SUNBAND & THE SWIRLING MOTES:
EXEGESIS OF THE VERSE OF
LIGHT-UPON-LIGHT
{Relating Scientific Knowledge to
Ma'arifah (Gnosis) : An Approach to attain Divine Sagacity}
-(I am writing again!).
-The image seen in the mirror only came to be
through the medium called light.
-So God is “The Light”, one of His 99
Beautiful names.
-To lay emphasis on this, He says in
suratu-n-Nur {Q24:35};
“-God is the Light of the Heavens/Skies and
the Earths.
-The similitude of His light is like a wall
niche, in which there is a lamp.
-The lamp is in a glass (or globe).
- The glass is like a shining sphere/globe
radiating from a blessed tree, a date-palm with neither of the (rising point)
east nor (setting) west.
-Its oil oft give radiance, such that even if
GOD does not touch fire to it, it is even Light-upon-Light.
- GOD guides to His light whomsoever He wills.
-And God narrates parables for men, for GOD
knows all things.”
EXPLANATORY SCENARIOS THAT
SUFFICES IN EXPLAINING THIS BEAUTIFUL PASSAGE
(1) The Transparent-Glass parable
(2) The Silvered-Glass parable or The Mirror
analogy{mentioned earlier}
(3) The Truth {Al-Haqq}
-However before going deeply into
each, a brief consideration of the nature of Light is imminent here.
-Experts, artists and scientists generally
agree that {a spectrum of} white light is made up of 360 different colours.
-This can be easily proven by passing the
spectrum of white light through a transparent glass prism set at a certain
distance, with a white board at the other end.
-At the appropriate distance, the image
received on the board is in the order Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo
and Violet {The 7 colours of the Rainbow}.
-If an advanced prism is used, the colours
will give us 360 different hues and shades.
-A remarkable fact is that this value
represents the angle sustained by a complete sphere or circle {360degrees}.
-This sphere or circle represents the Dot of
Existence {Nuqtatil Kawn} from which all life sprang.
-This Dot is both apparent and latent in both
situations.
-This is the Utmost sagacity.
1. THE TRANSPARENT-GLASS PARABLE
-In explaining that HE is the
Light, GOD uses the parable of the Lamp, earlier quoted.
-The Lamp fire is GOD in His original nature
or essence.
-The transparent glass is a veil, because the
light seen through it is no longer naked light, but difussed through the
transparent material of the glass which can be touched or felt.
-This glass represents GOD’s agent, i.e.
Angels, Prophets, Scriptures, etc.
-They are part-physical and part-spiritual
creations.
-Their luminosity is not personal, but what
appears revealed to them from the “Source of Light”.
-The glass is encased in a lantern, placed in
a wall niche.
-That lantern stands for faith in GOD or
religion, while the wall niche stands for men’s world.
-The wall itself may be likened to the entire
universe.
-Hence, our world is but a wall-niche on the
wall of all of GOD’s creations.
-However, HE is not only in the centre of
things but pervades and permeates all these, just as the light shines through
lamp, the glass, the lantern, the niche and on the wall.
-The oil fuelling this radiance is the
knowledge of GOD which is integral to His essence; such that without showing
the full glare of His light , the oil is in layers {of light upon light} which
causes it to give endless light.
-The blessed tree is the Lote Tree said to be
under the throne {Al-Arsh} of GOD, which is neither east-ward nor west-bound.
-The root of the tree is GOD’s Original Desire
{Iraadatul-Asli} to create.
-The stem of the tree is His power to create
{Qudrat}, from which springs the branches which can be likened due to their
diversity to the myriads of worlds of GOD’s creations in their plentitude.
-The leaves are GOD’s species in each world.
-The flowers represents the parent genders
male and female in each species and sub-species.
-The fruits are the offspring which represents
a culmination of/and manifestation of GOD’s wish, power and knowledge.
-The fruits GOD told Adam, the first man to
eat and thus gain the knowledge over and above all Creature.
-The seed of this knowledge {fruit} is the
Love of GOD, a most elusive yet most sought after item.
-Yet, the oil from this seed is the substance
of layers of GOD’s secret till eternity.
-Thus, in each of these seven stages;
from the SEED, through the ROOT, to the STEM,
to the BRANCHES, through the LEAVES, FLOWERS, FRUITS, back to the SEED {and
finally its OIL} that light is ever present and all-encompassing.
-Hence, the brief meaning of the statement:
“GOD IS THE LIGHT OF HEAVENS AND
EARTH”
-In splitting the Light, the colours of the
rainbow which are seven in number, represents the seven firmaments of the
heavens, as well as the seven layers of the Earth and the seven days of the
week.
-Each of those colours corresponds to the
nature of the Celestial and Terrestrial Angels, assigned to each days. They are
as shown below:
DAY {AYAAM}|
*Celestial Angels {Malaa'ikat
al-Ulwii}|
*Terrestial Angels {Malaa'ikat
as-Suflii}|
*Stars {Kawaakib}|
*Gem/Minerals {Ma'adin}
DAY 1 = AHAD {SUNDAY}
* Celestial Angel = Raukayaaheel
* Terrestial Angel = Madh’ab
* Star = Shams {Sun}
* Gem/Mineral = Dhahabi {Gold}
DAY 2 = ITHNAYN {MONDAY}
* Celestial Angel = Jibreel
* Terrestial Angel = Marah
* Star = Qamar {Moon}
* Gem/Mineral = Fidah {Silver}
DAY 3 = THULATHAA'U {TUESDAY}
* Celestial Angel = Shamsayaaheel
* Terrestial Angel = Ahmar
* Star = Mireekh {Mars}
* Gem/Mineral = Nihaas {Copper}
DAY 4 = ARBA’AAHI {WEDNESDAY}
* Celestial Angel = Meekaa’heel
* Terrestial Angel = Burqaan
* Star = ‘Ataaridu {Mercury}
* Gem/Mineral = Zu’ubaq {Mercury}
DAY 5 = KHAMIIS {THURSDAY}
* Celestial Angel = Sarfayaaheel
* Terrestial Angel = Sham’haruush
* Star = Mushtaree {Jupiter}
* Gem/Mineral = Qasdeer {Tin}
DAY 6 = JUMU'AH {FRIDAY}
* Celestial Angel = ‘Anyaaheel
* Terrestial Angel = Zuubiha
* Star = Zuhara {Venus}
* Gem/Mineral = Hadeed {Iron}
DAY 7 = SABT {SATURDAY}
* Celestial Angel = Kashfayaaheel
* Terrestial Angel = Maymuunah
* Star = Zuhila {Saturn}
* Gem/Mineral = Rasaas {Lead}
-GOD is One and absolutely so.
-His nature consists of His Essence {Dhat},
His Attributes {Sifaat} and His Deeds {Af’aal}.
-These threefold explains respectively the
Oil, the Light and the Radiance.
-His names are various shades of this amalgam.
-The need for a name or names was thus born
out of identities of each shade.
-They each indicate separation of different
powers, at various stages, in diverse degrees of His Eminence in manifestation.
-GOD’s powers are manifested in and as, His
creations.
-Each of these creation carry His Light in
different forms of diffusion.
-This is a summarized explanation of the
parable of Light, with regards to the transparent glass.
{24/11/2009}
2. THE SILVERED-GLASS PARABLE {OR
THE MIRROR ANALOGY}
-When you look in the mirror, what do you
see?!
-The “image” in that mirror is said to be a
virtual replica of the original object, according to scientists, especially
experts on optics.
-WHAT IS A MIRROR (MIR’AT)?
-A mirror may be defined as “a transparent
glass, with one side silver-coated such that when you look through the uncoated
side, what you see is exactly is your image”.
-However, that image is virtual, because your
right side appears as the left and the left appears as the right.
-Hence, that image is not really you in
reality, but you in virtuality {appearance}.
-Now, the mirror is the material world of
creation.
-Allah {SWT} may be likened to the Gazer,
while Man is the image that appears.
-No matter how exactly like your image
appears, is it really you?
-In this case we are looking at a piece of
Glass with one side silver-coated, such that the other side reflects.
-GOD is the object, while His creations are
the images reflected in the glass.
-Light is the object and the radiance is the
image created.
-As closely as related as the duo are, they
are distinctively different from each other as explained above on the formation
of virtual images by a mirror or silvered-glass.
-In GOD’s presence, creations are made and
without Him, never.
-The physical laws of nature support this
subtle, sublime yet simple fact.
-Experts on optics agree that light travels in
straight lines {Rectlinear propagation of Light}
“-Then look again: “Can you see any rifts?
{Qur’aan 67:3}”
-and He has not placed therein any
crookedness! {Qur’aan 18:1}”
-This means that His Light directly connects
Him to all His creatures.
-The revolutionary discovery of the pinhole
camera bears out and lends credence to this fact. {Camera is Arabic for Pinhole
or small rounded hole}.
-The pinhole camera works on the maxim that
even when the source of light is a point-source or pinhole-sized i.e. {Nuqtatil
Kawn - Dot of Existence}, the image is formed will be sharpest.
ALHAMDULILLAH!!!
-As the light forming images
travels in straight lines, for a mirror, it becomes not only a matter of
reflection but diffused creation.
-This was and still is the origin
of the technological advancements in the field of lasers and fibre-optics.
-The speed of light combined with
its intensity, creates images that may be a million-times far-removed from the
point source.
-Yet it remains just that:
images.
-That is the difference between
GOD and his creature; man.
-The discovery/knowledge of these
revolutionary facts leads to the belief that though creations may differ, they
originated from a single source, an point-source of Light.
-This is Pristine Monotheism in
its most sublime form.
-All creatures originated from
GOD, the source of Light.
-Prophet Sulayman {AS} converted
Queen Bilqees to this Islamic monotheism by showing her various forms of GOD’s
power.
-But the final straw, and the
most outstanding fact, nay the turning point of her conviction was her walking
on a glass surface.
-History, Scriptures and {even
Myths & Legends} have it on record that at his invitation she came to his
palace and saw many marvels granted to him by GOD.
-But when she was asked to cross
his courtyard, she raised her regalia from her feet so as not to get it wet
from the reflecting & sparkles “water” on the floor.
-In the reality, it was not water
on the floor but solid mirrors yet the effect produced was the same.
-So in reality solid, liquid
& gaseous states are the same.
-When Balqees saw this, she
became convicted of the Queen convinced of the Oneness of the source of it all;
Monotheism.
-Hence, she proclaimed Islam at
that instance.
-Though a powerful Queen in her
own right, she saw her helplessness in the presence of Sulayman, meaning that
there are more marvels to GOD in His agencies, than man will ever realize
through eternity.
-And in the mirrors, she saw not
the reflections of a Queen in all her grandeur and splendor, but a creature
reflecting a Creator.
-This is the truth.
-Man is a reflection of GOD, like
many other creatures, but unlike these many others, he is the sharpest of all
images formed {albeit virtual} being from the point source {Nuqtatil Qawn}.
-Man is the greatest
manifestation of GOD’s creative abilities.
3. “THE TRUTH {AL-HAQQ}”
-The Truth {Al-Haqq} is one of
the 99 beautiful names of GOD.
-Today, various shades of the
truth exist.
-Many contend that if GOD were
one, how come there are so many shades?
-The simple answer can be found
in this succinct saying of a renowned Sufi, Jalaludeen Rumi : -
“The Truth is like a mirror,
broken into a myriad of splintered parts each unto itself a whole”.
-What this is saying is that when
a mirror is broken into fragments, each fragment still remains a mirror by
itself in all ramifications.
-The fragments may differ in
size, shape & strength, but each remains a mirror.
-That is likeable to all
creations originating from a single creator.
-That is why GOD has
allegorically hands, feet e.t.c, yet very unlike His creatures.
-To further explain this, lets
look at an instrument called kaleidoscope.
-It consists of broken fragments
of mirrors joined together to form different angular images or reflections of a
singular object placed at its centre {360degree}.
-Thus, a kaleidoscopic view
provides all the different images produced by the fragments all at once.
-If a singular object can produce
so many images, then GOD is the object producing the different creatures, from
His oneness {wahdaniyya}.
-This is Monotheism and this is
the Truth.
-The Truth is that GOD created
all creatures.
-So, in a sense they are His
images.
-Yet, they differ from Him and
from each other, like different kaleidoscopic images of the same object.
-Life begets life in all things.
-The Truth is that the radiance
of a single sun can be seen in a countless number of different places at once.
-Yet the sun remains but one,
illuminating million of stars.
-The Truth is that a single seed
of a plant can produce trillions, nay countless numbers of the same seeds in
replica through cultivation or pro-creation.
-The Truth is that a point-source
of Light can be used to create laser-beams of various shades of intensity and
brightness especially using mirrors.
-The Truth is that a single
mirror can produce countless others from breaking and fragmentation of that original
mirror.
-The Truth is that the billions
of men inhabiting the earth are the seed of one man: Adam, and so it is with
all animals through procreation’s multiplicity.
-The Truth is that all things
will end because they had a beginning, except one: GOD {Who had neither
beginning nor end}.
-Yet, this One GOD neither
changes even for a fragment of a micro-second; but manifests Himself in various
forms, places, times, manners, temperaments, things and shades.
-Thus, the place of man is to
know all these, accept and adapt himself to it and glorify GOD for being part
of it all.
-“This is the Truth of all
truths”.
{25/11/2009}
-Everything has its origin in
Light.
-Even darkness which is the
absence of Light, because light has always existed.
-Every piece of existence
possesses life, whether in obviously animate form.
-Such as in Flora {Plants} and
Fauna {Animals}, or in inanimate forms such as land-forms and seas.
-Life is said to have been
possessed only by GOD, The Original Light.
-Every living thing, animate or
inanimate had a point when it started to possess life, so it must have a time
when life will depart from it.
-These are called birth and death
times.
-Only GOD has neither, for being
THE EVERLASTING, He always possessed and will always possess life.
-Life as we know it, was said to
have been given to all creatures from water according to the Qur’aan.
-This is why there is no living
thing , animate or otherwise that does not have a distinct particularly unique
relationship with water, {even fire!}.
-So, “Life comes from water” or
“Water is life” is a profound truth.
-It is no coincidence that the
largest numbers of living creatures are in the sea.
-Evolutionists and Scientists
postulate that all animals evolved from water, albeit in a round about way.
-Though their arguments and
explanations are constantly been challenged, {and sometimes debunked} by new
discoveries and findings, but there is a deeply subtle element of Truth to it.
-GOD says “The skies and earths
used to be like a seed or egg containing water, it was broken and rent asunder,
and from the water ensuing forth from it, life was given to all creatures”.
-The nucleus or yolk is the
life-force of all creatures throughout their life-cycles, whether as singular
unicellular protozoan or as complex animals or plants.
-This is the {Nuqtatil Kawn}
Point-source of light from which life is generated for all creatures.
-Taking {Water} liquid as an
example, it is made up of combined molecules of 2 gases i.e. Oxygen and
Hydrogen.
-Each of these gases have their
bases atoms said to be the smallest indivisible units of substances or
elements.
-Atoms are made up of electrons,
protons and neutrons which are in essence units of light/energy.
-Thus, Light is the origin of
Gases, as Gases are origin of Water and Water is origin of Life {animate}.
-Life is the origin of {most}
creatures, and most times it precedes birth.
-So, the source of Light was
living, even before Light was born.
-If we therefore look at the
creation of the world from darkness, before GOD said “Let there be light”, this
does not mean that light was not in existence.
-If it had been so, GOD would have
said “Let’s create something, call it Light, and bring it forth”.
-Let there be light only means,
allow the {Hidden} Light to become manifest.
-This brings about the Big Bang
Theory.
-Some scientist and atheist argue
that in the beginning of time, there was a Big Bang of explosion, and when all
settled, water formed and produced living creatures.
-I say the only “Big Bang” was
God’s voice in the eternal silence “BE!” {KUN!}, and the explosion was not a
chance event as the scientists wrongly say, but a breakage of the egg, which
produced the heavens, the earths and the water of life, in response to GOD’s
order.
-That is the acceptable truth to
evolution.
-Today, nuclear scientists agree
that the process of breaking the atom involves huge amount of energy.
-This is called, in radioactive
circles “Nuclear Fission”.
-It is the technology behind the
formation of the atomic or nuclear bombs e.g. the Hydrogen bomb.
-When used, it generates a big
bang or explosion like “In the Beginning”.
-{But unlike it, the resultant
effect is death not life. Therein lies the secret of GOD’s wisdom}.
-However, if we take it that “the
end of the beginning” is “the beginning of the end” or that where something
ends, another begins, then it is the start of another form of life.
-So, in essence “nuclear fission”
creates new life forms yet to be understood by man’s fickle intelligence.
-Nuclear energy is fast becoming
the most viable option for generating Light {or energy} all over the world.
-On this lies the salvation of
the world.
-This is no coincidence but by GOD’s leave and
design.
-Scientific and Medical advances
like cloning and breaking the genetic code hinge on understanding the deep
undercurrents of “Light” i.e. understandings of GOD and His secrets.
-Albert Einsten’s relativity
theory was regarded as a giant leap, a step in the right direction, but in
actual fact is just a peep into the monumental abyss of GOD’s knowledge.
-Knowledge is light, indeed.
-A single step has been placed on
the way to that knowledge, but the truth is that a thousand steps remain to the
Light.
-The Way, the Truth, the Light
are closely related as Jesus Christ {Al-Maseeh ‘Eesa} ‘AS’ was said to have
said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light”.
-The Light is the origin of all
things.
-So, we must trace all things to
their origins.
-This is the only Way and this is
the Truth.
-This way is a very straight
path/road {sirat al-mustaqeem} because “Light” travels only in straight lines.
-So, as men we have to keep
asking GOD to keep guiding us on/unto the straight path {Ihdinaa siraatal
mustaqeem}.
-This path is what Islam
represents.
-If we accept that there is still
a great deal of things we do not know {such as solution to Fermat’s Last
Theorem, the cure for HIV/AIDS, cracking of the genetic code, the remedy for
cancer and the language of the birds, etc}; and that GOD knows all these and
more, then the logical conclusion is to ask Him to shed light on them for us.
-That is the Way, the Truth and
the Light.
-Today the production of Light is
the key to virtually all things.
-Fluorescents, Globes, Bulbs,
Laser beams etc only imitate what GOD has given in parables.
-All of technology follow suit,
from Aerodynamics, to Ultrasound Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, from
electromagnetic technology to Fibre-optics, Radioactivity, Thermodynamics and
Astronomies in which man imitates nature.
-This field of knowledge is
called “bio-metrics” meaning “imitating life”.
-Then if we are able to get the
true solution, we must imitate what has been laid out : ASK GOD FOR IT.
-That is the Way the Truth and
the Light.
-A merger of man’s scientific
knowledge to his understanding of GOD’s scriptures is a step in the right
direction.
-What remains is the “How’’ for
the Devil {shaytan} is dogging man’s foot-steps in realizing this dream, every
step of the way.
-{we seek God’s protection
against him (Shaytan)}.
-The Light works with the aid of
the sound.
-Listen to the voice of GOD by
turning into the right wavelength and frequency of His manifestation; via
Righteousness.
-When the spirit is that pure,
then we shall “see” GOD, nay the Light of GOD and hear the sound it produces.
-Then dawns understanding.
-If we relate scientific
knowledge to GOD’s gnosis as the first step, then further steps include seeing
the Light, hearing the sound, feeling the weight, smelling the fragrance/aroma
and tasting the flavor of HIS essence {amongst others}.
-The fear of GOD is the beginning
of Wisdom and the Love of GOD is the end of Sagacity.
By: Muqadam Sulaiman Odetayo{Abuu Ahmad}
By: Muqadam Sulaiman Odetayo{Abuu Ahmad}
SALAT
AL-FAATIHI {THE OPENING SALAAT} - TRANSLATION:
OH ALLAH! BLESS OUR MASTER
MUHAMMAD, THE OPENER OF WHAT HAS BEEN CLOSED, AND THE SEAL OF ANTIQUITY. THE
HELPER OF THE TRUTH BY THE TRUTH, AND THE GUIDE TO YOUR STRAIGHT PATH. AND
{BLESS} HIS HOUSEHOLDS AS IS THE DUE OF HIS IMMENSE POSITION AND GRANDEUR,
AAMEEN.
***Alhamdu-lillahi
Rabbi-l-aalameen***
{All praise and thanks are
Allah’s, the Lord of the worlds}
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