Friday, June 10, 2011

Tawasin of the Prophetic Lamp

(work in progress)

1 .From the Light of the Unseen arose a lamp. It appeared & returned – reigning, its light outgleamed all other lamps: a moon among moons beaming, a star whose sign was housed within Empyrean. The True named him “Unlettered,” for the aim of his intention & “Forbidden,” for the greatness of his gift & “Situated [Meccan],” for the nearness of his home to Him (The True).

2. He bared his heart & raised his power – he imposed his rule and manifested his moon. His lamp showed light from Magnanimity’s mouth.

3. He related nothing but that which his eye had seen into the heart of. He paved no path, but that which was plain for truth. He was present (before The True), so he conveyed His Presence. He saw, so spoke. He was sent as guide, so he set limits.

4. No one could discern the depth of his achievement, save the sincere, who makes himself agreeable with him & cleaves to him,

5. so between them there would no longer stretch a rift. No Gnostic knows this, save he who is ignorant of His Attribute:

6. “Those to whom We have given the Book, who recognize their sons, even though a part of them knowingly conceals the truth.”

7. Prophetic lights sprouted from his light, their lights, from his lights, manifested; there is no light more light, more bare, & older than age, than the light alighted by the Lord of Generosity. His intention preceded all intentions, His existence preexisted Nothingness, His name was word before the Pen;

8. Since he preceded nations, there was never anyone on, beyond, below horizon, more graceful, nobler, wiser, more just & kinder, more Godly fearing & more sympathetic than the holder of his rank. He is the Master of Creation & that his name (the most praised, ahmd): his quality is singular, his command is certainty, his essence is excellence, his attribute is glory, his aspiration is unmatchable.

9. O wonder! How manifest, how visible, how great, how famous, how brilliant, how powerful, how penetrating another there is naught. He was and is & known before beginnings, before beings. He was and is & there before Before and after After – before substances and qualities. His substance is clear, his speech prophetic.

10. His knowledge is exalted, his tongue is Arabic. His tribe is “neither East nor West”: his lineage is patriarchal, his mission is conciliation. His title is Unlettered. He brought vision through his signs to seeing eyes – through him the mysteries were recognized.

11. The True made him speak and the Proof substantiated him. The True sent him forth as the Proven and the Proof.

12. It is him who cleared the rust from the shackled heart.

13. It is him who carried forth the ancient word, unconditioned & unuttered & unfettered but united indivisibly to Him. It is he who announced the end of The Ends, and the ends of The End.

14. He lifted the cloud and pointed to the Sacred House.

15. He is perfect & gallant. It is he who was brought out to break the idols & against the slander and the sin of men was sent.

16. Above him flashed a cloud & below him a bolt – announcing light & rain & growth. The bulk of knowledge is nothing but a volume in His sea. The whole of wisdom is no greater than a handful from His stream. The ages are an hour to His time.

17. The True is with him & with him is the truth.

18. He is the first link.

19. He is the last among the prophets. Inward he bears truth & outward gnosis.

20. No learned man has ever reached his knowledge & no wise man ever proved his understanding.

21. . The True did not submit His truth to His creation; because he is he & he is he & him is him.

22. Nothing escaped the eM of MHMD (Muhammad) & no one entered the Ha -- his second eM. The first eM is his Dee. His Dee is his duration. His eM is his mark. His Ha is his habitual state, which is his second M.

23. The True manifested his speech & deepened his sign & revealed his proof. He sent the furqan down to him & attuned his tongue, making that which dwells deep in him glow, hindering all others from imitation. He caused clarity & magnified his glory.

24. If you shun his law, what direction will you follow, O afflicted? No guide is here: the wisdom of wise men to his wisdom is a sliding heap of sand.

Mansur Al-Hallaj