Attar’s Irfani (Gnostic) Tafsir (Exegesis) of 57:4
Excerpt from Attar’s Jauhar Al-Dhat
ISBN 964-8746-00-1
Editor: Prof. Taimour Burhan Limoudehi
Publisher: Sina’î Intisharat
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در معنی هو معکم أینما کنتم و حقیقت کل فرمود
On the meaning of : 57:4 Wa (And) Hu is with you wherever you might be!
وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ
Adam was created and ennobled and placed within the Gardens of Paradise. However he was quite restless and running around the Gardens without any tranquility.
…
When, in Gardens, Adam found this noble status
Immediately hurried seeking after the Divine Beloved
چو آدم در بهشت این مرتبت یافت
از آن دم سوی جانانْ زود بشتافت
And all the while roaming around the Garden of spirits
Glanced around and all he saw was his own Self Adam
چو آدم دربهشتِ جان زد آن دم
نظر می کرد و خود می دید آدم
Perplexed bewildering at ITs terrific creations
Secretively turned inward within his own
عجب درمانده بُدْ در کایناتِ او
که چون آمد نهان در سویِ ذاتِ او
Alone talking to his own Self and bemoaning
Sharing the sorrows of his heart with the Lord
نهانْ با خود دمادمْ زارْ می گفت
غمِ دل با خدا او باز می گفت
And since he could see the Divine manifest within (Haqq)
Therefore he would make declarations and acknowledge with attestations:
چو حقْ در خویشتن می دید تحقیق
به خود می گفتُ و خود می کرد تصدیق
“O Beloved of the Cosmos, the Beloved of my very essence
You are, in both universes, my guide and leader
که ای جانِ جهانُ و جوهرِ من
تویی در هر دو عالم رهبِر من
Brought me here and exposed me to Your own
From Your own Divine Self endowed me with this human Self
مرا آورده و بنموده ای تو
خودیِ خودْ به من بخشوده ای تو
Dara: In the metaphysics of Sufis, our attributes are infinitely vitiated derivatives of the Divine Attributes e.g. Divine Mercy vs. human mercy or Divine Wrath vs. human anger, our Self is also the infinitely vitiated derivate of the Divine Self.
Within me it is all only You!
Within here I am cognizant of a nonpareil secret i.e. You!
درونم هم تویی بگرفته بیرون
تو را دانم در این جا سرِّ بیچون
Your veils are Your true shapes and forms
Yearning of unrestrained love is Your shape and form
حجاب تو بود این صورتِ تو
که عینِ شوقَ ست صورتِ تو
Dara: ‘Shape and form’ is the word Surat in Arabic which has entered into both Qur’an and Hadith (Prophetic Narration). The incredible Irfan (Gnosis) of the Sheikh Attar informs us that the real Surat or veils that conceal Allah are made from the substances of yearning and ‘Ishq (Unrestrained Love)! We cannot behold Allah here because we yearn for other than Allah.
Unveil Your Face and show
That You are within only One
حجاب از پیشِ رویْ بردارُ و بنمایْ
که هستی در درونِ جانْ تو یکتایْ
Don’t forsake me here like of this (as though an ignorant)
Since it was cognizance that made me to appear! “
چنین تنها مرا این جا بمَگْذار
که دانایی مرا کردهْ پدیدار
Dara: In one of the Israiliyat (Hebrew Narrations) Allah has been quoted: I was a treasure and wanted to be discovered… and this form of cognizance of discovery was what motivated Adam’s creation. He was created to discover to learn to know to feel the cognizance of Divine Presence.
Suddenly a call echoed within his body and soul
While he was completely exposed to Divine Secrets
ندا آمد درونِ جسمُ و جانش
وِرا بنمودْ کلْ رازِ نهانش
That Adam why do you feel so lonely
For I am with you here with attention to none other!
که ای آدم چرا هستی تو تنها
که من با تو درم این جایْ تنها
For I am within your body and your soul
And within this Garden I have My Eye on you at all times
چه من با تو درون جسم و جانم
در این جنت تو را عین العیانم
Then why do you say that you are lonely
While I am so close to you within your own soul
چرا تنها همی گویی که هستم
که با تو در درونِ جانْ نشستم
Ahoy Adam within this moment frolic
And be free from all else but Me
ايا آدم در این دم شاد می باش
به جز من از همه آزاد می باش
Ahoy Adam behold Us within
Little look at your own body and spirit
ایا آدم درونْ ما را نظر کن
نظر در جسم و جان مختصر کن
Ahoy Adam I am within your soul
Who has exposed you to all Divine Secrets
ایا آدم منم در بودِ جانت
که بنموده همه رازِ نهانت
Ahoy Adam you are such a precious pearl
Then why do you need other (lesser) companions?
ایا آدم چو تو دُرِّ نفیسی
همی خواهی در این جا همْ جلیسی
Are you lonely here all of a sudden
Though there is no one here except Us?
دلت تنگ آمده است این جا به یک بار
که جز ما نیست این جا هیچ دَیّار
However I am the Generous Lord
The obvious Divine Artisan The Giver of Life so Merciful
ولیکن من خداوند کریمم
عیانْ صانعُ و حَیِّ رحیمم
I am the Knower, I am the Seer and in all occasions
For sure I know what is transpiring within you
منم دانا منم بینا به هر حال
همی دانم درونت کلِّ احوال
Then I shall endow you here, something of My Grace:
Exposure to ‘Ishq (Unrestrained Love) of seeing Us
مَنَتْ بخشم به فضلِ خویش اینجا
نُمودِ عشق همْ در دیدن ما
Then I shall endow you here to behold Me
Since nothing can be with Us that has existence
مَنَتْ بخشم در این جا دیدن خود
که پیش ما نگنجد هیچ از ُبد
Dara: There is no creature alive or dead that can look at Allah directly or attend ITs Divine Presence without being annihilated! But Adam and his progeny! He was given an endowment of infinitesimal closeness to Allah and ability to have specialized eyes to see IT.
IT unveiled all veils from the Divine Face
And once Adam set eyes upon IT
حجابْ آن گه ز پیشِ رویْ برداشت
چو آدم در نمودِ او چشم بگماشت
Within the self-less-ness found the singleton Lord
And by ITs Divine Self found the true certitude
میان بی خودی حق را یکی یافت
خدا وز خویشتنِ او بیشکی یافت
Became so drunken by this close encounter
When he saw that Divine Secret for the first time
چنان مستِ لقا شد او به یکبار
که آن سرّ دید چونْ اولْ دگربار
Adam did not know his head from his feet (lost confused)
Left all wandering perplexed and madly in love (Shayda)
نمی دانست آدم او َسرْ از پای
بمانده والهُ و حیران و شیدا
Adam lost all comprehension whatsoever
And (Allah) shed all the veiling veils
نمی دانست آدم هیچ بی خویش
حجاب جملگی برداشت از پیش
He was so intoxicated seeing this encounter
That exited from his own existence and creation
چنان مستِ لقا بُد درْ عیانش
که بیرون بود از کَوْنُ و مکانش
Dara: Within the Gardens, either Adam was living like a wandering savage or when he was exposed to the Divine Beauty of Allah, directly without any intermediary, he was intoxicate and no longer amounted to anything we might consider as a human! There was no balance and there had to be a new creation that would help Adam to find the equilibrium between his human-ness and the intoxication of full exposure to Divine Beauty.
…
Angel Gabriel is called upon by Allah and it rushes towards the said Gardens to obey the command. Adam was put to sleep:
IT called upon the Gabriel (to summon)
Listen! Extract from the left side of him fast
خطابی کرد حق در سوی جبریل
که هان از پهلوی چپ زود تبدیل
Fashion something patent and incredible
For Adam to see Our true artisanship
کنی آدم در اینجا آشکارا
که تا بیند حقیقت صنع ما را
…
From the left side of Adam’s torso
Some fully detailed and integrated entity appeared
زِ پهلوی چپ آدم عیان شد
نُمودِ جزو و کلّْ دیگر نهان شد
While under the Angel Gabriel’s watchful stare
A new shape and form appeared
چو جبریل اندر آن بُد در نظاره
یکی صورتْ دگر شد آشکاره
An incredible shape, a new Divine Secret
Emerged from his left side of the torso
عجایبْ صورتی در دیگر اسرار
زِ پهلوی چپش آمد پدیدار
A newly shaped entity and its purpose
Piety-filled a concealed Divine Secret within
یکی صورتْ که بُد آن جمله معنی
که او را بود در جانْ سرِّ تقوی
Prophet-like and Aulia-like
Within its spirit the most incredible intelligence
نُمودِ انبیا و اولیا بود
که در جانِ او ذکیّ با ذکا بود
Dara: Aulia means a close friend of Allah.
From feet to the head all and all Divine Light
Divine Secrets all patent within this entity
قدم تا سَر همه نور الهی
در او پیدا آمد همه سرِّ الهی
Two daffodils for eyes as though almonds
Such a trap upon the path of his mind!
دو چشمِ نرگسین مانندِ بادام
ولی در راهِ معنیِ او بُدِهْ دام
Dara: The new creature was given such a Divine Beauty ,within and without, that by one glance could stall Adam from wandering around and acting estranged. As though the creature’s glance was a trap to settle Adam down in one place.
From head to the toes effulgent and luminous
A prized famed amongst the entire creation
سر و پایش پر از فیضُ و پر از نور
میانِ جزوُ و کلّْ او گشته مشهور
It emerged due to the Divine Glance of That Beloved
And the name she was given: Hawwā’ (Eve)
زِ دید جانِ جانانْ گشته پیدا
وِرا اسمش نهاده باز حَوّاءْ
Hawwa’ means something derived from the life i.e. first primordial woman who was generate from the living life-form of Adam the first primordial man.
مختصر تاريخ دمشق ابن منظور
وعن ابن مسعود، وعن أناس من أصحاب النّبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، قالوا: أخرج إبليس من الجنّة ولعن، وأسكن آدم حين قال له: ” اسكن أنت وزوجك الجنّة “، فكان يمشي فيها وحشيّاً، ليس له زوج يسكن إليها، فنام نومةً، فاستيقظ وإذا عند رأسه امرأة قاعدة، خلقها الله عزّ وجلّ من ضلعه، فسألها: ما أنت? قالت: امرأة؛ قال: ولم خلقت? قالت: تسكن إليّ؛ فقالت له الملائكة ينظرون ما بلغ من علمه: ما اسمها يا آدم? قال: حوّاء؛ قالوا: لم سمّيت حوّاء? قال: لأنها خلقت من شيء حيّ؛
Even Jesus, who was born without a father, had to have a mother since she was necessary to stabilize him, for he was too near to Allah to function without the woman-ness of Mary. And Al-Mustafa (The Chosen), peace be upon him, in spite of lack of sexual desire surrounded himself with many wives, some quite old and some unattractive, but due to his exposure to the Nur (Divine Light) he either had to bewilder lost within the drunkenness of the Divine Nearness or run into the sand dunes screaming:
“I see what you cannot behold, and I hear what you cannot hear. And indeed the heaven brayed and had all the reasons to moan as such (due to heaviness of what she carried like a moaning camel in distress of a load). Within her, there is no position as large of four fingers without an angel positioned, in prostration towards Allah. By Allah! If you knew what I was taught, for sure you would have laughed less and cried more. And would not have enjoyed the women in beds, and for sure you would have run outside screaming and seeking help from Allah. By Allah! So I wished that I was a chopped tree!” Said the Prophet, peace be upon him.
سنن ابن ماجه. – للإمام ابن ماجه
الجزء الثاني >> 37- كتاب الزهد >> (19) باب الحزن والبكاء
4190- حدّثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ. أَنْبَأَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُوسى. أَنْبَأَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ مُوَرِّقٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ؛ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
(إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ، وَأَسْمَعُ مَا لاَ تَسْمَعُونَ. وَإِنَّ السَّمَاءِ أَطَّتْ وَحَقَّ لَهَا أَنْ تَئِطَّ. مَا فِيهَا مَوْضِعُ أَرْبِعَ أَصَابِعَ إِلاَّ وَمَلَكٌ وَاضِعٌ جَبْهَتَهُ سَاجِداً للهِ. وَاللهِ! لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ، لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيراً. وَمَا تَلَذَّذْتُمْ بِالنِّسَاءِ عَلَى الْفُرَشَاتِ. وَلَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى الصُّعُدَاتِ تَجْأَرُونَ إِلَى اللهِ) وَاللهِ! لَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ شَجَرَةً تُعْضَدُ.
[ش – (أطّت) في النهاية: الأطيط صوت الأقتاب وأطيط الإبل أصواتهم وحنينها. أي إن كتره ما فيها من المرئكة قد أثقلها حتى أكّت. وهذا مَثَل وإيذان بكثرة الملائكة، وإن لَمْ يكن ثُمَّ أطيط. وإنما هو كلام تقريب أريد به تقرير عظمة الله تعالى. (الفرشات) جمع فُرُش، جمع فِرَاش. (الصعدات) في النهاية: هي الطرق.وهي جمع صُعُد. وصُعُد، كظلمة، وهي فِناء باب الدار وممر الناس بين يديه. (تجأرون) أي ترفعون أصواتكم وتستغيثون. (لوددت) قَالَ الحافظ: هذا من قول أبي ذر، مدرج في الحديث (تعض) بمعنى تقطع
She is the Divine Secret of: 57:4 Wa (And) Hu is with you wherever you might be!
وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ
You glance at her then you glanced at uncovering of a Divine Secret: That no matter where you are Allah is with you!
If you do not have that understanding when looking at her, then forsake her for you will only produce broken misguided families and disbelieving bastards:
71:27 “For, if You leave (any of) them, they will but mislead Your devotees, and they will give birth to none but wicked ungrateful ones.
إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا
Note: Yalidu is male plural verb i.e. They (the male) will give birth, it is not the women who give birth to disbelievers, it is the men.
© 2008-2002, Dara O Shayda