"And as for those whose faces have been whitened, in the mercy of Allah they dwell for ever." — Holy Qur'an 3:107
:: Post No. 6: Manifestation of 'Burhan' (Proof) and 'Noor' (Light) with Holy Qur'an (4:174) ::
Thursday,
Feb. 6, 2025
Ya Ali Madad! This post has two parts.
Part 1. Knowledge Section
Let us reflect on the following ayat of the Holy Qur'an regarding manifestation of 'Burhan—Proof, and 'Noor'—Light' with Holy Qur'an (4:174):
Transliteration | English Translation |
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim | In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful |
Yaaa-'ayyu hannaasu qad jaaa-'akum Bum-haanum-mir-Rabbikum wa 'anzalnaa 'ilay-kum Nuuram-mubiinaa (4:174) | O'644 mankind! Indeed hath come unto you (an undeniable) proof from your Lord, and We have sent down unto you a manifest light. |
Fa-'ammal-laziina 'aamanuu bil-laahi wa'-tasamuu bihii fasa-yud-khiluhum fil Rahmatim-minhu wa Fazlinw-wa yah-diihim 'ilayhi Siraatam-musta-qiima (4:175) | Then645 as for those who believe in God and hold fast unto Him, soon will He admit them to Mercy from Him and (his) Grace; and guide them unto Himself (by) the Straight Way. |
Here are the footnotes (p.439) for the above ayats from S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali's translation of the Holy Qur'an:
Vr. 174 (644) According to the interpretation of the Holy Ahlul-Bait—'Burhan', i.e., the Manifest Proof means the Holy Prophet who appeared with the Holy Qur'an and the 'Noorun-Mubeena', i.e., the Clear Light, stands for the guidance through Imamat granted by Divine Grace, after the conclusion of the apostleship with the Holy Prophet. The serial of the Holy Imams starts with Amirul Momineen Ali son of Abu Taleb and [continues through the Holy Imams] in the seed of the Holy Prophet through Amirul Momineen Ali and the Lady of Light Fatema. 'Burhan'—Proof, and 'Noor'—Light sent down by God is the same that Qur'an explains in simile 24:35-38 which manifested in the niche in some particular houses allowed by God to be raised above all and authorized His Holy Name to be remembered therein, wherein He is glorified night and day by such people whom no temporal business engages their hearts or distracts them from His remembrance. No light of guidance of God can ever reach but through the medium of these Holy Ones. The Holy Ones can not but be of those of lineage chosen by God whose excellence reaches its zenith and the summit of the divinely purified ones by God himself (Rnv. 33:33). This fact is testified by Holy Imam Jafar 'ibne Muhammad as-Sadiq:— 'Bena Orefallah' .. Through we (Ahlul-Bait) God is known. 'Bena Obedallah' .. And through us, is God worshipped. |
Let us reflect on the following ayat of the Holy Qur'an regarding manifestation of 'Rasikhoona fil-ilm' (Those well-grounded in knowledge) (4:162):
Transliteration | English Translation |
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim | In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful |
Laakinir-Raasi_khuuna fil- 'ilmi minhum wal-Mu'-minuuna yu'-minuuna bi-maaa 'unzila 'ilayka wa maaa 'unzila min-qablika wal-muqiimiinas-Salaata wal mu'tuun..z-Zakaata wal-Mu'-minuuna billahi wal-Mu'-mil-'Aahir: 'ulaaa 'ika sanu'-tii-him 'ajran 'aziimaa (4:162) | But639 the well-grounded in knowledge among them and the believers (who) believe in what hath been sent down unto thee and what hath been sent down (unto Our apostles) before thee, and the establishers of prayer, and givers of the poor-rate (charity), and the believers in God and the Last Day (of Judgment); These (it is whom) soon We will give a great recompense. |
Here are the footnotes (p.436) for the above ayat from S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali's translation of the Holy Qur'an:
Vr. 162 (639) 'Rasikhoona fil-ilm', i.e., the Firm in knowledge. The word 'ilm' knowledge used in verse, and in 3:6, 29:49, 3:17 and 58:11, is an indefinite term meaning knowledge as a whole of everything, the logical inference will be those who know everything about everything. Such ones can be the apostles of God or such divines as the Holy Ahlul-Bait whose knowledge was not acquired but gifted by God. About Amirul Momineen Ali ibne Abi Taleb, said the Holy Prophet 'Ana Madinul-ilmi wa Aliyyun Babuha'—'I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.' This announcement of the Holy Prophet is universally acknowledged by one and all in Islam. The wonder is that like the Holy Prophet, Ali (the first Holy Imam), the Holy Lady Fatema (the Lady of Light), and Imams of the House of the Holy Prophet, none of them had any schooling or any tutoring from any mortal and yet each one was the fountainhead of knowledge and was the supreme, unchallengeable authority on any branch of learning and knowledge. By the term Rasikhoona fil-ilm the reference would naturally be in the first place to those individuals who can satisfy the meaning of the term in its fullness and then to the rest according to the degree of their respective attainment. Rv. 29:49—The Holy Qur'an is stated to be in the chests (i.e., the hearts) of those who have been given knowledge, i.e., those whose knowledge is not what they acquired by themselves but that which has been gifted to them by God. |
In Candle Post No. 130, one learns that God Himself has established various means by which He is to be approached, as described in the following ayat: 'seek unto Him a means of recourse (wasila)' (5:35). In the Ismaili Tariqah, the centrality of the present and living Imam is of paramount importance. The role of the present and living Imam is defined in article F of the Preamble of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim constitution as follows:
'Historically and in accordance with Ismaili tradition, the Imam of the time is concerned with spiritual advancement as well as the improvement of the quality of life of his murids. The Imam's Ta'lim lights the murid's path to spiritual enlightenment and vision. In temporal matters, the Imam guides the murids, and motivates them to develop their potential.' |
In the firman made on December 13, 1964 in Karachi, Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam said that 'his Noor has indicated to you where and in which direction you must turn, so as to obtain spiritual and material satisfaction'. I have taken this firman to my heart and am now doing dhikrs which call on the Noor directly because in my heart, Noor Mowlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini (a.s.) is the pillar of Light and is represented by the words 'Noore Karim' in the dhikrs. I firmly hold on to this luminous pillar in my dhikrs, e.g., in the new luminous dhikr titled Noore Ali, Noore Karim presented below.
Dhikr Section: New Luminous Dhikr Titled Noore Ali, Noore Karim
Since we are in the theme of enlightenment, a new luminous dhikr titled Noore Ali, Noore Karim has been created. The aspect of Noor (Light) makes the Ismaili Imamat unique, therefore, let us perform the luminous dhikr of Noore Ali, Noore Karim with utmost humility and tenderness of the heart (length 2 min 47 sec; 3.8 MB). Let this dhikr ring in our spiritual hearts and create an aspiration to actualize the Light of the Holy Ahlul-Bait and Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam so that our spiritual hearts get filled with this NOOR and nothing else. Ameen. The lyrics for the 40 beads are given below:
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Noore Ali, Noore Karim
The Light of Ali is the Light of Karim Shah (through the Chain of Imamat)
Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!
Lyrics
Noore Ali, Noore Muhammad; (12 times)
[The Light of Ali and Light of Muhammad (are one)]
Noore Ali, Noore Karim; (12 times)
[The Light of Ali is the Light of Karim Shah (through the Chain of Imamat)]
Noore Karim, Hazar Imam (12 times)
[All the above Lights are One Light which is in Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam]
Noore Ali, Noore Muhammad; (1 time)
[The Light of Ali and Light of Muhammad (are one)]
Noore Ali, Noore Karim; (1 time)
[The Light of Ali is the Light of Karim Shah (through the Chain of Imamat)]
Noore Karim, Hazar Imam (2 times)
[All the above Lights are One Light which is in Noor Mowlana Hazar Imam]
Part 2. Angelic Salwat
Let us recite angelic salwats to invoke Divine grace and mercy.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Allâhumâ salli alâ Muhammadin wa âle Muhammad:
O Allah! Bestow Peace on and through Muhammad and his Descendants
or
Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds!
Haizinda — Qayampaya
(Our Present Imam is Living and His NOOR is Eternal)
Forty Deeper Spiritual Insights