DÖRDÜNCÜ BÂB · İKİNCİ FASIL · On ikinci Madde
Second Article
It explains the love for attributes.
O esteemed one! It is known that the friends of Allah have said: When Allah, being a hidden treasure, reveals His attributes of majesty and glory (through manifestation) in order to show His sublimity and feels affection for it, He descends from the station of "oneness" ("ahadiyyet") to the station of "uniqueness" ("wahidiyyet"), [46] concealing His pure, exalted essence with the veil of His sublime attributes. So that the light of His countenance does not annihilate and destroy the entire universe, and so that no one falls into a state where they cannot distinguish between good and evil.
For because of the multiplicity of attributes, His names have also become numerous. The emanations and manifestations of beings from the Real, and the number of their considerations (i’tibarat), have caused existence to multiply. Consequently, the places of manifestation (mazahir) and shadow-like existences have emerged with the difference in effects and actions. Manifestation and multiplicity continue, leading to influence and being influenced. Beloveds and loves increase, and causes and causation gain value.
Creatorship (halikiyyet) and createdness (mahlukiyyet) are opposites, as is loving (ashiqiyyet) and being loved (mashukiyyet). Every needy person passionately loves that which they desperately need, and attains the necessary power and strength in that desire. Just as a person only loves and knows the beloved through their beauty. They can only see a known entity fully emerge and appear. They can only perceive it from its perfection, what is possible to manifest. Everyone’s own capacity becomes a mirror of the Real. The Real's absolute beauty is not seen within it; rather, the individual sees only the beauty they perceive in that mirror, which is their own emergence (taayyün). As the verse "(The Jews) did not properly appreciate Allah" (Surah Al-An’am 6:91) strengthens this meaning. For every knower is on his own spiritual path (tawr), and he only knows the face revealed to him in his own mirror. Within all divine names, he loves the name that disciplines him. The moment he departs from that name – the face revealed to him – he yearns for the beauty of that face.
When he sees that specific face which disciplines him (vech-i muayyen), then his union is completed and the desire for reunion reaches its fulfillment. Those who possess this love generally remain limited by their own observations. Their worshippers are unable to reach the degree of worshipping Allah’s very essence, but remain at the station of servitude to attributes. Because they have dedicated their worship to what the Absolutely Worshiped has revealed. Therefore, they seek only the attainment of the visible desire. As their apparent manifestations change, so too do their loves. As they change between the known forms and attributes, they all tend towards denying the names. For example, one who loves the name of Allah "Al-Mun’im" (the Bestower of Blessings) denies the attribute of “Al-Muntakim” (the Avenger of the oppressed). One who feels affection for the name "Al-Ghaffar" (the Most Forgiving) flees from the name "Al-Kahhar" (the Dominator). Those who love attributes thus experience much complaint among themselves; their lamentations never cease. Mutual animosity and a desire to rule over one another are clearly evident in them.
Just as someone loves a faultless saint as a friend of Allah, and serves him because of his faultlessness (velayet and ismet), if they see a lapse or witness a minor sin, they immediately begin to reproach him; he falls from their grace and is erased from their hearts. Or, someone loves an ascetic and pious person solely for his piety and abstinence, and becomes friends with him, but if he witnesses any greediness in him or laxity in his worship, he immediately turns away from that ascetic and objects to him. Or, someone feels affection for a wealthy man solely for his status and wealth; if he sees him fall into poverty and humiliation, he immediately turns away from him, avoids him, or ignores him. Or, someone is drawn to a beautiful woman solely for her beauty and grace; then if he sees her become ill or lose the charm of her youth, he immediately turns away from her and abandons her.
Poem
1. If the people of love change, surely it’s within their own sphere.
Not from the One, but from created beings.
2. Every lover who describes someone other than himself; in truth, is no one but his self and skin.
Regarding those at the station of essential love, even if they deny attributes from what they love, they still show affection and respect for the essence of what they love. Even though they dislike certain actions, they do not refrain from loving the one who performs them. Thus, they proceed with stability.
Couplet
On every occasion, Umm-i Amr is beautiful.
Poem (in translation)
For you are the mind of all, O highest love,
You are the spirit’s soul, the meaning for spirits.
The entire universe stands upon you,
From you, all things are manifest.
All these are mirrors of Your face,
You observe yourself from them all.
It is impossible for your face to fit in a mirror,
For it is from your light that all things arise.
The mirror does not see the harshness of polishing,
Which has been purified by your beauty.
I found you within my soul and felt comfort,
Your reflection filling above and below.
Understand the Real through the branches with your intellect,
Find the origin in your heart, never tire.
Here's the translation of the provided text, aiming for faithfulness and preserving meaning within a classical/Sufi context:
1. You are the intellect of all existence, O Sublime Love! Your intellect is the soul, and your soul is the meaning of souls.
2. With you, the entire world stands. For all things have emerged from you.
3. Your face [is] a mirror to everything, O Soul! You behold yourself in every thing.
4. How possible is it for your face to fit within a mirror? With your light, all things become invisible.
5. The mirror which does not endure the suffering of tarnishment. Therefore, you shine forth with your beauty.
6. I found you within my soul, and I am at peace. The earth and heavens are filled with the reflection of your face.
7. Know the world as a reflection in a mirror, O Truth! Find the Essence in the heart, never tire.
**Notes on choices made:**
* **"Sublime Love"**: "Aşk" is a complex term encompassing love, passion, and divine attraction. "Sublime Love" attempts to capture this depth.
* **"Intellect"**: "Akl" in this context refers not just to rational thought but to the faculty of understanding and connection with the Divine.
* **"Face (Vech)"**: In Sufi terminology, "vech" often signifies a manifestation or aspect of God's presence.
* **"Essence"**: "Asl" is translated as Essence to convey its meaning as the ultimate reality beyond appearances.
* The language aims for a slightly elevated and poetic tone consistent with classical Sufi writing.