The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 323 · Jesus: “I do not know what is in Your self”

   Context: the Emir reads Jesus’s words in Q 5:116 through Sufi metaphysics. It is a reflection on knowledge, not a statement of creed.

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 1045, Damascus 1966, p. 1046 (archive.org)

   قَالَ تَعَالَى، حِكَايَةً لِقَوْلِ عِيسَى ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ـ وَمُقَرِّراً لَهُ: تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ مَافِي نَفْسِكَ

   God Most High said, relating the words of Jesus (peace be upon him) and confirming them: "You know what is in my self, and I do not know what is in Your self" (Q 5:116).✦

   ¶ 1097

2. وَهِيَ حِكَايَةُ حَالٍ آتِيَةٍ، فَاِنَّ السُّؤَالَ وَالْجَوَابَ عَنْهُ بِهَذَا اِنَّمَا يَكُونُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي الْمُقَيَّدَةِ الَّتِي هِيَ نَفْسُكَ الْمُطْلَقَةُ، وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ الْمُطْلَقَةِ الَّتِي هِيَ نَفْسِي الْمُقَيَّدَةُ•

   It is the relating of a state yet to come, for the question, and the answer to it with these words, will take place only on the Day of Resurrection: You know what is in my delimited self, which is Your absolute self, and I do not know what is in Your absolute self, which is my delimited self.✦

   ¶ 1098

3. وَاِنَّ الْمُقَيَّدَ عَيْنُ الْمُطْلَقِ مَعَ زِيَادَةِ تَقْيِيدٍ فَهُوَ عَيْنُهُ عَقْلاً، غَيْرُهُ خَارِجاً،

   And the delimited is the very same as the absolute, with an added delimitation: it is identical with it in the mind, and other than it in external existence;✦

   ¶ 1099

4. وَالنَّفْسُ الْمُطْلَقَةُ لَمَّا تَقَيَّدَتْ خَارِجاً، تَقَيَّدَ عِلْمُهَا وَجَمِيعُ مَا يُنْسَبُ اِلَيْهَا مِنَ النِّسَبِ،

   and when the absolute self became delimited in external existence, its knowledge became delimited, as did all the relations ascribed to it,✦

   ¶ 1100

5. فَاِنَّ الْمُقَيَّدَ لَا يَكُونُ مِنْهُ اِلاَّ مُقَيَّدٌ عِلْمُهُ وَاِدْرَاكُهُ وَفِعْلُهُ وَقُدْرَتُهُ، فَلَا يُدْرِكُ اِلَّا مُقَيَّداً، لَا يُدْرِكُ الْمُطْلَقَ عَلَى اِطْلَاقِهِ أَبَداً،

   for from the delimited nothing comes but what is delimited: its knowledge, its perception, its act and its power. So it perceives only what is delimited; it never perceives the absolute in its absoluteness.✦

   ¶ 1101

6. فَالْمُطْلَقُ لَا يُدْرَكُاِنَّمَا يُدْرَكُ مِنْهُ بَعْضُ الْوُجُوهِ وَالِاعْتِبَارَاتِ،

   The absolute, then, is not perceived; only some of its aspects and respects are perceived,✦

   ¶ 1102

7. وَالْعِلْمُ الْحَقِيقِيُّ هُوَ الَّذِي يُحِيطُ بِالْعُلُومِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ وُجُوهِهِ وَاعْتِبَارَاتِهِ،

   and true knowledge is that which encompasses the things known from all their aspects and respects;✦

   ¶ 1103

8. فَلَوْ أُدْرِكَ اِدْرَاكاً حَقِيقِيّاً لَصَارَ مُقَيَّداً وَانْقَلَبَتْ حَقِيقَتُهُ، وَقَدْ فَرَضْنَاهُ مُطْلَقاً، وَانْقِلَابُ الْحَقَائِقِ مُحَالٌ•

   so if it were perceived with true perception, it would become delimited and its reality would be turned into another, whereas we have posited it as absolute, and the transmutation of realities is impossible.✦

   ¶ 1104

9. فَالْعِلْمُ بِالْمُطْلَقِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ وُجُوهِهِ وَاعْتِبَارَاتِهِ مُحَالٌ•

   Therefore knowledge of the absolute from all its aspects and respects is impossible.✦

   ¶ 1105

10. وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْاِطْلَاقَ اِذَا أَطْلَقْنَاهُ فِي حَقِّ الْحَقِّ- تَعَالَى- اِنَّمَا نُرِيدُ عَدَمَ التَّقَيُّدِ بِالْاِطْلَاقِ وَالتَّقْيِيدِ، فَهُوَ غَيْرُ مُقَيَّدٍ بِالْاِطْلَاقِ•

    Know that when we apply "absoluteness" to the Real (Most High), we mean only His not being delimited by absoluteness or by delimitation; He is not delimited by absoluteness.✦

    ¶ 1106

11. وَاِذَا أَطْلَقْنَا فِي حَقِّ الْمُمْكِنِ فَاِنَّمَا نُرِيدُ تَقَيُّدَهُ بِالْاِطْلَاقِ•

    And when we apply it to the contingent, we mean only its being delimited by absoluteness.✦

    ¶ 1107

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