The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 178 · “O God, increase me in perplexity about You”

   In brief✦AI

   Starting from Q 33:72, the Trust offered to the heavens, earth and mountains, the Emir takes the Trust as the vicegerency, or the realisation of all the divine Names, without indwelling or union. The offer shows the human being's excellence, since the heavens shrank from the peril. The perfect human is “unjust toward his self” (Q 35:32), which is praise, unlike one who wrongs his self, and “ignorant” because the Names and self-disclosures never repeat. That perplexity is what the Prophet asked God to increase.

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 395, Damascus 1966, p. 396, Damascus 1966, p. 397, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 374, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 375, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 376 (archive.org)

   قَالَ تَعَالَى: «إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمٰوَاتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا». الْآيَةَ.

   He, exalted is He, said: “We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they refused to bear it” (Q 33:72) — the verse.✦

   ¶ 2718

2. الْأَمَانَةُ هِيَ الْخِلَافَةُ، كَمَا قَالَ: «إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً».

   The Trust is the vicegerency, as He said: “I am placing on the earth a vicegerent” (Q 2:30).✦

   ¶ 2719

3. وَهُوَ آدَمُ- عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ- أَوْ مَعْنَاهَا التَّحَقُّقُ بِجَمِيعِ الْأَسْمَاءِ الْاِلٰهِيَّةِ،

   And he is Adam — upon him be blessing and peace. Or else its meaning is the realisation of all the divine Names,✦

   ¶ 2720

4. فَهُوَ الْآلٰهُ فِي صُورَةٍ آدَمِيَّةٍ، مِنْ غَيْرِ حُلُولٍ وَلَا اتِّحَادٍ، وَلَا امْتِزَاجٍ، فَأَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ؛

   so he is the god in an Adamic form, without indwelling, without union and without mixing — I am clear of all that;✦

   ¶ 2721

5. وَعَرْضُهَا عَلَى السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ؛ لَيْسَ لِحَمْلِهَا بِالْفِعْلِ لِأَنَّهَا لَا اسْتِعْدَادَ لَهَا لِحَمْلِ الْخِلَافَةِ، وَالْحَمْلُ بِغَيْرِ اسْتِعْدَادٍ مُحَالٌ، وَيَتَعَالَى الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ،

   Its being offered to the heavens, the earth and the mountains was not so that they should actually bear it, for they have no preparedness for bearing the vicegerency, and bearing without preparedness is impossible — and the Wise, the Knowing is far exalted above that —✦

   ¶ 2722

6. وَلَكِنْ لِيَظْهَرَ فَضْلُ الْاِنْسَانِ وَشَرَفُهُ، حَيْثُ أَبَتِ السَّمٰوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ مِنْ حَمْلِهَا، وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا، مَعَ عِظَمِ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ، وَمَعَ كَوْنِهَا اَكْبَرَ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ، كَمَا قَالَ: «لَخَلْقُ ٱلسَّمٰوَاتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ ٱلنَّاسِ».

   but rather so that the excellence and nobility of the human being might become manifest, inasmuch as the heavens, the earth and the mountains refused to bear it and shrank from it, despite the greatness of the heavens, the earth and the mountains, and despite their being greater than the creation of mankind, as He said: “Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind” (Q 40:57).✦

   ¶ 2723

7. «فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا».

   “And they refused to bear it” (Q 33:72).✦

   ¶ 2724

8. وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا؛ لِعِلْمِهَا أَنَّ حَامِلَهَا لَابُدَّ أَنْ يَظْهَرَ بِالْأَضْدَادِ، وَيُوصَفَ بِالْأَنْدَادِ، وَيُشَارِكَ الْحَقَّ– تَعَالَى– فِي الْمَمْلَكَةِ، اِذِ الْخَلِيفَةُ مَلِكٌ صَغِيرٌ، فَيَكُونُ حَامِلُ الْأَمَانَةِ بِمَعْنَى الْخِلَافَةِ رَبّاً صَغِيراً،

   And they shrank from it, because they knew that whoever bears it must needs become manifest through the opposites, be described with peers, and share with the Real, exalted is He, in the kingdom — since the vicegerent is a small king — so that the bearer of the Trust, in the sense of the vicegerency, is a small lord.✦

   ¶ 2725

9. فَخَافَتْ مِنْ قَبُولِ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ، وَالْأَمْرُ أَنْ تَكُونَ عَلَى خَطَرٍ، فَاخْتَارَتِ السَّلَامَةَ، وَأَعْرَضَتْ عَنِ الرِّبْحِ حَذَرَ الْمَلَامَةِ،

   So they feared accepting this matter — the matter being that they would be in peril — and they chose safety and turned away from profit, for fear of blame;✦

   ¶ 2726

10. وَأَنْشَدَ لِسَانُ حَالِهَا: وَقَائِلَةٍ مَالِي أَرَاكَ مُجَانِباً أُمُوراً وَفِيهَا لِلتِّجَارَةِ مَرْبَحُ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا مَالِي بِرِبْحِكِ حَاجَةٌ وَنَحْنُ أُنَاسٌ بِالسَّلَامَةِ نَفْرَحُ

    and the tongue of their state recited: Many a woman says: “Why do I see you avoiding affairs in which there is profit for trade?” I said to her: “I have no need of your profit; we are folk who rejoice in safety.”✦

    ¶ 2727

11. «وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنْسَانُ» الْكَامِلُ بِالْفِعْلِ، لَا مُطْلَقُ الْمُسَمَّى اِنْسَاناً، اِذْ مُسَمَّى الْاِنْسَانِ: مِنْهُ مَا هُوَ اِنْسَانٌ بِالْفِعْلِ وَالْحَقِيقَةِ، وَمِنْهُ مَا هُوَ اِنْسَانٌ حَيَوَانٌ، اِنْسَانٌ بِالْقُوَّةِ وَالصُّورَةِ فَقَطْ.

    “And the human being bore it” (Q 33:72) — the human being who is perfect in act, not whatever is called human without qualification; for what is named “human” includes one who is human in act and in reality, and one who is an animal human, human in potency and in form only.✦

    ¶ 2728

12. «إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُوماً جَهُولاً».

    “Indeed he was much given to wrongdoing, very ignorant” (Q 33:72).✦

    ¶ 2729

13. كَثِيرُ الظُّلْمِ لِنَفْسِهِ وَهَذَا مَدْحٌ لَهُ، لِأَنَّهُ مِنَ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الْمُخْتَارِينَ، كَمَا قَالَ «ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ، كِتَابَ الْوُجُودِ، الْكِتَابَ الْمَسْطُورَ، الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ» لَا ظَالِمٌ نَفْسَهُ.

    Much given to wronging, toward his self — and this is praise of him, for he is among the chosen, the elect, as He said: “Then We gave the Book as inheritance — the Book of existence, the inscribed Book — to those of Our servants whom We chose; and among them is one unjust toward his self” (Q 35:32), not one who wrongs his self.✦

    ¶ 2730

14. فَبَيْنَ الظَّالِمِ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَالظَّالِمِ نَفْسَهُ فَرْقٌ، الْأَوَّلُ مَمْدُوحٌ، وَالثَّانِي مَذْمُومٌ، وَهُوَ الْمَعْنِيُّ بِقَوْلِهِ:

    So between one unjust toward his self and one who wrongs his self there is a difference: the first is praised, and the second is blamed, and he is the one meant by His words:✦

    ¶ 2731

15. «كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ» «ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ».

    “It was themselves they used to wrong” (Q 2:57), “they wronged themselves” (Q 4:64).✦

    ¶ 2732

16. وَنَحْوُهُ .
    ¶ 2733

17. « جَهُولاً » كَثِيرَ الْجَهْلِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَبِرَبِّهِ لِمَعْرِفَتِهِ بِالْأَسْمَاءِ الْاِلَهِيَّةِ ، الَّتِي تَتَوَارَدُ عَلَيْهِ وَتَتَعَاقَبُ عَلَى الدَّوَامِ ،
    ¶ 2734

18. فَكُلَّمَا كَانَتِ الدَّوْلَةُ لِاسْمٍ ؛ كَانَتِ الْغَلَبَةُ وَالْحُكْمُ لَهُ ، وَاسْتَتَرَ بَاقِي الْأَسْمَاءِ تَحْتَ اسْتِتَارِ النُّجُومِ عِنْدَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ مَعَ وُجُودِهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ،
    ¶ 2735

19. فَتَخْتَلِفُ عَلَيْهِ صُوَرُهُ لِاخْتِلَافِ الْأَسْمَاءِ الْاِلَهِيَّةِ ، فَاِنَّهَا الَّتِي تَتَشَكَّلُ فَيَعْرِفُ فِي حَالِ جَهْلِهِ .
    ¶ 2736

20. وَيَجْهَلُ فِي حَالِ مَعْرِفَتِهِ .
    ¶ 2737

21. وَاِنْ كَانَ يَعْرِفُ أَنَّهُ هُوَ هُوَ ، كَمَا يَقُولُ الْاِنْسَانُ : اِنِّي أَنْكَرْتُ نَفْسِي ،
    ¶ 2738

22. وَكَذَا جَهْلُهُ بِرَبِّهِ ، لِكَثْرَةِ التَّجَلِّيَاتِ الْاِلَهِيَّةِ اِذْ لَا يَتَكَرَّرُ تَجَلٍّ أَبَدَ الْآبِدِينَ وَلَا يُشْبِهُ تَجَلٍّ تَجَلِّياً أَبَداً ،
    ¶ 2739

23. فَجَهْلُ الْعَارِفِينَ هُوَ حَيْرَتُهُمْ ، بِحَيْثُ لَايَصِحُّ لَهُمْ وَلَا يُمْكِنُهُمُ الْحُكْمُ عَلَى الْمُتَجَلِّي بِحُكْمٍ ،
    ¶ 2740

24. وَهَذَا الْجَهْلُ ؛ بِمَعْنَى الْحَيْرَةِ ، وَعَدَمِ الضَّبْطِ ؛ هُوَ الَّذِي سَأَلَ السَّيِّدُ الْكَامِلُ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - الزِّيَادَةَ مِنْهُ ، فَقَالَ : « اللَّهُمَّ زِدْنِي فِيكَ تَحَيُّراً » لَا حَيْرَةَ الْحِجَابِ ،
    ¶ 2741

25. فَكُلَّمَا زَادَ الْعِلْمُ بِاللَّهِ - تَعَالَى - زَادَتِ الْحَيْرَةُ وَالْجَهْلُ ، بِالْمَعْنَى الَّذِي ذَكَرْنَاهُ ،
    ¶ 2742

26. وَقَدْ قَالَ اِمَامُ الْعَارِفِينَ مُحْيِي الدِّينِ الْحَاتِمِيُّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - : اِنَّ مَنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَزَالَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ الْحَيْرَةَ فِيهِ ،
    ¶ 2743

27. وَأَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ، مَا فَهِمْتُ هَذَا وَلَا عَرَفْتُهُ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ ؟!
    ¶ 2744

28. وَالَّذِي عَلَيْهِ أَهْلُ اللَّهِ ، بِحَسَبِ مَا وَصَلَ اِلَيْنَا ، أَنَّ مَنِ ادَّعَى الْمَعْرِفَةَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَحْتَرْ ؛ فَذَلِكَ دَلِيلُ جَهْلِهِ .
    ¶ 2745

29. قَالَ سَيِّدُنَا مُحْيِالدِّينِ فِي الْفُتُوحَاتِ :
    ¶ 2746

30. اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَنِّي لَسْتُ أَعْلَمُهُ وَكَيْفَ يُعْلَمُ مَنْ بِالْعِلْمِ نَجْهَلُهُ ؟!
    ¶ 2747

31. اِنِّي عَلِمْتُ وُجُوداً لَا يُقَيِّدُهُ نَعْتٌ بِحَقٍّ وَلَا خَلْقٍ يُفَصِّلُهُ
    ¶ 2748

32. عِلْمِي بِهِ حَيْرَتِي فِيهِ فَلَيْسَ لَنَا دَلِيلُ حَقٍّ عَلَى عِلْمٍ نُحَصِّلُهُ
    ¶ 2749

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.