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BEYOND THE EXTERNAL IN THE SACRED VALLEY

BEYOND THE EXTERNAL IN THE SACRED VALLEY. IMAM ALI, THE PARAGON OF THE QUR’AN ( Wahdat al-ma`rifa ) by Abdulaziz Sachedina. THE HALLOWED VALLEY. “Greetings to the trusted one of God on earth, and His Proof among peoples.”

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BEYOND THE EXTERNAL IN THE SACRED VALLEY

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  1. BEYOND THE EXTERNAL IN THE SACRED VALLEY IMAM ALI, THE PARAGON OF THE QUR’AN (Wahdat al-ma`rifa) by Abdulaziz Sachedina

  2. THE HALLOWED VALLEY • “Greetings to the trusted one of God on earth, and His Proof among peoples.” • Al-wadi al-muqaddas, a place on earth, the point in time, the state of mind • Going beyond the form of external things, beyond one’s own nature and necessities of life • Beyond the bounds of the intellect (al-`aql)

  3. “PURITY” OR “PURIFICATION” • Tatahhur purity of heart can be achieved by way of either faith, beauty, or science. • It can be completed only by faith in the transcendental. • Main function of the conscience is to keep the human being within the bounds that must not be transgressed. • The purpose is to seek a more reliable source for right and wrong than the traditional commands and prohibitions of the forefathers.

  4. MAGNETIC FIELD OF AWARENESS • Purity of heart has only a conscience by which to recognize what is legitimate and what is forbidden. • Hearing the Voice of God in the Hallowed Valley is hearing the voice of conscience. • “Rightly guided self” and the right orientation towards God are two sides of the same coin. • Dynamics of personal faith, orients the self to a focal point inside (internal qibla). • God the `pole’ of the good to which human is inwardly and cosmically attracted.

  5. Shama’il and Dala’il • Details about the role model that generate devotion and veneration – the need for qut al-‘ashiqin (nurture of lovers). • Dala’il – proofs complemented by the shama’il – lofty qualities that function as a source of dhikr (remembrance). • The Light of God – Nur allah – the torch of guidance that becomes crystallized in the person of the guide.

  6. THE DIVINE LIGHT Revelation not only guides humans who submit, but reflects all divine direction of the universe. At every level of being, and not only on the level of human moral consciousness, God intervenes to draw creatures toward His own norms and principles that are personified in divinely appointed guides. God is a universal light toward which all things grow – all things grow by means of that same light. Both guidance and sustenance are God’s creative action: in a relatively gross form, and it is by guidance and sustenance that we perceive outward forms.

  7. SELF FULFILLMENT OF THE LIGHT Darkness of inert materiality is merely potentiality, into which the actuality of Light can shine, producing all that appears. Everything is an expression of a single divine energy, called light from its most tangible pure form. The self fulfillment of the light is in total awareness – human responsibility is to allow the light in oneself to shine fully, and hence in unity with ultimate light; otherwise it will be swallowed up in darkness instead. This is based on identification of three types of clarity: that of logical rational consciousness; that of the formal essence of a thing; and that of physical medium of perception – Light, which is a kind of thermal energy, with an appeal to the inherent nobility of things.

  8. INCLUSIVE GUIDANCE • Every human being has an innate capacity for being guided, every true religion has something to be learnt from • Every religious person has within him-herself elements of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad – fear, love, hope • Disciple of Moses is motivated by fear of God and goes in awe of God’s justice • Disciple of Jesus by love for God which impels one to refrain from doing wrong to others who also loved by God • Disciple of Muhammad by a hope in God which inspires one to well-doing

  9. INCLUSIVE FAITH • Depending upon one’s personal disposition one may be a disciple of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad even though one may actually profess one of the other religions. • Jesus men/women in the rank of Muslims • Highest ideals (al-mathal al-a`la): in Christianity “the loving soul”, in Judaism “the just spirit” in Buddhism “a soul freed from desire, in Islam “the soul at rest” (nafs mutma’inna)

  10. THE DIVINE SELF-DISCLOSURE • “Glory be to Thee” = “You are pure of and far above the defect of words” • Without seeing You, knowing You is impossible • Unbelief is not to see You, and Islam is to see You. • The vision of God at the level of thought and imagination • The mind of visionary a fountain of fresh and ever-renewed images overflowing into language • Endless images of God’s self-showing

  11. LOVE FOR ANYTHING • Immanent God’s disclosure object of love • Intimacy of God with living things • Dhikr an alchemy that transmutes perception and awareness into utter joy • The beautiful-doers the most beautiful • Love from one side is impossible, the love of two spirits

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