The Book of Stations
المواقف
Context: The 'new creation' is the world's renewal each instant, Ibn ʿArabī's reading of Q 50:15 joined to the Ashʿarite thesis that accidents do not last two moments; the Emir limits it to sensible forms. That there is only Real Being manifest in forms it determines within itself is waḥdat al-wujūd, accepted by the school, rejected by Ibn Taymiyya onward.AI
قَالَ تَعَالَى: «وَهُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ».
He, exalted is He, said: “And He is the All-Creating, the All-Knowing” (Q 36:81).
In briefAI
Glossing “the All-Creating, the All-Knowing” (Q 36:81), the Emir takes creating as measuring-out, sometimes with bringing into existence. God creates perpetually, because accidents do not endure two moments and the Names of acts cannot lie idle. Things receive from Him only existence. In truth only Real Being exists, manifest in its self-determinations. In a vision he learns that Ibn Qāʾid denied the new creation. He reconciles this: renewal touches only sensible forms, not the enduring true copy. A text of ʿAlī Wafā supports this, and he then distinguishes active and passive divine knowledge.
See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 390 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 391 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 392 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 369 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 370 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 371 ↗ (archive.org)
الْخَلَّاقُ؛ الْكَثِيرُ الْخَلْقِ.
al-Khallāq: the one who creates much.
وَالْخَلْقُ قَدْ يَكُونُ تَقْدِيراً مُجَرَّداً فِي النَّفْسِ، وَقَدْ يَكُونُ مَعَ اِيجَادٍ فِي الْمَدَارِكِ الْحِسِّيَّةِ فَيَكُونُ خَلْقاً بَعْدَ خَلْقٍ، كَمَا قَالَ الشَّاعِرُ: وَلَأَنْتَ تَعْزِى مَا خَلَقْتَ وَبَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ يَخْلُقُ ثُمَّ لَايَعْزِى
Creating may be a bare measuring-out in the soul, and it may be together with a bringing into existence within the sensory faculties of perception, so that it is creating after creating, as the poet said: “And you, truly, cut out what you have measured, while some folk measure and then do not cut.”
يُرِيدُ: أَنْتَ تُوجِدُ مَا خَلَقْتَ وَقَدَّرْتَ خَارِجاً لِلْحِسِّ• وَبَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ يَهُمُّ وَيَخْلُقُ، وَيُقَدِّرُ فِي نَفْسِهِ، وَلَا يُوجِدُ خَارِجاً مَا خَلَقَ وَقَدَّرَ.
He means: you bring into existence, outside and for the senses, what you have created and measured out; while some folk intend, create and measure out in themselves, and do not bring into existence outside what they created and measured out.
فَالْحَقُّ– تَعَالَى– خَلاّقٌ عَلَى الدَّوَامِ، يُوجِدُ الْأَعْرَاضَ الَّتِي هِيَ صُوَرٌ فَاِنَّهَا كُلَّهَا أَعْرَاضٌ سَيَّالَهٌ، كَمَا يَقُولُ الْحُكَمَاءُ فِي الزَّمَانِ، وَكَمَا تَقُولُ الْأَشَاعِرَةُ، الْعَرَضُ لَايَبْقَى زَمَانَيْنِ،
So the Real, exalted is He, is all-creating perpetually, bringing into existence the accidents which are forms; for they are all flowing accidents, as the philosophers say of time, and as the Ashʿarites say: the accident does not endure for two moments.
فَاِنَّهَا لَوْ بَقِيَتْ لَاسْتَغْنَتْ عَنِ الْحَقِّ– تَعَالَى– وَتَعَطَّلَتْ أَسْمَاءُ الْأَفْعَالِ، وَتَعْطِيلُ الْأَسْمَاءِ مُحَالٌ،
For if they endured, they would be independent of the Real, exalted is He, and the Names of acts would be left idle; and the idling of the Names is impossible.
وَلَيْسَ لِلْحَقِّ– تَعَالَى– فِي هَذَا الْخَلْقِ اِلاّ اِعْطَاءُ الْوُجُودِ لِمَا تَقْتَضِيهِ حَقَائِقُ الْأَشْيَاءِ مِـنَ الْأَحْوَالِ وَالْأَحْكَامِ، وَاِلاّ فَهِيَ ثَابِتَةٌ فِي الْعِلْمِ كَأَعْيَانِهَا، فَمَا يَكُونُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لَهَا اِلاّ الْاِيجَادُ،
In this creating, the Real, exalted is He, has nothing but the giving of existence to what the realities of things require of states and rulings; apart from that, they are fixed in knowledge, as their entities are; so nothing comes to them from the Real but bringing into existence.
وَهَذَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحِي الدِّينِ: «الْأَشْيَاءُ مَا اسْتَفَادَتْ اِلاّ الْوُجُودَ»
This is the meaning of the saying of our master Muḥyī l-Dīn: “Things have gained nothing but existence.”
وَانْقِسَامُ الْخَلْقِ اِلَى تَقْدِيرٍ فِي النَّفْسِ مِنْ غَيْرِ اِيجَادٍ، وَاِلَى تَقْدِيرٍ مَعَ اِيجَادٍ؛ اِنَّمَا هُوَ بِحَسَبِ الْمَدَارِكِ وَالْمَشَاعِرِ الْاِنْسَانِيَّةِ،
The division of creating into a measuring-out in the soul without bringing into existence, and a measuring-out together with bringing into existence, is only with respect to human perceptions and senses;
وَأَمَّا بِحَسَبِ مَا هُوَ الْأَمْرُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَيْسَ اِلاّ الْوُجُودُ الْحَقُّ، يَظْهَرُ بِتَقَادِيرِهِ وَتَصَاوِيرِهِ، الَّتِي يُقَدِّرُهَا وَيُصَوِّرُهَا لِنَفْسِهِ فِي نَفْسِهِ، وَيَظْهَرُ مُتَعَيِّناً بِهَا، كَالتَّجْرِيدِ عِنْدَ عُلَمَاءِ الْبَدِيعِ•
but with respect to how the matter is in itself, there is nothing but the Real Being, which becomes manifest through His measurings-out and His formings, which He measures out and forms for Himself within Himself, and becomes manifest as determined by them, like “abstraction” (tajrīd) among the scholars of rhetorical embellishment.
قِيلَ لِي فِي الْوَاقِعَةِ: اِنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ قَايِدٍ الْأَوَانِيَّ، كَانَ لَايَقُولُ بِالْخَلْقِ الْجَدِيدِ، وَكَتَبَ فِي ذَلِكَ رِسَالَةً سَمَّاهَا «الرَّشْمَةُ فِي بَقَاءِ النُّسْخَةِ»، هَكَذَا قِيلَ لِي•
It was said to me in a visionary occurrence that Muḥammad ibn Qāʾid al-Awānī did not hold the new creation, and that he wrote an epistle on this which he named «al-Rashma fī baqāʾ al-nuskha» (“The Mark: On the Persistence of the Copy”); so it was said to me.
وَمَعْنَى هَذَا أَنَّ ابْنَ قَايِدٍ فَهِمَ أَوْ سَمِعَ: أَنَّ مِـنَ النَّاسِ مـَنْ يَقُولُ بِالْخَلْقِ الْجَدِيدِ، فِي كُلِّ مَا يُقَالُ فِيهِ صُورَةٌ مُمْكِنَةٌ،
The meaning of this is that Ibn Qāʾid understood, or heard, that there are people who hold the new creation with regard to everything that is called a contingent form;
وَلَيْسَ الْأَمْرُ كَذَلِكَ، وَاِنَّمَا الْخَلْقُ الْجَدِيدُ خَاصٌّ بِالصُّوَرِ الْمَحْسُوسَةِ،
but the matter is not so: the new creation is particular to sensible forms,
وَأَمَّا الصُّوَرُ الْعَقْلِيَّةُ وَالْخَيَالِيَّةُ وَالرُّوحَانِيَّـــةُ فَهِيَ بَاقِيَةٌ أَبَدِيَّةٌ لَايَلْحَقُهَا زَوَالٌ، فَلَيْسَ فِيهَا خَلْقٌ جَدِيدٌ،
whereas the intellectual, imaginal and spiritual forms are enduring and everlasting; no cessation overtakes them, so there is no new creation in them.
وَهَذِهِ الصُّوَرُ هِيَ النُّسْخَةُ الْحَقِيقِيَّةُ ، الْمُنْتَسَخَةُ مِنَ الصُّورَةِ الرَّحْمَانِيَّةِ ، الْمُرَادَةِ بِقَوْلِهِ :
« اِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ آدَمَ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ » •
Quotes a hadith: Muslim 2612e, part of it · in a Ṣaḥīḥ, no separate grade · sunnah.com ↗
فَهِيَ بَاقِيَةٌ بِبَقَاءِ النُّسْخَةِ الْمُنْتَسَخِ مِنْهَا ، دُونَ الصُّورَةِ الْمَحْسُوسَةِ ،
وَهَذَا هُوَ مُرَادُ الْقَائِلِينَ بِالْخَلْقِ الْجَدِيدِ ،
وَحِينَئِذٍ فَلَا خِلَافَ بَيْنَ ابْنِ قَايِدٍ وَغَيْرِهِ مِـنَ الْعَارِفِينَ،
وَبَعْدَ هَذِهِ الْوَاقِعَةِ ، وَقَفْتُ عَلَى كَلَامٍ لِلْقُطْبِ عَلِىِّ وَفَا – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ – فِي الْمَعْنَى
فَفَرِحْتُ بِهِ ،
قَالَ : اِذَا كَانَ وَصْفُ النَّقِيضِ بِالنَّقِيضِ بَدِيهِيَّ الِاسْتِحَالَةِ ، وَالْوُجُودُ ذَاتُ الْمَوْجُودِ ؟ فَعَدَمُ الْمَوْجُودِ مُحَالٌ ،
وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ جَعَلْتَ الْوُجُودَ زَائِداً عَلَى ذَاتِ الْمَوْجُودِ ، لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مَوْجُوداً اِلَاّ بِالْوُجُودِ ، فَلَوِ انْعَدَمَ لَقَامَ بِهِ الْعَدَمُ ،
وَاِنَّمَا الْحُدُوثُ وَالزَّوَالُ نِسَبٌ عَدَمِيَّةٌ ، الْأَوَّلُ ظُهُورٌ فِي الْاِدْرَاكِ الْمُقَيَّدِ بَعْدَ بُطُونٍ عَنْهُ ، وَالثَّانِي عَكْسُهُ •
وَالْبَاطِنُ الظَّاهِرُ ثَابِتٌ فِي الْحَالَتَيْنِ ، وَهَكَذَا بِبَعْضِ صُورَةٍ دُونَ بَعْضٍ ، وَبُطُونُهُ بِصُورَةٍ مِنْهَا ، وَظُهُورُهُ بِأُخْرَى ،
كَالْمَاءِ يَصِيرُ هَوَاءً وَعَكْسِهِ ، وَالْغِذَاءِ بُخَاراً وَعَكْسِهِ ، تَحْلِيلاً وَكَوْناً ،
فَاللَّوَازِمُ وَالْأُمُورُ الْوُجُودِيَّةُ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لَهَا • بِخِلَافِ الْحَادِثَةِ اهـ •
(الْعَـلِيمُ) الْكَامِلُ الْعِلْمِ بِمَا يَخْلُقُ وَيُوجِدُ •
فَاِنَّ الْعِلْمَ تَابِعٌ لِلْمَعْلُومِ فِي مَرْتَبَةِ التَّعَيُّنِ الْأَوَّلِ ، لِأَنَّ الْمَعْلُومَاتِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَرْتَبَةِ غَيْرُ مُتَمَيِّزَةٍ عَنِ الذَّاتِ •
وَلَا شَكَّ أَنَّ الْعِلْمَ مُتَأَخِّرٌ عَنِ الذَّاتِ بِالْمَرْتَبَةِ ، ضَرُورَةَ تَقَدُّمِ الذَّاتِ عَلَى صِفَتِهَا •
وَاِنْ كَانَ عِلْمُهُ - تَعَالَى - عَيْنَ ذَاتِهِ ، وَلَكِنْ تَسْمِيَتُهُ عِلْماً يَقْتَضِي تَبَعِيَّتَهُ ،
وَيُطْلَقُ عَلَيْهِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَرْتَبَةِ « عِلْمٌ فِعْلِيٌّ » ، مِنْ حَيْثُ أَنَّهُ مَبْدَأُ تَحْقِيقِ الْمَعْلُومِ •
وَأَمَّا فِي مَرْتَبَةِ التَّعَيُّنِ الثَّانِي فَالْمَعْلُومُ تَابِعٌ لِلْعِلْمِ ، لِأَنَّ الْمَعْلُومَ مُتَمَيِّزٌ عَنِ الذَّاتِ لِنَفْسِهِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَرْتَبَةِ ،
وَيُطْلَقُ عَلَيْهِ « عِلْمٌ انْفِعَالِيٌّ » ، مِنْ حَيْثُ أَنَّهُ مَبْدَأُ انْكِشَافِ الْمَعْلُومِ عَيْناً قَائِماً مُتَمَيِّزاً •
وَالِانْكِشَافُ فَرْعُ التَّحَقُّقِ ، اِذْ لَا يَنْكَشِفُ اِلَاّ مُتَحَقِّقاً فِي نَفْسِهِ ،
وَالْعِلْمُ وَاحِدٌ فِي الْمَرْتَبَتَيْنِ ، وَالتَّعَدُّدُ نِسْبِيٌّ •
Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.