BEŞİNCİ BAB · BİRİNCİ FASIL · Birinci Madde
The First Article
Concerning the place from which the human soul initially originates and the station to which it ultimately returns (the origin and return).
O beloved one! It is known that the friends of God have said: The Exalted One, through His wisdom, concealed the secrets of His glorious essence from the realm of absolute unity (the heaven of singularity) into the earth, in order to manifest the specificities of His attributes. He hid these secrets within droplets [like a mother-of-pearl shell], but they have become so veiled by the darkness of the self that they have forgotten the esteem and perfect qualities they once possessed, submitting to their desires and inclinations, and descending to the level of animality. They have entirely neglected their original homeland, forgetting completely the place from which the soul originates and the station to which it will return.
Thereafter, He sent them messengers in abundance, both outwardly in form and inwardly in spirit, until they ignite the lights of the spiritual realm (the realm of the unseen) within their human darknesses and walk in illumination. Thus, they may see the foul impurities within themselves and know that they possess the capacity to attain all perfection. They should strive to unveil the veils of obscurity and luminosity, desiring to return to that exalted station from which they came—their original homeland.
Just as those who approach Him with a request and desire draw near by one span, He draws near to them by an arm’s length. Those who draw near by an arm's length, He brings closer by a pace. To those who come walking, He hastens to meet them.
His hand of grace attracts them with such longing that it makes them forget their habits and nature entirely. Through this longing, they return to the realm of absolute unity (the station of oneness), annihilating their own attributes within His attributes, for they are adorned with the noble qualities of servitude, so that there remains no doubt in their hearts concerning His Lordship, and their hearts find contentment in Him.
They join those who are pleased in His presence and are themselves pleasing to Him, thus finding tranquility. As [God] has called them by certain names, saying: “O tranquil soul! You are content with Him, and He is content with you, return to your Lord!” (Al-Hajj 22/27-28) and has announced that they are among His servants, possessing the attribute of being His vicegerents on earth.
He clothes them in the “garment” of guardianship, bestowing upon them eternal perfections and nourishing them with the bounty of eternity.
Therefore, as described above, the desire to return to one’s origin and the feeling of surrender to the Lord's attraction is the guiding light of Allah—the Ever-Living and All-Compassionate—which has filled the hearts of prophets and saints possessing pure lineage, a sound nature, and beautiful character.
Each of them, according to their capacity, recognizes their self and attains the station of recognizing God (Ma’rifat al-Haq), finding His presence. They pay no attention to worldly pleasures but instead turn towards the Divine with hearts purified, and their sanctified souls are immersed in remembrance and contemplation of Him night and day. They have cleansed themselves of bad qualities; they have sold the delights of the senses and acquired the spiritual dignity visible to the eye of insight.
O my soul, if you are among this company of saints, eternal felicity is yours. Ask whatever you desire; for if you serve them with love, good tidings to you that you are with them. Know that [in prophetic] reports it has come: “One follows what he loves” [107]. But those whose hearts are captive to the desires of bodily pleasures and remain attached to the darkness of the prison of nature are exposed to much fear and danger, becoming slaves to their anger and passions. They fall into despair within the trap of opposition (the net of contradiction) and remain imprisoned in the cage of habits and customs. For they are like animals, fixated on bodily pleasures—eating, drinking, sleeping, and sexual intercourse—and have been deprived of recognizing their self and knowing their original homeland and the station to which they will return.
They who do not know the message that “All things begin from Him and shall return to Him,” have become creatures in this world coming and going like animals, eating and being eaten.
Verses (Nazm)
1-This body is this world, the soul is that world.
Desires are the friend of the body, God is the friend of the soul.
2-The soul is strange, its sorrow also strange;
Its place is neither earth nor sky.
3-If you are the friend of the soul and desire it constantly,
You will reach that beloved in paradise.
4-But if desires and passions are your friend,
Your place is among the dust and dirt.
5-Unless a grace arrives and suddenly
Draws you to the heart’s beloved unexpectedly.
6-For one longing is more beautiful than a thousand deeds.
Deeds are signs, longing is without signs.
7-The sign is a wave, its absence is the ocean.
The sign is expression, its absence is clarity.
8-Just as a grain of barley appears from the sun,
The stars are swept away from the heavens.
9-Be silent before God, for what exists is in silence;
There are thousands of tongues and thousands of expressions within silence.
Simplified Translation of Verses (Nazm)
1-This body is this world, the soul is that world. Desires are the friend of the body, God is the friend of the soul.
2-The soul is strange, its sorrow also strange; Its place is neither earth nor sky.
3-If you are the friend of the soul and desire it constantly, You will reach that beloved in paradise.
4-But if desires and passions are your friend, Your place is among the dust and dirt.
5-Unless a grace arrives suddenly; It draws you to the heart’s beloved unexpectedly.
6-For one longing is more beautiful than a thousand deeds. Deeds are a sign, longing is without signs.
7-The sign is a wave, its absence is the ocean. The sign is expression, its absence is clarity.
8-Just as a grain of barley appears from the sun, the stars are swept away from the heavens and disappear.
9-Be silent before God! For what exists is in silence; In silence there are thousands of tongues and countless expressions.