ACCOUNT OF THE TREE TUBA, WHICH IS IN HEAVEN, AND THE TREE ZAKUM, WHICH IS IN HELL.

It is to be known that Túba* is a celestial tree which sends branches into every corner of heaven; and this is an emblem of the tree of wisdom, from which branches extend to every corner—to any body, whether it be elemental or imaginary; that is to say, to every mind which is illumed and warmed by a ray of the sun of wisdom; it is by this light that his speech and conduct answer the exigency of wisdom, and that he considers well the end of his actions; so that he has never to repent of any one of his words or deeds, which is a sign of knowledge.

The tree zakúm,* represents the tree of nature, a branch of which extends to every corner, that is to say, whatever power a man (actuated by it) exerts, he never considers the end of the action which he does, and has therefore always to repent of his words and deeds, which is a sign of ignorance.

As to an explanation about the Har and Kaśur, it is to be known that both names relate to secrets of hidden things and sciences, which are concealed from the eyes of the profane by a veil, or by the pavilions of sublimity:

“The Hur and Kasur are concealed in the pavilions.”

The hand of men with an elegant and fanciful conception has never reached, nor shall ever reach, them.

“Nobody has ever touched them before, neither men nor genii.”

For these Hur and Kaśur belong to men endowed with sanctity and truth; as often as these perfect personages approach them, they find also virgins, and enjoy each time a pleasure such as they never had before; because each time they meet with the beginning of a new meaning, finer than the former, although they obtain these objects before their death.

It has been stated by some sages that, when they were intent upon some high undertaking, they declared after its conclusion: “How can emperors and their sons enjoy such a happiness, which is still to be increased when all impedi­ments will be removed.” Know, men attached to exterior evidence said, that whatever is commonly believed of the last judgment, and what is connected with the soul of the world, implies nothing else but that, from the time when the Almighty God brought forth out of nothingness into existence, the heavens, the stars, the material bodies, the three kingdoms of nature, and the essences, the duration of the world shall extend to that period when he will again plunge the whole into non-existence, and this shall be “the other world.”

The learned say besides, that the composition of the human body, and its conjunction with the soul, make but one period of time, although birth and life appear two distinct periods; the one comprising the sensible and perceptible world, the other the rational and intellectual world: for

“Whoever is not born twice, shall not enter at the same time into the kingdom of heaven and that of the earth.”*

This is the speech of the Lord Jesus, and with him the present and the future world have also a twofold signification, also both a particular and a common one. As to the particular—there is something exter­nal and internal in every one; body and soul in every one; this is his present and future world. As to the common signification—there is an external and an internal world, that is, the material world is the present, and the future is the internal world. As to what is stated in the ostensible law, that the earth has seven stories and the heaven also seven, the interpretation of this is, that the earth is divided into seven regions, whence is concluded that the heaven also is divided into seven, separate from which they account the Kersi or Arsh, that is the ninth heaven. As to what is said, that on the day of resurrection the heaven will be folded together,

“On the day on which we shall fold the heavens, as the angel folds the book (of good and bad actions of men), we shall replace them as they were formed at the beginning of the creation. The heavens will then be folded by his grace, power, and strength,”

And the earth changed into another.

“One day we shall change this earth into another earth.”

And after this change the earth and heaven will be annihilated; the earth will be like pure silver, and upon this earth no sin whatever will be committed: in all this, the day of resurrection, heaven, and hell are rendered present. As to what is asserted that this earth will be changed into another—the Orien­tals say, this is meant to relate to a vision which is called the region of symbolic truth. And the ren­dering present heaven and hell; this also refers to an attribution of good and bad. Whoever assumes the form of Hur or Kásur, serpent or scorpion, is rendered happy or miserable. As to the transmuta­tion of the earth—this needs no interpretation: what wonder is it that the culture of a region passes into that of another country; and the passage from the region of the sensible into that of allegory is evi­dent in the transformation of the folded heavens. It has also been maintained that “the book of God” is one thing, and “the word of God” another: because the word is derived from the world* of commands, which has its purport from the invisible and rational world; whilst the book is from the world of creatures; that is, the material world; the word, when written down, becomes a book; a com­mand which is brought to pass becomes an action; and this is, with these believers, the meaning of the words: Run fa yakun.

“(God said) ‘Let it be,’ and it was.”

The world of command is devoid of contradiction and multiplicity; it is pure in its essence; butthe world of creatures contains contradiction and multi­plicity, and no atom of all atoms of beings is out of the material world.

“There is nothing fresh or dry but in the true book (the Koran).”

Besides, the world of forms and of perceptible things is to be considered as the book of God, and every thing as a Surah, “a chapter,” of the Surahs of this book; the alternation of days and nights, the changes and alterations in the horizon and in the phenomena are the vowel points of this book; the days and nights of this book, Surah after Surah, verse after verse, letter after letter, follow each other, as in writing the lines are read in succession; thus thou proceedest, from line to line and from let­ter to letter, until thou findest the meaning which is hidden in the subject of the words and expressions, until thou knowest and renderest evident to thyself the purport of the book:

“We shall show our verses (of the Koran) in the horizon (every where), and in their souls, until it become evident to them that it is the truth.”

And when thou understandest the book and hast satisfied thy desire, certainly the book is then closed and put out of thy hand.

“On the day on which we shall fold the heavens, as the angel folds the book — the heavens will then be folded by his grace, power, and strength.”

And it was said, “On the right hand,” that it may be manifest, that those who are at the left can have no share in the possession of heaven.

The change of the earth is thus interpreted, that mankind has two states: at first a terrestrial body and a heavenly nature, subject to the dictates of passion and of lust; and in this state all creatures are in the troubles of imagination, and pride, and conceitedness. Then takes place the first blast of the trumpet for the sake of rest, in order that the terrestrial, who are subject to the qualities of the body, and the celestial, who possess those of a higher nature, may both of them become dead to the troubles of imagination, pride, and conceitedness, unless a few of the qualities of the former state remain alive; as this, on account of these very qualities, may be indispensable by the power of necessity.

“And the trumpet was blown, and all the beings who were in heaven and upon earth were troubled, except those whom God willed (that they should not).

The second blast of the trumpet will be for recall­ing all men to life, so that the terrestrial, who are endowed with the qualities of nature, may resusci­tate from the death of ignorance and the sleep of heedlessness, and rise up; that they may avert their face from material objects and bodily pleasures, which are understood under the name “world,” and devote themselves to reasonable pursuits and spiritual enjoyments, which are essential, so as to know every thing in its real nature: which is

“Then the trumpet shall be blown, and instantly they shall resusci­tate, and see.”

In this state, the body, world, and the nature of reason and law, are broken.

“The earth was illumed by the light of his Lord; he placed the books, and he brought the prophets and the witnesses.”

Then the earth of darkness shall be changed into the world of light, and the heaven of nature into the sphere of spirits:

“On the day on which the earth shall be changed for another earth, as well as the heavens; and it shall then be known that there is but one God, the Almighty.”

The obscuration of the stars, and the extinction of the sun's and the moon's light are interpreted, that the stars signify the external and internal senses, each of which is in its corresponding sign in heaven; the spirit of animals and the light of the moon are referred to the light of the soul; as the human soul has in fact no light of its own, but solicits an abundant loan of it from the sun of reason, and diffuses it according to its own deficiency. It is said, that when the human soul manifests itself, then sensuality remains out of its action;

“When the stars shall be obscured;”

And when the light of reason breaks forth, then the human soul also is dismissed from its action, and when the benefitted unites with the benefactor, then an incomparable form shows its face;

“He reunited the sun and the moon;”

And when the light of God shines forth, that is, when “knowledge is infused,” which is equivalent to revelation, manifesting itself, then reason and sight are removed from the action, which they call

“When the sun shall be folded up.”*

There are fifty stations in the field of judgment:

“Present is the Creator and the master;
At every station another question;
Whoever gives his answer with justness
Shall reach his station with rapidity.”

The stations are in their order as follows: five external and five internal senses; seven powers of passion and lust; three spirits of nature, that is, of minerals, vegetables, and animals; four humors; three kingdoms of nature; four elements; eight temperatures; seven forms of imagination; the other four will be stated on another occasion.

The book of God signifies knowledge. As to the last judgment and the resurrection of bodies, intel­ligent men said, that each atom of the atoms of a human body, which are dispersed, will be all col­lected on the day of resurrection, and restored to life, and at this hour there will be no question put about any thing done, but what is come to us from the prophets and saints, this we must believe. The learned say besides, that the question is here about the soul, which on the day of resurrection returns (to its origin), and this substance is pure, and does not require to be suitable to any dimension, color, or place, but is independent of all these, and on that account fit for sciences and knowledge of all things; its extreme excellence is to be able to collect for review all things from the first origin to the last extremity, and to know that whenever it attains that degree of perfection, it has returned to the place of its origin; and this is the knowledge of purity, which is remote from the defilement and mixture of what is material. The learned assert besides, that the night of power, “the night on which the Koran was sent down,” refers to the beginning, and the day of resurrection to the place to which one returns; because the nature of night is to conceal things of which few may have information, and the nature of day is to bring to view things of which all may take notice. Further, the whole of the notions and powers of primitive creation is contained in the knowledge of God, who is understood under the name of “primitive, per­manent, and predestinator.” Every body pos­sesses not this knowledge; it was then on account of the belief that the predestinations were concealed in it, that “the night of power” was said to be “primitive,” and as in the place to which one returns (that is at the resurrection) every thing con­cealed shall become manifest, and every one be informed of it, on account of this belief, this place was referred to “day.” As on this day, all are to rise from the tomb of the body, and to awake from the sleep of heedlessness, it was called “the resurrec­tion.”

According to the learned, Kâbah (the square temple at Mecca) is an emblem of the sun, on which account it is right to worship it; and the well Zem zem* signifies likewise “the great luminary,” as Hakím Khákání said relatively to both:

“O Kábah, thou traveller of the heaven!
O Zem zem, thou fire of the world!”

Hajer ul ásvad, “the black stone at Mecca,” repre­sents the body of Venus, which on the border of the heavens is a star of the planets. Some have inter­preted the resurrection of the bodies in the sense of the learned, who referred it to the revolution of the heavens, and to the influences of the stars upon the terrestrial globe.

“Every external form of things, and every object which disappeared,
Remains stored up in the storehouse of fate;
When the system of the heavens returns to its former order,
God, the All-Just, will bring them forth from the veil of mystery.”

Another poet says:

“When the motion of the heavens in three hundred and sixty thousand years,
Shall have described a minute about its centre,
Then shall be manifest what had been manifest before,
Without any divergence to the right or to the left.”

The great revolution with them, according to the word of Berzasp, the disciple of Tahamúers, is of three hundred and sixty thousand solar years: that is, as the motions of the heavens take place in a circle, their positions are necessarily determined; when, according to that revolution, the positions of the heavens manifest themselves so that from the conti­guities, the adwár and ikwár,* “the cycles,” the zatk and fatk, “the shutting and opening,” from the conjunctions of the whole and from the unions, all parts of the phenomena show the very same neces­sarily determined position, in its reality without increase and decrease. In the books of the Persian sages is stated that, as the motions of the heavens are circular, certainly the compasses return to the same point from which the circumference began to be drawn, and when at a second revolution the com­passes run over the same line upon which the former circumference was drawn, undoubtedly, whatsoever has been granted in the former circumference, shall be granted again; as there is no disparity between two circumferences, there will be no disparity between their traces; because the phenomena, having returned to that order in which they were found in the beginning, the stars and heavens, having made their revolution about the former centre, the dis­tances, contiguities, appearances, and relations hav­ing in no aspect been contrary to the former aspects, certainly the influences which manifested themselves from yonder origin shall in no manner be different.

This is called in Persian mahín cherkh, “the great circle;” and in Arabic dawrah-i kabra.

Fárábi* says: the vulgar form to their own sight their belief according to the shape of their imagina­tion, and will continue to form it so, and the place of their imaginations will be a body of the heavenly bodies. The venerable Shaikh Maktul tends to establish in his demonstrations, that the heavenly bodies are places of imaginations of the inhabitants of heaven, and that beneath the heaven of the moon, and above the globe of fire is a spherical body, with­out motion, and this is the place of the imaginations of the inhabitants of hell.

It is to be known, that this sect hold the world to be eternal, and say that, as the sun's light is to the heaven, so is the world to God. Nothing was that had not been, and nothing will be that is not. Fur­ther, according to the expounders of theological law, the world is a phenomenon of time. The phi­losophers assert, the meaning of that phenomenon is “procreation;” and the phenomenon of procreation is not contradictory to “permanency;” infinite permanency coalesces with time.