These opening lines are derived from a most famous hadith qudsi, or extra-Qur’anic Word of God. The original line in this Hadith is “Kunto Kanzan Makhfiyan Fa-Aradto Un O’arafa Fa-Khalaq-tul-Khalqa” which translates as
كنت كنزاً مخفياً فأحببت أن أعرف فخلقت الخلق
““I was a Treasure unknown then I desired to be known so I created the creation”
In order to further explain the meanings of this hadith-al-qudsi, Hazrat Sultan Bahu (R.A.) has appropriately inserted following words:
1. HA HOVIAT
2. YAHOOT
3. LAHOOT
4. MALAKOOT
5. JABROOT
6. NASSOOT
Each of these words represent a different “realm” in spiritual context. “Realm” is the rough translation of original Arabic word “Aalam” which may also mean “domain” or “world”. Each of these realms is a degree LOWER than the previous one. The LOWEST is the realm of NASSOOT which is our own physical 3-dimensional world.
The original Hadith-Qudsi states that God desired to be known and thus created this creation (humans & their phenomenal world). By inserting the names of realms, Hazrat Sultan Bahu describes the stages of this creation. Since everything came from God, this creation of Nassoot may be regarded as a kind of descending-step. And, for each stage of descending-step, a different Aalam was created. The whole sequence of descending-steps was completed in seven stages and thus SEVEN realms (Aalams) were created, lowest of which is “Aalam of Nassoot”, which is the world we discover through our 5 senses.
In Sufi literature, these descending-steps are often referred as “tanazzulaat”. However, the names of realms are used differently and often interchangeably. Aalam-ay-Arwah (Realm of Souls) and Aalam-ay-jinn (Realm of Djinns) are also used as the names of realms. Still, the number “SEVEN” is almost always agreed upon, as the total number of these realms.
Once Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) came home after attending a funeral. His wife, Bibi Aaisha was surprised to see that his clothes were drenched in rainwater, although there had not been any rain in Medinah, for quite some time. Upon Bibi Aaisha’s inquiry, the holy Prophet asked his wife, if she had done anything special today. Bibi Aaisha replied that indeed, today, she covered her head, for a while, by the cloth with which holy Prophet covers his head. Upon this Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said to Bibi Aaisha that because of this special act Allah has lifted veils from her eyes and thus she could see this rainwater. Prophet Mohammad further explained that at the funeral, after burying the deceased, he wanted to check how the deceased was doing afer the death, so he went to Aalam-ay-Arwah (Realm of Souls), and it was raining there, so his clothes got drenched in the rainwater, which nobody in the funeral could see, but now Bibi Aaisha could see the rainwater from Aalam-ay-Arwah, due to the barkah of her special act.
Hazrat Faqir Nur Mohammad (18__ – 19__) writes in his book “Irfan”
“These Alams are joined together” which may also mean that these realms are not separated physically but they keep on happening everywhere at the same time.
Spiritual experience is non-discursive, in essence. That is why not many sufi writers describe their journey into these other realms. However, it is common knowledge that when a seeker starts making real progress on the path, the doors to these realms open and the seeker is introduced to the beings living in those Aalams. At higher spiritual stations, higher realms are visited, and seekers are free to come and go to these Aalams at their own free will. But the old sufi saying is “One who knows, talks not”. Faqir Nur Mohammad, being a 20th century sufi, was an exception, and discussed many of these secrets, in his books, in simple plain language.
But still, in order to fully appreciate and further understand the nature of these realms, it is being thought necessary to include a brief introduction to geometery of multi-dimensional space, which is given as under:
A point is a dimensionless object or entity. It has no length, no width, no breadth, and no height but still it is an entity. If you mave away from a point, in any one direction, you will form a straight line.
A straight line is 1-dimensional entity. It only has length. If you move away from a line, you enter a plane (a flat surface), which is 2-dimensional entity because it has length and breadth. A photograph is a 2-dimensional object, although it does represent 3-dimensional world, which is the world we discover through our five senses.
If you move away from “any point” on a flat surface, you go into the 3rd dimension. You do not have to be at any particular point. 3rd. dimension is joined to every point on the flat 2D surface. There are infinite number of points on a flat surface, hence there are infinite number of entry points to the 3rd. dimension.
Similarly, if you want to travel into 4th. dimension, you just need to move away from our 3-dimensional space. You do not have to be at any particular point. Fourth dimension is joined to every point in 3-D space.
This is exactly what Faqir Nur Mohammad means when he says that other Aalam(s) are joined to our world. This means that one can go to these Aalams( higher realms ) from every point in our physical 3-D world. To extend the analogy further, one can understand these higher realms as 4th, 5th, 6th, etc. dimensions which are present all the time with us at every point of our existence.
Sufi scholars say there are 7 of such higher realms. By adding this number 7 to the 3 dimensions of our physical world (Aalam-ay-Nassoot), a total of 10 dimensions is reached. This number 10 is also reached by many contemporary researchers in multi-dimensional space.
Now let us take the analogy in reverse direction. We all walk with our shadows. The shadow of a 3-D object is a two diemensional entity. Similarly, a 2-D object’s shadow will have 1-dimension (A flat surface can cast only one shadow i-e ‘a straight line’). In the same way, if we go one step ahead, the shadow of a 1-dimensional object will have zero dimension (A straight line can cast only one shadow i-e. ‘a point’).
This reverse analogy is described here to understand previously mentioned “stages of descending-steps” which are often referred as “tanazzulaat” in sufi literature. Now the shadow of 10-dimensional world manifested into a 9-dimensional world which in turn casted a 8-dimensional shadow, and so forth. And thus through 7 stages of “tanazzulaat”, finally our 3-dimensional world “Aalam-ay-Nassoot” was created.
Sufi path is the reverse of tanazzulaat. A step-by-step journey towards the source of all. Every seeker’s path, duration & experience is different but the stages are same.
Sufi teacher Ibn-al-Arabi says:
The highest world is the Muhammadan Reality. Its sphere is life. It has an equivalent in man in the latifa and the Pure Ruh.
Ibn Al-arbi (Futuhat al makkia, chapter 6)
The beginning of creation was fine dust, and the first existent in it is the Muhammadan reality of the Rahman.
Ibn Al-arbi (Futuhat al makkia, chapter 6)
Interestingly, spiritual teachings of Jewish Kabbalah, also portray a quite similar picture of creation, which is copied “as-it-is” in the following table & text:
| EIN-SOF (Heb. אֵין סוֹף; “The Infinite,” lit. that which is boundless), name given in Kabbalah to God transcendent, in His pure essence: God in Himself, apart from His relationship to the created world. | World of Emanation (Hebrew: אֲצִילוּת, Atzilut): In this level the light of the Ein Sof radiates and is united with its source. Divine Chochmah, the limitless flash of wisdom beyond grasp, predominates. | World of Creation (Hebrew: בְּרִיאָה or alternatively[18] בְּרִיָּה, Beri’ah): In this level, is the first creation ex nihilo, where the souls and angels have self-awareness, but without form. Divine Binah, the intellectual understanding, predominates. | World of Formation (Hebrew: יְצִירָה, Yetzirah): On this level, creation is related to form. The Divine emotional sefirot of Chesed to Yesod predominate. | World of Action (Hebrew: עֲשִׂיָּה, Assiah): On this level creation is relegated to its physical aspect, the only physical realm and the lowest World, this realm with all its creatures. The Divine Kingship of Malchut predominates, the purpose of Creation. |
In the Zohar and elsewhere, there are these four Worlds or planes of existence. In the Lurianic system of Kabbalah, five Worlds are counted, comprising these and a higher, fifth plane, Adam Kadmon-manifest Godhead level, that mediates between the Ein Sof and the four lower Worlds.
As the four Worlds link the Infinite with this realm, they also enable the soul to ascend in devotion or mystical states, towards the Divine. Each World can be understood as descriptive of dimensional levels of intentionality related to the natural human “desire to receive”, and a method for the soul’s progress upward toward unity with or return to the Creator. (The terminology of this formulation is based on the exposition of Lurianic Kabbalah by the 20th century Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag).
The tzimtzum or tsimtsum (Hebrew צמצום ṣimṣūm “contraction/constriction/condensation”) is a term used in the Lurianic Kabbalah to explain Isaac Luria‘s doctrine that God began the process of creation by “contracting” his Ein Sof (infinite) light in order to allow for a “conceptual space” in which finite and seemingly independent realms could exist.
Prior to Creation, there was only the infinite Or Ein Sof filling all existence. When it arose in G-d’s Will to create worlds and emanate the emanated … He contracted (in Hebrew “tzimtzum”) Himself in the point at the center, in the very center of His light. He restricted that light, distancing it to the sides surrounding the central point, so that there remained a void, a hollow empty space, away from the central point …. … In the space of that void He emanated, created, formed and made all the worlds.
— Etz Chaim, Arizal, Heichal A”K, anaf 2[2]
Once Hazrat Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) was travelling through a forest with his companions, when one of his companion asked “What is Aksir-e-Nazar”. ‘Aksir’ means ‘potion’ and ‘nazar’ means ‘gaze’ in persian language. However, ‘aksir-e-nazar’ can also be losely translated into “transformation through attention”. After listening to this question, Hazrat Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) looked around and saw a wood-cutter who was about to lift a bunch of firewood. Hazrat Bahoo gave his attention to the wood-cutter who immediately became stanstill. Hazrat Bahoo left the wood-cutter in this state and carried on to his journey. After few days, they returned back to the place and saw the wood-cutter in the same frozen state. Now, Hazrat Sultan Bahoo, again gave his attention to the wood-cutter, who came back to normal state, and started crying and asked Hazrat Bahoo to take him back to the state where he had previously put him. Upon this Hazrat Bahoo, granted his request and told the wood-cutter that now he can go to that state whenever he wishes and come back to this world whenever he wants.
This section is replete with symbolism and poetic references, which is, indeed, the only way to describe the undescibeable. Also, there are 3 important points being conveyed to the seekers:
1. Love, and only LOVE can take seekers to the “Source of all sources”.
2. Intellect, can be used to gain some understanding of the path.
3. It is important to know the “Source” because that is all there is.
Again the analogy of 10 dimensional space will be used to explain these concepts:
Every 3-D object has a 2-dimensional shadow. However, the shape of shadow depends upon the angle of light causing the shadow. Even, a simple shape like sphere will form circle from one angle but from all other angles, it will give, differently sized, elliptical (oval) shadows. Another simple 3-D object is a cube, which will give a square, as its shadow from one particular angle, but from all other angles, it will give widely different variety of polygon shapes. These shapes will get more complicated if our cube is elongated to become a brick.
However, just by observing the shadow, one can easily tell whether the 3-D object is a sphere or a cube. More close observation will be required to differentiate between the shadows of a cube and a brick. Shadows of real life objects like a human body, or a motor car, will require even closer examination, because from some angles a Toyota will caste exactly the same shadow as a Volvo, and from some angles George Bush’s shadow will look exactly like Barack Obama’s. But still, if one closely examines after changeing angle sufficient times, one can even tell whether it is Toyota Camry or Toyota Corolla.
This analogy can be used to understand what Hazrat Bahoo means by saying
Even from these bodies of earthly elements,
there are thousands of ways in which,
evidences of (Creator’s) beauty & grandeur are being revealed
Hence, if we carefully & mindfully observe our 3-D world, we can use our intellect (muraqiba after mushahida) to deduce that something more profound is happening somewhere else (in some other dimensions) but our deductions will just be some indications to the path. To traverse the path, and to reach the “Source”, we need LOVE.
If we take one dimension out of our own body then we will be left with our photograph. Now the difference between a living body and its photograph is very clear. A photograph is a dead thing; it can not breath, eat or grow. So much meaning is lost by excluding just one dimension. It makes a difference of life and death. Now imagine, how much meaning will be added to our life if we can add another dimension to out 3-dimensional existence.
However, one should note that our world is NOT even the direct shadow of the “Source”. What we see is the 7th level shadow of “Absolute Reality”. This, our 3-D world, is shadow of a shadow (of a shadow of a shadow …), so to speak. Here it will wrong to deduce that “Absolute Reality” is 10-dimensional. The normal scales of time & space apply to us mortal beings. “Absolute Reality” is beyond any concept of time & space, even if the space has a zillion dimensions.
The purpose of a sufi is to annihilate in “Absoulte Reality” which is the stage of Fana-Fillah.
However, the only way to describe “Absoulte Reality” or “Omnipotent Entity” is through poetic symbolism. This is what Hazrat Sultan Bahoo (R.A.) does in the following lines
The OMNIPOTENT ENTITY, has created a pure mirror,
in order to see its own beautiful face.
Let us see this in our normal every day life. When beautiful people spend long hours in front of their mirror, we consider it a normal practice, and nobody objects to it or even wonder why the person is spending so much time in front of the mirror. However, if we think that the person is NOT beautiful then for sure we will wonder why the person needs a mirror so much.
So, the purpose of life should be to appreciate beauty of the creation, and to reach its Creator. Once we know the beauty of creator, we will stop wondering why this mirror (creation) is needed.
Another example from our worldly life is that a person finds a photograph of a very beautiful person. Now he may start wondering who put this photograph here, and what kind of paper it is on, and by which camera the photograph was taken, and what will be cost of camera, etc. Another approach may be to find the person whose photograph it is. Once you know that beautiful person who is the origin of this photograph, then all other questions become immaterial.
Skin is the first few organs formed in a human embryo because skin puts a boundry on the inside or outside of the body. However, the embryo is already alive, much before it is wrapped by the skin. Before the formation of skin, every part of embryo is directly connected to everything else in the womb. Even after the birth, when body starts living on its own, the physical connection from outside world is maintained through intake of food, breathing, and excretion of body wastes. With every breath, trillions of atoms go into our body, some of which are absorbed in the body and when we exhale, another set of atoms is taken out of our body. All other living beings on our planet breath in the same atmosphere, and thus keep on exchanging atoms from each other, forming a giant system of connectivity. In addition, there are other physical, mental, emotional and spiritual connections, in our this 3-D world. Again, this 3-D world, on each and every point, is connected to 4-dimensional space , and so forth.
However, as the baby grows, somewhere along the line, ego starts developing, and as “I” becomes bigger and bigger, the inter-connectedness to the rest of universe is forgotten. Now, this “ego” becomes a veil (purdah) or obstacle in seeing the ultimate truth because the person starts thinking in terms of “me” & “you” while actually there is no “me” and no “you”, and we are all just transient parts of an eternal whole.
Zaat-ay Sar-ay-chashma-ay-chashma-nay Haqiqat
The ENTITY, (which is) the fountain-head of all springs of reality
Ha hoo-ee-yat
(which is) the HA of HUWIYET
Hazratay Ishq
(The LOVE)
Balaa-ay-Kaunain BaBaargaa-hay-Kibriya Takht-ay-Saltanat-Aarasta
held the heavenly court & divine throne, beyond the limits of all the existence (but) (people having) LOVE ( could reache there) in that court of magnificience
Az Kmaa-lay-Ibrat
An exemplary lesson( is to be learnt here)
Maa-Hee-yat-ay Zaatay Paakash
About the nature of that holy ENTITY
Hazaa-raan Hazaar
that thousands of thousand
Bey Shumaar
rather innumberable
Qawafil-lay Aqal Sangasaar
caravans of ( people of) intellect got crushed by stones (perished on the way) (while trying to reach Almighty through logic & reason)
Soob-haan-Allah
Praise & Glory be to ALLAH
Az Ajsaa-may Anaasi-ray Khaki
Even from these bodies of earthly elements (i-e from this material world)
Ba-Hazaar Mazhar
there are thousands of ways in which
Zahooray Aasaaray Jamaalo Jalaal-ay
evidences of (Creator’s) beauty & grandeur are being revealed
Qudrat Haa-ay Kaamila
(it seems that) the OMNIPOTENT ENTITY( through this material world)
Aa-ina-ay Ba Safa Saakhta
has created a clear, pure mirror
Tamaassha-ay-Roo-ay Zeeba Mee Farma-yed
in order to see HIS own beautiful face
(because so much of AllAH’s beauty & grandeur is being reflected through this material world)
A cube is a 3-D object, which has 6 square faces. However, if we stand in front of one face, all we see is a square. While remaining in front of that square, We can move closer or we can go farther from this square but still we will only see a square. When closer, the square becomes big, and when farther, the square looks small. The only way we can see other faces of cube is by changing our angle of view.
This is exactly what is happening with our 3D world. When we explore physical objects around us, we find chemical compounds, then molecule, then atoms, then nucleus & orbits, then electron-proton-neutrons, then quarks-neutrinos, etc. More close we get, more sub-atomic particles we find. Some post-modernist philosopher says that we are exploring but we are creating particles.
On the larger scale, there is our earth, then solar system, then other stars and their planetary systems, then galaxies, then collection of galaxies, and further we go, we keep on discovering more cluster of galaxies. Indeed, we are not exploring outer-space. We are creating space.
Interestingly, quarks and galaxies, both are mere 3-D objects. No matter, how close we go to the things, or how further we go from things, all we can find is just 3-Dimensional objects.
In order to see the 4-dimensional objects, we need to make change within ourselves, we need to change our angle of view. Then we will know that our 3-D world is of course real but it is only a small part of whole reality.