The age-old dream of the human caravan is not to send astronauts in their orbit in outer space.. it is to send its individuals - every single individual in his orbit of self-realization. It is high time that this dream be thus reinterpreted. It is also the sacred duty of every man and woman to help intelligently reorientate human endeavour towards the culmination of this pilgrimage.

Mahmoud Muhammad Taha - Answers to the questions of Mr. John Voll - 17.7.1963

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Simplifying the New Islamic Call - Episode VI

Ustadh Mahmoud Muhammad Taha
Translated by Salah Ahmed Farah
Click here to access original talk in Arabic

Part 3

The hadith reports that “God created Adam in His Image,” yet God is not an image from which Adam was created. Rather the image here is that God created Adam knower, willer, abler, hearer, sighted, and speaker; as is God. The similarity is that these attributes of God are the same attributes of Adam. If not for this similarity, we would have not known Him. Hence, even when He attributes names unto His Self, He is only descending into the customary level of understanding. This customary understanding falls short of perceiving Him as well. This is what is asserted in the famous saying: “In terms of His Self, anything that comes to your mind, God is other than that. Yet, in terms of His names, attributes, and actions, they are fully identical to Him.” Anything that comes to your mind, at this step, is God. It is not other than Him—the otherness is out of place. Yet, in terms of His Self, He is other than. That is because what comes to your mind is a sensory image—an imaginary image. God is far above any imagined image—whether uttered in words that are attributes and names or not uttered—that which occurs in the mind. Minds intimate God, but do not know God in every respect.

In fact, perceiving God begins when astuteness ends. This is what is asserted in the saying: “Real perception is feeling helpless to attain perception, while pondering the Divine Self is a form of polytheism.” Also, the bewilderment in Ibn al-Farid’s saying, “increase my bewilderment of the beauty flowing from you,” indicates the total cessation of intellection. At the moment of cessation, the faculty of singular perception, which is the heart, leads. The mind perceives at the stage of duality, which is the stage of duality referred to in the verse “all things We have created in pairs that you may recall” (51:49). Yet, the mind falls short at the stage of singular perception. We have already said that acquaintance with God occurs in two stages: a stage of the trueness and a stage of truthiness. At the levels of names, attributes, and actions, trueness has an opposite which is falseness. Within this realm, the mind leads depending on duality. However, at the stage of truthiness—at the stage of acquaintance with the Divine Self there is no opposite—the mind comes to a standstill and bewilders.

So, the highest degree of Arabic-language sophistication is the highest degree of disciplined- mind sophistication. Once minds are disciplined and refined in accordance with the religious teachings at the level of truth and at the level of the exoteric code, they recognize their own limitations and cease to endeavor. Expressive language and intellection cease, and then the great faculty, which is the heart, leads. The heart is the means to the Divine witnessing. After that, we retreat for our minds to process what we have seen so it can come to our tongues as wisdom. So, language veils and is a very great barrier. Those who are dependent on language detailing it and discussing the wondrous nature of the Quran in its use of the Arabic language are in fact diverting people away from verities of religion. They lead them into cleverness, shrewdness, and rhetoric which are extremely detrimental to the verities of religion.

We can now conclude our sixth episode with a very good example of language veiling the meanings monotheism offers, which are the true meanings of religion. This good example comes from the verse: “So stay straight, as you have been commanded and those who have repented with you, and do not transgress. He is sighted of what you do” (11:112).

The interpretation in the Quranic commentary of Jalalain, as the language offers, goes like this: “So stay straight (in fulfilling the command of your Lord and supplicating Him) as you have been commanded and (let be straight) those who have repented (meaning, who believe) with you, and do not transgress (exceed the bounds of God). He is sighted of what you do (then will requite you for it).” This is the interpretation that appears in Jalalain, which is the interpretation that the Arabic language offers.

Monotheism, however, says that the command ‘So stay straight’ means stay steady on the line of equilibrium. The line of equilibrium is situated between two extremes. It is an intermediate between two extremes. On one extreme is excessiveness and on the other is negligence. The line of equilibrium is a resting line crossed by the pendulum of thought while swinging between the two extremes of spirituality and materiality, for monotheism is neither this nor that. So, because of this, it entails the negation and confirmation particles of no and but. That is to say, straightness is between no and but—between the denial and confirmation. In other words, monotheism is between the two extremes—between the two opposites. The command ‘So stay straight’ means steady on the line of equilibrium. Do not lean rightwards towards spirituality or leftwards towards materiality. Rather, straightness is attained by combining the two moderately and evenly as if they are the two scale pans and you are like the needle on the center support pillar. This has been alluded to in the verse: “Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who are object of anger or of those who are astray” (1:6-7). This straight path is the path on which the Prophet was commanded by God to stay straight. It is said: “The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor,” those on whom favor is bestowed are the Moslems in a manner corresponding to the other meaning of Islam, which we extensively explained in our ideology. Islam is beginning and end. At the end point, Islam is complete submission, complacency, and docility. It is not the Bedouins’ Islam alluded to in the verse: “The Bedouins said: We have faith. Say: You have no faith, but rather you should say: We converted to Islam, for faith has not yet entered into your hearts” (49:14). The favor in “those upon whom You have bestowed favor” is understood from the verse: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and chosen for you Islam as your religion” (5:3).

So stay straight—steady on the line of equilibrium. Because of the difficulty of steadying on the line of equilibrium, one is to neither lean towards spirituality nor towards materiality, rather cease swinging as if he is out of time and place—because of the difficulty of this stationing, it is said that the Prophet said: “Hud and chapters similar to it have made me gray-haired.” The Sages say, what made his hair turn gray, in Hud, is the verse: “So stay straight, as you have been commanded and those who have repented with you” (11:112). Here, the language gives the meaning: You stay straight as well as those with you—that is, the faithful ones. Monotheism, however, says: You stay straight, as you have been commanded, and let those with you stay straight, as they have been commanded. They straighten according to their standard and you straighten according to your standard. Your command is according to your capability while their command is according to their capability, since “God takes not a soul beyond its capacity” (2:286). Their straightness is at the level of obeying the orders of God and avoiding his prohibitions—doing their religious duty and stopping what is prohibited. This is the beginning of their journey—this is their straightness. It is as if there is something omitted in the meaning—the meaning derived from monotheism has something omitted. You stay straight according to your obligation and let those with you stay straight according to their obligation. How different the two obligations are! Furthermore, in the phrase “do not transgress,” the transgression of the Prophet is different from their transgression. The Prophet’s transgression is in proportion to him, which is his swinging between the two extremes. This transgression prevents straightness—swinging of the thought between the two extremes prevents straightness. Such straightness happened to the Prophet during a supreme connection expressed in the verse: “the eyesight did not turn back nor did it transgress” (53:17). This is actually the same as “So stay straight, as you have been commanded” (11:112).

The line of equilibrium is the resting point that our great Prophet experienced during the grand connection, on the day of Ascension when Gabriel stayed behind while the Prophet went through the lights of the Divine Self. The Quran referred to this point expressly in: “When that which shrouds did enshroud the Sidr, the eyesight did not turn back nor did it transgress” (53:16-17). These are, also, the two extremes—both extremes of past and future. These are the two opposites that we said straightness, which lies in the middle between them, is a steadiness that is neither leaning rightwards towards the past nor leftwards towards the future. One can also say that straightness is leaning neither leftwards towards materiality nor rightwards towards spirituality. This is the straightness, which is the Prophet’s obligation. It is the Prophet’s straightness. The Quran expressed it in one word and applied it to the two levels. As to monotheism, it is impossible to be applied to the two levels equally. Why? That is because, as with monotheism, the level of the Prophet is different from their level. The Prophet’s esoteric code, obligation, and attestation are at the top in comparison with the ordinary practitioners’ obligation, exoteric code, and attestation.

The Prophet has three stations. The first is his prophethood station, which has to do with spiritual guidance, at which God bestowed His Mercy on the Prophet. Prophethood is the station of Mercy that, due to God’s Graciousness, the Prophet was exposed. This is what he asserted in the hadith: “My Lord has disciplined me well.” This is his prophethood station. After the prophethood has been fully developed, completed, and matured, the messengership station emanated from it. Then he said in the same hadith: “My Lord has disciplined me well. Then He said: Take the superfluous, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant.” That is to say, He gave him a mission—from being just a Prophet he became an apostolic Prophet, or messenger. These are two stations: his prophethood station and his messengership station. Above them is his sainthood station, for the Prophet has three stations. He is ‘Prophet;’ above the prophethood is ‘sainthood’ and beneath the prophethood is ‘messengership.’ The means to his prophethood is Gabriel. Part of the prophethood knowledge is intolerable and not conveyable to ordinary practitioners. The means to the messengership station is also Gabriel. That is because the entire message is through revelation. Here, the messengership descended from the prophethood to the level of ordinary practitioners. The prophethood is lofty and high and comprises the Prophet’s exclusive esoteric code. From his exclusive esoteric code emanated the exoteric code for his followers, which is in line with ordinary practitioners’ level. This is because according to him, “We Prophets are ordered to speak to the people according to the extent of their intelligence.” Here, “according to the extent of their intelligence,” the messengership was comprised. As far as the ‘sainthood,’ it is beyond the level of Gabriel. Gabriel can neither attend nor be aware of it. It took place after the endpoint Sidr—after Gabriel stayed behind him. The Prophet referred to it expressly in the hadith: “I have a time with God such that no Angel close to God and no apostolic Prophet can come between us.” This is his sainthood moment.

Supreme knowledge comprises the Prophet’s three stations. The ‘messengership’ knowledge is extended to ordinary practitioners. It is his mission, which involves no concealment. The subject of the messengership is the entire legible Quran combined with the interpretation of the Quran that people’s minds can tolerate. The ‘prophethood’ knowledge includes his exclusive obligation, as in the verse: ‘So stay straight, as you have been commanded,’ according to your level in your exclusive esoteric code, and let those with you stay straight, as they have been obligated at their level of obligation set forth in the mission. The word ‘repented’ in the phrase ‘those who have repented with you’ also has two levels, the ordinary practitioners’ level and the Prophet’s level. Likewise, the transgression in the phrase ‘do not transgress’ has two levels. Vacillation of the thought is his transgression, whereas their transgression is violation of orders and involvement in prohibitions. There is also a disparity in the phrase: He is sighted of what you do. His deed and their deed in the phrase ‘what you do’ are different, as well as God’s sight of them is different. In point of fact, all the wisdom of the verse is in the locution: He is sighted of what you do. It means that whatever work you have done is His work—you are His work tools. The Doer is one. So, the phrase ‘He is sighted of what you do’ does not mean He is aware of your deed. No, He is the one who has done your deed for you, “whereas God has created you and whatever you do” (37:96). God created you and created whatever you do. Here also His sight of the two deeds differs according to their levels and reputes in His view. This is the meaning received through monotheism. Obviously, this is very different from the meaning received through language. No one can have access to that or understand it at this level except by mastering monotheism. This leads us to realize how language can veil true meanings. As a matter of fact, meanings of the Quran are inaccessible unless language is in cooperation with monotheism.

We have already talked, in our previous episodes, about language in cooperation with monotheism. We meant to say that monotheism provides true meanings. That is because through monotheism we take meanings from God. The more we master monotheism, the more we resemble His oneness and singularity and learn from Him. Meanings received through monotheism—meanings received from God—have a base within finitude and a pinnacle in the absolute. Even the Quran emanates from the apparent meanings of the Arabic language ascending up to the meanings with God in the absolute. The latter type cannot be reached. Rather, all the time, we advance towards it, as if our meanings vary between pinnacle and base. Meanings vary between the base, which is in our minds’ output that follows as a result of our practice using the Arabic language, and a pinnacle with God in the absolute. Above every meaning there is a more precise meaning. It is as if the precept is: “Above every possessor of knowledge is one who knows more” (12:76)—not referring only to one meaning.

A word may convey to us a single meaning if we do not have a certain experience, such as that which we have explained earlier when we talked about the word “camel” in our previous episodes. It may convey a single image of camel to the child who lacks more experience with such an image. If, however, we had practice in monotheism, we would have a lot of images, which become more accurate as we proceed toward the line of equilibrium. For example, on the line of equilibrium are the abstruse matters indicated in the hadith: “That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two are abstruse matters”. These abstruse matters become subtler than a sharp sword and thinner than a hair. So, stated: “Thus, the person who pauses before abstruse matters is cleared in regard to religion and honor.” At first, piety referred to in ‘the person who pauses’ begins with the question of lawfulness and unlawfulness, as well as the straightness we discussed earlier with regard to ordinary practitioners. When piety is on the center line, it becomes the very same straightness, which leans neither towards the right nor towards the left. Thus, the person who pauses before abstruse matters is cleared in regard to religion and honor.

Every single meaning of the Quran has a starting point, which is what the Arabic language conveys. After that starting point, meanings vary along with language. A sage uses expressive words as allusions—as implements to fill in the meanings obtained through his practice in monotheism. Thus, meanings vary indefinitely because they are transcending towards the Absolute. It is said: the sage’s thought can ‘split’ a strand of hair. That is to say, on the line of equilibrium, even a thin strand of hair appears thick and can be split into two in such a manner that the sage is capable of distinguishing the difference between the two halves—between the two split-hairs. All meanings that sages find are nuances. They are, in fact, the interpreted meanings, as the Quran is descending in seven gradations—or seven layers. In each final layer, there are seven finer ones, and so forth in an unending series of successive layers of sevens. For any subtle meaning a sage finds a subtler one. This is what is eminently asserted in the Quran: “Above every possessor of knowledge is one who knows more” (12:76). Moreover, as in this famous saying of a sage: “Good deeds of the pious are sins for those nearest to God.” The thing that a pious person does in satisfaction and happiness is, in fact, a sin for those nearest to God. Thus knowledge varies until, in the advanced grades, it is concealed from most people’s sight. Many people, when they hear such subtle knowledge, reject it because they are not in a position to grasp it. This is what is asserted in the hadith: “A part of knowledge is regarded as reserved. No one can grasp it except those who are acquainted with God, and when they speak of it, no one denies it except those who are unacquainted with God.”

This takes us to the end of our sixth episode, as well as our talk about the veil of language. We might revisit this issue if necessary.