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Other volumes in this series
Julian of Norwich ٠ SHOWINGS
Jacob Boehme ٠ THE WAY TO CHRIST
Nahman of Bratslav ٠ THE TALES
Gregory of Nyssa ٠ THE LIFE OF MOSES
Bonaventure ٠ THE SOUL’S JOURNEY INTO GOD, THE TREE OF
LIFE, and THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
William Law ٠ A SERIOUS CALL TO A DEVOUT AND HOLY LIFE,
and THE SPIRIT OF LOVE
Abraham Isaac Kook ٠ THE LIGHTS OF PENITENCE, LIGHTS OF
HOLINESS, THE MORAL PRINCIPLES, ESSAYS, and POEMS
Ibn ‘Ata’ Illah ٠ THE BOOK OF WISDOM and Kwaja Abdullah
Ansari ٠ INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS
Johann Arndt •TRUE CHRISTIANITY
Richard of St. Victor ٠ THE TWELVE PATRIARCHS, THE
MYSTICAL ARK, BOOK THREE OF THE TRINITY
Origen ٠ AN EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM, PRAYER AND
SELECTED WORKS
Catherine of Genoa ٠ PURGATION AND PURGATORY, THE
SPIRITUAL DIALOGUE
Native North American Spirituality of the Eastern Woodlands• SACRED
MYTHS, DREAMS, VISIONS, SPEECHES, HEALING
FORMULAS, RITUALS AND CEREMONIALS
Teresa of Avila • THE INTERIOR CASTLE
Apocalyptic Spirituality • TREATISES AND LETTERS OF
LACTANTIUS, ADSO OF MONTIER-EN-DER, JOACHIM OF
FIORE, THE FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALS, SAVONAROLA
Athanasius • THE LIFE OF ANTONY, A LEI TER TO
MARCELLINUS
Catherine of Siena • THE DIALOGUE
Sharafuddin Maneri •THE HUNDRED LETTERS
Martin Luther • THEOLOGIA GERMANICA
Native Mesoamerican Spirituality • ANCIENT MYTHS, DISCOURSES,
STORIES, DOCTRINES, HYMNS, POEMS FROM THE AZTEC,
YUCATEC, QUICHE-MAYA AND OTHER SACRED
TRADITIONS
Symeon the New Theologian • THE DISCOURSES
Ibn Al’٠Arabî• I HE BEZELS OF WISDOM
Hadewijch • THE COMPLETE WORKS
Philo of Alexandria • THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE, THE GIANTS,
AND SELECTIONS
George Herbert •THE COUNTR١’ PARSON, THE TEMPLE
Unknown • THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING
John and Charles Wesley • SELECTED WRITINGS AND HYMNS
Meister Eckhart •THE ESSENTIAL SERMONS, COMMENTARIES,
TREATISES AND DEFENSE
 6775

FARIII‫؛‬11(1(1
،IRAQI
١
DIVINE FLASHES

TRANSLATION AND INTRODUCTION

BY
WILLIAM C. CHITTICK and
PETER LAMBORN WILSON

PREFACE
BY
SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR

3^
PAULIST PRESS
NEW YORK ٠ RAMSEY ٠ TORONTO ٨, ٠,
ANerno Collage
Library Media Center
. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Cover Art
The artist, WILL HARMUTH, is a professional artist and illustrator who lives in Ber­
nardsville, New Jersey. A graduate of Newark School of Fine/Industrial Arts, Mr.
Harmuth also attended the Arts Students League.

Copyright ® 1982 by the

Missionary Society of St. Paul
the Apostle in the State of New York

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by
any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the
publisher.

Library of Congress
Catalog Card Number: 82-80859

ISBN: 0-8091-0329-X (cloth)

0-8091-2372-5* (paper)

Published by Paulist Press

545 Island Road, Ramsey, N.J. 07446

Printed and bound in the

United States of America
 Contents

Preface ix

Foreword xv

Introduction

I The Mystical Philosophy

of the Divine Flashes 3
II The Life of ،Iraqi 33

Divine Flashes

The Text 69
Commentary on the Divine Flashes 130

Selected Bibliography 168

Indexes 170
 Translators of this Volume
WILLIAM CLARK CHITTICK was born in Milford, Connecticut, in 1943.
He received his B.A. in history at the College of Wooster in Ohio in 1966 and
became interested in Sufism and Islamic philosophy during his junior year at
the American University of Beirut. Upon graudation from Wooster he went
to Tehran to enroll in the Ph.D. program for Persian language and literature
with the aim of acquiring the necessary tools to study Islamic thought. In
Tehran his studies were guided by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, with whom he later
collaborated on a number of projects. After finishing his Ph.D., he taught
comparative religion, history and courses dealing with the problems of tradi-
tional and modern societies at Aryamehr Technical University in Tehran.
(All courses were taught in Persian.) Dr. Chittick collaborated in several of
the projects being carried out at the newly founded Imperial Iranian Acade-
my of Philosophy and began teaching Sufi philosophy and metaphysics there
in 1978. He is the author of a number of articles and books including The Sufi
Doctrine of Rumi: An Introduction and A Sb te Anthology. ٦‫ حأل‬٢‫ح‬١‫ةألءألأل‬ Veit ‫اآعًاا‬
in 1979 just prior to the revolution.

PETER WILSON was born near Baltimore, Maryland in 1945. After study-
ing at Columbia University, he did extensive traveling in the Middle East,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. He studied Tantra in West Bengal
and visited many Sufi shrines and masters. In 1971 he undertook research on
the Ni’ matullahi funded by the Marsden Foundation of New York. This re-
suked ١‫آ‬٦‫الآ ة\أل‬١‫ةًا\\دآلل‬٣١0‫ \ًا‬o‫ ؟‬matul Kings of Low. The History and Poetry of tbe Ni١-
lahi Sufi Order of Iran, with N. Pourjavadui; Tehran, 1978. During 1974 and
1975 he was consultant in London and Tehran for the World of Islam Festi-
val. In 1974 he became director of English language publications at the Impe-
rial Iranian Academy of Philosophy in Tehran under Seyyed Hossein Nasr,
and he studied, worked with, and published books by Nasr, Toshihiko,
Izutsu, Henry Corbin and others. He was editor of Sophia Perennis, the Jour-
nal of the IIAP. Wilson has published two books of his own poems: The Win-
ter Calligraphy of Ustad Selin (Ipswich, England, 1975); and DIVAN (London/
Tehran, 1978).

Author of the Preface

SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR was born in Tehran in 1933, where he received
his early education. Later he pursued his more advanced studies in America,
first studying physics at M.I.T. and later the history of science and philos-
ophy at Harvard University where he received his Ph.D. in 1958. He taught
for many years at Tehran University, was the first holder of the chair of Is-
lamic studies at the American University of Beirut, and Visiting Professor at
Harvard University. He has also lectured extensively throughout the world
and delivered the Gifford Lectures in 1981 at the University of Edinburgh.
Nasr is an international authority on Islam and especially Sufism and author
of over twenty books of which many are devoted to subjects related to Islamic
spirituality, including Ideals and Realities of Islam and Sufi Essays. Since 1979 he
has been professor of religion at Temple University.
Preface

The Sufi tradition is like a vast garden in which are cultivated

many flowers of different scents and colors, each sweet and beautiful,
each reflecting one aspect of the garden of paradise, and each with its
own particular form. There are certain Sufi writings that are primar­
ily practical and operative, others that express the metaphysical and
cosmological doctrines of the tradition, and yet another group that
makes use of parables to convey the message of Sufism. Moreover, al­
though the inner reality of Sufism is everywhere the same, containing
and reflecting the very heart of the Islamic message, its modes of ex­
pression have taken into consideration the artistic possibilities of the
peoples whom they have addressed and the genius of the languages
they have employed.
In this garden of divine mysteries, there have appeared certain
flowers whose perfume has filled the world and been appreciated for
centuries in lands near and far. One of them is Fakhruddin ،Iraqi (of­
ten referred to as ‘Araqi) whose prose masterpiece, the Lama'at [Di­
vine flashes], appears for the first time in English in this volume. A
Persian poet born in the ancient city of Hamadan, he spent some
years in India, especially in the city of Multan (which is now in Paki­
stan), as well as in Konya and Toqat in present-day Turkey. His fame
spread over the eastern lands of Islam even during his own lifetime
and his writings have been a favorite among devotees of Sufi litera­
ture wherever the Persian language has been read or spoken, from
Turkey to India. He is known as one of the foremost expositors of
Sufi teachings, one of the greatest of Persian poets, and a supreme art­
ist among those who have attained an exalted station of spiritual real­
ization within the Sufi tradition.
‘Iraqi lived during the seventh/thirteenth century at the peak of
the revival of Islamic spirituality, a time that is like the echo of the
 PREFACE

opening century of Islam. He was contemporary with such giants of

Sufism as Ibn ،Arabi, Jalaluddin Rumi, Sadruddin Qunawi, Najmud-
din Kubra, and Abu’l-Hasan ash-Shadhili, men whose teachings
dominate Islamic spirituality to this day. He himself was a leading
light in a period so luminous that its brilliance still dazzles the eye
some seven centuries later.
‘Iraqi, like many of the well-known Sufi masters, was highly edu­
cated in both the theological and literary disciplines. He knew well
not only the Holy Koran, hadith, commentary, Kalam (theology), and
the like, but also Persian and Arabic literature, particularly the works
of earlier Sufis. His many references to such figures as Bayazid, al-
Hallaj, Abu’l-Hasan Kharraqani, Sana’i, and others testify to his inti­
mate knowledge of earlier Sufi writings; and his continuous
references to the Holy Koran and hadith demonstrate his remarkable
familiarity with the written sources of the Islamic tradition.
Not only because of his formal education but also as a result of
his own personal gift as a poet and a writer, ،Iraqi was drawn to a
careful study of Persian literature, one of whose most celebrated fig­
ures he himself was destined to become. He knew the earlier poets
thoroughly, and from the point of view of form, symbolism, and tex­
ture of poetry belongs to the main tradition of Persian Sufi poetry.
Before him Persian Sufi poetry had already been developed consider­
ably by such masters as Abu Sa،id Abi’l-Khayr, Sana’i, and ،Attar. In
fact ،Iraqi was contemporary with the figure who brought this Sufi
poetical tradition to its peak, namely Jalaluddin Rumi. To understand
the language of ،Iraqi, it is necessary to consider his intimate relation­
ship with this school of Persian Sufi poetry to which he himself be­
longs.
But ،Iraqi was also closely associated with another school of Su­
fism, which is identified with the name of Muhyiuddin ibn ،Arabi,
and was thoroughly versed in the gnostic and metaphysical teachings
of this school. ،Iraqi was at once a metaphysician of the Ibn ،Arabian
school of Sufism and an artist of the Persian school of Sufism that was
to culminate with Rumi. ،Iraqi can be considered a member of the
small group of eminent Persian Sufis, including Awhaduddin Kir-
mani and ،Abdurrahman Jami, who belonged to both worlds. The let­
ter of ،Iraqi to Sadruddin Qunawi, discovered by W. Chittick and
translated for the first time in this volume, attests to the close link be­
tween ،Iraqi and the school of Ibn ،Arabi, for it must be remembered
that Sadruddin was the foremost expositor of the teachings of Ibn
 PREFACE

‘Arabi and the person through whom the doctrines of the Andalusian
master reached most of the Islamic world, especially the eastern areas.
The spiritual training of ،Iraqi, as of every adept of Sufism, was
of course not through literature or even formal religious education. It
was through initiation and spiritual discipline, as is shown in the Life
in the present volume. Everything else followed from that fundamen-
tai and central training, which aimed at the purification of the heart,
the goal that is basic to Sufism. ،Iraqi became a work of art before pro-
ducing works of art. If he sang the love of God in verses of great beau-
ty, it is because his soul had itself become a song of God, a melody in
harmony with, and a strain of, the music issuing from the abode of
the Beloved.
،Iraqi was a gnostic who spoke in the language of love. For him,
as for Sufism in general, love is not juxtaposed to knowledge. It is re-
alized knowledge. The Truth, which is like a crystal or a shining star
in the mind, becomes wine when it is lived and realized. It inundates
the whole of man’s being, plucking the roots of his profane conscious-
ness from this world of impermanence and bringing about an inebria-
tion that must of necessity result from the contact between the soul of
man and the infinite world of the spirit. But ،Iraqi was a Sufi gifted
particularly in expressing the ،،mysteries of Union” in the language
of love. He belongs to that group of Sufis, like Ruzbahan Baqli, the
patron saint of Shiraz, who have been called the fideli d'amore of Is-
lam.
More specifically, the Lama"at of ،Iraqi belongs to a particular
type of Sufi literature in which the purest doctrines of gnosis {al-
maTifah) were expressed in the language of love {al-mahabbah). The
first work of this kind in Persian literature is the Sawanih fi'l-'ishq
[Spark of Love] of Ahmad Ghazzali, the brother of the better-known
Abu Hamid Muhammad Ghazzali. This remarkable literary and
spiritual masterpiece was followed by the Risalah fl haqiqat al- ،ishq
[Treatise on The Reality of Love] by the founder of the school of illumi-
nation, Shihabuddin Suhrawardi. The Lamalat of ،Iraqi is the third
major work in this genre of Sufi writing and shares in every way the
great beauty of its predecessors. There are in fact some who claim
that the Lama'at is the most beautiful work of its kind in Persian liter-
ature. This work became so celebrated in both Persia and India that it
served as the inspiration for several later treatises in both countries
and was commented on by no less a figure than ،Abdurrahman Jami.
In Islamic thought, the traditional authorities speak of ،،transcen­
 PREFACE

dence” (tanzih) and “immanence” (tashbih), or the “negative” and

“positive” ways, of which the second corresponds more to the per­
spective of ،Iraqi. He and Sufis like him see the phenomenal world
not as the “veil,” but rather as the mirror reflecting God’s Names and
Qualities, or as a symbol of the spiritual world. For them beauty is
not the cause of seduction, but the occasion for recollection of the
spiritual archetypes in the Platonic sense. Of course God is transcen­
dent and one must renounce and leave the finite in order to reach
Him. But He is also immanent. Therefore, when man has passed
through the stage of renunciation and separation from the world of
forms for the sake of the Formless, it is possible for him to return to
forms as the mirror of the Formless. But this can happen only if the
first stage—that of renunciation, asceticism, and separation from the
world—has been experienced. For as Frithjof Schuon has stated, “It is
not possible to experience God as the Immanent without having ex­
perienced Him as the Transcendent.” But having experienced Him as
the Transcendent, it is possible in Sufi spirituality, as in most other
authentic traditions, to become aware of the metaphysical transparen­
cy of forms and to be able to contemplate the One in the multifaceted
manifold.
It is this perspective that makes possible a “spiritualized sensual­
ity” that is very different from the dualism that would totally oppose
the spirit to the flesh and mind to matter. This is a compartmentaliza­
tion from which many modern Westerners suffer as a result of a com­
plex set of historical factors, including of course Cartesian dualism,
which has constructed an impenetrable wall between “mind” and
“matter.” This philosophical dualism has furthermore become forti­
fied by a kind of religious dualism that also sees a total and final oppo­
sition between the spirit and the flesh, as if there were no doctrine of
the resurrection of the body, in Christianity as in Islam. The result of
these factors has been the spread of a kind of religious mentality for
which it would be difficult to imagine how a person with serious
spiritual intentions could talk in sensuous terms, employing continu­
ously the image of wine or human beauty.
To understand the point of view of an ‘Iraqi, it is necessary to
transcend this dichotomy and to return to the more traditional per­
spective, which is also present in certain schools of Western spiritual­
ity. In the perspective of an ،Iraqi there is no irreducible dichotomy
between divine and human love or divine and human beauty. There
is a gradation from the love of forms, which is “apparent love” ('ishq-i
 PREFACE

majazi), to the love of God, which alone is “real love” (،ishq-i haqiqi).
The lower form of love can be, and for the Sufi is, the ladder to Di-
vine Love. Ultimately, to love anything is to love God, once man real-
izes that there is but One Love. Likewise, there is a gradation of
beauty from formal, human, and terrestrial beauty to Absolute Beau-
ty Itself, the “Beautiful” (al-jamil) being a Name of God. In a pro-
founder sense all beauty is like a drop that has fallen from the Divine
Cup upon this world of clay. It thus brings about recollection; it frees
and saves. For the soul of the gnostic, beauty is like fresh air without
which one would die in the suffocating space of the world of limita-
tion.
For ‘Iraqi and thefideli d'amore of Islam, the beauty of anything
can lead to an awareness of the beauty of God, but it is human beauty
that is the most direct manifestation of Divine Beauty, for, according
to the famous hadith, “God created man upon His own image.” The
theomorphic nature of man is the metaphysical basis for the central
role that human beauty plays in certain forms of spiritual contempla-
tion in Sufism and in the type of Sufi poetry for which not only ،Iraqi
but also Ibn ،Arabi himself and such later Persian Sufi poets as Hafiz
and Jami are famous. A Westerner reading ،Iraqi should think not
so much of the pietistic or puritanical writings of the post-
medieval period, but of the spiritual universe of a Solomon who in his
Song could say,

How fair and how pleasant art thou,

o love, for delights!
This thy stature is like to a palm tree,
and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
1 said, I will go up to the palm tree,
I will take hold of the bows thereof:
now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine,
and the smell of thy nose like apples;
and the roof of thy mouth like the best wine
for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly,
causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. (7:6-9)

This type of spirituality is based on seeing the seal of the Logos on

manifested forms and on integrating all that is positive in the mani-
fested order in the process of transcending and going beyond all man-
ifestation.

xm
 PREFACE

The Lama'at is at once a metaphysical treatise and a work of art.

It is therefore fortunate that the present edition has been prepared by
two men who combine the talents of a scholar and a poet together.
William Chittick has spent years in the study of Sufism, particularly
the school of Ibn ،Arabi. He has written some of the most scholarly
and metaphysically penetrating studies of the followers of Ibn ،Arabi,
especially Sadruddin Qunawi and ،Abdurrahman Jami. Peter Wilson
is an accomplished poet and is experienced in the translation of Sufi
poetry. Moreover, both men have been deeply immersed in Persian
culture and have firsthand knowledge of the tradition that gave birth
to ،Iraqi. They have been able to combine their efforts to present a
volume that will doubtlessly appeal to both the metaphysically and
philosophically trained student of religion and spirituality and the
person who is more sensitive to the literary and poetic expression of
spirituality. In any case their combined efforts make accessible in a
manner that is satisfactory at once from the point of view of scholar­
ship and literature one of the most precious pearls of Sufism. Above
all, their intimacy with the tradition that has given birth to this work
and their traditional point of view are a guarantee of the authentic
presentation of this work at a time when unadulterated and genuine
studies of Sufism and other forms of Oriental spirituality are so direly
needed in the West. Their considerable effort has woven a complex
tapestry into a unifed pattern and created a work whose close reading
cannot but bring the reader to the words of ،Iraqi himself:

Before this there was one heart

but a thousand thoughts.
Now all is reduced to
There is no god but God.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Woodbury, Connecticut
May 26, 1980

xiv
Foreword

This book can be approached in two different ways. If the reader

is interested primarily in poetry, and is not very familiar or con­
cerned with speculative or philosophical Sufism, he may wish to be­
gin by reading only the Life of ،Iraqi, and then the translation of the
text of Divine Flashes. If, however, he wishes to follow more closely
the speculative background of the work, he should read the Mystical
Philosophy and the Life, and then, after reading each chapter or
Flash of the text, he should turn to the relevant portion of the Com­
mentary at the end of the book.
In the translated portions of the Life and in the more poetic sec­
tions of the text, we have used a somewhat freer approach; while in
the Mystical Philosophy and Commentary, and in the more philo­
sophical portions of the text, we have made use of a somewhat more
technical and literal style. On the whole, however, and especially in
the text itself, we have tried to “trans-create” as well as translate; that
is, to offer something that will stand on its own as a work of English
literature, and that will provide a more exact rendition of ،Iraqi’s
meaning than a merely literal translation could attain.
In translating the text we made use of the newest and best edi­
tion, that of Jawad Nurbakhsh.1 We collated this with the text provid­
ed in Ashi“at al-lama‘at [Gleams from the flashes],2 a commentary on
،Iraqi’s work written by ،Abdurrahman Jami (d. 898/1492), the great
Sufi poet and philosopher. In a few instances we preferred Jami’s
reading and interpretation to that provided by the Nurbakhsh edition
(which also has a number of bad typographical errors). The Life is
largely translated from the earliest and most reliable account of ،Iraqi
that has come down to us; although tinged with hagiography, it accu­
rately reflects the personality revealed in ،Iraqi’s works. ٦١he com­
mentary on Lama'at is our own, although we have often made use of
Jami’s remarks to explain individual passages.3
 FOREWORD

original. Many other quotations are attributed to Sufis or poets for

whom we have not thought it necessary to give dates or other bio-
graphical data, since they are well known and can be found described
in such works as A. J. Arberry’s translation of Fariduddin ‘Attar’s
Tadbkirat ‫ه‬1-‫دآلع‬1‫هالأ‬١‫م‬

NOTES
V Risalai lama،at ua risalai istilabat ٦3531٦9٢٢‫اًاعًاألح‬, ٦٩).
2. Ashi“at al-lama'at-ijami, ed. H. Rabbani (Tehran, 1352/1973).
3. After completing the work, we had an opportunity to go over a manu-
script of an earlier commentary, the Lamahat of ‘Ala’uddin Yar-'ali Shirazi (fl.
second half of eighth/fourteenth c.; ms. Șehid Aii Pașa 1257). We were inter-
ested to see that he, far more than Jami, makes use of the works of Qunawi,
Farghani, and also Jandi to explain ،Iraqi’s ideas. In style, then, our own com-
mentary is more similar to Shirazi’s than to Jami’s.
4. A. J. Arberry, Muslim Saints and Mystics (Chicago, 1966).

XVI
 Introduction

I The Mystical Philosophy

of the Divine Flashes
Islam’s fundamental teaching declares: “There is no god but
God.” Throughout Islamic history practically every school of
thought has sought to elucidate this teaching in its own way. In gen­
eral the theologians (mutakallimun) based their explications of God’s
Oneness on the evidence—incontrovertible in their eyes—provided
by the Koran and the Hadith of the Prophet. The Peripatetic philos­
ophers (mashsha’iyyun) tried to prove God’s Unity by appealing to the
powers of man’s intellect Caql) and the data provided by his sense
perception. But the Sufis added a third source of knowledge to the
above two: direct vision of the realities of things, or mystical “unveil­
ing” (kasbf}, which is also referred to as “contemplation” (sbubud, mu-
shabadah) and “direct-perception” (dbauq).' In their view, unveiling
is incomparably more reliable than the unaided intellect, which can
never attain true certainty concerning any matter of lasting impor­
tance, in other words, concerning God or man’s ultimate end. But at
the same time unveiling must be based on revelation and cannot gain­
say it. Most Sufis were careful to warn their followers against anyone
who ever said or did anything that contradicted the fundamental
teachings of the Islamic revelation, even if he should claim divine in­
spiration and produce “miracles” in support of his claim.2
The intermediate position adopted by the Sufis, in which intel­
lect was subordinate to unveiling and unveiling to revelation, is clear­
ly represented by the teachings of the School of Ibn al-،Arabi. Ibn
al-‘Arabi himself often chooses a mode of expression that makes one
think he is claiming a source of inspiration above even the authority
of the Koran, although in other places in his own works he modifies
this position by insisting on the supreme authority of the Koran and
the Prophet. Moreover, his followers, especially his successor and

3
 INTRODUCTION

spiritual heir, Sadruddin Qunawi—،Iraqi’s master—clearly situate

Ibn a!-،Arabi’s teachings within the hierarchy referred to above. And
later Sufis have invariably seen Ibn a!-،Arabi through Qunawi’s eyes.3
These considerations help to explain the peculiar method Sufis
like ،Iraqi employ to explain the nature and consequences of God’s
Oneness. ،Iraqi does not set out to write a Peripatetic exposition or to
appeal to the reader’s intellect—even though the logical consistency
of Lama'at shows that he does not ignore the rational faculty. Rather,
his explication of God’s nature and man’s relation to it is based pri-
marily on the intermediate domain specific to the Sufis, that of mys-
tical unveiling, direct-perception and spiritual intuition. But the
ultimate authority of the Koran and Hadith is never forgotten.
In discussing God’s Oneness, the various schools of Islamic
thought employ a variety of terms to refer to the Ultimate and
Unique Reality. The theologians speak about “God” [Allah) and in
Koranic terms explain the nature of His Names and Attributes and
His relation with the world and man. The Peripatetic philosophers
call the Ultimate Reality the “Necessary Being” (wajib al-wujud). The
Illuminationist philosophers refer to the Ultimate Reality as “Light”
(nur). The Sufis use innumerable terms, most of them Koranic and
most of them immediately identifiable as Divine Names.
As for the particular Sufi school of Ibn a!-،Arabi, it also employs
numerous terms, including ،'Allah” and “Truth” (haqq), although
each term it uses has a particular technical connotation. Among the
most important of these terms is “Being,” the same word employed in
the Peripatetic formulation “Necessary Being.” So important is this
term in Ibn a!-،Arabi’s teaching that his school is usually referred to
as that of the “Oneness of Being” (wabdat al-wujud). His disciple
Qunawi amplifies and refines Ibn a!-،Arabi’s teachings on Being’s
Oneness and in the process begins to bridge the gap between them
and those of the Peripatetics.
As for ،Iraqi, he follows—to use his own words—“the tradition
of the Sparks (.Sawanih).” In this Persian work, Ahmad Ghazzali (d.
520/1126), the younger brother of the more famous theologian and
Sufi Abu Hamid Ghazzali, states that the Ultimate Reality is “Love”
(ishq, mahabbah), and on the basis of this statement constructs a com-
plex metaphysics.4
The very fact that Ghazzali concerns himself primarily with
metaphysics should be enough to alert the reader that in Ghazzali’s

4
 INTRODUCTION

view, the statement “God is Love” does not carry the usual sentimen­
tal or emotional overtones. He draws conclusions that would seem pe­
culiarly intellectual to most Christians who hold the same belief. In
spite of certain appearances, his “mysticism” is basically one of
knowledge, not of love as usually understood.5
Numerous Sufis followed Ghazzali in speaking of God as Love,
among them ،Iraqi. But ،Iraqi did not follow the terminological de­
tails of Ghazzali’s metaphysics, only his identification of God with
Love; and as with Ghazzali, ،Iraqi’s teachings are based purely on a
contemplative vision of the realities of things. When ،Iraqi discusses
the nature of Love, he displays a profound comprehension of the
metaphysical teachings of his own master, Qunawi. But by identify­
ing God with Love throughout the work, and by employing the same
sort of mixed Persian prose and poetry that Ghazzali uses, ،Iraqi is
able to state quite correctly that he is following the tradition laid
down by Ghazzali.
But the fact that ،Iraqi follows Qunawi’s teachings means that his
use of the word Love is not just a question of terminology. It is not as
if he decides to call God “Love” and to leave everything else the same.
True, often it would be sufficient to change “Love” to “Being” in
،Iraqi’s sentences to produce statements identical to those of Ibn al-
،Arabi’s followers who preserved the master’s terminology. But this is
not always the case. For Ibn al-،Arabi has teachings about Love qua
Love, which are in turn dealt with extensively by Qunawi and ،Iraqi.
So ،Iraqi’s discussion represents a synthesis of two slightly differ­
ent points of view. In one respect Love is identical with God or Be­
ing, as in Ghazzali’s Sparks. In another respect Love is one of God’s
Attributes, as in Qunawi’s teachings. But even in Qunawi’s teachings
these two points of view can be combined into one, for if Love in one
respect is an Attribute of God, in another respect it is identical with
His very Essence. It is God Himself. For, as Qunawi maintains, “The
Attributes are in one respect the very Essence Itself. . . . They are the
very same as the Essence in the sense that nothing exists there but the
Essence. But they are different from the Essence in the sense that the
concepts understood from the Essence are definitely different from
one another.”6
In short, ‘Iraqi discusses the Oneness of Being in terms of Love.
He emphasizes that Being and Love are the same thing, for every At­
tribute of God is only the Essence viewed from a certain point of

5
 INTRODUCTION

view. But the existence of that point of view means that Love can be
spoken of in a language peculiar to itself, for that point of view is dif­
ferent from any other.
،Iraqi’s originality, then, is that he follows Ghazzali in calling Ul­
timate Reality “Love,” and thus he neglects the terminology relating
to the discussion of Being preferred by most of the other members of
Ibn al-‘Arabi’s school. At the same time, almost everything he says
about Love—not to speak of Love qua Being—is derived from the
teachings of his master, Qunawi. But nowhere does his master, nor
any of the other followers of Ibn al-،Arabi, succeed in presenting a
discussion of Love in such a delightful and readable manner.
So ،Iraqi is discussing the Divine Unity, or the Oneness of Being,
in a language peculiar to discussions of love. To clarify these remarks
further, it is necessary to explain what Ibn al-‘Arabi and his followers
mean by the “Oneness of Being,” and what they have had to say
about Love’s relation to Being. How is it that Love is an Attribute of
God, and as such, identical with His very Essence?

THE ONENESS OF BEING

“Being is One.” This sentence is a constant refrain in Qunawi’s
writings. To explain its meaning and implications in any detail and
in the overall context of Qunawi’s works would be far beyond the
scope of the present introduction.7 Here we can only hope to summa­
rize his teachings in the barest outline.
“Being” is that which, by its very nature, is. It cannot not be. As
for what exactly is meant by this term “to be,” on the one hand its
meaning is self-evident, and on the other, it is almost impossible to
grasp. Everyone has an immediate intuition of what it means for
something to “be” or to “exist.” In fact, nothing can be closer to our
experience and knowledge. The Sufis would emphasize that “I only
think because I am." In any case, everyone grasps immediately the
difference between the existence of something and its nonexistence.
Otherwise, there would be no difference between having something
and not having it.
But at the same time, almost no one truly grasps the fundamental
nature of this “is-ness.” Unless it is accompanied by some object or
thing, no one can comprehend it. Everyone knows what is meant by
“the pencil exists,” or that the common measure between “the pencil
exists” and “the galaxy exists” is their existence or is-ness. But re­

6
 INTRODUCTION

move all pencils and galaxies, all objects and entities. What then is
meant by is-ness as such? What can it mean that we have defined being
as “that which, by its very nature, is,” when there is no definable
thing that is? How can one comprehend this sort of is-ness when it
does not correspond to any object whatsoever?
According to Ibn al-،Arabi and his followers, that being which
by its very nature is, and cannot not be, is “nonentified” (gbayr mu-
ta'ayyan) or indeterminate. We cannot truly name or describe it.
Whatever we describe as possessing such and such an attribute, we
define, delimit, and determine. We make it identical to some entity.
But being as such—Being—is nonentified and indeterminate. It has
no description or delimitation. It is no particular thing, not even that
“thing” which we usually call “God,” that is, as a Reality distinct and
separate from the world.
How do we know that Being is nonentified? Because every entity
that has being, every thing that exists, is a delimitation of Being as
such. We say, “The horse is, the tree is, Tom is, the devil is, God is."
The common measure is is-ness. Nor is this is-ness a mental con­
struct. Rather, it is the fundamental nature of all things.8 Each entity,
each thing, each existent, is one possibility of “entification” (ta'ayyuri)
hidden within the nature of Sheer Being, just as each color is one pos­
sibility of “coloration” possessed by the very essence of pure light.9
If Being is to assume every single entification and delimitation,
in Itself it must be nonentified. It must be able to manifest Itself in
every form.10 For if It were large and only large, nothing small could
exist. If It were the Creator and only the Creator, there would be no
creatures. These points are summarized in the axiom “Each entifica­
tion must be preceded by nonentification.”11 Every existent entity or
thing derives from a source that in relation to it is indeterminate and

Nonentification—Nondelimitation—
the Essence, or “God” in the highest sense

Entification—Delimitation—
“God” (in the sense of a Creator) and the world

FIGURE 1: PREL1MINAR١٠ DWISION OF BEING AS SUCH

7
 INTRODUCTION

nonentified. Thus a “horse” is an entification of “animal.” If animal

were by its very nature horse, there could be no dogs or lions. So the
entification “horse” is preceded by the relative nonentification “ani-
maL” In a similar way, the entification “animal” is preceded by the
relative nonentification, “living corporeal-body.” But if all living cor-
poreal-bodies were animals, there could be no plants. Finally, when
we reach Being Itself, we reach absolute Nonentification, so there can
be nothing beyond it. Moreover, since Being is absolutely Nonenti-
fied, all entifications are forms It may assume.
Nonentified Being is none other than the Essence (dhat) of God.
To answer the question “Why does God create the ،world?’ (٥/-،ab
= “everything other than God”)”; or, moving back to a second ques-
tion implied in the first, “Why does the Essence of God, Nonentified
Being, become entified as God the Creator and His creation?” we
must investigate more carefully the nature of Being as such.
Being in Itself is Nonentified, and consequently nondelimited,
inarticulated, without name, attribute, or quality. So It cannot be de-
scribed in positive terms. It is Unknown. But as soon as Being as-
sumes any entification, that entification can be described (see Figure
1). Now these entifications are not accidental. The very nature of Be-
ing Itself demands that It possess certain “Perfections” or “Possibili-
ties of Self-Manifestation” or “Potentialities” in keeping with which
entification will take place. For Being is the source of all things, and
therefore also of all properties, laws, and regularities. It has Its own
order, rhythm, and modes. It reveals Itself—becomes entified—only
in keeping with Its own nature, a nature that possesses certain con-
comitants and properties that are reflected in all things. These con-
comitants or ontological perfections are summarized in God’s
“Names and Attributes” (asma ’ wa sifat), which are Being’s universal
entifications. The Names and Attributes divide the infinite possible
entifications of Being into a number of universal categories. Thus the
basic Attributes are Life, Knowledge, Will, and Power. The Attri-
butes are also divided into the “99” or (٤1001)) Divine Names.
But ultimately, since Being is nonentified, there is no limit to the
entifications it can assume. The Divine Names may be said to be infi-
nite.12 Thus they must be looked on as the principles and sources of
all the individual things existing within the world of manifestation.
Here they are no longer called Names and Attributes, but rather
“archetypal-entities” Cayn), “realities” (jhaqiqah), and “meanings”
(ma ،na). And when existence is bestowed on them, these very archety­

8
 INTRODUCTION

pal-entities become the existent-entities of the world. Hence in Ara-

bic and Persian١ the one word “entity” ('‫ )«بزه‬is used for both the
archetypal-entity and the existent-entity, indicating that ultimately
the two are one and the same. “Entity” in this sense is synonymous
with “thing” (shay ١) and “quiddity” (:mahiyyah). All three terms indi-
cate a single reality that may be existent or nonexistent, depending on
whether it is considered as manifested within the world or nonmani-
fest within God’s Knowledge (see Figure 2).
In short, by Its very nature Nondelimited Being possesses all
possibilities of Self-Manifestation (:zuhur, tajalli). By Its very nature It
is Alive and has Knowledge, Power, Will, Hearing, Sight, Speech. It
can assume the entification that is represented by every single “possi-
ble existent” (mumkin), every creature, every thing. However, that
“very nature” is unknowable to US, except through revelation. And
even then, the only thing that can be explained is God as He mani-
fests Himself—that is, His Names and Attributes—not God as He is
in His very Self. That can only be known by the great prophets and
saints within the inmost recesses of their own reality.
When Being is envisaged from the point of view that It embraces
all Names, Attributes, and the possible entities, It is called the “First
Entification” (ita‘ayyun-i awwat). At the level of this entification, the
infinite possibilities of Self-Manifestation possessed by God are delin-
eated within His Knowledge, but they are all “nonexistent” and non-
manifest.
The First Entification has numerous names, depending on our
point of view. Some of these are important for our present discussion

Nonexistent
‫( ر‬known by God but not. manifest within the world)
‫يج‬ . ‫كنمحرررك‬
>‫ كررك‬- ‫ ء ه‬٠ a cor^ S ‫ عع‬ces me meanings

١ (manifest within the wotld)

— esistent-entities, existents, forms

FIGURE 2: PRELIMINARY DIYISION OF THE KINDS OF EN I HIES

9
 INTRODUCTION

1. The First Entification (God’s Knowledge of Himself and all things)

Exclusive-Unity (Only God is)

< Inclusive-Unity (God’s One Being embraces all Names and

Attributes and all entities)

3. The First Isthmus-Nature (The First Entification stands between and comprehends
both Nonentification and entification)

4. The Most Holy Effusion = The Unseen Theophany (٦'he First Entification em­
braces God’s Unseen Knowledge of all entities, which become manifest through the
Holy Effusion or the ٦7isible Theophany)

5. The Reality of the Perfect Man (The First Entification is the archetypal-entity of
the Perfect Man)

FIGURE 3: SOME NAMES OF THE FIRST ENTIFICATION

(see Figure 3): Since the First Entification represents the sum total of
all the potentialities of God’s Self-Manifestation, but in a state where
each potentiality is identical with every other and with Being, it is
called “Oneness.” Nonentification Itself cannot be referred to as
“One,” since It is beyond all names and attributes. We can only say,
in the manner of the Vedantists, that it is “not this, not that.”
Qunawi even declares that to call Nonentification “Being” is not
strictly correct. “That is not Its true name.”13
When we observe this Oneness of the First Entification, we see
that in respect to its very Self, all many-ness {katbrak) is effaced and
obliterated. From this point of view it is called “Exclusive-Unity”
(ahadiyyah), since it excludes any kind of multiplicity. If we observe the
same Oneness in respect of the infinite ontological potentialities and
possibilities of outward manifestation that it embraces, it is called
“Inclusive-Unity” (wabidiyyab), since, by embracing all the modes of
Being, it includes the realities of all things.
Since the First Entification is Exclusively-One from one point of
view and Inclusively-One from another point of view, it compre­
hends both Oneness and the Principle of many-ness. Thus it acts as
the intermediary between the Essence’s Nonentification and the enti-

10
 INTRODUCTION

fied creatures, or between the absolute Independence of God and the

dependence and need of the existent things. From this point of view
it is referred to as the “First Isthmus-Nature” (barzakbiyyat-i uld). For
an “isthmus” is something that lies between two other things and
comprehends the attributes of both.14 On the one hand the First Enti­
fication is One and is nothing other than Being, since it is only differ­
ent from the Nonentification of the Essence in respect of the fact that
it is the potentiality of the Essence’s Self-Manifestation. On the other
hand, it embraces all the perfections of Being, each of which requires
a different locus-of-manifestation, so it is the principle of creation and
multiplicity.
As the locus of God’s Knowledge of Himself and the station
within which “He manifested Himself to Himself in theophany” (i٥-
jalla bi-dhatihi li-dhatihi\ the First Entification comprehends all the
archetypal-entities and realities before they enter into outward exis­
tence. In this respect it is called the “Most Holy Effusion” {fayd-i aq-
das) or the “Unseen Theophany” (tajalli-yi ghaybi). It is contrasted
with the “Holy Effusion” (fayd-i muqaddas) or the “Visible Theopha­
ny” {tajalli-yi shabadi), through which the archetypal-entities act as re­
ceptacles for being and become existent-entities, or in other words,
through which all the worlds are created. This Holy Effusion is also
called the “Second Entification.”15
In respect of the fact that the First Entification comprehends all
the perfections of God and the world in a single, all-comprehensive
unity, it is referred to as the “Reality of the Perfect Man,” a term that
needs to be explained in some detail.16 For the Perfect Man is not
simply a human individual who has reached “perfection.” He repre­
sents a metaphysical and cosmological principle that embraces the
whole of creation and is man’s ontological prototype. And here the
term “reality” must be understood according to its particular techni­
cal significance.
The Perfect Man is central to Ibn al-،Arabi’s metaphysics. In a
certain sense he corresponds to the Logos, for concerning him we can
certainly say that “He was in the beginning with God; all things were
made through him, and without him was not anything made that was
made” (Jn. 1:2-3). Through the Perfect Man God creates the world,
and ultimately this means that the whole of creation is in one sense
identical with him. In the Islamic universe the most perfect outward
manifestion of the Perfect Man is of course the Prophet Muhammad.
 INTRODUCTION

Other prophets and the saints can never quite attain his station.
Hence the “Reality of the Perfect Man” is also referred to as the “Mu­
hammadan Reality.”
In order to explain the nature of the Perfect Man more thorough­
ly, we have to refer to the “Five Divine Presences,” or, in other
words, the five universal planes of Entified Being. These five “onto­
logical levels” (maratib al-wujud) or five “worlds” Cawalim) summa­
rize all things or entities into five general categories.17
In Islamic religious terminology, things are divided into two gen­
eral kinds: those we are able to see with our physical eyes, and those
we cannot see. Thus, in the Koran God is often referred to as the
“Knower of the Unseen and the Visible.” But as Qunawi explains,
there is one entity that is neither totally Visible nor totally Unseen,
that is, man and, a fortiori, the principle of which man is the manifes­
tation, the Perfect Man. Hence at first sight all of Entified Being can
be divided into three kinds. In Qunawi’s words, “Although the onto­
logical levels are numerous, they are reducible to the Unseen, the Vis­
ible, and the reality which comprehends these two.”18
As was indicated above, Entified Being can be divided into two
basic kinds of entities, the nonexistent and the existent. These two
can be said to correspond to the Unseen and the Visible.19 Nonexis­
tent or Unseen entities are those that are known to God but not mani­
fest within the world. The existent or Visible entities are outwardly
manifest within the world. Some of them are completely visible to the
naked eye. These things belong to the corporeal world. Others are in
close proximity to God, but although “Unseen” in relation to us, they
must be considered “Visible” in comparison to God’s Unseen Knowl­
edge. These are the Spirits, also referred to as “angels” or “intellects.”
Finally, some entities stand between the Spirits and the Corporeal-
Bodies. These are known as the “Image-Exemplars.” They are “lumi­
nous” like the Spirits, but unlike them they can appear in corporeal
shapes. They form an “isthmus” between the Spirits and Corporeal-
Bodies, thus establishing a relationship between the two sides. With­
out the isthmus the Spirits in their pure luminosity and subtlety
would be completely cut off from the Corporeal-Bodies in their un­
mixed darkness and grossness. These three created worlds—that of
the Corporeal-Bodies, the Image-Exemplars, and the Spirits—make
up three of the Five Divine Presences. The other two are the uncreat­
ed divine Knowledge, and the Perfect Man, who is both created and
uncreated at the same time.

12
 INTRODUCTION

When Qunawi enumerates the Five Presences, he usually does so

as follows (see Figure 4): The First Presence is the First Entification,
or the Presence of Divine Knowledge, also referred to as the ،،Un­
seen.” The Second Presence, which faces the Unseen in the opposite
position, is the World of Corporeal-Bodies or the Visible. This is the
،،material world,” within which man finds himself situated. The
Third and Central Presence is that of the Perfect Man, who acts as a
partition between the two sides and at the same time comprehends
and includes both of them. The Fourth Presence, to the right of the
Perfect Man and nearer to the Unseen, is the World of the Spirits or
angels, which includes the Universal Intellect (= the Supreme Pen),
the first thing created by God. The Fifth Presence, to the left of the
Perfect Man and nearer to the Visible, is the World of Image-Exem­
plars (mithal) or Imagination (khayal~), within which spirits become
corporealized and appear to prophets and saints in visions; and with­
in which is the ،،Isthmus” after death, where moral qualities and
works become spiritualized and personified. These five Presences em­
brace all levels of entification, from the uncreated to the lowest level
of the created. Only the Nonentified Essence—Being as such—is out­
side of them.
Since the Perfect Man encompasses all the Presences, his total
macrocosmic nature has five levels: (1) his reality or archetypal-entity,
which is the First Entification (here we have the technical usage of
the word ،،reality” in the expression the “Reality of the Perfect Man”
referred to above); (2) his spirit, the Universal Intellect, which com­
prehends the whole of the World of the Spirits and is the first thing
created by God; (3) his soul, or the World of Image-Exemplars, which
acts as an intermediary between his spirit and his body; (4) his body,
which corresponds to the whole of the corporeal world; (5) his nature
as such, which comprehends all Presences. Obviously, man as an indi­
vidual is a “microcosm” reflecting all these levels (Figure 5). And all
these levels taken as a whole, which comprise the fifth level—that of
the Perfect Man as such—are the mirror image of Nonentified Being.
So all that exists may be divided from a certain point of view into
two categories: On the one hand is Nonentified and Nondelimited
Being, on the other all the entifications Being assumes, entifications
that are comprehended into a Unity by the Perfect Man (see Figure
6).
We have seen that everything other than Nonentified Being is an
entity20 and that the entities are of three kinds: “nonexistent,” “exis-

13
 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 4: THE FIVE DIVINE PRESENCES

(The Perfect Man comprehends all of Entified Being)

tent,” and ،،both nonexistent and existent” (see Figure 7). But here we
must follow Qunawi’s analysis of Entified Being one step further. We
speak of the “existence” of the entities, but, in fact, this is inaccurate.
Our starting point was that “Being is One,” and that only Being is.
There are not two or more Beings, two or more existences. The plu­
rality of the entities cannot affect the fundamental axiom of Being’s
Oneness. So how can we correctly speak of “existents” in the plural?
Is it not true that there is only one Existent?
In fact, since Being is One, and since it is the only true Reality,
the entities as entities have no positive reality. They remain always
nonexistent in themselves. Whatever existence they seem to possess is

14
 INTRODUCTION

Individual Man The Perfect Man

1. his archetypal-entity 1. The First Entification
2. his spirit 2. The World of the Spirits
3. his soul 3. The World of Image-Exemplars
4. his body 4. The World of Corporeal-Bodies

FIGURE ‫؟‬: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN INDIV IDUAL MAN

AND THE PERFECT MAN

not their own. It belongs only to God, the only Being there is, the
only thing that may truly be said to exist.
Being is Light, and nonexistence is darkness. So the nonexistent
entities are never themselves outwardly manifested, just as darkness
itself is never seen. Whatever is seen is Being, Light, the only reality
there is. Only the effects of the nonexistent entities are perceived, in
the sense that the removal of certain perfections from Light (= the
delimitation of Being) allows us to see colors. But the color, the enti­
ty, that which is manifested, is nothing but Light Itself.
So all entities considered in themselves are nonexistent, whereas
considered in relation to Being they are the possibilities of Self-Mani­
festation inherent within It. Hence nothing but Being exists. And Be­
ing is One. So when we speak of “existence,” we mean Being as
delimited, defined, and colored by the entities, or in other words, Be-

Nonentification
.(= the Essence)

Being( 1. God as Knowledge

Entification^^. ‫ا‬ ‫; ه‬ . The Perfect

4. The World of Corporeal-Bodies

FIGURE 6: THE TOTALITY OF BEING

15
 □
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16
both existent and nonexistent the Perfect Man, the True Man all-comprehensive
 INTRODUCTION

ing as It becomes outwardly manifest in respect to one or more of Its

perfections. The Self-Manifestation of Being as such is then the Per­
fect Man, who comprehends all the perfections of Being in their full
deployment and in their unity at the same time.
The Perfect Man acts as a receptacle for all of Being’s perfec­
tions. He does not delimit and define Being, so that some of Its per­
fections would be visible and others hidden. Hence it is sometimes
said that the Perfect Man has no entity.21 For the “entity” is that
which is nonexistent in itself and detracts from Being’s pure Radi­
ance. But the Perfect Man reflects Being as such. In this sense he him­
self is nothing but Sheer Being, and is therefore nonentified.
In short, no matter how much we speak of this and that, things,
attributes, colors, entities, delineations, characteristics, properties,
these are all nothing but the radiation of Being, nonexistent in them­
selves. Only the One Being is.
Qunawi summarizes the nature of the Oneness of Being in nu­
merous passages, including the following: “God knows all things as a
result of His very Knowledge of His own Essence. He is not qualified
by any knowledge derived from other than Himself or through other
than Himself. ٦ hen He bestows being upon the world in accordance
with His Knowledge of the world in Himself from Eternity-without-
beginning. So the world is the form of and locus-of-manifestation for
His Knowledge, and God never ceases to encompass the things in
Knowledge and Being. . . . Everything which becomes manifest be­
comes manifest only from Him, since nothing else possesses a being
which might accompany His Being. This is the news given by the
Prophet: ‘God is, and nothing is with Him.’ ”22

LO١ E: THE MOTIX’ATING FORCE OF GOD’S

SELF-MANIFESTATION
Farghani defines love as “an inward inclination toward reaching
a perfection. Its reality is a unifying relation between the seeker and
the sought, its meaning is the domination of that which brings about
unification and sharing, and its effect is the disappearance of that
which brings about differentiation and diversity between the seeker
and the sought.”23
Love, then, begins with consciousness of an imperfection and a
desire to eliminate it. The desired perfection becomes the goal or be­
loved of him who is imperfect, the lover. Moreover, the existence of

17
 INTRODUCTION

this inclination depends on a unifying relation between the two sides.

This relation is referred to technically as “affinity” (munasabab). It is
defined as “a property through which unification is brought about
between two things.”24 It means that there is already something
shared between the lover and the beloved, something on the basis of
which the affinity can be said to exist. This something must be
strengthened and perfected for the lover to attain his goal, which is
the disappearance of those attributes that prevent unification and
union. If there were no common factor shared between the two sides,
the lover could never make the beloved the object of his quest, for he
could never even gain knowledge of the beloved.
Qunawi writes, “It is inconceivable that one thing should love
another thing in the respect that that thing differs from it. It can only
love that thing as a result of the property of some meaning shared be­
tween the two of them, in respect of which an affinity is established
between them, an affinity which will lead to the domination of the
property of ،that which brings about unification’ over the property of
،that which brings about differentiation and separation.’ As a result
of knowledge and awareness of this affinity, the person who has this
knowledge and awareness will seek to remove totally the properties
of separation and to manifest the dominating force of ،that which
brings about unification.’ Then complete union will definitely fol­
low.”25
Now this love, which depends on an affinity between lover and
beloved and which results in union, stems from a Divine prototype. It
exists, and like all things that exist, it must derive from the very na­
ture of Being Itself. It must be one of the infinite ontological perfec­
tions.
The Divine prototype of love is expressed by means of the words
“I loved” (ahbabtu) in the famous hadith qudsi in which God says, “I
was a Hidden Treasure and I loved to be known. So I created the crea­
tures that I might be known.” The “Hidden Treasure” is an allusion
to the infinite ontological perfections of God, which, as we have said,
are summarized as the Names and Attributes.
Now the Essence Itself is nonentified. So the level to which the
pronoun “I” in “I loved” refers is the First Entification, within
which God’s Attributes are delimited, defined, and known. For if
God is to say “I was a Hidden Treasure,” He must have conscious­
ness of this Treasure. Thus God’s words refer to the level where we
can speak of His Self-Awareness, that is, His Knowledge. Moreover,

18
 INTRODUCTION

it is only here that we can speak of the “necessity” for creation, or of a

certain imperfection that needed to be overcome, for Being Itself is
“Independent of all the worlds” (Koran 111:97). In speaking of the
“mystery of ،1 loved,’ ” Qunawi remarks that the pronoun “I” refers
to the Lord (rabb), since the Lord by His very nature must have a vas­
sal (marbub) over which He can exercise His Lordship.26 In a similar
manner, Ibn al-،Arabi states that each Name and Attribute demands a
locus-of-manifestation within which its perfection may be displayed.
Hence the Divine Names “demand in themselves the existence of the
world.”27
In order to understand the significance of these remarks by
Qunawi and Ibn al-،Arabi, we should recall that love was defined as
“an inward inclination toward reaching a perfection.” If we say that
God possesses Love, are we not maintaining that He is somehow im­
perfect? The remarks of Ibn al-،Arabi and his disciple mean that
God’s Love does imply a certain “imperfection” from a certain rela­
tive point of view. But this imperfection is in truth a perfection and
the source for the appearance of all other perfections.
To review what we have already said, we should recall that a dis­
tinction must be made between God as such—the Essence, Nonenti­
fied Being—and God as He reveals Himself to us through His Names
and Attributes. Being in Its Nonentified Plenitude is perfect in every
sense, for It can lack nothing. All things, all perfections, are only Its
possibilities of Self-Manifestation actualized. In the words of another
of Qunawi’s disciples, Being is “that which is thing in every respect”
(ma buwa ash-shay' min kull wajh).28 All the infinite things that have
existed, do exist, and will exist are nothing but Being’s manifesta­
tions, precisely because they exist. Thus Being possesses all perfec­
tions—which are nothing but modes of existence—by Its very nature.
٦'o speak of It as “imperfect” is meaningless.
But when we examine Being as entified by the Attributes, that is,
at the level where we can say that God possesses such Names as “Liv­
ing, Knowing, Powerful, Creator, Loving,” a certain kind of theoreti­
cal imperfection can be envisaged, although it remains purely
theoretical and suppositional, since it can never be actualized. Each
Name taken as a reality in itself is different from the Essence, al­
though it is nothing but one of the Essence’s perfections. But viewed
in itself, it can be considered as possessing a certain difference from
Being as such. In other words, the “All-Forgiving” (al-ghafur) is noth­
ing but God, but God in His Essence is not identical with the

19
 INTRODUCTION

All-Forgiving in every respect, for He is also the “Vengeful” (al-mun-

taqim).
But Being is One. In the Essence there is no trace of multiplicity.
Only at the level of the First Entification can we speak of a potential
multiplicity, that is, the Names and Attributes envisaged as separate
realities. But here also God is One, each Name is identical in its exis­
tence with every other. So in order for the Names and Attributes of
God to be anything more than the potentialities of manifestation in­
herent within Being, in order for each perfection to be viewed in it­
self as an independent reality, in order for the Hidden Treasure to be
displayed, multiplicity must be manifested. As long as there is no cre­
ation—as long as the Hidden Treasure remains hidden and the Name
“Outwardly-Manifest” (az-zahir) remains latent—the properties of
God’s Names will not be able to show themselves. The Names can
have no actualized significance unless there is a world within which
each of them can display its properties and characteristics separate
from, as well as in combination with, the properties and characteris­
tics of the other Names.
So God’s Names would not be displayed if there were no cre­
ation. Each would remain identical with every other within the Di­
vine Unity. As a result, God’s Names would have no raison d'etre. For
if God is the “Creator,” it is so that He can have a creation. If He is
“Merciful,” it is so that He can exercise His Mercy. Ultimately—in
Ibn al-،Arabi’s terms—if he is “God” it is so that He can have some­
thing to be “god over” (ma'lub). So this perfection of the manifesta­
tion of His own Attributes is what God seeks to realize through His
“Love.” The “imperfection” from which He wishes to escape is the
nonmanifestation of His own Names and Attributes.
But, of course, there is a great difference between the “imperfec­
tion” implied by God’s Love and that implied by man’s love. God’s
“imperfection” is only our own mental construct based on the suppo­
sition that His Names might not have loci of manifestation within
which to display themselves. But they do have such loci, for the uni­
verse exists. And since God creates for all eternity—for He is the
“Creator” now and forever, His nature never changing—there is no
moment or time when He does not possess the perfection that is the
object of His Love.
Man and the other creatures, however, are in a constant flux and
undergo a perpetual movement toward their respective perfections.
The objects of their loves exist separately from them, and they can

20
 INTRODUCTION

attain these objects only through temporal becoming. From this point
of view we can speak in their case of true imperfection and an inward
inclination toward reaching a perfection they do not now possess. It
is only when man attains his true and ultimate Beloved, God, that he
can elude the process of becoming and find his perfection here and
now in the eternal present.
Ibn al Arabi and his followers speak about two Perfections God
possesses for all eternity. One is the “Essence-derived Perfection” (al-
katnal adh-dhati), which God possesses in Himself by His very nature
as Nondelimited Being. The other is the “Name-derived Perfection”
(al-katnal al-asma V), which requires that all the infinite ontological
perfections inherent in Nonentified Being become deployed and dis-
played in outward manifestation.29
Qunawi often refers to the object of God’s Love, that is, the
Name-derived Perfection, as the “Perfection of Distinct-Manifesta-
tion and Distinct-Vision” (katnal al-jala’ wa-l-istijlaT).3° The Perfec-
tion of Distinct-Manifestation is actualized when all the ontological
perfections inherent within Being (- the Hidden Treasure) receive
their full deployment. In other words, this perfection is for the Per-
feet Man to receive his full outward-manifestation through the de-
ployment of the Divine Presences as a result of the Second
Entification.
As for the Perfection of Distinct-Vision, it consists of the knowl-
edge and vision of the Hidden Treasure once it has become deployed.
But this knowledge entails several kinds of knowledge at once. First,
God’s Knowledge of the Hidden Treasure can be none other than His
Knowledge of Himself, since God is One. But at the actualization of
this perfection, this Knowledge has two dimensions: the Knowledge
of the Essence as such, or of the Inward; and the Knowledge of the
Hidden Treasure as deployed, or of the Outward. This “Outward”
becomes differentiated from God in any true sense only at the level of
creation. “Before” creation, it was one with Him in every way. But
“after” creation, it can be called “other than God” in respect of its
multiplicity and its separation from its source. Moreover, this “other”
possesses a certain reality of its own, which includes knowledge and
vision. So the Perfection of Distinct-Vision also means that the “oth-
er” must contemplate itself in itself inasmuch as it is differentiated
from its Source, and likewise it must contemplate God with its own
eye and with God’s eye as well.
So the other, which knows God both through its own vision and

21
 INTRODUCTION

God’s vision, can be no one but the Perfect Man. Only the Perfect
Man can know God as such, since only he is the mirror for the totality
of God’s Names and Attributes. In other words, only he has the scope
to perceive and thus to know every Attribute of God. All other enti-
ties can reflect and perceive only some of God’s Names. Or, if certain
entities can perceive all of them, they can do so only within a certain
ontological level, not within the full range of the deployment of the
Names.31 This is what Ibn a!-،Arabi and his followers are referring to
when they call the Perfect Man the “all-comprehensive generated-ex-
istent” (al-kawn al-jami،). The Perfect Man is “generated” since, at
least in his external form, he belongs to the world of generation and
corruption; or since he is a creature and not the Creator. And he is
“all-comprehensive” because he embraces, quite literally, all things,
from “God” to the tiniest atom.
It follows from what we have said that only the Perfect Man can
truly love God. For love is “an inclination toward reaching a perfec-
tion.” To truly love God means first of all to know that God as such is
the perfection one must reach, not God as He reveals Himself
through His Names and Attributes. Thus the Perfect Man is called
the “servant of Allah,” since the master whom he serves and loves is
none but the Essence of God, which is named by the All-Comprehen-
sive Name “Allah.”32 No Name and Attribute escapes the Perfect
Man’s gaze and attentiveness, for he is the mirror of Nondelimited
and Nonentified Being. He desires God as such, not God as the Merci-
ful, the Generous, the Bountiful. He is the mirror of Being as such,
not of the various perfections or Attributes that are inherent within
Being. Thus Qunawi says, “God cannot be the Sought or the Beloved
of anyone, save the Perfect Man.”33
Man’s capacity to love God in a total manner and to become the
Perfect Man in whom God contemplates His own Name-derived Per-
fection is referred to as man’s being the “vicegerent” (khahfah) of Al-
lah. It is the “trust” about which God says, “We offered the Trust to
the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to car-
ry it and were afraid of it; and man carried it” (Koran XXXIII:72).
Farghani writes:

When the First Theophany (: the First Entification) in its

totality and in the perfection of its all-comprehensiveness,
and in accordance with the property of its holy, Love-de-
rived motion, turned its Attentiveness toward the Perfection

22
 INTRODUCTION

of Self-Manifestation and Making-Manifest (i.e., making the

entities appear in outward manifestation), only the reality of
the First Isthmus-Nature (= the Perfect Man) was its com­
plete vehicle and mirror. . . . God refers to this when He
says, “We offered the Trust,” i.e., the receptivity for this the­
ophany in its totality, “to the heavens,” i.e., the higher
things (= the World of the Spirits), “and the earth,” i.e., the
lower things (= the World of Corporeal-Bodies), “and the
mountains,” i.e., what is between them (= the World of Im­
age-Exemplars), “but they refused to carry it,” because of
their need for the perfection of their receptivity in order to
bring about the perfection of Outward-Manifestation in a
complete manner. They lacked perfect preparednesses and
complete correspondence (mudahat) with the reality of that
Isthmus-Nature. “They were afraid of it,” i.e., they feared to
act as a receptacle for it, because they were delimited by the
properties of the Names (and not by the property of the All-
Comprehensive Name, which manifests Being as such).
“And man carried it,” because of his perfect receptivity and
total correspondence with the reality of that Isthmus-Na­
ture.34

Now the reality of love is one of the perfections inherent within

Being. And since, according to the Sufi saying, “Being descends with
all Its soldiers,” love pervades all things. Wherever anything exists,
love is there, inherent within the very nature of existence itself.
Wherever Being displays Its Radiance, love is busy inciting the exis-
tents toward the goal of all, the Perfection of Distinct-Manifestation
and Distinct-١٢ision.
For the goal of creation to be achieved, all of Being’s perfections
must be deployed within and realized by the Perfect Man. So all the
creatures must be actualized within the Divine Presences, since each
is a precondition for the actualization of the Perfect Man. Thus each
thing is God’s beloved, since each thing has its share to play in achiev­
ing the desired Perfection. In Qunawi’s words, “Whatever is neces­
sary to actualize the Sought is itself the Sought.”35 Whatever is
necessary to bring about the total deployment of God s Name-derived
Perfection is itself the object of God’s Love.
So love pervades all things. All motions and stillnesses, actions
and reactions, causes and effects—in short, each thing that exists and

23
 INTRODUCTION

every property and activity it displays—are derived from love. All

have a single goal: to manifest the full scope of their own ontological
possibilities and thus to deploy Being in Its Totality, or, in other
words, to bring about the Perfection of Distinct-Manifestation and
Distinct-Vision.
All derives from love. In Qunawi’s words, “When the theophany
of Love pervaded the entities, they sought from God the Outward-
Manifestation of their own realities and perfections. Hence this the­
ophany is the key to all the . . . motions which make the hidden things
manifest and which bring the archetypal-entities . . . out into actual­
ity.”36
Individual man has a special role to play in bringing about the
Name-derived Perfection. By the fact that he is a man, he manifests
the human reality, which is nothing but the First Entification in re­
spect of the Isthmus-Nature referred to above. But as long as man
does not travel on the Path of spiritual realization, as long as he does
not actualize all the potential perfections inherent within himself, he
will not be able to fulfill the role for which he was created. If he does
not reach the station of the Perfect Man, he will have failed to carry
the Trust.
Of course even those human beings who do not attain the station
of perfection still have a role to play, just as all creatures other than
man are necessary for the Name-derived Perfection to be actualized
in its totality. Farghani writes,

God placed man upon the throne of vicegerency and made

him a mirror of the Presence of Divinity and the Form of
the Sanctuary of Lordship.37 Then He made his elemental
form the primordial ground and the material for all the hu­
man forms. Some of these forms are desired in themselves,
like the Perfect Men among the messengers, prophets, and
great saints. And others are desired because of things outside
themselves. Some of the latter are like the causes and precon­
ditions for the entification of the constitution and form of
each Perfect Man, like their fathers and mothers. Others act
as organs and helpers (of the Perfect Men) by populating the
other levels and (spiritual) stations, like the rest of the saints
and the believers. And some are subjected to populating this
world and putting it in order, for Divine Wisdom has de­
creed that the Perfect Men can only reach the station of Per­

24
 INTRODUCTION

fection by means of this world. These last are the

commonality of people. This disparity (in the levels of men)
is a branch of the disparity that occurred at the primordial
ground, when the reality of Love became related to the
world and its inhabitants (i.e.١ at the level of the First Entifi-
cation and the archetypal-entities).38

In short, the beloved of all is the Perfection of Distinct-Manifes­

tation and Distinct-Vision, as a result of which the Perfect Man be­
comes a mirror embracing the full deployment of every ontological
perfection inherent within Being. And the beloved of the Perfect
Man is also this perfection, which is nothing but himself. But it is also
nothing but Being, for Being is One, and at this station all multiplic­
ity has been reintegrated into Unity. In every case the Beloved is
God’s perfection, or, rather, God Himself, for His perfection is noth­
ing but His One Being. The Circle has closed upon Itself, Unity has
been realized, but now within the framework of the total deployment
of Being’s perfections in Outward-Manifestation.
God is both Love and the Beloved. And since nothing exists but
His One Being, He is also the Lover. But usually by “lover” is meant
man the creature, or, in other words, man as God’s Self-Manifestation
still veiled from himself and before he has realized his potential per­
fection. Nevertheless, man is also the “beloved,” as was indicated
above, for only he can become the Perfect Man and thus actualize the
ultimate object of God’s Love.
Thus Qunawi writes,

The Beloved loves the lover because he is the cause of His

Distinct-X’ision of His own Perfection within him and the
locus within which the dominating-force of His Beauty exer­
cises its influence and spreads its properties. Therefore (man
is also) the beloved, (and he) is the mirror of the Lover. With­
in man God distinctly views His own Beauties, which were
latent in His Oneness before the locus-of-theophany (i.e., the
Perfect Man) became entified. For (before the manifestation
of God’s Name-derived Perfection), excessive proximity and
selfsameness veiled Him from that (i.e., from this Distinct-
١ ision). Then, when He gained a Distinct-٦٢ision of Himself
in something else—because of the actualization of a kind of
distance and differentiation . . . —and when He saw His

25
 INTRODUCTION

own Beauties in the locus-of-theophany, He loved them with

a love which would not have come to Him without the locus
and the differentiation referred to, because of the fact that
proximity and oneness acted as a veil, as we mentioned.39

The object of God’s Love is Himself; it is the manifestation of

His own Beauties and perfections, known as the “Hidden Treasure.”
Love then is God, the Lover is God, and the Beloved is God. All are
One. Moreover, wherever a lover and beloved appear within creation,
they display this oneness. In all cases, love, the lover and the beloved
are ultimately one, for Being is One. So a lover loves the manifes­
tation of his own attributes, just as God loves the Perfection of
Distinct-Manifestation and Distinct-Vision. Every man is a “tran­
scription of Being” {nuskhat al-wujud), so within him all God’s Attri­
butes are embraced. For just this reason, he is potentially a Perfect
Man. So when man loves something, he loves only himself, that is, his
own attributes and ontological perfections as reflected in the beloved.
He may love them in God—for God is his very reality, his very Self—
or he may love them in the creatures, which also manifest man’s own
reality, that is, Being as such.
This is why Qunawi writes, “Every lover in reality loves only
himself. But the form of the beloved stands before him as a mirror in
which he contemplates himself in respect of complete affinity and
spiritual parallelism (muhadhat). So what is called ‘beloved’ is a pre­
condition for the lover’s love of himself.”40 Love can take place only
through the mutual parallelism and affinity that exists between lover
and beloved, each of which reflects the other. Ultimately, this is be­
cause the prototype of all love—that is, God’s love for His Name-
derived Perfection—is based on just such a duality.
But the end of love is unity. In the last analysis, God and the Per­
fect Man are One, for Being is One. We can even say that God as the
“Inward” is the Essence or Being as such, whereas God as the “Out­
ward” is the Perfect Man or Being deployed. And God “is the Out­
ward and the Inward” (Koran LVIL3).

DIVINE AND HUMAN LOVE

In discussions of Persian poetry, the question of whether the po­
etical images employed are only symbols or, on the contrary, repre­
sent “real” things is often raised. Is the poet a mystic or a profane

26
 INTRODUCTION

man, or has he perhaps employed two points of view in his poetry?41

From our analysis of ‘Iraqi’s ideas, the reader may have concluded
that as a poet and author ‘Iraqi—at least in the Lama‘at—concerns
himself only with “mystical love.”
But this is a premature judgment A careful examination of our
discussion and of the Lamdat itself will illustrate the fact that ‘Iraqi—
like Qunawi, Farghani, and other members of Ibn al-‘Arabi’s
school—is not discussing mystical love, nor profane love, nor both to­
gether, at least not in any exclusive sense. He is discussing love as
such, in all the forms it may take, whether “mystical love” (man’s love
for God), “profane love” (man’s love for woman or vice versa), “alle­
gorical love” Lishq-i majazi—love for God as contemplated within His
Self-Manifestation in the form of woman), Divine Love (God’s love
for man and the creatures), “creaturely love” (the love of each crea­
ture for its own perfection), or any other phenomenon that may be
properly called “love.”42 Each of these is nothing but Nondelimited
Love, which has become entified and delimited in keeping with the
receptacle within which It manifests Itself.
When Ibn al-‘Arabi and his followers speak of “Being,” they do
not mean the Being of God as opposed to that of the creatures, or vice
versa. They mean Being as such, in all the forms it may take, without
exception. For them the “science of Being” is the science of all sci­
ences, since nothing but Being is. If someone can understand this sci­
ence, he has understood the principle of everything. To grasp the
nature of Being Itself is to grasp the nature of all that exists.
“Love” is one of the primary attributes of Being, which means
that whatever exists must participate in it, just as it must participate
in Being. To understand the nature of Love and its myriad self-mani­
festations is to grasp the nature of Being Itself, for the two are in fact
one.
Of course one may still want to maintain that ‘Iraqi is speaking
basically of a “mystical” concept of love. This is true enough, provid­
ed one remembers the close relationship between the words “mysti­
cism” and “mystery.” If a mystic is one who has knowledge of the
“mysteries,” then certainly ‘Iraqi’s concept of love is “mystical. In
Ibn al-‘Arabi’s school the Arabic term that may best be translated as
“mystery” (sirr) is practically equivalent to “archetypal-entity.” I he
mysteries of things are hidden from all but God and the greatest
prophets and saints. Qunawi defines a thing’s mystery as its inward
and unseen reality. He says that when we come to understand some­

27
 INTRODUCTION

thing’s mystery, we have understood its fundamental nature and

those of its inward dimensions that are concealed from its observed
and outward existence. “Whoever knows a thing’s mystery knows the
cause and the peculiarity of that thing. He knows the primordial-
ground of its source, the reason for its properties and its outward
manifestation, and its hidden and evident concomitants.”43 More­
over, true knowledge of something’s mystery means that man must
have a direct vision of that thing as it is in itself, that is, a suprara-
tional knowledge that derives from “unveiling.”44
The teachings of Ibn al-‘Arabi’s school on Being or on Love per­
tain to the “mystery” of these realities, and hence we may call these
figures “mystics.” But in no way does this imply a sentimental or ir­
rational—which is quite different from suprarational—attitude on
their part. Nor does it mean they ignore or are unconcerned with the
phenomena of this world. In their eyes, love is love, whether it is love
for God or love for the human form. God’s love for the Perfection of
Distinct-Manifestation and Distinct-Vision is the source of all other
loves, it is the “mystery” of love. Whoever truly understands it will
understand “the reason for love’s properties and its outward manifes­
tation (in all the forms it may assume), and its hidden and evident
concomitants.”
In short, the reader must remember that ،Iraqi’s discussion is not
limited to love for God or love for the human form. He is analyzing
unqualified and nondelimited love, not love of any specific kind. In
whatever manner we may be concerned with love, the treatise will be
of relevance to us and will serve to turn our attention toward love’s
very Essence.

NOTES
1. The Sufis of Ibn al-،Arabi’s school employ the term “intellect” in
two basic senses, which one can usually distinguish in English by the use of
capital and small letters. Thus the “Intellect” is the first creation of God, also
called the “Holy Spirit” or the “Supreme Pen.” It possesses direct knowledge
of the realities of all things, which it contemplates in God. Then the “intel­
lect” is the microcosmic reflection of this reality within man, as will become
clear below when the Five Divine Presences are discussed. Through different
degrees of identification with its own source, man’s intellect can come to
have direct knowledge of the realities of things as they are known by God.
This knowledge is referred to as “unveiling.” But to avoid confusion between
unveiling and the rational, discursive function of the intellect, the Sufis nor­

28
 INTRODUCTION

mally employ the word “intellect” in a pejorative sense, alluding to the limit­
ed powers of man’s comprehension as such, cut off from divine illumination.
When they do employ the term in a positive sense, they are invariably speak­
ing about the “First Intellect” or the “intellects,” i.e., the Spirits or angels.
Rumi summarizes their reasons for avoiding the term “intellect” to refer to a
positive human function in his verse, “The particular intellect has disgraced
the Intellect” (Mathnawi V:463).
All of this helps to explain why in Islam there is no fundamental opposi­
tion between “intellect” and “unveiling,” or in more Western terms, between
“logic” and “mysticism.” The Sufis do not deny the findings of the intellect;
they only claim that it is inadequate to reach the fundamental truth about
things without outside guidance, i.e., first revelation, and then unveiling.
They do not deny the teachings of the Peripatetic philosophers in principle;
rather, they accept those data for the comprehension of which the unaided
intellect is “adequate” (in the Thomist sense). But at the same time they hold
that many of the philosophers’ teachings are invalid, since they concern mat­
ters that transgress the intellect’s natural limits. See W. C. Chittick, “Mysti­
cism vs. Philosophy in Earlier Islamic History: The al-Tusi, al-Qunawi
Correspondence,” Religious Studies 17 (1981): pp. 87-104.
2. See the forthcoming book tentatively called Ascendant Stars of Faith:
The Sufism of Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi, by W. C. Chittick, especially the first
treatise translated there, in which Qunawi presents the Sufi point of view
concerning these matters.
3. See W. C. Chittick, “The Last Will and Testament of Ibn al-،Arabi’s
Foremost Disciple and Some Notes on Its Author,” Sophia Perennis, IV, no. 1
(Spring 1978): 43-58; also Ascendant Stars, chap. 3.
4. A translation and analysis of Ghazzali’s work is being prepared by
Nasrollah Pourjavady. Part of what is said here about the relationship be­
tween ،Iraqi and Ghazzali is based on discussions with Pourjavady.
5. See the chapter “Knowledge and Love” in T. Burckhardt, An Intro­
duction to Sufi Doctrine (Lahore, 1950).
6. Qunawi, Tahsirat al-mubtadi wa tadhkirat al-muntahi, part I, 1; trans­
lated in Ascendant Stars.
7. See W. C. Chittick, “Sadr al-Din Qunawi on the Oneness of Being,”
International Philosophical Quarterly 21 (1981): pp. 171-184.
8. In order that the present discussion be kept within bounds, certain
statements will be made that would obviously need much more clarification
were a complete philosophical exposition of the subject at hand being at­
tempted. But that is hardly the purpose of the present work. The whole of
the enormously fruitful philosophical tradition of Islam, especially after Ibn
al-،Arabi, concerns itself largely with clarifying the nature of Being. Such fig­
ures as Ibn Turkah Isfahan¡, Mulla Sadra, Sabziwari, and dozens of others
concerned themselves primarily with delimiting and defining this most non­
delimited and undefinable of all realities.

29
 INTRODUCTION

One of the most important discussions with which many of these figures
occupied themselves was proving that Being is not a mental construct, but is
rather “principial” (asil). It is concretely existent in Itself in the most real of
all senses and is the source of all that exists. Jami devotes part of the introduc-
tion of his commentary on the present work to proving that “Being” is not an
abstract term. On the importance of the discussion of Being in Islamic philos-
ophy, see T. Izutsu, The Concept and Reality of Existence (Tokyo, 1971); and H.
Corbin, Le livre des pénétrations métaphysiques (Téhéran-Paris, 1964).
9. See the commentary on Flashes VII, X and XXIV.
10. One should qualify this statement by recalling that there are also
“impossible things,” i.e., imaginary things that because of the very nature of
Being cannot exist outside of the mind.
11. Jami, Naqd an-nusus, ed. w. c. Chittick (Tehran, 1977), pp. 26, 84.
12. See Ascendant Stars, Glossary: NAME.
13. An-Nusus, appended to Kashani’s Sharh manazil as-sa'irin (Tehran,
13 15/1897-1898), p. 296; also appended to Ibn Turkah’s Tarnhid al-qawa ،id
(Tehran, 1316/1898-1899), p. 212; the same passage also occurs in Qunawi’s
Miftah al-ghayb, on the margin of al-Fanari’s Misbah al-ins (Tehran,
1323/1905-1906), p. 79.
14. See Ascendant Stars: ISTHMUS.
15. The whole discussion of the First and Second Entifications, the var-
ious names by which each may be called, and the distinction between the two
in the views of different Sufis is exceedingly complex. In the above para-
graphs we have largely followed Jami’s introduction to his commentary on
the Lamalat, which itself is based primarily upon the views of Sa’iduddin
Farghani, whose writings are based explicitly on Qunawi’s lectures. Qunawi
himself does not discuss these points systematically in his works, but he does
allude to them. His most explicit discussion is found in Tahrir al-bayanfi taq-
rir sbu،ab al-iman ‫آة‬١‫ة‬ al-Hadiyab (,see Ascendant Stars‫ ؛‬OtVet mevnbers o‫ا ؟‬١‫ألد‬
a!-،Arabi’s school often treat the various levels of entification differently. In
particular, it is common for them to identify the First and Second Entifica-
tions with the levels of ahadiyyah and wahidiyyah respectively.
16. For further discussion of the Perfect Man, although not completely
within the context of Qunawi’s teachings, see w. c. Chittick, “The Perfect
Man as the Prototype of the Self in the Sufism of Jami,” Studia Islamica 49,
(1979): 135-157.
17. For a much more thorough development of this concept and the dif-
ferent forms it takes, see w. c. Chittick, “The Five Divine Presences: From
al-Qunawi to al-Qaysari,” Studia Islamica, forthcoming.
18. Tjaz al-bayanfi tafsir umm al-Qur'an (Hyderabad-Deccan, 1368/1949),
p. 113; also as at-Tafsir as-suft li-1-Qur'an, ed. A. A. ‘Ata’ (Cairo, 1389/1969), p.
221.
19. Depending on the point of view and the context, the term “Unseen”
may be wider in scope, in which case its correlative “Visible” will be narrow­

30
 INTRODUCTION

er. The same sort of relationship holds true for many correlative terms. See
the commentary on Flash VIII.
20. The term “entity” is the most common expression in Ibn al-،Arabi’s
school for what is called a “quiddity” (mabiyyah) by most of the Moslem phi­
losophers. Practically all of Islamic philosophy—especially the later schools—
devotes a good deal of attention to the question of the distinction between be­
ing (or existence) and quiddity.
21. See the commentary on Flashes X and XXI. Qunawi refers to this
station as the “Point at the Center of the Circle” (nuqtah wasat ad-ddirab). See
Ascendant Stars: CIRCLE.
22. Ijaz al-bayan, p. 112/220. On the translation of the hadith employing
“is” instead of “was,” see Ibn al-‘Arabi’s remarks quoted by Jami, Naqd an-
nusus, p. 93, note 96.
23. Mashariq ad-darari, ed. S. J. Ashtiyani (Mashhad, 1357/1978), p. 606.
24. Qunawi, an-Nafahat al-ilahiyyah (Tehran, 1316/1898-1899), p. 220.
25. Ibid., pp. 64-65.
26. Miftab al-ghayb, p. 150.
27. W. C. Chittick, “Ibn al-‘Arabi’s own Summary of the Fusus: ،The
Imprint of the Bezels of Wisdom,’ ” Sophia Perennis 1, no. 2 (Autumn 1975):
88-128; 2, no. 1 (Spring 1976): 67-106 (1, no. 2, p. 94).
28. ،Afifuddin at-Tilimsani, Sharh al-fusus, “al-fass al-ibrahimi,” Ms. §e-
hid Ali Pas٠a 1248 (Siileymaniye Library, Istanbul).
29. See Qunawi, an-Kusus, p. 287/199; also Farghani, Mashariq ad-darari,
p. 17.
30. See Ijaz al-bayan, pp. 1 18/226-128/236, where Qunawi describes in
detail the whole process of creation and its relation to Love in terms of this
perfection.
31. Each of the Presences reflects all of God’s Names and Attributes, but
in a limited manner, since it can reflect them only at its own ontological lev­
el. Thus, for example, the Universal Intellect—also called the “Supreme Pen”
and identified with the archangel Gabriel—embraces all that exists, but only
at the level of the Spiritual World. Things that become manifest in ontologi­
cal levels below it are embraced by it only in principle. It always remains
transcendent in relation to the World of Image-Exemplars and the World of
Corporeal-Bodies, since its level is that of Intellect and Spirit. It may become
manifest in the lower worlds, but in itself it does not enter into them.
32. On the importance of this Name in this respect, see Chittick, “The
Perfect Man.”
33. Miftab al-ghayb, p. 256.
34. Mashariq ad-darari, p. 57. See Ascendant Stars: TRUST; also, “ I he
Perfect Man.”
35. Al-Fukuk, on the margin of Kashani’s Sharh manazil as-sa'irin (Teh­
ran, 1315/1897-1898), p. 227.
36. Ijaz al-bayan, pp. 122/230-123/231.

31
 INTRODUCTION

37. The reader should remember the famous hadith: “God created Adam
upon his own Form.” See “The Perfect Man.”
38. Mashariq ad-darari, p. 52.
٦9. An-Nafabat al-ilabi ah, p.
40. rjaz al-bayan, p. 210/324.
41. See A. Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam (Chapel Hill, N.C.,
1975), pp. 288ff.
42. Jami classifies the different kinds of love in his Lawami،.
43. rjaz al-bayan, p. 245/359-360.
44. See Flash VIII; also Ascendant Stars: UNVEILING.

32
II The Life of ،Iraqi1

Fakhruddin Ibrahim, called ،Iraqi,2 was born in the village of Ka-

majan near the city of Hamadan about 610/1213. His ancestors had
been men of knowledge and culture. A month before his birth, his fa­
ther dreamed of ،Ali ibn Abi ٢٢alib (the son-in-law of the Prophet Mu­
hammad, fourth caliph of Sunni Islam and the first imam of Shi’ite
Islam, and after the Prophet the model par excellence for all Sufis). ،Ali
stood with a gathering of saints in a garden. Someone came forward
and placed a child on the ground in front of ،Ali, who picked it up;
then, calling the father to him, ،Ali gave the child to him and said,
“Take our ،Iraqi and raise him well, for he will be a world-conquer­
or!” The father woke from his sleep with joy. “When ،Iraqi was
born”, he related, “I looked at his face and realized that he appeared
to be the very child of my dream.”
At the age of five, the boy was sent to school. In nine months he
had memorized the entire Koran, and in the evenings he would recite
in a sweet voice the portion that had been his task that day, some­
times weeping, until all who heard his melodious voice grew sad and
restless. The neighbors were fascinated by him, and could hardly
wait each evening for his recitation. A group of children, too, had lost
their hearts to him, and he to them. He could not rest quiet one mo­
ment without them. Each day when they were free from school, they
would run off after ،Iraqi. By the time he was eight he was famous
throughout Hamadan. Every day after the afternoon prayer he would
recite from the Koran, and great numbers of people would gather to
listen.
One day at the mosque he happened to be reciting the Surah
Taha, his portion for the day. A number of non-Muslims were pass­
ing by just at the moment he reached the verse, “And so do We re­
ward the prodigal, who believeth not in the signs of his Lord. Surely,

33
 INTRODUCTION

the punishment of the world to come is more severe and enduring”

(XX: 127). Three of them suddenly stopped to listen, then were drawn
into the mosque, and finally fell at ‘Iraqi’s feet and joyfully accepted
Islam at his hands. The entire population of the city assembled, pa­
raded the converts with great honor through the streets, and offered
them money. They refused to accept even a penny, however, but re­
turned home and expounded the faith to their relatives and children,
five of whom were likewise converted.
By the age of seventeen ،Iraqi had learned all the sciences, both
the “transmitted” and the “intellectual,” and had already begun to
teach others.3
One day it happened that a company of wandering dervishes or
“Kalandars” came to the city.4 They began to hold one of their meet­
ings, and with sweet melody to chant the following verses:

We’ve moved our bedrolls from the mosque to the

tavern of ruin;
we’ve scribbled over the page of asceticism and
erased all miracles of piety.
Now we sit in the ranks of lovers in the
Magi’s lane
and drink a cup from the hands of the
dissolute haunters of the tavern.
If the heart should beat the drum of
respectability now, why not?
For we’ve raised the flag of our fortune
to high heaven.
We’ve passed beyond all self-denial, all
mystical “stations”;
after all, have we not drained from all those states
the cup of hardship?

،Iraqi beheld this wild crew, and the flame of love caught at the hay­
stack of his reason and consumed it. He tore off his turban and robe
(the dress of the theological student) and gave them to the Kalandars,
saying:

How if my bosom friend, my beloved,

my intimate, how sweet, if it were you.

34
 INTRODUCTION

If you compounded a medicine for my heart,

racked with pain, if you cured my soul, how sweet.
I would swell so with joy the earth could not hold me
if for just one moment you would drink my grief.
My affairs are difficult, but how simple
this business would be, if you’d mix yourself in it.
Let the whole world declare war on me,
what would 1 fear, with you to defend me?
Like a dawn nightingale I weep and weep at a perfume
which hints that you might become my rose.
Should I ever describe the beauty of a face like a moon
or refer to cheeks traced with tresses, I’ll write of you
and whether I mention your name or not
you’ll be the target of all my words.
I—‘Iraqi—am binding my heart to you
for 1 want you, you, as my beloved.

After some time, the Kalandars left Hamadan and set out for Is­
fahan. No sooner had they vanished than ،Iraqi was overcome with
longing for them. He began by throwing away all his books:

From all of the Great Remembrances he gleaned only

forgetfulness!
As for grammar, he declared it yammer!
Avicenna’s Allusions he branded delusions!
The Signs of Exoteric Revelation became The Mysteries of Esoteric
Interpretation!
As for the Container of All, he emptied it!
As for The Compendium of Details—he overlooked them!
As for The Garden of Astronomers, the only fruit he plucked
therein was The Games of Lovers\5

And the tongue of rational discourse he transmuted to the lan­

guage of spiritual ecstasy. In short, like one already detached from the
world he set off in pursuit of those wanderers, and had walked two
miles when he caught up with them. Whereupon he recited:

I have seen that the lane of piety stretches out,

far, far into the distance;

35
 INTRODUCTION

My dearest friends, can you not show me then

the way of the madman?
Bring me a glass of Magian wine
that I may drink deep
for I have given up all thought
of ascetic piety;
or if the pure wine has all been downed
bring me the cloudy dregs
for thick residue lights up the heart
and illuminates the eyes.
Tuppence for the Sufi meeting house!
I flee the company of the righteous;
fill up a row of glasses with wine
and bring me the first.
I have no rules or regulations,
nor heart nor religion—
only I remain, and you, sitting in the corner,
and the wealth of Poverty.
All fear of God, all self-denial I deny;
bring wine, nothing but wine
for in all sincerity I repent
my worship which is but hypocrisy.
Yes, bring me wine, for I have
renounced all renunciation
and all my vaunted self-righteousness
seems to me but swagger and self-display.
Now for a time let my proof be wine
against the sorrow of Time
for only in drunkenness can one be free
of the hour’s grief.
Once I am thoroughly drunk, what difference
if I end up in a church or in Mecca?
Once I’ve abandoned myself, what matter
if I win Union—or separation?
I’ve been to the gambling house and seen
that the losers there are pure;
I’ve been to the monastery and have found
no one but hypocrites.
Now I’ve broken my repentance, at least
do not break our covenant:

36
 INTRODUCTION

at least welcome this broken heart and say

“How are you? Where have you been?’’
I’ve been to Mecca, to circle the Kaaba
but they refused me entrance
saying “Off with you! What merit have you earned
outside, that we should admit you within?”
Then, last night, I knocked
at the tavern door;
from within came a voice: “ ،Iraqi! Come in!
for you are one of the chosen!”

The Kalandars received him with great joy. At once they sat him
down, shaved his hair and eyebrows (an offense against pious custom)
and, in short, made him one color with themselves. He continued
with them on their wanderings through Persia, and eventually to In­
dia.
In Multan (in what is now Pakistan) they stopped for a time at
the hospice of Shaykh Baha’uddin Zakariyya’ Multani. He was the
head of the Suhrawardi Order, and the direct successor of Shihabud-
din Suhrawardi of Baghdad (539/1145-632/1234; the second great
Suhrawardi master). Baha’uddin was born in 578/1182 in Multan, de­
scendant of the Meccan tribe, the Quraysh, to which the Prophet be­
longed. He was already a man of great spiritual attainment when,
while returning overland from a pilgrimage to Mecca, he met Shiha-
buddin Suhrawardi in Baghdad and was initiated by him. After a pe­
riod of following the discipline of the Suhrawardiyyah Order, Ba­
ha’uddin received in a dream a mantle or cloak from the Throne of
God, and on waking from sleep, actually found it on himself. In most
cases, Sufi masters receive such cloaks from their own masters as a
mark of their spiritual rank when they are appointed as their succes­
sors. But according to this account, Baha’uddin’s station was so exalt­
ed that his mandate to be a master derived directly from God without
any intermediary. Of course the account goes on to say that in the
same night, he was also appointed as a master by Suhrawardi, who
gave him two more cloaks, one handed down from the Prophet him­
self, and the other Suhrawardi’s own. In an ecstatic vision Baha’uddin
received from God the titles of Qutb (Pole of the Age), Gbawtb (Sup­
port of Islam), and even two names usually reserved for God Himself:
Kabir (the Great) and Munir (the Enlightener).
When Baha’uddin returned to Multan, the Suhrawardiyyah Or­

37
 INTRODUCTION

der had already been introduced to India, but under his leadership it
took root and spread. He was extremely wealthy, and kept court like
a nobleman; this was in contrast to the more austere style of other In­
dian orders, such as the Chishtiyyah. No one ever criticized Baha’ud-
din himself for this elegance, for his greatness and spiritual rank were
undisputed; but it is true that the Suhrawardiyyah never gained a
wide following among the populace and today is very small.6
،Iraqi and his companions were given hospitality by Shaykh Ba-
ha’uddin, and had the honor of kissing his hand. The saint, looking
over the crew of Kalandars, at once fastened his gaze on ،Iraqi as if he
seemed to recognize the youth. “That young man has complete and
total ،preparedness,’ ” he remarked to his close disciple, ،Imaduddin.
“He should remain with us.” ،Iraqi himself felt a great attraction for
the saint, but did not want to stay; he urged his companions to leave
as quickly as possible, saying, “Just as a magnet draws iron, so the
Shaykh will capture me. We must go at once!”
So they departed, and came to Delhi, where they stayed awhile.
After a time they grew bored with Delhi and decided to leave for
Somnath. But on the sixth day of their journey a great storm blew up,
and ،Iraqi with one other companion became separated from the rest.
In longing for his friends, ،Iraqi wept copiously and recited:

Where is the intimate of my soul

who drinks my grief?
Where is that desire
of all the world?
that soul of the world? that Witness
of the spirit of men and djinn?
Ah! bewildered and mad with love am I:
where is that sweet friend?

After wandering for a day and a night they found themselves in the
morning back at the gates of Delhi. They waited for some days in the
city, but when no news of their companions reached them, ،Iraqi re­
solved to return to Shaykh Baha’uddin, and spoke with his compan­
ion about his intention. The Kalandar however refused to accompany
him, saying that he preferred to remain in Delhi.
When ،Iraqi arrived back at the hospice in Multan, the saint re­
ceived him, but chided him: ،، ،Iraqi, you fled from us!” ،Iraqi replied:

38
 INTRODUCTION

My heart will not

for an instant
flee from you
for how can the body
wrench itself
from the soul?
The nursemaid
of your kindness
folded me in its arms;
Even before my mother
it fed me with
a hundred kinds of milk.

At once the Shaykh directed him to make a forty-day retreat, and set
him in a cell. For ten days he sat, and saw no one. But on the eleventh
day, overcome by ecstasy, he wept aloud and sang:

First wine that filled the cup

they borrowed from the saki’s drunken eyes
and finding themselves still among revellers
poured out the bowl of selflessness.
What fell from the grail—
her redstained lips—they called “lovers’ wine.”
And of her dark curls made a net
for the hunt of the hearts of the world.
They pounded and mixed the pain
of the universe and called it “love”.
The tips of idols’ tresses never ceased to stir—
so much did they agitate the lovers’ hearts.
For drunkards’ candies they gather
pista from lips, almonds from eyes;
from that mouth so to be praised
the love-sick garner but abuse.
This hall has room for good and bad
one cup for vulgar and Elect alike;
these glances speak epics to the soul
these eyebrows signal gospel to the heart.
Lovelocks set a trap
each breath finds its prey ...

39
 INTRODUCTION

Behind the screen discussing secrets

then openly revealing all—
They are so free with their treasures—
why then should they blame ‘Iraqi?

Some of the other dervishes happened to overhear him, and at once

ran and told the master what was going on. The Suhrawardi rule was
strict, and limited its adherents to ordinary pious activities. Certain
dervishes were already suspicious of the wild Kalandar youth, and
this new outrage upset them even more. But the master, after listen­
ing to their complaints, told them, “Such behavior may be prohibited
to you—but not to him!”
A few days later, the chief disciple, ‘Imaduddin, was passing
through the bazaar when he heard ،Iraqi’s poem being chanted to the
accompaniment of music, which is frowned on by many of those who
uphold the letter of the religious law.7 Passing by the forbidden tav­
erns, he found the same thing: Somehow the poem had “escaped”
from ،Iraqi’s retreat, and become a hit in the less respectable quarters
of the city. He returned to the master and reported what he had
heard, and recited the last line of the poem. “His business is fin­
ished!” exclaimed the master; and he immediately got up and strode
to the door of ،Iraqi’s cell.
،، ،Iraqi!” he called. “Do you say your prayers in taverns? Come
out!” The poet emerged from his cell, and weeping laid his head at
the master’s feet. But Shaykh Baha’uddin raised ،Iraqi’s head from the
dust, and would not let him return to his cell. The youth recited:

In the street of wineshops, when

should I pray? since my
drunkenness and sobriety alike
are all the same as prayer.
There, no one accepts the coin
of righteousness, piety and self-denial:
The only good currency in that street
is beggary.
None but the drunkard knows
the tavern’s secrets—
how could the sober unveil
the mysteries of that street?

40
 INTRODUCTION

As soon as I met those

cunning haunters of the wineshop
I realized that other work than theirs
is nothing but a fable.
Do you want a guided tour
of the Mecca of Love?
Come, sit in the tavern, for the trip
to Arabia is long and tedious.
They refused me entrance at first
at the wineshop
so I went to the monastery
and found an open door—but
I heard a voice from within the tavern
crying, ،، ،Iraqi!
Open the door for yourself, for the gates
of drunkenness are always agape!”

At once the Shaykh took off his cloak and dressed ‘Iraqi in it. He also
betrothed his own daughter to him, and the marriage was celebrated
the same evening. Of this union a son was born, named Kabiruddin.
،Iraqi remained in Multan in the service of Baha’uddin for twen­
ty-five years. During this time he continued to compose poetry, and
his reputation grew—and survives to this day in the whole Persian­
speaking world, including India. He was never very prolific, and his
entire collected works can be contained in a single average-sized vol­
ume.8 Aside from his shorter works, which consist mostly of brief
lyrics and quatrains, he wrote a longer anecdotal poem called the
‘Usbshaq-namah,9 which he dedicated to Shamsuddin Juwayni the vi­
zier, whom he met in Turkey near the end of his life, as we shall see.
But his great masterpiece is the present work, the Lama'at, which he
also composed later in Turkey. Long philosophical treatises or ex­
tended narratives were not his forte, and he is loved precisely for his
light touch, his musicality, his daring and even shocking imagery, and
his ability to express the most profound Sufi teachings in a vivid and
simple style.
At last, Shaykh Baha’uddin felt his death approaching. He sent
for ،Iraqi and appointed him his successor in the Order; he then (in
666/1267-1268) passed over to the divine mercy. His magnificent
tomb can still be visited in Multan today.

41
 INTRODUCTION

When the other dervishes realized that ‘Iraqi had been set over
them, they were inflamed with jealousy and hatred. Among them­
selves they plotted, and chose messengers to present their accusations
to the sultan.10 “This ‘Iraqi,” the messengers said, “whom the saint
has been misled into choosing as his successor, does not preserve the
rule, but spends his time reciting poetry in the company of young
boys.”
The sultan, who had long hated and feared the power of the Or­
der, seized this opportunity to wreak vengeance and assert his con­
trol. He sent a messenger with an order for ‘Iraqi to appear at court,
but the poet at once decided to leave Multan. He said his farewells to
the dervishes; heedless of those who sought his life, a few of his
friends, men of purity and faith, determined to accompany his flight.
So the band set out to the coast, where they embarked by sea, intend­
ing to go to Mecca.11
They arrived in Oman, and news of their approach reached the
ears of the sultan of that country—for ‘Iraqi’s reputation had preced­
ed him. The sultan happily prepared to receive the travelers, and
with a company of nobles went out to meet them. When they arrived
the sultan served them drinks with his own hand, set ‘Iraqi on his
own horse, and led the companions with honor and respect to the
city. There the sultan lodged them in his own hospice, where they
were well looked after. ‘Iraqi was appointed chief shaykh of the dis­
trict, and was waited on by all the local divines, Sufis, and men of pi­
ety, who came—as it were—to test their own currency against the
touchstone of his presence.
Time went by, and the travelers had recovered from the fatigue
of their journey; and since the season of the Pilgrimage to Mecca was
now approaching, they begged the sultan for permission to depart.
They saw that he was unwilling to let them go, so, putting their trust
in God, they set forth in secret. The sultan heard of this, and attempt­
ed to follow them; but as he mounted his horse the beast stumbled
and threw him. So he stayed; but sent some of his officials after ‘Ira­
qi’s party with gifts of cash. The sultan ordered them to explain his
desires to ‘Iraqi and try to persuade him to return. If he agreed, good.
If not, then (he told them) they must give these poor gifts to the poet’s
servants, to provide for the journey. But while the messengers went
one way, ،Iraqi and his party went another.
Wherever they went, they were received with honor. At last they
joined the caravan to Mecca, donned the Pilgrim’s robes and per­

42
 INTRODUCTION

formed the Rites. While in Mecca and Medina (where he spent three
nights at the Prophet’s tomb), ‘Iraqi composed several odes, one on
Divine Unity, and one in praise of Mohammed. Finally they bade
farewell to the sacred lands—though three of the party decided to re­
main there—and joined a Syrian caravan setting out for Damascus.
From Damascus ‘Iraqi and two companions traveled north into
Turkey (called “Rum,” or Rome, because it had been the seat of the
Byzantine Empire), and eventually landed in Konya. Here he had the
chance to meet two of the most outstanding Sufis of his own time,
and indeed of all times: Sadruddin Qunawi (d. 673/1274) and Maw-
lana Jalaluddin Rumi (d. 672/1273). ‘Iraqi was on good terms with
Rumi—in fact, some of Rumi’s disciples were later to number ‘Iraqi
among Rumi’s devotees. He often attended Rumi’s sessions of music,
poetry, and dancing (which undoubtedly influenced his own spiritual
and creative work); and he is known to have attended Rumi’s funeral
ceremonies. After moving to Tokat, ‘Iraqi would often speak of
Rumi; he would sigh and say, “No one ever understood him as he
should have been understood. He came into the world a stranger, and
left it a stranger”.12 But with Qunawi he established a much closer
relationship: for ‘Iraqi, Qunawi was to become a second master, who
shaped him intellectually as much as Baha’uddin had shaped him
spiritually.
Sadruddin Qunawi was the son of a famous and outstanding Sufi
shaykh of Konya named Majduddin, known as “The Teacher of Sul­
tans” because of his friendship with the ruler of the city. Majduddin
was a companion and admirer of the great Andalusian shaykh Mu-
hyi’uddin ibn al-‘Arabi. When Majduddin died, his widow (Qunawi’s
mother) married Ibn al-‘Arabi, who came to consider the youth as his
own son. Ibn al-‘Arabi bestowed on Qunawi his full spiritual atten­
tion, and eventually named him his Khalifah or chosen successor.13
Qunawi was simultaneously the disciple of another of Ibn al-
‘Arabi’s favorite companions, the Suhrawardi shaykh Awhaduddin
Kirmani (d. 635/1238),14 who also treated Qunawi as a close disciple.
Qunawi’s association with Kirmani lasted some fifteen or sixteen
years. Qunawi always used to say, “I have drunk milk from the
breasts of two mothers”—meaning Ibn aI-‘Arabi and Kirmani—and
in his last will and testament he asked to be buried in the robe of Ibn
al-‘Arabi and laid out on the prayer carpet of Kirmani. The mingled
influence of these two shaykhs in Qunawi would have appealed to
‘Iraqi; for while Ibn al-‘Arabi was a unique combination of ecstatic

43
 INTRODUCTION

visionary and profound “theosopher,” Kirmani was a poet and lover

in ،Iraqi’s own special style.
Furthermore, ‘Iraqi would have felt at home in Qunawi’s pres­
ence. Undoubtedly the fact that Qunawi had a Suhrawardi initiation
must have appealed to him. Moreover, Qunawi was in many ways
very like Shaykh Baha’uddin Zakariyya’ Multani: both a Sufi and a
master of religious law and traditions. In fact, Qunawi was the chief
shaykh of Konya, and his household was rather aristocratic.
All this was very much the opposite of Rumi’s style of Sufism; in
fact, Rumi loved to poke fun at religious scholars and theologians,
and lived a very simple and humble life, holding no official positions.
At first there had been a certain coolness between Qunawi and Rumi,
but when they finally met, all their differences vanished and they be­
came close friends. A number of anecdotes attest to this friendship.
Once, for example, a famous shaykh visited Konya, and met both
Rumi and Qunawi. When it came time for the evening prayer, the
two insisted that the distinguished visitor lead it. Now, in leading the
prayer, one may choose any chapter of the Koran one likes to recite in
each of two portions of the prayer. Usually one chooses two different
chapters, although it is not incorrect to repeat the same chapter twice.
In the first portion, the visiting shaykh recited the chapter, “Say: ،O
unbelievers, I worship not what you worship. . . . To you your reli­
gion, and to me my religion!’ ” (CIX). Then, in the second portion, he
recited the same chapter again. When the prayer was finished, Rumi
turned to Qunawi and remarked dryly, “It seems he recited it once
for you, and once for me!” When Rumi died, Qunawi was asked to
lead the prayers at his funeral, but he survived him by only a few
months.
Among the other students of Qunawi who might well have been
with him when ،Iraqi arrived, one should mention Sa'iduddin Fargh-
ani, ،Afifuddin at-Tilimsani from North Africa, and Mu’ayyiduddin
Jandi. Farghani is the author of a lengthy commentary on one of the
most famous Arabic Sufi poems on “love and wine,” the Nazm as-su-
luk or “Poem of the Way” of Ibn al-Farid.15 Farghani wrote this work
first in Persian, basing it on lectures delivered by Qunawi, and then
translated it himself into Arabic. The Arabic version became one of
the most influential works on metaphysics in Ibn al-،Arabi’s school.
Farghani is also the author of a Persian work on the Shari'ah and the
fundamental importance of its practice for Sufis, entitled Minhaj al-
‘ibad. Jandi is the author of one of the longest, earliest, and most wide­

44
 INTRODUCTION

ly read commentaries on Ibn al-،Arabi’s masterpiece, Fusus al-hikam.l(>

His Persian Nafthat ar-ruh wa tuhfat al-futuh is a summary in two
parts of Sufi doctrine and practice. Finally at-Tilimsani was original­
ly Ibn al-‘Arabi’s disciple, but even before Ibn al-،Arabi’s death he be­
came Qunawi’s closest companion. He is the author of important
Arabic commentaries on Fusus al-hikam and an-Niffari’s al-Mawaqif11
as well as a Diwan of Arabic poetry. Qunawi left his own works to
him when he died.18
Unlike ‘Iraqi, Qunawi was a retiring man who led an outwardly
uneventful life, devoted to writing and teaching; and it is largely
through his brilliant books and his equally brilliant and philosophi­
cally minded students that he achieved his task, as Ibn al-‘Arabi’s
foremost disciple, of passing on and adding to the Andalusian mys­
tic’s teachings. At first it might seem that this man would make an
odd teacher for ‘Iraqi, the “drunken” poet and former Kalandar, who
was, moreover, already a middle-aged and respected shaykh in his
own right. But at the time ‘Iraqi arrived in Konya, Qunawi was giv­
ing a series of lectures on Ibn al-‘Arabi’s most difficult and important
text, Fusus al-hikam, and ‘Iraqi was able to join the master’s other stu­
dents. ‘Iraqi’s biographer says that he derived great benefit from this
instruction, as well as from a study of Ibn al-‘Arabi’s Meccan Revela­
tions (Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah). Qunawi, for his part, conceived a
great affection for ‘Iraqi, and came to regard him more and more
highly as time passed.
Each day, after leaving Qunawi’s lecture on the Fusus, ‘Iraqi
would compose a short meditation in mixed prose and verse. Finally
he collected them, and called them Lama'at or “flashes” of light. His
model for this style of composition, as he himself stated, was the fam­
ous Sawanih of Ahmad Ghazzali (brother of the better-known Sufi au­
thor Abu Hamid Ghazzali). Ahmad Ghazzali (d. 520/1 126) was, like
‘Iraqi, a Sufi of the “School of Love”; both of them were initiating
shaykhs, both of them were masters of the Persian language. So it is
not surprising that ‘Iraqi admired Ghazzali enough to imitate him.
The Sawanih consists of a number of loosely connected meditations
on the themes of Love, Beauty, the lover and Beloved, interspersed
with poems and anecdotes, written in a highly dense but clear and el­
egant manner. In adopting this style, ‘Iraqi developed his own philos­
ophy of Love; he borrowed some of Ghazzali’s terminology and some
of Ibn al-‘Arabi’s (as expounded by Qunawi), but the overall concep­
tion, and the synthesis, were his own. Through this work, more per­

45
 INTRODUCTION

haps than any other, the theosophy of Ibn al-،Arabi was recreated and
integrated into the Persian poetic tradition, and its influence on later
poets cannot be overestimated.19
When ،Iraqi had finished his work, which, like the Fusus, consists
of twenty-eight chapters, he submitted it to Qunawi for approval.
Shaykh Sadruddin read it; then, kissing the volume and pressing it
against his eyes (as one does with a sacred book), he exclaimed,
،، ،Iraqi, you have published the secret of men’s words. The Lama'at is
in truth the pith of the Fusus\"
،Iraqi remained a great devotee of Qunawi. Some years later, dur­
ing a protracted trip to Medina, ،Iraqi wrote to him complaining of
their separation and excusing his own absence from Konya. The pre­
viously undiscovered letter is worth quoting in its entirety. Besides
giving some idea of ،Iraqi’s high regard for his teacher, it represents
his only known prose work other than the Lama'at.20

،IRAQI’S LETTER TO QUNAWI

Praise belongs to God, and peace be upon His chosen servants.
In the heart of your sincere servant ،Iraqi, love—which incites
unrest and is mixed with pain, and which constantly rattles the chain
of desire and strife and ignites the flame of longing and rapture—has
kindled the flame of my passion and burnt the haystack of my life’s
course to such an extent that its fire can be snuffed out only with the
earth of the lane, and the muddied course of my life can be purified
only with the water of the visage of our lord, the Manifest Guide and
Great Conjunction, the Leader {sadr) of the Shari'ah and the Tariqah,
the Locus-of-Theophany for God and the Truth—may he remain for­
ever a refuge for the people of the Way and an authority for the mas­
ters of Verification.

Where is that loved one? For even though I have

reached your door, I am still troubled.
Where will I find that luck? that you will come sweetly
through my door.

From the intensity of separation’s burning and the period of ex­

ile’s duration this business is near to destroying me—the knife has
reached the bone. My incapacity has arrived at its limit and weakness

46
 INTRODUCTION

has overcome me. And that secret (of my great love for you) has not
remained behind the curtain as it was (since my suffering has become
obvious to all). How could it remain so? How?
The door is locked, the veil thrown down; and the key, although
hung upon the door, is behind the veil. There will be no rest until the
curtains are lifted and the door of the house is opened. So is there any
kind companion or sympathetic friend?

Separation—till when? Exile—how long?

Should I complain of my state to other than God?

O my master! Whoever leaves his people is an exile, and the ex­

ile’s torment is severe. So, happy is he who has not been exiled from
his Homeland and has not left the presence of Its inhabitants!
Through gazing upon the lights of Its Essence, he is able to do with­
out the lights of Its Attributes.21 He travels, but he abides upon the
carpet of contemplation. He traverses the way, moving [?] from place
to place and light to light. He undergoes constant changes in the
lights of the Names and Attributes. He goes beyond the stages of the
spiritual climbing and ascent. But he is immobile, not moving, having
no agitation. “Thou seest the mountains, that thou supposes! fixed,
passing by like clouds” (Koran XXVIL88).
So here we have a traveler with the Highest Friend within the
paths of the eternities-without-beginning and the eternities-without-
end. He undergoes constant changes with Him in the mornings and
evenings, in keeping with His constant changes in States and circum­
stances.22 The tongue of his spiritual state recites,

“I do not know what homelands we are passing by

when He is with me.
How could the thought of any place be other than dis­
tasteful to us?”

The possessor of this station—like you, my lord and master—

needs no exile, nor does he content himself with any return. But as
for him who has not reached this mighty station of contemplation—
like this exile—he is always moving toward abandoning that within
which he has appeared, and entering into that from which he has exit­
ed—“Surely unto God all things come home” (Koran XLIL53).
The tendencies of my temperament and the injunctions of the

47
 INTRODUCTION

Shari'ah keep on inciting me to return to my original homeland and

the mine of union, which is the radiant threshold and shining station
of our lord. But whenever this uneasy one decides to return to that
land and turn his face toward that sanctuary, some obstacle catches
him by the skirt, and escape from it seems impossible.

The waves of desire refuse all except nearness to you—

But circumstances reject all except distance.

Each day my mind pulls me to one place, my heart draws me to

another, the Shari'ah commands toward a perfection, and the Truth
does what It will as It must. What can this poor soul do?

He saw lightning in the east, so he yearned for the east.

If it had sparked from the west, he would have yearned
for the west.
For my love is for the Friend and His people,
My love is not for places and dirt. (Ibn al-، Arabi)

I hope that the magnetism of your all-vanquishing resolve will

begin to attract and cause motion.

The end of the tether is in your hand, and I am trained

to the hand.
When you pull me toward yourself, I will return to you.

I have been so nearly destroyed by separation from you,

That if you do not take my hand, I will never be able to
stand up.

My resolve requests me to return, but my courtesy says, ،،Only if

you are given permission.” So the servant stands bewildered between
the two. Look! What do you see? Is there then any way for union?

Return! For I may have need of thee!

Can it be you will say

“I shall see you in this world”
and that again I may
sit with you a moment in joy?

48
 INTRODUCTION

that I shall hear with heart’s ear

your heart-expanding words?
that with spirit’s eye I shall see
your all-comforting face?
I am unworthy of you
but—accept me,
take me for good or ill. What can I do?
I am what I am.
Just once, pass this way—
for I am pained with desire.
Spare one glance at my condition:
wretched in the extreme.
Of my existence in this world
not a trace would remain
if the hope of union with you
did not sustain me with solace;
but now I am happy, with my last
breath hovering at my lips,
yes, happy—because your lips
are my own sweet soul.

The story is long, but life is short and I have not the strength to
speak. Because of the indications of the Shaykh (Ibn al-،Arabi)—may
God be well pleased with him23—I left Rum and came to the sanctu­
aries of Damascus and Jerusalem. From there I went on to the tomb
of the Prophet in the Hijaz. Here I am awaiting further indications.

I gather that you are not coming to inquire after my

state.
During sleep, then, at least send your image.

Since the compassion of your presence is general, I hope that for

your servant it will be specific. May you continue to dwell in the sta­
tion of perfecting the imperfect and elevating the words of the per­
fect. I ask for you the best, and that within you the Whole may
become manifest—that Whole within which there is no whole and no
part. Praise belongs to God.

49
 INTRODUCTION

Although ‘Iraqi sometimes traveled, as is shown by his letter to

Qunawi, he spent most of his time in Turkey. He became quite well
known, and attracted many disciples and devotees of his own. Among
those who were drawn to him was Amir Mu'inuddin Parwanah, the
administrator of Rum.24 He had a great affection for the poet, and of­
ten urged him to choose some bit of land where a house might be
built for him. ‘Iraqi however resisted; carefree and detached as al­
ways, he busied himself with his own concerns. Finally Parwanah
built him a hospice in Tokat. It is said that Parwanah would not
count a day of his life as having really passed unless it included a visit
to ‘Iraqi.
One day, this same Amir Mu'inuddin came to visit ‘Iraqi, bring­
ing a few pieces of gold. The poet paid no attention to him, and the
amir was somewhat put out. But ‘Iraqi laughed and said, “You cannot
deceive me with gold. Send for Hasan the Minstrel.” Parwanah sent
for him at once, but when the messenger tried to bring the singer
away, a crowd of his admirers blocked their path. The messenger had
to return without Hasan, and Parwanah ordered the governor of the
province to punish the troublemakers. In the end, Hasan was sent to
‘Iraqi, who came out to meet him in the presence of Parwanah and his
entourage.
When Hasan and his friends saw how magnificently they were
received, they were astonished, since they had expected punishment
rather than honors. ‘Iraqi embraced Hasan and served cool drinks
with his own hands. Hasan kissed the dust before Parwanah, and was
kindly treated. At last they reached the city, and alighted at ‘Iraqi’s
hospice, where they began a ceremony of sama'' (literally “audition”:
music and dance) that went on for three days. Many fine poems were
recited, including this:

Love the phoenix cannot be trapped

nor in heaven or earth can it be named;
no one has yet discovered its address:
its desert holds not a single footprint.
The world drains the last drops from its cup
though itself it is not outside the glass;
dawn and dusk I caress its face, its tresses,
though where it is no day or night exists.

50
 INTRODUCTION

Morning-breeze, if you pass its lane

I have no message for it but this‫؛‬
My repose, who are my very life, without you
I can take no single breath at ease.
Everyone in this world wants something, but I
have no desire at all—except your lips;
from the moment my heart first fell into your locks
I’ve busied myself with nothing but lassos and snares.
How lucky to have a friend like you here below
(or Above) ... The enemy hasn’t a chance!
Inaugurate a romance then with ‘Iraqi
even though he’s unworthy of such a boon.

Eventually Hasan the Minstrel asked permission to depart, and, it is

said, returned home laden with gifts.
Another day, when Parwanah called on ،Iraqi, he found that the
Sufi had just gone out, and so he hurried after him. He found ،Iraqi in
the street, where some children were leading him around by a string,
which he held in his teeth, making him run hither and yon and other­
wise gleefully tormenting him. When they saw Parwanah approach
with his train, they fled. A few people who heard of this incident
criticized ،Iraqi, but Parwanah defended him and silenced his detrac­
tors.
Once, as Parwanah was passing by a polo field, he found ،Iraqi,
mallet in hand, playing with some youths. Parwanah offered to join
the game, and asked, “What position shall I take?” Silently, ،Iraqi
pointed to the road—and the amir went on.
One morning ،Iraqi left the hospice, and that night failed to re­
turn. Next day Parwanah and his companions searched everywhere
for him, but found no trace. On the third day they heard that he had
been seen, wandering in the hills outside the city. They set off to find
him, and at last discovered him, strolling in circles in the snow, with­
out turban or shoes. He was perspiring, despite the cold, and reciting
this poem:

In the World-displaying Cup, at first

the image of all Creation was reflected.

51
 INTRODUCTION

The Cup filled with Love’s wine

and the myriad imprints of all things took shape.
Each atom of these prints and images
showed forth a detail of the universe:
one draught, and 100,000 cups,
one drop, and 100,000 taverns.
Pass by these enslaving images
and all your troubles will vanish.
Put aside these printed shapes
and come to understand
that all this painted display is naught
but the false double seen by a cross-eyed fool.
When in the midst of this astigmatic vision
you see the face of the Painter Himself
you will understand that He alone exists
and all the others are but fancies and reflections.
Do you desire that your heart and eyes
be cooled with the light of this realization?
Then change your morals, transmute your qualities,
and when they have been transformed
rush to the wineshop, for only there
may your goal be reached at last.
Behold the half-drunk eyes of the saki
and then, as elegantly as you can
drain a cup, lose your senses, forget
all that can be unified or dispersed
and take a glance at the saki’s eyes,
his drunken eyes: this, this is supreme:
Look: the saki’s face
how it swells the soul,
the saki’s eternal face in the
World-displaying Cup.
Love, Love is both wine and cup, Love
is a wine that puts all rivals under the table.
That first World-displaying Cup is but
a reflection of the purity of Love’s glass
and the half-drunk glance of the saki also drinks
from this wine whose ultimate end is desire.
This cup was drained, and from its outpouring
the water of life drenched the world;

52
 INTRODUCTION

from that water a bubble arose

and was called “The 18,000 Worlds.”
Look: what was the world’s beginning?
Watch: what will be its end:
that which derives from something else
may attain its desire and yet stay unsatisfied
and any form that is blended with wine
cannot remain still without wine for even a moment.
He who suffers a hangover still will finally
(but only after a time) fall drunk;
joyous the heart of him who borrows
pure wine from the Friend’s lips even now.
You who have no news of this intoxicating vintage
(never for a second having stepped outside yourself)
how long have you boiled the pot of love-madness
there in your monastery—and still the stew is raw!
Now come to the tavern, for a few days
sit from morning to night;
drink a toast to the desires of the friend of wine
till you’re drunk enough to see through his eyes:
Look: the saki’s face
how it swells the soul,
the saki’s eternal face in the
World-displaying Cup.
Before the being or nonbeing of the universe
before the “E” of God’s decree—“Exist!”
the Self-manifestation of Love asked from Love
the manifestation of the letters of the Greatest Name.
Love lifted its finger instead of a pen,
licked it, then wrote without hesitation
upon its palm a Name—such a Name!
that Adam himself is its talisman-seal.
In the very shape of its letters, Being
and Temporality alike were contained.
Love wrote, then read, then closed its hand
and hid the word from the eyes of all strangers.
O seeker of this Greatest Name,
do you wish to know it now, for certain?
Then find the key which unlocks the world
which opens the seal of the talisman

53
 INTRODUCTION

and when at last you’ve unlocked the lid

you’ll find that you yourself are that Name,
that all is related to you
both manifest meaning and secret Word—
the Name which is the essence of the Named.
If this is what you find, then carry on
—if not, well, don’t take yourself too seriously.
Go, knock knock knock on the tavern door
and when at last they suddenly
swing wide the door, open your eyes, rejoice,
Look: the saki’s face
how it swells the soul,
the saki’s eternal face in the
World-displaying Cup ...

After some time Parwanah and his men tried to persuade ،Iraqi to re­
turn to the city; but, as the account says, he kept on “bubbling and
boiling” (the poem goes on for five more stanzas). Despite their en­
treaties he refused to return on horseback, but when the Amir Mu'in-
uddin tried to dismount and walk with him (as a sign of respect) he
would not allow it. He sent the amir on ahead and eventually re­
turned by himself. For three days afterwards he held sama‘ at the hos­
pice.
One day ‘Iraqi was overcome by ecstasy in the midst of the ritual
prayer. It is the usual practice (although not mandatory) to recite only
a short Arabic formula while making a prostration of a few seconds’
duration. But ،Iraqi remained bent over for a long period and while
doing so extemporized this Persian poem:

There came to Your street a gypsy beggar

hoping for a welcome
and fell, poor soul, in the dust at Your door.
But he went nowhere, nowhere at all;
whom should he visit? where should he flee?
with his leg snapped by the hand of desire?
He came to Your door, for in earth and heaven
he found no place but there—
and how shall a beggar leave the gate
of a King empty-handed?

54
 INTRODUCTION

Every second my eyes search Your face

hungry for that blessed greeting
and from moment to moment my soul borrows
subsistence from Your lips.
I searched here and there but found no corner
to hide You but in my narrow heart.25
Every face I see without Your face
seems to me nothing but a beginning;
Wherever I tangled my heart in someone’s tresses
I gave myself to a dragon;
I drowned in my separation but no one,
no friend took my hand.
In the world’s mirror I beheld nothing
but the world-displaying picture of Your face
for indeed all things of the world but You
seem mere echo or mirage.
My eyes saw nothing, no purity
in the darkness of the world;
I returned again to Your door
hoping, praying for some hand-out.
In the garden of Your love, ،Iraqi
is but a songless bird.

Another day a dissolute and heedless drunkard, “headless and

footless” as the expression has it, turned up at the door of ،Iraqi’s pri­
vate chambers. Unmannerly, he entered and plopped down at the
head of the shaykh’s prayer carpet, where he began making an awful
ruckus. But the worse his language, the more kindly the poet spoke to
him and tried to calm him. ،Iraqi’s companions wanted to toss him
out, but the shaykh forbade them. In order to show the necessity for
humility before all of God’s creatures, he rolled up his own robe as a
pillow for the drunkard’s head—and the rascal promptly vomited and
spoiled the robe. When he finally awoke, ،Iraqi himself washed his
face and hands, and then ordered the servant to give him a hundred
gold dirhams. ٦o carry home the symbolical nature of physical
drunkenness, which in certain ways illustrates the characteristics of
spiritual intoxication,26 he recited this poem:

Those who are drunk and ruined will find at this tavern
a treasure unearned in the prayers of a hundred elders.

55
 INTRODUCTION

Do you wish to discover this treasure without pain?

Then sift each morning the dust at the tavern door.
If an atom of that dust should fall in your eye
you will encounter a hundred thousand suns
and if you suddenly catch the beam of light from a glass
at once you will find a goblet-full of illumination.
In selfless drunkenness you will find a place
where words are erased, all trace of allusion lost;
if you cannot lose yourself you’ll never find this place.
Who finds such a state? Who finds such exalted station?
How long will you stick with the monastery’s worshipful
habits?
For the prisoner of habit, obedience and self-denial are but
disbelief.
As long as you cannot jump free of your own embrace
your worship is bound to a temple of devilish idols.
Pawn your soul at the tavern to buy one sip
but do not try to trade on piety—the coin is debased.
How long will you stand dry-lipped on the shore of desire?
Hurl yourself—now!—into the infinite sea
that the traceless ocean may wash away all trace
and the shark of ecstasy swallow you in one bite.
When ‘Iraqi is drowned, he’ll find eternal life
and behold the secret of the Unseen in the world of the
Witness.

It would be gratifying to be able to record that, after this treatment,

the drunkard repented and became ‘Iraqi’s disciple, but the account
says no more.
One of ‘Iraqi’s followers was a wealthy Persian merchant named
Khwajah Zaynuddin Kashani. It happened once that he placed before
the shaykh a sack containing a thousand dinars; but ،Iraqi went on
chatting as if he had not noticed it. Now among ‘Iraqi’s friends was a
Christian priest, who used to visit the shaykh every fortnight or so,

56
 INTRODUCTION

when they would spend an evening alone together. Just at this mo­
ment, the priest walked in and placed two sacks of gold before the
shaykh. Laughing, ‘Iraqi at once picked up one of these sacks and set
it beside the merchant’s sack, saying, “Take these, and imagine you
bought the leather and sent it to Tabriz.”
The merchant blushed furiously, and with a thousand stam­
mered apologies prostrated at ،Iraqi’s feet. “O Shaykh!” he wept, “do
not reject this base soul!” ،Iraqi replied, “Not at all. The best thing in
the present situation is for you to take the gold”; and so saying, he
pressed the two sacks on the merchant and sent him away.
When the merchant had gone, the disciples asked ،Iraqi, “How is
it that you refused the money of the merchant, who after all is a Mos­
lem, but accepted the gift of the Christian priest?” ،Iraqi answered,
“Gold is the beloved of our merchant, and for its sake he travels from
city to city and suffers much pain. He brought his beloved before me,
but I did not think it right to separate him from it; nor would it have
been kind to send him away without a profit.”
The next day, one of the disciples met the merchant in the bazaar
and asked him, “What was the real reason for the shaykh’s refusing
your money?” He explained, “Yesterday when I set out to see our
master, I was carrying the gold, and happened to pass by the market.
I noticed someone offering an excellent bargain in leather; at once I
realized that it would be extremely profitable to use the thousand di­
nars to buy leather and send it to Tabriz where I know it could be
sold for two thousand. I agonized over whether to do it or not, and
finally overcame the temptation. But naturally the shaykh realized
everything!”
At this time, Rum was ruled by the Mongol emperor Abaka. All
manner of struggle and intrigue was going on between Abaka and the
Mameluke emperor in Cairo, Baybars. Amir Mu'inuddin Parwanah,
who owed allegiance to the Mongol Abaka, was caught between these
two contending giants.
At the battle of Albistan in 675/1277, the Mongol forces—includ­
ing Parwanah’s contingent—were routed by the Mamelukes, and Par-
wanah’s son was taken prisoner and sent to Cairo. Five days later
Baybars entered Kaiseri and had himself crowned emperor of Rum
according to the old Seljuk rituals. Parwanah fled to the family fief in
Tokat. Baybars, however, feared a Mongol counterattack and with­
drew to Egypt. The Mongol emperor Abaka suspected Parwanah of
collaboration with Baybars, and ordered him to appear at court.27

57
 INTRODUCTION

Parwanah knew he had fallen from favor. That night, he came to

‘Iraqi and brought with him a purse full of precious jewels. He laid it
before the poet, saying, “This is all the wealth I have saved during my
term of office. Now they are seeking my life; fortune has turned
against me.” ،Iraqi wept, and Parwanah also lamented. After a while
the nobleman recovered and said, “You know that my beloved son is
in prison in Cairo. If you pass that way after my death, use these jew­
els to try to secure his release. If you succeed, do not let him out of
your sight for a moment, but make him your dervish and kill in him
all ambition for secular power. If however they will not release him,
spend the money in any way you see fit.”
‘Iraqi threw the purse in a corner. Parwanah bade him farewell
and left to meet his fate. The Mongol emperor ordered him executed,
and he was killed in Rabi‘ I 676/August 1277. The whole of Anatolia
was now thrown into disorder, and much of the area fell under the
control of wild Turkoman tribes. Abaka therefore sent his brother
Kangirtay, along with the vizier Shamsuddin Juwayni (brother of the
famous historian), to consolidate Mongol rule in the province. They
quickly regained Tokat, Konya, and other cities.28
With Juwayni traveled a group of outstanding religious scholars.
When they arrived at Tokat, one of these scholars—Mawlana Amin-
uddin Hajji Bulah—entered the city and at sundown reached the hos­
pice of ‘Iraqi. Turning his horse over to a servant he entered the
house, where he found the poet saying the evening prayer. Mawlana
joined him at his devotions, and afterwards introduced himself. They
sat down together and began to discuss matters concerning the spiri­
tual Path; and before they knew it, half the night had passed.
“I was so fascinated by meeting you”, said ‘Iraqi, “and so en­
chanted by your conversation, that I have quite forgotten to prepare
supper for you!” “Never mind,” Mawlana answered; “I have a saddle­
bag of food with me.” And he asked the servant to bring it in. They
ate some halwah and cakes with great relish, then prayed the mid­
night prayer and retired to sleep.
Mawlana remained with ‘Iraqi for three days, and they greatly
enjoyed each other’s company and talk. As it happens, one of the rea­
sons for Mawlana’s visit to the city was to try to discover where the
late Parwanah had hidden his wealth. All the time they talked, the
purse of jewels lay in the corner; but both of them were emptied of
this world and all it contains.
At last Mawlana returned to the Mongol camp. Juwayni demand­

58
 INTRODUCTION

ed of him, “Have you grown tired of us? It is three days since you
disappeared!” “God forbid!” Mawlana replied; “but I was visiting
Shaykh Fakhruddin ،Iraqi. What sweet sherbets I tasted at his tavern!
and what words I heard there, such as I have never heard before! If
the desire to return to you and the other friends had not overcome
me, I would happily have spent the rest of my life with that wonder­
ful man.” Juwayni declared, “I must meet this person. Do you think
it would be proper for me to come to him, or more appropriate for
him to come to us?” Mawlana replied that ،Iraqi should be invited to
the camp; an invitation was sent along with a mule for the poet to
ride, and the vizier and his friends showered the poet with honors.
He in turn regaled the company with talk of the mystic Way. His
words grew warm, and his eloquence brought tears to Juwayni’s eyes.
Meanwhile however, spies and informers had been at work. A
group of the envious had gone to Prince Kangirtay and poisoned his
ears against ،Iraqi. They reported that Parwanah had turned over the
entire treasury of Rum to the Sufi poet, rather than merely his own
personal fortune. As soon as Juwayni returned to the prince’s pres­
ence, Kangirtay told him that a group of soldiers had been sent to ar­
rest ،Iraqi.
Juwayni, however, had no intention of allowing ،Iraqi to be
killed, and he acted much more quickly than the arresting party. He
sent word to ،Iraqi that his life was in danger, and advised him to flee.
He included with the message a sack of a thousand dinars, adding that
he hoped it would help defray the expenses of the journey. “In any
case,” he ended, “depart now, in any safe direction.”
Tired as he was of Tokat, which had become the scene of such
upheaval, ،Iraqi did not care to end his life there; and as soon as he
heard this message he at once arose, picked up the purse of jewels and
the sack of dinars, selected two of his companions, mounted the mule
Juwayni had sent him, and set out for Sinope.29 From there he went
on to Egypt.
On his arrival in Cairo, ،Iraqi took lodgings at the Salihiyyah hos­
pice, where he rested for three days. He then began his search for
Parwanah’s son, intending to plan his release, but found no way of
doing so. At last, he took the purse of jewels and presented himself at
the gate of the sultan’s palace, where he begged for an audience.30
The sultan heard of this. He ordered the guards to search the der­
vish for weapons and then admit him. Finding him unarmed, they
brought him to the throne room, where he bowed to the sultan, laid

59
 INTRODUCTION

the purse at the foot of the throne, and stood up again. The sultan
gazed upon him and realized at once that he was dealing with an ex­
ceptional man. He asked ،Iraqi to be seated, and then inquired as to
the significance of the purse. “It is a trust,” ،Iraqi replied. “I do not
know what is in it.” The sultan signed for the purse to be examined;
it was, of course, found to be full of jewels of incredible value. ،Iraqi
explained how he had been given the purse by Parwanah, and told
the whole story from beginning to end. The sultan was astounded
that any man, with such wealth in his hands, should have delivered it
all without taking anything for himself. The shaykh, realizing what
the sultan was thinking, recited the Koranic Verse, “Say, the goods of
this world are of little worth: the world to come is better for him who
fears God, and ye shall not be wronged an iota” (IV:77).
Now the sultan was even more amazed, and leaving his throne he
came and sat down before ،Iraqi and listened to his discourse. That
day, it is said, he wept more than in all his life before. He commanded
Parwanah’s son to be released; he treated the youth with affection,
and gave him the rank of prince, a personal bodyguard of two men,
and a daily stipend of a hundred dirhams. As for ،Iraqi, he appointed
him chief shaykh of Cairo, and commanded that on the next day all
the Sufis and divines should attend the court in honor of the occasion.
So next morning a thousand dervishes, as well as all the religious
scholars and notables of Cairo, watched as the sultan mounted ،Iraqi
on his own horse, and clothed him in a robe and hood of honor. He
arranged that ،Iraqi alone be mounted, and that all the others, nobles,
scholars, and generals alike, should walk at his stirrup.
When ،Iraqi saw all this, the thought suddenly entered his head
that no other man of the age had ever been treated with such respect.
At once he realized that he was in danger of being overcome by his
ego. Immediately he ripped off his hood and turban and placed them
on the saddle before him. The crowd watched in stunned silence as he
sat there, till, after a few minutes, he picked up the turban and hood
and put them back on his head.
The crowd began to titter. “How could such a man deserve such
rank?” whispered someone. “He is a madman!” “A buffoon!”; and all
of them began to ridicule him. “Why did you do such a thing?” de­
manded the vizier; but ،Iraqi answered, “Hold your tongue! What do
you know?”
News of this scandal was at once carried to the sultan. Next day
he sent for ،Iraqi and asked for an explanation. “My carnal soul over­

60
 INTRODUCTION

came me,” the poet replied. ‘،If I had not acted in that way, I should
never have escaped from the consequences of my sin.” This incident
only increased the sultan’s faith in him, and he doubled ،Iraqi’s pen­
sion.
After some time in Cairo, ،Iraqi decided to leave for Damascus.
Perhaps Ibn al-،Arabi had once again come to him in a dream, calling
him to himself, but this time for a far longer stay. When the sultan
heard of this, he summoned him and tried to persuade him not to go.
،Iraqi won him over, however; and the sultan asked only that he re­
main till arrangements for the journey be made. But since ،Iraqi
would not delay, the sultan ordered messenger pigeons to be sent, so
that at each station along the route the poet might be received with
honor. He also wrote to the Malik al-umara’ (،،king of amirs”) of Da­
mascus, advising him of the shaykh’s visit, and saying that all the
scholars, Sufis, and notables of Damascus should be sent out to meet
him; that he should be appointed chief shaykh of the district; and that
a regular allowance should be paid to his servants. All happened as
the Sultan commanded, and the populace of Damascus greeted ،Iraqi
with warmth.
Six months later ،Iraqi’s son Kabiruddin arrived from Multan.
Although he had been sitting in the seat of Baha’uddin Zakariyya’,31
he felt drawn by filial love, and left India to the great regret of the
brethren there, who would have prevented his departure, but for a
dream in which it was revealed to them that they must allow him to
g°•
So Kabiruddin enjoyed for a time his father’s company. But then
،Iraqi was stricken with a fatal illness: a bloody swelling of the face.
He slept for five days, and on the sixth called for his son and compan­
ions. He bade them farewell with tears in his eyes, and recited the
verse, ،،The day on which a man shall flee from his brother, and his
mother, and his father” (LXXX:34-35). Then he spoke this quatrain:

When by Decree this world was first begun

not after Adam’s want the deed was done;
but of the portion on that Day assigned
none shall win more, nor any less hath won.32

So he conversed with them awhile, till at last he drank the cup of fate
and passed from this transitory realm to the eternal shore. The Malik
al-umara’ and the people of Damascus all gathered to pay their last

61
 INTRODUCTION

respects to the dead, and with much lamentation buried him in the
Salihiyyah cemetery, beside the tomb of Ibn al-،Arabi. For three days
they mourned, and on the fourth appointed his son Kabiruddin his
successor. When he in turn passed over to the divine mercy, they
buried him at his father’s side.
It is said that ،Iraqi died at the age of seventy-eight, on the eighth
of Dhu-1-Qa‘dah, 688 (November 23, 1289). Travelers have reported
that when the Damascenes visit the tomb they say of Ibn al-،Arabi,
“This is the ocean of the Arabs”; and of ،Iraqi, “This is the ocean of
the Persians”.33

NOTES
1. Except where otherwise noted, this version of ،Iraqi’s “Life” is based
on that given in the introduction to many manuscripts of ،Iraqi’s Diwan and
printed in the Kulliyyat-i Iraqi, ed. S. Nafisi, 3d ed. (Tehran, 1338/1959), pp.
46-65. So far as is known, this is the oldest and most complete account of his
life, probably written shortly after his death in 688/1289, and certainly com­
posed before 857/1453, the date of Ms. Fatih 3844. All significant accounts of
his life that have come down to us are based on this source. A. J. Arberry
made use of parts of it in his “Biography,” in his translation of ،Iraqi’s ،iZ٢٥-
shaq-namah or Dah-namah [The song of lovers] (Oxford, 1939).
2. After the region of Persia called ،Iraq-i ،ajam, not after the country of
Iraq. Certain authorities say the name of the Persian region should be trans­
literated as ،Araq, and thus the name of the poet as ،Araqi.
3. The Islamic sciences are divided into those that one can learn only
by transmission from others (al-‘ulum an-naqliyyah), such as the Koran, the
hadith or sayings of the Prophet, jurisprudence, and Arabic grammar; and
those that can be discovered independently by man’s intellect {al-'ulum al-'aq-
liyyah), such as mathematics, the natural sciences, and philosophy.
4. Throughout Islamic history many Sufis have taken to heart the Ko­
ranic command, “Journey in the land!” (111:137, etc.). They took this outward
journeying as complementary to the inward, spiritual journeying on the Sufi
path. For “in the land are signs for those having sure faith; and in yourselves;
what, do you not see?” (Koran, LI:21); and “We shall show them Our signs in
the horizons and in themselves” (XLL53). Since such Sufis had dedicated
themselves to God and trusted only in Him, they tended to ignore all out­
ward, socially accepted norms, so long as ignoring them did not involve
breaking the Shari'ah, or Divine law. If long beards were signs of honorable
social standing, they would shave theirs off. They dressed colorfully and car­
ried various implements, such as begging bowls and axes, to set themselves
apart from ordinary people. These Sufis came to be known as “qalandars or
Kalandars.

62
 INTRODUCTION

But the situation of the Kalandars is complicated by the fact that social
outcasts, attracted by this outwardly “irresponsible” mode of life, often
dressed like the Kalandars and traveled from city to city. However, they
would take every opportunity to break the Shari'ite statutes on such matters
as wine-drinking and fornication. Because people unconnected with Sufism
could see little apparent difference between the two groups, they called them
all “Kalandars” indiscriminately. Since one of the spiritual attitudes cultivat-
ed by the Kalandars is that summarized by Christ’s words, “Beware of prac-
ticing your piety before men in order to be seen by them” (Mt. 6:1), many
Kalandars did not mind the notoriety they gained by the activities of this sec-
ond group. Some of them (in particular the Sufis known as malamatiyyab) ac-
tually did what they could to help foster their irreligious image, again, as
long as this did not necessitate transgressing the statutes of the Divine law.
5. The titles represent some of the standard textbooks in the Islamic
sciences: at-Tafsir al-kabir, an authoritative commentary on the Koran by the
celebrated theologian Fakhruddin ar-Razi (d. 606/1209); al-Isharat wa-t-tanbi-
hat by the most famous of the Moslem philosophers, Abu 'Ali ibn Sina (d.
428/1037); Ma'alim at-tanzil, a Koranic commentary by Hasan ibn Mas’ud al-
Farra’ al-Baghawi (d. 510/1117); al-Hawi on medicine by Muhammad ibn Za-
kariyya’ ar-Razi (d. 315/925 or 323/935); JamiL ad-daqa 'iqfi kasbf al-haqa ,iq on
logic by Najmuddin ‘Ali ibn ‘Umar, known as Dabiran al-Katibi al-Qazwini
(d. 650/1252-1253); and Rawdat al-munajjimin on astronomy by Shahmardan
ibn Abi-I-Khayr ar-Razi (fl. fifth/eleventh c.).
6. ]. A. Subhan, Sufism: Its Saints and Shrines, rev. ed. (Lucknow, 1960),
pp. 239-242.
7. Islam’s view of music has always been slightly ambiguous. To sum-
marize a long and involved discussion, one can say that since music stimu-
lates a person’s natural disposition, and since the majority are disposed
toward the desires of the individual, passionate soul (nafs), it is in the best in-
terest of the community for music to be forbidden to the majority. To express
such a conditional prohibition in legalistic terms, the Shari'ah is forced to for-
bid music to society as such, all the while leaving enough question and doubt
about this prohibition so that those with a spiritual disposition can avail
themselves of the support music provides without committing a transgres-
sion. Hence the Sufis have often made use of music in their gatherings. 1 hus
we can say that the music referred to here in ‘Iraqi’s biography is, on the sur-
face, forbidden by the letter of the Shari'ah, but it is tolerated by many of the
‘ulama ’ because of its ambiguous nature and the impossibility in practice of
discerning between those who should be allowed to listen to it and those who
should not. See s. H. Nasr, “ The Influence of Sufism on Traditional Persian
Music,” in The Sword of Gnosis, ed. ]. Needleman (Baltimore: Penguin Books,
1974), pp. 330-342; also idem, “Islam and Music,” Studies in Comparative Reli-
gion, Winter 1976, pp. 3745.
8. ‘Iraqi’s Kulliyyat is about 400 pages in its modern edition.

63
 INTRODUCTION

9. Translated, not very elegantly, by Arberry; see note 1.

10. This would probably have been either Balban or his son Muhammad
Shah, who was governor of Multan and reputed to have been a drunkard (Su-
fism: Its Saints and Shrines, pp. 242-243).
11. The leadership of the Order in Multan passed to Baha’uddin Zakar-
iyya’s eldest son, Sadruddin (d. 684/1285). On receiving his inheritance,
which consisted of land and “seven lakhs of gold mohars,” Sadruddin at once
gave it all away to the poor. When a friend criticized him for throwing away
what his father had so carefully amassed, Sadruddin retorted, “But my father
had complete control over all worldly desires, and so could afford to keep
such wealth, whereas I am weak, and therefore fear lest worldly possessions
should make me forget God” (ibid., p. 242).
‫ل‬٦. ‫ذآ‬.¥\‫ًاة؟الًةأل\ًال‬١ Risalab dar tabqiq-t abwal wa z٦ndigani-^٦ Mawlana ja-
laluddin Mahmud, second printing (Tehran 1333/1954), pp. 124125.
13. On Qunawi see w. Chittick, “The Last Will and Testament,” pp. 43-
5%-, a\so Ascendant Stars.
14. See B. M. Weischer and p. L. Wilson, Heart's Witness: The Sufi Qua-
trains of Aubaduddin Kermani ١%91٢¥‫ل‬١‫اأعأ‬١ ‫ل‬.
15. See A. J. Arberry’s translation: The Poem of the Way (London, 1952).
16. See R. J. w. Austin’s translation in the present series; also, the En-
glish translation of T. Burckhardt’s partial French translation: The Wisdom of
the Prophets (Gloucestershire, 1975).
17. See A. J. Arberry’s translation of an-Niffari’s work, The Mawaqif and
Mukhatabat (London, 1935).
18. See w. Chittick, “The Last Will and Testament”; for more details on
these figures see Chittick, Ascendant Stars.
19. Shamsuddin Maghribi (d. 809/1406-1407) and Mahmud Shabistari (d.
720/1320), among many others, were directly indebted to ‘Iraqi. Jami wrote a
commentary on the Lama'at and is directly influenced by both its style and
content in such works as the Lawami، and the Lawa 'ih (the latter was translat-
ed by E. H. Whinfield and M. M. Kazvini [London, 1914]).
20. Our translation is based on a collation of two early manuscripts, each
of which is so illegible as to be practically useless without the other: Esad Ef.
1783/f. 86 (Suleymaniye Library) and Mevlana Muzesi 1633/ff. 112-3 (Kon-
ya). The authenticity of the letter cannot be doubted. Both manuscripts are
contained in collections of letters to and from Qunawi. The Esad Ef. collec-
tion accompanies Qunawi’s long philosophical correspondence with Nasir al-
Din Tusi, while the Mevlana Muzesi collection is appended to a copy of
Qunawi’s an-Nafahat. The fact that the order of the letters is different in each
collection, that the Mevlana Muzesi collection is much longer, and that each
manuscript accompanies different works all serve to show that the two collec-
tions of letters represent separate and ancient lines of transmission. Finally,
the style of ‘Iraqi’s letter is practically identical with that of the Lama'at, the

64
 INTRODUCTION

long poem is also found in his Diwan (p. 241), and there is no reason anyone
would want to fabricate such a document.
21. The manner in which ‘Iraqi speaks about his own exile from Qunawi
and then without warning refers to the symbolism of the situation by discuss-
ing the prototype of all of man’s exiles, i.e., his distance from God, is typical
of his writings, both his poetry and prose. For him each phenomenon in the
world is an immediate and tangible “sign” (ayah) of God, an instance that re-
calls the phenomenon’s ontological prototype.
22. ‘Iraqi is referring to one of Ibn a!-‘Arabi’s famous teachings: that the
Sufi’s heart (qalb) is constantly transformed (taqallub) by spiritual states, since
it is the locus of God’s never-repeating theophanies. Just as “Every day”—
and, says Jandi, with God a “day” is an “instant”—“God is in a State” (Koran
LV:29), so every instant the Sufi undergoes a new transformation, “therein
glorifying Him, in the mornings and the evenings” (XXI١':36). See T. Izutsu,
“The Concept of Perpetual Creation in Islamic Mysticism and Zen Bud-
dhism,” in Melanges offerts a Henry Corbin, ed. 5. H. Nasr (Tehran, 1977), espe-
cially pp. 136-141.
23. At this time Ibn a!-‘Arabi had been dead for many years. But the fact
that after mentioning the “shaykh,” ‘Iraqi adds a prayer reserved only for the
dead, and that in referring to him as “the shaykh” to Qunawi he must mean
someone whom Qunawi would refer to by the same title, shows that ‘Iraqi in
fact can only mean Ibn a!-‘Arabi himself. It was common for Sufis to see liv-
ing or deceased masters in dreams or visions and to act according to their in-
structions. So from the context we understand that Ibn a!-‘Arabi had asked
‘Iraqi to come visit him at his tomb in Damascus. This incident is particularly
significant in light of the fact that ‘Iraqi is buried in Damascus next to Ibn al-
‘Arabi.
24. For some notes on him, see E. G. Browne’s Literary History of persia
(London, 1902-1924), vol. 3, p. 106.
25. An allusion to the hadith in which God says, “My heaven and earth
embrace Me not, but the heart of My gentle, meek, believing servant does em-
brace Me.”
26. In his Lawatni‘ Jami summarizes the teachings of Ibn a!-‘Arabi’s
school concerning the reason wine is taken as a symbol for spiritual intoxica-
tion under ten headings. See w. c. Chittick, “Jami on Divine Love and the
Image of Wine,” Studies in Mystical Literature 1 (1981): pp. 193-209
27. c. Cahen, Pre-Ottotnan Turkey (London, 1968), pp. 288-291.
28. Ibid., p. 291.
29. Sinope at this time was ruled by Mu‘inuddin Muhammad, one of
Parwanah’s sons. Qunawi’s disciple Jandi dedicated his commentary on the
Fusus to this ruler, who must have shared his father’s interest in Sufism (see,
for example, Mss. Kili‫؟‬, Ali Pas٠a 606 and ‫؟‬ehid Ali Pasa 1241). He also dedi-
cated his Xafhat ar-ruh wa tuhfat al-futuh to a “pious princess” from Sinope

65
 INTRODUCTION

(Tehran Univ. Central Library 239?), who was probably Parwanah’s daugh-
ter or granddaughter.
30. Although Nafisi, the editor of ،Iraqi’s Kulliyyat, suggests that this
was Baybars, in fact it must have been aLMansur Sayf al-Din Kalaun, who
ruled from 678/1279 to 689/1289. As Nafisi himself points out, Kangirtay’s
campaign to Rum took place in 680/1281-1282 and he died in 681/1282-1283.
Even if the campaign took place before this date, ،Iraqi could not have
reached Egypt by 676/1277, the year Baybars died. Since his stay there was
an extended one and the “sultan” seems to remain the same person, he could
not be one of the two other sultans who ruled in the two years separating
Baybars from Kalaun.
31. So says the account; see however note 11.
32. Arberry’s translation, with a few changes.
33. Any trace of ،Iraqi’s grave seems to have been erased in the middle of
the tenth/sixteenth century, perhaps when Sultan Selim restored Ibn al-،Ara٠
bi’s tomb. Reports from the beginning of that century refer to ‘Iraqi’s grave,
but by the end of the century, people no longer write about having visited it
(Nafisi, Kulliyyat-i Iraqi, p. 43).

66
Divine Flashes
‫ل‬
 In the name of God,
Merciful and Compassionate
Refuge we Seek in Him

PROLOGUE

Praise belongs to God Who made effulgent the face of

His Friend Muhammad with Beauty’s theophanies, that
it sparkled with light:

beholding therein the far reach of Perfection, filling

Him with Joy at the sight.

God began with him, loved him with untainted love,

even then,

when Adam was not yet remembered nor the Tablet

yet traced by the Pen.

So in the warehouse of Existence he is the treasure,

the key to unlock Generosity’s sealed chest;

he is both the niche and goal of the ecstatic wanderer,

and the very ecstasy in his breast.

He owns the Banner of Praise, he owns the Laudable

Station

and from the tongue of that spiritual rank there

flows forth in recitation:

Truly in form
I am Adam’s son—
and yet

69
 DIVINE FLASHES

within Adam himself

lies a secret—
my secret—
that testifies:
I am his father! (Ibn al-Farid)

“Outwardly” he says “I am of Adam’s children

yet in every way far above him in station.
I gaze at the glass which reveals my beauty
and see the universe but an image of that image.
In the paradise of theophany I am the Sun: marvel not
that every atom becomes a vehicle of my manifestation.
What are the Holy Spirits? the delegates of my secret;
and the shapes of men? the vessels of my bodily form.
World-encircling Ocean? a drop of my overflowing effusion;
purest Light? but a spark of my illumination.
No, lam Light: All things are seen in my unveiling
and from moment to moment my radiance is more manifest.
The Divine Names bear their fruit in me. Look:
I am the mirror of the shining Essence.
These lights which arise from the East of Nothingness
are myself, every one—yet I am more.
From the Throne to the outstretched carpet of the world
all things are motes in the sun-ray of my illumined mind.
The world would shed its darkness in my bright being
if I tore the curtain from my attributes.
What is the water which gave life to undying Khezr?
a drop from my Spring of Abundance.1
And that breath of Christ which brought the dead to life?
One breath of my breath, the nurture of Spirits.
My essence? the locus of theophany of all the Names . . .
No. When I look in truth, I am the Greatest Name.”

Then God benedict him and his Household,

the prophets and righteous, martyrs and virtuous!

But now to our intent: a few words explaining the way-stations

of Love in the tradition of The Sparks; in tune with the voice of each
spiritual state as it passes, I shall dictate them as a mirror to reflect
every lover’s Beloved. But how high is Love, too high for us to circle

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the Kaaba of its Majesty on the strength of mere understanding, mere

words; too exalted for us to gaze upon its real beauty with eye un­
veiled and vision direct:

Removed is Love above man’s aspiration,

above the tales of union and separation;
for that which transcends the imagination
escapes all metaphor and explication.

Love lies hid in Power’s pavilion, unique in the perfection of un­

needfulness. The very veils of its Essence are its Attributes—but
these Attributes are enfolded in its Essence. Its Majesty yearns for its
own Beauty—yet its Beauty is embodied in its Majesty. Without cease
Love loves itself, pays no heed to other than itself. Each moment it
raises the veil from some darling’s face, each breath it begins a lover’s
melody:

Love plays its lute behind the screen—

where is a lover to listen to its tune?
With every breath a new song,
each split second a new string plucked.
The world has spilled Love’s secret—
when could music ever hold its tongue?
Every atom babbles the mystery—
Listen yourself, for I’m no tattletale!

Now and now with every tongue Love whispers its secrets to its
own ears; now and now with every ear it hears the murmuring of its
own tongue. In every blink of every eye it shows forth its loveliness
to its own sight; at every wink, here and there it reveals its existence
to its own contemplation. Listen to me and I shall describe it:

It speaks to me in the silence of this one

then through the words of that one speaking;
it whispers to me through an eyebrow raised
and the message of an eye winking.

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And do you know what words it breathes into my ear? It says,

“I am Love: in heaven and earth I have no place;

I am the Wondrous Phoenix whose spoor cannot be traced.
With eyebrow-bow and arrow-winks I hunt
both worlds—and yet my weapons cannot be found.
Like the sun I brighten each atom’s cheek;
I cannot be pinpointed: I am too manifest.
I speak with every tongue, listen with all ears,
but marvel at this: My ears and tongue are erased.
Since in all the world only I exist
above and below, no likeness of me can be found.”

INTRODUCTION
Know that in each of these Flashes we make allusion to a reality
purified of all entification. Call it Amourousness or Love, let us not
quarrel over words. We here recount the nature of its degrees and
phases, its journey through stages of repose and lodging, its appear­
ance in meanings and realities, its manifestation in the vestments of
Beloved and lover, the passing away of the lover’s entity in that of the
Beloved, the seclusion of the Beloved’s properties in those of the lov­
er, and the enwrapment of both in Love’s overpowering Oneness.
Here, in this last, all separation is at-oned, all rips sewn up, light hid­
den in Light: manifestation nonmanifest in Manifestation. From
within the tents of Power comes this call:

“All other than God, is it not vanitas?

All joys fleeting, vanishing?
They go forth unto God, the One, All-subjugating (XIV:48).2
All creatures disappear, no description, no trace remains.”

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FLASH I
On the fact that Love is the origin of
the lover and the Beloved, how these two grow out of
Love in the First Entification, and how each of them
is in need of the other3

“Lover” and “Beloved” are derived from “Love,” but Love upon
Its mighty Throne is purified of all entification, in the sanctuary of
Its Reality too holy to be touched by inwardness or outwardness.
Thus, that It might manifest Its perfection (a perfection identical
both with Its own Essence and Its own Attributes), It showed Itself to
Itself in the looking-glass of “lover” and “Beloved.” It displayed Its
own loveliness to Its own eyes, and became viewer and viewed; the
names “lover” and “Beloved,” the attributes of seeker and Sought,
then appeared. When Love revealed the Outward to the Inward, It
made the lover’s fame; when It embellished the Inward with the Out­
ward, It made known the Beloved’s name.

Other than that Essence

not one atom existed;
when It manifested Itself
these “others” came to life.
O Thou Whose Outward is “lover,”
Whose Inward is “Beloved”!
Who has ever seen
Sought become seeker? (،Attar)

By means of “Beloved,” Love became the mirror of “lover” that

It might study Itself in that glass; by means of “lover” It became the
mirror of “Beloved” that It might behold therein Its Names and At­
tributes. To the eye of true Witness, no more than One is to be seen—
but since this One Face shows Itself in two mirrors, each mirror will
display a different face.

But one face:

multiply the mirrors,
make It many.

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No other shows its face

for each thing that exists
is the same as the One
come into manifestation. (،Attar)

FLASH II
On the Perfection of Distinct-Manifestation,
which is the Self-Revelation of God in the loci of theophany
and manifestation and which arises from
the Second Entification

King Love desired to pitch His tent in the desert, open the door
of His warehouse, and scatter treasures to the world;

then raised His parasol,

hoisted His banners
to mingle Being
and nothingness.
Ah, the restlessness
of enrapturing Love
has thrown the world
in tumult!

But if He had not done so, the world would have slumbered on, at
rest with existence and nonexistence, at ease in the Retreat of Vision
where “God was, and nothing was with Him” (H).4

In those days
before a trace
of the two worlds,
no “other” yet imprinted
on the Tablet of Existence,
I, the Beloved, and Love
lived together
in the corner
of an uninhabited
cell.

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But suddenly Love the Unsettled flung back the curtain from the
whole show, to display Its perfection as the “Beloved” before the enti­
ty of the world;

and when Its ray of loveliness appeared

at once the world came into being
at once the world borrowed sight
from Love’s Beauty, saw the loveliness of Its Face
and at once went raving mad;
borrowed sugar from Love’s lips
and tasting it at once began to speak.

One needs Thy Light

To see Thee.

The splendor of Beauty bestowed upon the lover’s entity a light

with which that very Beauty might be seen; for only through It can It
be perceived. Or, as the Arabs say, “No one carries their gifts but
their horses.”

When the lover grasped the joy of this Witnessing he caught the
taste of existence. He heard the whispered command—“BE!”5—and
dancing to Love’s tavern door he exclaimed,

“O saki, fill a cup

with that wine:
my heart, my religion
my sweet life.
Can drinking be my liturgy?
Then my Faith
will be to sip the Beloved
from this chalice.

Then in an instant the saki poured so much Existence-wine into

that Nothingness-cup

that because of the wine’s pureness

and the crystal clarity of the glass
the color of glass and wine were confused.
All is glass—or, no, all is wine.

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All is wine—or, no, all is glass!

When the sky is tainted
with the colors of the sun
heaven kicks away the blankets and sheets,
the shadows of nothingness. Day and Night
make peace with each other:
thus have the world’s affairs been ordered.

The Morning of Manifestation sighed, the breeze of Grace

breathed gently, ripples stirred upon the sea of Generosity. The
clouds of Effusion poured down the rain of “He sprinkled creation
with His Light” (H) upon the soil of preparedness; so much rain that
the earth shone with the Light of its Lord (XXXIX:69). The lover, then,
satiated with the water of life, awoke from the slumber of nonexis­
tence, put on the cloak of being and tied round his brow the turban of
contemplation; he cinched the belt of desire about his waist and set
forth with the foot of sincerity upon the path of the Search.

He came from theory to actuality,

from hearsay to the Embrace! (Sana’i)

As soon as he opened his eyes his gaze fell upon the Beloved, and he
said, “I have never beheld anything without seeing God before it”
(،Ali); he looked at himself, found that all of him was HE, and ex­
claimed,

“So only Reality peers out of my eyes!

A peculiar business, indeed!

If I have become the Beloved,

who is the lover?”

Here indeed the lover is the very Beloved, for he has no existence
of his own to call “the lover.” He still sleeps in his original nonexis­
tence, just as the Beloved remains forever in His Eternity: “He is now
as He was.”6

Beloved, Love and lover—three-in٠one.

There is no place for Union here
so what’s this talk of “separation”?

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FLASH III
On the Perfection of Distinct-Vision,
which is His Direct-Vision of Himself in the loci of theophany
and manifestation, and the states which are
subordinate to this Direct-Vision

Now though Love was forever admiring Itself through Itself, It

also wished to study the perfect beauty of Its Belovedness in some
mirror. Peering into the glass of the lover’s reality, It saw Its own
face, and wondered,

Is it you or I,
this reality in the eye?
Beware, beware
of the word “two”! (al-Hallaj)

It fell in love with Its own reflection, and bruited about the world the
clatter of He loves them and they love Him (V:54). Look closely and you
will see that

the painter’s fascination

is with his own canvas.
There’s no one else about
so ... rejoice!

The sun shines in the moon’s mirror, but the moon contains
naught of the sun’s essence. Just so, in Love’s Essence there is naught
but HE, nor is there aught of His Essence in anything other-than-He.
As sunlight is attributed to the moon, so is the Beloved’s form as­
cribed to the lover; but in truth

each image painted

on the canvas of existence
is the form
of the artist himself.
Eternal Ocean
spews forth new waves.
“Waves” we call them;
but there is only the Sea.

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Many and disparate waves do not make the sea a multiplicity; no

more do the Names make the Named more than One. When the sea
breathes they call it mist; when mist piles up they call it clouds. It
falls again, they name it rain; it gathers itself and rejoins the sea. And
it is now the same sea it ever was.

So Ocean is Ocean
as it was in Eternity,
contingent beings
but its waves and currents.
Do not let the ripples
and mists of the world
veil you from Him
who takes form within these veils. (Jandi)

Beginninglessness is the depth unfathomed, Endlessness the shores of

this Ocean. No,

its shores are deep troughs,

its depths never sounded!

And the isthmus? That is your “thou-ness.” The sea is one, but in
your fantastic “thou-ness” it appears as two. Give yourself to these
waters and the isthmus of “thou-ness” will vanish as if overflooded
and dissolved. The sea of Eternity-without-Beginning will mingle
with the waters of Eternity-without-End; the First and the Last will
each show itself in the other’s hue.

Today and the day before yesterday,

yesterday and tomorrow,
all are one.
You too: become One!

Then shall you open your eyes and find that everything is you, but
that you yourself are lost beyond trace.

Listen, riffraff:
Do you want to be ALL?
Then go,
go and become NOTHING.

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FLASH IV
On the fact that in every level
the Beloved—in fact, the lover as well—
is God

Jealous, the Beloved demands that the lover love but Him, need
but Him.

So jealous is He
all others are destroyed:
He must Himself
act every part!

Necessarily He makes Himself identical with all things; for the lover,
what else is left to love or to need? And no one loves so hugely as He
loves Himself. Know now who you are!

Don’t dream this thread

is double-ply:
root and branch
are but One.
Look close: all is He—
but He is manifest through me.
All ME, no doubt—
but through Him.

The sun shines and a mirror dreams itself the sun. How then
should it not begin to love itself? For self-love is in the nature of
things. And in truth, the mirror's it-ness is the Sun Itself, since mani­
festation belongs to It alone: the glass is but a vessel for Its light.

Love’s Sun appeared;

I hid myself within it.
The light you see now
is my shining!

It is He who loves Himself in you: What else could it mean to say

that “None loves God but God,” that “None sees God but God, that

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“None invokes God but God”? Now it is clear, that saying of Mus­
tafa:7 “O God, give me the joy of my hearing and sight.” It is as if he
prayed, “Give me enjoyment of Thee, for Thou art my hearing and
sight, and Thou art the best of inheritors (XXL89). Thou remainest—and
the reality of my hearing and sight remain. But their form will van­
ish.”

Holy, holy!
Veils hide His Reality,
so none but God
knows who He is.
Take what you want
for God is there;
say what you will about Him
for He embraces all.

Pardon me this innovation, revealing such secrets. Remember:

He Himself spoke the Truth

He Himself listened.
He Himself showed Himself
He Himself saw.

Junayd said once, “For thirty years now I’ve been conversing
with God, yet people seem to think I’m talking to them?' Through the
ears of Moses He heard Himself speak with the flame-tongue of the
Bush:

He speaks
He listens
you and I
but a pretext.

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FLASH V
On the diversity of the locus-of-manifestation
at every instant, and the disparity of the outward-manifestation
of the Outward in keeping with the
locus-of-manifestation k diversity

In each mirror, each moment the Beloved shows a different face,

a different shape. Each instant reflections change to suit the mirror,
image follows image in harmony with the situation.

In each mirror, each moment

a new face reveals His Beauty.
Now He is Adam, and now
He appears in the robes of Eve.

Thus He never twice shows the same face; never in two mirrors
does one form appear. Abu Talib al-Makki says, “He never shines
through one shape twice nor manifests as one form in two places.”

His loveliness owns

a hundred thousand faces;
gaze upon a different fair one
in every atom;
for He needs must show
to every separate mote
a different aspect
of His Beauty.
“One” is the fountainhead
of all numbers:
each split second wells up
a new perplexity.

Thus it is that every lover gives a different sign of the Beloved

and every gnostic a different explanation; every realized one seems to
point to something different, yet each of them declares,

“Expressions are many

but Thy loveliness is one:

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Each of us refers
to that single Beauty.” (an-Nuri)

،،Gazing from every angle

on that precious countenance
in Thy face we see our own—
hence the infinitude of descriptions.” (Anwari)

To whom do they speak of this Vision? To him who has ٥ heart

(1:37), to that one whose heart is overcome and transformed by states,
one after another, and thus can receive an insight into the Divine
transmutations. In his awareness such a one can grasp why Mustafa
declared, ،،He who knows himself knows his Lord” and why Junayd
said, ،،The water’s color is the color of the cup.” In other words, the
form changes every second into another form by reason of the mirror,
just as the heart changes with the variegations of its states.

The Prophet tells US that ،،The heart is like a feather blowing

hither and thither in the desert winds”; perhaps the source of these
gusts is that breeze to which Mustafa referred when he said, “Do not
curse the wind, for it prQceeds from the All-merciful’s Breath.”

If you desire the perfume of this Breath to reach your soul’s

senses, gaze into the workshop of Every day He is in ٥ state (LV:29);
then you may justly claim that your own states are reflections of vari-
ations in His States and Acts. Then it will be clear to you how the
water’s color is the cup’s color; which is to say that the lover’s color is
the hue of his Beloved. And you will say,

،،The glass grows clear

the wine grows clear;
one resembles another,
all is confused
as if there were wine
and no cup ...
or 110
and no wine!” (Sahib ibn ‘Abbad)

،،My Chinese darling

I am with you

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so much that I forget

am I you or are you me?
No, I am I, you are you ...
no ... I meant you are me ...
or rather I am I, you are you
and you are me!”

FLASH 71
On tbe fact tbat tbe or is tbe mirror of tbe
Beloved, and rvice ITSa; eacb appears in tbe stage of tbe other
and is not delimited by its own peculiarities

The end of the affair: The lover sees the Beloved as his own mir­
ror, and himself as the mirror of the Beloved.

Without cease
gazing into the purity
of the Friend’s face, he sees the universe
imaged in his own reality
and if he once looks back
into the chamber of his heart
he finds there like a blazing sun
the sweet face of his heart-thief.

Sometimes one is witness, the other is witnessed; sometimes the

reverse. Sometimes one appears in the other’s tints; sometimes one is
perfumed with the other’s fragrance.

Love the beautician

mixes its cosmetics
making Truth into metaphor
with Its paints;
It sets a trap
for Mahmud’s heart
by combing out the tresses
of lyaz.8

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Now Love tailors the lover in a cloak of radiance and perfection,

adorning him with the accoutrements of exquisite grace: he looks at
himself and sees only the color of the Beloved, sees himself all HIM.
He shouts, “Glory be to me, how exalted is my state! Who is like me?
Or is there aught but me in the two worlds?” (Bayazid).

Or again, Love drapes the Beloved in the robes of the lover, that
the Beloved might climb down from the station of Majesty and Self-
sufficiency and plead thus with His lover:

“I swear by My Right
I love you
so to love Me in return
is your responsibility.”■

Sometimes the Beloved’s quest grasps the skirt of the lover, say­
ing, “Is not the desire of the pious drawn out endlessly, their desire to
meet Me?” And sometimes the lover’s desire raises its head from the
neck of the Beloved’s cloak9 and declares, “Verily I desire them more
than they desire Me!” (HQ٤ Sometimes the Beloved Himself becomes
the lover’s sight, that He might say, “I saw my Lord with the eye of
the Lord. I asked ،Who art Thou?’ and He answered ،Thou.’ ” Some­
times the lover becomes the Beloved’s voice and says, 11Grant him pro­
tection till he hears the words of God" (IX:6).

In Love alone
can such wonders be.

FLASH VII
On the Self-Manifestation of Love
through Its Nondelimitation in all the loci-of-manifestation
and Its appearance in the clothing of Belovedness
for all kinds ofperception and cognition

Love courses through all things. . . . No, It is all things. How

deny It when nothing else exists? What has appeared—if not for
Love—would not have been. All has appeared from Love, through
Love, and Love courses through it. . . . No, all of it is Love.

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Love is the lover’s essence, nor could this essence cease to be,
however his attachment may flit from beloved to beloved.

Shift, transfer your heart where you will—

Love belongs but to the First Beloved.

Love where you may, you will have loved Him; turn your face what­
ever way, it turns toward Him—even if you know it not.

Everyone drawn to a beloved

must be subject to him.
All are subject to Thee
but know it not.

The poet means to say,

Whether they know Thee or not

all creatures of the world
now and forever-without-end
bend but toward Thee.
All love for someone else
is but a whiff
of Thy perfume:
none else can be loved.

It is not so much wrong as impossible to love other than Him, for

whatever we love (aside from that love which springs from the very
essence of the lover, the cause of which is unknown), we love either
for its beauty, or its goodness—and both of these belong to Him
alone.

The beauty of each lovely boy

each comely girl
derives from His—
on loan.

But beauty and goodness alike are hidden behind the veils of in­
termediate causes, behind the faces of those we love. Majnun may
gaze at Layla’s beauty, but this Layla is only a mirror. Therefore the
Prophet said, “Whoso has loved, remained chaste, kept the secret and

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died, dies a martyr.” Majnun’s contemplation of her loveliness is

aimed at a beauty beside which all else is ugliness. He may not know
that ،،God is beautiful” (H)—but who else is worthy of possessing
beauty?

That which owns

no existence in itself—
from whence would it derive
such beauty?

And also, ،،God loves beauty,”10 for beauty by its very nature is
made to be loved. God with Majnun’s«ye looks upon His own beauty
in Layla, and through Majnun He loves Himself.

He who is equal to Your love11

is You Yourself
for You and You alone
gaze forever at Your beauty.

Let no censorious pen scratch out the name of a Majnun who views in
the mirror of his loved one the Absolute Beauty Itself.

A lover like that

whose story we’ve heard
is not to be found in every place
the sun may shine.

No indeed! the very idea!

Let no son of Adam

prattle to you of an “absolute love”
for there in the city of “love unqualified”
what business has mere man?

All that exists is the mirror of His Beauty; so everything is beau­

tiful, and He loves everything. Or to be precise, He loves Himself. In
fact, any lover you see loves only himself, for seeing but his own face
in the mirror of his beloved, he must needs come to self-amorousness.
The Prophet said, “The believer is the mirror of the believer”—and
God is the “Believer.”

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Grasp this vision:

look closely and behold
in every atom of the universe
a world-displaying cup.12

A lover sees his beloved’s image in the mirror of his own es­
sence—but no, it is the Beloved Himself seeing Himself. After all, the
lover sees with eyes, and the Tradition says, “I—God—become his
ears, his eyes, his hand and his tongue” (HQ). So the lover’s eyes are
the Beloved, and all he sees, knows, says and hears is the Beloved
Himself; for ،،verily we are in Him and belong to Him.” In terms of
manifestation therefore lover and Beloved, seeker and Sought, are
one. But not everyone can grasp this. No,

How can a beggar

become a sultan?
Bah! How can a fly
become Solomon?

How can this beggar

become the sultan
when he already
is the sultan?

Bizarre, bizarre
and rare indeed!
Since one is the same as the other
how can this become that?

FLASH VIII
On an allusion to the theophanies
which occur for the wayfarers and the properties
of these theophanies

The Beloved shows His face in either the looking-glass of form or

the mirror of meaning—or beyond both form and meaning. If He dis­
plays His Beauty to the lover’s gaze in the garment of form, the lover

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joys in witnessing and takes nourishment from the sight. Then the
mysterious Tradition “I saw my Lord in the loveliest form” will un­
cover for him the significance of the Verse Wherever you turn, there is
the Face of God (11:115); and God is the light of the heavens and earth
(XXIV.35) will explain for him the lover’s plea:

Come inhabit my eyes

and gaze on Him.

Then he will know how

all the world’s lows

and highs are You:
I know not what You are
but You are everything.

And he will understand why the poet said

I have a friend
whose form is body and soul
—but which body, what soul?
The Universe is His form;
every fair meaning,
every fair form
I gaze upon—
that is His form.

But if His Majesty rides forth to attack from behind the veil of
meaning in the World of Spirits, He will kidnap the lover away from
himself so totally that neither name nor clue will survive. The lover
will then find no enjoyment of witnessing nor even a taste of discov­
ery. Here the annihilation of ،،him who was not and the subsistence
of ،،Him Who always was” reveal to the lover how

You appear to the one

who receives from You
subsistence after annihilation;
he lacks all temporal being
since You
are he.

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Now, if the Beloved should cast aside the veils of both form and
meaning from His Beauty and Majesty, then would the Overdomi­
nance of the Essence proclaim to the lover,

“Let there be in this city

but you ... or ME
for no government can survive
a double kingship!”

So . . . begone! for “When God’s river overflows, Jesus River disap­

pears.”13

Once a gnat appeared at the Court of Solomon to bring suit

against the Wind. Solomon ordered him, “Bring this enemy of yours
to me.” The gnat retorted, “If I had the strength to compel him I
should never have come to you to complain in the first place!”

What mirror can He fit?

When does He ever show us His Face?

FLASH IX
On that which the Beloved and the lover
each contemplates in the mirror of the other, the levels
of the lover's direct-vision and its final end

So the Beloved is the mirror of the lover, and in Him the lover
sees with his own eyes but himself. And the lover is the mirror of the
Beloved, in which He sees His Names and Attributes and the mani­
festation of His Divine properties. Now when the lover discovers
that the Names and Attributes of the Beloved are identical with the
Divine Self, he must exclaim,

“You witnessed Yourself in me,

that Self which is one in Essence
but multiple in its mastery
of Attributes and Names.

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I witnessed in You
a reality which transcends
my multiplicity, and through which
seer and seen are united.

My world-displaying cup
is Your joy-augmenting face
but Your world-displaying cup
is my reality.”14

Sometimes this is the mirror of that, sometimes that of this. If the

lover peers into the Beloved’s glass and sees there his own inwardness
and meaning, shaped in the mold of his own outward form, then he
has seen merely his own self with his own eye. But if he beholds some
corporeal form, in a shape other than his own, and realizes that be­
yond it lies Something Else, then he has beheld the form of the Be­
loved with the Beloved’s eye.

Then again it may happen that the lover himself is a mirror gaz­
ing at itself, and since the form of the Beloved which appears therein
is determined by the shape of the mirror, then we may say that Domi­
nation belongs to the lover-as-mirror, since “The water’s color is the
cup’s color.” And if he sees this form as other than his own shape, he
will know it to be that “Giver of Forms” Who embraces all forms:
And God embraces them on all sides (LXXXV:20).

When the sincere lover stamps his foot upon the neck of the
world of forms, we know his Spiritual Resolve desires only a Beloved
of transcendent attributes; and that he will not submit his own neck
to any beloved chained with the fetters of shape and image, nor the
tie of knowledge and union. No, all forms are now erased from his
contemplation: he sees the Beloved directly, without the intermediary
aid of form. As the Sufis say, “God can be seen clearly only when for­
mal limitations dissolve.”

How can Meaning be squeezed

into the box of Form?
What business has the sultan
in this beggar’s realm?

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 DIVINE FLASHES

In the end, what can he know

who worships form, heedless of Meaning?
Tell me: what business can he have
with the beauty of a hidden Beloved?

FLASH X
On what becomes joined to that which is Outward
in the locus-of-manifestation in respect of the locus, and
what occurs to the locus in respect of the outward-manifestation
of tbe Outward within it

Manifestation, ceaseless and perpetual, is the Beloved’s attribute;

concealment—hiddenness—that of the lover. When the Beloved’s
form appears in the lover’s mirror-entity, that glass—in keeping with
its own realities—exercises a certain influence on the image which is
manifested, just as manifestation itself bestows a name on what ap­
pears.

Amazing! My mother
gave birth to her own father!

Here I-ness and we-ness appear, you-ness and he-ness are manifest.

When the lover contemplates the Beloved’s beauty in form’s mir­

ror, pain and pleasure are born, grief and joy are manifest, fear and
hope come together, contraction and expansion make their rounds.
But when he strips off the robes of form and dives into Unity’s All-
embracing Ocean, he knows nothing of torment or bliss, expectation
or dread, fear or hope; for these depend on past and future, and he
now drowns in a sea where Time is abolished, where all is Now upon
Now.

Wander in salt deserts:

you are lost.
And is this roaring sea
less than salt? (،Attar)

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 DIVINE FLASHES

You fear either the veil or the lifting of the veil; but here you are
safe from both: for a veil cannot be imagined save between two
things, and here there can be but one. Here there can be no fear of the
unveiling, which terrifies only him who dreads burning in Splendor’s
radiance;

but how can he who is flame

be eaten by fire?

One are Kaaba and synagogue

for the nonexistent,
and for the shadow, heaven
and hell are one.

When dawn rides forth

in the Wine-star’s light
then equal at last
are the sober and the drunk.

LIGHT will not burn light, for the lesser radiance is sucked into
the greater and absorbed. Unity’s People neither fear nor hope, know
neither bliss nor torment. Someone asked Bayazid, “How did you
pass the morning?” and he replied, “For me, no morning, no eve­
ning.”

Here where I am
is no dawn or dusk
no dread or expectation
state or station.

“Morning and evening pertain to him only who is limited by attri­

butes, but I... I have no attributes.

Indeed, how should I have attributes

when I have no essence?”

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 DIVINE FLASHES

FLASH XI
On the rejection of a number offalse ideas
which face the wayfarers to God, through which they fall into the abyss of
incarnationism, unification, atheism, and heresy

Know that between form and the mirror no true unification, no

“incarnation,” can exist.

What a meddlesome bore,

the one who here confuses
theophany
and “incarnation”! (Sana’i)

Unification and incarnation could take place between two essences,

but to contemplation’s eye there exists in all existence but one Object
of contemplation.

Reality is one,
properties differ:
a secret revealed
to gnostics alone.

He who has lifted the veil sees multiplicity in properties, not in

the Essence; hence he knows that changes in properties cannot touch
Essence, which owns a perfection subject to no mutability. Light
merely seems to change as it shines through colored glass, but

light has no color.

Its rays shine through the glass
and only then
do hues and tints appear.

Don’t you understand?

Come then into my eyes

and ... look!

and you will see

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 DIVINE FLASHES

a sun shining
through a thousand bits of glass
beaming to plain sight through each
a ray of color.
Why should any difference appear
between this one and that?
All light is one
but colors a thousandfold.

FLASH XII
On the arrival of the wayfarers at the end
of the Journey to God and the beginning of the Journey in God,
and on the nature of the latter

When this door is opened, truly opened, we shall retreat into the
cell of our nonexistence and behold ourselves and our Beloved in the
mirror of each-otherness. We shall travel no further, for “After the
conquest of Mecca, why emigrate to Medina?”

This mirror of form

has no need of wayfaring
for it receives its form
from Light.

Indeed, no one ever really leaves this cell, so where are you going?
(LXXXI.-26).

I shall not leave

this luminous house
nor ever depart
from this blessed city.

Exiled from here? Impossible! The Prophet said, “In my community,

no traveling.”15 Here the road ends, aspiration finds rest and agita­
tion calm, the climb is over, all attributes peel away, all allusions ex­
plode, and the tyranny of “from” and “to” is overthrown; for how

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 DIVINE FLASHES

can Being take sides when it knows no beginning, no end? The

tongue of seclusion here recites,

“I sought solitude
with my loved one
yet find there is no one here
but myself.
And if there were
‘someone else’
I should not in truth
have attained her.”

If there should be journeying after this, it must be in Him and in

His Attributes. Once Bayazid heard someone recite this verse: On the
We gather the godfearing to the All-merciful in groups ‫للللم‬٦‫ا؟‬He .5١
cried out, ،،But those who are already with Him, where shall they be
gathered?”

Someone overheard him and said, ،،From the Name ،All-compel-

ler’ to the Name ،All-merciful,’ from the Name ،All-subjugator’ to the
Name ‘All-compassionate!’ ”

FLASH XIII
On the luminous and tenebrous •veils
which render the Journey necessary, the Journey which is
to remove those veils

The Beloved hid His Face with seventy thousand veils of light
and darkness, that the lover might grow used to seeing Him behind
the screen of creation. But when at last the sight is accustomed to this
trick, and Love rattles the chains of ardor, then one by one—with
Love’s succor and the strength of desire—the lover may tear away
those veils. The splendrous rays of Majesty will sear away all fanta­
sies of otherness, till the lover sits upon Love s very throne. He will
become ALL; and

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 DIVINE FLASHES

what he takes he’ll take

with His hand from Him,
what he gives he’ll give
from Him to Him.

Perhaps the Prophet was alluding to this when he said, “The

prayer without you is better than seventy.” That is, a prayer offered
without your you-ness excels seventy ordinary ones; for while you re­
main with yourself, all seventy thousand veils hang before you. But
when you are absent from yourself, who remains to be veiled?

Some say that these veils are man’s attributes, the luminous ones
such as knowledge, certainty, states and stations and all virtues; and
the tenebrous such as ignorance, doubt, custom and habit and all vice.

They say the veils of light and dark

lie in certainty and doubt
and the like. But this
is the measure of their incapacity!

Mark well: if these veils were merely human attributes, they

would be burnt to nothing; for as the Prophet said, “If God were to
remove them, the Splendor of His Face would incinerate the eyes of
all creatures who gazed at Him.” That is: If creaturely attributes
were exposed to this unadulterated light, they would be utterly con­
sumed. But in fact this never happens; vision never burns them, nor
do they cease to block our sight.

So these veils must not be human but Divine, God’s Names and
Attributes: luminous ones such as manifestation, benevolence, and
Beauty; tenebrous ones such as nonmanifestation, all-subjugation,
and Majesty. These Names and Attributes must not be raised, for if
they were, the Unity of the Essence would blaze forth from behind
the screen of Might, and all things would be totally annihilated. For it
may happen that through the Names and Attributes all things be­
come qualified by all-pervading Existence, even though these things
actually come into being through the theophany of the Essence. But
the theophany of the Essence itself acts from behind the veil of Attri­
butes and Names.

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 DIVINE FLASHES

So: His veils are His own Names and Attributes. As the author
of Hearts' Food'** puts it, “Essence is veiled by Attributes, Attributes
by Acts.’’17 Ultimately He Himself is His own veil, for He is hidden
by the very intensity of His manifestation and occulted by the very
potency of His Light.

You are Inward, not appearing

to those with eyes to see
for how can He be seen Who is hid
by His own Reality?

We see, but know not what we see: and must say,

Everywhere veiled
by Your own Face
You are hidden from the world
in Your very manifestation.
Look where I will
I see Your Face alone;
in all these idols
I see only You.
Jealous lest You be recognized
at every instant
You dress Your Beauty
in a different cloak.

How could anything else veil Him? for veils belong only to the
limited, and He has no limits. All you behold in the world of form
and meaning is His Form—but He is unbound by any form. Where
He is not, nothing exists—but wherever He is . . . that thing is also
naught.

You are the world—

but how can You be seen?
Are You not the soul as well?
Yet how can You be hidden?
How can You be manifest?
for You are occult always.
Yet how can You be hidden
when You are eternally seen?

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 DIVINE FLASHES

Hidden, manifest,
both at once:
١‫ًا‬٠١‫ل‬ not tbis, not tbat—
yet both at once.

FLASH XIV
On the differentiation between the Bow
of Necessary-Being and the Bow of Possible-Existence,
the Station of T-wo Bows’ Length and its mystery and inward,
which is the Station of Or Nearer, and on
the differentiation between the two

Imagine lover and Beloved as a single circle divided by a line into

two bow-shaped arcs. This line but seems to exist, yet does not, and if
it be erased at the moment of the Meeting, the circle will appear again
as one—as in fact it really is. This then is the secret of Two Bows'
Length.

The world but seems to be

yet is nothing more
than a line drawn
between light and shadow.
Decipher the message
of this dream-script
and learn to distinguish time
from Eternity.

Break the code of this line and know beyond doubt that

All is nothing,
nothing.
All is He,
all is HE.

But wait! Even if the line is erased, the circle will still not appear
as it did at first. The line’s effect will not altogether vanish: It will be
gone, but its trace will remain.

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 DI١٦NE FLASHES

Make no mistake:
he who is lost
in God
is not God Himself.

His Absolute Uniqueness cannot permit any one-ness born of the

unification-of-two to lurk about the precincts of the Pavilion of Uni­
ty-
After this,
something else ...
something subtle.
In His eyes
it is better
to conceal it,
more graceful
to hide it away.

Unity in respect to the Names may be called “Unity of Multi­

plicity” and in respect to the Essence “Unity of Entity.” Both are re­
ferred to by the same word: unus, one. The One threads through all
things, as does the number one through all numerals: If “one” did not
exist, the numerals would not exist, could not be named. Or if one
were to appear in its own name, the realities of the other numbers
could never appear.

If You are Everything

then who are all these people?
And if I am nothing
what’s all this noise about?
You are Totality,
everything is You. Agreed.
Then that which is “other-than-You’
what is it?
Oh, indeed I know:
Nothing exists but You;
but tell me:
Whence this confusion?
Reader, you may grasp His Oneness through your own oneness.
Listen: you are one, and can come to know that One only through

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 DIVINE FLASHES

this one. Simple: One comes to know “Oneself.” You and it are not
involved in the slightest.

The Profession of Unity is explained by this formula, though few

indeed realize it: “Any individual number multiplied by oneness re­
sults in one individual number.”

FLASH XV
On the lover's actions
and the nature of the ascription of all things to him,
and on felicity and wretchedness

The lover is the Beloved’s shadow, and follows wherever He

goes:

When will shadow

ever be cloven from light?

Thus following, he cannot go astray. Surely my Lord is on a straight

path (XI:56), and since the lover’s forelock is in the Lord’s hand, there
is but one way to go. There is no creature that crawls but He takes it by the
forelock (XL56).

Vanity? There is no vanity!

Creatures were not made
for aimlessness, even if their acts
do not always hit the mark.
These acts flow according
to the molds of the Names,
and the Wisdom
of the Attributes
drives them at last
to the Divine Decree. (Ibn al-Farid)

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 DIVINE FLASHES

They asked Junayd, “What is the Profession of Unity?” and he

replied, “I heard a minstrel chant,

،They sang me my heart’s desire;

I sang what they sang.
I was where they were,
and they were where I am.’ ”

They asked al-Hallaj, “To which religious School do you be­

long?” and he answered, “God’s own.”

He who limned
a thousand worlds with paint—
you layabout!—do you expect
He’ll use your color or mine?
Our paints and tints
are but opinion and fantasy.
He is colorless
and we must adopt His hue.

Look: a shadow lies crooked upon the ground because the very
earth is laid rough; but no, that crookedness is straightness itself, for
the perfection, the “straightness” of the eyebrow is in its sinuous
curve.

Only because it is bent

is this piece of wood a bow.

Reality is a sphere: wherever you place your finger, there is its dead
center.

But I digress. Know then, that when Love’s sun shines from the
orient of the Unseen, the Beloved pitches the tent of His Shadow in
the desert of manifestation. He addresses the lover:

“Now then, won’t you

behold My shadow?

Hast thou not regarded thy Lord, how He stretched out the shadow?
(XXV:45). Do you not see Me in the waxing of this dark silhouette?”

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 DIVINE FLASHES

For in this house, everything

has the look of its landlord.

Say: Everything acts according to His manner ٢‫ت‬١7‫ل‬١‫ر‬.‫با؟‬١٦ ‫ة‬0‫ ةًا‬you see
that if the object is immobile, its shadow cannot move? Had He willed,
He would have made the shadow still (XXV:45). Indeed, if Unity’s Sun
shone from the dawn of Might no wisp of shadow would survive, for
a shade which dares live near the sun is embraced: Thereafter We seize
it to Ourselves, drawing it ,gently ٢W\7-A6١.

Ah, the desert

is drowned in sun;
no shadow could venture here
for even a second.

What a marvel! When the sun shines, the shadow vanishes—but

without sun, no shadow at all! Each thing has an essence, and the
shadow’s essence is the object which casts it. As this object moves, so
moves the shadow.

While the hand moves

the shadow must follow.
Since the shadow gains its substance
from the hand
it has none of itself.
That which derives existence
from something else
how can we say
it truly exists?
It has a name, yes,
but is not that existence
which subsists through God.

The Shaykh al-Islam Abdullah Ansari says, “Where a created be-

ing derives subsistence from an uncreated, the former is annihilated
in the latter. When the servant’s reality is truly pure, his 1-ness is but
a borrowing. And what is 1-ness? It consists only of words: 'I’ and
‘thou.’ If you really exist, where is God? And if God exists, God is
one, not two.”

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 DIVINE FLASHES

“I” and “you”

have made of man a two-ness.
Without these words, you are I
and I am you.

FLASH XVI
On an example through which it becomes clear
that the many-ness of diverse shapes has no effect upon the Oneness
of the True One, so that It remains in Its True Oneness
in the very midst of many-ness

The shadow-play master behind the screen performs his contra­

dictory mummery, his diverse turns and steps, jugglery and props, all
him, and hid behind the scrim. When they strike the set you’ll know
these shapes and their posturings for what they really are:

the whole show but one

lone puppeteer
hid behind his
screen of art.
He tears it away
reveals himself alone
and all illusions
vanish into nothing. (Ibn al-Farid)

The secret of Surely thy Lord is wide in forgiveness (LIII:32): All

creatures are His “covering” or curtain.18

His presence is a sun

and heaven and earth
I find are but
a parasol.٠ ٠

... and He is the Agent behind that sun-shade. But They perceive not
(VII:95). Only if the secret of God created you and what you do

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 DIVINE FLASHES

(XXXVIL96) were to wink its eye at them, would they ever come to
know perforce that

All power, all activity is ours

only so much as HE is us.

Only then would they ask: How should that which is nonexistence in
itself act, or have power?

Know that the soul’s prostration

is also from Him
and that the cloud is generous
because of the sun.

The source of activity is one, but everywhere displays new colors and
is called by a different name. Watered with one water, and some of them
We prefer in produce above others (XIIL4).

FLASH XVII
On the variegation of the theophanies of the Beloved
and the advance of the lover in preparedness in keeping with
these theophanies; on the words which this group
has uttered concerning the meaning of ,,preparedness'';
and on an allusion to the never-endingness
of the Way in the Journey to God

Each moment from each of the myriad windows of the Attri­

butes the Beloved shows the lover a different face, and from these
rays of light the lover’s inner eye gains illumination with each flash,
fresh vision with each passing instant. The more beauty is displayed,
the more overpowering the love; the more overpowering the love, the
more beauty is displayed . . . and all the while the gap grows wider
between Beloved and lover. Finally the lover flees the Loved-one’s
cruelty, flies to the Refuge of Love Itself, and clings to Oneness that
he may escape duality.

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 DIVINE FLASHES

The Manifestation of Lights, so it has been said, extends as far as

the preparedness, and the Effusion of Gnosis as far as the receptivity.

No fault of the sun if the owl

gains nothing from its light.
The more you purify the face of your heart
the better prepared for theophany. (Sana’i)

True enough . . . but “O Thou who makest blessings to appear before

they are deserved!” That is, when the Beloved would display Himself
in the lover’s mystic eye, He lends that organ a glimmer of His own
Beauty-ray. With this light the lover can see and take pleasure in that
Divine loveliness.

After the lover has enjoyed through that light his share of con­
templation, again the radiance of the Beloved’s Face bestows upon his
eye a brighter light—with which yet greater lights can be perceived.
And so and so it goes, like a thirsty man gulping saltwater: The more
he drinks, the more rages his thirst. The more you acquire, the more
you aspire.

The more I gaze

at Your face, the more
my eyes incline
toward Your vision
like one who dies of thirst
by the ocean shore,
lips to the wave,
thirstier and thirstier.

Seek not, find not—

except in this one case:
Until you find the Friend
you’ll never seek Him.

One who thirsts for this water can never be satisfied.

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 DIVINE FLASHES

He cannot glance away

without glancing back,
his desire
rekindled.

Once Yahya Ma’adh Razi wrote to Bayazid:

“So drunk am I
from His love-wine
another drop
would finish me!”

Bayazid wrote back:

“Cup after cup

of love I drink
but neither wine nor vision
ever seems to run dry!”

I could see You a thousand times a day

and still desire to see You once again.

A saint once declared, “Between me and my Lord the only differ­

ence is that I come forward in servitude.” That is, my poverty and my
preparedness are the key to His Generosity.

Someone heard him and protested, “Who was it then prepared

you first?” Indeed, what is the key to this primary Generosity? for
with Him are the Keys of the Unseen (VI:59).19

When Kharaqani reached this point he cried out, “I am less than

my Lord by two years!”20

Abu Talib al-Makki remarked, “Kharaqani spoke the truth, for

God creates nonexistence just as He creates existence.”21

Someone else said, “The Divine Will has no effect upon the pre­
paredness, for the reality of the preparedness never changes. Rather,
the Will singles out a specific locus to receive a specific prepared­
ness.” In other words, God in the World of the Unseen makes mani­

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 DIVINE FLASHES

fest the effects of a nonmanifest theophany within the reality of the

servant. This takes the form of a principial preparedness by means of
which the theophany of entified existence may be received. When
this theophany is actualized, the servant acquires through it a further
preparedness in the X'isible World, which permits him to become a
receptacle for the theophany of mystical vision within external exis­
tence. Finally, in keeping with his states, a new preparedness is actu­
alized at every moment, thus opening for him the door of infinite
theophanies. And since these theophanies are endless, each bringing
in its wake a particular knowledge, the servant’s knowledge likewise
has no end. Thus Say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge! (XX: 114).

Those whose thirst is quenched imagine that since they have at­
tained Union they have reached the goal and are joined with the ob­
ject of their desire. They rest content with Unto Him you shall be
returned (11:28). But beware! beware, for till eternity the way-stations
of Union’s Path are never out-traveled. No one returns whence he
started, so how could wayfaring find its end or the road reach a final
destination? If the place of Return were the same as the place of Ori­
gin, what good would it be to set out or arrive?

Abu-l-Hasan an-Nuri describes the length and endlessness of the

Path:

I contemplated—but never
contemplated a vision I had seen.
The vision of a sweetheart-never-witnessed:
how precious!

Yearning should spur even those who have attained Union to as­
pire higher and higher still. Otherwise they are defined by what they
have found and stay stuck in the station of inadequacy: Then they
send them back to the palaces”22 . .. therein to dwell forever, desiring no
removal out of them (XVIII: 108).

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 DIVINE FLASHES

FLASH XVIII
On the reason for
the lover's movement and seeking and his advance
forever and ever

The lover once drowsed at peace with existence and nonexis­

tence, and had not yet seen the Beloved’s face. Suddenly the music of
the word BE! woke him from the sleep of nothingness; that note rapt
him in ecstasy and whirled him into being. How it went to his head,
the taste of that melody!

Love set a bonfire

in his very soul!

Often Love conquers the ear

before the eye.

Love overwhelmed him and transformed that peacefulness—inner

and outer—to a wild dance of the Spirit, set to this tune:

Truly the constant pilgrim:

the lover to the one he loves.

This music will never fade nor the dance wind down till the end
of Eternity, for what we desire is Infinite. The lover whispers,

“As I opened my eyes

I saw your face;
I heard your voice
as 1 listened.”

So he is caught in this ceaseless and invisible dance, our lover, though

to look at him you would think him calm enough. You shall see the
mountains, that you supposed- fixed., passing by like clouds ‫الآللللم‬.‫<؟ا؟‬
٠ ١.
How could he sit still when every atom of the universe prods him to
move? each atom a word, each word a Name, each Name with a
tongue, each tongue speaking . . . and the lover with an ear for every

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 DIVINE FLASHES

utterance. Listen closely: the speaker and hearer are one, for “audi­
tion is a bird which flies from God to God.”

Junayd chided Shibli: “The secrets we hide in the cellars you

boom from the pulpit!” Shibli replied, “I speak, I listen. Who else ex­
ists in heaven and earth?”

These perfumes:
musk, clove ...
all from the hyacinthine shadows
of those tresses.
You think you hear
a nightingale’s song ...
No. It is the voice
of the Rose.

FLASH XIX
On the scope of the lover's capacity
and the perfect all-embracingness and completeness of his receptivity,
and on the meaning of “Heart” and
“True Oneness”

Purified of all entifications, the lover’s heart is like that landscape

where the domes of Might fill the horizon, that place where the seas
of the Seen and the Unseen flow together. Such a heart possesses a
Spiritual-Resolve

which could gulp

from the flagon of the sea
a thousand draughts of wine
and still beg one more.

So vast is this heart that earth cannot contain it, and all the worlds
might vanish in its embrace. God hoists the tent of Unity in the
courtyard of Oneness. There He holds a sultan s levee, there He sees
to this and that affair; and makes manifest tying and untying, contrac­
tion and expansion, inconstancy and constancy.

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 DIVINE FLASHES

Contraction:
He hides what He revealed.
Expansion:
He gives back what He concealed.

An idol so exquisite
the world cannot hold it:
how, how does it make its home
in my narrow heart?

Bayazid describes his own heart’s wide circle: “If the Divine
Throne and all it compasses were to pass through a corner of the
gnostic’s heart, he would not even know it.”

Junayd adds: “How indeed could he know it? For when the tem­
poral is placed next to the Eternal, no trace of it remains.” When our
Bayazid contemplates such a heart, unstained by temporality, he sees
nothing but the Eternal. How could he not cry out “Glory to me!”?

A man filled with water a pitcher made of ice. The sun blazed
upon it, and jug and water were one. “In the two worlds,” he ex­
claimed, “nothing stirs but HE!”

Hunter and prey

and bait in the trap
candle, candlestick
flame and moth
Beloved and lover
soul and soul’s desire
saki, fellow drinkers
wine and cup: all

How wonderful! “The heart of My servant encompasses Me”

(HQ٤and “The heart is between the two fingers of the All-merciful”
(H). He is within the heart, but the heart is within His grasp. This
must be what the poet meant when he wrote

My heart is tangled in your locks

but you

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 DIVINE FLASHES

live in the center

of my sorrowing heart.
But my darling, you should know
that because of your subtle grace
you yourself are held and locked
in the chains of your tresses.

Bound in His own fetters, He cares nothing for “others,” and fits
only within Himself. Singleness rests in Singleness alone, Unity finds
peace but in Oneness. This is the heart’s reality—but how few come
to know it!

One heart-realized sage described his secret whisperings and

gave news of the quality and measure of his “moment”:23

“Whose beloved are You?”

I asked,
“You who are so
unbearably beautiful?”
“My own,” He replied,
“for I am one and alone
love, lover, and beloved
mirror, beauty, eye.”

FLASH XX
On the division of the Attributes
into ’'‘'ontological"and "nonexistential, "and the attribution
of the ontological Attributes to the Beloved and the nonexistential
Attributes to the lover; on the meaning of "poverty ”
and the explication of its levels; and on
"Poverty is blackness offace in the two worlds"
and the superiority ofpoverty
over riches

Upon the Beloved Love bestows dominance and independence,

upon the lover meekness and need. I hus it is from Love and not from
the Beloved’s Might that the lover suffers, for it often happens that

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the Beloved Himself is a slave—“O my slaves, I derive from you.”24

But in any case, the Beloved’s attribute is wealth, that of the lover
poverty. This poor man “needs everything, but nothing needs him!’

Why is he so needy? The true lover gazes toward the reality of

things:

My eyes so fix
upon your image
that whatever I gaze at
I imagine you.

Wherever he looks he finds that Face and therefore needs everything

he sees. “Poverty is intrinsic need; it has nothing to do with this or
that.”

And why does nothing need the lover? One can only need some­
thing which exists. But the lover, outwardly detached and inwardly
disengaged, has returned the robe of existence and all its trappings—
which he only held in trust—to the Beloved. God commands you to de­
liver trusts back to their owners (IV: 58). Again he has donned the
patched cloak of his own nothingness. “He is with God as he was in
Eternity-without-beginning,”25 and in such a state, who needs him?

But ... in poverty there comes a state wherein the poor man
himself needs nothing. As one of them said, “The poor man is not in
need of God Himself!” Need, after all, is an attribute of the existent;
but he who dives into the sea of nothingness needs no more. His pov­
erty is complete. “When his poverty is complete, he is God.” And
what does God need? Nothing whatsoever.

You are nothing

when you wed the One;
but you are everything
when you become nothing.

Such a man, needless of God, is obviously higher than the lover

we began with. For the lover, still in need of all things, sees the De­
sired One only behind the veil of all things. But as for the one who
perfects the Retreat of being and nonbeing, existence and nonexis­

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tence, Junayd says of him: “The poor man needs neither himself nor
his Lord”; and Shaykh ،Ali al-Jurayri: “For me the poor man has nei­
ther heart nor Lord.” He has left existence behind for nonexistence.
If he were to use his own eye to gaze on the Friend he would see
nothing but the dark reflection of his own nothingness, merely him­
self veiled with the veil of “Poverty is blackness of face in the two
houses” (H). No light will he find in the house of existence to whiten
his visage, nothing manifest in the house of nonexistence with which
he might sponge off his blackface. “Poverty is near to unbelief” (H).

In our religion
the “Greatest Blackness”
is to wear
the weeds of poverty.26

Know that the rich man for the most part is far in the extremity
of nearness, while the poor man is always near in the extremity of far­
ness.

Love’s wind storms and rips to shreds

the brother of wealth
but let it waft over poverty and see
how the breezes will nourish it.

What does this mean? Suppose a millionaire and a pauper set out to­
gether for the Land of Love. A bright lamp burns in the rich man s
hand, his companion holds but a smouldering stick. Suddenly a
breeze springs up from that realm, and—puff! the millionaire s
lamp is blown out; but the poor man’s meager torch flares up and
crackles. “I am with those whose hearts are rent and whose graves are
obliterated” (HQ٥ now, is that not a fine polo mallet

with which the broken ones

may win the ball from the field?

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FLASH XXI
On the fact that the lover
must be cleansed of individual motives, eliminate his own seeking
and will, and gaze upon the Desire of the Beloved;
but that he must distinguish between the approved
and the disapproved

The lover must keep company with the Beloved devoid of all mo­
tive; he must wipe out all desires, deliver himself to the Beloved’s
want, and abandon all ambition, for aspiration only blocks his path.
What you get by wanting is only as big as your capacity for desire.
Give up desire therefore, think that whatever you get is what you
want, and in this acceptance find ease and joy.

Renounce desire
a hundred times
or else not once
will you embrace your Desire.

Only if what happens is disapproved should you strive against it

and change it as much as you can. This striving may perhaps bring
about some change which the Beloved approves. If the lover has been
unveiled to the extent that he can see the Friend’s face direct in every
form, nevertheless he must disapprove the disapproved, even if he
sees that face in it. The face the Friend turns toward the disapproved
is one of disapproval; for He does not approve unbelieffor His servants
(XXXIX:7). The lover who experiences God through God and sees
the whole world as God must reject all blameworthiness through
God, in God, and for God, with his argument sustained by God. In
that which is prohibited by Divine Law he will not perceive God’s
Beauty, and will therefore avoid it. In fact by his very nature he will
not feel the slightest desire for it.

But here some obscurity obtrudes. He is under the sway of the­

ophany, and theophany embraces all things. How then can he banish
theophany from his own gaze? The answer: Theophany is of two
sorts, that of the Essence, and that of the Names and Attributes. The
former cannot be repelled, but in the latter case one can reject wrath­

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ful theophany by means of benevolent theophany. In all which of­

fends Divine Law he must see the signs of Wrath and Majesty; in all
which is approved, the signs of Benevolence and Beauty. Here he
must say, “I take refuge in Thy approval from Thy anger!” (H). But
faced with the theophany of the Essence he may say, ،،I take refuge in
Thee from Thee!” (H).

What shall I do
if not fly from Thee to Thee?
To whom shall I go,
to whom recite my tale?

FLASH XXII
On the mystery of the command
given to the wayfaring lover that he must occupy himself with the forms
of acts and works, that is, formal and supraformal ascetic practices,
and on the fact that he becomes veiled by them from the
direct vision of the All-comprehensive Entity
—a mystery which is the distance desired
by the Beloved; and on the meaning ofproximity in the very midst
of distance, which is the result of
this command

The lover’s duty: to like what the Friend approves, even if it be

nothing but remoteness and separation. And in fact, this is usually
the case, for He wants us to seek refuge from His cruelty in Love;
،،Hellfire is a whip to drive God’s people to God” (H) perhaps alludes
to something of this sort. The lover must like his own exile and sub­
mit to separation, finding his habit in this line:

I want Union with Him

He wants separation for me—
so I abandon my desire
to His.

He likes separation not in itself but only because the Beloved likes it.

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All the Beloved does

is lovable.

So what can the poor lover do? What can he say except,

“Searching for separation

yearning for Union
I am free of both:
Thy love suffices.”

Or, rather, he must savor separation more than Union, enjoy remote­
ness better than nearness—if he knows the Friend desires it. In fact,
remoteness has a greater intimacy than nearness, and separation more
than Union. After all, in nearness and Union the lover is merely
qualified by his own desires, while in exile and separation he is quali­
fied by the will of the Beloved.

A thousand times
sweeter than Union
I find this separation
You have desired.

In Union
I am the servant of self,
in separation
my Master’s slave;
and I would rather
be busy with the Friend
whatever the situation
than with myself.

If a lover who is qualified by the Beloved’s attributes likes re­

moteness, he will thereby have loved the Beloved. The extreme reach
of Union is found in the very exile of remoteness—but how few un­
derstand!

Know then that the cause of the lover’s remoteness is his own at­
tributes—but that these attributes are the Beloved Himself. Say “I
seek refuge from Thee in Thee” (H) and understand that

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When I clutched at His skirt

I found His hand in my sleeve.27

How can this be? Recite this Tradition and you will see what I mean:
“I do not praise Thee, Thou art as Thou praise Thyself.”28

FLASH XXIII
On the perfection
of the lover's disengaging the soul and his all-aloneness;
on his becoming cut offfrom all things,
even the Beloved; and on the Inherent Oneness
of Love

Love’s fire falls into the heart and consumes all it finds, erasing
from the heart even the image of the Beloved. Surely Majnun burned
in such a conflagration when they told him, “Layla has arrived!” for
he then replied, “I myself am Layla,” and hooded himself in the robe
of detachment.

Layla pleaded, “Lift up your head. It is I, your beloved.

Look, see who it is

from whom you remain so distant.”

He answered,

“Go from me.

Your love
has stolen away my mind
from you yourself.

Once I was happy to see you

but now
I have lost interest
in anything but Love.”

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 DIVINE FLASHES

Mustafa revealed the essence of this station in his prayer, “O

God, make Thy Love more dear to me than even my eyes and ears.” It
is as if he had said, “O Thou Who art my very sight and hearing,

occupy me so
with Thy Love
that in such Love I no more
busy myself with Thee.”

Look still higher, understand the allusion made in the Verse He

hasforgotten them (IX:67), and you will grasp what happens even to the
Beloved overcome by Love. He who understands will understand,
but “he who cannot taste will never know.”

I shall explain this mystery: Love first shows itself in the lover’s
robe, then clings to the Beloved’s skirt. When It finds both sealed
with the brand of duality and multiplicity It forces them to turn their
eyes away from each other. Then It strips them of the tatters of
many-ness and restores to them their true color, the hue of Unity.

Ah, the rainbow

of deception!
Unity’s dying vat will reduce it
to a single tint. (Sana’i)

FLASH XXIV
On the fact that the ontological attributes
which belong to the lover are in reality the Attributes
of the Beloved entrusted to the lover, and that
between lover and Beloved
an exchange ofAttributes takes place

The lover’s search and desire is but a sign of the Beloved’s aspira­
tion. Indeed, all his attributes—shame, desire, joy, taste, and laugh­
ter—everything he “owns” belongs in truth to the Beloved. The lover
but holds it in trust; he cannot even be called a partner, for partner­
ship in attributes would demand two separate essences. But in the

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lover’s contemplative eye there exists in all reality but a single exis­
tent Essence.

A hundred things
a million or more
if you look to their reality
are one.

Thus all attributes pertain to the Beloved alone, leaving no onto­

logical attribute to the lover. How could nonexistence possess the at­
tributes of existence?
Even if the Beloved in His generosity should set foot in the lov­
er’s house and brighten it with His Beauty; even if He should bestow
on the lover the robe of His own Form, and display Himself to Him­
self in the lover’s guise; even then the lover must not fall into error.

All is nothing, nothing.

All, all is HE.

As Ansari put it, “God wished to manifest His handiwork, so He

created the world; He wished to manifest Himself, so He created
Adam.”

FLASH XX١7
On the difference between
Knowledge of Certainty, Eye of Certainty, and Truth of Certainty,
and on the levels of Love
in stages

The lover desires to see the Beloved with Certainty’s eye, and
wanders a bewildered lifetime in this aspiration. Then suddenly with
his heart’s ear he hears a voice:

“That magic spring where Khezr

once drank the water of life
is in your own home—
but you have blocked its flow!”

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 DIVINE FLASHES

Then the Eye of Certainty opens, and staring inwardly at him-

self, he finds himself lost, vanished. But . . . he finds the Friend; and
when he looks still deeper, realizes the Friend is himself. He exclaims,

“Beloved, I sought you

here and there,
asked for news of you
from all I met;
then saw you through myself
and found we were identical.
Now I blush to think I ever
searched for signs of you.”

Everyone with eyes sees just such a vision—but remains ignorant

of what he perceives. Every ant which leaves its nest and goes to the
desert will see the sun—but not know what it sees. What irony! Ev-
eryone perceives Divine Beauty with Certainty’s Eye, for in reality
nothing exists but Transcendent Unity; they look, they see, but do
not comprehend. They take no pleasure in the view, for to enjoy it
one must know through the Truth of Certainty what he is seeing,
through Whom, and why. But that my heart may be at peace (11:262)
may allude to such Certainty. Heart’s peace and stillness of soul may
be realized only through the Truth of Certainty.

“What is Certainty?” they asked Sahl at-Tustari. “God,” he re-

plied.

Tou too, my reader, Worship thy Lord, until Certainty comes to tbee
(xv:99).

If you lose yourself

on this path
you will know in certainty:
He is you, you are He.

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FLASH XXVI
On how the lover focuses attention
upon the Beloved, and on each one's need for the other
in respect of lover-ness and Beloved-ness

Wishing to focus attention on the Beloved, the lover has no

choice but to do so with all his organs and powers of vision; for the
Beloved possesses a form on every level of Being, and each of these
forms has a Face. In all things he must focus on Divine Self-Manifes­
tation, for not only the Inward but the Outward as well is He: He is
the Outward and the Inward (LVII:3). The lover must see nothing with­
out seeing God before it—or after it—or within it—or with it.

At this stage, the Retreat, the cell of seclusion is closed to the lov­
er for he has found the Beloved to be identical with all things. He
cannot now choose one station over another nor seclude himself from
anything. Why not? The goal of seclusion is to sit in the Retreat of
one’s own nonexistence, cut off from all one’s own names and attri­
butes, hidden from all creatures. But now the lover’s being-a-seer has
become worthy of the Beloved’s being-seen; the lover has realized
that the level of being-the-Beloved depends in a sense on his own be-
ing-a-lover. How shall he now seek seclusion? “Lordship is impossible
without servitude.”

So the lover must now rethink his situation: If he is unworthy of

the glance of the Beloved, then the Beloved’s glance will be empty.
For “Truly, Lordship has a secret which would be brought to noth­
ing were it revealed.١١^٩ The exquisite grace of the Beloved may be
perfect, and as such in need of nothing—but

the salesworthiness of your beauty

exists because I am your customer—
isn’t it so? What good is an idol
with no heathen to worship it?

The Divine-as-Beloved needs the lover’s gaze.

They asked Sahl at-Tustari, “What does God want of the crea­
tures?” He answered, “Just what they’re doing.”

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So you see, freedom here is impossible for either side, for when
relationship appears, freedom must vanish.

Freedom and love

will never mesh—
so I’ve become a slave
and renounced my desire.

Absolute freedom, obviously, is found only at the level of Abso­

lute independence. At the level of the Divine-as٠Beloved, however
the lover’s helpless need demands the seductive glance of the Beloved
and vice versa. Balance! There must be balance. What does the Be­
loved mean to say by winking with such seductive charm at the self­
abased poverty and dejection of the lover?

“I exist in a state
of perfect joy—
but this state is only fulfilled
through you.”

“Do not slay me

for my need is useful.
Without me, after all, who will remain
for You to seduce?”

Do you understand their conversation? The tongue of the situation

declares,

“The sultan’s honored hand

takes up the mallet—
but with no ball on the field
it doesn’t do him much good!”

No wait... I said it wrong.

Here both lover and Beloved are HE
even though His Love has reduced us
to a pretty myth.
Who are we,
what can we do?

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How could we act as mirror for His Face,

or comb His locks?

FLASH XXVII
On the beginning
of tbe lover's direct vision and bow the viewer
becomes the viewed

The lover seeks the Vision in order that he might pass away from
existence; he knocks on the door of nonexistence, for there he was
once at peace. There he was both seer and seen,

both viewer and viewed—

because nothing in himself.

Coming to be, he became the veil of his own sight and was deprived
of Vision. For his sight was the Beloved Himself—“I was his hearing
and sight” (HQ);—but his existence is merely a screen to hide this
sight.

Know yourself: a cloud

drifting before your sun.
Cut yourself off from your senses
and behold your sun of intimacy.

If this screen—which is you—is struck from before your eyes,

the Beloved will find the Beloved, and you will be entirely lost. Then
you will hear with the ear of your heart:

“That mystery, so long concealed

is at last opened,
the darkness of your night at last
bathed in dawn.
You yourself are the veil of the mystery
of the Unseen Heart:
if it were not for you
it would never have been sealed.”

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Then you will say:

“By day I praised You

but never knew it;
by night slept with You
without realizing;
fancying myself
to be myself;
but no, I was You
and never knew it.”

The lover’s prayer: O God, give me light. Bring me to the Station

of Vision, that I may know myself as You, and say, “Who sees me,
sees God” (H); and that You may reply Who obeys the Messenger, obeys
God (IV:80). For while I am still myself I shall not see You, and must
say, “He is a Light, how shall I see Him?” (H).

When will He reveal

His Face to the world?
Into what mirror
will He fit?

They measured not God with His true measure (VI:91).

FLASH XXVIII
On the transmutation of the lover's attributes,
Subsistence after Annihilation, and the arrival of the lover
at the Station ofArticulation after Gathering
and the abode of leading
toward perfection and guiding
toward spirituality

When the Beloved would exalt the lover, He first strips from him
the garments collected from all worlds, and clothes him in the robe of
His own Attributes. Then the Beloved calls him by all His own
Names, and seats him in His own place. Now He may either keep the
lover here in this Station of stations,30 or send him back to the world

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to perfect the still-imperfect ones. If He sends him back, He will

clothe him not in the world’s colors, which He has stripped away, but
in His own Divine hues.

Before this there was one heart

but a thousand thoughts.
Now all is reduced to
There is no god but God.

When the lover studies his new clothes he finds himself arrayed
in different colors, and will wonder

“What is this beautiful tint,

this garment so unique?”

He finds himself perfumed with a new scent, and will marvel:

“I sense from you an attar

I cannot recognize.
Is some sweet girl passing by
her sleeves drenched in perfume?”

Gazing within himself he will find himself completely Divine, and

will repeat,

“I am the one I love,

He Whom I love is I,
two spirits residing
in a single body.” (al-Hallaj)

Wherever he looks he sees the Friend’s Face, and will sing,

“Everyplace 1 cast my glance

I see You.
Glory be to God!
Have You become my very eyes?

Are these cups

sparkling with wine
or suns casting their glow
on banks of cloud?”

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Now he knows the meaning of Everything is perishing but its face

(XXVIIL88), and he will know why the pronoun “its” here must re­
fer to “everything”; because everything perishes in its form but
subsists in its meaning, its “face.” He will grasp that in one respect
this “face” is the Self-Manifestation of God; for The face of thy Lord
remains (LV:27). Dear reader, when you yourself have realized that
the meaning and reality of things is identical with this Divine Coun­
tenance, you will pray, “Show us things as they are” (H), and by this
come to see with inward vision that

in everything there is a sign

a clue to “He is One.”

Say "Whose is the earth and whoso is in it, if you have knowledge?" They
will say "God's" (XXIII:86). Verily we belong to Him and subsist
through Him.

If my words seem to smell of drunkenness, pardon me, for they

flow of themselves.

I drain a cup
in every subtle meaning
and by every voice in the universe
I am filled with delight.

What can I do?

Every moment my heart

is tugging me to the tavern;
how can I remain here
with these pious hermits?

I have tumbled into a sea whose shores are uncharted. Indeed,

I am a match
for the Seven Seas
though in myself weak
as a speck of foam.

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 DIVINE FLASHES

And if I seem to repeat myself, forgive me, for whichever way I

swim, hoping to cast myself out of this boundless ocean, I cannot find
the shore. Sometimes I glimpse it, but the waves steal me away again
and hurl me to the abyss.

Praise be to God
I live in the sea like a frog:
If I open my mouth I get
a mouthful of water;
If I remain silent
I die of grief! (Shibli)

I blame myself, for

There where the waves

of the endless sea are crashing
how should the Ocean hobnob
with a little dewdrop?

But Spiritual Resolve admonishes me: “Hopelessness is by no means

obligatory.”

O frog in the unbounded waters,

struggle on, keep swimming.
Who knows? Perhaps ... (Sana’i)

The heart swims through the sea of hope, and to the soul which
has drawn near its shores it will say,

“When shall we
divorce ourselves?
You and 1 gone
and only God remain?”

NOTES
1. Haivd kawthar, the name of a spring in Paradise. The prophet Khezr
is said to have gained everlasting physical life by drinking at the Fountain of
Life.

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 DIVINE FLASHES

2. Chapter and verse of Koranic quotations will be indicated thus.

3. All headings are taken from Jami’s commentary.
4. “H” indicates a hadith or saying of the Prophet, and “HQ” stands for
hadith qudsi: a prophetic saying that narrates the direct words of God.
5. “His command, when He desires a thing, is to say to it ،Be,’ and it is”
(xxxvi:81).
6. “God was and nothing was with Him,” said the Prophet, and Junayd
added, “and He is now as He was!”
7. One of the Prophet’s names, signifying “the Chosen One.”
8. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna and his beloved slaveboy lyaz are stock
characters in Persian poetry.
9. I.e., the lover appears wearing the Beloved’s cloak, he takes on His
Attributes.
10. Continuation of the hadith quoted a few lines earlier.
11. Literally “the man of Your love”; cf. “the man of the battlefield”, i.e.
he who is equal to the challenge.
2‫ •؛‬The magic cup of King Jamshid in which he could see anything and
everything in the world.
13. Jami explains: Jesus River is a stream near Baghdad which supplies
many farms with irrigation. When abundant rain causes the Tigris to over­
flow and inundate these farms, they mention this proverb.”
14. The first two lines here refer to the second four lines of the poem
above, while the second two lines refer to the first four.
15. Jami: The Prophet’s real “community” are those who have attained
the station of Annihilation.
16. Qut al-qulub by Abu Talib al-Makki.
17. God’s “Acts” are the creatures, which become manifest within the
world as a result of the ontological possibilities represented by the Attributes.
18. The word in the Koranic verse translated as “forgiveness” (magh-
farah) according to its root meaning signifies “covering.”
19. That is, those Names that are the basis for the very possibility of cre­
ated existence. See Commentary, note 30.
20. The first “year” is the Most Holy Effusion. This is what the man
meant when he asked, “Who was it then prepared you first?” The second
year is the Holy Effusion, by which man “comes forward in servitude” in
the external world.
21. Since the “creation of nonexistence” is not the same sort of creation
as the “creation of existence,” *Iraqi explains the difference in the next para­
graph to prevent any confusion.
22. There is a play on words between “inadequacy” (qusur) and “pal­
aces” (qusur).
23. Waqt, “time” or “spiritual state of the moment.” As-sufi ibn al-waqt:
“The Sufi is the child of the moment.”

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 DIVINE FLASHES

24. This line, which does not occur in all manuscripts, is according to
Jami a hadith qudsi. The idea is that the master depends on the slaves, for
without slaves how could he be a “master”?
25. Jami interprets: He remains an immutable archetypal-entity in
God’s Knowledge with no existence in the world.
26. “Make use of the Greatest Blackness” is a hadith, although some peo­
ple have interpreted it to mean “Avoid the Greatest Blackness.”
27. I.e., “I took refuge in Him but it was He taking refuge in Himself.”
28. I.e., “Though I praise Thee, it is really Thou praising Thyself.” This
sentence is a continuation of the hadith cited a few lines earlier.
29. The saying, often quoted by Ibn al-،Arabi, is by Sahl at-Tustari. It
means that a revealed secret is no longer a secret. The secret of Lordship is
that there must be servants. No servants, no Lord.
30. I.e., annihilation in the Vision of the All-comprehensive Essence
(Jami).

129
 Commentary on the Divine Flashes

PROLOGUE
Iraqi begins his treatise in the manner of any other traditional
Moslem author: by praising God and asking Him to bless the Proph­
et. But like most authors, he alludes to the principles and gist of what
he wants to discuss in the midst of the conventional opening. In
short, he describes the Perfect Man, or rather the prototype of all Per­
fect Men, the Prophet of Islam, as the object of God’s Love and the
locus in which the Name-derived Perfection is actualized.
After the praise and blessing, ‘Iraqi turns to the third conven­
tional element in the prologue of any work: the statement of purpose.
Here he describes Love in terms that make explicit its identification
with God Himself. He states that only Love exists, and he asserts that
all things are the loci-of-manifestation for the Attributes and perfec­
tions of Love. So all creatures, all lovers and beloveds, are nothing but
the Self-Manifestations of Love.

INTRODUCTION
Here Iraqi identifies Love (whether we use the term hubb or
isbq\ even more explicitly with the Nonentified Essence, Being as
such. He explains that the whole of the Lama'at is nothing but a dis­
cussion of Love’s entifications.
In referring to the journey of Love through the stages of “re­
pose and “lodging,” ‘Iraqi is alluding to the teachings of Qunawi,
who in turn derives his terminology from the verse, “It is He who
produced you from one living soul, and then (placed you in) a lodging
place, and then a repository” (VL98). That “one soul” is the First En­
tification, that is, the reality of Adam or the Perfect Man. But for the
reality (= archetypal-entity) to enter into the world, it must pass

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 COMMENTARY

through the Divine Presences. In other words, it must “descend

from the Knowledge of God (the First Presence), to the Presence of
the Spirits, then to the Presence of Image-Exemplars, and finally to
the Presence of the Corporeal World. Through this descent man’s re­
ality actualizes all the different kinds of outward manifestation. But
they are dispersed and multiple. In order to attain their unification
and to live in oneness, man must return to the Divine through the
Way. He must actualize the Fifth Presence by becoming the Perfect
Man. So this is the “Bow of Ascent,” which complements the “Bow
of Descent” (cf. Flash XI١٦ In Qunawi’s teaching, the “lodging
places” refer to the various stages of the descent. The “repository” re­
fers to the womb, where man finally attains a perfect outward form,
made in God’s image. The womb is the final stage in the “descent” of
the First Entification and at the same time the first stage in its ascent
(see the commentary on Flash XXVIII).

FLASH I
Since “Love” in ،Iraqi’s terminology refers to Being as such, it is
the source of all things. The lover or creature, who is the “possible-
existent” (mumkin), derives from Being, just as the Beloved or God
(the “Necessary-Being”: wajib) is also nothing but Being, although de­
limited in a certain sense—for God is Necessary and not possible or
contingent. But Being is beyond delimitation by either Necessity or
possibility, so It embraces both God and the world. Thus Love is the
source of both lover and Beloved. Moreover, the Arabic words “lov­
er” (‘ashiq) and “beloved” (ma'shuq) both derive from the root “love”
‫؟‬In this Flash ‘Iraqi employs the terms “outward” and “inward”
in a manner that may seem puzzling. Usually, when the “Outward of
Being” is mentioned, the total unfolding and manifestation of Being
in keeping with Its inherent perfections—that is, the totality of cre­
ation—is meant. This is contrasted with Being’s “Inward,” which re­
fers to Being in Its station of Nonentification. But sometimes the
“Inward” of Being refers to the infinite possibilities of manifestation
latent within Being, or in other words, to the archetypal-entities at
the level of their “nonexistence” in God’s Knowledge. From this
point of view, the things always remain nonexistent, and what be­
comes outwardly manifest is only Being, or Being as colored by the
effects of the entities. For in reality, “ I he entities have never smelt

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the fragrance of existence” (Ibn al-‘Arabi). So in this respect the

،،Outward of Being” refers to Being as such, since nothing else exists.
The entities always remain “inward” and nonexistent.1
At the end of the first paragraph of the Flash, ،Iraqi refers to this
less common usage of the terms “inward” and “outward.” He says
that Love manifested Itself to the nonexistent entities, that is, the lov­
ers or possible existents. Thus the entities came into existence and
their fame was established. Before coming into existence they were
known only to God, whereas after existence they became known to
others as well. Likewise, when Love through Its theophanies showed
Itself within the outward world, It became known as the Beloved.
Having displayed the Outward (Being) to the Inward (the existent-en­
tities), Love caused the Outward/Beloved to become the object of the
Inward/lovers’ desire.
In the poem that follows the first paragraph, ،Iraqi reverts to the
first and more common usage of the terms “Outward” and “Inward,”
making the lover outward and the Beloved inward. Obviously ،Iraqi
wants both meanings to be contemplated. Moreover, the juxtaposi­
tion of the two meanings emphasizes the essential ambiguity of the
situation, where in fact all three—loved, Beloved, and Love—are one.
Although we have already discussed ،Iraqi’s description of Love
as the source of all things, it may be useful to reconsider it in the light
of his remarks here.
In the First Entification, Nondelimited Being, or the Unseen Es­
sence of God, “manifested Itself to Itself in theophany.” As a result,
Knowledge of God’s Essence and all Its concomitants became actual­
ized. Once these concomitants—or “Names and Attributes”—are en-
tified, they become the source for all the creatures. Considered as the
principles of each and every thing, they are usually referred to as the
“immutable archetypal-entities.” They are also called “possible-exis-
tents” (mumkinat), since God may bestow being upon them if He so
desires. But as long as they do not manifest their effects within the
world but remain known only to God, they are said to be “nonexis­
tent.”
،Iraqi alludes to the fact that when the Essence—Love—manifest­
ed Itself to Itself, a certain kind of “relational many-ness” could be
observed in the midst of Oneness. In other words, Oneness embraces
all possibilities at the level of Inclusive-Unity. This many-ness is
called “relational” because the Names and Attributes are also re­

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ferred to as “relations.” Each of them gives news of a certain interre­

lationship that may exist among various realities. Thus, when God
gazed on Himself through the Attributes or relations of Vision and
Knowledge, He became Viewer and Viewed, Knower and Known.
At the same time, His essence remained Unseen and Unknown. So
He became both Outwardly Manifest and Inwardly Nonmanifest.
Hence the basic duality from which many-ness derives—God as the
“Outward” and God as the “Inward”—was established. Through the
Name “Outward” the world became entified and acted as a receptacle
for being. The Name “Inward” reminds us that He remains Nonenti­
fied and ٦٦ranscendent in Himself.
In addition, God is Love. So the very creation of the universe de­
rives from this Attribute, since He “loved” to be known. The relation
of Love implies a Lover and a Beloved, and at the level of the First
Entification where Love is first actualized, Lover and Beloved can be
none but He, since this is also the level of Oneness. What He loved
was His own infinite Beauty and the never-ending possibilities of
outward manifestation and deployment latent within it, or, in other
words the Perfection of Distinct-Manifestation and Distinct-Vision.
He wanted His own infinite beauties and perfections to be spread out
in an unlimited extension and deployment so that what He viewed
within Himself at the level of the Name “Inward” (i.e., the Hidden
Treasure) might also be viewed ،،without Himself at the level of the
Name “Outward.”
But in reality, none has Being but God. The entities are nonexis­
tent. So the viewer in truth is He, just as the viewed is none but He.
“God is Beautiful, and He Loves Beauty” (H). He is Being, and He
loves Being and all that shares in It. So He loves the world, since it
“exists,” and its existence is none other than His Being, since Being is
One.
Since Being is Love, Love pervades ali the Presences and all the
existent-entities. Moreover, since God loves Beauty, “loverness per­
vades all things as well. And likewise Beauty—“Belovedness is also
all-pervasive. So all things reflect God s Love, just as they reflect Lo­
verness and Belovedness, since these three Attributes brought them
into existence and moreover pertain to existence itself.
In short, there is but One Reality: Love or Being. It manifests It­
self in two forms, the lover and the Beloved, man and God. The two
reflect each other, observe each other, and love each other, thus mak­

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ing God’s Names and Attributes—the Hidden Treasure—manifest.

As a result all the latent perfections of Being become outwardly

FLASH II
The entities or things have no existence of their own. Being be­
longs only to God. So the immutable archetypal-entities are called
nonexistent objects of Knowledge.” But these nonexistent entities
are precisely the possibilities of Self-Manifestation latent within Be­
ing, possibilities that become clearly differentiated from one another
at the level of Inclusive-Unity. They are the Hidden Treasure, and
since God “loved to be known,” He bestowed being on them and they
entered into the world.
So God the Beloved displayed Himself through theophany and
outward-manifestation to the nonexistent archetypal-entities. Just as
the things became entified within His Knowledge in the first place
through the “Unseen Theophany” or the “Most Holy Effusion,” so
now they come into existence through the “Visible Theophany” or
“Holy Effusion,” also known as the “Second Entification.” Each of
the archetypal-entities manifests itself in the world as a different exis­
tent-entity. In their state of nonexistence in Knowledge, the entities
were one; all opposites coincided. But when they enter existence,
each possesses a different locus-of-manifestation, so the world is filled
with opposition, strife and tumult.
After explaining how Love manifested Itself to the lover, as a re­
sult of which the world came into being through the Visible Theoph­
any, ‘Iraqi then alludes to the Most Holy Effusion with his words
“the splendor of Beauty,” that is, the theophany through which the
lover had received the preparedness to act as a receptacle for Being in
the first place. It is not as if the lover existed separately from the Be­
loved before he entered into the world. On the contrary, the lover
was necessarily entified within Knowledge beforehand in order for
him to be able to “see” the Beloved when He manifested Himself to
him in the second place. Only through His Light can one see Him.
Only through the preparedness He had already bestowed on the enti­
ty can the entity act as a receptacle for His Being.
Then ،Iraqi refers to the identity of Light and Being. When God
sprinkled being on the nonexistent entities, the earth—that is, the

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creatures, the things—came into existence. Having entered into out­

ward-manifestation, the lover immediately sets out in quest of his Be­
loved. Finding Him, he realizes that nothing has changed, all is as it
was, the lover is still nonexistent and only Being is.
The careful reader might be puzzled by ،Iraqi’s ascription of per­
ception to the “nonexistent” entity in the paragraph beginning,
“When the lover grasped. . . .” This is an allusion to the fact that in
this state, the entity participates in God’s Being within His Knowl­
edge and therefore possesses in a certain respect the ontological per­
fections, such as life and knowledge. Jami points out that in the
Futuhat (vol. 3, p. 257), Ibn al-،Arabi also speaks of the archetypal-enti­
ties as possessing qualities such as sight and hearing.

FLASH III
The Perfection of Distinct-Manifestation is the Outward-Mani­
festation of the Being of God through the entities, which are the loci
for His Theophany—first, for the Unseen Theophany of Knowledge,
and second, for the ٦7isible Theophany in the world. When the exis­
tent-entities become deployed through this second Theophany, the
Perfection of Distinct-Manifestation is achieved. But God “loved to
be known." It is not enough for the infinite possibilities of Self-Mani­
festation to be deployed, they must also be perceived and contemplat­
ed. This is the “Perfection of Distinct-Vision,” which is realized only
through the Perfect Man, the mirror for the totality of the Names
and Attributes.
But for man to attain this Perfection, within which he contem­
plates Being and all Its perfections, and because of which Being con­
templates Itself within him, he must first be delivered from his
illusory selfhood. As long as he is dominated by his ego and his own
individuality, he will never reach his true station. He must enter the
Path and annihilate all his own illusory attributes, so that they may
be replaced by his true attributes, which are nothing but the Attri­
butes of Being as such.
In Itself Being is Sheer Oneness. But since the entity has
achieved a certain kind of independent existence through the ٦7isible
Theophany—even though its being can be none other than the Being
of God, since Being is One—duality and multiplicity have appeared
within Being. For the existent-entity requires a Source and a Place of

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Return, a Beginning and an End. In respect of the fact that It is the

Source, Being is “Eternity-without-Beginning,” and since It is the
Place of Return, It is “Eternity-without-End.”

FLASH IV
God’s “Jealousy” (ghayrat) is a result of the Might of His Unity
and the All-Subjugating Power of His Oneness. “God was, and noth­
ing was with Him.” Having heard these words of the Prophet, Jun-
ayd added, “And He is now as He was.” God’s Might does not allow
any “others” (ghayr) to have existence.
As long as an atom of us remains, Thy Might
will not allow Thy Beauty to be displayed.2
Being is One, and Being is God’s. So no one else is. When the gnostic
attains the station of the annihilation of his illusory existence in God,
he experiences the “Greatest Resurrection” and understands the
meaning of the verse, “ ‘Whose is the Dominion today (at the Resur­
rection)?’ ،God’s, the One, the All-Subjugating’ ” (XL: 16).3
So any entity that seems to possess an attribute or property in re­
ality possesses nothing at all. For God is, and nothing is with Him.
The attributes of the entities were established by the Unseen The­
ophany, and their existence was given to them by the Visible The­
ophany. But the two theophanies are in fact nothing but the One
Effusion from the One, for Being is One, and all Its Attributes and
Names are nothing but the manifestation of the nature of that One­
ness. All attributes, names, properties, relations, aspects, modes, and
delineations attributed to the creatures are only the concomitants of
His One Being. He Himself plays all parts.

FLASH V
The Nonentified Being of God can assume every possible entifi­
cation. The perfections of Being are infinite, since all things, all enti­
ties, all attributes, all descriptions, all delineations, all delimitations,
derive from It, while It is Nondelimited. In addition, the absolute
Oneness of God demands the infinite many-ness of His Self-Manifes­
tations. Each locus of theophany is nothing but the One. So each is
unique, which is to say that each is different from every other. In
each locus at each instant another perfection of Infinite Being is re­
vealed. Both time and space are modes of deployment of God’s perfec­

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tions within the World of the ١7isible. Just as no two points in space,
no two objects, are exactly alike in every respect—otherwise they
would be the same entity and would not exist in two different
places—so no two points in time are exactly alike. Therefore Ibn al٢
،Arabi and his followers speak of the ،،renewal of creation at each in­
stant.” This does not mean that there is no relation between an
existent-being’s states in two consecutive instants. In fact, every exis­
tent-entity reflects the unfolding of a single archetypal-entity or reali­
ty, whose possibilities of ontological perfection are perceived in this
world as constant transformations, since deployment here takes place
in a temporal mode. But the entity itself remains one; only its attri­
butes and outward manifestations undergo change. If this were not
the case, religion could not speak of heaven and hell in any meaning­
ful sense, for one entity would perform the acts and a second entity
would suffer the consequences.
This whole Flash may be said to be a commentary on the well-
known Sufi saying, “Theophany never repeats itself” (/a takrar fi-t-
tajalli).
The statement ،، ،One’ is the fountainhead of all numbers” refers
to the fact that in Islamic mathematics, “one” is not in itself a numer­
al, but is free of all delimitation and determination. “One” therefore
can become “entified” by the forms of the infinite series of numerals
(i.e., as new “perplexities”). If “one” were in itself delimited and de­
termined, it could not assume these myriad forms. It would exist
alone and by itself, and the numbers could not come into being. By
analogy, Love in Its Absolute Nonentification can take on any face.
Thus is the world of multiplicity created.
As for ،Iraqi’s statement that only the “Possessor of the Heart”
receives insight into the Divine transmutations, here he is following
Ibn al-،Arabi’s explanation of the nature of the Heart (al-qalF) in the
twelfth chapter of the Fusus. The basic meaning of the word, he says,
is indicated by the term “transmutation” {taqallub), which derives
from the same Arabic root. Within the Heart God reveals Himself to
man in never-repeating theophanies.

FLASH VI
Here ،Iraqi discusses one of the highest spiritual stations in Su­
fism known technically as the “All-Comprehensiveness of All-Com­
prehensiveness” (jaal-jam'') or “Two Bows’ Length (qab qawsayn.

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see Commentary on Flash XIV). It is the station of Perfection at-

tained by the greatest Perfect Men, that is, many of the prophets and
some of the great saints. Beyond it is only the Station of the “Unity of
All-Comprehensiveness” (iahadiyyat al-jarn،), also called “Or Nearer”
(aw adna), a station that belongs exclusively to the Prophet of Islam
and certain of his inheritors. Farghani’s lengthy commentary on Ibn
al-Farid’s “Poem of the Way” describes these stations extensively.
As ،Iraqi points out, this station—which is the end of the Path for
most of the Perfect Men—possesses two characteristics: On the one
hand the lover or the Perfect Man sees the Beloved as his own mirror,
so he witnesses all his own perfections and properties reflected in
God; and on the other hand the lover sees himself as the mirror of the
Beloved, so he contemplates all the Attributes of God in himself.
This station of perfection comprehends and contains two lower
stations of limited perfection, each of which must be passed through
and each of which corresponds to one of its two characteristics.4 The
first of the lower stations is called the “Proximity of Supererogatory-
Works” (qurb an-nawafil). Since man himself is apparently the agent
who chooses which works to perform in order to attain this proxim-
ity, it results in a station where the wayfarer’s reality still subsists, al-
though it is completely dominated by God’s Oneness and becomes
qualified by His Attributes and properties. Here God manifests Him-
self in accordance with His Name “Inward”, so that He remains hid-
den within the lover. The agent and subject of all perception is the
lover, while God’s presence within him is manifested by the fact that
He becomes the lover’s faculties. This station is referred to by the fol-
lowing hadith qudsi: “The servant never ceases gaining proximity to
Me through supererogatory works until I love him. Then when I love
him, I am his hearing and his sight: he hears through Me, sees
through Me and exercises his reason through Me.” ،Iraqi refers to this
station with his words, “Sometimes the Beloved becomes the lover’s
sight.”
The second of the lower stations is known as the “Proximity of
Obligatory-Works” (qurb al-fara'id). Since God Himself takes the ini-
tiative directly by prescribing the works that must be performed to
attain this kind of proximity, it results in the annihilation of the ser-
vant’s reality, although his properties remain. God manifests Himself
in keeping with the Name “Outward,” so the lover remains hidden
within Him. The subject and agent is God, whereas the lover’s hid­

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den presence is manifested by his becoming God’s faculties. The

Prophet referred to this station in the hadith, “God says with the
tongue of his servant. . . ،Iraqi alludes to it in the sentence, “Some­
times the lover becomes the Beloved’s voice.”
Some of the words attributed to the Beloved in the last paragraph
are taken from a story related in traditional sources about the prophet
David. God says to him, “O David! Tell those who claim for them­
selves My love that they must not have doubts about Me at their meal­
times. Hast thou ever seen a lover niggardly toward his lover? Is not
the desire of the pious drawn out endlessly, their desire to meet Me?
But verily I desire them more than they desire Me!”5

FLASH VII
All things are the Self-Manifestation of Being, so whatever is
loved is identical with God, the Beloved. It is impossible for anyone
to love anything else, since nothing else is. The object of love—beau­
ty, or goodness—is nothing but God’s Attribute. Just as “There is no
reality but God,” so also “There is no beauty but God,” “There is no
goodness but God.”
And since nothing else exists, the subjett or lover is also God.
The whole drama of lover and Beloved is played by One Reality, in
order that He may display the Hidden Treasure and then know it
through various kinds of knowledge that are realizable only after the
full deployment of Outward-Manifestation and the intervention of
intermediate causes and the ontological levels and Presences.
Moreover, when God views Himself in the things, He views
Himself, not part of Himself or an Attribute of Himself. Each thing
possesses all of His Attributes, for “Being descends with all Its sol­
diers.” Each thing that is, by that very fact is Being. So it possesses all
Being’s perfections. However, each thing does not display all Being’s
perfections outwardly, since only the Perfect Man has the prepared­
ness to act as a receptacle and mirror for Being as such. All other
things keep most of Being’s perfections and properties hidden within
themselves.
Being is none other than Sheer Light, and physical light displays
many of its characteristics. The objects that become illuminated by
light normally absorb most of its possibilities of outward manifesta­
tion and reflect only one of them, which is displayed as a particular

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color. So also most of Being’s perfections remain inward and non­

manifest in any given thing. Only man has the capacity to attain a sta­
tion where he can act as a reflector for Sheer Light. But in any case,
through the Perfection of Distinct-Vision, God contemplates all His
Attributes in every atom.
Jami explains the meaning of ،Iraqi’s statement that the cause of
love springing from man’s every essence (mahabbat-i dhati) is un­
known—a point often mentioned by Qunawi and Farghani—as fol­
lows: “The object of such a love is none but the Essence of God.
Clearly, every essence is a shadow and branch of God’s Essence. So
the essence’s love is reducible to the Love deriving from God’s Es­
sence. For ،Iraqi, this point is self-evident, or else he would have had
to prove it.” Jami is saying that love springing from the lover’s es­
sence has no cause because it is identical with God’s own Love, and
God’s own Love is nothing but His very Self. And the “Cause of
causes” has no cause Himself.
As for Layla and Majnun, they are the archetypal lovers of Per­
sian poetry and died without consummating their love. The hadith in­
dicates that they died martyrs and hence were assured of Paradise.
Jami interprets its meaning as follows: “Whoever has been so infatu­
ated {mahabbat} with physical beauty as to be drawn into love ('isbqY
but has not taken the pleasures of carnal desire, nor spoken to anyone
with the aim of finding a solution (to his problem), so that the grief
remains fixed in his heart and he dies of it, has gained the felicity of
martyrdom.”
The point ،Iraqi wants to make concerning the Prophet’s saying
“The believer is the mirror of the believer” and the fact that “Believ­
er” is one of God’s Names (although it is usually translated as “All­
Faithful” or “Keeper of Faith”) is explained by Jami: The fact that
God sees nothing but himself in the mirror of the servant depends on
reading the hadith so that the first “believer” refers to the servant and
the second to God. As for the fact that the slave sees nothing but him­
self in the mirror of God’s Being, this depends on taking the first “be­
liever” to refer to God and the second to the servant. But if we take
both “believers” to refer to God, the hadith reveals that viewer,
viewed, and mirror are all God.
Finally, Jami explains why lover and Beloved are one: “That-
Which-Manifests-Itself and the locus-of-manifestation are different in
themselves, and also in terms of the Nondelimitation of the former

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and the delimitation of the latter. But in terms of manifestation they

are one, since That-Which-Manifests-Itself within some locus-of-man-
ifestation must also be that very locus, for without that locus It could
not manifest Itself. The Shaykh (Ibn al-،٨rabi) writes in his Futuhat,
،So He is identical with all things in manifestation, though not the
same as all things in their essences. On the contrary, He is He, and
the things are the things.’ ”

FLASH VIII
In this Flash ،Iraqi alludes to the different stages of “unveiling”
as well as to the stations of “annihilation” (fana ) and “subsistence”
(baqa y and the affinity between Beauty and form on the one hand
and Majesty and meaning on the other.
Unveiling, or direct vision of the “mysteries” and realities of
things, is usually divided into two main kinds: “formal” and “supra-
formal,” or “form-related” (suri) and “meaning-related” (malnawi).
The “form” of something is its outward, visible manifestation, where-
as its “meaning” is its inward, unseen dimension, or its mystery. Usu-
ally, in fact, the meaning of something is its archetypal-entity.
Here it may be useful to point out that all three of the above pairs
of terms, and others like them, are correlative. This means that when
we speak of the dualities “outward-inward,” “visible-unseen,” “form-
meaning,” dualities that are more or less synonymous, we must al-
ways study the context to determine exactly which level is meant. In
general, the unseen, inward, and supraformal as such is the First
Presence, the World of God's Knowledge; whereas the relatively un-
seen, inward, and supraformal is the World of the Spirits. Then the
absolutely visible, outward, and formal is the World of Corporeal-
Bodies, while the relatively visible, outward, and formal is the World
of Image-Exemplars. But at the same time, the World of the Spirits is
visible, outward, and formal in relation to the Presence of Know!-
edge, and the World of Image-Exemplars is unseen, inward and SU-
praformal in relation to the World of Sensory-Perception.
Here by “supraformal” ،Iraqi seems to mean the World of the
Spirits. Thus we can conclude that by the third kind of theophany he
may be referring to the unveiling of the World ofDivine Knowledge,
which would then correspond to the station of “Two Bows’ Length.
But by “supraformal” he may be alluding to the unveiling of the

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World of Meanings or Knowledge, not the World of Spirits. In this

case the third station will refer to the theophany of the Essence Itself,
or the station of “Or Nearer.” In his commentary on this passage,
Jami seems puzzled as to the exact distinction between the second and
third kind of unveiling that ‘Iraqi mentions. He can only suggest that
the third station is more perfect than the second.

FLASH IX
After referring once again to the fact that the Perfect Man and
God are mirror images of one another, ،Iraqi turns to an explanation
of some of the kinds of theophany and unveiling the gnostic may ex-
perience in his Wayfaring.
In the first paragraph he alludes to the identity of the Names and
Attributes with the Essence. For each Name in its reality can be
nothing but Being, the only Reality there is. Thus the “Living” is
none other than the Divine Self, since “None has life but God”; and
so on with all the Names. But from a certain point of view—to which
،Iraqi does not refer here—the Names are indeed different, for each
requires a different locus-of-manifestation in the world. In its act, the
“Giver of Life” (al-muhyi) is different from the “Giver of Death” (al-
mumit), although in essence they are the same.
As Jami points out, much of the discussion of this Flash is a
translation and summary of a section from Ibn a!-،Arabi’s Futuhat. In
order to illustrate one way in which ،Iraqi makes use of the teachings
of Ibn a!-،Arabi and his followers, we provide below a literal and
complete translation of this passage.
After quoting from Ibn a!-،Arabi, ،Iraqi states in the last para-
graph of the Flash that in any case, supraformal unveiling is higher
than formal unveiling, so the lover should not be satisfied with any-
thing less. He should strive to attain the station of the great Perfect
Men and to contemplate God without any intermediaries.
In the passage ،Iraqi quotes from the Futuhat, Ibn a!-،Arabi is dis-
cussing the ontological perfection that is manifested by the Divine
Name “Peace” (ias-salam). He wants to point out that whoever experi-
ences the theophany of this Name will partake of its properties. At
the same time, he connects this theophany to the Proximity of Super-
erogatory Works, which was referred to in the commentary on Flash
VII. He states that when someone truly experiences the theophany of

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“Peace,” he will be released from individual limitations and partici­

pate in this Proximity, where God becomes his faculties and sense or­
gans.
Ibn al-،Arabi writes: “God says, ،Theirs is the Abode of Peace’
(٦T127). It is an abode within which no weariness strikes them, so
within it they are at peace. You should know that the gnostic’s peace
is his being absolutely beyond making any claim to lordship, except
that its inspirational breaths become manifest to him in the station of
direct-vision where God becomes all his faculties, so this is a kind of
claim. Hence in this the servant is ،at peace’ from his own self. Be­
cause of this kind of peace, ،Peace’ is a Divine Name. When the Com­
panions wanted to say, ،Peace be upon God,’ the Prophet said, ،Do
not say, “Peace be upon God,” for God, He is Peace.’
“So when the servant—who is the ،Servant of Peace’—becomes
present with God in the Presence of this Name such that God is his
mirror, let him contemplate the form he sees therein. If he should see
within the mirror an inward form and a view made up of the shape of
his own outward, he will know that he sees himself and that he has
not actualized the degree of that person for whom God has become all
the faculties. But if he should see a form which is not made up of a
corporeal shape, while at the same time he should understand that
there is something not identical with himself, then that form is a form
of God. The servant at this time may have realized the station where
God is his faculties.
“If in this direct-vision the servant is identical with the mirror
and God has manifested Himself within him through theophany,
then let him contemplate what has manifested itself within him in re­
spect of his being a mirror. If a theophany is manifested within him
delimited by his shape, then the domination belongs to the mirror
(i.e. himself), not to God. For the ١٦ewer (whose form is reflected in
the mirror) may become delimited by the reality of the mirror s
shape: its length, width, roundness, curvature, largeness and small­
ness. So the mirror will reflect the Viewer within itself, but it will
dominate over His form. So the servant will know from the delimita­
tion in accordance with the shape of the mirror that what he saw
could have9undergone transformations within the shape of his form
in the different kinds (of transformations) that his reality allows in
that state. But if he should see the theophany outside of the shape of
his own essence, he should know that it is God, He who eccompasses

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all things’ (IV: 126). In whatever form God becomes manifest, the ser­
vant will be at peace from the effect of other forms within him, be­
cause the ‘Presence of Peace’ bestows that.”7

FLASH X
In his famous dictum Ibn al-،Arabi declares, ،،The entities have
never smelt—and will never smell—the fragrance of existence.” The
entities can never exist in themselves, since they are only the infinite
modes of the One Being’s Perfections. Being as such is nondelimited,
nonentified, nondefined. Each of the entities, however, represents
only one mode of Being’s perfection. So in a certain sense each is a
definition, delimitation, and constriction of Being. These limitations,
which Being takes on Itself by Its very nature, cause each of Its per­
fections to be displayed outwardly in a separate locus-of-theophany.
In much the same way, colored objects allow us to contemplate the
perfections or possibilities of manifestation—the colors—hidden
within pure light. For each object can act only as a receptacle for
some of light’s possibilities. Each delimits and defines light and makes
its intrinsic perfections known to us. The colors themselves belong to
the light, since it is only that same light which becomes outwardly
manifest, albeit delimited and defined. It is not the objects we see—
they remain hidden—but only the perfections of light that are reflect­
ed from them. In the same way, the entities own nothing of their
own. They are only limitations imposed on Being by virtue of the
Name-derived Perfection inherent within Being’s Essence.
In short, we must always remember that the things, the entities,
the “existents,” have no existence of their own. They always remain
nonexistent and therefore nonmanifest and inward. What becomes
outwardly manifest is Being delimited by the effects of the entities.8
After discussing the theoretical dimension of the entities’ nonex­
istence, ‘Iraqi turns his main attention to the practical application of
this teaching to the Sufi Path. Multiplicity, separation, diversity, dif­
ferentiation, conflict, strife—all pertain to the entities. But the Trav­
eler’s goal is to escape nonexistence and be drowned in Sheer Being,
in which all opposites coincide and disappear. “Things” are precisely
entities, so in fact they have no being of their own. At the level of
Oneness and Being, the properties of thingness and entification are
transcended.
Through Wayfaring the Sufi must return to his own Source,

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which is “nonexistence.” But in no way does nonexistence—the state

of being an object of God’s Knowledge—imply deprivation; quite the
opposite. For the principle of “nonexistence” is Being Itself. The
nonexistent things are nothing but modes of perfection of God’s Be­
ing. Annihilation of the entity means subsistence as a mode of perfec­
tion within God. While retaining all the ontological perfections
manifested by his own archetypal-entity, the Traveler is reunited
with the source of those perfections, that is, Being Itself. Ultimately
he becomes the Perfect Man, the immediate and conscious mirror of
all the perfections of Being. In this station, he has no attributes, since
he has no being, no essence.9 Only God has Being, and only His Es­
sence has Attributes. There are no things or entities, Bayazids or ،Ira­
qis, who might have some sort of reality independent of God’s
Reality. There is no essence that might say, “I—Bayazid—am.” On
the contrary, the Attribute of God known as “Bayazid” can only say,
“There is nothing in my robe but God.”
As for the meaning of the enigmatic verse at the beginning, Jami
explains it as follows: The verse is spoken by the lover. “My mother”
is the archetypal-entity; “her father” is the Beloved, Nondelimited
Being. “The lover’s mother gave birth to her own father because his
immutable archetypal-entity became entified through Nondelimited
Being’s Unseen Theophany of Knowledge. So in respect of this the­
ophany, Nondelimited Being is the parent of the immutable entity.
As for the birth of Nondelimited Being from the immutable entity,
this occurs because after becoming manifested, It is colored by the
properties of the immutable entity. So in respect of delimitation and
being colored by its properties, Nondelimited Being is born from the
immutable entity.”

FLASH XI
Here ‘Iraqi wants to make clear that Union with the Beloved
does not imply “unificationism” (,ittihad) or “incarnationism” (hulul),
two heresies that have been condemned throughout Islamic history
by theologians, philosophers, and Sufis. The first of these two terms
means that two things come together and become one thing, and the
second that one thing enters into another. In order to show the falsity
of these ideas, ‘Iraqi first points out that what really occurs is the Self­
Manifestation of God through theophany, a process that can be com­
pared to an image reflected within a mirror. No one ever says that the

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image is ،،incarnated within” or ،،united with” the mirror. In fact, the

example is somewhat defective, since it implies that two things—the
image and the mirror—exist separately. But in the case of theophany
only God has Being, and only Being is perceived, although It is col-
ored by the effects of the entities. So the mirror-entities are nonexis-
tent. Only the image-Being is.
So from another point of view, we see that no entity truly exists.
The entity itself is only the Self-Manifestation of Being. Hence the
true situation contradicts the very definitions of incarnationism and
unificationism, both of which imply the existence of two different
things.10

FLASH XII
The “opening of the door” is a reference to “Opening” (fatb), one
of the technical terms of Ibn alArabi’s school, which implies the ar-
rival at a station on the Way where Union dominates over separation
and man no longer travels toward God. From here on he travels in
and through God. 11 There is no longer any goal outside of himself
after which man can strive. The journey is now from one Self-Mani-
festation of God to another, from the theophany of one Attribute to
the theophany of another. Man now turns toward the station of “be-
wilderment,” within which the theophanies of God's perfections
never repeat themselves. Through a never-ending succession of Self-
Manifestations, man’s heart (qalb) undergoes perpetual transmutation
(taqallub) as he participates in the Self-Unfolding of the Hidden Trea-
sure. 12
As ،Iraqi states in the first poem, when the Heart becomes puri-
fied, it has no more any need to travel toward the Beloved, since it
now reflects the Beloved within itself. When man attains this station,
all created and generated attributes have been erased from him. He
arrives at the station of Subsistence (baqa١ within which he mani-
fests only God’s Attributes, without intermediary. He no longer
needs to travel on the path of asceticism and purification, since by his
very nature he is a direct and conscious Self-Manifestation of God.

FLASH 2111
The “veil” is one of the Sufis’ favorite images. Here ،Iraqi indi-
cates his preference for the interpretation of its meaning given by Ibn

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al-‘Arabi and his followers. God’s veils are His very Names and Attri­
butes. In one respect they are luminous, since they are the perfections
of Sheer Being—which is Light—radiating forth. They display Its
very nature to us. But in another respect they are tenebrous, since the
Names and Attributes are also different from God: Each of them (ex­
cept the Greatest Name) is the manifestation of a single ontological
perfection. So when we behold God’s Names and Attributes, we see
the perfections of Being, not Being Itself. In exactly the same way,
each thing manifests Being—for nothing else exists—but at the same
time hides It from the creatures, for instead of Nonentification we see
entities.13
In short: The very intensity of God’s Light—His Self-Manifesta­
tion—veils His Self. For the Names and Attributes, which appear to
us in the guise of the entities, hide the Nonentified Essence.

FLASH XIV
Concerning the Prophet’s ascent to God (/zn‘r١)/٥ the Koran
states, he “drew near and suspended hung, two bows’ length away, or
nearer” (LIII:8-9). Much of the discussion of the spiritual ascent in
Ibn al-،Arabi’s school centers around these two stations of “Two
Bows’ Length” and “Or Nearer.”14 According to Qunawi, the Two
Bows are Oneness and many-ness, or Necessary-Being and possible­
existence, or Being and the Divine Knowledge that has as its object
the possible things.15 These correspond to the two great entifications
of Nonentified Being: the Unseen and the Visible. Together these
two Presences form the Circle of Being, by which all entifications of
Sheer Being are comprehended.16
،Iraqi states that the differentiation between the two bows or arcs
of the Circle can be represented by a line bisecting the Circle. But Be­
ing is One, and this bisection derives only from the possibilities of
Self-Manifestation inherent within Being’s very nature. In no way
does it bring about true duality. Necessary-Being and possible-exis­
tence are two perfections latent within Being Itself.
When the Wayfarer attains the contemplation of the One Being,
the differentiation between the two Presences is effaced. He realizes
that Being is One and assumes different aspects and modes in Its Self­
Manifestation. 'Phis contemplation, when truly realized, is called the
station of Two Bows’ Length. But a certain duality is still implied, for
it is the lover who is contemplating the Beloved and who realizes this

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vision. So the effect of the line that bisects the Circle still remains to
some degree. We still have three things: lover, Beloved, and love or
union.
But God’s Absolute Oneness is such that it can allow no many-
ness to subsist. “God is, and nothing is with Him.” So another station
still remains, about which ،Iraqi prefers to keep silent. As Jami points
out, he is referring to the station of “Or Nearer,” the highest degree
man can attain. According to Farghani, the station of Two Bows’
Length “makes the two bows (of Necessary-Being and possible-exis­
tence) into a single connected Circle, but a hidden trace of multiplic­
ity remains between the two. But the inward of this station—the
station of ‘Or Nearer,’ i.e., nearer than the proximity of Two Bows’
Length—leaves no trace of differentiation and multiplicity in the Cir­
cle.”17
Having discussed these stations, ،Iraqi next turns to an analysis
of the meaning of “Unity” and the reason that Unity can remain even
when there is a servant who realizes It. First he mentions Ibn al-‘Ara­
bi’s distinction between two kinds of Unity. In the Fusus he writes,
“The Unity of God in respect to the Divine Names, which seek us
(i.e., which demand our existence, since they represent the possibili­
ties of God’s Self-Manifestation), is the ‘Unity of Manyness,’ while
the Unity of God in respect to His Independence from us and from
the Names is the ‘Unity of Entity.’ Concerning both, the word ‘one’
(ahad) is employed.”18 These two are essentially the same as the two
points of view from which the Oneness of the First Entification can
be considered, that is, Exclusive-Unity, where all many-ness is ef­
faced by the One Being, and Inclusive-Unity, within which all onto­
logical perfections are contained. Qunawi often refers to these two
points of view as “True Oneness,” in opposition to which no many-
ness can be envisaged, and “numerical oneness,” in respect to which
“one” is conceived as opposed to the many and as the principle of all
multiplicity.19 From the point of view of traversing the Path, these
two correspond to the stations of Two Bows’ Length, within which
the principle of many-ness is included, and Or Nearer, within which
many-ness is effaced.
The relation of the things to the One can be understood through
the relationship of the numerals to the number “one.” Through the
unity of multiplicity, or numerical oneness, the One acts as the
Source for all things. All numbers are produced by a repetition of

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“one.” But if the One Itself manifests Itself in Its true Oneness, noth­
ing else exists.
Finally, ،Iraqi states that the nature of God’s Oneness can be
grasped through our own oneness. If we turn toward Him through
the unity of our own selves, we will not be faced with a duality of us
and Him. Rather, the one theophany—ourselves—will be seen to be
identical with the One Source of theophany. ،Iraqi’s formula to ex­
plain Unity depends on the idea, greatly stressed by Ibn al-، Arabi and
his followers, that each numeral reflects Unity through its unique­
ness. So six is “one” because there are not two sixes; forty-seven is
“one” because there are not two forty-sevens, and so forth.

FLASH XV
According to Ibn al-،Arabi and his followers, God’s “Command”
(amr) is in fact two Commands: the “prescriptive” (taklifi) and the
“generating” (takwini). Through the first God sets down laws and in­
junctions for men to follow. In other words, He commands them to
obey the prophets and follow religion. Through the second, He be­
stows existence on the whole of creation. “His Command, when He
desires a thing, is to say to it ،Be!’ and it is” (XXXVL82). In this Flash
،Iraqi discusses the Generating Command and the fact that, from this
point of view, every existent thing achieves its own special felicity as
a matter of course. For all things exist only to manifest the Divine
Names and Attributes. Each thing is a locus-of-manifestation for a
certain ontological perfection. It cannot help but manifest its own
“Lord,” that is, the Name for which it acts as a locus-of-theophany. In
this sense, every existent thing is on a “straight path,’ for each thing
follows its own Lord. In the words of the Koran, “God created you
and what you do” (XXXVIL96). So the creatures and all their acts are
manifestations of the Generating Command.
،Iraqi explains the reason for the perfection of all existence from
this point of view with his words, “Reality is a sphere. . . .” Wherever
we look in existence, there is nothing but Being, Reality Itself.
“Whithersoever you turn, there is the Face of God (11:115). Each ex­
istent manifests a Name, so each is nothing but the Being that is
named. So the things do not differ among themselves inasmuch as
they are Being’s loci-of-manifestation. “Thou seest not in the creation
of the All-Merciful any disparity” (LXVIL3). In Qunawi’s words,

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،،There is no difference between God’s Attentiveness toward bestow­

ing existence upon the Throne and the Supreme Pen on the one
hand, and His Attentiveness toward bestowing existence upon an ant
on the other—in respect of the Unity of His Essence and the Atten­
tiveness.”20
Although here ،Iraqi does not refer to the complementary teach­
ing, that is, the nature and function of the Prescriptive Command,
that has always been obvious enough to people who live in a society
where all public and private activities are governed by the normative
directives of Revelation. In any case, the importance of the Prescrip­
tive Command is discussed thoroughly by Ibn al-، Arabi and his fol­
lowers, and ،Iraqi alludes to it in Flash XXI.
It is true that each thing’s ،،felicity” is to follow its own Lord and
to realize that which coincides with its own reality or archetypal-enti­
ty. In other words, a thing’s felicity is its ultimate end, which is to
display the Name it manifests. But there is a tremendous difference
between the properties of a Name like ،،All-Merciful” or ،،Forgiving”
on the one hand, and Names such as ،،He-who-leads-astray” and
،،Avenger” on the other. The entity’s felicity may in fact be wretch­
edness and damnation from the human point of view. The only path
open to man in order for him to attain the felicity and mercy that per­
tain to the ،،Benevolent Names” (al-asma’ al-lutfiyyab) and to avoid
the wretchedness and wrath that are manifested by the ‘،All-Subju­
gating Names” (al-asma'al-qahriyyah) is to follow the Divine Law.
One of the functions of the Prescriptive Command is to separate
those human beings who have the capacity to act as loci-of-theophany
for God’s Benevolent Names from those who manifest His All-Subju­
gating Names. Thus ،،heaven” and ،،hell” remain very real, since they
are the ultimate result of this separation and differentiation. In any
case, since God has commanded the servant to follow His prescrip­
tions and directives, he has no choice but to try to do so, whether or
not he succeeds.21

FLASH XVI
In this Flash ،Iraqi explains again through further images that all
things are the Self-Manifestations of Being and that all acts are His,
since He is the One Agent. And since He performs all acts, He also
،،forgives” them, since the acts cannot really be attributed to the crea­

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tures. They are veils hiding His perfection. Thus, even those entities
that manifest His Wrathful and All-Subjugating Names are embraced
by His Mercy, for, according to the hadith qudsi, “My Mercy precedes
My Wrath.” Hence the Prophet said, “There will come a time upon
hell when watercress grows from its deepest pit.”22

FLASH XVII
‘Iraqi has not so far paid particular attention to the role of the
entity in God’s Self-Manifestation. In this Flash he discusses the enti­
ty in detail in keeping with the terminology of Ibn al-، Arabi’s school.
To follow ،Iraqi’s discussion, we must remember the two funda­
mental theophanies of Being. The first, which is synonymous with
the First Entification, is called the “Most Holy Effusion” or the “Un­
seen Theophany.” Through it God manifests Himself to Himself in
Himself. All the possibilities of ontological unfolding latent within
the Hidden Treasure are witnessed by God at the level of His Knowl­
edge. In other words, the immutable archetypal-entities—the “reali­
ties” or “meanings”—become entified within the Unseen. Here also
the “universal preparedness” of the entities is determined, that is,
their capacity to act as receptacles for Being.23 Hence at this first
stage the degree to which each entity will be able to display the infi­
nite perfections of Nondelimited Being is determined. But the entity
remains totally “nonexistent.”
The second theophany is called the “Holy Effusion” or the “Visi­
ble Theophany.” Through it being is bestowed on each entity in
keeping with its universal preparedness. As a result, creation as such
takes place: all the ontological-levels and the existent-entities within
them become outwardly manifest. At this stage the particular pre­
paredness” comes into play. It determines to what extent each indi­
vidual entity can act as a receptacle for Nonentified Being and Its
perfection at each instant or stage in the entity’s becoming.
But the particular preparedness is determined by the universal
preparedness, just as the Holy Effusion is determined by the Most
Holy Effusion. The difference between the two preparednesses may
be said to consist in “summated-unity” and “particularized-deploy­
ment.” At the level of the Most Holy Effusion all the ontological per­
fections that will be displayed by each entity are known by God at
once within His One Knowledge. But at the level of the Holy Effu­

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sion, these perfections become strung out one after another in a chain
of cause and effect, so each existent-entity manifests its inherent per­
fections only gradually.
،Iraqi begins by discussing the lover’s particular preparedness in
his journey to God. As the lover progresses, his ontological perfec­
tions are brought one by one from potentiality to actuality. His par­
ticular preparedness gradually broadens in scope, since each
perfection he actualizes prepares him for actualizing still greater per­
fections. But the more perfections of Sheer Being that he embraces,
the more he grasps and understands. For the more he partakes of Be­
ing, the more his knowledge increases, since knowledge is one of Be­
ing’s primary perfections.24 The more his knowledge increases, the
more he becomes aware of his own ignorance and the fact that his fi­
nite perfections are literally nothing in the face of Being’s infinite
perfections. In fact, his perfections do not even belong to him, they
pertain to God alone. So the more he progresses, the more the gap be­
tween him and God seems to widen. Finally he must abandon his
own selfhood and attain annihilation in God. Only then can duality
be effaced and true perfection be realized.
Having discussed the role of the particular preparedness in al­
lowing man to return to his Origin, ،Iraqi then wants to forestall any
misunderstanding. Certain people might think that the particular
preparedness really belongs to the entity. But in fact, like the Being
for which it acts as a receptacle, it also derives from the One, that is,
at the stage of the Most Holy Effusion. First the lover must receive a
glimmer of His Light (= entification of the universal preparedness
within Knowledge). Only then can he contemplate His Beauty and
act as a receptacle for His perfections. In every case the advances the
lover makes on the Path have already been preceded by God’s bestow­
al of preparedness on him in his state of nonexistence in God’s
Knowledge. It is always God’s “initiative” at the level of the archety­
pal-entity that allows the lover to pass on to greater and greater onto­
logical perfections. But from the point of view of the individual in the
world and his particular preparedness, each advance makes him ready
for a further advance.
Finally, ،Iraqi interprets the sayings of some early Sufis in the
light of Ibn al-،Arabi’s teachings. And he points out that the pre­
paredness of the Perfect Man is in fact unlimited. Since the Perfect
Men are mirrors for Nondelimited Being as such, they never cease ex­
periencing Its theophanies. They never come to rest at any fixed sta­

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tion. No one should imagine that because he has finished the journey
to God, the journey in God has also come to an end, or will ever come
to an end.

FLASH XVIII
In this Flash ،Iraqi again refers to Love as the motivating force of
all creation. It was Love that brought the creatures out from their
state of latency and nonexistence within the Hidden Treasure. And it
is this same Love that makes manifest all the possibilities inherent
within Infinite Being and therefore brings about all the commotion
and excitement known as the “world.”
In this discussion, ،Iraqi alludes to one of the favorite teachings
of his master, Qunawi: All the cosmos is a great Book and everything
that exists along with all that sleeps within nonexistence can be de­
scribed by the image of letters, words, and sentences.25 As Jami ex­
plains in his commentary on this section, each atom or each thing is
an ontological “word.” And “if the sea were ink for the words of my
Lord the sea would be spent before the words of my Lord are spent,
though We brought replenishment the like of it” (XVIII: 10). Each
word is the locus-of-manifestation for a Divine Name. Each Name
has a specific tongue through which it expresses the Divine Mysteries
and tells of the perfections of Being. Each tongue has a peculiar
speech through which it manifests these Mysteries. And the true lov­
er has an ear directed toward each and every word, for he is the Per­
fect Man who acts as a mirror for all of God’s perfections. But
ultimately, the lover himself is none but the Beloved.

FLASH XIX
Only the Perfect Man possesses the Heart about which God said
in the hadith qudsi, “My heaven embraces Me not, nor My earth, but
the Heart of My believing, gentle and meek servant does embrace
Me.” To attain such a Heart is the goal of the Path.26 In Qunawi’s
words, “As for the scope of the Heart which embraces God, it is the
scope of the Isthmus-Nature which pertains exclusively to the True
Man.”27 As the “Isthmus of Isthmuses,” the Perfect Man compre­
hends all the Presences and stands on the Point of Equilibrium at the
Center of the Circle of Being.28 In him and in him alone are all of
God’s perfections reflected in their full splendor and amplitude,

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without any intermediary. Since he stands next to God, he is the isth­

mus between Him and all of creation and the means whereby exis­
tence becomes deployed among all the entities.
The Perfect Man as the immediate Self-Manifestation of God dis­
plays His Absolute Unity. In Qunawi’s terms, he is the “One Effu­
sion from the One.” The world as such could never be created by
God as such, since “None issues from the One but One.” But since
the Perfect Man displays God’s Oneness in his own oneness, he be­
comes the cause of a certain duality between himself and God. On the
basis of this duality, multiplicity can come into existence. All God’s
Names and Attributes, which are displayed in a unitary mode within
the Perfect Man’s oneness, become differentiated within him so that
each requires a separate locus-of-manifestation. So the Perfect Man is
the ontological nexus between God and the world. He is the Isthmus
that separates the two sides and that possesses the attributes of both.
،Iraqi’s discussion in this Flash centers on the Perfect Man and
his infinite Heart, which is his reality and the locus in which he acts
as intermediary between God and the world. Only the oneness of this
Heart can be a mirror for God’s Oneness. In fact, the Heart is uncre­
ated, for creation begins only after the effusion of the Perfect Man’s
reality, which is the very entification of Knowledge within God. In
other words, it is the Most Holy Effusion and the station of Two
Bows’ Length, or even that of Or Nearer. The reality of the Perfect
Man, his Heart, is nothing but God’s Face turned toward the bestow­
al of existence on the world. Qunawi even states that the Station of
Divinity—that is, God envisaged as comprehending all the Names
and Attributes and as Lord of the Worlds—is one of the ontological
levels that belong to the Perfect Man.29 Only the Nonentified Es­
sence is beyond him.

FLASH XX
The Beloved, or the Necessary-Being, is the source of all perfec­
tions and all existence; whereas the lover, the possible-existent, has
nothing of his own. The reality of the lover pertains to “nonexis­
tence”—his entification within Knowledge—since Being belongs
only to God. So man’s perfection lies in his true state, nonexistence,
or, from the point of view of the Path, “poverty,” which has always
been a synonym for Sufism. Through it man “delivers his trust—exis­
tence—back to its owner” and returns to his Source. Hence the goal

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of the wayfarer is “annihilation,” through which the lover’s false as­

cription of things and attributes to himself is effaced. He understands
and realizes in every dimension of his own entification that only God

On the basis of this perspective concerning man’s fundamental

nature, ،Iraqi considers a number of definitions the Sufis have given
for the “poor man” and “poverty” and shows how we can discern
within them various levels of perfection.
Jami comments on the saying “Poverty is intrinsic need . . .” as
follows: “Since the poor-man strives only to attain Absolute Reality,
and since It has no special relationship with any specific entification,
each thing (i.e., each entity) is equal in the Sufi’s eye. He needs every
one of them in respect of the Self-Manifestation of that Reality within
it. But no entification’s specific quality enters into that need.”
Concerning the beginning of the last paragraph Jami writes,
“ ،Know that the rich man for the most part is far’ in respect to mean­
ing, since the substance of proximity is Annihilation, but that cannot
be joined with wealth and relationships, except rarely in the case of
certain Perfect Men—hence he said ،for the most part’—،in the ex­
tremity of nearness’ in respect to appearances, for he is clothed in var­
ious signs of proximity. But ،the poor-man is always near,’ since
hindrances have been removed, and the fact that he is empty of rela­
tionships aids him in realizing proximity ،in the extremity of farness’
in respect to his outward form, since he is clothed in the signs of far­
ness.”

FLASH XXI
In order to attain the goal of the Path, the wayfarer must under­
go the annihilation of his own attributes. In an immediate, practical
sense, before the lover has advanced on the Way, this means that he
must submit his will to God. Only by giving up his own desires can
he truly follow God’s Desire. We cannot even argue that the “lover
should aspire toward perfection,” since as long as the lover is aspiring
toward perfection, this bespeaks his own egocentricity, his own sepa­
rative and illusory existence. Ultimately man must abandon all
things, including himself.
The first thing implied by the lover’s “submission to God’s Will
(= Islam) is that he must follow the revealed Law (Sharjah). Religion
is the manifestation of God’s Will and Desire for man in the form of

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teachings that govern every dimension of man’s life. Only by turning

to His revelation—His “Prescriptive Command” (Flash XV)—can
man understand what God wants and does not want from him. So in
all his activities the lover must view the injunctions of the Shari'ah as
his basic guide. What the Shari'ah forbids is to be avoided, for the lov­
er does not want to attract the Beloved’s disapproval and censure to
himself. He must seek to approach the Beloved by acting in accor­
dance with His Will, not to remain distant from Him by acting con­
trary to it.
Someone may argue that the world is the Self-Manifestation of
God. When man sees God in all things, how can he distinguish be­
tween this and that? How can he say that “such a thing is good” and
“such a thing is bad”? But this argument is misleading. It is true that
all that exists, by the very fact of existence, partakes of God’s Being,
His Essence. This is what is meant when it is said that everything fol­
lows God’s Generating Command. For the existent things and all
their properties and acts are the unfolding of the possibilities of mani­
festation latent within Nonentified Being.
But man cannot avoid taking the Prescriptive Command into ac­
count, and at this level he will contemplate the theophany of God’s
Names and Attributes, not His Essence. The reason for this is as fol­
lows: Individual man is potentially the Perfect Man, which means
that his reality is the One Effusion from the One. In other terms, the
“human reality” may be said to be the Name “Allah,” the All-Com­
prehensive Name that embraces all other Names. This is why God
says about Adam, the prototype of man and the first Perfect Man on
the earth, “He taught Adam the Names, all of them” (11:31). As a re­
sult, man is a central creature, and the Perfect Man is the Central
Presence. Fundamentally, “centrality” means that the relationship of
man to each one of the Names is equal to his relationship with every
other. As the Self-Manifestation of Nonentified Being as such, man is
not delimited by any Name representing a particular ontological per­
fection. On the contrary, he is the locus-of-manifestation for the
Name that manifests Being qua Being. This is why Qunawi calls the
Perfect Man who has realized this station the “Point at the Center of
the Circle.” He is situated at the dead center of Being envisaged as a
Circle within which all Its perfections—all the Names, all the enti­
ties—are deployed. Like Being Itself, the Perfect Man can assume any
entification without becoming delimited by it.

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Because of his centrality, man is set apart from all other exis-
tents, each of which is peripheral in some respect. Thus the angels
manifest only certain Divine Names. As a result they say, “None of
us there is, but has a known station” (XXXVII:164). For the same rea­
son, God commanded them to bow down to Adam (11:34). And He
showed them Adam’s superiority over them by demonstrating to
them that they knew only their own Names—that is, the Names of
Being for which they acted as loci-of-manifestation—not the Names
of other than themselves. “Glory be to Thee! We know not but what
Thou hast taught us!” (11:32). In a similar way, all other creatures but
man are peripheral and manifest only certain Names of God.
So man’s superiority lies in his knowledge of all the Names—that
is, in the fact that he manifests all ontological perfections. Since the
most important of these perfections are Life, Knowledge, Will, and
Power,30 man lives in the world, has knowledge of his own situation,
can exercise his will to choose between possibilities of action, and has
the power to carry out his choice. Because he is a “transcription of Be­
ing,” he possesses all Its Attributes. In other words, he lives, knows,
chooses, and acts whether he wants to or not.
Man cannot ignore his own nature. To do so would be to deny
his own humanity, or, in Koranic language, “to refuse to carry the
Trust.” Man is forced to choose and act on the basis of his knowledge
by his very nature. And since his knowledge is limited—as long as he
is not the Perfect Man—he needs guidance to ensure that he makes
the right choices. He must follow the Prescriptive Command.
In short, only man is given the capacity to act as a receptacle for
all of Being’s perfections. ٦ bus potentially he is situated at the Point
at the Center of the Circle, equidistant from each perfection. But only
the Perfect Men truly realize this station. In practice, other men are
dominated by one of the Names, and thus they leave Equilibrium
and gravitate toward the periphery.
In order to attain the station of Centrality, Equilibrium, and Per­
fection, man must have a perfect affinity for Being as such, or, in oth­
er words, he must employ the ontological perfections that he has
already actualized in the manner in which Being as such by Its very
nature demands. This is the only way he can employ his particular
preparedness to achieve even greater preparednesses and to ascend
toward his goal. And since man is imprisoned within the limitations
of the World of Corporeal-Bodies, the nature of Sheer Being can be

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clarified only by Being Itself through Its Speech (another one of Its
basic perfections31), that is, Its Prescriptive Command. Unaided, man
is caught in the corporeal world and cut off from the inward dimen­
sions of his reality. His very raison d'etre is to actualize the potential
perfections hidden within himself. And he cannot actualize the per­
fection of Outwardness without himself dwelling within it. But once
there, the Inward must guide him back to Itself.
So the lover who is seeking to actualize the station of the Perfect
Man must avoid disequilibrium and the properties of the Names that
bring about distance from the Center—the All-Subjugating and
Wrathful Names. He must strive for proximity to the Benevolent and
Merciful Names. And here we should mention that Ibn al-،Arabi and
his followers identify “Wrath” with nonexistence and “Mercy” with
Being. So “to seek refuge in God’s Mercy” is to return to Being It­
self.32
In this Flash ،Iraqi alludes to the Generating Command as the
“Theophany of the Essence.” But man’s centrality does not allow him
to ignore the theophanies of the Names and Attributes. Since he has
been given the special station of being able to differentiate among all
the Names, he has no choice but to choose between their properties.
It is true that all things are theophanies of the Essence, but they are
also theophanies of the Names and Attributes. The Prescriptive Com­
mand gives man the key with which to discern among the theopha­
nies of the different Names and to choose those that will aid him in
his return to his Source, the Central Presence.
By his very nature as a transcription of Being man understands
that things become manifested in keeping with the Names and Attri­
butes, whose properties are diverse. So he must remember the Proph­
et’s prayer: “I seek refuge in Thy Forgiveness from Thy Punishment,
I seek refuge in Thy Approval from Thy Anger, I seek refuge in Thee
from Thee.” Man cannot count a theophany of God’s Wrath as equiv­
alent to one of His Mercy. The locus-of-manifestation for the Name
“He-who-leads-astray” cannot evoke within him the same reaction as
the locus for the Name “He-who-guides.” Even in the case of the the­
ophany of the Essence Itself—which might make us fear that the
Generating Command was in conflict with the Prescriptive Com­
mand—man can seek refuge from Him in Him. “So flee to God!”
(LI:50).

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FLASH XXII

As ،Iraqi has already pointed out, the annihilation of selfhood

and the attributes of possible-existence, so that only the Necessary-
Being remains, demands among other things that the lover complete­
ly abandon his own desires. Here ،Iraqi develops this theme further,
showing that submission to the Will of the Beloved implies certain
things that one might not suspect at the outset. For it means that the
lover must not desire Union with the Beloved, a Union that would
seem to be the whole motivation for entering on the Path. But in fact,
as long as the lover-Beloved duality subsists, man remains far from
True Oneness, which is Love and Love alone.
When the lover desires something, he always has a delimited and
defined goal in mind. His desire is not for God as such, who is Non­
entified and therefore Unknowable and even Undesirable. The real­
ization of perfection implies that all the lover’s attributes have been
annihilated and effaced in God. At the highest station, it means that
man is not drawn toward the property of any Name or Attribute or
any entification. Rather, he remains nondelimited as the Point at the
Center of the Circle.
So the lover must surrender his own desires to those of the Be­
loved. So much is this so that he must be happy with separation from
his Desire, as long as he knows that this is what the Beloved wants.
Going even farther than this, ،Iraqi then says that in fact separation is
more desirable than Union. But again he qualifies his words, stating
that the separation he means is that desired by God, while the Union
is that desired by man.
Finally ،Iraqi refers to the station where the lover realizes that
everything he manifests and everything he is derives from the Be­
loved. But again, ،Iraqi makes clear that he is not speaking about just
anyone who might understand this principle mentally or imagine
falsely that he has actualized it. For he says, ،،a lover who is qualified
by the Beloved’s attributes,” and as Jami points out, this is a reference
to the Proximity of Supererogatory-Works, the first station of the
Perfect Man. At this level the wayfarer has already attained Union
and travels from Attribute to Attribute.33 But the traveler who is still
imperfect and aspires to reach his station may still take him as his
model.

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FLASH XXIII

This Flash develops the theme of the previous Flash, that the ul­
timate goal is not the Beloved, but Love Itself. As long as the lover
loves the Beloved, duality remains. The level where the Names and
Attributes are differentiated from one another cannot be transcend­
ed. In other words, the very highest station that can have been at­
tained is that of Two Bows’ Length. At the station of Or Nearer, only
God remains.
In the last section, beginning with the words “Look still higher”
(i.e., from the lover to the Beloved), ،Iraqi interprets the Koranic
verse “He has forgotten them” to mean that the Beloved Himself is
annihilated in Love, the Nondelimited Essence, for all Names and
Attributes are negated; there is no outward-manifestation (lover) or
inward-nonmanifestation (Beloved), only the One.

FLASH XXIV
Being belongs to God, whereas nonexistence is the inherent qual­
ity of the creature. Even though Qunawi and his followers often
speak of the archetypal-entity acting as a “receptacle” for Being, or
employ other such images that imply the existence of the entity, the
truth of the matter is that “the entity has never smelt the fragrance of
existence.” The entity is always inward and nonmanifest, since it
does not exist.
To review an image to which we have already referred, Being is
Light, while the entities are darkness. Only the effects of the entities
become manifest, not they themselves, which means that darkness
mixed with Light results in “brightness” (،/ry٥١),34 or the dimming of
the Light. By acting as a veil over Sheer Light, darkness allows the
myriad colors—or possibilities and perfections of outward manifesta­
tion latent within the very nature of Light—to be perceived. But
what becomes outward and visible is never anything other than
Light, for darkness has no positive reality and thus can never itself be
seen. The nature of the varying degrees of “brightness” that are per­
ceived is not determined by darkness, but by the essence of Light it­
self. In other words, the very nature of the creatures that become
outwardly manifest through the Holy Effusion is determined by the
Most Holy Effusion that preceded it, an Effusion that represents the

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delineation of the possible perfections of manifestation inherent with­

in Nonentified Being.

FLASH XXV
Following the Koranic terminology, the Sufis divide certainty
into three stages: the Knowledge of Certainty, the Eye of Certainty,
and the Truth of Certainty.35 The Knowledge of Certainty is as if one
were to be convinced, through rational proofs, that fire exists. The
Eye of Certainty is to see the fire. The Truth of Certainty is to be
consumed by it. Here ،Iraqi begins with the lover or the person who
is already an aspirant on the Path. He began his Wayfaring because of
his certainty concerning the existence of the Beloved and the necessi­
ty of seeking Him. The Path of course is long. In the words of Awha-
duddin Kirmani, “Unless your heart and eyes bleed with longing
(and aspiration) for fifty years, you will never be shown the way from
words to spiritual states.”36
But then one day, after long travail, the lover sees the Beloved.
Moreover, he realizes that he had always seen Him, but he had not
been aware that he was seeing Him. For everyone sees the Beloved,
since only He exists. Then the lover comprehends the Truth of Cer­
tainty, he is annihilated in the Beloved; and lover, Beloved, and Love
are One.

FLASFI XXVI
In this Flash ،Iraqi considers some of the consequences of the du­
ality necessitated by the fact that the lover and the Beloved possess a
real differentiation stemming from the First Entification. This dis­
tinction between the two of them manifests itself in different ways at
various stages of the Path. In fact the lover must exist before the attri­
butes of Belovedness can make themselves manifest. In other words,
without the world, the Name-derived Perfection cannot be displayed.
If there were no “others,” the mutually opposing properties required
by many of the Names would be effaced by Oneness. When opposites
coincide in every respect, they are no longer opposites. If they never
separate and make their opposition manifest, it is meaningless to
speak of them as “opposites.”
In the first paragraph, ،Iraqi alludes to the Self-Manifestation of

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God within all Presences. Only the Perfect Man in his All-Compre­
hensiveness possesses the capacity to contemplate God at every one of
these levels. In fact, God’s “Face” turned toward each level is the face
of the Perfect Man turned toward Him, for between God and the
Perfect Man there is no intermediary. Hence Qunawi says that the
Heart of the Perfect Man, the Heart that embraces God, has five
faces:
“(1) A face turned toward the Presence of God, with no interme­
diary between Him and it. (2) A face standing opposite the World of
the Spirits, through which man takes from his Lord, through the in­
termediary of the Spirits, what his preparedness allows. (3) A face
pertaining to the World of Image-Exemplars. ... (4) A face adjacent
to the World of Sensory-Perception and pertaining to the Names
،Outward’ and ‘Last.’ (5) An all-comprehensive face pertaining exclu­
sively to the Unity of All-Comprehensiveness. Adjacent to this Unity
lies the ،He-ness’ described by Firstness, Lastness, Outwardness, In­
wardness and the Comprehension of these four descriptions.”37 In
other words, this last face gazes on the Divine Essence or “He-ness”
about which God says, “He is the First and the Last and the Outward
and the Inward” (LVII:3). (In contrast, the first face gazes on the
First Entification, the Presence of Knowledge.)

FLASH XXVII
Annihilation of the lover’s attributes and existence, which brings
about subsistence within the Beloved, is nothing but the lover’s re­
turn to his own Source. For in himself he is nonexistence: Being be­
longs to God and God alone. As long as he dwells in the illusion of
selfhood and his own existentiality, he is far from the Truth. But
“Truth will come, and falsehood will vanish away” (XVIL81). The re­
ality and felicity of the lover lie in his return to his origin, nonexis­
tence. Then only can he realize that he is one of the myriad
Perfections of Nonentified Being and as such, he is none other than
the Beloved.

FLASH XXVIII
In this Flash ،Iraqi alludes to two of his master s important teach­
ings: the “spiritual-ascent of decomposition” and the “Specific
Face.”38 Man is the “all-comprehensive isthmus” who embraces the

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Sea of Necessary-Being and the Sea of Possible-Existence. He con­

tains all the perfections of Sheer Being, whether they pertain to God
and the Inward or to the world and the Outward. But to realize these
perfections and become the Perfect Man, within whom all ontological
potentialities are actualized, man must dwell within each ontological
level and Presence and acquire its peculiar perfections. Of course at
the level of his reality—his archetypal-entity—man already possesses
each level’s perfections as his own. When we look more closely, we
see that the Presences are nothing but the outward manifestation of
his own ontological potentialities. But to actualize these potentiali­
ties, man must journey through the worlds and Presences. He must
acquire all the attributes and properties that the worlds make mani­
fest.
Man’s journey through the worlds is called the “spiritual-ascent
of composition” Curuj at-tarkib\ even though outwardly it appears to
be a descent. Through it man descends from inward nonmanifesta­
tion within Knowledge to outward manifestation within the world.
First he descends to the Universal Intellect (= the Supreme Pen),
then to the Universal Soul (= the Guarded Tablet). These are the
two extremes of the World of the Spirits. Within this world he ac­
quires an outward spiritual existence and thereby begins to be com­
pounded from various ontological perfections. Then he passes into
the World of Image-Exemplars, which extends from the Tablet to the
Throne. Within this world he acquires the perfections of psychic and
imaginal existence. Then man enters the World of Corporeal-Bodies,
which extends from the Throne (= the starless heaven), to the Foot­
stool (= the heaven of the fixed stars), through the remaining seven
heavens, and finally to the earth, the elements and the three king­
doms. As he travels, man acquires the perfection of all these levels.
Finally he reaches the human state in the world. This is the farthest
limit of the spiritual-ascent of composition.
Of course one must be careful not to imagine some sort of physi­
cal journey by man through the worlds. As Qunawi explains, man s
journey is “supraformal,” which means it relates to his “meaning or
immutable archetypal-entity. The various worlds and levels man
“passes through” are from another point of view the realities that the
human reality embraces and that unfold in stages as the Hidden Trea­
sure attains the Perfection of Distinct-Manifestation.
So when man is born into the world, he finishes the spiritual-as­
cent of composition. Through it he has left the First Presence, passed

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through the Worlds of Spirits and of Image-Exemplars, and entered

into the Corporeal World. As a man within this world he has now
reached the first stage of the fifth and Central Presence, that of the
Perfect Man. He now embraces all kinds of existence, as well as non­
existence, within himself. Now he must actualize his potentialities
and consciously integrate the four Presences that preceded him into
the All-Comprehensive Presence. He must perfect the human state,
within which these multiple Presences may return to Unity.
Having reached the human level, man begins the “spiritual-as­
cent of decomposition’’ (mi'raj at-tahlil). Through it he reascends to
his origin, the state of nonexistence within Knowledge. At each level
he passes, he returns what he had acquired in his descent to its owner.
This is the “journey to God.” Having reached its end, man has now
actualized all the Presences, he has comprehended their many-ness in
his own oneness. They had become manifested from his all-compre­
hensive reality in the first place, and now they return to nonexistence
within his reality. Here man reaches the first station of the Perfect
Man. Between him and God there is now no intermediary. On the
one hand there is God, and on the other there is the Perfect Man, the
One who had issued from the One, who has now returned to the One,
and who has integrated all many-ness into God. Within him the four
Presences other than himself are deployed as so many dimensions of
the Central and All-Comprehensive Presence. He has passed through
the reality of each of them, actualized it within himself, and returned
it to Unity.
Before his “ascent” into composition, all the ontological perfec­
tions are potentialities of outward manifestation latent within his
own reality. Having traversed the Circle of Being, man actualizes
these perfections, manifests the Hidden Treasure and comes to know
Nonentified Being in Its full deployment. When man reaches this sta­
tion, God decides whether or not to return him to the world in order
to be a guide for others. In Qunawi’s words, “If God now wants him
to return to the World of the Visible in order to bring about the per­
fection of others, or himself (i.e., so that he may attain even higher
stations of Perfection related to the Outward), or both together, man
will return (to the Visible World) by undergoing a supra-formal com­
position after Opening (i.e., after having attained Union). This com­
position corresponds to his decomposition (which he underwent
during his spiritual-ascent).”39 But now man subsists within God, so

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his attributes are direct and conscious manifestations of God’s Attri­

butes.
As for the ،،Specific Face” (al-uajh al-khass), this is the Face of
God turned toward and specific to every created existent. Between
each thing and the Specific Face God turns toward it there is no in­
termediary, although in other respects there are numerous intermedi­
aries between it and God. Ultimately, this ،،Face” is the thing s
entification within God’s Knowledge. It is the immutable archetypal-
entity, which, like the Knowledge of which it is the object, is eternal.
Through his return to his own Specific Face, which is his source,
man attains his everlasting felicity. Only this archetypal-entity sub­
sists; all else is man’s outward form, the manifestation of his entity’s
properties. So all else perishes.
Not only man, but each and every thing has a Specific Face
turned toward it, an entification within Knowledge. To know things
،،as they are” is to know them in God as He knows them. This is the
knowledge of the Specific Faces of the things, a knowledge attained
only by the Perfect Men.

NOTES
1. See Jami’s commentary on this section of the Lama'at; also Jami,
Sharh-i ruba'iyyat, ed. M. Hirawi (Kabul, 1343/ 1964), PP• 40-41.
2. Qunawi quotes this verse in MatalV-i itnan, ed. w. c. Chittick, Sophia
Perennis !١’, no. 1 (Spring 1978), 57-80 (Persian section) (p. 80); translated in
Ascendant Stars.
3. See Ascendant Stars: ALL-SUBJUGATING-POWER, RESURREC-
TION.
4. See Miftah al-ghayb, pp. 301-302; Ashi“at al-lama'at, pp.l5-16. Ibn al-
،Arabi often refers to the two lower stations. See for example, Chittick, Ibn
،Arabi’s own Summary,” I, no. 2: 114116.
5. See Ahmad-i Jam, Rawdat al-mudhannibin, ed. A. Fadil (Tehran,
1355/1976), pp. 218, 314-316.
6. See Ascendant Stars: UNUEILING, ANNIHILAT ION.
7. Al-Futuhat ' 4 vols. (Beirut, n.d.), vol. 4, pp. 202-203.
8. See an-Nusus, p. 29^/215-216; Naqd an-nusus, pp. 4748; also Chittick,
‘،Sadr aLDin Qunawi on the Oneness of Being,” pp. 181ff.
9. rhe “entity” or “quiddity” is contrasted with Being and represents
one of Its perfections. Only Being as such has no quiddity. But Qunawi
writes about the highest station of man’s perfection: “Its possessor has no en-
tity” (an-Nafahat al-ilahiyyab, p. 305).

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 COMMENTARY

10. See Farghani’s discussion of the difference between theophany and

incarnation, or between unification in its allowed and disallowed senses, in
Mashariq ad-darari, pp. 271-273; also Ascendant Stars: UNIFICATION.
11. See Ascendant Stars: OPENING.
12. See Ascendant Stars: BEWILDERMENT; also T. Izutsu, “The Con­
cept of Perpetual Creation in Islamic Mysticism and Zen Buddhism,” in
S. H. Nasr, Mélanges offerts à Henry Corbin (Tehran, 1977), especially pp. 136ff.
13. See Ascendant Stars: VEIL; also F. Schuon, “Le mystère du voile,” So­
phia Perennis II, no. 2 (Autumn 1976), pp. 7-21.
14. See Mashariq ad-darari, pp. 19, 186, 312-313, 492, 494, 637, 646.
15. Tahrir al-bay an ft taqrir shu'ab al-iman, Mss. Crh. 2054, Fatih 1394,
2630, §ehid Ali Pasa 1340, Halet Ef. ilavesi 66 (Siileymaniye Library, Istan­
bul). Farghani has a similar discussion in Muntaha-l-madarik (Istanbul, 1293/
1876), p. 13; quoted in Naqd an-nusus, pp. 36-37.
16. See Ascendant Stars: CIRCLE, PRESENCE.
17. Muntaha-l-madarik, p. 13; Naqd an-nusus, p. 37.
18. Fusus al-hikam, ed. A. ،Afifi (Beirut, 1946), p. 105.
19. See an-Nusus, p. 294/209; Ijaz al-bayan, pp. 115-118/224-226; cf. al-
Fukuk, pp. 233-234.
20. Ijaz al-bayan, p. 290/408; quoted in Naqd an-nusus, p. 185.
21. See Naqd an-nusus, pp. 167-168, 172-176, 183-193; cf. “Ibn ‘Arabi’s
own Summary” I, no. 2: 120-122.
22. Naqd an-nusus, p. 190. On hell’s limited nature, see ibid., pp. 188-190.
23. See Ascendant Stars: PREPAREDNESS.
24. Ibid.: RECEPTACLE.
25. See for example Ijaz al-bayan, pp. 85-86/193-194; an-Nafahat al-ila-
biyyah, p. 81; Miftah al-ghayb, pp. 271-274.
26. See Ascendant Stars: HEART.
27. Al-Fukuk, p. 250; quoted in Naqd an-nusus, p. 202.
28. See Commentary on Flash XXI; also Ascendant Stars: CIRCLE,
EQUILIBRIUM.
29. An-Nafahat al-ilahiyyah, p. 84.
30. Qunawi calls these Names the “Four Pillars of Divinity” (chahar
rukn-i uluhiyyat) in his Persian works, and in his Arabic works refers to them
as the first manifestation of the “Keys to the Unseen” (the Unfathomable
Names of God), “which none knows but He” (VI:59). His work Miftah al-
ghayb (“The Key to the Unseen”) discusses them thoroughly.
31. It is the fifth or the seventh of the “Seven Leaders” (al-a'immat as-
sab'ab), the seven primary Names of God. See Naqd an-nusus, pp. 40-42.
32. See Ascendant Stars: MERCY.
33. Miftah al-ghayb, p. 302.
34. See al-Fukuk, p. 223; Naqd an-nusus, p. 178.
35. See A. Siraj al-Din, The Book of Certainty (London, 1952).

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 COMMENTARY

36. Quoted by Qunawi in Tabsirat al-mubtadi'.

37. Al-Fukuk, pp. 246-247; quoted in Naqd an-nusus, p. 200.
38. Qunawi develops these teachings extensively in Miftah al-ghayb, es­
pecially pp. 294-304; see also Ijaz al-bayan, pp. 336-342/458-464.
39. Miftah al-ghayb, p. 296.

167
Selected Bibliography

Bell, J. N.: Love Theory in Later Hanbalite Islam, Albany, 1979 (Illus-
trates in a scholarly manner the intellectual background of the dis-
cussion of love in Islam and alludes to the views of various Sufis).
Burckhardt, T.: An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine, Lahore, 1959 (An ex-
cellent introduction to Ibn al-‘Arabi’s teachings).
Wisdom of the Prophets, translated from French by A. Culme-
Seymour, Gloucestershire, 1975 (Partial translation of Ibn aFAra-
bi’s Fusus al-hikam).
CorVim, ‫ داآل‬Creative Imagination in tbe Sufism of Ibn ،Arabi, ‫ةآأ‬١‫ًا‬١‫ةعأة\ة‬
from the French by R. Manheim, Princeton, 1969 (Important study
of one aspect of Ibn a!-،Arabi’s thought and its wider implications).
‫أل‬٠١‫ذ‬,٦.'. A Comparative Study of tbe Key Philosophical Concepts in Su-
fism and Taoism—Ibn ،Arabi and Lao-Tzu, Cbuang-Tu vwo parts,
Tokyo, 1966 (The best study in a European language of the ideas of
Ibn a!-،Arabi).
Nasr, s. H.: Sufi Essays, London, 1972; Albany, 1973 (Excellent study
of various dimensions of Sufism and its relevance to modern life).
Three Muslim Sages, Harvard (Mass.), 1964 (Best summary of the
life, work, thought and importance of Ibn a!-،Arabi).
Nicholson, R.A.: Studies in Islamic Mysticism, Cambridge, 1921; first
paperback edition, 1978 (Contains an important study of Jili, one of
Ibn a!-،Arabi’s most famous followers).
Tbe Tarjuman al-Asbwaq, A Collection of Mystical Odes by Mu-
byiddin ibn al-‘Arabt, London, 1911; reprinted 1978 (A translation
of poems on love with Ibn a!-،Arabi’s own commentary).
Pourjavady, N. and Wilson, P.L.: Kings of Love, The History and Poetry
of the NFmatulldhi Sufi Order of Iran, Tehran, 1978 (The 600-year
history of a Sufi order which has continued the tradition represent-
ed by ،Iraqi to the present day; includes more than fifty pages of
translated poetry).

168
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Schuon, F.: Dimensions of Islam, London, 1970 (Besides illuminating

remarks on Sufism the work contains a discussion of the earthly
concomitants of the love of God in the Sufi perspective).
-------- Understanding Islam, London, 1963 (The best study of the role
of Sufism in Islam).
١7aliuddin, M.: Love of God: The Sufi Approach, New Delhi, 1968 (Wide-
ranging if somewhat disorganized study).
Weischer, B. M. and Wilson, P. L.: Heart's Witness: The Sufi Quatrains
of Awhaduddin Kirmani, Tehran, 1978 (Translation of 120 quatrains
by a figure whose tradition ‘Iraqi continues).

169
Index to Preface,
Introduction,
Commentary & Notes

Adam, 32 n. 37, 53, 61; 130, 156, 157. 27, 153-136, 140, 145-146, 154, 156,
Abaka, 57-58. 160, 162; Inward of-, 131-132; and
Abu Sa'id Abi ’!-Khayr, X. Light, 15, 134, 139, 147, 152, 160; and
Abu Talib al-Makki, 128 n. 16. Love, 5-6, 23, 27, 53, 130-131, 133;
*Afifi, A., 166 n. 18. mirror for, 139-140, 152; Names of,
Al-Hallaj, X. 136, 142, 156-157; nature of, 6-8,
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, 33. 18-19, 21, 27, 29 n. 8; 144, 147, 157;
All-Comprehensiveness, 137-139, 156, Necessary-, 4, 131, 148, 154, 159, 163:
162, 164. and Nonentification, 7-11, 13-15, 17,
Annihilation, 141, 145, 152, 155, 159, 160, 19, 21, 22, 130-132, 136, 144-145, 147,
162. 151-152, 156, 161-162, 164; and
Arberry, A. J., xvi, 62 n. 1; 64 n. 9, n. 15, nonexistence, 135, 145; Oneness of, 4,
n. 17; 66 n. 32. 6-17, 20-21, 25-26, 133, 135, 136, 144,
Archetypal-Entities, 8-11, 13, 15-16, 147, 148; Outward of-, 131-132; and
24-25, 27, 129 n. 25, 130-132, 134-135, Reality, 4, 7, 14, 140, 149; receptacle
137, 141, 145, 150-152, 160, 163, 165. for, 134, 152, 157, 160; Self-
Asceticism, xii, 34, 36, 146. Manifestation of, 8-9, 15, 17, 19, 27,
Ashtiyani, 5.]., 310. 23. 131, 133-134, 139, 144, 146-147,
‘Ata’, A. A., 30 n. 18. 149-150, 156; as source, 8, 158; totality
‘Attar, Fariduddin, X, xvi. of, 15, 27.
Austin, R. J. w., 64 n. 15. Bow of Ascent, 131.
Avicenna, 35. Bow of Descent, 131.
Awhaduddin Kirmani, X, 43-44, 161. Browne, E. G., 65 n. 24.
Baghawi, Hasan ibn Masud al-Farra’ al-, Bulah, Mawlana Aminuddin Hajji,
63 n. 5. 58-59.
Baha’uddin, Zakariyya’ Multani, 37-41, Burckhardt, T., 29 n. 5; 64 n. 16.
43-44, 61, 64 n. 11. Cahen, c., 65 n. 27, n. 28.
Balban, 64 n. 10. Certainty, 3, 161.
Bayarid, X, 145. Chittick, William, X, xiv, 29 n. 1, n. 2, n.
Baybars, 57, 66 n. 30. 3, n. 7; 30 n. 11, n. 16, n. 17; 31 n. 27,
Beauty, xii-xiii, 25-26, 134, 136, 141, 152. n. 32; 64 n. 13, n. 18; 65 n. 26: 165 n.
Being, cf. also Perfection; Attributes of, 2., n. 4, n. 8.
135-136, 142, 157; Circle of, 147, 153, Christ, 63.
156-158, 164; descent of, 139; division Christianity, xii, 5.
of, 7; and Entification, 7-8, 11-15, 17, Circle of Being, 147-148, 153, 156-159,
19, 31 n. 20: 144, 145, 147, 156, 165 n.
9. and Essence of, 142, 144; and Commands, 157; Generating, 149, 156,
Eternity, 136; and God, 7, 10, 15, 25, 158; Prescriptive, 149-150, 156-158.

170
 INDEX

Cosmology, ix, 11. First Isthmus٠Nature, 10-11, 23-24, 153.

Contemplation, xii-xiii, 3, 5, 21-22, Forms, and creation, 32 n. 37;
2627, 28 n. 1; 47, 132, 135, 138, 140, manifested-, xii; world of, xii.
142-144, 147, 152, 156. Furuzanfar, B., 64 n. 12.
Creation, and Being, 131; and existence, Gabriel, 31 n. 31.
128 n. 21: 149; image of, 51; and love, Ghazzali, Abu Hamid Muhammad, xi, 4,
31 n. 30: 153; necessity for, 19, 20; 45.
renewal of, 137. Ghazzali, Ahmad, xi, 4-6, 29 n. 4; 45.
David, 139. Gnosticism, X, xi, xiii, 136, 142-143.
Dualism, xii. God, cf. also Knowledge, Perfection,
Duality, 133, 135, 141, 147, 149, 152, 154, World; Attributes of, xii, 4-6, 8-10,
159, 161. 18-20, 22, 26, 31 n. 31: 47, 128 n. 9, n.
Effusion, Most Holy-, 10-11, 128 n. 20; 17; 132-135, 138-140, 145-147, 149,
134, 151-152, 154, 160; One-, 136, 154, 154, 156, 158-160, 165; Beauty of, xiii,
156; and Perfect Man, 154, 156. 25-26, 136, 139; and Being, 7, 10, 15,
Entification, cf. also Nonentification; 25 , 27, 133-136, 140, 145-146, 154, 156,
and Being, 7-8, 11-15, 17, 31 n. 20; 160, 162; and Entification, 7-8, 10, 19,
144-145, 147, 156, 164, 165 n. 9; and 159; and Essence, 5-8, 17, 19, 22, 47,
existence, 9, 11-12, 15-16, 31 n. 20: 132-133, 140, 145, 150, 156, 162; Face
132, 134-135, 137, 151-152, 160; First-, of, 149, 154, 162, 165; as Friend, 48, 53;
9-11, 1330 ,25 ‫ ب‬15, 18, 20, 22‫ ب‬n. 15; in Himself, 9, 19, 21-22, 26, 139, 140,
130-133, 148, 151, 161, 162; and Five 147; image of, xiii, 131, 145, 146;
Presences, 13; and God, 7-8, 10, 165; jealousy of, 136; and love, 17-21, 23,
Kinds of, 9-10, 12, 16; and knowledge, 25-28, 130, 133, 140; is Love, 5-6,
134, 165; and Love, 130; and Names, 25-26, 130, 133; love for, xi xiii, 22, 25,
132; and nonexistence, 131-135, 144; 27, 28, 47, 138; Manifestation of, 9-11,
Oneness of, 10-11, Unseen, 12; 17, 23, 25, 27, 133, 136, 138, 143-148,
Visible, 12. 151, 154-156, 161-162; and mirror,
Essence, and existence, 5; of God, 5-8, 140-143, 145, 153, 154; Names of,
17, 19, 22, 132-133, 140, 145, 150, 156, xii—xiii, 4, 8-10, 18-20, 22-23, 25, 31 n.
162; and Love, 132; of man, 140, 143; 31, n. 32; 47, 53, 54, 128 n. 19: 130, 132,
and Nonentification, 7, 10-11, 13, 134-135, 138, 140, 142-143, 147-151,
18-20, 130, 147, 154, 160; and Oneness, 153-154, 156-160, 166 n. 30, n. 31;
132; and perfection, 19; Unseen-, nature of, 4, 19-21, 149;
132-133. Nonmanifestation of, 133; Oneness of,
Exile, 47. 3-4, 10‫ و‬20-21‫ و‬25, 133.136, 138,
Existence, and archetypal-entities, 8-9, 148-149, 154; presence of, 138, 143,
134; and creation, 128 n. 21; 165; and 162; seeking for, 54- 55, 152-153, 159,
entification, 9, 11-12, 15-16, 31 n. 20: 161, 164; Self-Awareness of, 18;
132, 134, 135, 137, 151-152, 160: and Throne of, 37, 150; veils of, 146-147,
Essence, 5-6; iinaginal-, 163: as 151.
illusory, 136, 155; and Love, 52-53, Hadith, X, 3-4, 32 n. 37; 62 n. 3: 65 n. 25;
130, 133, 153; perfection of, 149; 128 n. 4, n. 10; 129 n. 26, n. 28: 133,
possible-, 131-132, 147, 154, 159, 163. 139-140.
Fadil, A., 165 n. 5. Hadith qudsi, 128 n. 4; 129 n. 24: 138,
Fanari, al-, 30 n. 13. 1.51, 153.
Farghani, xvi, 17, 24, 27, 30 n. 15; 31 n. Hafiz, xiii.
29; 44; 138, 140, 148, 166 n. 10, n. 15. Hasan (the Minstrel), 50--51.

171
 INDEX

Heart, 137, 146, 153-154, 162. Kabiruddin, 41, 61-62.

Hidden Treasure, 18, 20-21, 133-134, Kalandars, 34- 35, 37- 38, 45, 62 n. 4.
139, 146, 151, 153, 163-164. Kalaun, al-Mansur Sayf al-Din, 66 n. 30.
Hirawi, M., 165 n. 1. Kangirtay, 58-59, 66 n. 30.
Ibn aUArabi Muhyiuddin, x-xiv, 3-7, 11, Kashani, 30 n. 13: 31 n. 35.
19, 21-22, 27-28, 28 n. 1; 29 n. 8: 30 n. Kashani, Khwajah Zaynuddin, 56-57.
15; 31 n. 20, n. 22: 43-46, 48-49, Kazvini, M.M., 64 n. 19
61-62, 65 n. 22, n. 23, n. 26: 66 n. 33; Kharraqani, Abu ’!-Hasan, X.
129 n. 29; 132, 135, 137, 141-144, Khezr, 127 n. 1.
146-152, 158, 165 n. 4; 166 n. 21. Knowledge, 157; and Certainty, 161; and
Ibn al-Farid, 44, 138. entification, 134, 154, 165; and
Ibn Sina, Abu ،Ali, 63 n. 5. existence, 145, 152, 164; and God,
Ibn Turkah Isfahani, 29 n. 8; 30 n. 13. 9-13, 15, 17-18, 21-22, 28 n. 1, 129 n.
Imaduddin, 38, 40. 25; 131-132, 134-135, 141, 145, 147,
Image-Exemplars, 12-16, 23, 31 n. 31; 131, 151-152, 154, 157, 159, 165; and love,
141, 162-163. ix, 18, 133-134; and mysticism, 5;
Immanence, xii. presence of, 14, 141, 162; “realized”-,
Incamationism, 145-146. xi; sources of, 3.
Inspiration, 3. Koran, X, 3-4, 12, 33, 44, 63 n. 5; 11:31,
Intellect, and certainty, 3; creation, 28 n. 156; 11:32, 157; 11:34, 157; !1:115, 149;
1; First-, 29 n. 1; particular-, 29 n. 1; 111:97, 19; !11:137, 62 n. 4; IV:77, 60;
powers of, 3-4, 28 n. 1; and science, 62 IV: 126, 144; VI:59, 166 n. 30; VI:98,
n. 3: Universal, 13, 31 n. 31; 163. 130; VI:127, 143; XVH:81, 162;
*Iraqi, Fakhruddin, influence of, ix-x; life XVIII: 10, 153; XX:127, 34; XXIV:36,
of, ix-x, 33-62: and love, 45; and 65 n. 22; XXVII:88, 47; XXXIII:72, 22:
mysticism, 27; as poet, ix-xi, 27, 40, XXXVI:82, 149; XXXVI:96, 149;
44-45, 54; writings of, ix. XXXVIL164, 157; XL:16, 136; XLL53,
Islam, and heresy, 145; -mathematics, 62 n. 4; XLIL53, 47; LI:21, 62 n. 4;
137; and music, 63 n. 7; and LI:50, 158; LIII:8-9, 147; LV:29, 65 n.
resurrection, xii; revelation of, 3; and 22; LVII:3, 26, 162; LXVH:3, 149;
science, 62 n. 3; 63 n. 5; Shi'ite, 33: and LXXX:34-35, 61.
sources, x; spirituality of, ix-x; and Kubra, Najmuddin, X.
Sufism, xii, 62 n. 4; Sunni-, 33: Law, 62 n. 4; 149-150, 155.
traditions of, xi, 3-4, 11-12, 29 n. 8. Layla, 140.
Isthmus, 10-13, 153-154, 162. Life, Fountain of, 127 n. 1.
lyaz, 128 n. 8. Light, and Being, 15, 134, 139, 147, 152,
Izutsu, T., 30 n. 8; 65 n. 22, 166 n. 12. 160; and God, 140, 147; and Love, 134;
Jami, *Abdurrahman, x-xi, xiii-xvi, 30 n. perfections of, 144; and Reality, 4.
8, n. 11, n. 15; 31 n. 22: 32 n. 42; 64 n. Logos, and forms, xiii; and Perfect Man,
19, n. 20; 65 n. 26; 128 n. 3, n. 13: 129
n. 25, n. 30: 135, 140, 142, 145, 148, Love, and affinity, 18, 26; and Being,
153,155,159, 165 n. 1. 5-6, 23, 27, 53, 130-131, 133; and
Jamshid, King, 128 n. 12. entification, 130; and Essence, 132; and
Jandi Mu’ayyiduddin, xvi, 44, 65 n. 29. existence, 52-53, 130, 133, 153; flames
John, 1:2-3, 11. of, 34, 46; as goal, 160; and God,
Junayd, 128 n. 6; 136. 17-21, 23, 25-28, 130, 133, 140; God
Juwayni Shamsuddin, 41, 58-59. is-, 5-6, 25-26, 130, 133; gradation of,
Kaaba, 37. xii-xiii, 130; and knowledge, xi, 18,

172
 INDEX

133-134; and man, 20, 26-28; and Nafisi, s., 62 n. 1; 66 n. 30, n. 33.
Manifestation, 17, 23, 27, 53, 130, Nasr, S.H., 63 n. 7; 65 n. 22; 166 n. 12.
132-134; mystical-, 27; and Needleman, 63 ,.‫ ل‬n. 7.
nonentification, 137; and perfection, Niffari, an-, 45, 64 n. 17.
17-20, 22-23, 26, 31 n. 30: 130: and Nonentification, and Being, 7-11, 13-15,
Ultimate Reality, 4, 6. 17, 19, 21-22, 130-132, 136, 144-145,
Maghribi, Shamsuddin, 64 n. 19. 147, 151-152, 156, 161-162; and
Magi, 34, 36. Essence, 7, 10-11, 13, 18-19, 130, 147,
Mahmud, Sultan of Ghazna, 128 n. 8. 154; and God, 7, 133, 159; and Love,
Majduddin, 43. 137
Majnun, 140. Nurbakhsh, Jawad, XV.
Malik abumara, 61. One (Oneness), of Being, 4, 6-17, 20,
Man, creation of, xiii, 11, 24, 32 n. 37; 25-26, 133, 135-136, 144, 147-148; and
130, 149; essence of, 140, 143; and God, entities, 134, 137, 161; and Essence,
4, 25, 133, 140, 143: as image, 24, 32 n. 132; of First Entification, 10-11, 148:
37; individual, 15; as isthmus, 162; and and God, 3-4, 10, 20-21, 25, 133, 136,
love, 20, 26-28; as mirrors, 152: nature 138, 148-149, 154; and Love, 132, 159,
of, xiii, 155, 157-158; Perfect, 10-17: 161; nature of, 136, 149; and number,
and perfection, 20-21, 24-25, 135, 152, 137, 147-148, 164; and Perfect Man,
154-155, 158, 163, 164, 165 n. 9; and 154.
Presences, 164; prototype of, 156; and “Opening”, 146.
Spirit, xi. “Or Nearer”, 142, 147-148, 154, 160.
Manifestation, and Attributes, 130, 149, Paradise, 140.
165; Being’s Self-, 8-9, 15, 17, 19, 27, Parwanah, Amir Mu ،inuddin, 50-51, 54,
131, 133-134, 139, 144, 146-147, 57-60, 65 n. 29.
149-150, 156; Distinct-, 23. 26, 28, 133, the Path, 135, 138, 144, 146, 148, 152-155,
135, 163; of God, 9-11, 17, 23 , 25, 27, 159, 161.
133, 136, 138, 143-148, 151, 154-156, Peace, 142-144.
161-162; Inward, 133, 138, 160, 163: Perfect Man, 10-17, 21-26, 30 n. 16: 32
loci-of-, 130, 134, 140-142, 149, n. 37; 130, 135, 139, 142, 145, 152-154,
153-158; Love’s Self-, 17, 23, 27, 53, 156-159, 162-164.
130, 132-134; of Names, 149-150, 153, Perfection, cf. also Love; and Being, 8,
156-157; of Oneness; 136; Outward-, 11, 17, 19, 22-23, 25, 131, 134-136,
131, 133-135, 138-139, 144, 160, 139-140, 144-145, 147, 151-153,
163-164; and Reality, 155. 156-158, 162-163, 165 n. 9; of Distinct-
Matthew, 6:1, 63 n. 4. Manifestation, 23-26, 28, 133, 135, 163;
Mathnawi, v:463, 29 n. 1. of Distinct-Vision, 133, 140, 143; of
Metaphysics, ix-x, xii-xiv, 4-5, 11. God, 11, 21-23, 25-26, 130, 133,
Mu‘inuddin Muhammad, 65 n. 29 136-137, 145-146, 151, 153; and love,
Muhammad, 3, 11-12, 17, 33, 37, 43, 49, 17-20, 22-23, 26, 31 n. 30; 130; and
62 n. 3, 128 n. 4, n. 6, n. 15; 130, 136, man, 20-21, 24-25, 135, 152-155, 158,
138-140, 143, 147, 151, 158. 163-164, 165 n. 9; and Names, 144,
Muhammad Shah, 64 n. 10. 161; ontological-, 8, 18, 21, 25-26, 135,
Mulla Sadra, 29 n. 8. 137, 142, 145, 147, 149, 151-152,
Multiplicity, xii, 10, 14, 20-21, 25, 156-157, 164; source of, 154; stations
131-132, 135, 137, 144, 147-148, 154, of, 138, 141-143, 145-148, 151-155,
164. 157-159, 164; and union, 18, 164.
Mysticism, 3-5, 27-28, 34, 45. Philosophy, Illuminationist, 4; Islamic,

173
 INDEX

30 n. 8; 31 n. 20; 63 n. 5; Peripatetic, Sana’i, X.

3-4, 29 n. 1. Schimmel, A., 32 n. 41.
Pilgrimage, 42-43. Schuon, Frithjof, xii, 166 n. 13.
Platonism, xii. Self, abandoning of, 36, 152, 155, 159;
Potentialities, and Being, 8, 20, 134; and -denial, 36, 40, 56; as illusory, 135, 162.
existence, 131-132, 147, 154, 159, 163: Selim, Sultan, 66 n. 33.
and God, 10; and Manifestations, Shabistari, Mahmud, 64 n. 19.
10-11, 144, 156, 164; ontological-, 10, Shadhili, Abu ’!-Hasan ash-, X.
128 n. 17: 152, 163. Shari ’ah, 46, 48, 62 n. 4; 63 n. 7;
Pourjavady, Nasrollah, 29 n. 4. 155-156.
Poverty, 154-155. Siraj al-Din, A., 166 n. 35.
Presences, Central-, 156, 158, 164; Five Solomon, xiii.
Divine-, 12-14, 21, 23-24, 28 n. 1; 31 Song of Songs, 7:6-9, xiii.
n. 31; 131, 133, 139, 143, 153, 162-164: Spirit, xi, 28 n. 1; 31 n. 31.
of Peace, 144; Two-, 147. Spirits, cf. also World; 12-13.
the Prophet, 3, 11-12, 17, 33, 37, 43, 49, Spirituality, and ascent, 147, 153,
62 n. 3; 128 n. 6, n. 7, n. 15; 130, 136, 162-164; and beauty, xiii; and dualism,
138-140, 143, 147, 151, 158. xii; and path, 24, 47, 161; and Islam,
Proximity of Obligatory-Works, 138. ix-x; and Sufism, ix, xi-xii, 46, 161;
Proximity of Supererogatory-Works, 138, Western-, xii.
142-143, 159. Stages (Stations), of Love, xii-xiii, 130; of
Purification, xi, 146. perfection, 138, 141-143, 145-148,
Qazwini, Dabiran al-Katibi al-, 63 n. 5. 151-155, 157-159, 164.
Qunawi, Sadruddin, X, xiv, xvi, 4-6, Subhan, J. A., 63 n. 6.
10-14, 17-19, 21-27, 29 n. 2: 30 n. 13, Sufi, 23: and gnosticism, x-xi; and ‘Iraqi,
n. 15, n. 16; 31 n. 21, n. 24, n. 29, n. 30: ix-xii, 152; and knowledge, 3; and
43 -46, 50; 64 n. 13; 65 n. 21, n. 23, n. nonexistence, 144-145; Orders of,
29; 130-131, 140, 147-149‫ و‬153-154, 37-38, 42, 64 n. 11; schools of, X, 4,
156, 160, 162-164: 165 n. 2, n. 9; 166 n. 28-29 n. 1; 30 n. 15; and spirituality,
30; 167 n. 36, n. 38. ix, xi-xii, 46, 144; traditions of, ix-x,
Rabbani, H٠, xvi. 29 n. 2; and veil, 146.
Razi, Fakhruddin ar-, 63 n. 5. Suhrawardi, Shihabuddin, xi, 37-38,40,44.
Razi, Muhammad ibn Zakariyya’ ar-, 63 Tariqah, 46.
n. 5. Theophany, 23, 266 n. 10; of Attributes,
Razi, Shahmardan ibn Abi-l-Khayr ar-, 63 146; and Being, 132, 134, 145-146,
151-152; of Essence, 142, 158; First-,
Reality, Absolute-, 155; and Being, 4, 7, 22; of First Entification, 132:
14, 133, 142, 149; and creation, irrepeatable, 137; Kinds of, 141-142;
130-131, 154; of God, 145; as Light, 4; locus-of-, 25-26, 46, 65 n. 22; 135-136,
as Love, 4, 6, 133; Muhammadan-, 12; 144, 149-150; of Love, 24, 132; and
and Perfect Man, 10, 12; Ultimate-, 4, manifestation, 132, 134, 145-146; of
6. Names, 142-143, 156, 158; and servant,
Resurrection, xii, 136. 143; the Unseen-, 10-12, 134-136, 145,
Revelation, 3, 9. 151; Visible-, 11-12, 134-136, 151.
Rumi, Jalaluddin, X, 29 n. 1; 43-44. Thomism, 29 n. 1.
Ruzbahan Bagli, xi. Tilimsani, ‘Afifuddin at-, 31 n. 28, 44-45.
Sabziwari, 29 n. 8. Transcendence, of God, xii, 133; and
Sadruddin, 64 n. 11. Islam, xi-xii.

174
 INDEX

Two Bows’ Length, 137, 141, 147-148, Weischer, B.M., 64 n. 14.

154, 160. Whinfield, E.H., 64 n. 19.
Tusi, Nasir al-Din, 64 n. 20. Will, 157; submission of, 155-156; 159.
Tustari, Sahl at-, 129 n. 29. Wilson, Peter, xiv, 64 n. 14.
‘Umar, Najmuddin ’Ali ibn, 63 n. 5. World, and Being, 7, 19; Corporeal-, xii,
Unificationism, 145-146. 12-15, 23, 31 n. 31; 141, 157-158,
Union, of Beloved, 145, 159; and love, 163-164; created-, 12; creation of, 7-8,
148; mysteries of, xi; and separation, 11, 13, 154; of Divine Knowledge,
146, 159; and Way, 146, 159. 141-142; five-, 12-13; of forms, xii;
Unity, Divine, 20, 43, 136, 148, 150, 154; and God, 4, 7-8, 11, 13, 133; of Image-
Exclusive-, 10, 148; of Entity, 148; Exemplars, 12-15, 23, 31 n. 31; 141,
Inclusive-, 10, 132, 134, 138, 148; Kinds 162-164; of Knowledge, 141-142; Lord
of, 148; and love, 18, 26; of Manyness, of, 154; perfection of, 11; of Sensory-
148; and Perfect Man, 13, 25; and Perception, 141, 162; of Spirits, xi,
perfection, 18,25,164; and Presences,164. 13-15, 23, 141-142, 162-164; spiritual-,
Unveiling, 3-4, 28 n. 1; 32 n. 44; xii, 31 n. 31; of Visible, 137.
141-142. World-displaying Cup, 51-54.
The Way, 138, 146. Yar٠‘ali Shirazi, ،Ala’uddin, xvi.

175
Index to Text

Abu Talib al-Makki, 81, 106. Certainty, 119-120.

Abundance, spring of, 70. Contemplation, 76, 86, 89, 90, 91, 92, 105,
Adam, 69, 70, 81, 119; sons of, 69, 70, 86. 107, 110, 119.
aLHallaj, 77, 101, 125. Creation, and God, 105, 119; and Light,
،Ali, 76. 76; and Love, 73, 84; as screen, 95, 103.
Annihilation, 88, 96, 102, 124. Desire, 76, 84, 90, 95, 101, 106, 107, 110,
Ansari, Shaykh aUslam Abdullah, 102, 112, 114-116, 118, 119, 122.
119. Duality, 104, 118.
Anwari, 82. Effusion, 76, 105.
Asceticism, 115. Entification, 72-74, 109
Atheism, 93. Entity, All-comprehensive-, 115; of lover,
‘Attar, 73, 74, 91. 72, 75, 91; of world, 75.
Attributes, and Beloved, 73, 89, 91, 104, Essence, and Attributes, 71, 97, 118; of
111-112, 116, 118, 119, 124; division of, Beloved, 89; of Love, 73, 77, 85; of
111; and Essence, 71, 97, 118; and lover, 85, 92; to mirror of, 70, 87; and
existence, 119; of existent, 112; of God, Oneness, 93, 96, 99, 119:
89, 95-97, 100, 114; of Love, 71, 73; Overdominance of, 89; and shadow,
and lover, 73 , 91, 92, 96, 111-112, 116,
118, 119, 121, 124; ontological, 111, Eternity, 76, 78, 98, 107, 108, 110, 112.
118, 119; theophany of, 114. Eve, 81.
Bayazid, 84, 92, 95, 106, 110. Exile, 116.
Being, contingent-, 78; created-, 102; and Existence, all-pervading-, 96; and
forms, 121; and Love, 71, 75; and Beloved, 112; entified", 107; external-,
lover, 76, 108; Necessary-, 98; and 107; and form, 77; and God, 97, 99,
nothingness, 74; temporal-, 88. 102, 106, 127; and Love, 69, 74, 84; and
Beauty, and all, 86; and Beloved, 81, 87, lover, 75, 108, 112-113, 123, 127; and
89, 91, 104, 105, 111, 119; face of, mirror, 86; and Oneness, 93, 102;
81-82; of God, 86, 97, 105, 114, 120: possible-, 98; Tablet of, 74; -Wine, 75.
and Love, 71, 75, 77, 85, 86, 88, 104; Form, and Beloved, 77 , 81, 87, 88, 90, 91,
and mirror, 81, 86; nature of, 86; 114, 119, 121; corporeal-, 90; erased, 90:
Oneness of, 81-82. and existence, 77; and God, 88, 97; and
Beloved, cf. also Form; is All, 121; meaning, 90-91; and mirror, 82, 87, 90,
Beauty of, 81, 87, 89, 91, 104, 105, 111, 91, 94; and veils, 78; world of, 90
119; entity of, 72; Face of, 77, 81, 83, Friend, 69, 88, 105, 113, 115-116, 120,
87, 89, 95, 104, 105, 108, 112, 121, 123: 125; Face of, 83, 114.
generosity of, 119; is God, 79, 89, 110, Generosity, 69, 76, 106, 119.
121, 122; lover is, 76, 79, 83 , 84, 88, 95, Gnosticism, 81, 93, 105, 110.
103; 120, 121, 125; and mirror, 70, 73, God, All is, 79-80, 88, 95, 98-99, 110;
77, 81, 83, 86, 87, 89, 94, 117; needs Attributes of, 89, 95-97, 100, 114;
lover, 121, 122; and separation, 115. Beauty of, 86-87, 105, 114, 120:
Bow of Necessary-Being, 98. Beloved is, 79, 89, 110, 121-122:
Bow of Possible-Existence, 98. commands of, 112; experience of, 114;
Christ, 70 Face of, 88, 96-97, 124-126; hidden,

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97-98, 103; journey to, 93-94, 104-105; Layla, 85-86, 117.

and joy, 69, 72; love for, 79, 84, 118; Light, 70, 72, 75-76, 79, 92-94, 97, 105,
love of, 69, 84, 118; loves Himself, 77, 124.
79, 86: and lover, 79, 88, 99, 112, 118, Love, cf. also God; is all, 84-85;
120, 125-127: manifestation of, 74, Attributes of, 71, 75; Beauty of, 71, 75,
79-80, 89, 97, 109-110, 119, 121, 126; 77, 85-86, 88, 104; and creation, 73, 84;
and mirror, 124; Names of, 70, 89, and entification, 72-73: and Essence,
95-97, 99, 100, 114; Oneness of, 72, 79, 73, 77, 85; Face of, 73, 75, 77; hidden,
99, 109, 126; presence of, 103; seeing 71-72: highness of, 70-71; and Inward,
of, 76, 79, 87-88, 97, 101, 106, 121, 73; and Manifestation, 72, 84, 87, 101,
124-125; Throne of, 110; Will of, 106. 118; and mirror, 73, 77; Names of, 73;
Hadith, 74, 76, 86, 110, 113, 115-116, 124, Oneness of, 72-73, 104, 117-118; and
126. Outward, 73; perfection of, 71, 73, 75,
Hadith qudsi, 84, 87, 110, 113, 123. 117, 125; secrets of, 71, 121; stations
Heart, 82-83, 85, 101, 105, 109-111, 113, (stages) of, 70, 72, 82-84, 92, 98, 104,
19-120, 123‫ و‬125-126. 107-108, 117-119, 121, 124; Throne of,
Heresy, 93. 73, 95; and World, 71, 74- 75.
Ibn aLFarid, 70, 100, 103. Lover, cf. also Nothingness; all is, 78;
Illumination, 70, 104. becomes Beloved, 72, 76-77, 82, 84,
Illusions, 103. 101, 108, 124; is Beloved, 76, 79, 83-84,
Incamationism, 93. 88, 95, 103, 120-121, 125; needs
Isthmus, 78. Beloved, 79, 111, 121-122; and desire,
lyaz, 83. 84, 90, 95, 108, 114-116, 118, 122;
Jandi, 78. entity of, 72, 75 , 91; is God, 79, 104,
Joy, and God, 69, 72, 80, 90; of lover, 75, 110, 125; manifests God, 79; and
88, 122, 126. mirror, 70, 73 , 77, 83, 87, 89-91, 94,
Junayd, 80, 82, 101, 109-110, 113. 123; as shadow, 100; Vision of,
Jurayri, Shaykh *Alia-, 113. 123-124.
Kharaqani, 106. Mahmud, 83.
Khezr, 70, 119. Majnun, 85-86, 117.
Knowledge, and certainty, 119; of God, Manifestation, and Beloved, 91, 105, 119;
80, 82, 85, 88, 124, 126; of self, 82, 100, Distinct-, 74; and God, 79-80, 89,
124. 97-98, 109-110, 119, 121, 126; Inward-,
Koran, 11:28, 107; 11:115, 88; 11:262, 120; 97, 121; and Light, 72, 105; locus-of-,
IV:58, 112; IV:80, 124; ٦7:54, 77; VI:59, 77, 81, 84, 91; and Love, 72, 84, 87, 101,
106; VI:91, 124; ٧11:95, 103; IX:6, 84; 118; and mirror, 79, 91; of Oneness, 74
IX:68, 118; XI:56, 100; XIII:4, 104; 97, 103; Outward-, 81, 91, 121.
XIV:48, 72; xv:99, 120; XVIL84, 102; Moses, 80.
XVHI:108. 107; X1X:85, 95; XX:114, Muhammad, 69, 80, 82, 85-86, 94, 96,
107; XXL89, 80; XX1IL86, 126;
XXIV:35, 88; XXV:45, 101-102: Multiplicity, 73, 78, 89-90, 93, 99, 103,
XXV:46, 102; XXVII:88, 108; 118-119.
XXVIII:88, 126; XXXVII:96, 104; Nonexistence, and act, 104; and beauty,
XXXIX:7٠ 114; XXXIX:69, 76; L:37, 86; and existence, 119; and God, 97,
82; LIIL32, 103; LV:27, 126; LV:29, 82: 106; and Love, 74, 84; and lover, 76,
LVII:3, 121; LXXXI:26, 94; 78, 94, 104, 108, 113, 121, 123.
LXXXV:20, 90. Nothingness, and All, 78, 98, 112, 119;
Law, 114-115. and Being, 74; and Beloved, 119; -Cup,

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75-76: and Love, 74; and lover, 78, Shibli, 109, 127.
112-113. Solomon, 87, 89,
Nuri, Abu-l-Hasan an-, 82, 107. Subsistence, 88, 102, 126.
Oneness, of All, 79, 99; and Beauty, Theophany, of Beauty, 69-70; of
81-82: and Essence, 93, 96, 99, 119; Beloved, 104; benevolent-, 115; of
and existence, 74; of God, 72, 79, 99, Essence, 96, 114-115; and existence,
109, 126; of Love, 72-73, 104, 117-118; 107; infinite-, 107; locus-of-, 70, 74, 77;
and lover, 78, 99, 112; manifestation of, nonmanifest-, 107; preparation of, 105;
74, 87, 103: and number, 81, 99, 119; of properties of, 87: receptacle for, 107;
Reality, 93; True-, 103, 109. variety of, 104; wrathful-, 114-115.
Or Nearer, 98. Time, 91,98,110.
Path, 76, 107, 120. Tustari, Sahl at-, 120-121.
Perfection, of Distinct-Manifestation, 74; Two Bows’ Length, 98.
of Distinct-Vision, 77; and Essence, 93; Unification, 95.
and love, 71, 73, 75, 117, 125; stations Union, 76, 107, 115-116.
of, 77, 82, 84, 98, 104, 107, 121, Unity, 91-92, 96, 102, 109, 111, 118; and
124-125. Names, 99; Pavilion of, 99; Profession
The Prophet, 69, 80, 82, 85-86, 94, 96, of, 100-101: Transcendent, 120.
118 Universe, 70, 83, 88.
Poverty, 106, 111-113, 122. Veils, 71, 78, 80, 85, 88-89, 92-93, 95-97,
Purification, 105, 109, 114. 103, 112, 114-115, 123.
Razi, Yahya Ma’adh, 106. Way, 104.
Sahib ibn ‘Abbad, 82. World, creation of, 119; entity of, 75; of
Sana’i, 76, 93, 105,118, 127. forms, 90, 97; as God, 114; and Love,
Self, and existence, 102; and form, 90; 71, 74-75: and lover, 124; seemingness
-knowledge, 82, 100, 124; -love, 79; of, 98; of Spirits, 88; two-, 74, 84,
servant of-, 116. 110-111; -of the Unseen, 106; Visible-,
Separation, 76, 115-117. 107.
Shadow, 102. World-displaying Cup, 87, 90.

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