Laylat al-Qadr: Respect the Spiritual Reset & Revival
Ismaili Ta'wil on the Real Night of Power and the Descent of Angels in the Personal World
My apologies to our dear readers and seekers of fresh, relevant knowledge. This post, re-viewing an esoteric aspect of Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Destiny/Power/Decree), ought to have gone out a couple of week ago but got delayed, first, due to being unprepared, second, as a result of the rare celestial event of the solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024 which, it was felt, necessitated an original article on the Ismaili ta’wil of the eclipse, and third, as consequence of the limitations and weaknesses of the human condition in general. That being said, in the spirit of being positive and always looking for the silver lining which, according to some, is part and parcel of the Ismaili outlook on life, it can also be said that the delay or somewhat untimely presentation of this particular post about the Night of Qadr itself reinforces the point this article seeks to emphasize, namely, that in reality (haqiqa), there is no fixed date or set time for when the Night of Power actually arrives, especially, or particularly, with respect to one’s individual and personal spiritual experience and attainment of the “Blessed Night” (44:3) that, as the unforgettable and oft-quoted Qur’anic verse tells us, is “better than a thousand months” (97:3).
Simply stated, the focus of this Ismaili Gnosis Stacks article is to highlight the importance of personal spiritual progress in an Ismaili’s religious life, during the course of which, one may, with God’s grace and permission, be blessed with the experience of encountering the haqiqi or true Laylat al-Qadr within oneself and without any limitations in terms of date and time that normally determine the observance of the angelic Night of Power.
In the above poem, the concept of the “Spiritual Reset”, in relation to which it is said that “it’s already been a few days”, refers to the annual and communal or congregational (jamati) observation of Laylat al-Qadr, the Blessed Night of Power, which, in the context of the poem, has already passed and is now being referred to or recalled. The observance of the Night of Qadr is being described as or likened to a spiritual “Reset” in keeping with the widely-held view amongst believing Muslims that, to quote the words of our Shi‘i Imam, Mawlana Muhammad al-Baqir⁽ᶜ⁾, “the man who encounters the Night of Power and prays throughout will be forgiven by God for those sins committed earlier as well as those to be committed later” (Imam al-Baqir, quoted in al-Qadi al-Nu‘man, Da‘a’im al-Islam, tr. Asaf A.A. Fyzee, completely revised by Ismail K. Poonawala as The Pillars of Islam [vol. 2], 350).
There is, no doubt, tremendous value in the practice of devoting a whole night for prayer and other acts of worship (ibadat). Recognition of this pious practice notwithstanding, there is an easily overlooked allusion in the opening lines of the poem which is designed to both remind the reader of the special mubarak (blessed) night spent in worship that has just recently passed as well as to subtly call into question the efficacy of this traditional, communal practice, at least with respect to how the Night of Power is typically imagined and observed. While all Muslims recognize the historical event and annual congregational commemoration of Laylatu’l-Qadr, there are differences of opinion on exactly which night in the month of Ramadan it originally occurred (historically) and, therefore, on which night it should be observed (annually).
Indeed, the Prophetic ahadith (traditions, reports) — even those recorded in the da’wa literature of the Ismaili Jamat which, in fact, always observes, with the guidance and permission of the living Imam, the annual Laylat al-Qadr on the 23rd night of Ramadan, certain that that was the date the Prophet Muhammadﷺ himself experienced the Night of Power — are ambiguous with regards to the exact night of the historical Laylat al-Qadr. Thus, while one single source, for example, Qadi al-Nu’man’s Fatimid Ismaili book of jurisprudence, Da‘a’im al-Islam, contains hadiths from the Prophetﷺ and early Shi‘i Imams that clearly indicate the 23rd of Ramadan as the correct date for the Night of Destiny, the very same book (in the same chapter) also includes ahadith that leave the matter of the exact date of Laylat al-Qadr open and seem to allow, in fact encourage, one to search for the “blessed night” that one hopes to encounter.
Rather than seeing the inclusion of various, differing reports about the exact date of Laylatu’l-Qadr as contradictory or erroneous, it should be understood that there is a great wisdom in the purposeful ambiguity or uncertainty of the presentation. Thus, hadiths in Ismaili sources, such as the aforementioned Da‘a’im al-Islam, which clearly indicate the 23rd night of Ramadan as the Night of Power should be followed for the establishment of congregational observance of Laylatu’l-Qadr, observed annually by dedicating one night of the year to the practice of all night worship. However, in order to prevent adherents of the Truth (ahl al-haqq) from falling into the trap of what can be called a “shari‘ati” [formalistic] mindset — where the significance and blessing of the mubarak night becomes fixed and limited to the exoteric (zahiri) dimension, and which places excessive importance on when, i.e., which night, one must observe the Night of Power whilst disregarding the need to personally seek out and experience for oneself one’s own personal, angelic Night of Destiny — in order to safeguard against such a view, so antithetical to the esoteric (batini) worldview of the Ismaili Tariqah, certain ahadith (in the Da‘a’im and other Ismaili sources) are recorded which, as said earlier, encourage one to search for and discover, or encounter, the Night of Power personally.
In short, at the communal level (i.e., as a united Ismaili Jama‘at), it is agreed that Laylatu’l-Qadr is indeed on the 23rd night of Ramadan. Personally and spiritually speaking however, the reality of the Night of Power can come on any night of the year, which, should it be discovered or encountered by a mu’min-i salik (faithful seeker) from the Ismaili Jamat, will be, for that fortunate murid (follower) of the Imam, the actual, meaningful and mubarak Night of Destiny — “better than a thousand months” — which is otherwise only symbolized by the exoteric, communal tradition of the night vigil (shab bedari) held on Ramadan’s 23rd night. Until you yourself are personally and powerfully moved by the spiritual power of that powerful night — whenever it should come — and until you yourself witness and experience the nurani tajalli or “luminous theophany” of the descent or manifestation of the the angels and the Spirit (97:4) in that blessed night — on whichever night it should occur — it will not, truly speaking, be the Night of Power for you, whether you are present in a masjid or jamatkhana on the 23rd of Ramadan or not. Alluding to this esoteric teaching and distinguishing between outward (zahiri), formal (or formulaic) ritualistic observance on the one hand and inward (batini), personal, heartfelt participation on the other, the Ismaili sage and hujjat of the Imam, Hakim Nasir-i Khusraw, writes about Laylatu’l-Qadr:
On the Night of Power, when you kindle the lamp, the masjid is filled with light, but your heart remains pitch-dark. Whether you kindle the lamp or not, understand that it will not dispel the darkness of ignorance in your heart
— Diwan of Hakim Nasir-i Khusraw, tr. by Faquir M. Hunzai in Shimmering Light: An Anthology of Ismaili Poetry, 71.
Of course, it should not be thought there is no value or benefit in attending the night vigil (shab bedari) or all-night worship in the jamat khana on the night of the communal observation of Laylatu’l-Qadr. It can never be said that engaging in religious acts of worship within jamat khana is unnecessary or, by nature, ineffective. If and when one attends all-night prayer on the 23rd night of Ramadan for the Night of Power and treats it like a spiritual reset and, perhaps more importantly, spiritual revival that it can indeed be, then it certainly can and should be beneficial and powerful for one’s spiritual life. However, if the extra religiosity or religious observance of the Night of the Spiritual Reset (which, if it has not yet been made clear, implies or demands a realignment or readjustment) is approached as a one-night affair, with no subsequent effect or transformation in one’s religious life and spiritual consciousness, then, to paraphrase and interpret Pir Nasir-i Khusraw’s guidance, whether or not you attend jamat khana all night long on Laylatu’l-Qadr, where they have kindled or turned on the physical lamps and lights to illuminate the prayer hall, you should understand and be aware that this on its own is not sufficient to dispel the darkness of ignorance in your heart.
In short, the Spiritual Reset (especially for those who indeed are in need of a religious reset, readjustment and realignment), ought to result in a spiritual revival and — if one should be so blessed — (to use another “re” word), resurrection. While it is true that such a great religious reward of the spiritual resurrection (ruhani qiyama) will, for most, require repeated efforts and may only unfold in stages, it certainly can be hoped for and be part of the long term spiritual goals of courageous spiritual seekers. To this end, we have included below for the benefit of our readers, a chapter on “Minor Resurrection” from the Book of Healing by ‘Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai. To better appreciate the Minor Resurrection, both the chapter and the reality it describes, we would like to highlight and elaborate upon that chapter’s 5th paragraph which focuses on verses 30-31 of Surah-yi Fussilat (40).
Expounded (Fussilat)
Verily, those who say “Our Lord is God” and then remain steadfast (istaqāmū), the angels descend on them saying: “Do not fear, nor grieve but hear glad tidings of Paradise which you are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter.”
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَبْشِرُوا۟ بِٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَآؤُكُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِىٓ أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ
« 41:30-31 »
Explicating these verses, ‘Allamah Hunzai makes an explicit connection between the descent of angels mentioned therein and the descent of angels on the Night of Power as mentioned in Surah-yi Qadr. He writes:
Those who said (with their heart): ‘Our Sustainer is God’, and then they remained steadfast [istaqāmū], the angels (of the Night of Power) descend upon them (and, practically, they say): ‘Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of Paradise which you are promised. We are your friends in this life of the world and in the Hereafter’” (41:30-31).
This is the spiritual death before the physical death and the personal Resurrection of the friends of God. Among these angels, Ḥazrat-i Isrāfīl⁽ᶜ⁾ and Ḥazrat-i ᶜIzrā’īl⁽ᶜ⁾ are foremost and the purpose of whatever they do by God’s command, is to remove the fear and grief of the mu’mins through friendship and to open the door of the secrets of recognition (maᶜrifat) to them.‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai. Kitāb-i Ilāj, tr. Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Book of Healing, 390-393 (click here for download link).
The event of the angels descending in the actual (or actualized) Night of Power mentioned in 97:4 is the same or similar event of the angels descending upon those believers in the Lord who, as mentioned in 41:30-31, remain steadfast (istaqāmū). Responding to a request to confirm and explain more about the personal resurrection alluded to in these verses, ‘Allamah Hunzai writes (in his book, Caskets of Pearls, vol. 1, p. 40): “Indeed, it is the personal resurrection that is alluded to in these verses [otherwise the descent of angels is not possible.] The word ‘resurrection’ is hidden in “istaqāmū”, which means they stood erect (i.e. they died spiritually and were revived). In fact, ‘Allamah Sahib gives the example of other Qur’anic words, for example, yaqūmu (2:275; 83:6) and yaqūmūn (2:275), in addition to istaqāmū (72:16), and explains how the meaning of resurrection (qiyamah) is in these words:
The infinitive al-qiyāmah, which means to stand up, that is to revive after death, is from the root letters qaf, waw and mim. The above-mentioned words are derived from this infinitive and thus they are linked to resurrection.
However, resurrection is of two kinds: one is caused by spiritual death and the other by physical death, as said in verse (72:16): [Wa-allawi istāqamū ‘alā at-ṭarīqati…], “If they had remained straight on the Way (i.e. if they would have died and revived in the destination of ṭarīqat), We would have given them to drink of water in abundance (i.e. We would have given them abundant knowledge)". This verse, like verse (41:30) also contains extremely wondrous revolutionary wisdoms.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Sanādūq-i Jawāhir, tr. Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai, Caskets of Pearls, vol. 1, 40-41 (click here for download link).
Sincere salikin advancing in (or on) the Ismaili Tariqa may be inspired upon discovering the above ta’wil of 72:16, where, in addition to concepts of spiritual death and “die before you die” (mutu qabla an tamutu), there is an esoteric allusion to attaining abundant knowledge (‘ilm) and, God willing, gnosis (ma‘rifa) through the spiritual or personal qiyama (resurrection). Ismaili murids of the Imam who have already taken some necessary steps on this spiritual and intellectual journey towards ma‘rifa will, no doubt, be able to relate to and appreciate the following esoteric presentation and commentary of 41:30-32, which, for the sake of comparison, is first reproduced here in its exoteric or tanzili form:
It is said in verses (41:30-32): “[As for] those who say, our Lord is Allah, then continue in the right way, the angels descend upon them, saying: ‘Fear not, nor grieve and receive good news of the paradise which you were promised. We are your friends in this world’s life and in the hereafter, and you shall have therein what your souls desire and you shall have therein what you ask for. An entertainment by the forgiving, the merciful.”
Tafsīr and ta’wīl: Those who say in the true sense of the recognition of God, that their Lord is Allah, then they take ism-i a‘ẓam [the supreme name] from Allah’s khalīfah, the Imam of the time, and practise special discipline (riyāzat) and God grants the success, the angels of the spiritual resurrection descend upon them, i.e. Isrāfīl and ᶜIzrā’īl, peace be upon them, with their armies. Such people experience the spiritual resurrection, about which you have read in many articles.
With the power of ism-i a‘zam [i.e. bol] or the Supreme Name of God which the Imam grants to Ismaili seekers who wish to commit to the discipline of spiritual elevation of their souls, one may, with Divine Grace of course, revive or bring to life one’s “personal world” (or microcosm) through the angelic descent and blessing of the spiritual resurrection. Although this batini and ‘irfani experience of the descent of the angels — which, when it takes place, will indeed be remembered as a powerful and mubarak night — is presented as if it occurs outside oneself, as a visionary event where angelic beings extrinsic to one’s own being descend into the created world and are therefore encountered in an “imaginal” (khayali, related to images) form, and although this may certainly be the way this extraordinary experience is depicted or “imaginalized” (khuyyila) to the fortunate mu’min-i salik on the night of their personal Layalatu’l-Qadr, in reality, all of this may, in fact, be an allegorical parable (mathal) or similitude for what Ustad-i Buzurgwar, ‘Allamah Sahib, describes as “the actualization of the representative capacities of angels from a potential state in the personality of true mu’mins.” “This” [i.e., the “Descent of Angels in the Personal World”], reveals the ‘Arif-i Kamil of our time, “is the special ta’wīlī secret of the descent of angels.” Thus, after quoting 41:30-31, ‘Allamah Sahib writes,
this is a description of the friends of Allāh. Another bright example of this is that in every individual there are also angelic capacities together with innumerable other capacities.
‘Allāmah Hunzai, Zabūr-i ‘Āshiqīn, trans. by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Psalms of Lovers, 20.
Therefore, while it is not wrong to speak or think of angels and angelic souls as existing externally, in the macrocosm, for Ismailis, the Ahl al-Haqiqa (Adherents of the True Reality), who are also the Ahl al-Batin (People [or Practitioners] of the Batin), ultimately, what is most important is to “remain firm” and advance on the “straight path” of angelic, self or soul transformation, so that — in keeping with the esoteric reality (batini haqiqa) of the word “istaqamu” (they remained straight/steadfast; they died spiritually and revived’), there can be spiritual resurrection and “actualization”, of the “angelic capacities” from “a potential state in the personality of true mu’mins.” It is in this sense that our glorious 48th Imam, Mawlana Sultan Muhammad Shah⁽ᶜ⁾, openly stated for the world to read:
Islamic doctrine goes farther than the other great religions for it proclaims the presence of the soul, perhaps minute but nevertheless existing in an embryonic state in all existence in matter, in animals, trees, and space itself. Every individual, every molecule, every atom has its own spiritual relationship with the All-Powerful Soul of God. But men and women, being more highly developed, are immensely more advanced than the infinite number of other beings known to us. Islam acknowledges the existence of angels, of great souls who have developed themselves to the highest possible planes of the human soul and higher, and who are centres of the forces which are scattered throughout the Universe.
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, The Memoirs of Aga Khan: World Enough and Time, 177 (click here for download link).
Thus, when it is possible for a spiritual seeker who is blessed with the Imam’s ism-i a‘zam to advance and develop his or her soul — “to the highest possible planes of the human soul and higher” — it is possible to encounter the blessed night which is better than a thousand months; the night in which angelic capacities are truly awakened, actualized and begin to work for the mu’min in whose personal world (‘alam-i shakhsi) there is the “descent of angels” which act and function as one’s protecting friends or helpers (awliya’) in this world and the next. As said above, this, i.e. this inner, batini transformation or angelomorphosis, is what is ultimately important, at least with respect to one’s personal spiritual life, when it comes to the ta’wil of the descent of angels in the Night of Power. Every individual (shakhs) — each with his or her own spiritual relationship with the Universal Soul — can develop and elevate to the level of the angels. Yet, it should not be overlooked or forgotten that this miraculous angelic transformation and actualization occurs due to the blessing and spiritual operation (i.e. religious work) of those who are already actualized and perfect in the world of religion; those who manifest and thus, represent, the Universal or All-Powerful Soul of God. On this point, Pir Nasir-i Khusraw writes:
The Emissary [i.e. Prophet Muhammadﷺ] and his waṣī [i.e. Imam ‘Ali⁽ᶜ⁾] bring these potential angels into actuality by means of the Book and the [Religious] Law…the prophets, the waṣīs, and the Imams act as intermediaries between the angels in potentiality who are human beings and the angels in actuality who are primordial and instantiated, in order that through the Book and the [Religious] Law they may make them into actual angels. Whoever is capable of transforming someone from an angel in potentiality to an angel in actuality has reached an angelic rank; he is God’s representative on earth. It is as He has said, ‘If it had been Our will, We could have made you angels, succeeding one another on earth’ [Q 43:60]. It is for this reason that God has commanded us, after having faith in Him – glory be to Him that we should have faith in His angels, His Book, and His emissaries; it is as He says, ‘They all believe in God, His angels, His scriptures, and His messengers’ [2:285].
Ḥakīm Nāṣir-i Khusraw, Kitāb Jami‘ al-Ḥikmatayn, trans. by Eric Ormsby as Between Reason and Revelation: Twin Wisdoms Reconciled, 129-130 (Click here for download link to two translations).
In the above and below excerpts from Pir Nasir-iKhusraw, there are glad tidings and good news for the readers and seekers of Ismaili Gnosis — those who have accepted and recognized the Imam of the time, the khalifa or representative of God and His Emissary or Messengerﷺ. Those of us who follow and continue to follow the true guide in the direction his Nur or Light indicates on the path towards angelicity, advance deeper and deeper into the batini or hidden, esoteric matters of religion and spiritual life. “It is necessary to know”, Hujjat Nasir-i Khusraw writes,
that people fall into two categories in the world of religion: one of parīs [i.e. jinn] and another of humans. The parīs are in two categories. Whoever amongst them remains obedient goes out of this world as an angel; whoever turns away from obedience goes out of this world as a demon. Among the common folk it is well known that the parī [fairy] is lovely of countenance while the demon has an ugly face. Since the demon’s ugliness is a result of disobedience, the beauty of the parī must necessarily come from obedience. This beauty and this ugliness both result from belief (i‘tiqād), and its form is spiritual, not physical.
The parīs amongst people are concealed from the common folk. The [Persian] word ‘parī’ is jinn in Arabic and [the verb] janna means ‘to hide’. Thus it is clear that amongst the community of the Emissary, there is a group which is hidden. Those who are hidden are the potential angels; whoever amongst them leaves this world in obedience becomes an angel in fact, but whoever turns away from obedience becomes a potential demon, and when that demon leaves this world, he becomes a demon in fact. . . .
Whoever is not an angel in potentiality cannot become one in actuality. And so whoever amongst this group is manifest as a parī becomes hidden from others until, having become a parī, he can become an angel. What we have said is an analogy for the practitioners of the ẓāhir and the bāṭin, for whoever progresses from the ẓāhir to the bāṭin, is like the man who becomes a parī and is beautiful in form.
Ḥakīm Nāṣir-i Khusraw, Kitāb Jami‘ al-Ḥikmatayn, trans. by Eric Ormsby as Between Reason and Revelation: Twin Wisdoms Reconciled, 129-130 (Click here for download link to two translations).
In order to become an angel (potential or actual), one must obey the commands (farmans) and adhere to the guidance (hidaya) of God’s representative on the Earth — the Holy Prophetﷺ in his time and the Pure Imams⁽ᶜ⁾ in their time, who are themselves actual, spiritually beautiful angels capable of creating or transforming others who progress from the zahir to the batin into beautiful angels just like themselves. The act of obedience and spiritual progression inward, towards the batin, that an Ismaili mu’min exemplifies, actually puts him or her in touch, in tune, or in harmony with his or her own true, inner or higher self or soul; the rational, human soul which, according to Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah’s⁽ᶜ⁾ words above, can exist on ascending levels or planes of being and which enables those who are obedient mu’mins to develop, ascend and, in fact, transcend themselves unto that which is even higher: angels, or “great souls”, who are, as the Imam said, “centres of the forces which are scattered throughout the Universe.”
Therefore, when a murid remains obedient to the Khalifatu’llah — the Imam of the Time — and when that murid purifies and develops himself or herself by adhering to the Imam’s ethical guidance and by fulfilling the obligatory (wajib) and supererogatory (nawafil)1 acts of ‘ibadat (worship) as determined and encouraged by the True Guide, it is an indication that that murid’s rational soul is working in harmony with, and thus strengthened by, God’s Will and Command (Amr) as revealed or expressed through the Imam-i Mubin, the Manifest Imam or “Locus of Manifestation of the Sublime Word” (Mazhar-i Kalima-yi A‘la). This, then, when a mu’min’s rational — potentially angelic — soul is rightly guided and itself guides rightly his or her lower — potentially demonic — soul, is what leads to and allows for a mu’min’s actual angelomorphisis. Hakim Nasir-i Khusraw confirms:
We [i.e., Ahl al-Haqiqa, Adherents of Truth, Ismailis) say that the rational soul in every human being is a potential angel, and the potential angel is a parī [i.e. jinn], as we have said. The concupiscent soul and the irascible soul in every body are two potential demons. Everyone whose rational soul brings the irascible and the concupiscent souls to heel becomes an angel. . . . Hence we have demonstrated that within the human being there is both an angel and a demon, but he himself is a parī. The demons are not God’s creatures; rather, the demon’s existence occurs as a result of disobedience. The parīs are angels in potentiality; they become angels in actuality when they proceed obediently. Human beings are angels and demons in potentiality.
Ḥakīm Nāṣir-i Khusraw, Kitāb Jami‘ al-Ḥikmatayn, trans. by Eric Ormsby as Between Reason and Revelation, 132-133 (Click here for download link to two translations).
Knowing more about our human and “parisian” (jinn-like) nature, and with confidence that we are rightly guided on the straight path towards re-cognition (ma‘rifa) and real-ization (tahqiq) of our own angelhood by the one and only rightly guided and rightly guiding Khalifatu’llah of the time (whose light of guidance manifests macrocosmically [externally] and microcosmically [internally], we can say that for Haqiqati Ismailis (i.e., Ahl al-Haqiqa), the Night of Power is, in reality, the Night of Angelomorphisis, in which, for those who encounter it (i.e. that Night), “the angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees” (tanazzalu al-malāikatu wa-rūḥu fīhā bi-ithni rabbihim min kulli amr, 97:4). In fact, since the descent or manifestation of the angels must occur and be real-ized (actualized) within one’s personal world (‘alam al-shakhsi), it can be said that a haqiqati understanding of Laylatu’l-Qadr is that one doesn’t just attend or encounter that Blessed Night, one must actually be that Blessed, Night of Power.
When, in the Jami‘ al-Ḥikmatayn, Hakim Nasir-i Khusraw uses language that implies or suggests potential angels have to die prior to becoming actual angels — for example, when he writes, “those who are hidden are the potential angels; whoever amongst them leaves this world in obedience becomes an angel in fact”, or “Human beings are angels…in potentiality. That world beyond is filled with angels…in actuality” — that is indeed true; one must undergo death and transcend the lower, physical world. However, it need not be thought that the form of death and transcendence is necessarily one that is physical or corporeal. Here, most readers and seekers of Ismaili Gnosis will instantly recall the well-known spiritual guidance, already mentioned above, of the Prophetﷺ and Imam ‘Ali⁽ᶜ⁾ who encouraged those sincere salikin who were determined to “die (spiritually) before you die (physically)” in order to experience spiritual death and resurrection (ruhani qiyama). As ‘Arif-i Kamil, ‘Allamah Sahib confirms, the opening of the door to the spiritual world of angels (malakut) only occurs for the one who meets the “Angel of Death” and thus arrives at the stage of ‘Izra’il⁽ᶜ⁾:
Study verses 41:30-31 carefully, in which the angels descend upon those mu’mins who recognise God. However, this great bliss is not attainable before the stage of ‘Izrā’īl [i.e. the Angel of Death] is reached on the spiritual path. For, the door of malakūt2 [higher world of angels, spiritual kingdom] opens to a mu’min only when he experiences spiritual death. It should be noted that, on this occasion, other Archangels and their armies also work alongside.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai. Kitāb-i Ilāj, tr. Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Book of Healing, 379 (click here for download link).
When, along with Hazrat ‘Izra’il⁽ᶜ⁾, the Angel [of spiritual or ‘irfani, gnostic] Death, other Archangels and their armies also work together for the perfection of the soul of an advanced mu’min-i salik, we should understand that the once potential but now spiritually resurrected microcosm actually becomes (or starts to become) on that blessed and powerful Night of Destiny, greater than the actual macrocosm, which, together with all of “the forces which are scattered throughout the Universe” gets enfolded and centered within the “personal world” of those successful mu’mins who undergo angelomorphosis; those “great souls who have developed themselves to the highest possible planes of the human soul and higher.” Such great souls know first hand, experientially, what ‘Allamah Hunzai himself reveals to us, namely, that as “the Holy Qur’an says…”
God has subjugated all things (powers) in the heavens and the earth to man (31:20; 45:13). This means that all living powers of the macrocosm, including those of the angels, are encompassed in the microcosm. This is mentioned by angels under the heading of “friendship” [earlier in this book].3 Thus, on the one hand, we should benefit from the Jibrā’īlī and Mīkā’īlī powers and on the other from Isrāfīlī and ‘Izrā’īlī powers.
‘Allāmah Hunzai, Zabūr-i ‘Āshiqīn, trans. by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Psalms of Lovers, 21).
[For a brief, informal introduction to these four Archangels and their functions, click here.]
Throughout this exploration on the reality of Laylatu’l-Qadr, specifically from the perspective of personal spirituality where one has direct experience of the descent of the angels and the Spirit mentioned in Suratu’l-Qadr, we have seen that the basis for such a spiritual perspective lies in the concept of ‘alam-i shakhsi, the “personal world” or microcosm, which is the hidden or batini reality of every individual (shakhs). Without honoring and respecting (in the sense of purifying, developing and perfecting) one’s personal world, it is unlikely that an individual will be able to properly realize and respect the great power of Laylatu’l-Qadr, regardless of how many times one attends the annual observation of the Night of Power exoterically. As the often-quoted hadith guides and advises, “he who knows himself (his soul) knows his Lord/Sustainer” (man ‘arafa nafsahu faqad ‘arafa rabbahu), and, according to a similar, lesser known variant which Pir Nasir-i Khusraw was fond of, “he among you who recognises more himself/herself, recognises more his/her Lord” (a‘rafakum bi-nafsihi a‘rafakum bi-rabbih) (Nasir-i Khusraw, Zadu’l-Musafirin, 287, see ‘Allamah Hunzai, Caskets of Pearls, vol. 1, 47-48; 178).
Thus, for a mu’min who is seeking complete ma‘rifa of all things, it is necessary to have the greatest recognition of one’s personal world, for, when gnostic recognition of the Lord can be had therein, what cannot be attained? When “the angels and the Spirit descend”, i.e., are revealed and recognized in one’s personal world, in the Night of Power, what can be left out? As ‘Allamah Hunzai, once again inspiring readers and seekers of Ismaili Gnosis to actualize their true potential and attain certainty through complete recognition of self, indicates about what great spiritual and wisdom-filled realities one can experience:
Yes, it is true that man is a universe in himself. But the pre-requisite of recognizing this is that you should traverse all those spiritual stations between potentiality and actuality, so that you duly recognize yourself and are certain that in your own personal world, the intellect, soul, faculty of love, faculty of understanding and the faculty of imagination are, respectively, the Pen, the Tablet, Isrāfīl, Mīkā’īl and Jibrā’īl. As God says: “And Allāh has made for you, of what He has created, shadows” (16:81). That is, in your “personal world” there is the living shadow (maẓhar) of everything, particularly the shadows (maẓāhir) of the five spiritual ḥudūd [ranks] and the five physical ḥudūd, who are, respectively, the Pen, the Tablet, Jadd, Fatḥ, Khayāl and Nāṭiq, Asās, Imām, Ḥujjat and Dā‘ī.
‘Allāmah Hunzai, Zabūr-i ‘Āshiqīn, trans. by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Psalms of Lovers, 34.
[For more on the above mentioned five spiritual and five physical hudud, also known as the Roots and Branches of Religion, click here.]
May we all be blessed with a greater understanding of what the real importance and meaning of observing Laylatu’l-Qadr is, and how the exoteric (zahiri) Night of Power serves as a powerful and potent reminder about what one ought to do and how one ought to live so as to be able to discover and encounter the esoteric (batini) Night of Destiny in its meaningful form which, true to the praise it receives in the Holy Qur’an, is better than a thousand months and, as such, will be angelic, unforgettable, and, a Blessed Night to remember, reset and revive in. Āmīn, Ya Rabb al-‘Alamīn.
Ya ‘Aly Madad,
Khayāl ‘Aly Dhanidina
May 2nd, 2024
khayal.aly@gmail.com
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(khayal.aly; ismaili.poetry; khana_yi_khayr)
“Pure, loving and clean hearts which contain no malice and enmity to anyone
or lust for things of this world, those in which there is nothing except the thought of the Truth -
such hearts are the Throne of the Merciful and the seat of angels.”
Imam Mustansir bi’llah (Likely referring to Imam Gharib Mirza, 34th Ismaili Imam), Pīr Pandiyāt-Jawānmardī (Counsels of Chivalry), tr. W. Ivanow, 14 (click to download).
Minor Resurrection (From Book of Healing)
1. The holy Prophet says: “He who dies, his Resurrection takes place” (Iḥya’, IV, 64). Death is of two kinds, spiritual and physical. Therefore, the minor or personal Resurrection occurs to the chosen servants of God before physical death, whereas the common people experience it after physical death. It happens so because it is not possible to observe the treasures of the secrets of recognition (maᶜrifat) with the eye of certainty without dying before death. This dying before death is called the minor Resurrection, and is discussed here.
2. In the sacred verses of the Sūratu’l-Baqarah, in which the slaughtering of an ox is mentioned, in addition to an external miracle there is also a wisdom-filled example of how mu’mins can attain the pure life, by sacrificing their carnal soul which is like an ox, through knowledge, ᶜibādat and discipline. That is, how mu’mins can be eternal by dying during their life time. Mawlawī-yi Maᶜnawī [i.e. Rumi] in his renowned book Mathnawī, (III, 3897-3906) has explained this wisdom as follows:
3. “Consider me the ox of Ḥazrat-i Mūsā⁽ᶜ⁾ which was granted a special life. Every particle of mine is a Resurrection of every free human.” (By the ox of Ḥazrat-i Mūsā⁽ᶜ⁾ was meant a sacrificed living martyr, whose smallest particle [subtle particle] was the source of life for a slain one). “At its stroke the murdered man sprang up from his place - at the words spoken (by God), ‘Strike him with part of it’ (2:68). O my noble ones! Slaughter this ox, if you desire the Resurrection of the souls of insight.” “I died to the inorganic state and became endowed with growth, and (then) I died to (vegetable) growth and attained to the animal. I died from animality and became Ādam (man): why, then, should I fear? When have I become less by dying? At the next remove I shall die to man, that I may soar and lift up my head amongst the angels; And I must escape even from (the state of) the angel: ‘Everything is perishing except His Face’ (28:88). Once more I shall be sacrificed and die to the angel: I shall become that which enters not into the imagination. Then I shall become non-existence: non-existence will say to me, (in tones loud) as an organ, ‘Verily, unto Him shall we return’ (2:156).”
4. Regarding Ḥazrat-i Yaᶜqūb⁽ᶜ⁾’s death of recognition (maᶜrifat) before his physical death, the wise Qur’ān says (2:133): “Were you witnesses when the death (of maᶜrifat) came to Yaᶜqūb?” That is, have you seen in the tajaddud-i amthāl (renewal of similitudes) of the personal world, the death of recognition (maᶜrifat) of the Prophets and the awliyā’ [friends of God; saints]? The question is raised here to indicate that it is possible to see it and its purpose is to draw attention to the above-mentioned reality. Thus, the meaning of the presence of such a death is that with it, a personal Resurrection (minor Resurrection) of knowledge and recognition (maᶜrifat) takes place.
5. God, in these wisdom-filled verses (41:30-31), says: “Those who said (with their heart): ‘Our Sustainer is God’, and then they remained steadfast, the angels (of the Night of Power) descend upon them (and, practically, they say): ‘Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of Paradise which you are promised. We are your friends in this life of the world and in the Hereafter’.” This is the spiritual death before the physical death and the personal Resurrection of the friends of God. Among these angels, Ḥazrat-i Isrāfīl⁽ᶜ⁾ and Ḥazrat-i ᶜIzrā’īl⁽ᶜ⁾ are foremost and the purpose of whatever they do by God’s command, is to remove the fear and grief of the mu’mins through friendship and to open the door of the secrets of recognition (maᶜrifat) to them.
6. Every reality is like a diamond which has many facets. Thus, the facet of the reality of Resurrection which we discuss here might possibly surprise an ᶜazīz [dear student]. This is because in the beginning, due to the exigency of wisdom, not only were the secrets of Resurrection kept hidden, but many other sciences too, which gradually revealed later on and some still continue to reveal today. Then how can the blessings of the wise Qur’ān, which is among the Divine treasures (15:21), be limited, while the collective allusion of the noble Qur’ān is to new discoveries of knowledge and recognition (maᶜrifat).
7. Truly speaking, Resurrection has a fixed time and is also beyond time. This means that the major Resurrection is not going to take place before the fixed time, whereas the minor Resurrection, which is ordained for the sake of the acquisition of recognition (maᶜrifat), continues to always happen within the chosen friends of God, so that the door of realities and recognitions may always remain open to them and never be closed. It should be remembered that the supreme bliss of the highest spiritual progress, namely, fanā’ fi’l-murshid (merging in the Murshid [True Guide]), fanā’ fi’r-rasūl (merging in the Prophet) and fanā’ fi’llāh (merging in God) can be attained in every time. This magnificent and unique event is the minor Resurrection.
8. Q: If it is accepted that there is an individual Resurrection and also a collective Resurrection, then without experiencing the all-inclusive collective Resurrection, how can an ᶜārif attain the treasure of recognition (maᶜrifat) while he has the limited observation of the minor Resurrection? A: As the Omnipotent God, by His perfect power, has enfolded the macrocosm in the microcosm, similarly He has encompassed the major Resurrection in the minor one. This is in the sense that, the countless particles of the personal world, which is called the world of particles, represent the universe, the existents and all human beings. These particles are in fact living souls. Thus, all human beings gather in an ᶜārif. Thus, in his case the minor or personal Resurrection takes place in the form of the collective Resurrection.
9. There is a voluntary death, which in reality, according to “Die before you die” (Aḥādīth-i Mathnawī, p. 116) is merging in God, and the other kind of death is involuntary or by force. Though Resurrection takes place in both cases, there is a world of difference between the two. Merging in God is that highest rank of spirituality where the renewal of similitudes of the individual and collective Resurrections of the Perfect Man takes place, as God says: “Purified is He in Whose hand is the malakūt (the souls and angels in their entirety) of everything and you have to return to Him” (36:83). That is, God has gathered all the realities and recognitions in one place in His hand and made them one, including the minor and the major Resurrections, whilst they also exist separately in their respective places.
10. According to Divine promise, the collective Resurrection is going to take place soon. Its conditions will be extremely astonishing and will be imposed upon the people by force through Isrāfīl⁽ᶜ⁾, ᶜIzrā’īl⁽ᶜ⁾ and other angels. In this, Gog and Magog also have a prominent role. These are spiritual particles which will lick and destroy the solid wall of the animal soul, due to which the inner senses will not only wake up and play their role, but will also be united with the external senses. For instance, the inner eye will also be able to see the spiritual marvels and miracles in the external world through the external eye and the spiritual revolution will take place in the entire world.
11. The condition of the collective Resurrection is such that, by the order of the heavenly Doctor, the angels are operating on a sick humanity, which necessarily results in unconsciousness, wounds, acute pain, hard labour, dressing the wound with hardship, fear, medicine and nursing. Thus, it is incumbent upon every wise mu’min to look after his spiritual health, so that the extremely delicate and most difficult medical examination, in which the soul is seized again and again and every particle spiritually grafted, may be easy.
12. The entire Qur’ān is full of the secrets of Resurrection. No verse of it is devoid of the wisdom of the purpose of the Hereafter, for the entire system of religion is based on the purpose that, on the Day of Resurrection, the servants may go to God with a heart which is free from every spiritual disease and sound in every respect (26:89), so that they may be enriched with the lasting and unending wealth of the treasures of recognition (maᶜrifat) and remain happy forever. Almighty God willing!
Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai,
Tuesday, 8 Jumādā II, 1409 A.H.
17th January, 1989 A.D.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Kitāb-i Ilāj, tr. Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Book of Healing, 390-393 (click here for download link).
Aziz Rajpari: Angelic Reality of the Night of Power in the Personal World (1 Hr. 14 mins. Video)
‘Ilm to Illuminate Playlists:
Ismaili Grams: An Ismaili Understanding of Jinn, Angels, and Demons (7 mins. 25 secs. Video)
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Hadith-i Nawafil: Love, Gnosis and Fana’ (from “God & Man: A Relationship of Love”)
The following divine saying (ḥadīth qudsī), commonly referred to in Islamic sources as ḥadīth al-nawāfil (“the tradition concerning supererogatory works”)… is one of the most quoted traditions in Islamic mystical literature:
Allah has said: Whoever treats a friend (walī) of mine with enmity, I declare war on him. There is nothing by which my servant draws close to me that is dearer to me than that which I have imposed upon him; and my servant does not cease to draw close to me by supererogatory works (nawāfil) until I love him, and when I love him, I become his hearing (sam‘) by which he hears, his sight (baṣar) by which he sees, his hand by which he forcibly seizes, and his leg by which he walks. If he asks me, I give him, and if he seeks my refuge, I grant it to him (Michael Ebstein, “The Organs of God: Ḥadīth al-Nawāfil in Classical Islamic Mysticism”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 138.2 [2018], 271).
Hadith-i Taqarrub: Love, Light and Fana’ (from “God & Man: A Relationship of Love”)
We have already mentioned the Ḥadīth-i Nawāfil (Bukhārī, VIII, 336-37), which is also called “Ḥadīth-i Taqarrub (Ḥadīth related to the proximity of God)”. This Ḥadīth is also recorded in Majma‘u’l-Baḥrayn, under the title of “fanā’ fi’llāh”. The gist of it is that, as a result of the accomplishment of the obligatory duties and supererogatory services, the faithful servants attain the special proximity of their Lord, the sign of which is that God actually loves them in such a way that His sacred light shines in their heart, and their internal senses and external senses become illumined to the extreme degree. This is their effacement and merging” (‘Allāmah Hunzai, Kitāb-i Ilāj, tr. Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai, Book of Healing, 97).
Observation of Malakūt (Spiritual World): It is said in a Ḥadīth: “Were the devils not hovering around the hearts of the children of Ādam, they would have seen the malakūt (i.e., the angels and secrets) of the heaven” (Iḥyā’, III, 9). The wisdom of this blessed Ḥadīth is that, although due to the devils, many people cannot see the malakūt of the heaven, the Friends of God can see the angels and the great secrets of the heaven. This shows that the recognition of the secrets of waḥy is possible (‘Allamah Hunzai, Book of Healing, 299).
It should be remembered that Ḥazrat-i Ibrāhīm⁽ᶜ⁾ had seen the malakūt of the heavens and the earth in his own self i.e., personal world (6:75) (‘Allamah Hunzai, Book of Healing, 269).
Friendship of Angels: The angels say: “We are your friends in the life of this world and in the hereafter” (41:31). This proclamation of mercy is, in fact from Allāh, so that the people of faith may progress through knowledge and good deeds and benefit from the friendship of angels. One special allusion, amongst the wisdom-filled allusions of this Divine teaching is that, we should awaken the Isrāfīlī power within us through sacred music so that we may benefit from the friendship of Ḥazrat Isrāfīl. Note the point that together with the Isrāfīlī power, the ‘Izrā’īlī power also does useful work, which God willing, we will discuss in this article (‘Allāmah Hunzai, Zabūr-i ‘Āshiqīn, trans. by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Psalms of Lovers, 20).
Thanks Nafeesa. These articles are inspired by seekers such as yourself for whom there needs to be engaging content. I'm glad I'm able to do my small part in that and that you find these articles insightful. Stay blessed.
What a remarkable piece if writing. This post is a profound journey into the depths of spirituality and personal enlightenment. The way you go through layers and meaning of the esoteric aspects of Laylat al-Qadr and emphasize the importance of an individual's spiritual journey is truly enlightening. It's a reminder that the true essence of Laylat al-Qadr transcends the confines of time and space, inviting each seeker to experience their own personal encounter with the divine. Thank you for sharing this insightful perspectives and resources! I appreciated the poem, videos and links. I look forward to more articles!