The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 192 · “Seek refuge in God from Satan”

   In brief✦AI

   Starting from Q 16:98, “seek refuge in God from Satan”, the Emir reads it as addressed to one who has recited the Qurʾān (the presence of gathering, beholding the Real without creation) and then descends to the Furqān (creation seen with the Real, where causes and intermediaries must be heeded). Satan has power only over those who fear him and so make him a partner. The One sought for refuge is the One refuge is sought from, as in the ḥadīth “with whose name nothing harms”.

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 419, Damascus 1966, p. 420, Damascus 1966, p. 421, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 395, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 396, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 397 (archive.org)

   قَالَ تَعَالَى: «فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ» اِلَخْ الْآيَةِ.

   He, exalted is He, said: “When you recite the Qurʾān, seek refuge in God from Satan the accursed” (Q 16:98), to the end of the verse.✦

   ¶ 2885

2. أَيْ اِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ، ثُمَّ نَزَلْتَ اِلَى قِرَاءَةِ الْفُرْقَانِ فَاسْتَعِذْ،

   That is: when you have recited the Qurʾān, and then descended to the reciting of the Furqān, seek refuge,✦

   ¶ 2886

3. لِأَنَّ حَضْرَةَ الْقُرْآنِ حَضْرَةُ الْجَمْعِ، وَالْوُجُودِ حَضْرَةُ الذَّاتِ، الْجَامِعَةِ الْأَحَدِيَّةِ، وَهُوَ حَالُ شُهُودِ حَقٍّ بِلَا خَلْقٍ، وَهُوَ الْمَعْرُوفُ عِنْدَ سَادَاتِنَا— رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ— بِوَحْدَةِ الشُّهُودِ.

   because the presence of the Qurʾān is the presence of gathering and of Being, the presence of the Essence, all-gathering and one; and it is the state of beholding the Real without creation, and it is what is known among our masters — God's good pleasure be upon them — as the oneness of beholding.✦

   ¶ 2887

4. وَهَٰذِهِ الْحَضْرَةُ لَا شَيْطَانَ فِيهَا،

   In this presence there is no Satan;✦

   ¶ 2888

5. ثُمَّ بَعْدَ قِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ، رَجَعْتَ اِلَى قِرَاءَةِ الْفُرْقَانِ، مَقَامِ شُهُودِ خَلْقٍ قَائِمٍ بِحَقٍّ، وَهُوَ الْمَعْرُوفُ عِنْدَ السَّادَةِ بِوَحْدَةِ الْوُجُودِ، حَضْرَةُ الصِّفَاتِ وَالْكَثْرَةِ الِاعْتِبَارِيَّةِ،

   then, after reciting the Qurʾān, you return to reciting the Furqān, the station of beholding creation standing by the Real, which is what is known among the masters as the oneness of Being, the presence of the attributes and of notional multiplicity;✦

   ¶ 2889

6. فَحِينَئِذٍ يَلْزَمُكَ بَعْدَ قِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَالرُّجُوعِ اِلَى الْفُرْقَانِ، مُلَاحَظَةُ الْحِكَمِ الْاِلَٰهِيَّةِ، وَمُرَاعَاةُ الْأَسْبَابِ وَالْوَسَائِطِ، حَسَبَ أَمْرِ الشَّارِعِ بِذَٰلِكَ.

   So then, after reciting the Qurʾān and returning to the Furqān, it is incumbent on you to heed the divine wisdoms and to observe the secondary causes and intermediaries, as the Lawgiver has commanded.✦

   ¶ 2890

7. فَتَتَّقِي مَا أَمَرَكَ بِاتِّقَائِهِ، وَتَسْلُكُ حَيْثُمَا سَلَكَ بِكَ.

   So you guard against what He commanded you to guard against, and you travel wherever He leads you.✦

   ¶ 2891

8. فَاِنَّهُ جَعَلَ لِلْخَيْرِ أَسْبَاباً وَلِلشَّرِّ أَسْبَاباً، وَمِنْ جُمْلَتِهَا الشَّيْطَانُ الرَّجِيمُ، فَاِنَّهُ مَظْهَرُ الْاِضْلَالِ وَالْاِغْوَاءِ،

   For He has appointed causes for good and causes for evil, and among them is Satan the accursed, for he is the locus of manifestation of leading astray and seduction;✦

   ¶ 2892

9. فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ وَتَحَصَّنْ مِنْهُ بِهِ تَعَالَى،

   so seek refuge in God, and fortify yourself against him by Him, exalted is He;✦

   ¶ 2893

10. ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَ تَعَالَى أَنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَيْسَ لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ وَغَلَبَةٌ بِقُوَّتِهِ الذَّاتِيَّةِ، عَلَى الَّذِينَ أَمَنُوا وَصَدَّقُوا بِأَنْ لَاضَارٌّ وَلَا نَافِعٌ وَلَا هَادِيَ وَلَا مُضِلٌّ؛ اِلَاّ هُوَ تَعَالَى، وَأَنَّهُ الْخَالِقُ لِلشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ، الْمُنْفَرِدُ بِاِيجَادِ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ،

    Then He, exalted is He, reported that Satan has no authority or dominance, by any power of his own, over those who believe and hold true that there is no harmer and no benefiter, no guide and no misleader, except Him, exalted is He, and that He is the creator of evil and good, alone in bringing every thing into existence, alone, without partner;✦

    ¶ 2894

11. فَالْآيَةُ مُشِيرَةٌ اِلَى أَنَّ الْمُسْتَعَاذَ بِهِ هُوَ الْمُسْتَعَاذُ مِنْهُ.

    So the verse points to this: the One in whom refuge is sought is the One from whom refuge is sought.✦

    ¶ 2895

12. وَلِذَا قَالَ السَّيِّدُ الْكَامِلُ— صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ— فِي الْخَبَرِ الَّذِي أَخْرَجَهُ أَصْحَابُ السُّنَنِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ: «بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَايَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ».

    That is why the Perfect Master — God bless him and grant him peace — said, in the report transmitted by the authors of the four Sunan: “In the name of God, with whose name nothing harms in the earth or in the heaven.”✦

    ¶ 2896

13. أَيْ أَسْتَعِيذُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، فَذَكَرَ الْمُسْتَعَاذَ بِهِ وَمَا ذَكَرَ الْمُسْتَعَاذَ مِنْهُ، اِشَارَةً اِلَى أَنَّهُ هُوَ هُوَ،

    That is: “I seek refuge by the name of God”; so he mentioned the One in whom refuge is sought and did not mention that from which refuge is sought, as an indication that He is He;✦

    ¶ 2897

14. فَيُسْتَعَاذُ بِأَسْمَاءِ الرَّحْمَةِ وَالْجَمَالِ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ الْقَهْرِ وَالْجَلَالِ،

    so refuge is sought by the names of mercy and beauty from the names of subjugation and majesty;✦

    ¶ 2898

15. فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ اسْمَ الْجَامِعِ لَايُسْتَعَاذُ بِهِ، وَيُسْتَعَاذُ مِنْهُ،

    so he mentioned “God”, the name of the All-Comprehending: refuge is not sought by it, and refuge is sought from it;✦

    ¶ 2899

16. ثُمَّ زَادَ الْاِشَارَةَ اِيضَاحاً بِقَوْلِهِ: «الَّذِي لَايَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ» الضَّارِّ شَيْءٌ مِمَّا يُنْسَبُ اِلَيْهِ الضَّرَرُ مِنْ شَيْطَانٍ وَمِنْ كُلٍّ مَاذَرَأَ وَبَرَأَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفِي السَّمَاءِ،

    Then he made the indication clearer still by his words “with whose name” — the Harmer — “nothing harms”: nothing of what harm is ascribed to, whether a devil or anything He has spread forth and brought into being in the earth and in the heaven;✦

    ¶ 2900

17. فَلَا تَأْثِيرَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي ضَرَرِ مَخْلُوقٍ أَصْلاً ،
    ¶ 2901

18. وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ، جَعَلُوهُ وَكِيلَهُمْ حَسَبَ أَمْرِهِ لَهُمْ بِقَوْلِهِ :
    ¶ 2902

19. « وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا » .
    ¶ 2903

20. فَجَعَلُوهُ الْقَائِمَ مِنْهُمْ بِجَمِيعِ مُهِمَّاتِهِمْ ، وَاسْتَكْفَوْا بِهِ فَكَفَاهُمْ ،
    ¶ 2904

21. ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَ — تَعَالَى — عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْحَصْرِ : أَنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ اِنَّمَا قُوَّتُهُ وَسُلْطَانُهُ بِتَسْلِيطِ اللَّهِ وَأَقْدَارِهِ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُ .
    ¶ 2905

22. تَوْلِيَتُهُمْ اِيَّاهُ ؛ بِمَعْنَى اشْتِغَالِهِمْ بِهِ اشْتِغَالَ الْوَلِيِّ بِوَلِيِّهِ ، وَالصَّاحِبِ بِصَاحِبِهِ ، اِمَّا مَحَبَّةً وَرِضًى بِمَا يُلْقِيهِ ، كَالْكَافِرِ الصَّرِيحِ ، أَوْ خَوْفاً مِنْ شَرِّهِ ، كَحَالِ الْمَحْجُوبِينَ مِنَ الْعُبَّادِ وَالزُّهَّادِ ، الَّذِينَ هُمْ دَائِماً يَتَرَصَّدُونَهُ خَوْفاً مِنْهُ ،
    ¶ 2906

23. وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِهِ مُشْرِكُونَ ، أَيْ جَعَلُوا الشَّيْطَانَ شَرِيكاً لَهُ – تَعَالَى – ، فِي اِيصَالِ الضُّرِّ وَالشَّرِّ ، وَلَوْلَا هَذَا لَمَا خَافُوهُ كُلَّ الْخَوْفِ .
    ¶ 2907

24. فَاِنَّهُ – تَعَالَى – يَقُولُ : « فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ⁽¹⁾ » .
    ¶ 2908

25. فَلِهَذَا أَسْلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ اِلَى الشَّيْطَانِ ، وَجَعَلَ لَهُ سُلْطَاناً وَغَلَبَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ، وَلِذَا وَرَدَ فِي الْخَبَرِ : « مَنْ خَافَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ سُلِّطَ عَلَيْهِ » .
    ¶ 2909

26. أَيْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ – تَعَالَى – لَهُ سُلْطَةً وَغَلَبَةً عَلَيْهِ ،
    ¶ 2910

27. لِأَنَّ مَنْ خَافَ مَخْلُوقاً فَقَدْ أَدْخَلَ نَفْسَهُ تَحْتَ حُكْمِهِ ، وَجَعَلَهُ مَلْحُوظاً لَهُ ، فَيُعَاقِبُهُ اللَّهُ – تَعَالَى – عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِتَسْلِيطِ ذَلِكَ الْمَخُوفِ عَلَيْهِ .
    ¶ 2911

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