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> Two Parallel Systems [Physical +
Spiritual] by Imam Kalamazad Mohammed Sahib
[Based on Hazrat Mirza Sahib's
Writings]
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Two
Parallel Systems [Physical +
Spiritual]:
by Imam Kalamazad
Mohammed Sahib
based on Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib's
writings
(This is Our) way with Our
messengers whom We sent before thee, and thou wilt not
find a change in Our course (The Holy Quran,
17:77).
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the
Mujaddid of the 14th Century
Hijrah, has identified a general law operating in the
whole universe when he explains that there are two
systems operating side by side in Allah’s creation
– a physical
system and a closely related
spiritual
system; the former, in fact,
being a manifestation of the latter which is hidden, except
to discerning spiritual eyes.
In Taudhih-i-Maram, he
has given a somewhat detailed example of this in his
tafsir (commentary) of chapter 91 of the Holy
Qur’an. An explanation of the first seven verses is
given below.
By the sun and his
brightness! And the moon when she borrows light from him!
And the day when it exposes it to view! And the night
when it draws a veil over it! And the heaven and its
make! And the earth and its extension! And the soul and
its perfection!
Mirza Sahib explains:
"… all the splendours
that have been listed with the various oaths have all
been assembled in man. Thus the
soul of a ‘perfect man’ contains within
it the brilliance of the
sun and its rays, the characteristics of the
moon in being able to acquire benefit from others,
and for his own good, acquire light (wisdom) from another
source of light (wisdom). Man also has the
characteristics of daylight. Just as in daylight
labourers and workers are able to carry out their duties
properly, in the same way the seekers of truth and those
who tread the path of peace, by following the example of
the ‘perfect man’, are able to carry out their
religious functions with ease and comfort. Such a man,
like daylight, can reveal himself with clarity and holds
within himself all the characteristics of daylight. The
‘perfect man’ also bears resemblance to the
pitch darkness of night. This is explained by the
fact that despite the aloofness and separation from
desires of the self that he acquires through the Grace of
God, he sometimes reverts to those things that constitute
human rights under Divine Wisdom and Guidance. Such
desires are apparently opposed to and are a hindrance to
the spiritual light, such as the functions of eating,
drinking and resting, duties towards wives, love and care
of the children. The ‘perfect man’ carries out
these duties and for a little while accepts this darkness
for himself, not because he is inclined towards such
darkness, but because Almighty God directs him towards
these things, so that he may gain a little rest from the
exertions and endeavours in the path of the spirit and,
having rested, be prepared to carry on with the burden of
his efforts. A Persian poet expresses this in a single
verse:
‘Trainers sew the
eyelids of a falcon
Only to unstitch them again.’
So such people, if they indulge in
bodily comforts and needs after undergoing anxiety and
mental fatigue, it helps their feeble bodies to be
refreshed and become fit and gain enough strength and
energy to accompany the spirit on its course once again.
After this somewhat baser indulgence, man is able to
cover many stages of spiritual progress. Besides this,
the human soul has many other finer qualities resembling
the night which have been discovered through the
researches carried out in the fields of astronomy and
astrology. Similarly, the soul of the ‘perfect
man’ bears resemblance to outer space. Just
as the boundaries of space are so extensive and limitless
that nothing can fill it, in the same way the reasoning
powers of these noble souls have extensive capacities
within them, and, despite the fact that they acquire a
vast amount of knowledge and truths, they still cry
out ma’arafnaka (I do not know). Just as the
canopy of space is dotted with bright stars, so the soul
of the ‘perfect man’ also bears a strong
resemblance to the earth. The best kind of soil
has the characteristic that, when it is ploughed, sown
and irrigated and all the care and attention that it
needs has been given to it, then it yields far more than
any other plot of land, and the fruit produced from such
a land is finer and sweeter and more delicious than other
crop of fruit; in its quantity and quality it cannot be
excelled. A similar thing happens to the soul of the
‘perfect man’. When Divine commandments are
sown into the heart of such a person, he prospers
wonderfully, and good deeds, like plants, emerge from
those seeds. The fruit of these ‘plants’ is so
wonderful and delicious that anyone who looks at it is
reminded of the Divine power of God and has to
say:
‘All praise is due to
God!
All praise is due to God!’
The verse in the Holy Qur’an,
And the soul and its perfection (91:7) clearly
indicates that ‘perfect man’ in his inner self
and nature is a universe, and all the manifestations,
characteristics, and qualities of the great universe are
found in him on a smaller scale. In the verses mentioned
earlier, Almighty God started with the characteristics of
the sun and ended with a reference to the earth which is
our place of abode and briefly referred to the
characteristics of everything that falls within these two
regions; these were referred to by way of oaths. After
that, the verses mentioned the soul of the ‘perfect
man’ so that it should be understood that the soul
of the ‘perfect man’ combines in itself all the
various splendours which are present individually in all
the things that have been mentioned by way of oath" (pp.
40-43, Iqbal Ahmad’s translation).
Also, in explaining the following
sentence from 2:25 of the Holy Qur’an, And give good
news to those who believe and do good deeds, that for them
are Gardens in which rivers flow …, he says that
the Holy Qur’an has likened faith to gardens, and good
deeds to water. That is, just as gardens need water not only
to exist but also to flower and bear fruit, so, too,
man’s faith (garden) needs to be sustained by good
deeds (water) in order for man to achieve falah
(success), or perfect self-actualisation or a complete
flowering of all the hidden talents that Allah has reposed
in him.
In the following extracts, in a
tafsir (commentary) of 86:11-12, Mirza
Sahib amplifies the theme of two co-existing and mutually
related systems operating in the
universe and draws many
profound, enlightening and pertinent conclusions from this
Divine arrangement.
He says:
"In short, in the laws of
nature, you can observe that Allah has made two parallel
systems – one physical and the other spiritual.
Whatever arrangements are provided for the physical are
also furnished for the spiritual.
Thus, whoever holds these two
systems as his guide and strives and struggles in his
affairs will make rapid advance and his knowledge will
become extensive. In every way, each physical task
of his will become a manifestation of spiritual
matters as our Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘This
world is the field of the Hereafter.’
In the physical system we can
see that physically, the farmer, in spite of all
kinds of proper exertion and endeavour, is still
dependent upon water from the heavens, and if, in
addition to his labours and efforts, heavenly water does
not fall on his crops, then his harvest will be destroyed
and his labour will have been wasted.
Similarly, the same law operates
in the spiritual world. Man can reap no benefit from
dry, formal faith if heavenly rain does not descend and
with powerful signs wash away the pollution from his
heart and purify him. And this is what the Holy
Qur’an alludes to when it says: By the cloud
giving rain, and the earth opening with herbage
(96:11-12).
Many people in their ignorance
question the necessity for oaths by Allah, Most High,
and end up having to repent for their own hasty
judgement. To take an oath really means to establish
evidence on a solid foundation. In the affairs of
worldly governments, too, we can see that on many
occasions, the determination of a court matter hinges on
oaths. Likewise, Allah, Most High, swears by heavenly
water in pointing out the similarity between the physical
and spiritual systems and He presents this fact as
testimony that just as the verdure of the earth and the
luxuriance of the fields depend upon water from above and
unless there is heavenly rain there can be no greenery on
earth and the earth will become dead – in fact,
wells will become dry, too – and the earth will be
convulsed and will head for destruction and people will
die of hunger and thirst, and men and animals and even
birds and beast, etc. will feel the effects of the
resulting drought, so, too a self-evident system obtains
in the spiritual world.
Remember that faith without
heavenly rain, which descends in the nature of
converse with Allah, can never form the basis for
salvation or for genuine peace. Those people (who
claim) that they can achieve salvation without heavenly
rain or without the assistance of one sent by Allah
and therefore they have no need for any purifier or
commissioned one from Allah, should create water in their
own homes. What need do they have of heavenly water?"
Malfuzat, vol. 10, pp. 397-399.
In Malfuzat, vol. 8, pp.
304-305, he explains that the counterpart of physical
rain in the spiritual realm is really Divine revelation
which is the source of all worldly knowledge, philosophical,
scientific, spiritual; and just as wells become dry
physically, so, too, the wells of worldly knowledge dry up
or become stagnant, polluted and filthy if the purifying and
vivifying rain of Divine revelation does not descend from
above. In short, everything on earth depends for its
existence upon Divine sustenance from above, as the Holy
Qur’an tells us: And in the heavens is your
sustenance, and that which you are promised (21:22);
and, Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its
death …(57:17) by sending rain, physically and
spiritually.
In Chashmah-i-Ma’rifat, p.
102, Mirza Sahib points out that revelation will never be
contrary to the laws of nature for there is a perfect
consonance between the words of God and His works. This is
why in the Holy Qur’an Allah, Most High, first swears
by physical things and then presents spiritual matters, the
clear inference being that the physical things are a
verification of deep spiritual truths. This, he goes on
to say, is a criterion for judging the veracity of a holy
book, or if any scripture is contrary to the laws of
nature, then it cannot have come from God.
Everything that Allah has created
works according to a Divinely-appointed system and what
deeper purpose, one may well ask, do these parallel systems
serve? It is that the fear of God and the appreciation of
His majesty should be generated in our minds through our
knowledge of the sciences and through this we may delve
deeper into the hidden spiritual truths to which these
sciences point, as he says:
"Just as Allah, Most High,
wants people to fear Him, so, too, He wishes that the
light of scientific knowledge be born in them and through
this they may transcend the boundaries of spiritual
insight, because deep knowledge of the external world
creates true fear in the heart on one hand, and on the
other, worship of God is also born because of this
knowledge. There are many unfortunate people who are so
engrossed in worldly sciences that they are far removed
from the appreciation of Divine decrees and thus fall
into doubt concerning the very existence of Allah, Most
High.
There are some, too, who believe in
Divine decrees but relinquish the search for scientific
knowledge. The Holy Qur’an has taught us both kinds
of knowledge and in a perfect manner, too, for it wants
man to be steeped in true scientific knowledge and
inclines him to it because through this the fear of God
is born within him. And in the measure knowledge of God
grows in us, so, too, in the same way, the majesty of God
and love for Him will be generated in our hearts. Man is
taught to live according to the laws of Divine decrees so
that thereby the attributes of reliance and dependence on
Allah may be born and through complete resignation to His
will he will become the beloved of God and will obtain
true peace and tranquillity which are the aim and object
of salvation" (Malfuzat, vol. 1, pp.
223-224).
Finally, in his tafsir
(commentary) of Those who remember Allah standing and
sitting and (lying) on their sides, and reflect on the
creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord, Thou has
not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee! Save us from the
chastisement of the fire (3:190), Mirza Sahib reveals in
its clarity the true purpose of these two
systems:
"If you wish to be
successful, use your intellect in all your affairs,
ponder and meditate. The Holy Qur’an has repeatedly
emphasised the importance of deliberation and planning in
our lives.
Ponder deeply on the hidden book
and on the Holy Qur’an and cultivate a pious
disposition. When your heart is purified and you make use
of sound thinking in your work and you also walk along
the paths of righteousness, then from a union of these
two attributes is born such a condition that the
following words spring with conscious realisation from
the heart: Our Lord, Thou hast not created this
(that is, the world) in vain! Save us from the
chastisement of the fire (3:190).
At this time the realisation comes
to mind that this creation is not in vain but really
serves as a testimony of the truth and the verification
of the real Creator so that all kinds of arts and
sciences which serve religion may become manifest"
(Malfuzat, vol. 1, p. 66).
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Articles
Section
> Two Parallel Systems [Physical + Spiritual] by
Imam Kalamazad Mohammed Sahib [Based on Hazrat Mirza
Sahib's Writings]
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