A Commentary on Surat Al-Waqi'A

7/23/2019 A Commentary on Surat Al-Waqi'A

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/a-commentary-on-surat-al-waqia 1/36



A Commentary on Surat Al-Waqia by Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi

Given at Masjid al-Mahmud, Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa, !!"



#ay $

Surat al-Mu%%ammil & The 'nwrapped

In the name of Allah, All Merciful, Most Merciful

(ou who are enwrapped in your clothin)*

stay up at ni)ht, e+cept a little,



half of it, or a little less,

or a little more,

and recite the uran distinctly.

We will impose a wei)hty Word upon you.

Certainly risin) at ni)ht has a stron)er effect

and is more conducive to concentration.

/n the daytime much of your time

is ta0en up 1y 1usiness matters.

2emem1er the 3ame of your 4ord,

and devote yourself to 5im completely.

4ord of the 'ast and West &

there is no )od 1ut 5im &

so ta0e 5im as your Guardian.

6e steadfast in the face of what they say

and cut yourself off from them &

1ut courteously.

4eave the deniers, who live a life of ease, to Me,

and tolerate them a little lon)er.

With 7s there are shac0les and a 6la%in) 8ire

and food that cho0es and a painful punishment,

on the #ay the earth and mountains sha0e

and the mountains 1ecome li0e shiftin) dunes.

We have sent you a Messen)er

to 1ear witness a)ainst you

just as We sent 9haraoh a Messen)er.

6ut 9haraoh diso1eyed the Messen)er,

so We sei%ed him with terri1le severity.

5ow will you safe)uard yourselves, if you are 0afir,

a)ainst a #ay which will turn children )rey,

1y which heaven will split apart:

5is promise will 1e fulfilled.

This truly is a reminder, so let anyone who wills

ta0e the Way towards his 4ord.

(our 4ord 0nows that you stay up



nearly two-thirds of the ni)ht &

or a half of it, or a third of it &

and a )roup of those with you.

Allah determines the ni)ht and day.

5e 0nows you will not 0eep count of it,

so 5e has turned towards you.

2ecite as much of the uran as is easy for you.

5e 0nows that some of you are ill

and that others are travellin) in the land

see0in) Allahs 1ounty,

and that others are fi)htin) in the Way of Allah.

So recite as much of it as is easy for you.

And esta1lish salat and pay %a0at

and lend a )enerous loan to Allah.

Whatever )ood you send ahead for yourselves

you will find it with Allah as somethin) 1etter

and as a )reater reward.

And see0 for)iveness from Allah.

Allah is 'ver-8or)ivin), Most Merciful.

Surat at-Ta0athur & Competition

In the name of Allah, All-Merciful, Most Merciful

8ierce competition for this world distracted you

until you went down to the )raves.

3o indeed, you will soon 0now*

A)ain no indeed, you will soon 0now*



3o indeed, if you only 0new with the ;nowled)e of Certainty,

you will certainly see the 6la%in) 8ire*

Then you will certainly see it with the 'ye of Certainty.

Then will you 1e as0ed that #ay

a1out the pleasures you enjoyed.

* * * * *

To understand Surat al-Waqi‘a there is benefit in looking first at Surat al-Muzzammil and

Surat at-Takathur. Surat al-Muzzammil an be seen as a !refae" as it #ere" to the theme of

Surat al-Waqi‘a. Surat al-Muzzammil is the Surat of $hal#a. The affair of alling on the

%ord in isolation and in the night. &n it Allah says"

2emem1er the 3ame of your 4ord

and devote yourself to him completely.

'e then goes on to say"

6e steadfast in the face of what they say

and cut yourself off from them & 1ut courteously.

This indiates the adab of alling on Allah by 'is Su!reme (ame" #hih in)ol)es #hat in

the language of the Sufis is alled Turning from all that is masi#allah"+ all this deri)es

from these Ayats. That is #hy Allah grants in this Surat the unom!romising onfirmation

that 'e is a#are of #hat you are doing and that 'e is already the Ans#erer of your all.

Surat at-Takathur is im!ortant for its introdution of t#o of three ,urani terms" of #hih

the third is found in Surat al-Waqi‘a. &n this Surat Allah refers to t#o degrees of



kno#ledge. 'e says" glory be to 'im"

3o indeed, if you only 0new with the 0nowled)e of Certainty.

And then 'e goes on to say"

Then you will certainly see it

with the 'ye of Certainty.

So the aqin has a tri!le reality. The Mulk faing the Malakut" the Malakut faing the

Malakut" and the third term is the Malakut faing the /abarut" the ‘Ayn al-aqin. And this

last term a!!ears at the end of our ommented Sura.

* * * * *

Surat al-Waqi‘a is the #ird of Shaykh al-‘Ala#i. This is )ery signifiant beause it starts

#ith #hat 'a00 Abdalhaqq has translated as ‘The 1reat 2)ent. 3ut if you look in the ,uran

it is4

&n the Arabi this is like the time of the time"+ it is like the famous moment #hen 5asul"



sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" said" a Abu 3akr" a#m al-a#m.+ The day of The Day. And

by that he meant the %ast Day. So idha #aqa‘atil #aqi‘a+ is the 2)ent of the 2)ent. &t is

)ery im!ortant to understand this beause it is like saying that e)erything #hih is reation

is e)ent" and the reation is one e)ent. Allah only has to say to a thing" $un fa yakun+63e

7 it is.+ 3et#een the ‘3e and ‘it is there is no hiatus" no grammatial link. $un fa yakun+

means 3e 7 it is.+ We might use an oblique stroke to indiate it" beause there is no

grammatial 0oining. 3e"+ and then as a result of that it ha!!ens" beause the in-time and

the out-of-time are not se!arated by a hiatus. &n grammar an ‘and or an ‘or or a ‘but or a

‘then is a onnetion" but there is nothing onneted to the 8ommand of Allah. There

annot be any assoiation. %a ilaha illallah" #ahdahu la sharikalah.+ So the $un fa yakun+

is at the )ery heart of the nature of our understanding of Ta#hid" beause it is also ho# #e

understand e9istene to ome into being.

Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala" tells us that this ending of the reation" #hih is like the

undoing of the $un fa yakun+" is also like that4 it is the Waqi‘a of the Waqi‘a. So it is the

2)ent of #hat all e)ent is. &t is the equi)alent to the #hole reational $un+" it is the

anti-$un+ if you like. This !laes us in a different understanding of the reation from the

kuffar. What it means is that #e reognise that the reational e)ent has this other side"

#hih is its unseen reality. That is #hy Sufis ha)e used a )ariety of )oabularies #hih they

deri)e from the ,uran. They talk of Mulk" Malakut and /abarut.

The Mulk is the $ingdom. Mulk is e)erything under the ‘Arsh by the ‘$un. Malakut is that

in its unseen dimension. Malakut is the realm of the unseen realities" and Mulk is the

realm of the )isible realities. The Malakut has an earthly dimension and a hea)enly

dimension. :or e9am!le4 you yourself sitting here are a )isible reality" but it is not !ossible

for you to ontinue e9isting another seond in your atomi form as you are" #ithout your

unseen reality being along #ith you. At the moment the 5uh lea)es the body all this

olla!ses" does it not; &t all goes into disintegration. This form finishes" as 5a0a of

Mahmudabad used to say" The body is like something you ha)e rented from a #ealthy

o#ner. our 0ob #hile you are in it is to look after it" kee! it lean" see that it is taken are

of" that it is not destroyed in any #ay or orru!ted in any #ay" beause at the end of your

tenure of the house you ha)e to return the house to its o#ner.+ 'e #ould say" When you

return the house to the o#ner" the 5uh goes out of it and like a house #hih is not

ou!ied" it begins to rumble. Then the !hos!hates go bak to the !hos!hates" the



sul!hur goes bak to the sul!hur" and the sodium goes bak to the sodium.+ The lo#er

!roesses of e9istene take !lae one the house is uninhabited. Do you follo#; Another

#hole set of the realm of the )isible takes o)er" but they are then mineral" lo#er forms of

matter beause the animal form and the 5uh lea)e #ith the ‘Aql.

:or instane" the madman" the man #ho does not kno# that he has ‘he-ness" ne)er gets ill.

The mad !erson ne)er gets ill beause he does not use the house. &t gathers dust but it does

not disintegrate beause he is still there. The ‘Aql and the 5uh ha)e a onnetion" and that

is understanding" #hih is also #hat gi)es reasonable s!eeh" understandable s!eeh and

ommuniation" it means that this higher reature" this one that Allah has set o)er all

reated forms" is !resent. When he lea)es it" #hat is ‘man has gone" and then you go do#n

to these lo#er forms. 3ut #hile this body is inhabited" has 5uh" has onsiousness" in that

ondition the #hole being of identity is !resent" and at that !oint there is someone there"

so to s!eak.

That is the first stage of understanding ho# the reational !roess ha!!ened" beause in

the Mulk you ha)e been !ut on the earth. A re!resentati)e of Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala"

has been !ut on the earth" and so you ha)e a !resene.

The first reognition" therefore" is that your true identity is a hidden reality. We annot see

it.

Allah also e9!lains that one of the gifts of Allah to us is that !eo!le annot see our serets.

They are in)isible" are they not; <ne of the meries of Allah is that e)eryone does not kno#

all about you #hen they meet you. Some !eo!le ha)e ertain insights and so on" but they

are insights from the =nseen. They ha)e little flashes about somebody" beause this )isible

#orld is sensory and e)erything that is hidden is meanings" and some !eo!le ha)e an

insight into meanings. 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" taught Abu 3akr as-Siddiq ho#

to inter!ret dreams" beause dreams are meanings #ith a sensory harater but not a

sensory reality. They take !lae in the hidden realm. 'e ga)e to another of the Sahaba the

siene of reading the fae" of :arasa" so he ould look at the fae and kno# from these

eyes" and if that is the nose" and if that is the t#ist of the mouth this !erson is dishonest" or

this !erson is a hy!orite" or this !erson is a o#ard. 'e ga)e to another 8om!anion the

kno#ledge of nifaq" so that they #ould kno# nifaq #hene)er they met it. 'e taught them



ho# to identify the munafiq #hene)er they met him. 3ut these are hidden things that the

human beings ha)e glim!ses of" 0ust glim!ses" aording to their state and their ondition"

and the time in #hih it ha!!ens and the !lae in #hih it ha!!ens.

So there is an unseen reality of the Malakut #hih is earthly" and #hih is to do #ith this

hiddenness that you arry #ith you #here)er you go. This hiddenness is !resent in the

dhikr" and the dhikr raises it u! and illuminates and strengthens it" and good om!any

raises u! and strengthens it" and bad om!any darkens and o)ers it o)er.

This is the earthly dimension of the Malakut. The hea)enly dimension of Malakut an be

identified by the differene bet#een the true dream and the false dream. &n other #ords" if

you ha)e a dream beause you ha)e indigestion and you ha)e a nightmare" it is beause of

the disturbane of your stomah. The !eo!le #ho study this do not take it seriously" it #as

0ust indigestion. 3ut ‘ruya is a s!eifi term in Arabi for a true dream. 5asul" sallallahu

‘alayhi #a sallam" said" Anyone #ho has seen me in a true dream has truly seen me"

beause Shaytan annot take my form.+

So nobody e)er kno#s #hat is true and #hat is not e9e!t on the absolute truth of kno#ing

they ha)e seen 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam. 3ut e)en that has )erifiations. Someone

says" astaghfirullah" they sa# the 5asul and they ha)e deided for themsel)es that they sa#

him. Then if you question ertain things you an )erify #ith kno#ledge that they did

indeed see him.

The e9am!le of this #ith these unseen s!iritual realities" is #hen the 5asul" sallallahu

‘alayhi #a sallam" reei)ed his first announements from the angel /ibril. ou remember in

the Sirat that he #as terrified" that he thought the #orst thing in the #orld to him #ould be

that he should go mad" beause he #as a man of the truth. 'e s!oke to his #ife" and

beause she #as a )ery #ise #oman" she kne# #hat to do. 'e said" Well" maybe it is

Shaytan"+ and $hadi0a said" (e9t time he omes to you tell me.+ So he rushed to her" she

#as in her a!artment and she had a robe on. And he said" &t is here no#.+ She o!ened the

robe and #as naked" and it )anished. She said" &t is the truth" beause if it had been

Shaytan it #ould ha)e stayed.+

So these !eo!le had kno#ledges from the !ast" they kne# ho# to get )erifiation" ho# to



get the truth. This means that all these things of this ele)ated nature annot mingle" they

annot o-mingle #ith the earthly. The hea)enly Malakut is to do #ith )isions" it is to do

#ith !laes #here these things are more !rone to ha!!en and so on and so forth. Then you

ha)e Mulk #hih arries #ith it an unseen dimension of Malakut in the earthly form. This

is also in all life fores.

There is one thing no sientifi desri!tion of e9istene has e)er been able to !ut into its

model" and this is #hy at the end of the day they do not ha)e the true !iture of e9istene.

The !hiloso!hers do it by asking a slightly false question4 Why is there something rather

than nothing;+ but that is not the interesting question. The interesting question is" What

is the !ulse of life; What is the dynami or mo)ement;+ This is something meditated

dee!ly" dee!ly by Muhiyuddin ibn al-‘Arabi" and it is referred to in the Di#an of Shaykh

Muhammad ibn al-'abib. 'e says in the 1reater ,asida" 'e #ould see the !lanets and

the serets of their onstellations" and the meaning of their tremendously ra!id

mo)ement"+ and in the Minor ,asida" To anyone #ho #ithdra#s into the lights of the

dhikr of the Truth" reation is no more than !artiles of dust in s!ae.+ &t is more s!ae

than !artiles. &t is #hat &bn al-‘Arabi alls the ‘gy!sum foundations of the uni)erse4 not

the lay" but the !laster of the forms.

All the li)ing forms ha)e a !ulse of life. ou ha)e seen these beautiful s!eeded-u! !itures

of !lants gro#ing. &t is an e9traordinary thing #hen the !lant omes shooting out of the

earth and ho# i)y limbs u! the #alls as if it had a onsiousness" #hih in a sense it does

at its o#n le)el. So the !ulse that makes the life" from the Malakut" is #hat #e understand

as the ati)ity of the angels. &n the Arabi language the #ord ‘angels omes from ‘flakes"

they are like flakes of light" like a flashing of light. This energy is #hat makes all the

reation mo)e6e)erything is in motion" e)erything in e9istene that is li)ing is in motion.

This is !art of ones understanding that the hea)enly o!eration of the Malakut is also in all

the reational !roesses" so that one is li)ing in e)ent.

What this e9traordinary Sura says is that the in-time e)ent is not the #hole thing. &t is all

in order that this other 2)ent should ha!!en. The unseen reality is one e)ent" in the #ay

that the ‘$un of ‘$un fa yakun is one e)ent" #hih is all the reation of the osmos and its

dusts and its gases. Again" it is ommotion #hih synthesizes into these reati)e forms of

life" and this is the reality in #hih #e li)e. Allah is telling the Muslims that #hat they are

li)ing is something #hose atual reality does not get unfolded until the thing is o)er



any#ay. 3ut in fat it is e)erything that has ha!!ened in the in-time" in the Mulk" #hih is

that #hih bears the fruit" #hih realises itself" #hih manifests itself in this 2)ent.

:or e9am!le" Shaykh ibn ‘A0iba e9!lains4 This reality is sensory but it is e9!eriened as

meanings. We inter!ret e)erything by meanings. 3ut the ne9t #orld is meanings and #e

#ill e9!eriene them as sensory.+ The e9at o!!osite. &n it" the meanings #ill be

e9!eriened as sensory" that is #hy Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala" re)eals #hat it is" that

there #ill be these enormous sensory e9!erienes. They are meanings" but #e #ill kno#

them as sensory" #hereas all of this that is sensory #e kno# as meanings. <ther#ise #e

ha)e not got ‘Aql" #e ha)e not got the higher self of the human reature.

So #e are busy in all of this inter!reting meanings" but in this 2)ent #e #ill be sho#n the

meanings of all these things #e #ere and did" and #e #ill e9!eriene them as sensory.

They #ill be real for us" #hih is #hy the kuffar mok the Muslims beause of their belief in

the =nseen. 5ight at the beginning Allah says"

<Alif 4am Mim. That is the 6oo0, without any dou1t.

/t contains )uidance for those who have taqwa=

those who have iman in the 7nseen and esta1lish salat

and )ive of what We have provided for them.> ?=$-@

This 3ook is for the !eo!le #ho belie)e in the 1hayb" the =nseen. &f they do not belie)e in

the 1hayb it is a #aste of time. The kuffar laugh and think" <h" they are going to ha)e a

miserable time on earth beause they think they are going to ha)e a lo)ely time in the ne9t

#orld.+ That is the mokery of the kuffar. 3ut #hat they do not realise is that the ne9t stage

is an o!!osite of that. 3eause they failed #ith the meanings in this life" the sensory they

#ill taste is a terrible one" beause of a misunderstanding they ha)e from the beginning.

(o# Allah says4



<When the Great 'vent occurs,

none will deny its occurrence.>

&t is really" When the 2)ent of e)ents ours none #ill deny its e)entness.+ That is really

the translation. Their denial of the e)entness of this #orld. The truth is that the kafir omes

into this #orld and thinks e)erything is a gi)en" #hile the Muslim is eduated to

understand that he omes into a #orld that is from the $un fa yakun"+ that he is already

under an im!erati)e" a Di)ine im!erati)e #hih in)ol)es the immediate and absolute

destiny of the indi)idual in order to fulfil his ma9imum !otential and a!aity and

e9!ansion #hile on this earth in a manner that is !leasing to his %ord" oming under three

ategories4 the 8om!anions of the 5ight" the 8om!anions of the %eft" and the :orerunners.

This is the e9istential outlook of the Muslim o)er and against the kafir #ho omes in and

thinks" There is this thing. &t has been going on. 2)erybody #as !rimiti)e" they ha)e

beome so!histiated. We kne# a little" no# #e kno# a lot. They li)ed in a)es" #e ha)e

got engineering and strutural buildings to sur!ass them. We an make #ea!ons of mass

destrution" #e an destroy the #orld in a seond and #e are the masters of the situation.

2)eryone before us #as ignorant and had su!erstition and #as !rimiti)e" but #e are

e)ol)ed" #e ha)e no su!erstition" and #e kno# the #orld for #hat it is.+ This is the

differene" and this is the darkness of the kuffar. And the reality of this beomes that they

are the 8om!anions of the %eft.

<1rin)in) low, raisin) hi)h.>

'e says that" This e)ent" none #ill deny its e)entness.+ And 'e immediately tells us #hat

it is4 &t brings lo# and it raises high.+ &t does not kee! high and lea)e lo#. &t means a

om!lete turno)er of the e)aluation that the !eo!le of the dunya ha)e held. 2)erything #ill



return to its true nature" #hih is this di)ision of reatures into the 8om!anions of the

5ight" the 8om!anions of the %eft" and the :orerunners. This in)ol)es the bringing lo#

and the raising high. So it is also #hy the kha#f" the fear of Allah" is #here you stand in

that. 3ringing lo# means you #ere high and you #ere brought lo#" and raising high means

you #ere lo# and you are raised high. That is #hy Sayyidi ‘Ali al-/amal is ontinually

quoting one ayat of ,uran as rele)ant to the Sufis #hih is" We made you !oor" lo# in the

land" beause We #anted to raise you u! and make you imams in the land.+ &mams in the

sense of leaders of the land. So to do that Allah made them lo# in order that 'e ould raise

them u!.

This is the !roess that is going on all the time and #hih om!letes itself in this final

stage. All the time Allah is bringing lo# and 'e is raising u!. 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a

sallam" said" %ook for me among the miskeen.+ 'e did not say %ook for me among the

!rines.+ 'e #rote letters to the 8aesars but he did not s!end his time #ith them or go

after them. A!art from these letters that he sent" his ation #as #ith the !eo!le. 'e said"

%ook for me among the miskeen" beause & #as only sent on aount of the miskeen. & #as

only sent among you beause of them. They are the reason & ha)e been sent.+ So the

transformation that the Muslims ati)ate #hen they are on the Sirat al-Mustaqeem is that

by the fulfilling of the Deen" a body of !eo!le do get raised u! in the #orld and rule for a

time. This has ha!!ened again and again in the Deen of &slam.

When the earth is convulsed

and the mountains are crushed

and 1ecome scattered dust in the air.

And you will 1e classed into three=

A )ery e9traordinary re)elation you see. ou are going to be lassed into three.



the Companions of the 2i)ht=

What of the Companions of the 2i)ht:

&t is )ery e9traordinary beause Allah s!eaks )ery o!enly.

The Companions of the 4eft=

What of the Companions of the 4eft:

And the 8orerunners, the 8orerunners.those are the nes 6rou)ht 3ear

in Gardens of #eli)ht.

The Sabiqun are the Muqarabun" the <nes 3rought (ear+. &n 1ardens of Delight+ is not a

!ro!er translation" beause /annah is not 0ust a garden. /annah is from the root

/eem-(un-(un" it is something hidden. We are dealing #ith the =nseen" and this 1arden

is a hidden garden" a seret garden. The /annah is a garden so rih in foliage that youannot see through it to the other side. &t is enlosed. &t loses itself in on itself" so that its

beauty is ontained #ithin the thing that is the 1arden. ou annot see beyond it or

through it. Ma0nun" mad" is the one #ho has a hidden sikness" that #hen you look you

annot see it. 'e looks alright" but his sikness is hidden" you annot see it. The hidden

sikness is the sikness of the ma0nun. So the Muqarabun are the ones in this /annah" in

this hidden 1arden of Delight. :i 0annatin naim+. ‘(aim is a )ery !reious #ord. &t is a

sensory #ord" it is something that is !leasing. &t is a )ery sensual #ord. The ‘0annati naim"then" is in a !lae of hidden beauty #hih has in it tasting. &t is ‘dha#q" it has diret

e9!eriene. This means that the Muqarabun are !eo!le of m‘arifat" of tasting" of estasies.

And then a )ery signifiant thing4

a lar)e )roup of the earlier people



1ut few of the later ones.

(o# you ha)e an inter!retation of history. This is not the kafir history" this is not

dynasties" it is not trade figures" it is not a statisti. et it is statistis4 A large grou! of the

earlier !eo!le.+ &n other #ords the earlier !eo!le #ere loser in kno#ledge than the

!resent !eo!le. 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" said" There #ill not be a time from my

time until the end of time that #ill not be #orse than the time before it.+ This means that

the time is getting #orse. Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-'abib" rahimahullah" said" &n the old

days of tasa##uf"+ in the early years of tasa##uf" in 3alkh and Samarqand and all the

Abbasid #orld" The A#liya" like Moulay ‘Abdalqadir al-/ilani" set themsel)es enormously

harsh tasks in order to reah Allah. &t #as so diffiult for them beause the !eo!le already

had a high !osition" the Deen #as strong.+

&n its early days the Deen #as enormously !o#erful" and these !eo!le had to struggle to

sur!ass it to be Muqarabun. 'e said" They used to !ut themsel)es through a lot of

!hysial suffering and torture in order to break the nafs"+ beause again the breaking of the

nafs is the task of the Sufi" it is his business to see it is done. (ot other !eo!le. So they set

about it. 'e said" They used to tie themsel)es by the hair and ha)e themsel)es lo#ered

and hung by the hair into the #ell.+ &t #as to kee! them absolutely onsious" and not lose

onsiousness and sli! do#n into the #ell and dro#n. They used to do these sorts of things

to reah Allah. Shaykh ibn al-'abib e9!lained that the time got darker and more ignorant.

The &slam got #eaker" the Shariat and its a!!liation got #eaker. So Allah #as meriful

and 'e made it easier. The Shaykh said" ou ould mark the stages at #hih the A#liya

had the task eased for them.+ 'e #as of ourse ommenting on the #ell-kno#n hadith in

#hih the 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" indiated that #hile in his time the omission

of one out of ten ommanded things #ould send a man to the :ire" there #ould ome a

time #hen the !erformane of one out of ten ommanded things #ould gain him the

1arden.

'arith al-Muhasibi #as almost like a !olieman on himself" and is !erfetly named

al-Muhasibi beause #hat he did #as he took aount" on the beginning of the !ath" at the

end of e)ery day. 2)ery day he sat do#n and said" What did & do today; What an & take to

my %ord;+ And he #ould go through e)erything he did that day and he #ould ask" Was

that !leasing to Allah" or is that disa!!ro)ed of by Allah; Was that forbidden by Allah;+ 'e



said" What ha)e & done;+ 'e made the bill" as it #ere" of the day. And as he ad)aned on

the !ath he then said" This is not enough.+ 'e made a rekoning of e)ery hour of the day.

So he #ent through the t#enty four hours" asking himself" What ha)e & done;+ Then he

made it by the minute" and then at a ertain !oint he said" & annot do it. & ha)e got to

aount for e)ery breath.+ So then he #as #athing e)ery breath that it #as in

remembrane of Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala.

Moulay ‘Abdalqadir al-/ilani #as a great ‘alim. Do not forget that Moulay ‘Abdalqadir

al-/ilani" #hile he is dismissed by these #ahhabis and shaytans like that" #as a )ery great

‘alim. 'e #rote an enormous body of sholarshi! in the 'anbali fiqh" #hih is )ery strit

and harsh. :irst of all he #as zahid" he did !unish himself. 3ut then in his final stage he

beame the instigator of 'adra. &n fat 'adra is not sim!ly from Moulay Abdalqadir

al-/ilani. 'adra is nothing less than #hat is referred to in the ,uran in an atual term

about !eo!le alling on Allah" #ith ‘hamsa. &n Surat Ta 'a" Allah" glory be to 'im" says4

n that day they will follow the Summoner

who has no croo0edness in him at all.

Boices will 1e hum1led 1efore the All-Merciful

and nothin) 1ut a whisper will 1e heard.

That is in the e9ellent translation of the 3e#leys. &t is again im!ortant as #e found #ith

the term Waqi‘a" to get the !ure Arabi meaning. &n the great Maghribi Tafsir ‘Al-3ahr

al-Madid fi al-Tafsir al-,uran al-Ma0id" Shaykh &bn ‘A0iba omments on the final !hraseof the Ayat"

'e says this means that all that an be heard is a gas!ing from the throat of 'a" ha" ha>+

&t is this state of kha#f in #hih all that is left is a gas!ing for breath #hih is the ore of



the 'adra" or ‘&mara. Thus Moulay ‘Abdalqadir ga)e this !ratie of abasement to the

fuqara. Then at a )ery im!ortant stage Shaykh Shadhili #as gi)en !ermission by Allah to

use the name of Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala" and by that naming of the Su!reme (ame in a

ertain #ay it made a )ery quik and )ery easy !ath to m‘arifat. This is another stage of it

being made easy for the fuqura to reah m‘arifat. Then Moulay ad-Darqa#i also utilised the

)isualisation of the name of Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala" the Alif ? %am ? %am ? 'a"

beause the letters of the (ame ha)e serets. So the !utting the letters in front of one and

the alling on the (ame #as a further making-easy for the task of reahing kno#ledge of

Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala.

Allah says" A large grou! of the earlier !eo!le"+ beause they #ere nearer fitra" their &slam

#as strong" but fe# of the later ones" beause the !eo!le had lost the #ay and turned

against all the !ro!hets" and turned against 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam.

n sumptuous woven couches,

2eclinin) on them face to face.

:ae to fae"+ beause the fae is the as!et of the human reature that indiates the

essene" the identity of the !erson. &t is a realm of m‘arifat" it is a realm of ontem!lation.

There will circulate amon) them, a)eless youths,

carryin) )o1lets and decanters

and a cup from a flowin) sprin) &

it does not )ive them any headache

nor does it leave them stupefied.

2)ery term in these last si9 ayats an be found inside the Di#an of &bn al-:arid. &bn

al-:arid uses all of these terms to indiate as!ets of m‘arifat" into9iations" estasies"

un)eilings" serets" illuminations. 'e uses all this as a oded language but it is all from



Surat al-Waqi‘a. The Sufis say" A drunkenness #ith memory is higher than a drunkenness

#ithout memory.+ &n the sensory #orld they say" ou had a good time last night@+ and he

re!lies" <h" & dont remember anything.+ So in fat he got no benefit from it. 3ut Allah

says that the s!iritual estasies do not gi)e them any headahe and do not lea)e them

stu!efied. &n other #ords" it is not something in their heads" it is a sensory reality. &t is a

m‘arifat #ith no loss of onsiousness. And as #e go into the language of the Sufis you #ill

see ho# they desribe a loss of onsiousness #hih beomes another onsiousness. They

talk about fana and then talk about the fana of the fana. &n the di#ans the shaykhs s!eak

about going aross deserts that do not ha)e any end" that do not finish.

And any fruit they specify

and any 1ird-meat they desire.

And dar0-eyed maidens li0e hidden pearls.

All this is the language of &bn al-:arid. 'e is dismissed e)en by )ery kno#ledgeable !eo!le

like &bn $haldun6#hom in many things #e take #ith great res!et and are6beause they

do not understand. (ot only that but #hat they do not reognise is that all of this is from

the ,uran. The #hole of the great song of &bn al-:arid is in these lines. And all this 'e"

subhanahu #a taala" has been desribing" As reom!ense for #hat they did.+

As recompense for what they did.

So the re#ard of this m‘arifat after death is the reom!ense for #hat they did. (ot the

reom!ense for #ho they #ere but the reom!ense for #hat they did. The human being isan ating animal" so #hat he does is #hat defines his !ost-mortal destiny. This is the



im!ortant thing.

They will hear no prattlin) in it, nor any word of wron).

They #ill hear no !rattling in it" they #ill not hear su!erfiial talk" and not any #ord of

#rong. This means that they ha)e ome from a life that has liberated itself from the

!rattling" and liberated itself from #ords of #rong. So #hen !eo!le s!eak #rong #ords this

means a denial of this e9!eriene" #hih is #hy the Sufis #ant to lea)e behind them a leanreord. <n the material side they #ant to follo# 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" they

#ant to !ay the debt. <n the moral side they #ant to ha)e forgi)en the enemy" they #ant to

ha)e forgi)en the ones #ho ha)e done them #rong in order that they ha)e this loseness to

5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam.

All that is said is, 9eace* 9eace*

This is a most tremendous Sura. All that is said is Salam" Salam" !eae" !eae. This saying

of !eae is the &hsan of the &slam. This is #hy #e find it )ery offensi)e #hen the kuffar start

telling us &slam means !eae. &t does not mean !eae" it means submission" and in fat italso means #ar. 3ut for the muminun" in the 1hayb6and by the 1hayb #e mean the

hea)enly Malakut6it means ‘salam" salam.

Salam brings us to the fat that as & said there #as the Mulk and the Malakut" but the Mulk

and the Malakut are not on0oined" they are se!arate7together. %ike the $un fa yakun+

#hat se!arates the unseen #orld and the seen #orld is #hat in the ,uran is alled

barzakh" #hih is that bet#een the Mulk and the Malakut is /abarut. /abarut is not abo)e"/abarut is that #hih makes a se!aration" not in s!ae or time" but in realities" bet#een the



Mulk and Malakut. /abarut is light" ‘/abr or the o#er of Allah" subhanahu #a ta‘ala" and

lights of Allah. Therefore the Muqarabun are the ones #ho !ass into /abarut" they )anish

into /abarut" into the lights of the 2ssene. They are disa!!earing" they are absorbed. And

that is #hat is inside this ayat. All that is said is salam" salam.+

All that is said is, 9eace* 9eace*

&n other #ords there is no Mulk" there is no Malakut" they are illuminated by /abarut.

&nshallah #e #ill ontinue tomorro#.



#ay

And the Companions of the 2i)ht=

what of the Companions of the 2i)ht:

Amid thornless lote-trees and fruit-laden acacias

and wide-spreadin) shade and outpourin) water

and fruits in a1undance never failin), unrestricted.

And on elevated couches.

We have 1rou)ht maidens into 1ein)

and made them purest vir)ins,

devoted, passionate, of li0e a)e,

for the Companions of the 2i)ht.

A lar)e )roup of the earlier people

and a lar)e )roup of the later ones.



And the Companions of the 4eft=

what of the Companions of the 4eft:

Amid searin) 1lasts and scaldin) water

and the mur0 of thic0 1lac0 smo0e,

providin) no coolness and no pleasure.

6efore that they were livin) in lu+ury,

persistin) in immense wron)doin)

and sayin), When we are dead

and turned to dust and 1ones,

shall we then 1e raised a)ain,

or our forefathers, the earlier peoples:

Say= The earlier and the later peoples

will certainly all 1e )athered

to the appointment of a specified #ay.

Then you, you mis)uided, you deniers

will eat from the tree of Daqqum,

fillin) your stomachs with it

and drin0 scaldin) water on top of it,

slurpin) li0e thirst-cra%ed camels.

This will 1e their hospitality on the #ay of Eud)ement*

We created you so why do you not confirm the truth:

F F F F F

Allah" subhanahu #a taala" has e9!lained about the first grou!. These are the ‘Arifin" the

Muqarabun" the ones #ho ha)e dra#n near. 5emember that one of the names of Allah"

subhanahu #a taala" is Al-,arib" 'e is the (ear <ne" so to be Muqarabun is to be under

this name of Allah" subhanahu #a taala" #hih is the ,arib. Also 'e e9!lains in the ,uran

that Allah" subhanahu #a taala" is nearer to you than your 0ugular )ein.+ That means it is

a nearness #hih is nearer than nearness. &t is not by distane" it does not ha)e any

distane in it" e)en minisule distane. &t is in fat !resene" 'adhrat al-5abbani6

resene of %ordshi!. (o# Allah" subhanahu #a taala" has e9!lained of the :orerunners"

the Muqarabun" A lot of the earlier !eo!le and a fe# of the later !eo!le.+



Then 'e e9!lains about the 8om!anions of the 5ight" then 'e goes on to the 8om!anions

of the %eft. (o#" about the 8om!anions of the 5ight" Allah" subhanahu #a taala" says" A

large grou! of the earlier !eo!le and a large grou! of the later ones.+ With the 8om!anions

of the 5ight they are" A large grou! of the earlier !eo!le and a large grou! of the later

!eo!le.+ 3ut of the

8om!anions of the %eft" Allah" subhanahu #a taala" then says" The earlier and the later

!eo!les #ill ertainly all be gathered to the a!!ointment of a s!eified Day.+ The

distintion Allah" subhanahu #a taala" makes about the 8om!anions of the %eft is that

they ha)e denied Allah" subhanahu #a taala. 'e alls them the deniers+.

The e)idene Allah" subhanahu #a taala" !uts do#n before them is" We reated you so

#hy do you not onfirm the truth;+ &n other #ords the 2)ent of the reation" that is the

‘$un" is denied. &n fat the denial is the denial of 29istene itself. &t means therefore that

the onfirmation of the truth is not based on an idea" that therefore da#a is not alling

!eo!le to the rational argument of &slam. &t has a rational argument" but it is not the

rational argument but the e9!eriential denial that makes the deniers deny. They deny in

the fae of the e)ent of e9istene.

There is the famous meeting of Thomas 8arlyle" #ho #as )ery lose to &slam and the first

!erson in #estern soiety to #rite in honour of 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" and

some grand lady in %ondon. She said" Mr. 8arlyle" & ae!t the uni)erse.+ And 8arlyle is

re!orted to ha)e said" 3y 1od madam" you had better@+ That is really the )oie of

ertainty" beause there is in some #ay a re0etion of e9istene in)ol)ed in the at of kufr"

#hih is #hy it is alled kufr beause it is o)ering u! the e)identiary.

We are 0ust about to ome to the dimensions of ho# Allah" subhanahu #a taala" e9!liates

it.



5ave you thou)ht a1out the sperm you ejaculate:

/s it you who create it

or are We the Creator:

We have decreed death for you

and We will not 1e forestalled

in replacin) you

with others the same as you

and re-formin) you

in a way you 0now nothin) a1out.

(ou have 0nown the first formation,

So will you not pay heed:

So no# this astonishing Sura has four questions that Allah" subhanahu #a taala" !uts to

the human reatures. The first one is about the s!erm. We touhed on this earlier" the

matter of the dynami of life. When Allah" subhanahu #a taala" asks about refletion about

the s!erm it is that !eo!le kne# that it #as this that reated life" and ati)ated life" this

fator" this element" this dimension has in it something that ati)ates a !roess from #hih

the hild emerges. So that is a reational e)ent" it is an e)ent in itself.

We an go bak and look in the ditionary of the ,uran #hih defines e)ery im!ortant root

in the ,uran and e9!lains it. The root of Wa#-,af-‘Ayn is gi)en three as!ets #hih are

then baked u! by ayats of ,uran. The three as!ets are )ery signifiant. The first one is

the !assing of intellet" the intellet of man #hih !asses" #hih dies. The seond as!et of

Waqi‘a is to#ards the hea)ens beause it refers to the Ayat #here Allah" subhanahu #a

taala" tells about the death of Sayyidina ‘&sa and ho# he #as raised u! to 'im. And the

third dimension of the Waqi‘a is the death of the Ar#ah" the time of the death #hen the

Ar#ah are released and freed from the body. To this it gi)es t#o referenes in Surat

an-(ahl" #hih s!eak of those #ho died #ith good angels" and then those #rongdoers #ho

died #ith other angels. &n other #ords there #ere s!eifi angels to take the !eo!le Allah

#as !leased #ith into the ne9t #orld" and another set of angels to take those 'e #as not

!leased #ith.

So this di)ision is an absolutely unom!romising di)ision. 3ut it !uts together t#o

om!letely distint" o!!osite as!ets of life" you ould say life7death" and makes them the

same from a !oint of )ie# of s!iritual un)eiling. That is that the s!erm ontains this !ulse"



this dynami from #hih unfolds #hat #e no# all the D(A and so on" that one !art of this

unfolding reates a li)er and another !art reates a kidney. &t does not ross o)er" and if it

does it is like an aborted foetus that has gone #rong in the sense that all the other foetuses

ha)e gone right. They obey this ommand. (o# no-one nor any analysis an e9!lain the

!roess by #hih this ha!!ens. &t is not a mystery" and #e atually kno# the !hysial

!roess" but that there should be suh a !roess and the design of the !roess" and the

nature of the design" are !art of this astonishing reality" not in #hih #e li)e but of #hih

#e are the !rodut. And so Allah" subhanahu #a taala" is !laing the oming-into-being of

the reature together #ith the reality of the going-out-of-e9istene of the reature. &t is that

both of these t#o o!!osites are enounters #ith the Di)ine. So that Allah" subhanahu #a

taala" says" &s it you #ho reated or are We the 8reator;+

The illusion is that the !arents reated the hild" but that is not the ase" beause this

dynami #as in non-e9istene" ame into e9istene" and a !roess took !lae from #hih

this unfolding of the human reature ha!!ened. &s it you #ho reated or are We the

8reator;+ And then immediately ha)ing said that 'e says" We ha)e dereed death for

you"+6so 'e has dereed that this !roess should take !lae" and also this other !roess

#hih 'e has dereed" #hih is your death. The bringing-into-being of you is a Di)ine

e)ent and the taking-out-of-e9istene is the same Di)ine e)ent" beause there is <ne4 la

ilaha illallah" #ahdahu la sharikalah" nothing assoiated #ith 'im. &t is one Di)ine !o#er

in both these situations. And We #ill not be forestalled in re!laing you #ith others the

same as you and re-forming you in a #ay you kno# nothing about. ou ha)e kno#n the

first formation so #ill you not !ay heed;+ ou ha)e reognised the bringing into being of

yourself" no# are you not going to reognise that you are also going to be brought into

being a seond time; /ust to get the !ers!eti)e of this there is a )ery beautiful Sufi

narration #here a !oor #oman began to ry" and her husband said" What is the matter;+

And she said" <" it is so a#ful. We ha)e no food and & do not kno# ho# & am going to feed

the family.+ 'e re!lied" Do not say suh a thing" do not e)er say suh a thing@+ 'e said"

%ook here" #hen the hild #as in the #omb did Allah not feed it; Was there not blood

flo#ing to the hild and the hild #as fed by your blood;+ She said" es.+ When the hild

ame out did not milk start to flo# from your breast; And you fed the hild #ith the milk;+

She said" es.+ And he said" And #hen it reahed a ertain age" did not the teeth ome out

of its mouth and at that !oint you fed it solid food; Allah has been feeding the hild all the

time" is 'e going to sto! no#;+ This is one ontinuous !roess. So #hen the !easants say"



ou eat till you die"+ or %i)e old horse and youll get orn"+ all of these sayings are

onfirming the reality that Allah is the !ro)ider" 'e is the 5azzaq" #ith no seondary ause.

The hild is not the hild of the !arents in the s!iritual sense. They are the instruments of

it" but the reati)e at is the Di)ine at of life oming into being and reating the ne#

reation.

3ut #hat #e are being told here is that this the death and the dereed death are one

!henomenon. This is the Waqi‘a al-Waqi‘a" it is the e)ent of the 2)ent" it is in fat

!ost-mortem" the s!iritual reality" in the sense that !ost-natal is the !roedure from #hih

the human reature ats #hat he ats in order that there is #ritten for him #hat is #ritten

for him" #hih defines #hat #ill be #aiting for him in the (e9t World. So the reality of this

#orld is in fat that it is a refleti)e reality of #hat omes after it. This de)astating o!!osite

set of realities of the 8om!anions of the 5ight and the 8om!anions of the %eft is the

indiation that that is #hat is being #orked out in the human situation. The human

situation has 8om!anions of the 5ight and it has 8om!anions of the %eft. That is #ho #e

are" the humans. We are of these t#o grou!s.

(o# #e ome to the seond question Allah" subhanahu #a taala" asks.

5ave you thou)ht a1out what you cultivate:

/s it you who ma0e it )erminate

or are We the Germinator:

/f We wished We could have made it 1ro0en stu11le.

(ou would then 1e left devoid of crops, distrau)ht=

We are ruined, in fact we are destitute*



The first question is" 'a)e you thought of the s!erm;+ and the seond question is" 'a)e

you thought about #hat you ulti)ate;+ So the reality of the reature is the reality of the

reation" of the earth. The reality of the !erson is also the reality of the #orld. What you

ulti)ate" again you do not do it" Allah does it. &s it you #ho make it germinate;+ This

im!ulse" this !ulse of life6this seed that looks dried" a husk" in your hand it looks

absolutely dead6you !ut it in the earth" and the rain omes and the season omes. When

the season is right and #hen the earth is right and the rain omes" #hen all of these things

ome together" suddenly there mo)es u! this green shoot. This is the #orld in #hih #e are

standing" this is #hat Allah has !ut us on.

Allah says" Did you make it germinate or are We the 1erminator;+ <ne that is !osited"

that is the foundational reality u!on #hih you must 0udge your o#n e9istene6you ha)e

to measure yourself at this le)el by this om!rehension" #hih is #hy the eo!le of the

5ight ha)e a kno#ledge that the eo!le of the %eft do not ha)e" beause the latter ha)e

o)ered o)er the ans#er" and if they o)er o)er the ans#er it is a liene for them to

imagine that they are the masters of the uni)erse and they an do #hat they like. 3ut Allah

says" &f We #ished We ould ha)e made it broken stubble. ou #ould then be left de)oid

of ro!s" distraught4 ‘We are ruined" in fat #e are destitute@

5ave you thou)ht a1out the water that you drin0:

/s it you who sent it down from the clouds

or are We the Sender:

/f We wished We could have made it 1itter,

so will you not )ive than0s:

So then Allah" subhanahu #a taala" asks about your life and asks about the earth" and then

'e asks about the #ater. Again the same question" Are #e the Sender;+ This feundating"

life-gi)ing #ater" is it yours or has is ome from Allah" subhanahu #a taala; This is #hat



has to be ans#ered.

Then 'e takes another dimension" #hih is #hy they are the 8om!anions of the %eft"

beause they are not gi)ing thanks. ou see" 'e then takes it a ste! further" 'e says that if

you think you ha)e reated the earth and then it does not yield" you say" We are destitute.+

So your first ondition is a om!laint. And about the #ater that brings it to life" 'e says"

We are the Sender"+ you ha)e not made this #ater ome. Then 'e says" So #ill you not

gi)e thanks;+ The thing that is demanded of the 8om!anions of the %eft that #ould allo#

them to !ass o)er to be 8om!anions of the 5ight is that they gi)e thanks. All through the

,uran there is a re!etition of t#o things" that the ‘hamd !reedes the ‘shukr. &n the #ords

of the ‘ulama" Alhamdulillahi #a shukrulillah.+ Why; 3eause hamd belongs to Allah.

Alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alameen"+ raise belongs to the %ord of all the Worlds. Shukr

belongs to us to gi)e to Allah.

:irst you ha)e to reognise that you are a reated e)ent" and in a s!iritual sense you are

one reated e)ent" you are the reated e)ent of the ‘$un" and you ha)e been enthroned

#ith kno#ledge. So #ill you not gi)e thanks;+ After the ‘hamd omes thanks. (o# thanks

is from the sla)e to the %ord. 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" said" The ‘ibadah that

Allah lo)es most is the du‘a of the mumin.+ Why; 3eause it is a reognition of

hel!lessness and it is asking Allah for hel!" it is asking Allah to deal #ith" to sol)e" to take

on" to enom!ass. Whih is #hy these suiide !eo!le ha)e insulted Allah and slandered

Allah" beause it is an abnegation of 'is sol)ing the situation and thinking that there an

be mery. &t is as if Allah had #ithheld his mery to allo# them to kill themsel)es. Allah

says in the ,uran" Allah ne)er !uts on someone more than they an bear.+ Therefore

there annot be a reason to kill yourself" beause you ha)e to stay ali)e and ha)e your

)itory.

8onneted to shukr #e !ut the du‘a beause thanks is thanking Allah for #hat you ha)e

reei)ed and really the dua is asking for more. &t is saying" And this" and this"+ it is

reognising the ongoing" ontinuing 5ahma of Allah" subhanahu #a taala.



5ave you thou)ht a1out the fire you li)ht:

/s it you who ma0e the trees that fuel it )row

or are We the Grower:

We have made it to 1e a reminder

and a comfort for travellers in the wild.

So there #e ha)e the dimensions of the question from the s!erm to #hat is ulti)ated to

the #ater that you drink and then the fire that you light. &n other #ords the elements of

e9istene4 air" earth" fire and #ater" the elements of e9istene are reognised as oming

from Allah" subhanahu #a taala. (ot only that" but there is another dimension here that

Allah has indiated about the fire that you light" that the fire is not something that" as it

#ere" 0ust s!arks into e9istene from nothing" rather it has a fuel. 2)erything !re!ared isthere before. The fuel for the fire is there before you ome to light the fire" or make the fire.

This is the same #ith !ro)ision. We ha)e made it to be a reminder and a omfort for

tra)ellers in the #ild"+ and that is that #hen you light the fire it has been !re!ared for you

by Allah" subhanahu #a taala" o)er years. The tree has gro#n and has been gro#ing for

years. And then at a ertain !oint you light that fire" but it has been #aiting for you from

#hen it #as a seed" and it gre# in the earth" and it beame a tree" in order that you ould

ome and break off the branh and gather it and set fire to it. The !ro)ision is a ontinuous!roess.

The same also #ith the food. As in the story & mentioned of the Sufi #ith his family" the

matter of !ro)ision is not that the meal is !ut in front of you and you say this is !ro)ision

from Allah" it is muh more e9traordinary. The food" as the Sufis say" has been oming to

you for years. The farmer has his flok of shee!" the shee! ha)e gi)en birth to the lambs"

the man has taken the lambs to the market" he has sold them in the market" and then thelamb has gone to the buther" and the buther has buthered it" and then you ha)e bought



the meat. So there is the #hole !roess of the food" and then the food is taken to the

kithen and is !re!ared" and e)entually it omes in front of you. All the )egetables ha)e

ome from the garden" the shee! has ome from the hill" and again in it is the lighting of

the fire to ook it. All these !roesses ha)e gone on o)er years to ulminate in a moment of

e9istene #hen you !artake of all this that Allah has !ro)ided for you. So this gi)ing thanks

has not got any end.

So )lorify the name of your 4ord, the Ma)nificent*

3ismi-rabbika al-adheem"+ and again the reason this is the Wird of the Ala#iya Tariqa is

beause the &sm of Allah is the ‘Adheem" and the &sm al-‘Adhim as #e kno# is the door of

m‘arifat" it is" Allaaah.+ Shaykh al-Ala#i #ould say" And so you must reite the Su!reme

(ame.+ That is the message of the Sufis. And so you must reite the &sm al-‘Adhim beause

this kno#ledge is so tremendous that to gras! it is to set you abo)e all !eo!le.

And / swear 1y the fallin) of the stars &

and that is a mi)hty oath if you only 0new &

it truly is a 3o1le uran in a well protected 6oo0.

3o-one may touch it e+cept the purified.

Allah" subhanahu #a taala" says" And & s#ear by the falling of the stars6and that is a

mighty oath if you only kne#6and & s#ear by the falling of the stars it truly is a (oble



,uran in a #ell !roteted 3ook.+ This is )ery signifiant beause Allah !uts ,uran and

3ook together. Allah says" :ala" uqsimu bi ma#aaqi‘il nu0um"+ so 'e uses the same #ord4

& s#ear by the Waqi‘a of the stars.+

Allah says" & s#ear by the Waqi‘a of the stars"+ beause the Waqi‘a as #e ha)e said is

death" death of the !erson" but" & s#ear by the Waqi‘a of the stars6and that is a mighty

oath if you only kne#6it truly is a noble ,uran"+ it is a noble reitation" in a #ell

!roteted 3ook.+ So it is a reitation in a #ell !roteted 3ook. And that means it is in itself

an e)ent" it is in itself a reality enased in the !henomenon of desending on the heart of

5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam. The #ell !roteted 3ook+ is 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a

sallam" and the ,uran is #hat is in the heart of 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" #hih

is #hy the %aylat al-,adr is the night in #hih it desended into his heart. The (ight of

,adr4 again" #e ha)e been talking about Mulk and Malakut" and 'e s#ears by the

blaking-out of e9istene that this is this noble e)ent of the re)elation of ,uran on 5asul"

sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" and that is ,adr" that is o#er" that is Ma0esty" that is neither

Mulk nor Malakut but the 3arzakh bet#een the Mulk and the Malakut" beause it omes

from the /abarut" and it emerges in the Malakut #ith /ibril and it desends from Malakut

into the Mulk" into the heart of 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam. That is #hy Allah says"

&t is a noble ,uran in a #ell !roteted 3ook"+ and it is by a s#earing" by an oath about the

abolition of the stars.

Then 'e says" (o-one may touh it e9e!t the !urified.+ <n the fae of it" it is telling us

that it is the adab that you do not touh the ,uran e9e!t #hen in #udu6no-one may

touh it e9e!t the !urified. 3ut #e an take t#o dimensions from this. That is that no-one

an really a!!roah 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" unless they are !urified" and if they

are not" they get burned u!. erish Abu %ahab@+ beause he did not reognise that this

man #as not the son of his father" but #as the 5asul of Allah. So he ould not a!!roah" he

ould not touh" he ould not get near to 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam.

2evelation sent down from the 4ord of all the worlds.



So #hat #as sent do#n on 5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" is from the %ord of all the

Worlds. (o# the modern kuffar are saying" Well you kno#" you ha)e got your god and #e

ha)e got ours"+ as if the Muslim god is some other god from the hristian god" and so on

and so on. 3ut it is the re)elation from the %ord of all the Worlds. &t is the %ord" the

8reator of the uni)erse #ho is that <ne #ho has sent do#n the message on 5asul"

sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam.

#o you nonetheless re)ard this discourse with scorn

and thin0 your provision depends on your denial of the truth:

Again this is the addressing of the 8om!anions of the %eft" Do you" des!ite all this" look

on this disourse #ith sorn and think your !ro)ision de!ends on your denial of the

truth;+ An amazing un)eiling of the nature of the kafir. They deem it neessary to a)oid the

Di)ine !henomenon and the #orshi! of the Di)ine in order to get on #ith the business of

aquiring their stuff and their !ro)ision.

They annot do it unless they make this o)er-u!. And Allah" subhanahu #a taala" e9!oses

it and 'e says" ou look #ith sorn on this"+ in other #ords you are re0eting it. And then

ou think your !ro)ision de!ends on your denial of the truth"+ not your !ro)ision

de!ends on your sientifi analysis of ho# the earth yields and ho# you inrease the yield

by genetially modifying the ro!s. (o" no@ &t is de!endent on you denying the truth"

beause you ould not go through all of these !roedures unless they had as a foundation a

denial of the truth. The #hole tehnologial !ro0et" the #hole atheist !rogramme is based

on the denial of the truth. &t is not based on some ongoing surfing along the benefits of

tehnial ad)ane.



Why then, when death reaches his throat

and you are at that moment loo0in) on &

and We are nearer him than you 1ut you cannot see &

why then, if you are not su1ject to ur command,

do you not send it 1ac0 if you are tellin) the truth:

&n other #ords it omes bak to this ertainty" this ‘aqin. Allah asks the question" When

death reahes the throat" and you are that moment looking on"+ #hen you are at the death

bed and Allah says" We"+ Allah" are nearer him than you but you annot see. Why then" if

you are not sub0et to <ur ommand" do you not send it bak if you are telling the truth;+

'o# is it that you then do not say" $ee! li)ing@ $ee! li)ing@+ ou annot do it.

At that moment" there is a !resene. There is the !resene of the dying man" there is the!resene of the kafir #athing him" and there is Allah #athing them" and #athing them

#ith a nearness to the dying man that is so near that the obser)er annot see it. And the

reality of that moment is hidden from them. Therefore" #hat Allah un)eils for us from this

is that death is not this terrible thing that is )eiled" or this meaningless thing that the

kuffar ha)e to say in the end that it is. 3ut it is the )ery seret of the Absolute Ma0esty of

Allah" subhanahu #a taala. The non-e9istene of #hat #e onsider real is !ut in its

non-!lae. 3eause #hat #e are really oming to is an understanding about the nature ofthe indi)idual death and the abolition of the stars" of the osmos.



6ut the truth is that if he is one of the Those 6rou)ht 3ear,

there is solace and sweetness and a Garden of #eli)ht.

And if he is one of the Companions of the 2i)ht,

9eace 1e upon you* from the Companions of the 2i)ht

And if he is one of the mis)uided deniers,

there is hospitality of scaldin) water

and roastin) in the 6la%in) 8ire.

This is the ontrat offered to the human reature. &f he is one of the Muqarabun there is

solae and s#eetness and a 1arden of Delight. &n other #ords the ations on this earth that

ha)e brought that !erson near to Allah" subhanahu #a taala" transform into solae"

s#eetness and a 1arden of Delight in the =nseen. &f he is one of the 8om!anions of the

5ight4 !eae be u!on him" ‘Salam" from the 8om!anions of the 5ight. And if he is one of

the misguided deniers then there is the fire and the terrible salding #ater.

This is indeed the Truth of Certainty.

So )lorify the 3ame of your 4ord, the Ma)nificent*

So Allah" subhanahu #a taala" says" This is indeed the 'aqq al-aqin.+ (o# the ‘'aqq

al-aqin beomes lear to us" #hile those !eo!le #ho annot understand the a#m

al-,iyama annot e)en think about it" sine it has not got any kind of meaning for them"

suh !eo!le e)en think in terms of ho# millions of !eo!le are going to rise u! on the same

day" #hat it is going to be like and so on.

What is interesting you see" #hat #e no# diso)er is that the thing is already

!redetermined to ha)e meaning for us. And of ourse the !hysial reognition of it omes

in the 'a00. The 'a00 has not got any !artiular salat onneted to it" like the stoning" or the

Ta##af. The thing that makes the 'a00 is that" e)en if for an instant" you ha)e to stand on

‘Arafat. And #hen you stand on ‘Arafat" #hat is the reality of standing on ‘Arafat; &t is

#here)er you look you see t#o or three million !eo!le all standing in their shrouds" in their

burial robes. &t is like a dress rehearsal for the real thing. So you see the !ossibility" you see

the reality of it.



What #e diso)er is beause of the nature of this e)ent that #e ha)e seen" the Waqi‘a"

#hih e)en in the definition of this term in the ditionary of the ,uran is identified #ith

Allahs" subhanahu #a taala" raising u! Sayyidina ‘&sa on his death" is that #hen the

human reature dies" he !asses from the in-time to the non-time. Therefore" in that sense

e)eryone dies at the same time" from the beginning" from Sayyidina Adam until the end of

the #orld. The dying of the !eo!le is at the same instant" beause it is beyond ‘instant. The

in-time of the Mulk sto!s before the non-time of the Malakut and the 3arzakh of the

/abarut. There is no timeness in it" so if you !ass from the in-time to the non-time then you

all are there at the same time" or rather non-time. So the a#m al-,iyama is The Day.

5asul" sallallahu ‘alayhi #a sallam" said" a Abu 3akr" a#m al-a#m@+ 'e meant that

Day of this day" that Day is the day there is no day. That is #hy Abu 3akr nearly olla!sed"

and this is the Waqi‘a" this is indeed the 'aqq al-aqin. So glorify the (ame of your %ord"

the Magnifient@+ So reite the &sm al-‘Adhim to stay in this kno#ledge" to li)e in this

kno#ledge and not to forget it in the business of the day" not to forget it in the enormous

s!lendour of the reation that Allah has offered to us. So you must reite the name of Allah"

the &sm al-‘Adhim.

:atiha.

Documents

A Commentary on Surat Al-Waqi'A