appearance through Him; but in Himself He transcends every "how" and "why". Everything is perceived by Him, while he is beyond perception. The outward eye is too dull to behold His beauty, and the eye of the heart is dimmed by the contemplation of His perfection. Thou, for whose love I've sacrificed existence, Flash XIV By the word "existence" is sometimes meant simply the state of being or existing, which is a generic concept or an abstract idea. Taken in this sense, "existence" is an "idea of the second intention ", which has no external object corresponding with it. It is one of the accidents of the "quidity "5 [or real nature of the thing], which exists only in thought, as has been proved by the reasonings of scholastic theologians and philosophers. But sometimes "existence" signifies the Real Being, who is Self-existent, and on whom the existence of all other beings depends; and in truth there is no real objective existence beside Him all other beings are merely 1 Birangi, absence of visible or knowable qualities. 2 Koran, ii, 132. 3 Wajul, usually "necessary being" as opposed to " Jāmi wrote a treatise on it, quoted in the Dabistān, ch. xii. contingent". 1 Maʻqūlāt i thāniyah. In scholastic terminology terms of the second intention are those which express abstractions from concrete individual objects, e.g. genus, species, etc. Rabelais made fun of this term: "Utrum chimæra bombinans in vacuo comedere possit secundas intentiones?" 5 Quidity, what a thing is, a word derived by the Schoolmen from māhiyat. See Schmölders' Documenta Philosophiæ Arabum, p. 133. accidents accessory to Him, as is attested by the intuitive apprehension of the most famous Gnostics and "Men of Certitude". The word ["existence"] is applicable to the "Truth" most glorious in the latter sense only. Things that exist to men of narrow view To men of light substance is accident, Flash XV The attributes are distinct from the Real Being in thought, but are identical with Him in fact and reality. For instance, the Real Being is omniscient in respect of His quality of knowledge; omnipotent in respect of His power; absolute in respect of His will. Doubtless, just as these attributes are distinct from each other in idea, according to their respective meanings, so they are distinct from the Real Being; but in fact and reality they are identical with Him. In other words, there are not in Him many existences, but only one sole existence, and his various names and attributes are merely His modes and aspects. Pure is Thy essence from deficiency, Expressed its "how and "where can never be ; Thy attributes appear distinct, but are One with Thy essence in reality. Flush XVI The Real Being, quá Being, is above all names and attributes, and exempt from all conditions and relations. The attribution to Him of these names only holds good in respect of His aspect towards the world of phenomena. In the first manifestation, wherein He revealed Himself, of Himself, to Himself, were realized the attributes of Knowledge, Light, Existence, and Presence. Knowledge “In Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts xvii, 28). involved the power of knowing and that of being known; Light implied those of manifesting and of being manifest; Existence and Presence entailed those of causing to exist and of being existent, and those of beholding and of being beheld. And thus the manifestation which is a characteristic of Light is preceded by concealment ; and concealment, by its very nature, has the priority over, and is antecedent to, manifestation; hence the concealed and the manifested are counted as first and second. And in like manner in the case of the second and third manifestations, etc., as long as it pleases God to continue them, these conditions and relations always go on redoubling themselves. The more these are multiplied, the more complete is His manifestation, or rather His concealment. Glory be to Him who hides Himself by the manifestations of His light, and manifests Himself by drawing a veil over His face. His concealment has regard to His pure and absolute Being, while His manifestation has regard to the exhibition of the world of phenomena. "O fairest rose,1 with rosebud mouth," I sighed, He smiled, "Unlike the beauties of the earth, Thy face uncovered would be all too bright, What eye is strong enough to gaze upon When the sun's banner blazes in the sky, But when 'tis tempered by a veil of cloud 1 Cf. "Rosa mystica" in the Litany of the Virgin. Jalāl-ud-din Rūmi apologizes for applying such terms to God (Masnarī, p. 34). Flash XVII The first Epiphany is a pure unity and a simple potentiality, which contains all potentialities, including not only that of being unconditioned by modes and qualities, but also that of being conditioned thereby. Viewed as unconditioned by modes and qualities, including even the potentiality of being thus unconditioned, it is the stage termed "Unity"; and so possesses Concealment, Priority, and Existence from eternity. On the other hand, when viewed as conditioned by modes and qualities, it is the stage termed "Singleness", and in this aspect it is marked by Manifestation, Posteriority, and Duration to all eternity. Among these modes of the stage "Singleness", some are such that the qualification of the One Being by them has regard to the stage called the "Whole", whether they imply the realization in the universe of things corresponding to the names "Creator" and "Sustainer", etc., or merely attributes, such as Life, Knowledge, and Will. This is the class of attributes which pertain to the Divinity and the Sovereignty. The forms under which the One Real Being is conceived, when clothed with these names and attributes, are the "divine substances ".3 The clothing of the outward aspect of Beings with these forins does not necessitate multiplicity of beings. Other modes are such that the qualification of the One Real Being by them has relation 4 Ta'ayyun. The first emanation is "Unity" with the "Truth" as being His image and mind (Logos endiathetos), but when evolved to view (Logos prophorikos), and as the channel of Being downwards, it is "Unity" with a difference, which is sought to be expressed by the term "Singleness" (Wāḥidīyat instead of Aḥadiyat). 2 Martaba i Jam'. The second emanation, Universal Soul, which comprehends in itself all particular souls, rational, animal, and vegetive. This Aristotelian doctrine of the soul became a commonplace of the schools, and is referred to by Milton, Dryden, etc. 3 Substance is quod substat, i.e. the reality underlying sensible phenomena. HḤaqāiq i ilāhīya. i.e. the first stage of His revelation. to the various grades of "mundane existences", as, for instance, Difference, Property, and the phenomena which distinguish external objects from one another. The forms under which the One Real Being is conceived, when clothed with these modes, are "the mundane substances"," and the clothing of the outward aspect of Being with these forms does necessitate a multiplicity of beings. Among these mundane substances, some are such that when Being, considered in the stage of the "Unity of the Whole", is interfused in them, and His effects and properties manifest themselves therein, these substances have the potentiality of being theatres exhibiting all the Divine names—save those peculiar to the Divine Essence— according to the varying strength of the manifestations, which may be powerful or feeble, irresistible or defeasible. These are the perfect individuals of the human race— to wit, prophets and saints. Others, again, are such that they have the potentiality of being theatres exhibiting only some of the Divine names, and not all of them, according to the aforesaid varying strength of the manifestation. These are the rest of the human race. The Majesty of the One Real Being, viewed under the aspect of the "Unity of the Whole", which comprehends all His modes, both Divine and mundane,5 is for ever immanent in all these substances, and manifesting Himself in them. These substances are the parts of the whole Unity, whether they exist in the world of spirits or in that of "ideas" in the sensible and visible world, in the 1 Marātib i kauniya. 2 Difference, property, accident, genus, and species are the five heads under which Aristotle classed the general terms capable of being used as predicates. 3 Haqaiq i kauniya. • Aḥadīyat i Jam'. This is the second emanation (see Flash XXIV). It is usually called nafs i kull, or Universal Soul. * i.e. plurality summed up in Unity. The world of "ideas" is the Platonic "intelligible" world of ideas or archetypes, apprehended only by Reason (nous) as opposed to the 2 |