion and obedience to the Imam within the Islamic concept of universal brotherhood. It is distinct from the allegiance of the individual murid to his land of abode.

Part 4: Second Teaching of Pir Shams (r.a.)

From the following refrain (varaani) from the ginan Kesri Sinha of Pir Shams (r.a.), let us strengthen our conviction in the Light of Noor Mowlana Murtaza Ali (a.s.) which is in Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam (a.s.) at the present time:

Hay be Ali ne hoyse bi Ali
Esa vachan tame dil maa(n)he dharna
Esa vachan tame dil maa(n)he dharna
Bharam sab chhodi bhai Ali Ali karna
 
Ali is present, and Ali will always be!
Hold fast to this assurance in your heart.
Yes indeed! Hold fast to this pledge in your heart!
O Brother! Banish all your delusions and repeat, "Ali, Ali."
1

Sources:
Ginan transliteration: Ginan-e-Sharif, Volume 1, p. 65, ITREB Canada
Ginan Translation: Kassam, Tazim R. 1995. Songs of Wisdom and Circles of Dance — Hymns of the Satpanth Ismaili Muslim Saint, Pir Shams. SUNY press. p. 277. (ISBN 0-7914-2592-4)

According to our belief system, Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam (a.s.) is the true, living Imam of the time. The Holy Imam's guidance lights the murid's path of enlightenment and vision. Therefore, in our Tariqah, the Light of Eternal Ali is present, and will always be present! Al-Hamdulillah!

May Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam (a.s.) grant all members of the global Jamat the inner vision of the truth through ism-i azam. Ameen.

Links:
Shia Imami Ismaili Doctrines & Proofs of Imam from the Holy Qur'an (PDF)
Spiritual and Luminous Dimensions of NOOR Mowlana Hazir Imam (a.s.) (PDF)
What is in the Spiritual Treasury of Noor Mowlana Hazir Imam? (PDF)
The concept of angelic salwat (PDF)
Twenty Dhikr Tasbis Sound Tracks (MP3 format)

Ardent Supplications:

Ya Ali, Ya NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, create Sunshine in our hearts, light in our foreheads, and bless us all with the inner vision of the Truth!

Ya Ali, Ya NOOR Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini Hazar Imam, grant the global Jamat luminous (noorani) and spiritual (ruhani) tayid (help) to advance materially, spiritually and intellectually. Ameen.

Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)

Rakh Mowla je Noor te Yaqeen (Certainly, we trust in Mowla's Light only),
Noorallah Juma
SalmanSpiritual.com
Tuesday, June 8, 2010

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