What the prophet further said: “The word came to me: ‘What dost thou wish?’ I said: ‘Leave to ask whatever comes into my mind, so that my difficulties may be removed.’” This means: that when God asked: “What dost thou wish,” and I said “leave,” it was knowledge I wished: because in this journey no other consideration but that of pure reason had remained, which was to approach the majesty of the self-existent Being, and to understand his unity, which cannot be obtained but by the gift of knowledge. The prophet wished to be rendered worthy of him, and by full knowledge to acquire the dignity required, that he might then exhibit every difficulty that occurred, and receive a categorical answer. For the guidance of mankind, he composed the rules of the law in words which came suitably to the ears of men, so that at the same time the meaning of them was fixed, and the veil of advice remained upon such things as are not required to be known; what proved also an assistance to that knowledge, was the journey, consequently to which the law was given, and the account of which was drawn up for publication in such a manner, that the sense of it was obvious to none but to the investigators of truth.
The prophet also said: “When I had performed all this, and returned home, on account of the rapidity of my journey, I found the bed-clothes still warm.” That is: he performed a journey of reflection, and travelled with his mind; the purpose of this voyage was, by the consideration of the created beings to attain at the self-existent necessary Being; and when he had completed his mental task, he returned back into himself; he needed not a day for this business, but in less than in the twinkling of an eye recovered his former state; whoever knows, understands why he went; and whoever knows not, looks in vain for an expedient. It is not right to communicate these words to an ignorant or low person, because the enlightened alone can enjoy this fruit.”
So far the words of the example of the wise, the Shaikh Abú-âlí Sína.
In the book of the investigators of truth is to be found, and from the tongue of the intelligent the information has been received, that the moon is one of the archangels, and cherubim of God. Being a celestial body, he cannot be cleft, and the supremacy of his power is not subject to absurd changes of form, nor does he undergo them. Conseqently, the fissure of the moon, which is mentioned in the Koran, is an evident allegory, the sense of which is obvious; because every star and sphere has an internal foundation, called “reason,” so that of the moon among all bears the title of “superior wisdom.” It is also established in the fundamentals of the philosophers among this sect, that the utmost dignity and perfection of man, attributable to corporeity, is that which unites and coalesces into one, “with superior wisdom;” whoever attains that degree, comprehends also any other to which he may proceed, without any new study for it; and no degree of human perfection and no knowledge is excluded from it. Hence, whenever this matter is understood, the fissure of the moon typifies nothing else but renunciation of the external for the internal, which is the “superior wisdom.” As the lord prophet (the peace of God be upon him!) is the master of the lunar sphere, to cleave (or divide) the moon means to attain to the innermost recess of the moon. But this creed belongs to the learned of the Masháyin, “peripatetics;” the Ishrákían say, the true solution of this enigma is contained in their fundamental science; viz.: light is the type of the primitive creation of the world, and they divided whatever is contained in it, in two parts: the first is a light, in which there is not the least mixture of obscurity and darkness, proper to corporeal matter; the second sort of light can be mixed with some material darkness. The first sort of light, pure in a general and real acceptation, originates from primitive matter, and, according to their showing, emerged absolutely free from parts; but the second sort of light is mixed with obscurity, and throws rays on all sides; its knowledge can be comprehended by generalities and particularities, whence by its power it passes into action. In their metaphysics it is also settled, that the furthermost stretch and connection of beings, and the utmost term of completion, consist in this, that knowledge, may become manifest in the whole by generalities and particularities, so that nothing may remain deficient in any degree of power. Whenever this matter is settled, then the moon in their language signifies a mixed light, with this property, that it brings into action all the knowledge hidden in its efficacy, and by means of the reflection of rays elicits perfection.
Whoever is well founded in these notions acquires the faculty that all sciences, whatsoever they may be, come forth from him. It is then the moon which signifies mixed light, and the rending asunder of it means the arising of sciences and excellence, and their manifestation; that is, bringing forth all that is within, by means of breaking its exterior form.
As to fixing the seal of the prophetic office, and to completing the apostleship, so that after the prophet of Arabia no other may appear, they said what follows: The seal of the prophetic office means the acquisition of âkl fâal, “superior wisdom;” that is: whoever obtains it, and makes the proper use of it, possesses the seal of the prophetic office: because the first prophetic dignity is his intelligence, which is the real (intrinsic) Adam, “man.” The prophetic seal is the tenth rank of intelligences,[147] and that which is reared up by superior wisdom renders the prophet’s knowledge vain, and takes his color: that is to say, if one hundred thousand prophets like himself realise in themselves the person of superior wisdom, they are possessors of the seal, the last prophets, because it is superior wisdom, which is the seal, and they know themselves to be mahu, “effaced,” and superior wisdom to be existing.
But the Ashrákían say, that the first prophet is the majesty of the cherubic light, that is the first intelligence, and the possessor of the prophetic seal is the Lord God of the human race, that is, the intelligence which legislates the human race. Further, whoever found grace with the Lord of mankind, and became his near attendant, his Káim makám, “vice-regent,” although the authority of such a person be vain by itself as delegate, yet he, too, is called the possessor of the prophetic seal (the last prophet): so, as Azizi said:
“From head to foot, my person became my friend: hence, if I wish
To see the friend, I place the mirror before me.”
Kásam Khan said: