WALAYAH

MILAD E MOULANA ALI (SA) MUBARAK AND MOHANNA TO OUR BELOVED AQA MOULA (TUS) WHOSE 100TH MILAD MUBARAK WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATE.
MILAD E MOULANA ALI (SA) MUBARAK TO MUMINEEN

I am sharing with readers, in particular students of Islamic Philosophy and
mumineen who are attending 'sabaks' the excerpts from the Book:

HISTORY OF ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY : HENRY CORBIN

This Book primarily deals with literary expression of Shi'ism in general and Ismailism in particular.


The cycle of Walayah is thus a cycle of Imam (Vasi) succeeding the Prophet; that is to say the batin succeeding the zahir, the Haqiqah succeeding the Shariah

Walayah is the esoteric dimension of the eternal prophecy(Nubuwah) it is the realization of all its perfection, according to the esoteric dimensions, before the beginning of Time, and its eternal perpetuation.

The two persons of the Prophet ( Nabi Muhammad S.A.) and the IMAM (Vasi Moulana Ali S.A.) prior to their earthly kinship, share a spiritual relationship (nisbah ma'naviyah ) which is established in their pre-existence.

Muhammad (SA) ' I and Ali are the one and the same Light'

Moulana Ali (SA) ' I was already a Wali, when Adam (the earthly Adam) was still between 'water and clay'

Their pre-existence as a Pleroma of beings of Light had already been affirmed by Imam Jafar us Sadik (SA) : ' God (Allah) created us out of the LIGHT Of His sublimity, and from the clay (of our Light) HE created the Spirit of our Shi'ites.'

IMAM : Their knowledge encompasses the totality of all times. They are muhaddathun (those to whom the Angels speak)

MUHAMMAD (SA) is the epiphany of all the eternal prophetic Reality, the Supreme Spirit, the celestial Anthropos.

This is why he can say " I am the first of the prophets with respect to creation (the Supreme Spirit pre-exists the Universe) and the last one in respect of mission and Manifestation. "

One of the Prophet's most famous Companions, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, relates how profoundly impressed were those who listened to (Moulana) 'All's commentary
on the Fatihah (the first Surah of the Quran).

The first Imam (VASI) himself gives this testimony: 'Not a single verse of the Quran descended upon (was revealed to) the Messenger of God which he did not proceed
to dictate to me and make me recite.

I would write it with my own hand, and he would instruct me as to its tafsir (the literal explanation) and the ta'wil (the spiritual exegesis), the nasikh (the verse which abrogates) and the mansukh (the abrogated verse), the muhkam and the mutashabih (the fixed and the ambiguous), the particular and
the general. And he would pray to God to increase my understanding
and my memory. Then he would lay his hand on my breast and ask
God to fill my heart with knowledge and understanding, with judgment
and illumination.

Moulana Ali (SA) : ' there is no Quranic verse, which does not possess four types of meanings :

exoteric - zahir

esoteric - batin

limit - hadd

divine plan - muttalla

Imam Jafar al Sadik (SA) " The Book of God (Allah) comprises of four things -

the statement set down - 'ibarah

the implied purport - ishara

the hidden meanings to the
supra sensible world - lataif

and the exalted Spiritual
doctrines - haqaiq "

The exoteric is for oral recitation, the esoteric is for inner understanding.

Philosophical understanding of a few important terms, we regularly hear in Vaaz and sabaks.

tafsir strictly speaking is the literal exegesis of the letter.

tawil (etymologically speaking, this means to lead back or 'bring back' something to its origin (to its asl )

tafhim literally to enable to understand the highest hermeneutic of all.

tanzil designates positive religion - it means to cause this Revelation to descent from the higher world.

Conversely tawil means to cause to return, to lead back to the origin, and thus to return to the true and original meaning of the written (Revealed ) text. It is to cause something to arrive at its original.

The word 'tawil' together with the word 'tanzil' constitute a pair of terms and concepts, which are complementary and contrasting.

Literal Meanings of some other terms:

tahqiq - Philosophical enquiery

mithal symbol

mamthul - that which is symbolized

salah canonical prayer

ma'rifah knowledge

mahabbah love. Both are essential for Walayah.

ulu al 'azam the men of decision.

ilham inspiration

alamat - signs

lahut - divinity

nasut - humanity

kashf - mystical unveiling

tajalli - ephiphanized

matbu' priori - the knowledge of the first principles.

istibsar - observation

i'tibar - inference

idrak - perception

ru'yah 'aqliyah -Spiritual vision

sama' aqli - Spiritual hearing

'ulum ksablyah rasmiyah - 'the official sciences' acquired from the external world by means of effort and human teachings.

'ulum irthiyah haqiqah - knowledge in the true sense received by Spiritual heritage obtained gradually or all at once through divine instructions.

ta'til agnosticism

tasbih the assimilation of that which is manifested in its Manifestation

'alam al ibda / 'alam al amr The Pleroma

'alam al Khalq which is the created world, the object of Creation

inbi'ath - emanation

A very thought provoking video on Universal Consciousness :

Suggested viewing for better understanding of how haqiqat truths and science are converging into a unified source of Enlightenment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrcWntw9juM&feature=browch