The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 81 · “Our Lord descends every night”

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 156, Damascus 1966, p. 157, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 159, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 160 (archive.org)

   وَرَدَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ: «يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ اِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْأَخِيرُ» الْحَدِيثَ.

   It is reported in the sound ḥadīth: "Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven, when the last third of the night remains", and so on to the end of the ḥadīth.✦

   ¶ 477

2. نُزُولُهُ تَعَالَى؛ كِنَايَةٌ عَنْ تَجَلِّيهِ وَظُهُورِهِ، فَاِنَّ التَّجَلِّيَاتِ كُلَّهَا تَنَزُّلَاتُهُ– تَعَالَى– مِنْ سَمَاءِ الْأَحَدِيَّةِ الصِّرْفَةِ اِلَى أَرْضِ الْكَثْرَةِ.

   His descending, exalted is He, is a figurative expression for His self-disclosure and manifestation. For all self-disclosures are His descents, exalted is He, from the heaven of pure Oneness to the earth of multiplicity.✦

   ¶ 478

3. وَسَمَاءُ الدُّنْيَا؛ كِنَايَةٌ عَنْ مَظْهَرِ الصُّورَةِ الرَّحْمَانِيَّةِ الَّتِي يَظْهَرُ بِهَا الْكَامِلُ، وَهُوَ فَرْدٌ وَاحِدٌ فِي كُلِّ زَمَانٍ لَا يَتَعَدَّدُ، وَهِيَ الصِّفَةُ الْجَامِعَةُ لِصِفَاتِ الْجَمَالِ كُلِّهَا، مِنْ رَحْمَةٍ وَلُطْفٍ، وَسَتْرٍ وَحِلْمٍ، وَجُودٍ وَعَطَاءٍ، وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ.

   And "the lowest heaven" is a figurative expression for the locus of manifestation of the All-Merciful form in which the Perfect one appears. He is a single individual in every age and is not multiplied. And it is the attribute that gathers all the attributes of beauty: mercy and gentleness, veiling and forbearance, generosity and giving, and the like.✦

   ¶ 479

4. وَهَذَا التَّجَلِّي فِي هَذَا الْوَقْتِ الْمَخْصُوصِ؛ هُوَ لِلْعُبَّادِ وَالزُّهَّادِ، وَالْمُتَوَجِّهِينَ بِالْأَعْمَالِ، وَلِهَذَا كُنِيَ عَنْهُ بِسَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا.

   This self-disclosure at this particular time is for the worshippers and the ascetics, and for those who turn toward Him by means of works. That is why it was expressed figuratively by "the lowest heaven".✦

   ¶ 480

5. لِأَنَّهَا قِبْلَةُ الدَّاعِينَ،

   For it is the direction faced by those who supplicate.✦

   ¶ 481

6. وَأَمَّا الْعَارِفُونَ؛ فَتَجَلِّيهِ لَهُمْ دَائِمٌ لَا يَخْتَصُّ بِزَمَانٍ وَلَا مَكَانٍ.

   As for the knowers, His self-disclosure to them is constant; it is not confined to any time or place.✦

   ¶ 482

7. اِذِ الْحَقُّ– تَعَالَى– مُتَجَلٍّ مِنَ الْأَزَلِ، اِلَى الْأَبَدِ، لَايَزِيدُ تَجْلِيَةً وَلَا يَنْقُصُ، وَلَا يَتَغَيَّرُ، وَهُوَ– تَعَالَى– عَلَى مَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ قَبْلَ نِسْبَةِ الْمُتَجَلِّي اِلَيْهِ.

   For the Real, exalted is He, is self-disclosing from beginningless eternity to endless eternity. He does not increase in disclosure, nor decrease, nor change. And He, exalted is He, is as He is before the relation of "self-discloser" is ascribed to Him.✦

   ¶ 483

8. وَالِاخْتِلَافُ وَالتَّعَدُّدُ وَالْحُدُوثُ الْمَنْسُوبُ اِلَى التَّجَلِّي؛ اِنَّمَا هُوَ لِلْمُتَجَلَّى لَهُ بِحَسَبِ الْقَوَابِلِ وَالِاسْتِعْدَادَاتِ،

   The difference, multiplicity and temporal origination ascribed to the self-disclosure belong only to the one to whom the disclosure is made, according to the receptacles and the preparednesses.✦

   ¶ 484

9. فَفِي كُلِّ آنٍ يَحْصُلُ لِلْمُسْتَعِدِّ تَجَلٍّ بِحَسَبِ اسْتِعْدَادِهِ وَقَابِلِيَّتِهِ،

   So at every instant a self-disclosure comes to the one who is prepared, according to his preparedness and receptivity.✦

   ¶ 485

10. فَالْمَاءُ حَقِيقَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ تَخْتَلِفُ صُوَرُهُ بِاخْتِلَافِ الْقَوَالِبِ، مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ النَّبَاتَاتِ وَالْفَوَاكِهِ وَالزُّرُوعِ وَالْأَوَانِي،

    Water is a single reality whose forms differ according to the differing moulds: the kinds of plants, fruits, crops and vessels.✦

    ¶ 486

11. وَاِنَّمَا خَصَّ هَذَا التَّجَلِّيَ بِالثُّلُثِ الْآخِرِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ وَقْتُ قِيَامِ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ، وَزَمَانُ تَوَجُّهِ الْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ، وَالتَّائِبِينَ وَالدَّاعِينَ.

    He singled out this self-disclosure for the last third only because it is the time when the diligent rise for prayer, and the time when those who seek forgiveness, those who repent and those who supplicate turn toward Him.✦

    ¶ 487

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