The Book of Stations
المواقف
Context: Whether the Fire ends was disputed: Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Qayyim held it may pass away; Ibn ʿArabī held it lasts but its torment (ʿadhāb) turns sweet (ʿadhb); the Sunni majority affirm both abodes endless. The Emir sides with endlessness, reading statements of 'ending' as measured periods, rational possibility or particular groups.AI
قَالَ تَعَالَى فِي السُّعَدَاءِ: «وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ سُعِدُوا فَفِي ٱلْجَنَّةِ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا»
He, exalted is He, said concerning the blessed: “And as for those who are blessed, they are in the Garden, abiding therein” (Q 11:108).
In briefAI
The Emir states that the Garden and the Fire endure without end through God's making them endure, and that both the scholars of the outward and the people of unveiling agree on this. He then explains al-Jīlī's claim that their 'eternities' come to an end in three ways. Each eternity may be one measure that God renews without end, as the qadar verses require. Cessation may be only a rational judgement about originated things. Or it may be something shown by unveiling. He warns against taking al-Jīlī literally, and cites al-Jīlī's own denial that the Garden and the Fire pass away.
See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 1053 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 1054 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 1055 ↗ (archive.org)
وَقَالَ فِي الْأَشْقِيَاءِ: «فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ شَقُوا فَفِي ٱلنَّارِ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌ وَشَهِيقٌ، خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا»
And He said concerning the wretched: “As for those who are wretched, they are in the Fire; for them therein is sighing and gasping, abiding therein” (Q 11:106–107).
اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ بَاقِيَتَانِ بِاِبْقَاءِ اللَّهِ، لَا نِهَايَةَ لِبَقَائِهِمَا وَلَا انْقِطَاعَ، بِاتِّفَاقِ الْأُمَّةِ مِنْ عُلَمَاءِ الظَّاهِرِ وَأَهْلِ الْكَشْفِ الصَّحِيحِ.
Know that the Garden and the Fire endure through God's making them endure. There is no end to their endurance and no cessation. On this the community is agreed, both the scholars of the outward and the people of sound unveiling.
وَقَدْ سَأَلَنِي بَعْضُ الْأَصْحَابِ عَنْ قَوْلِ الشَّيْخِ الْمُحَقِّقِ الْعَارِفِ الْكَامِلِ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ الْجِيلِيِّ فِي كِتَابِهِ «الْاِنْسَانِ الْكَامِلِ» فِي بَابِ الْأَبَدِ،
One of the companions asked me about the words of the shaykh, the verifier, the perfect knower ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Jīlī, in his book “The Perfect Human”, in the chapter on eternity:
وَلَابُدَّ أَنْ تَحْكُمَ بِانْقِطَاعِ الْآبَادِ، آبَادِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَآبَادِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ،
“And you must judge that the eternities come to an end: the eternities of the people of the Garden and the eternities of the people of the Fire,
وَلَوْ دَامَتْ وَطَالَ الْحُكْمُ بِبَقَائِهَا فَاِنَّ بَعْدِيَّةَ الْحَقِّ تُلْزِمُنَا أَنْ نَحْكُمَ عَلَى مَا سِوَاهُ بِالِانْقِطَاعِ، فَلَيْسَ لِلْمَخْلُوقِ أَنْ يُسَايِرَهُ فِي بَقَائِهِ.
even if they last and the ruling of their endurance is long; for the afterness of the Real obliges us to judge that whatever is other than Him comes to an end. A created thing cannot keep pace with Him in His endurance.
وَهَذَا الْحُكْمُ وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَاهُ فِي الْكَلَامِ بِعِبَارَةٍ مَعْقُولَةٍ فَاِنَّا قَدْ شَاهَدْنَاهُ كَشْفاً وَعِيَاناً، فَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِنْ وَمَنْ شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ.
This ruling, even though we have set it down in speech in rationally intelligible terms, we have beheld through unveiling and direct sight; so “whoever wills, let him believe, and whoever wills, let him disbelieve” (cf. Q 18:29).”
فَاَجَبْتُهُ بِاَنَّهُ يَصِحُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْحَقُّ ـ تَعَالَى ـ قَدْ جَعَلَ لِكُلِّ أَبَدٍ مِنْ آبَادِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَالنَّارِ قَدَراً وَاحِداً، فَاِذَا انْتَهَى جَدَّدَ لَهُمَا أَبَداً.
I answered him that it may rightly be that the Real, exalted is He, has assigned to each eternity of the eternities of the Garden and the Fire a single measure; and when it ends, He renews for them an eternity.
وَهَكَذَا اِلَى غَيْرِ نِهَايَةٍ لِيَصِحَّ عُمُومُ قَوْلِهِ: «إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ».
And so on without end, so that the universality of His words may hold: “Indeed, We have created everything with measure” (Q 54:49).
وَقَوْلِهِ: «وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ».
And His words: “And everything with Him is by measure” (Q 13:8).
وَقَوْلِهِ: «وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيراً».
And His words: “And He created everything and measured it out with a measuring” (Q 25:2).
أَيْ جَعَلَ لِكُلِّ مَخْلُوقٍ خَلَقَهُ قَدَراً وَاحِداً وَوَقْتاً لَا يَنْقُصُ عَنْهُ وَلَا يَتَجَاوَزُهُ، فَاِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُجَدِّدَ لَهُ قَدَراً وَوَقْتاً آخَرَ جَدَّدَهُ،
That is, He assigned to each creature He created a single measure and a time which it neither falls short of nor exceeds; and when He wills to renew for it another measure and time, He renews it.
وَأَيْضاً اِذِ الْقَدَرُ هُوَ التَّوْقِيتُ وَمِنْهُ: «كُلُّ شَيْءٍ بِقَضَاءٍ وَقَدَرٍ» الْحَدِيثَ.
Quotes a hadith: Muslim 2656, in other words · in a Ṣaḥīḥ, no separate grade · sunnah.com ↗
Moreover, since qadar is the assigning of fixed times, and from this comes: “Everything is by decree and measure” (the ḥadīth).
وَأَيْضاً أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ حَادِثَتَانِ، وَكُلُّ حَادِثٍ يُحْكَمُ عَلَيْهِ بِالِانْقِطَاعِ وَعَدَمِ الْبَقَاءِ جَوَازاً وَحُكْماً عَقْلِيَّيْنِ، وَلَوْ طَالَ بَقَاؤُهُ،
Moreover, the Garden and the Fire are originated, and of every originated thing it is judged that it comes to an end and does not endure, as a rational possibility and a rational ruling, however long its endurance,
وَلَوْلَا أَنَّ الشَّارِعَ أَخْبَرَ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ مَخْلُوقَتَانِ لِلْبَقَاءِ وَعَدَمِ الِانْقِطَاعِ لَكَانَا كَسَائِرِ الْمُحْدَثَاتِ عَقْلاً.
and were it not that the Lawgiver has reported that the Garden and the Fire are created for endurance and non-cessation, they would be, rationally, like all other originated things.
وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ ـ تَعَالَى ـ قَدْ يُظْهِرُ فِي الْكَشْفِ لِلْمُكَاشَفِ مَالَا يَتَنَاهَى مُتَنَاهِياً،
And God, exalted is He, may show, in unveiling, to the one to whom it is unveiled what is without limit as limited,
وَقَدْ يُظْهِرُ الْمُتَنَاهِيَ غَيْرَ مُتَنَاهٍ اِظْهَاراً لِلِاقْتِدَارِ الْاِلَهِيِّ مُشَاهَدَةً، اِذْ مَا رَاءٍ كَمَنْ سَمِعَا،
and He may show the limited as unlimited, displaying the divine power to be beheld; for one who sees is not like one who has heard,
فَاِنَّهُ لَا يُعْجِزُهُ شَيْءٌ تَعَالَى ، فَهُوَ الْقَادِرُ بِاَنْ يَجْمَعَ بَيْنَ الضِّدَّيْنِ وَيُرِيَكَ الْوَاحِدَ بِالشَّخْصِ فِي الْآنِ الْوَاحِدِ فِي مَكَانَيْنِ ، فَاِنَّ الْمُسْتَحِيلَاتِ الْعَقْلِيَّةَ لَيْسَتْ بِمُسْتَحِيلَةٍ نِسْبَةً اِلَهِيَّةً ،
وَأَمَّا صُورَةُ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ مِنْ حَيْثُ الْخَلْقُ الْجَدِيدُ فَاِنَّهَا تَتَبَدَّلُ فِي كُلِّ نَفَسٍ كَسَائِرِ صُوَرِ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ ، غَيْرَ الصُّوَرِ الْعِلْمِيَّةِ وَالْعَقْلِيَّةِ ، اِذِ الْخَلْقُ الْجَدِيدُ لَازِمٌ لِجَمِيعِ صُوَرِ الْمُحْدَثَاتِ ، دُنْيَا وَبَرْزَخاً وَآخِرَةً،
وَاَنَّ مِنَ الْمَوْجُودَاتِ مَا لَا أَوَّلَ لَهُ وَلَا آخِرَ ، وَلَيْسَ اِلَّا الْحَقُّ – تَعَالَى –
وَاَنَّ مِنْهَا مَالَهُ أَوَّلٌ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ آخِرٌ ، كَالْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ وَمَاخَلَقَهُ اللَّهُ لِلْبَقَاءِ بِاِخْبَارِ الشَّارِعِ ،
وَاَنَّ مِنْهَا مَا لَهُ أَوَّلٌ وَآخِرٌ وَهِيَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا
وَإِيَّاكَ وَإِيَّاكَ ثُمَّ اِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَأْخُذَ كَلَامَ الشَّيْخِ الْجِيلِيِّ عَلَى ظَاهِرِهِ وَتَقُولَ بِانْقِطَاعِ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ عَيْناً ،
وَاِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ كَمَا قُلْنَا فِي الْآيَةِ ، أَوْ حُكْماً عَقْلِيّاً لِئَلَّا يُشَارِكَ الْحَقَّ – تَعَالَى – فِي صِفَةِ الْبَقَاءِ أَوْ كَشْفاً لِمَنْ كُوشِفَ بِذَلِكَ لِحِكْمَةٍ يَرَاهَا تَعَالَى •
وَقَدْ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ الْجِيلِيُّ نَفْسُهُ فِيمَا كَتَبَهُ عَلَى بَعْضِ الْأَسْرَارِ مِنَ الْفُتُوحَاتِ مَا نَصُّهُ:
فَلَا تَحْمِلْ كَلَامَ الشَّيْخِ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ – فِي الْفُتُوحَاتِ مِنْ أَنَّ عُمْرَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ كَذَا كَذَا سَنَةً عَلَى ظَاهِرِهِ ،
بَلْ ذَلِكَ مِنْ وَقْتٍ مَخْصُوصٍ اِلَى وَقْتٍ مَخْصُوصٍ ••
اِلَى أَنْ قَالَ :
وَلَمَّا كَانَ الْعَالَمُ الْأُخْرَوِيُّ نُسْخَةً مِنْ بَاطِنِ الْاِنْسَانِ وَرُوحِهِ ، اِذْ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا نُسْخَةٌ مِنَ الْآخَرِ ، فَكَانَتِ الْآخِرَةُ كَالرُّوحِ الْاِنْسَانِيَّةِ بَاقِيَةًبِبَقَاءِ اللَّهِ –تَعَالَى–،
فَلَا تَتَوَهَّمْ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ تَفْنَى •
وَمَا وَرَدَ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ تَفْنَى وَيَنْبُتُ فِي مَحَلِّهَا شَجَرُ الْجِرْجِيرِ ، اِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَقْوَامٍ مَخْصُوصَةٍ ،
فَفَنَاؤُهَا وَزَوَالُهَا فَنَاءٌ مُقَيَّدٌ لَا فَنَاءٌ مُطْلَقٌ ،
لِأَنَّ الْآخِرَةَ مَحَلُّ شُهُودِ الْأَعْيَانِ الثَّابِتَةِ الَّتِي هِيَ مَعْلُومَاتُ الْعِلْمِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ – تَعَالَى – يُظْهِرُهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ فَيُرَى كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهَا عَلَى حَسَبِ حَالِهِ وَمَقَامِهِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ،
وَلَا شَكَّ أَنَّ النَّارَ مَعْلُومُ الْعِلْمِ الْاِلَهِيِّ فَلَا سَبِيلَ اِلَى زَوَالِ الْمَعْلُومِ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ •
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.