This is the Creed [‘aqīdah] of the Lordly Cardinal Pole,
Muhyiddīn ‘Abdu-l Qādir al-Jīlanī (may Allah sanctify his innermost
being), as espoused beautifully in his sublime work, “Revelations of the
Unseen” [futuḥ al-ghaib]:
He is the First of everything, and there is no posteriority [akhiriyya] applicable to Him. If you say “where [aina]?”, you are imposing location [ainiyya] on Him. If you say: “how [kaifa]?”, you seek Him through modality [kaifiyya]. If you say: “when [mataa]?”, you are besetting Him with temporality [waqtiyya].
If you say “He is not [laisa],” you are excluding Him from being [kawniyya]. If you say “if [law]”, you are confronting Him with deficiency [naqsiyya]. If you say “why [lima]?”, you are disputing with Him over sovereignty [malakutiyya]. Glory be to Him and Exalted is He!
He is not preceded by precedence [qabliyya]. He is not superseded by subsequence [ba’diyya]. He cannot be compared by likeness [mithliyya]. He cannot be matched by comparability [shakliyya]. He is not flawed by matrimonial conjugality [zawjiyya]. He is not known by corporeality [jismiyya]. Glory be to Him and Exalted is He!
If He were a tangible object [shakhs], He would be known in terms of quantity [kammiyya]. If He were a physical body [jism], He would consist of elements combined in structure [binya], but He is Singular [Wahid], in refutation of structurality [banawiyya]. He is Eternal [Samad], in refutation of idolatry [wathaniyya].
There is nothing similar to Him, in rejection of [the anthropomorphism] of the Hashwiyya. There is nothing comparable to Him, in refutation of those who maintain the heresy of characterization [wasfiyya]. No mover moves, in good or evil, in private or in public, on land or at sea, except by His Will, in refutation of the Qadariyya.
His Power [Qudra] admits no comparison, and His Wisdom [Hikma] has no final limit, in denial of the Hudhaliyya. His rights are those that are obligatory [huququ-hu ‘l wajiba], and His proof is that which is effective [hujjatu-hu ‘l baligha]. No one is entitled to claim any right over Him, contrary to the precept of the Nazzamiyya. He is Just [‘Adil] and does no injustice in His judgments. He is Truthful [Ṣādiq] and does no injustice in His Judgments. He is Truthful [Ṣādiq] and does not go back on what He makes known. He is a Speaker [Mutakallim] who utters a speech that is infinitely pre-existent, sempiternal [kalam qadim azali], not as one who creates his speech.
He has sent down the Qur’an and He has made it impossible for the eloquent linguists to rearrange it, thereby disproving the arguments of of the Muradiyya. Our Lord condones faults and forgives sins, for those who repent. Even if a man returns to his sin, that which is past will absolutely not return to the human being. Our Lord is completely free from falsity [zaif] and far removed from tyranny [haif].
We also believe that He has reconciled the hearts of the believers and that He has caused the unbelievers to go astray, in refutation of the Hishamiyya.
We also believe that the sinners [fussaq] of this Community [Umma] are better than the Jews, the Christians and the Magians, in refutation of the Ja’fariyya.
We affirm that He sees Himself, and sees what is other than Himself and that He is One who hears [Sami’] every call, One who sees [Basir] every secrecy, in refutation of the Ka’biyya.
He has created His creatures in a most excellent natural constitution [fitra], and, after He has returned them through extinction in the darkness of the grave, He will restore them to the condition He first produced them, in refutation of the Dahriyya.
Then, when He has gathered them for the Day of His Reckoning, He will manifest Himself to His dear friends, so they will witness Him directly with the faculty of sight. He will be visible like the moon, and He will be veiled from none but those who deny the vision [of Him], such as the Mu’tazila. How could He be veiled from His dear friends, or make them stop before His Screen, when His sempiternal, infinitely pre-existent promises have already been set forth?
Bodies have been melted in the realization of worshipful servitude. How could they not rejoice in the seats of togetherness [‘indiyya]? Eyes have stayed sleepless through the gloomy nights. How could they not delight in the witnessing of intimate friendship? Hearts have been tormented by amorous yearnings. How could they fail to drink from the pure juicy wine? Spirits have been imprisoned in sensory forms. How could they not roam freely in the sacred meadows, graze in their lofty pastures, drink from their refreshing springs, and put an end to any lingering trace of longing for relief from that cause of complaint? The judge of the ardent lovers will make a public appearance, and settle that case.
When they are addressed at the meeting with their Master [Mawla], He will begin by offering them the greeting [tahiyya], then He will instruct them to enter the Gardens of Eden, but they will reject them with disdain. They will swear that they looked for nothing apart from Him, that they had no intention of seeking anything apart from Him, and that they would not be content with anything existing in the universe. They will swear that their objectives were not inferior, so they had not forsaken the pleasure of life except to advance therefrom, through the link that is utterly superior.
The wine-director will offer them a cup, chosen from his very best, containing a salutary drink. As it passed around among the intimate companions, it will be welcomed in the early morning hours and in the evening. It will add to their comfort and their ardent longing for the radiant lights of His magnificent appearance.
By your Truth, if you do not allow an eye to see Your Beauty [Jamal], that is a miserable eye.
The ardent lovers have come to experience, through Your goodness, on account of longing for You, a gentle kindness for the common people. Hearts melt in yearning for You, and no trace of passionate desire remains therein.
If I decide, but You do not fulfill my purpose, I am subject to direction from Your love. I shall not be despairing at the meeting, O my God, that Your good graces will erase the sinful error.
How could there be denial, O my brethren, when, in the early morning hours, there are Lordly moments [awqat Rabbaniyya], heavenly indications, and angelic breezes? The proof of the truthfulness of this matter is that the birds in the trees are intoning the Davidian psalms [alhan Dawudiyya], the divergent streams are splashing in the fertile meadows, and the branches are dancing in fine suits of silk brocade from the Garden of Paradise. All of that is done in submissive obedience, and as an acknowledgement of His Uniqueness [Wahdaniyya].
Yes indeed, O people of love, the Lord of Truth reveals Himself in the time before dawn, and He issues the invitation: “Is there anyone ready to repent, that I may relent toward him with a satisfactory acceptance? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him his sinful errors entirely? Is there anyone begging for charity, that I may grant him blessings and gifts in abundance?”
Yes indeed, once the spirits are pure, they will be in splendor, radiant and shining. They will be equally balanced in their spiritual states and all disaster will be meaningless to them. Without a doubt, the scent of their tears will be fragrant on all the horizons.
Through their patient endurance of some separation, they have earned the right of attainment to the exalted ranks. The authenticity of their sayings [ahadith], concerning the degrees of the lovers, is established by reliable transmission [musnada marwiyya]. They pass without question, and their needs are fully met.
The gift of love had come to be crystal clear. How well it deserves to be celebrated in brilliant rhymes [qawafi], and in a splendid creed [‘aqida], based on the principles of the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools [usul madhahib al-Hanafiyya wa’sh-Shafi’iyya wa’l-Malikyya wa’l-Hanbaliyya]!
May Allah (Exalted is He) protect me, and all of you, from those who split apart and go astray, as arrows stray from their target. May He include me, and all of you, among those for whom there are lofty halls, with lofty halls built above them.
May Allah bless our master Muhammad, the noblest of humankind, and his family and his Companions. May He single them out for the noblest salutation, and may He grant them abundant peace, constantly renewed in endless succession, every morning and evening.
Amin, and again Amin.
Source: Al-Qadiri, Isma’il M. Emanations of Lordly Grace (Al-Fuyudat Ar-Rabbaniyya). Trans. Muhtar Holland. Florida: Al-Baz Publishing, 2000.
In the name of Allah, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate
Praise be to Allah, the One who modeled the mode [kayyafa ’l kaif], though He is completely free from modality [kaifiyya]; and has localized locality [ayyana ‘l-ain], though He utterly transcends location [ainiyya]; and exists [wujida] in every place, though He is far removed from circumstantiality [zarfiyya]; and makes Himself present with everything [hadara ‘inda], though He is far exalted above “with-ness” [‘indiyya].He is the First of everything, and there is no posteriority [akhiriyya] applicable to Him. If you say “where [aina]?”, you are imposing location [ainiyya] on Him. If you say: “how [kaifa]?”, you seek Him through modality [kaifiyya]. If you say: “when [mataa]?”, you are besetting Him with temporality [waqtiyya].
If you say “He is not [laisa],” you are excluding Him from being [kawniyya]. If you say “if [law]”, you are confronting Him with deficiency [naqsiyya]. If you say “why [lima]?”, you are disputing with Him over sovereignty [malakutiyya]. Glory be to Him and Exalted is He!
He is not preceded by precedence [qabliyya]. He is not superseded by subsequence [ba’diyya]. He cannot be compared by likeness [mithliyya]. He cannot be matched by comparability [shakliyya]. He is not flawed by matrimonial conjugality [zawjiyya]. He is not known by corporeality [jismiyya]. Glory be to Him and Exalted is He!
If He were a tangible object [shakhs], He would be known in terms of quantity [kammiyya]. If He were a physical body [jism], He would consist of elements combined in structure [binya], but He is Singular [Wahid], in refutation of structurality [banawiyya]. He is Eternal [Samad], in refutation of idolatry [wathaniyya].
There is nothing similar to Him, in rejection of [the anthropomorphism] of the Hashwiyya. There is nothing comparable to Him, in refutation of those who maintain the heresy of characterization [wasfiyya]. No mover moves, in good or evil, in private or in public, on land or at sea, except by His Will, in refutation of the Qadariyya.
His Power [Qudra] admits no comparison, and His Wisdom [Hikma] has no final limit, in denial of the Hudhaliyya. His rights are those that are obligatory [huququ-hu ‘l wajiba], and His proof is that which is effective [hujjatu-hu ‘l baligha]. No one is entitled to claim any right over Him, contrary to the precept of the Nazzamiyya. He is Just [‘Adil] and does no injustice in His judgments. He is Truthful [Ṣādiq] and does no injustice in His Judgments. He is Truthful [Ṣādiq] and does not go back on what He makes known. He is a Speaker [Mutakallim] who utters a speech that is infinitely pre-existent, sempiternal [kalam qadim azali], not as one who creates his speech.
He has sent down the Qur’an and He has made it impossible for the eloquent linguists to rearrange it, thereby disproving the arguments of of the Muradiyya. Our Lord condones faults and forgives sins, for those who repent. Even if a man returns to his sin, that which is past will absolutely not return to the human being. Our Lord is completely free from falsity [zaif] and far removed from tyranny [haif].
We also believe that He has reconciled the hearts of the believers and that He has caused the unbelievers to go astray, in refutation of the Hishamiyya.
We also believe that the sinners [fussaq] of this Community [Umma] are better than the Jews, the Christians and the Magians, in refutation of the Ja’fariyya.
We affirm that He sees Himself, and sees what is other than Himself and that He is One who hears [Sami’] every call, One who sees [Basir] every secrecy, in refutation of the Ka’biyya.
He has created His creatures in a most excellent natural constitution [fitra], and, after He has returned them through extinction in the darkness of the grave, He will restore them to the condition He first produced them, in refutation of the Dahriyya.
Then, when He has gathered them for the Day of His Reckoning, He will manifest Himself to His dear friends, so they will witness Him directly with the faculty of sight. He will be visible like the moon, and He will be veiled from none but those who deny the vision [of Him], such as the Mu’tazila. How could He be veiled from His dear friends, or make them stop before His Screen, when His sempiternal, infinitely pre-existent promises have already been set forth?
O self now at peace
Ya ayyathu’n-nafsu’l-mutma’inna
Return unto your Lord, well pleased, well pleasing!
Irji’I ila Rabbi-ki radiyatan mardiyya. (89:28,29)
Can you see yourself content with the roses of the Gardens of
Paradise, or satisfied with the silken garments of the Orchard? How
could Majnun be happy with anything less than Layla in full bloom? How
could the lovers relax in comfort, without the fragrant scents of
ambergris?Bodies have been melted in the realization of worshipful servitude. How could they not rejoice in the seats of togetherness [‘indiyya]? Eyes have stayed sleepless through the gloomy nights. How could they not delight in the witnessing of intimate friendship? Hearts have been tormented by amorous yearnings. How could they fail to drink from the pure juicy wine? Spirits have been imprisoned in sensory forms. How could they not roam freely in the sacred meadows, graze in their lofty pastures, drink from their refreshing springs, and put an end to any lingering trace of longing for relief from that cause of complaint? The judge of the ardent lovers will make a public appearance, and settle that case.
When they are addressed at the meeting with their Master [Mawla], He will begin by offering them the greeting [tahiyya], then He will instruct them to enter the Gardens of Eden, but they will reject them with disdain. They will swear that they looked for nothing apart from Him, that they had no intention of seeking anything apart from Him, and that they would not be content with anything existing in the universe. They will swear that their objectives were not inferior, so they had not forsaken the pleasure of life except to advance therefrom, through the link that is utterly superior.
The wine-director will offer them a cup, chosen from his very best, containing a salutary drink. As it passed around among the intimate companions, it will be welcomed in the early morning hours and in the evening. It will add to their comfort and their ardent longing for the radiant lights of His magnificent appearance.
By your Truth, if you do not allow an eye to see Your Beauty [Jamal], that is a miserable eye.
The ardent lovers have come to experience, through Your goodness, on account of longing for You, a gentle kindness for the common people. Hearts melt in yearning for You, and no trace of passionate desire remains therein.
If I decide, but You do not fulfill my purpose, I am subject to direction from Your love. I shall not be despairing at the meeting, O my God, that Your good graces will erase the sinful error.
How could there be denial, O my brethren, when, in the early morning hours, there are Lordly moments [awqat Rabbaniyya], heavenly indications, and angelic breezes? The proof of the truthfulness of this matter is that the birds in the trees are intoning the Davidian psalms [alhan Dawudiyya], the divergent streams are splashing in the fertile meadows, and the branches are dancing in fine suits of silk brocade from the Garden of Paradise. All of that is done in submissive obedience, and as an acknowledgement of His Uniqueness [Wahdaniyya].
Yes indeed, O people of love, the Lord of Truth reveals Himself in the time before dawn, and He issues the invitation: “Is there anyone ready to repent, that I may relent toward him with a satisfactory acceptance? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him his sinful errors entirely? Is there anyone begging for charity, that I may grant him blessings and gifts in abundance?”
Yes indeed, once the spirits are pure, they will be in splendor, radiant and shining. They will be equally balanced in their spiritual states and all disaster will be meaningless to them. Without a doubt, the scent of their tears will be fragrant on all the horizons.
Through their patient endurance of some separation, they have earned the right of attainment to the exalted ranks. The authenticity of their sayings [ahadith], concerning the degrees of the lovers, is established by reliable transmission [musnada marwiyya]. They pass without question, and their needs are fully met.
The gift of love had come to be crystal clear. How well it deserves to be celebrated in brilliant rhymes [qawafi], and in a splendid creed [‘aqida], based on the principles of the Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools [usul madhahib al-Hanafiyya wa’sh-Shafi’iyya wa’l-Malikyya wa’l-Hanbaliyya]!
May Allah (Exalted is He) protect me, and all of you, from those who split apart and go astray, as arrows stray from their target. May He include me, and all of you, among those for whom there are lofty halls, with lofty halls built above them.
May Allah bless our master Muhammad, the noblest of humankind, and his family and his Companions. May He single them out for the noblest salutation, and may He grant them abundant peace, constantly renewed in endless succession, every morning and evening.
Amin, and again Amin.
Source: Al-Qadiri, Isma’il M. Emanations of Lordly Grace (Al-Fuyudat Ar-Rabbaniyya). Trans. Muhtar Holland. Florida: Al-Baz Publishing, 2000.
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