A Thousand Wisdoms

Imam and Imamat
A Thousand Wisdoms
By: Prof. Dr. Allama Nasir al Din Nasir Hunzai

In his firman to Surat Jamat on 12th October, 1903, NOOR Mowlânâ Sultân Muhammad Shâh (a.s.) said "If you always read religious books, you will come to know that the throne of Imamat is continuous, perpetual and everlasting." Therefore, the subjects of Imam and Imamat are of paramount importance for all believers of God.

The verse (36:12) reveals that God has encompassed everything – intellectual, spiritual and physical – in the light of the most noble Imam. Therefore, according to the principles of Qur'anic wisdom, it is clear that all subjects are contained in the subject of Imâmat and all words in the word Imâm. [Source: Recognition of Imam (Imâm – Shinâsi) Part I & II]

Ta'wil of word 'Itâ'ah' (Obedience to God, the Prophet and the Imam):
"The holy Prophet said to Hazrat Ali: "He who obeys me, indeed obeys Allah and he who disobeys me, indeed disobeys Allah and he who obeys you, indeed obeys me and he who disobeys you, indeed disobeys me." (al-Mustradrak, III, 121). This Hadith is an exegesis of verse (4:59) about obedience." [Source: Tawil 76: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Uli'l-amr' (The custodians of the Divine commands, the true Imams):
"Verse (4:59) says: "O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and the ulu'l-amr from amongst you." That is, in addition to Allah and the Prophet, obedience to the Imam from the progeny of the Prophet, whose Imamat is established from the Qur'an and Hadith, is obligatory. Contrary to this, world kings and rulers cannot be the ulu'l-amr, nor is any example of them found in the age of Prophethood, the ideal age of Islam. In the same surah in verse (4:54) there is mention of giving of the Book, the wisdom and a great kingdom to the Progeny of Ibrahim and here, according to the context of the subject, by progeny of Ibrahim are meant to be Muhammad (s.a.s.) and his progeny." [Source: Tawil 133: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Imâm' (Guide):
"The following hadith is about the virtues of the Qur'an: "Indeed, everything has a heart and the heart of the Qur'an is Yâ-Sin (Surah 36)" (Trimidhi, V, 162). One main reason for this title of Yâ-Sin is that the Treasure of the treasures of God is mentioned in it, which is: "And We have encompassed everything in the manifest Imam." (36:12). That is, God enfolds the universe in the living and present Imam and also unfolds it from him." [Source: Tawil 106: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Kullu shay'in' (Everything, all things):
"The wise Qur'an is the perfect and complete Book in whose exoteric and esoteric aspects there is explanation of everything (16:89). The magnificent and unique principle which is the treasure of its heart cannot be praised by us human beings and that universal principle full of quintessence (i.e., the pure, highly concentrated essence) of wisdom is: "And We have encompassed everything in a manifest Imam." (36:12). That is, all spiritual and intellectual subtle things of the kingdom of God can be found gathered and enfolded in the manifest Imam, provided someone recognizes himself or herself." [Source: Tawil 732: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ayat' (The luminous personality of the Imam in which all signs are encompassed):
"Mawlâ Ali has said: "Anâ âyâtu'llâhi wa aminu'llâh, i.e. I am Allah's signs and I am the trustworthy of Allah." (Kawkab, p.208). Âyât in the sense of the signs of Divine power or miracles, are in four places: (i) The higher world, (ii) the wise Qur'ân, (iii) the external universe and (iv) the personal world, but according to the Qur'ân (36:12) all these âyât (signs) are encompassed in the light of the Imâm-i Mubin. That is, his light is the higher world, he is the speaking Qur'ân, the quintessence of the universe and a luminious personal world in true sense." [Source: Tawil 10: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ahsâ' (He has encompassed them):
"It is said in verse (78:29): "And We have encompassed everything in (the form of) a book." The meaning of everything cannot be complete without intellects and souls, nor can a merely silent book possess all intellectual and spiritual (moving) things. Therefore, it is true to say that this is a description of the speaking book, i.e., the Imâm-i mubîn" [Source: Tawil 33: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ma'a'l-Qur'ân' (With the Qur'ân):
"Externally Ali (Imam of the time) is a pure personality and internally a light. Externally, the Qur'ân is a glorious heavenly Book and internally (in the Prophet and the Imam) it is light. This shows that externally Ali and Qur'ân are separate from each other, but internally they are not only together, they are one light." [Source: Tawil 820: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ma'a'l-Qur'ân' (With the Qur'ân):
"It is said in Hadith: "Ali is with the Qur'ân and the Qur'ân is with Ali, they will never separate from each other until they come to me at the pond (of Kawthar)." (Yanâbi, p. 103). The wisdom of this is that Ali (i.e., every true Imam) in his spirituality and luminosity is with the Qur'ân and the Qur'ân in its spirituality and luminosity is with Ali. Thus, the Qur'ân and Ali are one light in spirituality and this oneness will continue until the resurrection takes place and they come to the pond of Kawthar." [Source: Tawil 819: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Hâdin' (Guide, Imâm):
"It is said in verse (13:7): "Verily you are a warner, and to every nation (qawm) there is a guide." (See Shi'i translations and commentaries of the Qurân and the books on the Manâqib of Mawla Ali). From the time of Âdam till the Resurrection of resurrections, the people of every age are a nation and for every nation God has appointed a guide, who is the Imam of the time." [Source: Tawil 940: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Yastanbitûna' (They deduce, discover, they do istinbâat):
"Istinbâat primarily means "to dig a well and bring out water for the first time". Secondarily it is used in the sense of thinking, reflection, to penetrate deeply (Qâmûs, p. 77). For instance, istanbata'sh-shay' means to reveal a thing from its hidden state.

Verse (4:83), in which it is used, clearly means that after the holy Prophet, it is the ulu'l-amr, the Imams from the progeny of the holy Prophet, who bring out the inner meaning of the Qur'ânic verses, because it is they who know the ta'wil (inner meaning) of the Qur'ân." [Source: Tawil 980: A Thousand Wisdoms]


Ta'wil of word 'Muslimah' (The community of the pure Imams):
"A true Muslim is the one who submits himself to God. In this sense, Hazrat Ibrâhîm and Hazrat Ismâil prayed: "Our Lord! Make us submitters to You and of our progeny a submitting community (ummatan muslimah) to You (by true obedience)." (2:128). This shows that ummatan muslimah is the community of the pure Imâms who are the progeny of Hazrat Ibrâhîm and Hazrat Ismâil (See Daâ'im, I, 33). " [Source: Tawil 812: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Madînat al-ilm' (The city of knowledge):
"It is stated in Hadith: " I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate, so whoever wants knowledge let him come through the gate." (Sharh, I, 89). That is, whoever wants the treasures of the knowledge of certainty, the eye of certainty, and the truth of certainty, then it is necessary and imperative for him to enter the city of knowledge of the Prophet by walking in the light of the unprecedented guidance of the Ali of the time." [Source: Tawil 804: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ism a'zam' (Supreme Name of God):
"Imâm Jafar as-Sâdiq has said "Allah has concealed one name, i.e., the supreme Name and He has 360 names." (Lughât, Sîn, p. 175). The supreme Name or the great secret is in two forms: as a word and as a person. As a word, it is "al-hayyu'l-qayyûm" (the Everliving, the Everlasting) (2:255; 3:2) and as a person it is the True Guide, i.e., the Prophet and the Imam of the time (see Wajh, p. 124-129)" [Source: Tawil 64: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Asmâ' (The luminous personality of the Imam in which all signs are encompassed):
"It is mentioned in a Hadith: "Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine names. He who memorises their number (and recites them), enters paradise." (Sarâ'ir, p. 69).

It is not possible to understand the meaning of this Hadith without ta'wil, and the ta'wil is that all other names of God are encompassed in His supreme Name and that supreme Name is the Imam of the time. A mu'min who knows this enters paradise, because this knowledge is tanatamount to enumerating His ninety-nine names." [Source: Tawil 65: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Awliyâ Allah' (Chosen friends of God):
"In verse (10:62) God says about His friends: "Lo! verily for the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve." These friends of God are the progeny of the holy Prophet whom God has exalted by granting them the ta'wili miracles of the glorious Qur'ân, because the greatest miracle of the holy Prophet which is intellectual, permanent and in the form of knowledge, is indeed the wise Qur'ân. The Qur'ân has two aspects: tanzil and ta'wil. Tanzil or exoteric aspect was conveyed to the people by the Prophet himself and for ta'wil or esoteric aspect, he appointed his successor." [Source: Tawil 137: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ahl adh-dhikr' (The Pure Imâms):
"Dhikr is one of names of the holy Prophet (65:10-11). The people of dhikr therefore, are the family of the holy Prophet. Dhikr is also one of the names of the Qur'ân (21:50), and so the people of dhikr, are the people of the Qur'ân. Dhikr is also the ism-i azam (supreme Name), i.e., the asmâ'ul-husnâ (the beautiful Names) and therefore, the people of dhikr are the people of ism-i azam, the pure Imâms. Thus, by the people of dhikr are meant the Imâms who guide the people and are enriched with the given knowledge (ilm-i laduni), and therefore, they are able to answer every difficult question related to knowledge." [Source: Tawil 154: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ta'wil' (Hikmat: Wisdom):
"Regarding the Qur'ân, Mawlâ Ali has said: "Its zahir or esoteric aspect is an obligatory act, its bâtin or esoteric aspect is hidden and veiled knowledge which is known to and written with us." [Source: Tawil 195: A Thousand Wisdoms]

"The Book and the wisdom are mentioned together in mumerous verses of the Qur'ân such as (2:129). In such cases by the Book is meant tanzil (zahir, exoteric) and by wisdom ta'wil (batin, esoteric), as is implied in verse (2:151): "(O the group of Imams!) as We have sent among you a messenger from among you who recites to you Our verses (in spirituality), purifies you and teaches you the Book and the wisdom." [Source: Tawil 187: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ta'wil' (Esoteric Wisdom):
"The day its ta'wil comes, those who were previously forgetful of it will say: "Indeed, the Messengers of our Lord brought the truth (haqq)." (7:53). By the haqq (truth) is meant the walâyat of Ali. Thus, those who had forgotten the ta'wil and the custodian of ta'wil, namely Hazrat Ali, will feel great remorse. (al-haqq = walâyat of Ali, see Sharh, II, 237; Al-Mustadrak (in which is mentioned that the truth is with Ali), III 135)." [Source: Tawil 198: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Marifah' (Recognition of God):
"It is said in a Hadith: "Recognize Allah by Allah" (Lughât, Ayn, p. 82; Ahadith-i Mathnawi, pp. 2, 106). That is, the recognition of God is possible in the illumination of His light and His light is the holy Prophet and the Imam of the time." [Source: Tawil 835: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Law lâka' (If it were not for you):
"It is said in a Hadith-i qudsi: "If it were not for you (O Muhammad), I would not have created the heavens (i.e., universe)." Thus a Prophet so beloved of God has said to Mawlâ Ali: "You are from me and I am from you." [Source: Tawil 788: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of words 'An Aliyy' (Narrated by Ali):
"Mawlâ Ali reports that the holy prophet said: "I am the house of wisdom and 'Ali is its door. (Tirmidhi, V, 637).

Question: Which wisdom is mentioned in this Hadith?
Answer: The wisdom of the Qur'ân, the Hadith and spirituality, whose house is the Prophet and whose door, the Ali of the time." [Source: Tawil 629: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of words 'Qâla Rasûl Allâh' (The Messenger of God said):
"The holy Prophet said: "I have left behind among you two weighty things as a rope reaching the earth from heaven, one of them is greater than the other: the Book of Allâh and my itrat (progeny), the people of my house. They will never separate until they will come to me at the pond (of Kawthar)." These two unprecedented and magnificent things, each of which is weightier than the heaven and the earth, or rather the entire universe, are the Qur'ân and its Teacher (the Imam) whom the Prophet appointed as his khalifah or successor. It is they who are the rope of God which is stretched from the heaven to the earth to lift the people of the earth to the heaven (Sharh, X, 481)." [Source: Tawil 669: A Thousand Wisdoms]


Ta'wil of word 'Nafs' (Soul):
"Mawlâ Ali has said: "He who recognizes his soul, indeed recognizes his Lord." However, it should be noted that the treasure of recognition does not exist in the ordinary human soul until the Holy Spirit is attained from the True Guide. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is in the Imam of the time and he, in reality, is your own soul. If you have recognized the Imam of the time, then you should know that you have recognized yourself and your Lord." [Source: Tawil 889: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ati'ni' (Obey me):
"It is said in a Hadith-i qudsi: "O My servant! Obey me, I will make you like My Image (mithâl = sûrat-i Rahmân) everliving that you will never die, mighty that you will never be humiliated and rich that you will never be needy." (Arba rasâil Ismâ'iliyyah, p. 15). This is the teaching of the paradise of knowledge and the greatest glad news." [Source: Tawil 77: A Thousand Wisdoms]

Ta'wil of word 'Ali' (Vision of Ali):
"The holy Prophet said: "To look at the face of Ali is worship." (al-Mustadrak, III, 152-153; Sharh, IX, 381; Kawkab, p. 161). Ali's vision is worship because of the fact that he is the speaking Qur'ân, the supreme Name, the mazhar of the Divine light, the mirror which shows God and he is the legatee of the holy Prophet. This is why the true lovers yearn for the sacred vision of the Ali of the time with heart and soul." [Source: Tawil 621: A Thousand Wisdoms]

01. The manifestation of the Imam and his Hujjat

THE ISMAILI SOCIETY
ISMAILI TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS SERIES, NO. 4
ON THE RECOGNITION OF THE IMAM

Fasl dar Bayan-I Shinakht-I Imam
Syedna Pir Shah Nasir e Khusrow

Translated from Persian by W. IVANOW

(1. The Manifestation of the Imam and his Hujjat).

Firstly I begin to discuss the recognition of the Imam, which is as follows, so that thou mayest to know. (By the name of) Imam is called a man whi at one time may be (directly) know in his own person, and at another time through (the guidance of) his Hujjat. It is possible to recognise him (directly) only on the day of the "Sabbath of the faith." and it has to be known that every "day of the faith" is equal to one thousand years of this world (so that) a week of the Religion lasts seven thousand years. In these seven days the "day of the faith" is only one, not more, and the other six are the "night of the faith." This "day of the Religion" is called Saturday and on this day the Sun of the Faith, the Imam, becomes manifested. This is the reason why it is said: "All the (Divine) commandments will pass, but that about Saturday will remain." [Fol.2]. The other six days are called the "night of the faith," and the reason for this is that at that time the law (shari'at) of the prophets is a veil (hijab) of the Imam just as the night is the veil of the sun in this world. But as there is the moon which takes the place of the sun when it is hidden, so there is Hujjat, who takes the place of the Imam when he is not manifest, in order that his slaves, i.e., the "people of order", could recognise him with (the help of) the light of his "Proof's" teaching.

It is also to be understood that in the six thousand years of the "night of the faith" the Imam also becomes manifest occasionally. But these his manifestations are not ma'nawi, i.e., those in which he appears in his full glory, and the knowledge of him, in his real essence, cannot be attained. Just as on the contrary in the millennium of Saturday he can be recognised with his real nature because on that day his manifestation is complete.[1]

Therefore in these six thousand years he cannot be recognised. So the [Fol. 2v] great Ra'is says (in his poetry):

The manifestation (of the Imam is a mystery.
Do not associate it with any (ordinary) person,
Because for the believer who is passing through the Resurrection (qiyamat) it
is immaterial whether he is absent or present.[2]

[1] The terms shakli, idafi and ma'nawi, in application to the idea of the zuhur are here the same as in the Rawdatu't-taslim. These ideas substantially differ from those of the Fatimid time where the zuhur of the Imam is his appearance to the world in the capacity of the ideal theocratic ruler. It is interesting to note that here the term satr, opposite to zuhur,does not appear at all.

[2] The poetical quotations which appear in this opuscule have, as a rule, suffered so much in transcription by ignorant scribes that the meaning of some passages remains quite obscure. In some of these the prosody is not only badly violated, but ocasionally simply disregarded. Mard-I Qiyamat may also be a poetical expression for the Qa'im (the term which does not appear here). I must confess that the meaning of this bayt is not clear to me.

But it would be absurd (to think) that he will leave the "chosen of the order" (khassan-I tarattub) without the possibility of recogtnising him; for the purpose of their acquiring this knowledge the world was created. If he should leave them so, -which God forbid ! - he would be ungenerous. Therefore inevitably a moon must exist in this night (of faith) which would remain perpetually manifest in its real nature. Any one who will not attain the knowledge during the time when the moon appears in its real essence, how should he acquire (this knowledge) at the time when the sun is manifest in a form which gives no light?

Just as a poet says:-

If to-day no benefit is derived from a complete manifestation (of the Hujjat),
Of what use will be to-morrow a bodily manifestation (of the Imam)?

In another place the poet says:-

The complete manifestation (of the Hujjat) whose propaganda is at work,
Will not be greater or smaller than what it actually should

02. The necessity of the propaganda (da'wat) in the time when the Imam is hidden

(2. The Necessity of the Propaganda (da'wat) in the time when the Imam is hidden).

One must also know that whenever during the six millennia of the "night of faith" the Imam has a bodily incarnation (as an ordinary man). [Fol.3] his Hujjat has no complete manifestation. So it was in the time of the Prince (of the believers - Ali) when Salman did not reveal his teaching except to one man.[1] But as soon as the Imam becomes hidden, he (Hujjat) must be completely manifested and it is impossible that both, the Imam's bodily incarnation as well as preaching in his favour, would disappear. He would cause by this the creations to perish. The reason why the Imam occasionally withdraws the completemanifestation of the Hujjat and himself becomes incarnated as an ordinary man is that at that time the people are not capable (of accepting his doctrines), God forbid! Just as Hakim Nizari says in his poetry:-

Do not withdraw from those who ardently desire its advent
The full (ma'nawi) manifestation (the date of which) is covered withmystery!
And, after this, the door of mercy in the Heaven

[1] Certain expressions in this text have been naively ciphered, either entirely or partly, with the help of the figures substituted for letters according to the abjad system, with zeros being omitted in tens. Thus I-m-a-m is 1+4 (0)+1+4(0). This system is apparently not used in the Fatimid literature which employs a specialscript. The single man to whom Salman revealed his doctrine was certainly the Prophet. The part of the Salman as Jabra'il is probably a new invention of the Safawid times. [2] Ma-bandi may stand for ma-band. In the province of Qa'in and Birjand, from which Nizari was hailed, this is now the usual form of the Imperative with a negation, So it is proved that it is on account of his slaves' errors, negligence and sinfulness that he shuts occasionally the door of mercy and the gate of the knowledge of himself and leaves them to their fate. If thou leave us to ourselves to act, (Then) explain (clearly) what thou wilt have us to do.

03. The fourfold knowledge about the Imam

(3. The Fourfold Knowledge about the Imam).

And again one must know that (the way to) the knowledge of the Imam is fourfold. [Fol.3v.] First, the knowledge of his body. It can be shared even by an animal. Secondly, the knowledge of his name. It can be obtained even by adversaries. Thirdly, the recognition of his Imamat. In this the "people of the order" can participate. Fourth, the knowledge of his (real) nature. It can be posse4ssed by his Hujjat only.

04. The Hujjat's and da'i's knowledge of the Imam

(4. The Hujjat's and Da'I's knowledge of the Imam).

One must also know that the "people of the order," i.e. the da'is and other inferior ranks (hudud) can always trace the person of the Imam by the guidance of two signs of which one is his legitimate nomination of two signs of which one is his legitimate nomination (nass) and the other his descent. But the chosen, i.e. the Hujjat, knows him since pre-eternal times by his miraculous knowledge and by innate disposition. In several past incarnations some da'is have not erred in recognising the Imam's person through being in possessionof the true knowledge. The reason (of their correct recotgnition) was their following that principle. But the other da'is, who were misguided, committed an error, the reason of which was that they took into consideration only the (Imam's) descent. Therefore they gave up Shah Nizar with his (real rights for) Imamat. This was the reason (why it happened in this way).

In the two incarnations, in which he dropped both indications, he first caused to appear his Hujjat and appointed him, and after this [Fol.4] he withdrew his two signs and disappeared, even in his personal form, from amongst the "people of order." Later on the higher degrees of the believers traced the person of the Imam with the help of the indication and guidance of the Hujjat after an examination of the matter. But some people, not strong (in their belief), did not listen to these arguments of the Hujjat or (simply) were incapable of understanding them [1] by the way of following the opinion of the majority.

05. The relations between the Imam and the Hujjat

(5. The Relation between the Imam and the Hujjat).

[1] A short lacuna in the text,

06. The manifestation of the Imam is essential to the existence of the world

(6. The Manifestation of the Imam is essential for the Existence of the World).

It is also necessary to know that the Imam must necessarily exist in all three kawns, i.e., worlds, - material, spiritual and cosmic, because he is in fact the "indispensably existent," and every thing besides him is but "possibly existent." By this latter name anything is called which cannot exist by itself. And as now all these "possibly existent" objects in fact exist, (it follows that) the Imam is manifested in their generic class in both worlds (kawn).

Where it not so, the worlds (akwan) could not exist. If some one says that the Creator (mujid) [1] is an impossibility because the opposite of the existence (of anything) is non-existence of the equally possible (mumkinat) thing (i.e., belonging to the same category), and not the non-existence of the One on whom the existence itself depends; nor will be their non-existence the counterpart of the "Indispensably-existent" (wajibu'l-wujud); or if he should say that they exist, but are the cause of the other, - all this is senseless.

Therefore [Fol.5] it is obvious that the Imam must be manifested in both the worlds, one created and corporeal (i.e., material), and the other abstract (amri) [2] and spiritual, as all three kinds of existence are based on (the same) Primal Divine Volition (amr). [1] In the text there is mawjud, i.e., available, existent. This is obviously erroneous in the context.

[2] The term amr, i.e. (Divine) command, or the primal creative volition of the Deity, and what belongs to it. Amri, all deal with those basic principles of creation which precede the visible world.

In the created, material world the posterity (awlad) of everything are always similar (in properties) to their progenitors, so that the son takes the place of the father. The same is true of the spiritual world, and the world of primal realities (amri), with the adversaries who maintain this on the basis of their Shari'at, the "people of order" (ahl-I tarattub) from their doctrine (ta'lim), and the "people of (Divine) unity" (ahl-I wahdat), i.e., the Hujjat, from the Divine assistance (ta'yid).

And then this also should be noted that the manifestation (of the Imam) in all these worlds (akwan) is relative (idafi), not absolute (haqiqi). If it were absolute, it would (have the power to ) rule the world of "possibles" (mamkinat).

The term "relative" (idafi) is applied to something that resembles something else (in certain respects), but is essentially different from it, just as a mirage resembling water, or a reflection in a mirror, and which are different (from what they resemble). The real, or absolute (haqiqi) is called something that is the original reality, as water (resembled by a mirage), or the original object (reflected in a mirror). So Ra'is Hasan says in a poem:-

Thou art a being that appears as a man to men,
before the eyes of men, in this world;
In the form of a man thou art and with men thou remainest.
Thou comest amongst men not showing thy real face,

[Fol.5v.] (Because) in thy pure and attributeless essence thou art void of every (form).

If (thou appearest) amongst the men, thou art a man, if amidst spirits-a spirit,
Thou grantest them their existence as well as governest them.

And the same Ra'is says in (another) poem:-

The reason why thou has received the illusory attributes,
And why they became incalculable for the world,
If that every religion, whether it be true or false, bad or good,
Invented its own way (of worship) and calls thee by a different name.
Of all these names and attributes, which appeared,
A garden rose up with young trees of the saying "I was a Hidden Treasure."
Thou art partaking in all these, only from Thee
Comes the existence of all these, inherent in the beings.
But in the eyes of the truth, in Thy real essence Thou art
Really void of all the attributes and all the names.

And Khwaja Nasir says:-

O thou, in whose existence is a possibility of being for the world,
O thou, in whose protection is mankind's safety!

As a person thou art the manifestation of theDivine Light, And in the view of reason thou art the source of the different kinds of creations of the world. Thou comest appearing to the eyes of all creatures, But remainest hidden even from the Universal Reason in thy mysterious power. All three worlds are with thee, and thou hast been with all of them, Both (the material and spiritual) worlds come from thee, but thou art from from all of them.[Fol.6] (Therefore) it is to be understood, that only the manifestation of the Imam in these worlds is their real cause, not anything else.

07. Definition of the degree of the Hujjat

(7. Definition of the Position of the Hujjat).

Having explained what is the recognition of the Imam, I will proceed to discuss the recognition of the Hujjat. Know that by this name a person is called whose real essence is the same as that of the Imam, from all eternity. He becomes manifested in this world from the sake of the "people of order" so that by having instructed them in his teaching he should make them recognise the Imam, because the Imam himself is free from (the necessity of) adopting (the teaching) or transmitting it (to anybody). The Hujjat, however, free from (the necessity of) adopting (the teaching) or transmitting it (to anybody). The Hujjat, however, free from (the necessity of) receiving (any body's) instruction, is not free from the duty (of delivering his teaching). And the da'I as well as the three degrees under him are not free (from both duties). The convert (mustajib) is not allowed to teach and needs only to accept the instruction. Therefore it is now clear that the Hujjat has a necessity to deliver his teaching and others need either accept it and transmit or only adopt it. And if he do not appear and teach, the "people of order" will fail in attaining salvation and perfection (in) the next life, and therefore [Fol.gv.] there will be no use in the creation of the world.

08. The logical proofs of the necessity of the Hujjat

(8. The Logical Proof of the Necessity of the Hujjat).


There are numereous indications, in logical arguments as well as in tradition, showing that without the help of the Hujjat it is impossible to recognise the Imam.

The logical proof is as follows. In every thing existent its perfect quality cannot pass from the state of potency into action without an impulse from outside. If it could be otherwise, the result necessarily would be that all the (material) bodies, in which the ability of movement is considered as their most perfect state, could come into activity spontaneously, without being compelled by something else, which "stays behind them," i.e., in some of them the vegetable spirit, and in the others the animal or human spirit. If this is the case with the body, which belongs to the world of semblance, in the spirit, which is the archetype (of the body), without (the help of ) the Hujjat no spiritual movement can exist, because it is the progress from the vices towards (moral) perfection and transmitting (the teaching ) to those able (to accept it).

09. The traditional proofs of the necessity of the Hujjat

(9. The Traditional Proof of the Necessity of the Hujjat).

The proof of tradition (can be derived) first from the orthodox teachings of shari'at, which are called by their followers "the word of God and of the Prophet," and also from the teachings of the "worshippers of the Truth," who are opposed to the orthodox, as Hakim Sana'I, (Jalalu'd-Din) Rumi "the revealer of the Truth," Shaykh Attar, and others. And even from the words of the Batinis, which God inspires to them. (Fol. 7). They all cannot understand, and even fall into contradictions with themselves. There are also teachings of the mystery of the (eternal) Truth, revealed by the Imam, in the time of his perfect incarnation, or by his Hujjat who is always completely manifested. Whenever in the plain taching of shari'at the Quran, the Lord (mihtar) Jabra'il, Mika'il, Israfil and Azra'il are spoken of, their real meaning and archetype, as can be explained, is the Hujjat, because in allegorical interpretation, ta'wil, the meaning of the "angel" is the "people of unity" (ahl-I wahdat), i.e., the Hujjat, nobody else. And wherever da'I mentioned, it means the prophet, as in the Quran (XXXIII, 45) there is a verse (let His word be exalted!)-- ". . . calling towards God, by His order, as a burning candle." And as regards (his statement) that he (Muhammad) was receiving revelation from Jabra'il, i.e., that he was a da'I, he received instruction from Salman, and the words which he uttered prove this: "If Abu Dharr could know what is in the mind of Salman, truly he would call him an unbeliever," which means that should Abu Dharr be aware of what is in Salman's heart, he would kill him. When our Lord (Sayyid-na) was asked about the meaning of this tradition of the Prophet [Fol, 7v], he said in reply that if Salman were to say to Abu Dharr that his, Salman's, position is superior to that of the Prophet and that Mawla-na Ali is he creator and the architect of the world, the former would look upon these words as heresy and slay Salman.

There are (words) of the Amiru'l-mu'min ( Ali): "Salman is with us (as one) of (our own) family, the sun from the Light of God, a part of us (and) from us. The heart of a true believer is the Light of God, but no believer is as powerful as Salman, although a believer is eternal in the two worlds." Rumi, the revealer of the Truth, says about Khidr and Moses that the latter was learning perfection from the former. And in the beginning when Moses had not received from him a (revealed) instruction, he could not realise the mysterious meaning of Khidr's actions. So Rumi sayd in his Mathnavi: -

That boy whose throat Khidr has cut,
The common people will not undestand his mystery.
Even from Moses with all his wisdom and wit It remained hidden.
Thou, o wingless, do not try to fly![1]

Hakim Nizari says (alluding to this story):-

If it had been an easy thing to penetrate to that source (of mystery), How could Moses turn back from Khidr in confusion?

The Paradise of Adam, the Ark of Noah, the vision [Fol. 8] of Abraham, Jesus and Mary, the mount Sinai of Moses, Gabriel of Mustafa - all these are (forms of ) the Hujjat. All the orthodox believe in this (tradition), but they do not know about its interpretaion (ta'wil).

Just as Amir Sayyid Ali-I Wa'iz (Kashifi), one of the orthodox, ina poem composed in praise of Ali says that once (the Prophet) was sitting and Jabra'il was by his side. At this time the Amiru'l-mu'minin ( Ali) entered the house and Gabriel paid respect to him. The Prophet asked: "Why hast thou such veneration for my little boy?" To this Gabriel replied: "He, was my teacher in the beginning of my existence." Then the Prophet asked: "How much time passed since thy creation?" Gabriel replied:-

"Although I do not know the (exact) number of my years,
I know a star, an ornament of the Divine Throne,
It is a star which only once in every thirty thousand years
Rises over the greatest and the highest Throne (of God)
Since the time when I came into existence by His might,
That star thirty thousand times appeared to me."

It is also said that although Gabriel has the form of a bird, as the other angels, on that day, however, he appeared [fol. 8v.] to the Prophet in the form of a man, and as a man was sitting by the side of Mustafa. In fact the Imam, who is the "origin" (asl), and Gabriel, who follows him, as well as Mustafa, who follows Gabriel, all of them always have the appearance of a man; and later, when Mustafa accepted the teaching of the Hujjat, their real essence became (also) one. Not only can Mustafa, the "strong one" (qawi) amongst the "people of order," join them, but the other degrees which are inferior to him can become joined with them as soon as they receive the same knowledge. Amidst the traditions current amongst the orthodox there is one in which it is related that somebody asked A'isha if it is true that the Prophet says that on a certain night he went to heaven and saw those things (of which he told). A'isha said in reply: "I saw only that he went out from the house and came back so soon that water was still flowing from the jug which he struck with the skirt of his cloak when going out. And I do not know anything as regards what he says that Gabriel brings messages to him. I know only that occasionally the barefooted Salman comes and tells something secretly, and [Fol. 9v.] after a short time the Prophet begins to say that Gabriel descended and told him from the mouth of God this or that."

In short, all the tradition of the orthodox gives evidence that Gabriel is (in reality) Salman, but they cannot understand this. And what the "people of Truth" say is as well absolute evidence that the Imam has said: "Salman is from me and I am from Salman." In another place he said: "Salman is one of the gates of Paradise," because the door of Paradise is a man, and therefore the whole place of it must be a man. In another place he says: "Salman is the door of Paradise," but (he does) not (say): "soul of Paradise." In some other place he says: "I am with my friends everywhere they would seek for me, in the hills, on the plain, in the desert," etc. And everybody to whom he revealed his essence, i.e., the knowledge of him, is not in need of being physically connected with the Imam. This is the Great Resurrection.[1] In another place he says: "Be obedient to me, and I will make thee like myself," i.e., [Fol. 9v.] "obey me and thou wilt be similar to myself as Salman." Ra'is Hasan says:-

Thou art one whose "Door" is the Hujjat in this world;

(It can be said) by a hundred thousand mouths there is none similar to and of the same origin as thee. (About) his position which is so close to God as that of the "two bows' length,"

Wisdom tells in Kenoma (Emptiness) and Pleroma (Fulness), i.e. the whole of the Universe. And the same author in another place says:-

Salman-I Farsi, through whom the world was created.
Is the "door" (to the knowledge) of Ali.
Let us begin (this poem) with mention of his name.

He prostrated himself in veneration of the face of God for the reason that we would do prostration for the worship of the face of God.

Hakim Nizari says:-

O Lord, in the great revelation,
In which thou hast unveiled the hidden mystery,
If thou hast manifested in secret,
It is because thou hast caused the trumpets
(of the Resurrection) to be blown by thy Hujjat.

The same poet in these munajat says:-

By the truth of the prophets and thy Hujjat,
Who made ready the way to thy teaching (da'wat).

Hakim Thana'I says in a poem (composed in praise of ) Iskandar regarding the circumstances of his joining the teaching of the Hujjat: [Fol. 10]. The true belief became glorious in the world in my eyes because it was told me That the exalted guide (to it) is he, the "gate of Mawla-na." Khwaja Nasir says[1]:-

When his Hujjat will blow the first of his trumpets, He will
kill all those who are still living in posession of knowledge.
And when He in His own person will blow the trumpet of
the Resurrection,

[1] This may be Nasiru'd-din Tusi whose poetry is apparently not preserved.

In another poem it is said:-

Whoever does not know without doubt the Hujjat of the Truth in this world,
He has no eye which can see, he is the most blind of all the blind.

Khwaja Qasim from Tushtar[1] says:-

I have acquired the knowledge of the Imam of my time with the help of a man
Who is himself the incomparable name of One God.

That man is the Hujjat and the "incomparable name," which is the name of the Imam, is the Hujjat as well, because (only) he is the Imam's real name and only from him is it possible to acquire a knowledge of the Imam, and not from those fictitious names. The teaching, concealed in the majority of the books and poems current amongst this community, is that the "door of mercy" and the "gate of knowledge" of the Imam is the Hujjat, leading to the prson and the name of the Imam, and (as in ordinary life) whoever comes through the door enters the house, and who does not do so cannot come into it. The nature and the real essence of both [Fol. 10v] are the same. This doctrine was explained several times. And if it were not so and they both were not the same, in such a case one of them would be God, and the other a creature. But God cannot be recognised from the creature. This is the difference in the teaching of this community and of intuitive systems.[1] The doctrines of the orthodox say the same, although they cannot understand these implications.

O, my pir, my God, with thy help I knew the Truth,
O, my guide and leader, with thy assistance I have found the Truth.

And it is said:-

The men of God are not God himself,
But they are not distinct from God.

(And another verse):-

For the reason that thy eyes are weak,
Thy first object of worship must be the pir.

10. The reason why the Imam and his Hujjat are the same in their essence but separate in their bodily appearance

(10. The Reason why the Imam and his Hujjat are the same in their essence but separate in their bodily appearance).

If some one should ask why they are the same as regards their nature but exist separate in the bodily form, he may be answered in two ways. (The first) explanation is this. If their persons were not different so that one of them might preach in favour of the other, a suspision might arise amongst the common people and they might think that he is doing this for a mean purpose if he were to call them to join his own cause. But as long as he preaches apparently in favour of someone else, the mob does not consider him [Fol. 11) as doing this is his own favour, being ingnorant of the fact that both of them are one. They live in the world of multitude and find a proof of the Truth of the religion of our Lord and his Hujjat in what is said in the "blessed books" (fusul-I mubarak). At the same time if the Imam and his Hujjat were not the same in their religion and preaching, the result necessarily would be that this their religion and the Truth are different, manifold. And as soon as the (true) religion becomes manifold, it makes no difference whether there be two (sects) or seventy-one. The second reply is as follows: If their persons were not different, so that one could manifest himself in all the three worlds and the other observe the Truth only, a doubt might appear in the religion of the "people of order," who are the seekers after the way to the Truth, about the real character of his preaching. By these logical proofs and the evidence of tradition it is explained why in the six thousand years of the "night of the religion" the knowledge of Imam cannot be acquired without the help of his Hujjat.

11. The Hujjat's miraculous knowledge

(11. The Hujjat's Miraculous Knowledge).

Now it is necessary to know what is the sign of his miracle and why he is manifested in the world (akwan) of the Truth (only). The first reason is as follows. I begin to explain the sign of his miracle. [Fol. 11v] The Hujjat necessarily must posess a sign or a miracle which could not be performed as well by any created or spiritual being. The miracles (in general) are usually of two kinds. One is that performed by the action of physical power and the other by (miraculous) knowledge and argument. Each of these kinds can be imitated, i.e. (an action may be done which is) similar to it but is not the same in reality.

The miracle which depends on an action of the physical power is called that which happens in the material world, while the miracle of knowledge and persuasion appears in the mental sphere. In all beings action and power belong to their material side which they as well as the Hujjat possess. There could be no greater power than if a man were to subdue to himself the whole world and slay all mankind. And he may abide in such condition (of greatness), but a lion or a snake may kill him although nobody can say that a lion or a snake is better than that man, they being only animals. And as (a physical miracle) can come from an animal, (it can happen also from other categories of the material world), as from a plant in (the power ) of producing fruits, from minerals in affecting senses, from fire, wind, water, earth (in short) no wonderful and strange peculiarity of the material qualities or action can be possessed by any single individual object in the world which cannot [Fol. 12] be shared by others.

The imitation of the miracle of knowledge can also be shared by many (living beings). Such are sorcery, incantation, the miracles of the saints, astrologers, fortune-tellers, "comb-seers,"[1] and so forth, who (also) reveal the secrets of the created world. Therefore it is clear that the miracle inimitable and the sign the like of which nobody can produce is the Hujjat's true knowledge which he possesses for the negation of the un-truth and the establishment of the Truth, which is (the teaching about) the Imam. And no one who is reasonable and just can deny it. This is the miracle which nobody else can perform and this wonderful power belongs only to the Hujjat. There are also many indications proving that the knowledge of the Hujjat is the "word of the Truth," and that his miracle is the same, not a physical action. These indications can be found in the teachings of the orthodox, which is the "commandment to the common," as well as in the "secret wisdom," or the teaching of the Truth, which is the "commandment to the chosen." There are many verses of the Quran in the "open" (zahir) teachings of the orthodox (proving this statement). One of them says: "On the prophet depends only preaching" (V, 99), which means that it is possible to demand from the prophet, i.e., Gabriel, only this delivery of his message, which is instruction in the explanation of the doctrine about the unity of the True Lord (Khudawand-i Haqq), and nothing more.
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[1] This is obviously a variety of divination, but I never heard of it in Persia.
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There is also a tradition of the Prophet saying: "We made prohibited to . . . but the right is reverted [Fol. 12v.] . . .

[1] their food and drink until they know their Creator and Lord." It means that to those who have not acquired the
knowledge (of the Imam) even the things are prohibited which are allowed by the shar'at, but to the "knower" (shinasanda) even that which is prohibited by the orthodox doctrines is permitted, as (drinking) wine, etc. But this "knower" is only one, or those who are with him as regards the teaching.[2]

The proofs from the secret doctrines of the Truth are the utterances of the Hujjats and da'is. First the saying of the Great ra'is:- The wine which thou drinkest in this world by any body's order,[3] Consider it in its degree as the "pure drink" of the Quran (LXXVI, 21). If one drinks it by the order of the "man of the Truth" and gives it to others, it may be lawful. Therefore how can it be prohibited! Hakim Nizari says:-

Thou hast not recognised the Imam of thy time and hast not tried to find him.
Then know clearly that gold and property are unlawful to thee.

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[1] Two short lacunas in the text.

[2] The theory that such a "knowing" person (Sufic arif, or as here, shinasanda) may be absolved from the drudgery of going through the prescribed forms of worship, was always very popular in highly devout circles, and, as is well-known, was the basis of the sweeping accusations against the Ismailis. It appears fully developed already before the rise of the Fatimids, as in the Kitabu'l-Mahsul by an anonymous author, was attacked by Abu Hatim ar-Razi, defended by Abu Ya'qub as-Sijistani in his Kitabu'n-Nusra, and finally ruled out by Sayyid-na Hamidu'd-din al-Kirmani in his Kitabu'r-Riyad, as inconsistent with the official Ismaili doctrine (qanun). It is, therefore, interesting to note that, probably under the Sufic influence, it has been revived at such a late period.

[3] Here the expression Kasi, some one, may mean the Hujjat, and the strange word used to refer to him perhaps depends on the context which is not quoted here.

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Now, if it is impossible to see his actions in their real implications (and) he cannot be recognised without (the evidence of) a miracle and sign, then what can be an indication of him except his words? In the majority of books it is stated in this way: the muhiqq, "revealer of the Truth," i.e. the "word of the Truth," must be recognised by a "miracle of knowledge." In some other places [Fol. 13] it is said that it is necessary to hear from the "revealer," i.e., the Hujjat the "True Word" which is the "word of Truth," which is the Imam.

After this it is necessary to accept his Hujjat. And the purpose of listening to this "word" is to learn its meaning, which is the negation of the false affirmation of the (truth of the ) Imam. In the same way in the shari'at the truth of the formula "There is no deity except Allah," has to be heard from the revealer of the orthodox doctrines, i.e., Muhammad. The meaning of these two formulas of the "evidence" (shahadat), of which one is in the shari'at and the othet haqiqat, is refutaion of the falsehood and affirmation of the Truth.

But in this religion nobody can be recognised as a true believer until he proves by (proper) arguments and indications (his) negation of the falsehood and acknowledgement of the Truth, i.e., the Imam. Nobody will consider him a true believer from the mere fact of his having pronounced the formula (of the confession) although in the shari'at it is so. And so "the word of the Truth" cannot be taken as the evidence except on that single occasion.

12. The reason why the Hujjat can be manifested in the "Truth" only

(12. The Reason why the Hujjat can be manifested in the "Truth" only).

Now, when the miracle and sign of the Hujjat, which are "the word of Truth,"are explained, one must know why he becomes manifested in the haqiqat (the eternal Truth) only and why, as every body says, his actions point out to the fact that he absolutely does not observe the prescriptions of the shari'at. The reason is that in the beginning of every millennial period, when all the institutions governing that period are formed [Fol. 13v.], there are, besides the Hujjat, only three persons (taking part in the establishing of the doctrine), not more. They are the prophet, the Imam and the orthodox ruler. The prophet has to appear in the two aspects, kawn, of the religion, because he does not possess the position of the Hujjat. The Imam must be manifested in the three worlds (kawn) and the ruler of the orthodox only in the shari'at.

Therefore if the Hujjat should obey the orthodox laws, doubts as to his preaching (da'wat) of the Truth would arise amongst his followers. And if he should like to be manifested in the orthodox world (as well as amongst the
believers of the Truth) he would be a sinner, perhaps worse than a sinner. This is why in the beginning of the period of Muhammad in which we are living, the Hujjat was Salman, who by no means followed the prescriptions of the shari'at, but intentionally and in the presence of every body was doing unlawful things.

This is why all the adversaries blamed him. But the Hadrat-i Amir ( Ali) observed the commandments of the shari'at and after the death of the Prophet took the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr, although he did not allow Salman to do this. When Umar, having grasped the collar of Ali, was dragging him to swear allegiance, some one of the adversaries came forth and, turning to Salman, said: "How comes it that the person about whom thou tellest all these (stories) and to whom thou ascribest such extraordinary qualities, is now dragged in such humility to take an oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr?" Salman in reply said: "If he liked [Fol. 14] he could make this that, and that this," pointing at the same time to the earth and the sky. But the Amir, having looked upon him angrily, said: "One must not say everything he knows." But when ( Umar)grasped the collar of Salman and dragged him with all the Persians[1] to take the oath, the Amir came, freed him from the hands of Umar, and did not permit this.

The secret why he himself swore was that in the time of Mustafa his religion (shari'at) had not yer reached everywhere and ( Ali) wished that it should spread so that the "completer"[2] should not remain in the same condition as the adversaries, this he thought to be the most important. The plain religion (shari'at) could not be complete, however, unless he were himself to follow that "completer" (because otherwise) the adversaries would not follow him (the "completer"). But as was already explained, the adversaries have to exist, because, if, being wrong, they should not exist, nobody would know about their real position. Therefore the "people of order" would remain without their goal (madar) and merit and would cease to seek for the (true) knowledge. If therefore it is clear that the adversaries have to exist as well, then without shari'at which prevents them from their depravity and cruelty, they would not leave a single man alive [Fol. 14v.], the world would be devastated and there would be no advantage for the "people of degrees."

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[1] It is worth while noting this legendary development. Indirectly it corroborates the theory of the Persians, not Badakshani, origin of the work, because, for the author, the Persians were all shi'ites. Note also that the author uses the term Farsiyan. This, of course, may be merely an extension of the surname of Salman, but it is not entirely impossible that for the author the Persians were chiefly the people of Fars because he himself belonged to that province.

[2] The expression tamam-kunanda is quite enigmatic. This obviously has nothing to do with the ancient Ismaili term Mutimm, in the sense of the Imam, i.e., the persons who brings to completion the mission of the Prophet. Here, most probably, it means the Khatimu'l-anbiya', i.e., the Prophet himself.

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So Sayyid (Nasir-i Khusraw) says:-

Amongst them there is a handful of the wretched and villains,
Whom a clever man calls the "devilish people."
They are Satan in their deeds although in the shape of men,
Being a hundred degrees lower than a horse, cow or ass.
Their hearts are not awake because they have not soul,
They have nothing to do except to criticise the chosen.
Yes, they exist, this handful of the perverse,
They are the cause of the humility of the world.[1]
This is why the adversaries are (usually) compared to an obstinate mule and the
shari'at to a chain and rope. As an obstinate animal is led along the road with
the help of the rope and chain, so the adversaries can be led by the (proper)
way with the help of the shari'at.

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[1] This is from the Rawshana'i-nama by Nasir-i Khusraw, cf. H. Ethe's edition in the ZDMG, Vol. 34 (1880), pp. 453-454. The passage refers to the uncivilised and morally low people in general.
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So it is clear that the shari'at is conductive also to the (common) benefit and therefore undoubtedly the Imam must manifest himself in it as well. In a portionof a book[1] it is said that Malik (i.e. Devil) and Ridwan, the symbols of Hell and Paradise, are self-existent. No, this is wront. They both exist by him (the Imam), i.e., by his manifestation in the esssence of each. [2] As Ridwan is paradise and in his hands are the ways of mercy, so Malik is Hell and he has in his hands the ways of punishment. As, for this reason, the people make Ridwan [Fol. 15] (in their belief) to take upon himself the protection of the good, which is (simply the idea of the) kindness of men, so Malik only for the reason of his wickedness, which (in fact) is the wickedness of men, is believed to protect the wicked. As Paradise is better for the good, so Hell is worse for the bad. It is therefore clear that even the falsehood cannot have an illusory existence by itself. There are always two principles, [3] Paradise and Hell. The first is destined for those who deserve it, and the second for the wicked. For the first the teaching of the chosen is commanded, and for the second the teaching of the common people. But he (the Imam) acts in accordance with the principles of both in order that they may exist, although he did not command one of them to follow the teaching of the other, because their followers may fall in doubt and abandon their religion, leaving therefore the exoteric and the esoteric persuasions without their purity. So it is proved undoubtedly that the Hujjat necessarily must abandon following the teaching of the shari'at.

[1] It is a strange expression: dar qit'a'i fasli, literally "in a fragment of a pamphlet." Perhaps here qit'a is used in the technical sense of a special variety of poem?

[2] This does not mean, of course, that the Imam should manifest himself in Hell, or realm of evil. The author obviously means that the Imam should also be connected with the people of plain religion who, as sinners, are bound to go to hell.

[3] The author uses the term shakhs, person, in a strange sense, just as mushakhkhas. He apparently wants to emphasise individuality, independent existence.

13. Definition of the classes of the believers

(13. Defination of the Classes of the Believers).

Having given a definition and the signs of the Hujjat, I will proceed to the description of the "people of order." They are divided into two categories- the strong and the weak. The "strong" (obviously for "weak") are those who acquired the knowledge of the Hujjat [Fol. 15v.) and preach in his favour amongst the new converts. the sign of their activities consists in the acceptance of the teaching of the Hujjat, which they transmit to the weak, living in accordance with the rules of the shari'at.[1]
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[1] Here obviously the author, or, mor probably, later scribes, have altered the order of words at the beginning, which should have been "weak" first, and "strong" last, as otherwise there is no sense in the passage.
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Those called "the weak" (strong?) are the people who resign themselves entirely in accepting the teaching, instruction and interpretation (of religion). They must live in accordance with the spiritual ( aqli) prescriptions of the shari'at. The strong are the da'is, senior ma'dhuns, the teachers, junior ma'dhuns, and the weak are the mustajibs. Whichever he may be, strong or weak, a believer cannot attain to the Divine guidance (ta'yid) until he acquires the degree of the Hujjat in the acknowledgement of the Imamat.[1]

What are the spiritual ( aqli) prescriptions of the shari'at? Will not the prohibition of eating grapes and drinking wine, etc., be removed? Yes, the ritual prescriptions, as reciting the formulas of the profession of the religion, ablutions, fasting, prayers, paying the tithe, pilgrimage and religious war, may be cancelled if the believer is acting in accordance with the interpretation (ta'wil) of these commandments, but only when there is no necessity for the taqiyya.
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[1] This obviously does not mean that anyone can become a Hujjat, but simply would acquire the knowledge of the Hujjat's wisdom, by accepting his teaching.
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14. The question of the Tithe

(14. The Question of the Tithe).

It is to be understood also that the religion of this community is the true teaching of the Lord (Mawla-na) and his Hujjat, and therefore the (material) value of the Truth which they both know (must be) everything (one possesses), not only the one-tenth (of the income) prescribed by the shari'at. This one-tenth is the price of the shari'at which is not worth more. Therefore in these times of the "night of the Faith" the Truth can be obtained only by those of the "people of order" who will sacrifice every thing they possess for the sake of Truth.

But whoever will keep for himself even a trifle, shall not acquire the Truth because he will not obtain the consent of the Hujjat and his wisdom and knowledge, and none of those who do not [Fol. 16] possess these will acquire salvation.

A poet says:-

If thou wilt remain in possession even of a trifle (value of property)
thou art not the man of the "way."

Khwaja Nasir says [1]:-

When his Hujjat shall blow the trumpet of the preaching,
he will Kill all who are (still) living in possession of the knowledge.
But when he (the Imam) shall blow the trumpet of Resurrection in his own essence,
He will make alive all who died in ignorance.
to those who will be alive by the sound of his teaching,
He will give a place on the throne of his eternal kingdom.
But those who remain dead on the day of His mission
He will burn in the fire of the eternal non-existence.
The sign of life in Him in this world is this:
That man should free his heart from whatever is not He.
The sign of death in Him is opposite to this,
And he will destroy that man's place to dust.
If He breathe to thee, both worlds will come into thy possession,
But if not, He will take from thee even thy essence.
Therefore if any one will keep for himself from the "price of Truth (i.e.
Hujjat)" anything, however small it may be, he will not attain the true teaching.
Failing in this, he will fail in every thing, because all the things are in Him and
without Him nothing. And if he will hand to Him all he possesses, keeping
nothing for himself, he will become a king and lord of both worlds.

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[1] See also above, fol. 10, where the same poem is quoted, and even the first two bayts repeated.

15. The adversaries

(15. The Adversaries)

After having given the definition of the "people of order," I shall proceed to the description of the adversaries. hey are divided into two classes: the unbelievers and the hypocrites (dissemblers).

The hypocrites [Fol. 16v.] are worse than unbelievers, because the last-mentioned are called the men who preserve the same attitude in the presence as well as the absence (of the believers), and do not make an appearance of accepting the instruction of the teacher of this community, denying it, however, in secret.

The believers thus may keep themselves safe from their intrigues, being warned by the statements which they (the unbelievers) make in the presence of the instructor. They will not fail in practicing all sort of hostile actions in their power, but at the same time they will not keep their real intentions secret so that the believers can take their precautions. A poet says:-

A faithful dog is much better than a brother who is a dissembler.

In another poem it is said:-

Be either a plain unbeliever or a faithful believer.

In another place it is said:-

Rather be a (complete) unbeliever, than a dissembler.

Another verse:-

Be either a Negro from Zanzibar, or a pure believer,
Be either quite hard as a stone or as absolutely soft as wax.

This is the exposition of the (real) properties of the Imam, the "people of unity," the "people of order" and the adversaries, explained in a language understood by everybody in order that the common people may more easily learn about it and not remain without their share in its benefit.

By the golry of His Essence!
A dog which is trained, becomes alert and swift,
And when it acquires a (mystic) knowledge,
shares the company of the Seven Ephesians.
The dog that is trained, abandons mischief
And chases in the groves only lawful game.