The Paths and Degrees of Revelation
There are many paths of revelation. Since this part belongs to the science of mi’âsafah, we do not dwell much on it in the science of muâmele.
To know the degrees of revelation, you should not think that one must be present at revelation. Because an unqualified physician can tell a sick person about their illness and its degrees, and an unqualified scholar can explain to an ignorant person the degrees of justice and goodness. Similarly, one does not need to be present at revelation to explain its degrees. Knowledge is one thing, and the existence of known things is another. Knowing prophethood and sainthood does not necessarily mean that one must be a prophet or a saint. Knowing piety and asceticism does not necessarily mean that one must be pious.
Humans are like the earth in that some can understand themselves, some can be educated and trained, and some can even be educated and trained without benefit. Some soil produces water naturally and lets it flow, some soil produces water only when a well is dug, and some soil, no matter how much you dig, remains dry. This is due to the difference in the essence of the soil. The difference among humans is due to the difference in their minds.
From Shirazi Sahl b. Sa’d.
One of the narrated evidences showing that the mind is not one is the final part of the long hadith that explains the greatness of the Arsh, which Abdullah b. Salam reported. Here, our Prophet (peace be upon him) is quoted as saying:
The angels said:
— O Lord, did You create anything greater than the Arsh? Allah the Most High said:
— Yes, I created the mind. The angels said:
— O Lord, how great is it? Allah the Most High said:
— Do you know the number of grains of sand? The angels said:
— No, O Lord. Allah the Most High said:
— Indeed, you cannot know the greatness of the mind either. I have divided the mind into classes like the number of grains of sand. Some have one, some have two, some have three, some have four, some have a little, and some have a lot, said Allah the Most High.
If you were to ask why some Sufis despise the mind and the knowledge of the mind:
Know that the reason is that humans use their minds and their knowledge of the mind to fight each other and to use the names of the mind and the intellect in debates and disputes. However, debate is a form of rhetoric. The Sufis, when they say to them: «You have erred in this word, rhetoric is one thing, and the knowledge of the mind is another.» they are unable to explain the matter. Because it has always been passed down from the old to the new, and there was no need to extract it from their hearts. For this reason, the Sufis were forced to despise the mind and the intellect. However, what they despise is the mind and the intellect in those meanings.
It is never conceivable to think that the mind that is placed in the heart and helps in knowing Allah the Most High and His Messenger should be rejected. If Allah the Most High Himself praises this mind, what else is there to be advised?
If what is advised is the sharia brought by the Prophet, how is its truth known? If it is known through the mind that is despised, then what is known through that mind is also baseless.
The statement that the truth of the sharia is known not through the mind, but through the light of faith and the eye of certainty is worthless. Because we mean by the mind the thing they call the eye of certainty and the light of faith. This is an inner feeling that distinguishes humans from other living beings in perceiving the truth of things.
Most of these errors are due to the ignorance of the people who seek the truth in words. Because people have fallen into error in the meanings that words indicate, they also fell into error.
As for explaining the honor of the mind, this much is sufficient. Only Allah the Most High knows everything as it is.
(Ihyâ – Volume: 1 – Book: Vin. end)