اللَّهُمَّ صَل عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ ۞ الفَاتِحِ لِمَا أُغْلِقَ ۞ وَالخَاتِمِ لِمَا سَبَقَ ۞ نَاصِرِ الحَقِّ بِالحَقِّ ۞ وَالهَادِي إِلَى صِرَاطِكَ المُسْتَقِيمِ ۞ وَعَلَى آلِهِ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَمِقْدَارِهِ العَظِيمِ ۩
I asked him, may Allāh be pleased with him, about the meaning of Ṣalāt al-Fātihi limā Ughliq and he answered, may Allāh be pleased with him:
His saying, "The Opener of what was closed [al-Fātiḥi limā Ughliq]
Its meaning is "The Opener of what was closed [al-Fātiḥi limā Ughliq] of the forms of existent things." For they were sealed within the veil of concealments [ḥijāb al-buṭūn] and the form of non-existence. And their locks were opened by the means of his existence, may Allāh bless him and salute him. So they came out from the form of non-existence to the form of existence, and from the veils of concealments to themselves in the world of manifestation- since, if it were not for him, Allāh would not have created any being, nor would He have brought it out from non-existence to existence. That is one of the meanings.
The Second is that he opened the locks of the doors of the Divine Mercy. And by means of him they were opened upon the creation. And had Allāh, the Exalted, not created our Master Muḥammad, may Allāh bless him and salute him, He would not have had mercy on any created being. So the Mercy from Allāh to His creation is by means of His Prophet, may Allāh bless him and salute him.
The third of its meanings is that the hearts were trapped in polytheism, filled with it. And belief was not found to be entering into them. Then they were opened by his call, may Allāh bless him and salute him] until belief entered into them. And he purified them of polytheism and they were filled with belief and wisdom.
His saying, "The Seal of what went before [wa al-Khātimi limā sabaqa]
In as much as Prophethood and Messengerhood since he sealed them both and locked their door, may Allāh bless him and salute him. So there is no hope for (attaining) it for anyone other than him.
Likewise (he is) the Seal of what went before of the forms of Divine Manifestations the forms which the Real, Great and Exalted, manifested in the world of outward manifestation, since he is, may Allāh bless him and salute him, the first being in the universe which Allāh brought into existence from the veil of concealments and the form of Divine nothingness. Then the forms of the universe did not cease, after it, in the outward manifestation of their different varieties- upon the arrangement which the Divine Will had erected- variety after variety, until the last of what was outwardly manifested by him in the world of outward manifestation was the Ādamī form [aṣ-ṣūrat al-ādamiyyah] upon his own form, may Allāh bless him and salute him. And he is what is really meant by the "Ādamī form."
Then, just as the outward manifestation of existence was opened by him, the outward manifestations of the forms of existent beings was sealed by him, may Allāh bless him and salute him.
Expressing it another way, he said, may Allāh be pleased with him:
The first being which Allāh, the Exalted, caused to exist from the Unseen Presence, is the Soul [rūḥ] of our Master Muhammad, may Allāh bless him and salute him. Then Allāh plucked out the souls of the universe from his soul, may Allāh bless him and salute him, as well as all forms. Here we have the modality by which life materialized in forms.
And He created from his soul, may Allāh bless him and salute him, the forms of light, such as the Angels and those who resemble them. As for the crude forms of darkness, they were created from a second relationship from his soul, may Allāh bless him and salute him. For, his soul, may Allāh bless him and salute him, has two relationships, both of which it outpours onto every existence.
The first relationship is the relationship of pure light. From it were created all of the souls and the forms of light which have no darkness in them. The second relationship from the relationship of his soul, may Allāh bless him and salute him, is the relationship of darknesses. And from this connection Allāh created the forms of darkness, like the devils and all of the crude forms, and the hell fire. And it follows then that likewise Paradise and all of its levels were created from the relationship of light.
And that is the relationship of ever world with his soul, may Allāh bless him and salute him.
As for the Muḥammadan Reality, may Allāh bless him and salute him, it is the first thing which Allāh caused to exist from the Unseen Presence. And there was nothing of Allāh's creation existing with Him before it. This reality is not known by anything. And some of the scholars had gone astray in examining this reality. For they said:
"Could this reality be singular, there not being anything with it? Because it could only either have been a form or an accident. If it were a form, it would be in need of a place which it could take up. Then it would not be independent of another existent thing. Because if it exists with its place for one instance, it has no antecedence, for they are two.
If it was an accident, not being a form, then there's nothing to say about an accident because there is no real existence to an accident, except for the blinking of an eye. Then it ceases. So, where is the antecedence that you speak of?"
The answer to this issue is that it is a real form which has two relationships- one of light and one of darkness. As to its needing a place, this conclusion is not sound because this conclusion signifies the establishment of his intellect in the station of bodies [maqām al-ajsām]. What is verified is Allāh's, the Exalted, being capable that He should create these creations without a place for it to dwell in, and the intellects being the one which decreed this matter- of it not being possible for bodies to exist without a place. For this is the usual manner in which Allāh conducts business, on which the intellect is established. And it was not set free in the space of created beings. But, if it had been set free in the space of Realities, it would have known that Allāh, the Exalted, is capable of created the universe without a space.
Whereas this is the case, then Allāh created the Muḥammadan Reality as a form, without need of a space. And there is no doubt that whoever for whom the Divine Reality is uncovered will know with absolute certainty that the existence of the universe without a place is possible with an verified possibility. As for the Muhammadan Reality, then it is, at this level, not known and not revealed. And there is no hope for anyone to attain it on that plane.
Then it was appropriated robes of Divine Light and it was veiled in them from the creation. And it was on this plane called "a soul [rūḥ]," after it had been veiled with the robes. And that is the highest revelation to the Prophets and Messengers, And the Qutbs arrive at this place and stop. Then it was appropriated more robes of Divine Light and with it was called "an intellect [ʼaql]." Then it was appropriated more robes of Divine Light. And by their means, it was called "a heart [qalb]." Then it was appropriated even more robes of Divine Light and was named by their means "a spirit [nafs]." Then, after that, his blessed body, may Allāh bless him and salute him, manifested.
And the Saints differ in the disclosure of these levels. So for a party of them, the highest disclosure is his nafs, may Allāh bless him and salute him. And in that are sciences, secrets and gnosis. And for a party over them, the highest disclosure is his heart, may Allāh bless him and salute him. And for them in that are more sciences, secrets and gnosis. And for a party over them, the highest disclosure is his intellect. And for them in that are more sciences, secrets and gnosis. And for a party, and they are the highest, they reach the utmost limit of disclosure. So the maqam of his soul is disclosed to them. And that is the highest of what is disclosed, there not being any hope for anyone of disclosure of the essence in which it was created.
And in this regard Abu Zay says: "I filled the abyss of gnosis seeking to come upon the source of the reality of the Prophet (SWS). But lo there were between me and it one thousand veils of light. If I had lifted of the veils, the first, I would have disintegrated, just as the hair is disintegrated when thrown into fire."
Shaykh Mawlana ʼAbd as-Salām said as well, in his prayer [ṣalātihi (upon the Prophet, may Allāh bless him and salute him):
"His has what pales understandings. And it is disclosed to none among us, the first or the last."
About this, Uways Qarnī said, may Allāh be pleased with him, to our Master ʼUmar and our Master ʼAlī, may Allāh be pleased with them both:
"You did not see of the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless hima nd salute him, except his shadow."
They said:
"Not even Ibn Abī Qaḥāfah (Abu Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq)?"
He said:
"Not even Ibn Abī Qaḥāfah."
And maybe he had plunged into the abyss of gnosis seeking to come upon the source of the Muḥammadan Reality and it was said to him:
"That is a matter which the greatest Messengers and Prophets were incapable of. So there is no hope for other than them in it."
Wa as-salām
Thus ends what was dictated to us by our Master, may Allāh be pleased with him
Sīdī ʼAlī Ḥarāzim, may Allāh be pleased with him. Jawāhir al-Maʼānī
اللَّهُمَّ صَل عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ ۞ الفَاتِحِ لِمَا أُغْلِقَ ۞ وَالخَاتِمِ لِمَا سَبَقَ ۞ نَاصِرِ الحَقِّ بِالحَقِّ ۞ وَالهَادِي إِلَى صِرَاطِكَ المُسْتَقِيمِ ۞ وَعَلَى آلِهِ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَمِقْدَارِهِ العَظِيمِ ۩
