KİTABIN MUKADDİMESİ · İkinci Madde
The Second Article
The name of the first layer of Hell is Hell itself. The torment there is lighter than those of the others. This was created for the sinful among the followers of Muhammad. The second layer is called Sa’ir, where Christians are imprisoned. The third layer is named Sakar, which is set aside for the Jews. The fourth layer is called Jahim, and therein is a severe torment for apostates (murteds) and devils. The fifth layer is called Hutama, within which lies the Well of Ghaffar. It is the abode of Ya’juj and Ma’juj and the unbelievers. The sixth layer is named Lazâ, prepared for idolaters, fire-worshippers, and sorcerers. The seventh layer is the deepest, and its name is Hawiyah. It will contain the godless, heretics, tricksters, liars, and hypocrites. Its fire burns fiercely, and its wrath is more intense than that of all other layers of Hell. All seven layers of Hell mentioned comprise more than seven thousand levels.
Despite having the power to annihilate all universes in an instant, the fact that the Almighty created this universe in six days – beginning on Sunday and completing the creation of all beings on Friday – is so that He may teach His servants to act with patience and deliberation in every matter. As He has declared with majesty and grandeur: “And We created the heavens and the earth and everything between them in six days and were not weary.” (Kaf, 51/38)
As for Bayt al-Ma’mur, it was a high dome of red ruby within Paradise. When the Almighty brought Adam (peace be upon him) down from Paradise to the earth, He accepted his repentance and, so that it may serve as a memento of Paradise and he may visit and circumambulate it, He brought Bayt al-Ma’mur down from the sublime heavens to this world and placed it in the location of the current Ka‘bah. Bayt al-Ma’mur had two gates, one facing east and one facing west. And within Bayt al-Ma’mur were three lamps of light. The space illuminated by their radiance is currently the precinct of the Ka'bah.
[A Supplication:] “We glorify the Lord of the realms of dominion and the kingdom. We glorify God, the possessor of the Throne, the Sublime, the Majestic, the Awesome, the Powerful, the Glorious, and the Holy. We glorify the true King of servants and the Master of all beings. We glorify Him who is eternally alive, to whom sleep does not come, and for whom death is not a consideration. We glorify that most holy Being, our Lord, the Lord of the angels and the spirit.”
It is stated that the Most High did not mention in the Quran when He began or ended creating the universe. It is noted that what has been said on this subject is Isra’iliyat (stories from Jewish tradition).
[Regarding the creation]: “Indeed, your Lord is Allah who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then settled upon the Throne. He covers the night over the day, ever chasing it; He has created the sun, the moon, and the stars – all within His command. Know that it is Allah alone who creates and commands. The Lord of the worlds, Allah, is most exalted!” (Al-A’raf, 7/54). Other verses related to this subject are: Yunus, 10/3; Hud, 11/7; Al-Furqan, 25/59; As-Sajdah, 32/4; Kaf, 50/38; Al-Hadid, 57/4.
The sphere of spheres is the greatest sphere, the throne, dominion, sovereignty, manifestation, and appearance. In Sufism, it is the abode of Allah’s qualified attributes. Arshullah is the locus of the Divine Name, and thus, man, or rather, a reflection of man, is considered to be its exemplar. The Throne of the Most Merciful (Arshur-Rahman) or the throne of God is the perfect heart of man. The Throne is that which Allah settles upon. Since the believer’s heart contains what cannot be contained by the heavens and the earth, it is his true throne and the place where Allah settles. (Uludağ, op. cit., p. 53.)
The realm of command was created instantaneously (def'atan), while the realm of creation was brought into being gradually over time. Intellect, spirit, and self originate from the realm of command; spheres, elements, and material things belong to the realm of creation. (Uludağ, op. cit., p. 39.)
The unseen realm (ghayb) is the realm of beings that cannot be perceived by human senses nor comprehended by reason. The life permeating all things has its locus in the subtle essence (nasut). The realm of the kingdom (malakut) extends from the Throne to the earth, while other Divine manifestations are within the realm of power (jabarut). (Uludağ, op. cit., p. 39.)
The universe: cosmos, all created beings, the world, the globe, groups of beings or living creatures that form a specific class. There are various concepts and definitions of the universe in Sufism. For more information, see Uludağ, op. cit., p. 38.
“Allah first created intellect.” This refers to what is mentioned here: a) The station of unity, b) The Muhammadan Light, c) Gabriel, d) The reality of man, e) The Throne. The First Intellect (Aql-i Awwal) is the first emanation from Allah. Allah created it first, and then through it, all other things. It is also called the first manifestation of Divine knowledge. (Uludağ, op. cit., pp. 35-36.)
Earlier pages have indicated that what is mentioned here refers to the hadith “Kun tu kanzan mahfiyyan…” This expression, which Sufis consider to be the source of the idea of "Divine love," has been evaluated in various ways regarding whether it is a true hadith. According to Sufis, the fundamental reason for the creation of existence is that Allah expresses His love for Himself through the creation of being. In accordance with the thought of unity of existence (wahdat al-wujud), which Ibn Arabi especially articulated but did not name himself, there are certain stages that existence goes through until it reaches its final form, starting from Allah’s eternal knowledge. These are called “stations of existence” (maratib al-wujud). For more information, see Yıldırım, op. cit., .
"Subhâne rabbina ve bi-hamdihi." Reislerinin adı Dâkîl’dir; birinci kat gökyüzünün bekçisidir. Onun altında, arz vardır ki o da Allah'ın yaratılışının en güzel şeklidir. Ve onun üzerinde yedi kat gök vardır. Her birinin kendi içinde ayrı bir güzelliği ve ihtişamı vardır."
Glory be to Him, the Lord of dominion and sovereignty!
His name is Ismail; he is the guardian of the celestial sphere. He is a great and beautiful angel, the deputy of Mika'il. He distributes the rain everywhere. The drops fall in the places he calculates, and the clouds proceed only to the regions he directs.
The realm of the Divine (the inner realm) has been completed by these fourteen kinds of spirits.
The most pure, immaculate, and beautiful of the realms is called the Realm of the Hidden (Ghayb), the Realm of Essence (Lāhūt), and the Realm of Power (Jabrūt). The center is named the Realm of Spirits, the Realm of Meanings, and the Realm of Command. The lowest, most dense, and closest to bodies is called the Realm of Abstractions (ʿĀlam al-Mujarradāt), the Realm of the Barrier (Barzakh), and the Realm of Forms (Misāl).
The sacred precinct: Currently, the points where travelers enter *ihram* for pilgrimage and *umrah*, which are the *miqat* stations, and the sacred precinct where certain rules like hunting prohibitions are in effect, is said to be the place where the light from the Blessed House (Bayt al-Ma'mūr) falls.
The Garden of Firdaus is mentioned in these verses: “As for those who believe and do good deeds, their reward is gardens of Firdaus [Paradise]” (Al-Kahf, 18/107); “(Yes), those who inherit Firdaus will abide therein eternally.” (Muminun, 23/11).
Zeberced: A gemstone more brilliant than emerald and less valuable than an emerald.
The Praiseworthy Station (*Maqām-i Mahmūd*): Meaning the praised station, it is mentioned in this verse: “So rise up [for prayer] during a part of the night, for you to pray with devotion” (Isra’, 17/79). According to commentators, the Praiseworthy Station is the Prophet’s intercession on the Day of Resurrection or the station where the banner of praise (*liwāʾ al-hamd*) will be bestowed upon him. ( *Encyclopedic Islamic Dictionary*, Vol. II, p. 398.)
The Blessed House (Bayt al-Ma'mūr): The name of a house visited by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) during his Night Journey (*Miʿrāj*) in the seventh heaven. It is said to be directly above the Kaʿbah. (*Encyclopedic Islamic Dictionary*, Vol. I, p. 134.)
The Banner of Praise (*liwāʾ al-hamd*): The banner under which the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings be upon him) community will gather on the Day of Resurrection. *Encyclopedic Islamic Dictionary*, Translator Newspaper Publishing House, Istanbul 1982, Vol. I, p. 375.
The Sealed Nectar (*Rahīq al-Mahtūm*): Mentioned in Surat al-Muffattifin, verse 25.
Beneath it is the sixth heaven, and it is of fresh pearls. Its name is Raka’. The angels of the sixth heaven are servants (*ghilmān*). Their faces are fresh with roses. All have prostrated themselves out of fear of Allah. And they have made “Glory be to my Lord, the Best of all” a constant remembrance on their tongues. His name is Kamhail; he is the guardian of the sixth heaven. Beneath him is the fifth heaven; it is of red gold. Its name is Denika. The angels of this realm are in the form of jinn. All of them remain in a state of humility out of fear of Allah. Their remembrance is: “Glory be to Him Who created light and praise be to Him.” His name is Samhail, who is the guardian of the fifth heaven. Beneath him is the fourth heaven, which is of white silver. Its name is Erkalun. And his angels are in the form of horses. Their remembrance is: “Glory be to the Lord, the Holy One, our Lord and the Lord of the angels and the spirits.” His name is Kakail; he is the guardian of the fourth heaven. Beneath him is the third heaven, which is of yellow topaz. Its name is Ma'un, and his angels are in the form of eagles; their remembrance is: “Glory be to the Living One who does not die.” His name is Safdail; he is the guardian of the third heaven. Beneath him is the second heaven, which is of red topaz. Its name is Kaydum. All the angels of this realm are in the form of camels. Their remembrance is: "Glory be to Him Who possesses might and dominion." His name is Mencail; he is the guardian of the second heaven. Beneath him is the first heaven, which is of green zeberced. Its name is Berkia; his angels are in the form of cattle.
Their remembrance is:
Glory be to Him, the Lord of dominion and sovereignty!
His name is Ismail; he is the guardian of the celestial sphere. He is a great and beautiful angel, the deputy of Mika'il. He distributes the rain everywhere. The drops fall in the places he calculates, and the clouds proceed only to the regions he directs.
In Surat Tūr, verse 6, it is stated that the sea of the submerged (*bahr al-masjūm*) will be seethed at its appointed time.
Meaning: “We glorify Allah and praise Him; there is no god but He, He is the Most High; He is exalted, He is great; there is no true power or strength except from Him.”
This refers to verse 75 of Surat Zumar.
The Banner of Praise is a magnificent banner located on Mount Hamd, which is found in an endless plain in the heights of Paradise. Its length is a thousand years’ distance. The pole is made of white silver and green zeberced. The tip of the “world” is of red ruby. There are three corners to this banner, and the distance between each corner is a thousand years’ distance. Upon it are three lines of light, and the length of each line is a thousand years’ distance. On the first line is written: *Bismillāhirrahmānirrahīm* (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). On the second line is written: *Lā ilāha illa’llāh muhammedün rasūlullah* (There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is His messenger). [8/a] On the third line is written: *Al-hamdu li’llāhi rabbi’l-ālamīn* (Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds).