KİTABIN MUKADDİMESİ · Üçüncü Madde
**Article Three**
Concerning the spirit of Adam (peace be upon him), the fruit of the Tree of the World, being prior to all creation yet appearing after them, his ascent to Paradise and descent therefrom; the cultivation of the earth by his progeny; and from his lineage, the emergence of the Most Noble Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (peace and blessings be upon him) – declaring that His religion and prophethood will endure until the Day of Judgment.
O esteemed one! Know that the scholars of interpretation and hadith are in unanimous agreement as follows: The Almighty God created the realm of spirits and, after a period of two thousand years, brought into being the realm of bodies. Within six days, He placed all of creation – from the Exalted Throne to the darknesses and veils – within an order and arrangement. Thereafter, He established the great angels beneath the Supreme Throne, and made the surroundings of the Throne a dwelling place for the angels who fear Him and stand in obedience (huffun and saffun). To other great angels, He bestowed ranks according to their merit, assigning some to the Throne of Power (Kursi), some to the Sidra, some beneath the Banner of Praise (Livai’l-Hamd), and others within Paradise amongst the houris and servants. Thus, countless varieties of angels filled the heavens, the earth, the seas, and Hell. The Almighty made them servants to His creatures on land and in the sea. The angels who dwell in Hell are the guardians of Hell (zabaniyyun).
The spirits formed legions, encircling the heavens and the earth like armies, and Israfil’s trumpet resides within them; each class finding its rank and station according to its merit.
For God says, “On the day when He created the heavens and the earth” (At-Tawba, 9:36), He filled every part of the realm of bodies – from the Exalted Throne to the lowest veils – with angels, spirits, bodies, and other creatures. Then He filled this world, namely the earth, with diverse kinds of creation, leaving nothing barren. He brought forth grain in every valley on the surface of the earth, and after filling all the earth with it, He created a peacock with His power and bestowed upon it an abundance of grain as sustenance. Thereafter, the peacock ate the grain that was given to it as sustenance for years, until it became as thick as twelve valleys full of grain. Then, out of fear, it began to eat only ten grains per day. After some time, only one valley of grain remained. At that point, the peacock began to suffice with just one grain a day. Finally, when its allotted provision from God came to an end, the peacock’s life also ended.
Consider: From what time has this ancient world possessed this order and what remnants does it hold? Contemplating these questions has become a lesson for those endowed with reason. Thereafter, by His wisdom, the Almighty created jinn from odorless, smokeless fire lacking warmth, and gave them the name Maric. He is the father of the jinn. He created his mate and named her Mariceh. From their union sprung forth a lineage of jinn, comprising tens of thousands of tribes. The cursed Iblis also emerged amongst them. Eventually, the jinn multiplied until they filled the earth. They resemble humans in form, but being subtle entities like angels, they can assume any shape they desire. Their lineages grew so abundantly that they could not remain on earth; therefore, along with their progeny of accursed devils, they ascended to the heavens and settled there. All the jinn used to worship God day and night, never disobeying Him. This continued for seven thousand years, after which they began to stir up turmoil and shed blood amongst those who remained on earth, abandoning obedience and rebelling against God. Thereafter, the Almighty sent a prophet from among them every hundred years, but they would kill him. In this manner, they killed one hundred and twenty prophets over twelve thousand years. Then, the Almighty was angered with them and cast Iblis along with his progeny down to earth in the lower heavens. Following that, He gathered all the jinn who were on earth, sent down fire from the sky, and burned them all with it.
The lineage of Iblis whom He sent down from the heavens, He placed upon the islands of the seas. Initially, Iblis was exceedingly obedient to God and submissive to His commands; therefore, He raised him to the seventh heaven, exalting his worth in the Divine Court and placing him within Paradise. To prevent the earth from remaining desolate, angels were sent down from the heavens and settled upon it. They remained preoccupied with worshiping God alone; thus they spent a thousand years on earth. Twenty thousand years have passed since the creation of Maric, the father of the jinn. Then, when the Almighty intended to create Adam (peace be upon him), the ancestor of humankind, He sent Azrail (peace be upon him) and had him collect soil from seven climates throughout the earth; then He sent Gabriel (peace be upon him) and commanded him to knead that dry earth for forty days. Thereafter, the Almighty shaped the clay, which had become a moist substance through kneading, into the most beautiful form in the valley of Noman. Due to his worth, He breathed His spirit into him, making him a place of prostration for the angels on earth and appointed him as a prophet for his progeny. While all the angels prostrated themselves before him, Iblis refused to prostrate himself and was cursed and banished from Divine presence. He was granted a term until the Day of Judgment and obtained the opportunity to afflict Adam’s lineage with a vast multitude from his own progeny. The accursed devil enters every part of Adam's descendants, circulating within their veins like blood, misleading them and deceiving them. However, devils cannot compel anyone to become an unbeliever or disobedient. They make worship seem unattractive and difficult, and sin easy and pleasurable, thus instilling suggestions in humankind. The Almighty protect us all from the accursed devil and his helpers.
From both sides, those two yearning lovers, were afflicted with separation. Upon meeting, they wept and embraced, easing their longing.
Thereafter, Adam and Eve went to Damascus and remained there for five hundred years. Habil and Qabil were born there. Then they returned to India. When their lives reached two thousand years, Adam (peace be upon him) passed away on an island of Serendib, and forty years later, Eve passed away in Jeddah. After that, the descendants of Adam populated and developed the earth, and thousands from his lineage attained the station of prophethood. From Adam, six thousand years elapsed until Muhammad Mustafa (peace and blessings be upon him), from the tribe of Quraish, from the Hashimites, son of Abdullah, was born in Mecca, experiencing sixty-three years of spiritual bliss. At forty-one years old, he became a prophet to all humankind and jinn; enduring persecution and hardship from the disbelievers for thirteen years in Mecca. He emigrated to Medina while defeated in Mecca, and after ten years of emigration, conquered it and returned to Medina. He passed away in Medina at the age of sixty-three.
Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the final prophet. No prophet will come after him. The religious principles he brought are eternal until the Day of Judgment and cannot be abolished. His rulings cannot be altered in any way. From the emigration of the Messenger, it is 1170 years according to the lunar calendar (Anno Domini 1756). Therefore, the end times have arrived, and the life of the world has come to an end. The Hour approaches; decorum and modesty, love, loyalty, truthfulness, and peace of heart have vanished, for many of the signs of the Hour foretold by our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) have occurred.
O God! Protect us from the tribulations of the End Times! May we depart this world only as martyrs and with faith. Grant us these requests with Your boundless mercy! O Most Merciful of the merciful!