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BISM ALLAH, HU AL-HAQQ WA’L ‘ISHQ

In the Name of Allah: (Only) He is The Truth, and The Love

as-Salamu ‘alaykum,


The statement, “no kashf, no ‘ilm,” was uttered by ash-Shaykh al-Akbar, Muhyi ad-Din ibn al-‘Arabi (q) and also by the greatest theosopher, Mulla Sadra (q).

Kashf or intellectual intuition (literally) means “unveiling” or “the raising of a curtain or veil.” It is correlated with “true knowledge”, thus, ‘ilm, because it concerns the “witnessing” or shuhud of the metaphysical realties (concerning simply with the ‘alam al-ghayb”, “the world(s) of the unseen”); as the veils are lifted from the (corporeal) eyes and the Light of God is seen—(the incorporeal) the truth is “tasted” (dhawq), so to speak. Shuhud or consciousness, “the quality of witnessing” is also kashf.

Of course, one must be educated about the levels and degrees of existence—of the gradational manifestation of the Divine—in order to fully grasp what is being said.

In any case, true knowledge is metaphysical knowledge, thus being ma’rifah (gnosis; true knowledge)—hence ‘irfan: the metaphysical perspective is based on “intellectual intuition” (kashf), which by its very nature is infallible because it is a vision by the pure Intellect (from the realm of Pure Spirits, al-‘alam al-jabarut, “the world of Divine Power, Omnipotence, and Immensity”; the world of manifestation beyond form—and from the Arch-Angel Gabriel (Hadrat Jibra’il (‘a)), ultimately from the Archetypes, the Names of God, in a manner of speaking, and then from God Himself), whereas profane philosophy operates only with reason, hence with logical assumptions and conclusions.

The religious, dogmatic, or theological perspective is based on revelation; its main purpose is, not to explain the nature of things or the universal principles, but to save man from sin and damnation, and also, to establish a realistic social equilibrium.

Metaphysics satisfies the needs of intellectually gifted men. Metaphysical truth concerns not only our thinking, but it penetrates also our whole being; therefore it is far above philosophy in the ordinary sense of the word; philosophy, using the word with modern implications, thus not being (true) ‘ilm.

In principle, every man is capable of intellection, for the simple reason that man is man; but in fact, intellectual intuition—the “eye of the heart” (‘ayn al-qalb; the organ of intellectual intuition)—is hidden under a sheet of ice, so to speak, because of the degeneration of the human species. So, we may say that pure intellection is a gift and not a generally human faculty. Kashf (intellectual intuition or metaphysical realization) is the (natural) product of dhikr (invocation and remembrance of God), and dhikr melts that ice.

Regarding metaphysics, it is the discernment between the Real and the illusory; the Divine and the cosmic. Metaphysics is concerned also with the roots of the Divine Personification—the creating and revealing God—and then with the projection of everything that is positive or good in the world.

Metaphysical knowledge requires intellectual, psychic, and moral assimilation; metaphysical discernment requires concentration, contemplation, and union.

Therefore, metaphysical theory is not a philosophy in the ‘modern’ sense of the word; it is essentially sacred. The sense of the sacred is an indispensable qualification for metaphysical realization. Pure metaphysics is hidden in every religion; gnosis being the heart of religion—‘irfan being the heart of Islam. And so, kashf is true knowledge—that of God.

Hadrat Amir al-Mu’minin al-Imam ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib (‘a) has said, “You think knowledge is reading, studying, or memorizing books? No, by God! No, by God (true) knowledge is that Light (nur) that Allah shines, casts, and penetrates into the Hearts of Whom He Wills!”

Allah is Light, and Knowledge is Light, and yes, it can be said Allah is Knowledge—and He (His Light) can only be “acquired” by kashf; by intellectual intuition: Allah, God, is the Light of the “Heavens” and the “Earth” (XXIV, 35).

It can be said that man was created just for two things: prayer and intellectual intuition or metaphysical relaization—dhikr and kashf, which is ‘irfan proper: “And I created the jinn and humankind except that they may worship Me.” (L, 56) “Worship” (ya’budu) here means (to) “Know” (ya’rifu) God, and so, know that this means the quintessence of the world is man; that the quintessence of man is religion. The quintessence of religion is prayer and the quintessence of prayer is invocation and remembrance (dhikr). Here lies the meaning of the Qur’anic verse: “The invocation and remembrance (dhikr) of God is greater (than anything else).” (XXIX, 45) If man had no more than a few instants to live, he would no longer be able to do anything but invoke and remember God. He would thereby fulfill all the demands of prayer, of religion, of the human state. To be human is to pray, and prayer, invocation and remembrance (dhkir) is the path to kashf; the path to God. The very fact of our existence is a prayer and compels us to prayer: They say, “I think, therefore I am.” (cogito ergo sum) We say, “I am, thefore I pray.” (sum ergo oro).

Prayer, invocation and remembrance (dhikr), then, is the key to metaphysical realization or intellectual intuition (kashf or shuhud), and therefore, with no kashf, there is no (true) knowledge—and the very heart and essence of the teachings of our Great and Noble Prophet, Slave, and Messenger of God (s), his Family, the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), and his (true) companions, the Ahl al-Suffa (r) is just that.



The references to this are from the inner-most depths of your God-given conscience—your soul—and from the theomorphic and primordial nature that you have, called the fitrah—your “connection” with the Light; your connection with God…



The poor and degenerate dependant on Allah,

—hasan
fi aman Allah

***

“There are two moments in life which are everything, and these are the present moment, when we are free to choose what we would be, and the moment of death when we no longer have any choice and the decision belongs to God.

Now, if the present moment is good, death will be good; if we are now with God—in this present which is ceaselessly being renewed but which remains always this one and only moment of actuality—God will be with us at the moment of death.

The remembrance of God is a death in life; it will be a life in death—Be with God in life; God will be with thee in Death. Be with God in Time; God will be with thee in Eternity.”

—Frithjof Schuon (‘Isa Nur ad-Din Ahmad)

***

“Gnostics cannot impart their feelings to other men;
they can only indicate them symbolically to those who have begun to experience the like.”

—ash-Shaykh al-Akbar, Muhyi ad-Din ibn al-‘Arabi

http://www.ibnarabisociety.org , http://www.frithjof-schuon.com