BİRİNCİ FEN · İKİNCİ BÂB · BİRİNCİ FASIL · Beşinci Madde
The Fifth Article
It describes the structure of the universal spheres (kulli felek), the establishment of the movements of the particular spheres (cüz’i felek), the manner of daily rotational movements (hareket-i devriyye-i yevmiyye), the limitation of directions, and the nature of the high celestial bodies (ecrâm-ı ulviye).
O esteemed one! It is known that astronomers (ehl-i hey'et) have said: The One who created everything in the most beautiful form of art, the Creator and Arranger of the universe, through the will and creation of Allah, Most High, all the bodies and elements of the spheres; from the spheres and bodies to the four primary elements, down to earth and the varieties of climates—all are like rolled-up leaves, existing in numerous spheres within one another, encompassing each other in a sequence. Every body is surrounded by what is larger or smaller than it. All bodies are enveloped as if touching each other from every direction, forming spherical shapes, with each entering into a spherical form. Thus, the realm of celestial bodies has been established by Divine power and wisdom, depicted and created in a perfect order and arrangement.
Perhaps this astonishing and wondrous composition of spheres has been accepted and considered to be in accordance with the views of most Islamic philosophers and many religious scholars, as we will summarize below: The realm of bodies (âlem-i ecsâm) consists of layers like an onion, surrounding and encompassing each other in spherical forms and elements, all together forming a sphere. There are nine ethereal bodies (ecsâm-ı esîriyye) [475], namely, all the universal spheres (eflâk-ı külliye). It is assumed that a portion (cüz’) exists in the middle of all high celestial bodies (ecrâm-ı âliyât) and the elements of the lower bodies, which is the center of that realm and the essence of everything.
The largest of these nine spheres is the atlas sphere (felek-i atlas). The directions are limited by it, and the times are determined by it. The atlas sphere seems to hold all other spheres in the palm of its hand, rotating from east to west once every twenty-four hours, together with the fixed planets (sâbitât-ı seyyârât) and stars (kevâkib-i neyyirât). This is a constant rising and setting that creates night and day, light and darkness through its revolution. All spheres are dependent on this movement of it.
The ninth sphere is the lunar sphere (felek-i kamer), whose atmosphere experiences states of coming into being and dissolution (âlem-i kevn ü fesâd) and encompasses all things from every direction. The spherical forms of the four primary elements (anâsır-ı erba’a) are arranged and placed within the lunar sphere according to their degrees.
In every circumstance, its surrounding surface (cânib-i muhît) is the upper direction, its center is the lower direction; it is a reality that the heads of those living on earth and in water, and other bodies, face towards the lunar sphere, while their feet (lower parts) are directed towards the center of the earth. The bodies within these nine spheres [34/b] are pure, luminous, and transparent, and they have been called crystal, ice, or water due to the perfection of purity and transparency.
Although philosophers agree that there is no excess or void in any part of the components of all spheres or between their elements, the first philosophers regarding the void persistently spoken of behind the great sphere said, “a non-material dimension,” while theologians have called it "an illusory void (bu’d-ı mevhûm)." For the determination of (the nine) spheres does not suffice to fully comprehend the condition of the heavens, and astronomers have only observed the conditions related to the seven planets. That is, as the planets travel along a line, they sometimes stop and slow down, sometimes proceed with speed, sometimes return on their course, sometimes move like the Sun, traversing between the two points of solstice (nokta-i inkılâb) [477] which are comprised of “the greatest inclination” (meyl-i küllî); sometimes they shift the solstices north and south considerably, sometimes diminish their light, sometimes increase it, and in such ways, they are sometimes close to the earth and sometimes far from it.
Even solar and lunar eclipses are not uniform; it has been observed that they are sometimes total and sometimes partial.
In conclusion, based on all these observations, astronomers have carefully watched and examined these and similar events occurring in the heavens, explaining them as much as they know their causes and consequences. They have made corrections to calendars based on the findings obtained.
It is assumed that within all spheres—namely, in the spaces between their centers existing between two parallel planes—there are numerous spheres which are adjacent and separate, equal and unequal in thickness and uniformity, encompassing or encompassed by the earth, and that these have been likened to the limbs of the human body, and accepted as the second spheres (eflâk-ı sâniye).
Now we desire to open horizons for those who seek knowledge of the Lord (mâ’rifet-i Mevlâ) by contemplating the subtleties of the art of Allah, Most High, who brings heaven and earth into being as a wondrous work of art, and by desiring to facilitate the consideration and examination of each of the nine spheres.
The assumed circles and what is known and felt are shown in a drawing [as will be seen below]. We intended this to be a data point available, a form to benefit from.
[Within the subjects that weave together the wholeness of the *Ma’rifetnâme*], we shall now describe the nine spheres beginning with the outermost one, and continue narrating until we reach the depths of the earth.
Here's a translation, striving for faithfulness to meaning and preserving the flavor of classical Sufi language:
"We shall follow a method of narration descending from above downwards, in order that you may know your Lord after coming to know yourself, for this is the way to recognize Him. The 'universal spheres' ( *eflāk-i külliye* ) are depicted in the diagram below."
[35/a]