Ibn Sina and others claimed that Allah’s address to His Prophet has outward meanings understood by the common people and inward meanings understood by the elite, with examples
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The Shaykh : Then it said:
"His reports do not state the truth explicitly *** Rather, they allude to it by signs of meanings"
He also said that this speech brought by this "wise one" does not intend the outward meaning of the Qur'an, but rather it refers to hidden allusions that the common people are incapable of grasping, and only the elite among them know. He says:
"Addressing this creation and the general public *** With explicit truth is not possible"
He says that if they were addressed and the address intended the explicit meaning it indicates, this would be impossible. Why? He says: because they do not accept the realities of the intelligible except in the form of the sensed and concrete objects. Do you understand now? He says: this Qur'an, which the intellect poured out upon the soul of this "wise one," has outward meanings and inward meanings alluded to by signs that the creation and the common people do not understand, because the creation and the common people do not understand anything but the sensed thing, while the intelligible thing they do not perceive, and it is impossible for them to perceive it. Therefore, the common people do not understand anything but the sensed. For this reason, he said:
"They do not accept the realities of the intelligible *** Except in the form of the sensed and concrete objects"
Meaning, except if it is placed in the form of a sensed thing with meanings. So Paradise and Hellfire, and the punishment and pleasure therein, all of this is not what is intended; this is not intended. But it was depicted for the common people in the form of the sensed so that they would accept and understand it. What is intended by Paradise and the like is something else. All of this is imagination and not reality.
"And the drinks of the rational ones, they do not accept ***"
Who does not accept them? The general public. The drinks of the rational ones, they do not accept them, because the drinks of the rational ones are for whom? For the rational ones. As for the common people, the ignorant, the rabble, they cannot accept this. So they are given sensed examples as symbols for intelligible matters, unless they are placed for them with commands. Glory be to Allah! A strange depiction. Meaning: he cannot drink from the pool or the river, but if you bring him water in a vessel, here? He can. So he says that the intelligibles to which these words allude are not accepted by the common people; rather, the common people accept the sensed things they perceive with their senses. Good.
"Of the kind their natures are accustomed to *** Of the sensed in this corporeal world
So they bring likening Allah to creation, comparing Allah to creation, ascribing a body to Allah, and imagining forms into the minds.
Meaning, that what the messengers brought from the speech of Allah is nothing but an imagination for the minds, in order to make it closer to the common people, otherwise its reality is not what the wording indicates. He said:
"And for that reason, its interpretation is forbidden with them ***"
Meaning, it is not permissible to interpret it for the common people with the intended intelligible meanings. Why? Because the common people cannot understand this, and they do not accept anything but what the senses have witnessed.
"*** But it is permitted for the one of gnosis"
Who is the one of gnosis? Their scholars, the philosophers. These are the ones who interpreted it for them with the intended meaning. As for the common people, no. Good. Hajj, meaning we bring an example. Hajj is the intention to go to Makkah to perform the rituals. They said: No, Hajj is that you intend to go to the shaykhs, the awliya (close friends of Allah), and seek from them forgiveness and a touch they give you, so that you will be happy until the Day of Resurrection. This is Hajj. Fasting is worshipping Allah by abstaining from things that break the fast from the appearance of dawn to the setting of the sun. They said: No, it is not this fasting. Fasting is that you keep our secrets and do not tell what is behind us, because fasting is derived from holding back. Hold back, be silent, do not know. We dictate to you everything from the calamities, but be deaf, be deaf, meaning Ramadan, or be deaf? Be deaf to this speech, do not tell anyone. Good. Prayer, prayer is a worship with bowing and prostration, opened with takbir (saying Allahu akbar) and closed with taslim (the closing salam of prayer). This is prayer for Muslims. They said: No, prayer is that you know our secrets, because prayer is from connection, so it is that you are connected to us and know our secrets. So prayer is the beginning and fasting is the end. "Sal" means learn our secrets, "Sum" means keep them secret. This is prayer, this is prayer and fasting with them. O people, fasting and prayer are known among Muslims. They said: No, this is the Islam of the common people. As for us, the words with us are symbols for meanings that the common people do not understand, here? He says:
"Permitted for the one of gnosis
So if we engage in figurative interpretation, it is a transgression on our part *** and a breach of the boundary of this garden.
Meaning: if we contemplated and interpreted it among the common people, this would be a crime, because among the conditions, Glory be to Allah! among the conditions of their asceticism is that you keep their secrets. For this reason, worship with them is in stages, I think ten stages. The person descends stage by stage until he reaches the goal.
"His reports do not state the truth explicitly *** Rather, they allude to it by signs of meanings"
He also said that this speech brought by this "wise one" does not intend the outward meaning of the Qur'an, but rather it refers to hidden allusions that the common people are incapable of grasping, and only the elite among them know. He says:
"Addressing this creation and the general public *** With explicit truth is not possible"
He says that if they were addressed and the address intended the explicit meaning it indicates, this would be impossible. Why? He says: because they do not accept the realities of the intelligible except in the form of the sensed and concrete objects. Do you understand now? He says: this Qur'an, which the intellect poured out upon the soul of this "wise one," has outward meanings and inward meanings alluded to by signs that the creation and the common people do not understand, because the creation and the common people do not understand anything but the sensed thing, while the intelligible thing they do not perceive, and it is impossible for them to perceive it. Therefore, the common people do not understand anything but the sensed. For this reason, he said:
"They do not accept the realities of the intelligible *** Except in the form of the sensed and concrete objects"
Meaning, except if it is placed in the form of a sensed thing with meanings. So Paradise and Hellfire, and the punishment and pleasure therein, all of this is not what is intended; this is not intended. But it was depicted for the common people in the form of the sensed so that they would accept and understand it. What is intended by Paradise and the like is something else. All of this is imagination and not reality.
"And the drinks of the rational ones, they do not accept ***"
Who does not accept them? The general public. The drinks of the rational ones, they do not accept them, because the drinks of the rational ones are for whom? For the rational ones. As for the common people, the ignorant, the rabble, they cannot accept this. So they are given sensed examples as symbols for intelligible matters, unless they are placed for them with commands. Glory be to Allah! A strange depiction. Meaning: he cannot drink from the pool or the river, but if you bring him water in a vessel, here? He can. So he says that the intelligibles to which these words allude are not accepted by the common people; rather, the common people accept the sensed things they perceive with their senses. Good.
"Of the kind their natures are accustomed to *** Of the sensed in this corporeal world
So they bring likening Allah to creation, comparing Allah to creation, ascribing a body to Allah, and imagining forms into the minds.
Meaning, that what the messengers brought from the speech of Allah is nothing but an imagination for the minds, in order to make it closer to the common people, otherwise its reality is not what the wording indicates. He said:
"And for that reason, its interpretation is forbidden with them ***"
Meaning, it is not permissible to interpret it for the common people with the intended intelligible meanings. Why? Because the common people cannot understand this, and they do not accept anything but what the senses have witnessed.
"*** But it is permitted for the one of gnosis"
Who is the one of gnosis? Their scholars, the philosophers. These are the ones who interpreted it for them with the intended meaning. As for the common people, no. Good. Hajj, meaning we bring an example. Hajj is the intention to go to Makkah to perform the rituals. They said: No, Hajj is that you intend to go to the shaykhs, the awliya (close friends of Allah), and seek from them forgiveness and a touch they give you, so that you will be happy until the Day of Resurrection. This is Hajj. Fasting is worshipping Allah by abstaining from things that break the fast from the appearance of dawn to the setting of the sun. They said: No, it is not this fasting. Fasting is that you keep our secrets and do not tell what is behind us, because fasting is derived from holding back. Hold back, be silent, do not know. We dictate to you everything from the calamities, but be deaf, be deaf, meaning Ramadan, or be deaf? Be deaf to this speech, do not tell anyone. Good. Prayer, prayer is a worship with bowing and prostration, opened with takbir (saying Allahu akbar) and closed with taslim (the closing salam of prayer). This is prayer for Muslims. They said: No, prayer is that you know our secrets, because prayer is from connection, so it is that you are connected to us and know our secrets. So prayer is the beginning and fasting is the end. "Sal" means learn our secrets, "Sum" means keep them secret. This is prayer, this is prayer and fasting with them. O people, fasting and prayer are known among Muslims. They said: No, this is the Islam of the common people. As for us, the words with us are symbols for meanings that the common people do not understand, here? He says:
"Permitted for the one of gnosis
So if we engage in figurative interpretation, it is a transgression on our part *** and a breach of the boundary of this garden.
Meaning: if we contemplated and interpreted it among the common people, this would be a crime, because among the conditions, Glory be to Allah! among the conditions of their asceticism is that you keep their secrets. For this reason, worship with them is in stages, I think ten stages. The person descends stage by stage until he reaches the goal.