The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 269 · “Enter by separate gates”

   In brief✦AI

   Starting from Q 12:68, where entering by separate gates availed Jacob's sons nothing against God, the Emir says Jacob knew this and wished to teach right conduct. Relying on the cause idles the Power, and abandoning it idles the Wisdom. The shaykhs have disciples abandon causes first, but Jacob's sons, a portion of prophethood, were commanded to take the cause while trusting in God, which is perfection. God praises Jacob for knowledge taught by God Himself, which no doubt shakes.

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 810, Damascus 1966, p. 811 (archive.org)

   قَالَ تَعَالَى: «وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُمْ مَا كَانَ يُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ حَاجَةً فِي نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَاهَا وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ».

   God Most High said: “And when they entered from where their father had commanded them, it availed them nothing at all against God; it was only a need in the soul of Jacob which he fulfilled. And he was truly possessed of knowledge, because of what We had taught him; but most people do not know” (Q 12:68).✦

   ¶ 3609

2. دُخُولُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُمْ هُوَ دُخُولُهُمْ مِنْ أَبْوَابٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ،

   Their entering from where their father had commanded them is their entering by separate gates;✦

   ¶ 3610

3. وَمَا كَانَ دُخُولُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُمْ يُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ، وَلَا يَرُدُّ قَضَاءَهُ تَعَالَى السَّابِقَ فِيهِمْ،

   and their entering from where their father had commanded them availed them nothing at all against God, nor did it turn back His prior decree, Most High is He, concerning them.✦

   ¶ 3611

4. وَيَعْقُوبُ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ- يَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنَّهُ أَرَادَ اَنْ يُعَلِّمَ أَوْلَادَهُ الْأَدَبَ، وَيُرَقِّيَهُمْ اِلَى ذُرْوَةِ الْكَمَالِ،

   Jacob, peace be upon him, knew this; but he wished to teach his children right conduct and to raise them to the summit of perfection.✦

   ¶ 3612

5. وَذَلِكَ لَا يَكُونُ بِفِعْلِ السَّبَبِ وَالِاعْتِمَادِ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا بِتَرْكِ السَّبَبِ رَأْساً، فَاِنَّ فِي الِاعْتِمَادِ عَلَى السَّبَبِ تَعْطِيلاً لِلْقُدْرَةِ.

   And that does not come about by performing the cause and relying on it, nor by abandoning the cause entirely; for in relying on the cause there is a rendering idle of the Power.✦

   ¶ 3613

6. وَمِنْ أَسْمَائِهِ- تَعَالَى- الْقَادِرُ، وَفِي تَرْكِ السَّبَبِ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةًتَعْطِيلٌ لِلْحِكْمَةِ، وَمِنْ أَسْمَائِهِ- تَعَالَى- الْحَكِيمُ،

   Among His names, Most High is He, is the Powerful; and in abandoning the cause altogether there is a rendering idle of the Wisdom, and among His names, Most High is He, is the Wise.✦

   ¶ 3614

7. فَمَا وَضَعَ الْأَسْبَابَ وَسَتَرَ اقْتِدَارَهُ بِهَا عَبَثاً،

   So He did not set down the causes and veil His exercise of power with them in vain.✦

   ¶ 3615

8. وَهَذَا الَّذِي صَدَرَ مِنْ يَعْقُوبَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ- خِلَافُ مَا جَرَى عَلَيْهِ مَشَايِخُ الطَّرِيقِ، فَاِنَّهُمْ يَأْمُرُونَ الْمُرِيدَ أَوَّلاً بِتَرْكِ الْأَسْبَابِ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً، لِيَتَمَكَّنَ فِي مَقَامِ التَّوَكُّلِ.

   What issued from Jacob, peace be upon him, is contrary to the practice of the shaykhs of the Path. They command the disciple first to abandon causes altogether, so that he may become firmly established in the station of trust.✦

   ¶ 3616

9. فَاِذَا تَمَكَّنَ رَجَعَ اِلَى الْأَسْبَابِ بِظَاهِرِهِ، وَقَلْبُهُ مَعَ مُسَبِّبِ الْأَسْبَابِ،

   Then, once he is established, he returns to the causes with his outward self, while his heart is with the Causer of causes;✦

   ¶ 3617

10. وَذَلِكَ لِضَعْفِ الْمُرِيدِينَ وَبُعْدِهِمْ مِنْ أَنْوَارِ النُّبُوَّةِ، بِخِلَافِ أَوْلَادِ يَعْقُوبَ، فَاِنَّهُمْ بَضْعَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَجُزْؤُهَا، لَا يَتَعَسَّرُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا يَتَعَسَّرُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ،

    that is because of the weakness of disciples and their distance from the lights of prophethood. It is otherwise with the sons of Jacob: they are a portion of prophethood and a part of it, and what is hard for others is not hard for them.✦

    ¶ 3618

11. فَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالسَّبَبِ حَالَةَ التَّوَكُّلِ، وَهُوَ الْكَمَالُ، قَالَ لَهُمْ: ادْخُلُوا مِنْ أَبْوَابٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ، وَهُوَ السَّبَبُ.

    So he commanded them to take the cause while in the state of trust, and that is perfection. He said to them: “Enter by separate gates” (cf. Q 12:67), and that is the cause.✦

    ¶ 3619

12. وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالتَّوَكُّلِ عَلَى اللَّهِ- تَعَالَى- وَالِاعْتِمَادِ عَلَيْهِ دُونَ السَّبَبِ بِقَوْلِهِ: «إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ»

    And he commanded them to trust in God Most High and to rely on Him rather than on the cause, with his words: “Judgement belongs to God alone; in Him I have put my trust, and in Him let those who trust put their trust” (Q 12:67).✦

    ¶ 3620

13. وَهَذِهِ حَاجَةُ يَعْقُوبَ الَّتِي قَضَاهَا،

    And this is the need of Jacob which he fulfilled,✦

    ¶ 3621

14. فَاِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ بِاللَّهِ- تَعَالَى- أَرْحَمُ الْخَلْقِ بِالْخَلْقِ، لَاسِيَّمَا الْأَنْبِيَاءُ- عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ- لَاسِيَّمَا بِالْأَقْرَبِينَ فَاِنَّهُمْ أَوْلَى بِالْمَعْرُوفِ،

    for those who know God Most High are the most merciful of creatures towards creatures, above all the prophets, upon them be blessing and peace, and above all towards their nearest kin, for these have the first claim to kindness.✦

    ¶ 3622

15. وَلِهَذَا أَمَرَ تَعَالَى رَسُولَهُ مُحَمَّداً- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- بِاِنْذَارِ الْأَقْرَبِينَ ابْتِدَاءً، فَقَالَ لَهُ: «وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ».

    For this reason God Most High commanded His Messenger Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace, to warn the nearest kin first, saying to him: “And warn your nearest kinsfolk” (Q 26:214).✦

    ¶ 3623

16. فَصَعِدَ الصَّفَا وَنَادَى ابْنَتَهُ، ثُمَّ عَمَّهُ، ثُمَّ بَنِي عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ، ثُمَّ قَبَائِلَ قُرَيْشٍ..

    So he climbed al-Ṣafā and called out to his daughter, then to his uncle, then to the Banū ʿAbd Manāf, then to the clans of Quraysh...✦

    ¶ 3624

17. ثُمَّ بَعْدَ مَا قَصَّ اللَّهُ- تَعَالَى- قِصَّةَ يَعْقُوبَ مَعَ بَنِيهِ، أَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ تَعَالَى بِالْعِلْمِ، وَلَا ثَنَاءَ أَعْلَى مِنَ الثَّنَاءِ بِالْعِلْمِ، فَاِنَّهُ أَشْرَفُ الْمَقَامَاتِ،

    Then, after God Most High had related the story of Jacob with his sons, He praised him, Most High is He, for knowledge; and there is no praise higher than praise for knowledge, for it is the noblest of stations,✦

    ¶ 3625

18. دَفْعاً لِمَا يَتَوَهَّمُهُ الْقَاصِرُونَ مِنِ انْحِطَاطِ مُتَعَاطِي الْأَسْبَابِ ظَاهِراً مَعَ التَّوَكُّلِ بَاطِناً عَنْ رُتْبَةِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ ظَاهِراً،

    to ward off what the shortsighted imagine: that one who engages in causes outwardly while trusting inwardly falls below the rank of one who trusts outwardly.✦

    ¶ 3626

19. وَهَذَا الْوَهْمُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَكْثَرِ النَّاسِ، وَلِذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى:

    This illusion prevails over most people; and for this reason He, Most High, said:✦

    ¶ 3627

20. «وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ».

    “But most people do not know” (Q 12:68).✦

    ¶ 3628

21. ثُمَّ زَادَ تَعَالَى يَعْقُوبَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ- تَشْرِيفاً، بِأَنَّ عِلْمَ يَعْقُوبَ لَيْسَ هُوَ عَنْ نَظَرٍ وَفِكْرٍ وَتَعَلُّمٍ مِنْ مَخْلُوقٍ، وَاِنَّمَا هُوَ تَعَالَى مُعَلِّمُهُ، يَعْقُوبُ مُتَعَلِّمُهُ، «وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ» أَنَّ الْحَقَّ تَعَالَى قَدْ يَتَوَلَّى تَعْلِيمَ بَعْضِ عَبِيدِهِ، وَأَنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي يُعَلِّمُهُ اللَّهُ هُوَ الْعِلْمُ الْحَقِيقِيُّ، فَاِنَّهُ الْعِلْمُ الثَّابِتُ الَّذِي لَا تُزَلْزِلُهُ الشُّبَهُ وَلَا تَطْرُقُهُ الشُّكُوكُ.

    Then He, exalted is He, increased Jacob, peace be upon him, in honour: Jacob's knowledge does not come from speculative reasoning, reflection, or learning from a created being; rather He, exalted is He, is his teacher, Jacob His pupil. “But most people do not know” (Q 12:68) that the Real, exalted is He, may take upon Himself the teaching of some of His servants, and that this knowledge which God teaches is the true knowledge. For it is the firm knowledge which specious doubts do not shake and uncertainties do not assail.✦

    ¶ 3629

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