Divine Flash 26
Araqi


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When the lover wishes to carefully watch over the beloved, the only possible way (to do that) is for each eye to be vigilant and for each glance to glance (only at the beloved); in every realm there is a Surat (Characteristic, shape/form) of the beloved, and within each Surat there is a Wajh (Face). The lover is watchful for the Zuhur (Abstract Emergence) of the beloved within every object, since the emergent abstraction of all objects is Hu (IT, He) and the Batin (Deeply Concealed Core) of all objects is again Hu (IT, Him): ‘Hu is the Al-Zahir (The Most Emergent Abstraction, patent) and the Al-Batin (Deeply Concealed Core)’[57:3].

Therefore the lover beholds no object without Hu (The Beloved) being prior to it, after it, within it or through the object (and so on). In this circumstance, the lover cannot assume the state of Uzlat (Detached Solitude) or Khalwat (Empty Solitude) since (beyond his control) he beholds the Beloved as the 'Ain (Essence) of all objects!

The lover can no longer rise/glide from one Maqam (Stationary State of the Heart) to another Maqam nor can he assume any Uzlat (Detached Solitude) any longer, since being in the outermost limit of the Uzlat is to be stationary within the solitude of Non-Beingness of his own Self, thus in Uzlat (Detached Solitude) of all Divine Names and Attributes. (Dara: The attributes the creation observes for Divine Presence or the attributes of the creation itself, all vanish due to the nearness of Tauhid (Divine Oneness)!)

However, when the vision of the lover deserves to behold the beloved, then (and only then), he becomes cognizant of the fact that his lover-ness is entangled with the beloved-ness—so how can there be any Uzlat (Detached Solitude)? ‘Rububiat (Divinity) without Uluhiyat (Servitude) is impossible’.

Now, there is some kind of a rule here for the lover: "If the lover is unable to receive/perceive the amorous gestures of the beloved then the lover amounts to nothing: Indeed Rububiat (Divinity) is a secret once revealed, Rububiat becomes void!  (Dara: If a servant cannot dechipher the facial gestures of his master, and perform tasks before being asked, then how can he be called a slave? How can his actions be considered as servitude?)

And the more the Husn (Goodness and Beauty) of the beloved and his Malāhat (outer-limits of perfection) approaching Kamal (Utmost Perfection), due to the sublimity of the perfection, the more difficult it is (for the lovers) to perceive the beloved:

No worth for Your goodness in my bazaar
What harm comes to the idol that has no worshipper?

The (loving) glances of the lover are only due to the beloved-ness (of the beloved), Sahl Tustari was asked: "What was the intent of Allah  in creating the creation?" He replied: That is was not difficult for IT/Him (to create everything). Here Hurriat (Freedom) is excused in both directions, since wherever links linking things Hurriat (Freedom) is gone:

When the Hurriat and Ishq are not set right
I become a slave and of my wants I let go

(Dara: Those who feel the consequences of loving Allah beyond all bounds i.e. Ishq, are free from all links and relationships, in need of nothing and have no whims and wants i.e. they are truly free. Else they endeavored worshipping their own Nafs (Self) and her desires. Thus endeavored no loving! Sahl Tustari’s comments relate to the fact that Allah is free of all difficulties and stress i.e. Allah created the creation and it was not one bit hard on Allah, and in return the human being loves Allah free from all else in the creation, therefore these two creations go hand-in-hand but in different directions.)

The absolute Hurriat (Freedom) can only be found within the Maqam (Stationary State of the heart) of Gheenā (Needlessness) with one exception due to the beloved-ness: As the lover’s needs and humiliation are dealt with by the (teasing) amorous gestures of the beloved, at the same time the amorous gestures of the beloved are there because of the needs of the lover, this affair would fail if one side is missing! Here the attributes of the beloved and the characteristics of the lover sing in unison:

Though we are within the perfection of joy
Yet without you this joy is not complete

Kill me not! That needing-me shall serve you well  
If I am not around, your amorous gesture teases whom?

Do you understand what these conversations mean?

Though the noble hand of the sultan does swing the polo
But without the ball what competition can there be?

(Dara: Araqi enters the state of Drunkenness thus mumbling gibberish that might not be understood by the so-called sober person, the retail customers.)

No I said it all wrong: that here the lover and beloved is Hu,
Even if we are acknowledged as the legendary lovers of Hu

Who are we? What becomes of us? For as long as you can’t imagine
That we are mirror for ITs Face, we are a comb for the Zulf (Locks) of Hu

Dara
Zulf in the Arabic of the Qur’an means to draw close; in Farsi, it means the locks of the hair. Persian Sufis used the word’s meanings in both languages as was explained by Araqi in the back of his Divan (Collection of poetry): Zulf means the absence of the Divine Huwaiya (Who-ness), which no one can ever reach. The word Hu/Huwa in Prophetic Language refers to a peculiar modality of Divine Presence, that of Absolute Absence which in and of itself is a form of residual presence. The poets render this absence as a face that is covered, completely concealed, by the locks of hair. By means of a comb, the tresses can be straightened and parts can be made so that the face becomes more patent. Here Araqi says that we (the humanity) are like the teeth of a comb, by means of which many many ways can be found to draw close to Allah (Zulf of Qur’an), the teeth of the comb straightening the locks (Zulf in Farsi), so that more of the Divine Face becomes patent for the universe to behold. By no means, does Araqi attribute hair to Allah The Sanctified. We might attribute these forms of speech to the drunkenness of Araqi, which causes him to lose his Adab (Etiquette) and rush to say what he sees; the words come out somewhat strange and out of the ordinary for the sober ordinary person who is busy with daily life. For example, you love someone with such fervor that once, on a rare occasion, when you are in their presence, you lose your mind and stutter, uttering nonsensical stuff which you later feel embarrassed about.

End.







© 2008-2002,  Dara O Shayda, Dr. Hind Rifai