Shams Part 8

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As for the group comprising the Names from ‘He Who enumerates everything’ (alMu¬1⁄2ī) to ‘the Tolerant One’ (al1⁄4abūr), for all their Names are either in the degree that symbolizes the impotence (‘aŷz) of the servant of God1, as is manifest in His Name alMu¬1⁄2ī, and as will be made clear in His Name ‘the Initiator’ (alMubdi’), in ‘the Recreator of life’ (alMu’īd) and the rest of the Names up to ‘the Tolerant’ (al1⁄4abūr); or in the realm of Gnosis as it will be shown to you in His Name ‘the Guide’ (alHādī).

And it is as if God begins with everything in which creatures apparently have a part, even if it is through prayers, and then ends with that in which creatures have no choice and are openly incapable of altering, such as the beginning, the return, the resurrection, and death. Meditate on that, God is wiser!

The names of his letters add up to 205, which is equivalent to two of his glorious Names ‘Mighty’ (‘Azīz) and ‘Enough’ (Kāfī). And its magic square is as follows:

AFIFTY-NINTH PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘IINITIATOR’ (Mubdī ‘)

Whoever continually invokes this luminous Name, the hidden aspects of things end up being shown to him, God grants him the gift of expressing himself with Wisdom, and everything that happens thanks to it to any person will be whatever he desires, for it is one of the glorious Names for whoever wants his goal to be fulfilled in the world of Being.

Whoever undertakes his 2ikr gets his actions right and last, and his 2ikr is useful for whoever starts something. And you must know, God guide me, that he who surrenders himself to his 2ikr becomes acquainted with the resplendent sciences, speaks with Wisdom, and expresses himself through symbols.

It has the number 56, which is equivalent to ‘the Near One’ (alWalī). And this Name in relation to ‘the Initiator’ occupies the same place as ‘the Organizer’ (alWakīl) in relation to His name Allāh2. That is why it results from adding the first two His Name ‘Who makes evident’ (Mubayyin), because through closeness and beginning, which is the beginning of the visible appearance of something, everything becomes evident and is defined.

The names of His letters add up to 141, which alludes to His Name ‘Scholar’ (‘Ālim). And as for its noble square, it is as follows:

1 That is, the inability to exist and subsist without God, as well as the inability to resist His decrees.

2 That is, Walī is equivalent to Mubdī’ in the same way that Wakīl is equivalent to Allāh, and furthermore both Names Walī and Wakīl denote the meaning of ruling and organizing the world.

y1⁄2¬m

43 5 89 11 88 12 42 6

7 41 9 91

Fig. 152

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8 13 34 1 33 2 7 14 3 36 11 6 12 5 4 35

Fig. 153

APARTADO SEXADECIMO SOBRE SU UNN NAME: ‘RECREATOR OF LIFE’ (Mu’īd)1

Whoever undertakes the 2ikr of this noble Name brings everything that is corrupt back to its suitable state and brings back all who are gone. And if it is arranged in a square where the ascendant is one of the transitory zodiacal signs (munqaliba), it is hung to the wind and the subject of the ritual remains all night reciting the Name for the purpose of bringing back a fugitive or one who went on a journey, for that person returns to the place from which he came, God willing, exalted be He! And a certain wise man said that he who recites it constantly brings back to his memory all that he has forgotten.

It has the number 124, which is even for odd and even. And He is a defective number when adding up His divisors 100, which is equivalent to His ‘Sovereign’ Name (Malīk), because no one can restore things after they have disappeared except their sovereign or owner. That is why the Truth, praise and exaltation be to Him, is manifested through His Name ‘the King’ (al-Malik), for it implies the truth of the Day of Return. And this number also alludes to the letter qāf because of the absolute dominion that resides in the extreme reached by the descent of the preliminary manifestation (albadā’) 2.

The names of the letters of this Name add up to 266, a number that is equivalent to two of its glorious Names: ‘Sovereign’ (Malīk) and ‘Subsistent’ (Qayyūm). And its magic square is as follows:

ASIXTY-FIRST PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘QUIEN DA LA VIDA’ (Mu¬yī )

Whoever continually invokes this resplendent Name, God revives with the Spirit of Oneness, and thereby gives life to everything, for it is one of the recitations of the angel Isrāfīl.

And you should know that for those who perform the 2ikr of this Name, God revivifies their heart and makes the strength of their interior manifest in their exterior, since in them there is a bond that unites them to His Name ‘the Living One’ (al©ayy).

1 Also ‘Quien hace volver’.

2 The preliminary manifestation represents the descent of the divine emanations and lights into the heart of the Gnostic (NURBAKHSH, Sufi Symbolism, iv, p. 47).

dī’m 69 41 3 11 42 72 8 2

9 1 43 71

Fig. 154

3 An angel charged with blowing the horn causing the dead to rise from their graves.

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Whoever engraves it on a steel seal at the time of Friday prayer and carries it with him, God revitalizes its value and remembrance (2ikr), magnifies its power, and the person sees through the grace of God that which he is unable to describe.

This Name has a magic square known to the lords of secrets; and He has the number 68, which is the even number of the even, and the odd and defective, for His divisors add up to 58, which is equivalent to His ‘Pre-Eternal’ Name (Azalī). And the names of His letters add up to 144, which alludes to His Name ‘Who gives power’ (Muþizz), for the consolidation (ali’zāz) that resides in the act of restoring life, and the degradation (ali2lāl) that involves the imposition of death. This is the image of the square:

Fig. 155

16 19 24 9 23 10 15 20 11 26 17 14 18 13 12 25

APARTADO SIXTY-SECOND SOBRE SUUN NNAME: ‘QUIEN DA LA MUERTE’ (Mumīt ) c

This Name is of a great nature for whoever wants to kill a wicked one and wants to exterminate sinners, for everyone who recites it constantly cursing some wicked person gets him to die on the spot. And it has a magnificent influence in attenuating impure desires.

Whenever someone undertakes his 2ikr until he is seized with a spiritual state derived from it, and after that he mentions the name of the person whose death he desires, Allah, may He be exalted, he causes him to die immediately.

It has the number 490, an odd and abundant number, as its divisors add up to 536, a number that is equivalent to ‘the Best Protector’ (Ni’ma almawlà) twice1. And the names of His letters number 592, which is equivalent to two of His glorious Names: ‘Peace’ (Amān) ‘Unbreakable’ (Matīn).

And its magic square is as follows:

103 95 107 99 86 97 89 101 93 110 91 108 100 87 104 90 102 94 106 98

109 96 88 105 92

Fig. 156

1 Ni’ma almawlà equals 268.

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ASIXTY-THIRD PART ON ITS NAME: ‘VIVIENTE’ (©AYY) A

One who constantly performs the 2ikr of this Name of great value until he is in harmony with the spirits, increases in his subsistence (baqā’)1 in the earthly world, and Allah, exalted be He, revivifies his heart with the Spirit of Oneness. It is one of the recitations of the angel Jabbra’īl, and his 2ikr is indicated for one named Idrīs.

This Name has the number 28, which is even and odd, and is the second perfect number (tām)2. Perfect numbers are nobler than abundant and defective numbers, as well as being very rare, since only one perfect number will be found in each degree, this number constituting the life of the corresponding numerical degree: in the degree of units 6, in the degree of tens 28, in the degree of hundreds 296, which is equivalent to the name of the prophet, God bless him and save him!, ‘Messenger’ (Rasūl)3; and in the degree of thousands 81284.

And to return to what is manifested in number 28, for since Life is the extreme limit of perfection, there can be no addition or deficiency in it. If this perfection were capable of being increased, it would not be perfect, so it would not be Life; and if there were deficiency in it (naq1⁄2), that would entail death to the same extent that deficiency occurs. And so the number 28 results from multiplying the first complete number (kāmil) 6 by the first square number (murabba’). And this is also the number of the letters of the aliphate, which constitute the perfection of Existence; and it is the number of lunar mansions which are perfectly distinguishable in the upper sphere, and which bring down the divine decree to the level at which the letters are articulated. The secrets of this number are numerous, and it is not appropriate to enumerate them all in this summary. In general terms, we will say that everything that results from ‘the Living One’ is Life.

This is with regard to the oral numerical value of its letters. And as for its numerical value c written, this Name is composed of two letters: ¬ y. This adds up to 18, which is an even number of odd and abundant, since its divisors add up to 21. And this last number results from multiplying the first odd number
by the first complete number (kāmil), so that what was previously multiplied by the absolute
inclusion symbolized by the dāl is now multiplied by the grouping sense (jŷam’iyya) of the jķīm 7.

This number [21] is seven less [than the former number 28], and those seven are the spiritual realities of the letters which are in the lowest degree, in which the Life of the Soul takes place.

1 Subsistence is the opposite Path to self-emptying (fanā’), and involves being with God and the world, while self-emptying involves being alone in God (concepts analogous to sobriety and drunkenness).

2 That integer and positive number equal to the sum of its divisors: 28 = 14 + 7 +4 +2 +1.
3 Note that the third perfect number is 496, and not 296, although it is effectively equivalent to “Rasūl”.
4 Both manuscripts read 912.
5 For the 28th is neither abundant nor defective.
6 I do not know the properties that define the whole number, but it certainly refers to the 7.
7 This means that the 7 that was previously multiplied by 4 to obtain 28, is now multiplied by 3 to obtain 21.

It also refers to the fact that if before you multiply 4 x 7, mediating between both numbers 3, then now you multiply 3 x 7.

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longevity (alta’mīr)1 which implies the physical decline (alnaks) that takes place in creatures, just as God said, exalted be He!: ﴾ To whom we give a long life we diminish in his constitution ﴿2. Therefore the Fatia is free of these letters3 and in it there are twenty-one letters.

The names of His letters add up to twenty4s, which is equivalent to His Name ‘Guide’ (Hādī), and His magic square is as follows with the names of His letters5:

Fig. 157

ASIXTY-FOURTH PART ON HISNAME: ‘SUBSISTENTE’ (Qayyūm)

Whoever performs the 2ikr of this sublime Name God sustains him inwardly and externally, and if he performs it who is possessed of a sincere spiritual state, then God makes him the pillar that supports all things.

It has a magic square of enormous value and well known to the lords of disposition (al ta1⁄2rīf). And his 2ikr is indicated for one who is called Yūsuf, having in it the verification of a Truth that is not hidden from one who is endowed with intelligence.

25 28 31 ¬y 30 19 24 29 20 33 26 23 27 22 21 32

And you should know that eternal Subsistence (alqayyūmiyya) is the exclusive attribute of Allah, may He be exalted: ﴾ Who remains over each soul attentive to what he acquires? ﴿6, ﴾ God behind them surrounds them ﴿7, ﴾ He is with you wherever you are ﴿8, ﴾ The east and the west are God’s; wherever you turn, there you will find the face of God ﴿9, ﴾ those who have sworn allegiance to you have actually sworn it to God; the hand of God was on their hands ﴿10, ﴾ do they not know that God accepts the return, in repentance, of his servants and that he takes into account what is generously given? ﴿11, ﴾ You didn’t even shoot when you shot, but it was God who threw ﴿12. “In truth, the

1 That is, the earthly life that God prolongs according to His will.
2 Cor. xxxvi:67.
3 On the seven missing letters of the Fāti¬a (fā’, ŷīm, šīn, £ā’, Þā’, jā’, zāy), see chapter XIII.
4 This time without counting the hamza.
5 In spite of what has been said about the names of its letters (which add up to 20), the base ms. presents a square whose

The perpetual sum is 102, a number that is equivalent to three times 34, and 34 would be the value of the names of their letters added together, but counting the hamza as 1 and counting twice the yā’ when it is reduplicated. On the other hand, ms. B contains a different square whose perpetual sum is 34 (see Appendix II, p. 502).

6 Cor. XIII:33.
7 Cor. LXXXV:20. 8 Cor. LVII:4.
9 Cor. II:114.
10 Cor. XLVIII:10. 11 Cor. IX:105. 12 Cor. VIII:17.

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alms ends in the palm of Clement’s hand”. “I was sick and you didn’t visit me.”1 “It is not I who take responsibility for you, but God,”2 “I am His hearing and His sight.”

And His Name ‘the Subsistent’ (alQayyūm) is the clear expression of the realm of His oneness encompassing every One of His Names, every visible aspect of Creation, every hidden aspect of His Decree and every world in between: ﴾ Aliflāmmīm. Allāh, there is no god but Him, the Living One, the Subsistent One ﴿3; ﴾ We have not created the heavens, the earth, and what lies between them except with the Truth ﴿4. And in the same way that the Name of God, exalted be He, does not establish the possibility of an equal to Him because of the Singularity which creatures perceive in that Name, for in the same way it is with the Name ‘the Subsistent’, which is one of the few Names which God restricted to tongues so that He alone can be designated by them. And it is said that the Supreme Name of God is found in the words ﴾ Your god is a One God, there is no god but Him, the Gracious, the Merciful ﴿5, ﴾ Allāh, there is no god but Him ﴿6. And the Supreme Name of God is the one that when something arises that seems to equal Him, because that appearance ends up being erased in trying to equalize His eternal Subsistence, is not everything that God discards false?: ﴾ We have not created the heavens, the earth and what is between them except with the Truth ﴿. And living beings die for the perfect conclusion (kamāl) of their life: ﴾ Everything on earth is perishable. But the face of Your Lord, Lord of Majesty and Generosity, abide ﴿7, ﴾ You will die and they will die ﴿8, everything will perish except God for His divinity, ﴾ there is no god but Allah ﴿9, ﴾ God testifies that there is no god but Him ﴿10, ﴾ Those gods you invoke would not be able to create a fly even if they all came together. And if a fly took something from them, they would not be able to recover it ﴿11. All clemency is little before the Mercy of the Gracious: ﴾ Do you know anyone who deserves to have His Name? ﴿12, and every multitude is vain before His Oneness, ﴾ And when in the Qur’an you remember the Oneness of your Lord, they turn their backs in contempt ﴿13.

And this Name has the number 166, which is even for odd and defective. Their divisors add up to 86, c a number that is equivalent to His Name ‘One Who Gives Refuge’ (Maw’il), for everything finds refuge in His righteousness (qīma). And it is also equivalent to His ‘Innovative’ Name (Badī’), for the real value of each thing is
its essential reality, and that is its originality (badī’a), as God said, exalted be He: ﴾ Creator (Badī’) of the heavens and the earth ﴿14. And this number also alludes to the fact that the highest of the Names in elevation (iqāma) is the lowest in its descent (tanazzul), and that is His ‘Sovereign’ Name (Malīk).15

1 Muslim, no. 4661; A¬mad, no 8874.
2 Bujārī, no 6133, 6224; Muslim, no 3109; etc.
3 Cor. III:1.
4 Cor. XV:85.
5 Cor. II:162.
6 Cor. II:255; III:1.
7 Cor. lv:245.
8 Cor. xxxix:29.
9 Cor. III:61; xxxviii:64.
10 Cor. III:18.
11 Cor. xxii:71.
12 Cor. XIX:65.
13 Cor. XVII:46.
14 Cor. II:116; VI:102.
15 Since 166 is the sum of the highest name (Allāh = 66) and the name Malīk (100), which is proper to the

lower world of Sovereignty (mulk).

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All this if we take the oral numerical value of its letters. And if we take its written value, it is equivalent to 156, which is an even number of odd and abundant when adding its divisors 236, and this number constitutes everything supported and erected by God, since it is equivalent to ﴾ Kun fayakūn ﴿1.

The names of His letters add up to 308, which is equivalent to His ‘Sustainer’ Name (Rāziq), because the subsistence (qiyām) of each thing resides in the main pillar of its existence, which is sustenance (alrizq). The next is its harmonic square, and alQayyūm is the inner essence of the Sublime (bāÐin al ‘AÞīm)2. And we have gathered their numerical and literal harmony into a single square in this way:

Fig. 158

Fig. 159

And you should know that ‘the Living One’ (al©ayy) and ‘the Subsistent’ (alQayyūm) are two sublime Names, both of which are part of the 2ikr of those who attain the divine Presence and it is also one of the recitations of the angel Isrāfīl, peace be upon him!, and of all the angels in charge of the Horn. He who writes both Names on Friday at sunrise and oriented towards the qibla, if he always carries them with him, God revitalizes his value and his remembrance (2ikr) even if he is a little-known person, and makes his means of subsistence prosper even if they are meager. See for yourself.

And he who composes his magic square, the perpetual sum of which is 174, and carries it with him, is a witness of the prodigies, and this is the most beautiful of paths. It is in this way:

155 160 153 154 QYŪM 158 159 152 157

m ū y q ¬y 52 39 19 14 50 2 41 Allāh 17 48 47 43 15 20 49

33 45 64 23 9

Fig. 160

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1 An expression mentioned several times in the Qur’an (ii: 117; iii: 47, 59, etc.) and which constitutes the Decree of God, “when he wants something, it is enough for him to say: ‘I know!’, and it is”. The letters of these two words add up to 236.

2 If we add up all the numbers surrounding the word Qayyūm in the next square, we get the number 1248; on the other hand, the expression ‘bāÐin ‘AÞīm’ is equivalent to 62 + 1020 = 1082. Finally, 1248 – 1082 = 166 = Qayyūm.

Al-Kattānī1, Allah have mercy on him, said: “I saw the Prophet in a dream, and I said to him: O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah that He may not kill my heart. And the Messenger of Allah, “May God bless and save him,” said: “Say forty times every day, “O Living One, O Subsisting One, there is no god but Thee.”

And you should know that whoever harmonizes the letters of His Name ‘Guardian’ (©afīÞ) in a square when the sun is at its height, inserts it into the interior of the figure just mentioned, and carries it with Him, Allah, exalted be He, revitalizes his heart, expands his livelihood and the protection of his people, his soul, and his possessions. Whoever writes it on any object, it is protected by the command of God, praise and exalt be He! And he who comes to know his secret is free from needing anything other than that, for his secret proceeds from ineffable perfection and in it resides the Supreme Name of God, the one with which if you pray you are attended to and with which if you ask it is granted to you.

This is the magic square:

Fig. 161

ASIXTY-FIFTH PART ON HIS NAME: ‘HALLADOR’ (Wāŷid)

Whoever surrenders to the 2ikr of this Name of great power, there will be nothing he cannot find if that is his purpose. And with this recitation the travellers of the Path (alsālikūna) find in their souls the knowledge of the spiritual rapture (wajd).

And he who realizes his continuous 2ikr until he is seized with a spiritual condition derived from it, finds within himself that which neither the sciences nor the visible signs can make known to him, and reaffirms his steps in the mastery of delightful knowledge (al-ikam al2awqiyya). And his 2ikr is very beneficial for one who is called ‘Abd al-Wāyid.

It has the number 14, the even number of odd and elongated, but in it there is a noble distinction since it results from multiplying the first even number by the first complete number (kāmil)1. And in it is contained the 7

1 Abū Bakr Mu¬ammad b. ‘Alī alKattānī, a Sufi saint from Baghd and resident of Mecca, where he died in 934 AD.

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Twice, and that number [14] is the number of the luminous letters, as well as the number of nights when the moon is waxing, because those are nights of abundance (wujd), and the nights of the waning moon are nights of loss or absence (faqd)2. And it is a defective number, since its divisors add up to 10. And this alludes to the letter yā’, which is the name of the Descent (tanazzul) implied in His words, exalted be He: “In Me is His ear, and in Me is His sight.”3 Therefore the numerical value of the names of their letters [212] is equivalent to your words [He Is the One Who divides (huwa Fā1⁄2il)], for in the names of their letters there is a division (fa1⁄2l).4

As for its square, it is as you can see:

ASIXTY-SIXTH PART ON HIS NAME: ‘THEWOOD OF GLORY’ (Māŷid)

If a king undertakes the 2ikr of this Name, his kingdom is enlarged, his words are obeyed, and the hearts of his subjects are unanimously sympathetic to him. And his 2ikr is indicated for one who is called ‘Abd al-Mājid.

It has the number 48, which is a noble number because it results from multiplying the first perfect number (tām) by the first of its digits, and then multiplying the result by the first of its digits5. And it is a number that symbolizes the perfection that completion implies, for it is the number that is heard in “©ā’Mīm”, a motto that the Prophet, may God bless and save him!, adopted as a war cry (ši’ār)6, and ordered it on the day of the battle of U��d, seeking the glory of his community (ummah).7 Glory that supposes the integrity of power (mulk), its expansion and its continuity.

And it is an abundant number, among whose divisors there is only one odd number, which is 3. And His dividers number 86, which is equivalent to His Name ‘Who gives refuge’ (Maw’il), for he whose power expands becomes a refuge for those who seek him and a protector for those who have recourse to him. And it is also equivalent to His name ‘Innovative’ (Badī’).

1 2×7=14.
2 From the root fqd: “not to have, not to find, to lose”.
3 Cf. Bujārī, no. 6021. It refers to the fact that the numerical value of the name of the yā’ (12 counting the hamza) is equivalent to

the expression ‘in Me / by Me’ (bī ).
4 We have interpreted the words that effectively amount to 212 to be “huwa Fā1⁄2il” when referring to the

word FA1⁄2L. And we believe that by “the division” in the names of the letters he means that if we divide the Name in half, we are left with two pairs of letters that add up to 7 each (wā / ŷd).

5 That is, it is obtained by multiplying the first perfect number (6) by the first of the digits of 48: 6 x 4 = 24; and then multiplying the result by the first of its digits, 24 x 2 = 48.

6 In allusion to the ¬adi£ recorded by Abū Dawūd, no. 2230, alTirmi2ī, no. 1605; etc.: “If the enemy attacks you at night, let your battle cry be ‘©ā’ Mīm!”, for they will not be helped. ©

7 The Battle of Uud (625 AD), where the Muslims were defeated by the Meccans, was the last serious military setback suffered by the fledgling Islamic community. In the Qur’an, this defeat is usually interpreted as the moment when the true believers (umma) distinguished themselves from the infidels.

dāl ŷīm alif wāw 110 14 34 54 15 113 51 33

52 32 16 112

Fig. 162

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And it has a noble magic square composed of the values of the names of its letters, and it is as follows:

Fig. 163

ASIXTY-SEVENTH PARAGRAPH ON ITS NAME: ‘UNO’ (A¬ad)

Whoever undertakes the 2ikr of this sublime Name has an aversion to abundance or multiplicity. In it resides an extraordinary secret for anyone who desires the sterility of a man or woman; and it is one of the recitations [indicated] for notables and rulers.

A certain saint to whom God facilitated the attainment of his goals said, “God have him in His glory!”: “He is one of the Names closest to the Name of the Sanctified Essence, and therefore appears at the end of the surah of the Cult. And if the Name ‘Who gathers’ (aljāmi’ is added to it, then it is one of the most sublime and most glorious recitations.” And his 2ikr is suitable for one who is called A¬mad.

As for the 2ikr of both Names, ‘the One, the One’ (alA¬ad al-Wā¬id), for it is a recitation of sublime essence for the travellers of the Path who depend on the mysteries of Oneness.

Dāl Mūŷid Kāfī Malik 110 91 34 54 92 113 51 33

52 32 93 112

Abu ‘Abd Allāh al-Kofī (may Allah have him in His glory) said: “The [2ikr of the] Name Allah is indicated for the people of self-emptying (alfanā’) who immerse themselves in the essence of the Reunion (al-jam’) and consume themselves in the seas of Detachment (altajīd). And as for al-Wā¬id, for it is a very convenient Name for those who seek annihilation on the plane of the Reunion, for all that they will witness will be a One. And to those who recite it constantly, God may He be exalted, He reveals the secrets of Oneness. And to him who harmoniously arranges both Names on a sheet on a Sunday (a¬ad) at the time of sunrise, being oriented towards the qibla, in a state of ritual purity and while reciting both Names, and after that he hides it under his turban, God, exalted be He, provides him with magnificence, respect, dignity and greatness.” And this is the aforementioned square:

d¬awd¬a awd¬wd¬ d¬ad¬aw ad¬awd¬ ¬awd¬ad wd¬ad¬a ¬ad¬awd

Fig. 164

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This Name [A¬ad] has the number 13, which is a prime number, because in the concept of Oneness there is no room for division.

The names of their letters add up to 102 according to one criterion, and 156 according to another. The first number is equivalent to His ‘Evident’ Name (Mubīn),1 for Oneness (aadiyya) has an evident meaning attached to the Name Allāh, and hence it is at the end of the surah of the Cult. And it is also equivalent to His ‘Higher’ Name (A’là), for in this Name resides the height above the intellectual capacities of creatures, for it is a clear expression of the All-encompassing Name (alJami’).

And the second number is equivalent to His Name ‘Companion’ (Mu’nis), for in the Unity of Creation every solitary being finds companionship: ﴾ He is with you wherever you are ﴿2, ﴾ There is no confidence of three in which He is not the fourth ﴿3. That is why whoever finds His companionship isolates himself from everything else.

And the following is its square composed of the values of the names of its letters:

Fig. 165

1⁄2ād A¬ad ilāh huwa 10 38 12 96 15 97 9 35 36 8 98 14

Abu ‘Abd Allāh Zayn al-Dīn4, may Allah have him in His glory, said in his book ‘The Treasury of the Secrets and Jewels of the Devotees’5: Who arranges in a square these Names of sublime essence and enormous power, which are: Allāh, One (A¬ad), Unique (Wā¬id), Haller (Wāŷid), Generous (Ŷawād), Giving (Wahhāb), Living (©ayy), Creator (Mūŷid), Eternal (Dā’im), Near (Walī), Solicitous (Muyīb), First (Awwal), Lover (Wadūd) and Guide (Hādī), and inserts that square into the square of the surah of the Cult, presence by the work of God that which cannot be expressed in words. And know that each of these Names confers upon its bearer all the strength, the heart that resides in its virtue, through the light of the mystical knowledge and subtleties of Oneness. And if the possessor of a sincere spiritual state indulges in his recitation, God enlarges his means of spiritual and physical sustenance, and whatever he asks of him will be granted to him, for he is one of the most sublime and perfect figures for the benefits and blessings which he brings.

It will be composed for kings and sultans and to help their allies at the moment of the sun’s apogee; for the generals (alumarā’) and soldiers during the exaltation of Mars; for the judges and the ulema during the exaltation of Jupiter; for scribes and ministers in that of Mercury; and for teachers (almašāyij) and beggars in that of Saturn. Dispose of it with caution, for it is one of the best-kept secrets and one of the most precious jewels, the axis of which symbolizes the venerated stone (al-ajar almukarram), which is one of the letters of the Supreme Name of God.

1 We do not know how he gets the number 102, or whether it is a mistake, although the equivalence with the name Mubīn is correct.

2 Cor. LVIII:4.
3 Cor. LVIII:7.
4 This would be the Zayn alDīn alJāfī mentioned above on several occasions.
5 Kanz alasrār wadajā’ir alabrār, a work of which we have not found any information.

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And whoever writes it [His Name A¬ad] a hundred times with the intention of causing an evil person to perish, Allah, exalted be He, causes him to die on the spot. And its meaning cannot be explained clearly, but rather by a symbolism which will be understood by one who is accustomed to understand the mysteries of God. Blessed be God, the Best of Creators! Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds!

And this is the figure of the square to which allusion was made. Try to understand and you will prosper, God willing, exalted be He!

Fig. 166

ASIXTY-EIGHTH PART ON ITS NAME: ‘IDEPENDENT’ (1⁄4AMAD)

Whoever undertakes the 2ikr of this sublime Name makes his dependence on created beings insignificant. And his 2ikr is very convenient for those who practice asceticism and abstinence, to counteract those needs that are proper to man such as eating, sleeping, etc. And if it is constantly recited by one who is in a sincere spiritual condition, he causes the needs of creatures to fall upon him.

372

And you should know that al1⁄4amad is a very convenient 2ikr for those who base their spiritual practices on fasting, for the one who does this will not feel hunger at all, as long as he does not introduce into the 2ikr of this Name any other.

He has the number 134, an even number of odd, elongated and defective, since its divisors add up to 70, a number that is equivalent to His Name ‘He Who calculates everything’ (©asīb), and that is a Name that symbolizes total sufficiency, a concept that is implicit in that of Independence1.

The names of His letters add up to 220, a number that is equivalent to His ‘Sovereign’ Name (Malīk) and His ‘Firm’ Name (Makīn) [together].

And this is your magic square:

Fig. 167

ASIXTY-NINTH PART ON ITS NAME: ‘CAPAZ’ (Qādir) b

Whoever undertakes the 2ikr of this exalted Name obtains the ability to make manifest what he wants to make manifest. His 2ikr is indicated for one who is called ‘Abd al-Qādir. And in it lies a wonderful secret to spiritual strength and bodily health.

It has the number 305, which is an elongated number whose factor (Åil’) is a cyclic number (dā’ir), which is five, joining in this proportion internalization and exteriorization2. And it is one of the deficient numbers, for its divisors add up to 67, and this is equivalent to His Name ‘He Who encompasses all’ (Mu¬īÐ), by the concept of total dominion (i¬āÐa) which entails the meaning of Omnipotence (al qudra). And it has a square of magnificent power which is as follows:

Fig. 168

ASEPTUTIETH PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘TODYMIGHTY’ (Muqtadir)

To those who surrender to the 2ikr of this glorious Name, God facilitates all their actions. And its 2ikr is suitable for masters of trades and for those employed in craft work. Also for anyone who wants to entrust the work to their subordinates.

1 For he needs nothing and no one to survive, while everything created depends on him. 2 Uncertain meaning.

q d 1⁄4ā 1⁄4amad 90 135 99 5

136 93 2 98 3 97 137 92

RDĀQ 57 48 88 112 46 115 54 90

2 138 162 3

373

It has a noble square of 5 x 5 that is composed by the secret of harmonic fit (al tadajjul), and is of enormous power for those who appreciate it at its fair value.

And as for the Names ‘the Energetic’ (alŠadīd), ‘Lord of Strength’ (®ūlquwwa), ‘the Victor’ (alQāhir) and ‘the Almighty’ (alMuqtadir), for they are the Names of dominion, of victory and submission, and everyone who invokes with them the evil of any wicked person, in the seventh hour of a night of the new moon, in a dark room, with his head uncovered and resting on the floor with nothing between his head and the earth, and he says every hundred times: “O energetic, punish So-and-so for the wrongs he has caused me,” without specifying anything because God already knows his works, [he will be punished]. And he who engraves them on a ring and carries it with him, will be clothed with a solemnity that everyone will perceive and even he himself will be able to perceive, so that every powerful and impious person will feel fear at the sight of him, as if he felt the divine Majesty overwhelming his back as he observes those who are accompanied by it. Check it out, and this is your magic square:

Fig. 169

Muqtadir Qāhir alquwwa ®ū Šadīd

alquwwa ®ū Šadīd Muqtadir Qāhir

Šadīd Muqtadir Qāhir alquwwa ®ū

Qāhir alquwwa ®ū Šadīd Muqtadir

®ū Šadīd Muqtadir Qāhir alquwwa

And it is indispensable conditions for invoking the punishment of the wicked person that no greater punishment is asked for the evil he has committed and that it is invoked by the person who was wronged by him, although it is possible that it may be invoked by another person for the sake of the one who has been wronged.

AlMuqtadir has the number 744, which is an even number of even and odd. And it is abundant, for Its divisors number 1167, a number which is equivalent to two of His glorious Names: ‘Victorious’ (Gallāb) ‘Perpetual’ (Bāqī). And 744 is a number that triples His Name ‘Organizer’ (Mudabbir), quadruples ‘God is with me’ (Allāh ma’ī), sixfold its ‘Exalter’ (Mu’izz), and is twelve times the value of ‘Necessary in existence’ (Wāŷib alwuŷūd) including the article in the reckoning, or twenty-four times without including it, as are His Names ‘Who dissuades’ (al-Ma¬īd) and ‘Hidden’ (BāÐin).1

And its square is as follows:

1 These last two names are equivalent to 62, that is, to 744 divided by 12. See the corrections we have made to the edition of the Arabic text (p. 296, footnotes 5 and 6).

RDTQM 98 38 203 2 403 5 401 101 36 201

39 199 3 404 99 402 102 37 202 1

Fig. 170

374

ASEVENTY-FIRST PARAGRAPH ON ITS NAME: ‘CERCANO’ (Muqaddim) c

Whoever surrenders to the 2ikr of this Name obtains the ability to control the forces of the world of Omnipotence (alqudra). And whoever arranges it in a square, recites it the number of times of its numerical value, and asks for a person to come before him, is attended to on the spot, for it is one of the well-kept secrets, so he was careful with it.

He has the number 188 according to his pronounced letters, an even number of odd and defective when adding his divisors 148, which is equivalent to His Name ‘He Who enumerates everything’ (Mu¬1⁄2ī). And valuing His written letters He adds 184, which is even with the odd and even, and defective in adding His divisors 176, which is equivalent to His Name, praise and exalted be He, ‘Who fills’ (Muwassi’).

And its magic square is as follows:

Fig. 171

ASEVENTY-SECOND ON HIS NAME: ‘LEJANO’ (Mu’ajjir)

Whoever performs the continuous 2ikr of this sublime Name obtains a coercive capacity to dispose of the forces of the world. And to him who does as was done with the former Name, he confers on him what contains his virtue. But it is necessary that it is only recited together with ‘the Near One’ (alMuqaddim) without adding more Names.

And you must know that whoever wants someone to reach his spiritual degree, so that he draws on a tablet a figure of beautiful appearance, then he will put the tablet in front of him and observe it with total concentration and inner purity while reciting “O Near”, until he is overwhelmed by a spiritual condition derived from it. And when he has seen the figure reciting along with him, so do not run away from it and continue in that spiritual state for an hour, for truly your wish will be fulfilled, God willing, especially in the case of the lords of the mystical states. Try to understand that, for it is not possible to clarify more than what has been said here, God is wiser!

This is a continuation of the section concerning the secrecy of His ‘Near’ Name. Ponder what is hidden from you to the same extent as what is visible, and the scope of understanding will be enlarged in you. Have faith in it, and if there is not opened before you a door of the heavenly Kingdom through which you can observe the mysteries, then praise be to Him Who pleases the Gnostics with the unveiling of eternal secrets and removes those who doubt from the focus that spreads the lights of the Divinity!

M dd que m

99 41 39 9 42 102 6 38

7 37 43 101

375

This Name [‘the Far One’] has the number 1446 in its oral value, and 846 in the writing. As for b, its oral numerical value, since it is an even number of odd and abundant when adding its divisors 1458, which
alludes to two glorious Names, which are ‘He Who sends the Spirit’ (Mulqī alrū¬) and ‘Victor’ (Gālib), and exceeds its numerical base with the Name (Wāŷib)1.

As for its written numerical value, it is an even number of odd and abundant, since its divisors add up to 1026, and it increases to its base with the value equivalent to His Name ‘Who sends’ (Mulqī), ‘Who exempts’ (Muqīl), ‘Who causes to perish’ (Mufnī) and ‘the Hearer’ (alSamī’)2.

It has a magic square of magnificent power and known to the lords of intuitions. Be cautious with it, as it is one of the best-kept secrets.

RJWM

5 41 199 601 42 8 598 198

599 197 43 7

Fig. 172

ASEVENTY-THIRD PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘PRIMERO’ (Awwal)

Whoever continually performs the 2ikr of this sublime Name becomes one of the excellaries (sābiq) in divine favors, God willing! And you should know that whoever recites it continuously until he is in harmony with one of his spiritual beings (‘awālim), remains calm throughout his life.

It has the number 43 in its pronunciation and 37 in its writing. As for its oral numerical value, it is a prime number, because in the meaning of ‘the First’ there is no division. And as for 37, for it has already been spoken of in the treatment of His Name ‘Deity’ (Ilāh) 4.

The names of His letters, according to the first criterion, are equivalent to His ‘Eternal’ Name (Qadīm), because of the sense of pre-existence (qidam) implied by the Firstness (awwaliyya). And by following the second criterion it is equivalent to His Name ‘Scholar’ (‘Ālim), or to ‘Dicente’
(Qā’il),5 from which it will be evident to you which of the two criteria is more
approximate6. It has a noble magic square, known to the masters
of spiritual control (alta1⁄2rīf), and this is how it is arranged:

Fig. 173

1 Wāŷib adds up to 12, which is the difference between the numbers 1446 and 1458.
2 The four Names are equal to 180, the difference between 846 and 1026.
3 On this spiritual degree, see NURBAKHSH, Sufi Symbolism, iii, p. 247; vi, p. 126.4
See above, p. 302.5
Counting the hamza as a yā’.
6 Both criteria differ in that they count the name of the wāw once or twice, but both have the same meaning.

peculiarity of inverting the value of the name of the lām (17 instead of 71), so that the equivalences are obtained as follows: alif (111) + wāw (13) + wāw (13) + lām (17) = 154 = Qadīm; alif + wāw + lām (17) = 141 = ‘Ālim / Qā’il.

8 11 16 1 16 2 7 12 3 19 9 6 10 5 4 18

376

ASEVENTY-FOURTH PART ON ITS NAME: ‘Úlast’ (Ājir)

He who assiduously performs the 2ikr of this sublime Name survives his enemies, Allah, exalted be He, causes him to inherit the earth after them, and causes all who are hostile to him to perish.

And you must know that to those who constantly call upon Him, God grants indescribable strength and help against enemies, and obtains the affection and acceptance of the people.

Whoever writes it on a copper plate in the early hour of the Sabbath with the waning moon, or else acting in full faith and total concentration, while reciting the Name until he perceives its influence to the extent of his spiritual state, and then throws the plate into the fire, destroys that evil person who is the object of it, or by reciting His Name for several days, according to what certain ulema 1 affirmed, God be pleased with them!

This Name has the number 802, which is an even number of odd and defective when adding its divisors 404, which is equivalent to two glorious Names, which are ‘Lord’ (Rabb) ‘Benefactor’ (Mun’im). And it has a magic square of enormous power, which will be recognized by anyone who has knowledge of the peculiar virtues of Names and the secrets of numbers, and it is in this way:

Fig. 174

ASEVENTY-FIFTH PARAGRAPH ON ITSNAME: ‘VISIBLE’ (Ýāhir)2

To whom he who constantly performs the 2ikr of this Name, the Truth, exalted be He, makes visible the hidden part of things, and in this way he will find the hidden treasures. And it has a magic square of sublime power known to the masters of mystical illuminations for its great harmony. One of them said that whoever engraves it on a sword and fights with it will be the victor and the victor (al-Þāhir) over his enemy, especially if he holds a truthful spiritual condition.

It has the number 1106, which is even for odd and defective, for its divisors add up to 814, which is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘He who gathers everything’ (Ŷāmi’) ‘Recondite’ (Jafī). The names of its letters add up to 1222, alluding to two glorious Names: ‘Enriching’ (Mugnī) ‘Revered’ (Ma’būd).

1 According to the manuscript of B, according to Zayn alDīn alKāfī himself. 2 Also ‘the Victor’.

199 202 209 192 208 193 198 203 194 211 200 197 201 196 195 210

377

And it has an excellent magic square that the masters of Information know (iÐÐilā’), and it is the following:

Fig. 175

226 218 231 222 209 220 212 224 216 234 214 232 223 210 227 213 225 217 230 221 233 219 211 228 215

And as for His Names ‘the Light’ (alNūr), ‘Who stretches out sustenance’ (al-Bāsið) and ‘the Visible’ (al-Ýāhir), for He is the 2ikr of the masters of visionary revelations. And whoever wants to see anything in his dreams, then let him recite these Names in a state of purity and in his bed, focusing all his spiritual aspiration on what he wants to see until he falls asleep with the recitation, because he will really see in his dreams the revelation of it, Allah, praise and exalted be He, is wiser!

ASEVENTY-SIXTH PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘OCULT’ (BāÐin)

He who assiduously performs the 2ikr of this sublime Name is safe from all that inspires fear in him, his soul is calmed, his heart is enlarged and his interior is illuminated. It has been said that whoever invokes him constantly until the angels of his plane accompany him and perform the 2ikr with him, because he will not enter any land without his people giving themselves to him in devotion and obedience, all spiritual beings (‘awālim) accompany him, everyone who sees him loves him and the intentions of everyone who calls him are good.

In it are secrets indicated to the people of Oneness that only they know. And whoever gathers in a square the numerical and literal secrets of the letters and their names, examines the hidden meanings of the secrets and their realities. It is one of the noblest recitations for those who perform ascetic practices: use their recitation according to the rules of these practices, God speaks the Truth and He shows the way! And his 2ikr is profitable to one who is called Muṣammad.

The šayj Zayn alDīn alKāfī said, God keep it in his glory: whoever writes it on a glass vessel the number of times of its numerical value with the crescent moon, and then recites it continuously until he is seized with a spiritual state derived from it, erases it with rainwater and drinks from it the same number of days as its numerical value for the purpose of obtaining visionary revelations and knowledge He obtains them, and he does not concern himself with any matter of the world without God, exalted be He, to make it clear to him in his dreams, or to solve it, according to his spiritual condition. For if he is possessed of a sincere spiritual state and full attention (tawajjuh), he removes from within him the veil of the shell (¬iŷāb alqišr)1 which covers his hidden aspect, so that he does not need to be

1 The shell is the external knowledge of a concept that covers its hidden meaning and protects its core or lubb (see NURBAKHSH, Sufi Symbolism, ii, p. 308).

378

more clarification because that supposes an unequivocal and undoubted vigilance and an accurate description in accordance with its reality. Try to understand that symbol, hide the treasure it contains, reaffirm your conviction and you will prosper, for God has in each of the Names designs, secrets, subtleties and effects that cannot be conceived through reason, but through what is beyond, perceived by those who distance themselves from the study of the intelligible and direct their attention to the wonderful secrets and extraordinary influences that are behind them: ﴾ Above all possessors of knowledge there is a knower ﴿1.

And you must know, may God lift you up from the steps of the dense entities to the levels of the subtle entities, that every esoteric aspect is its exoteric aspect in relation to the esoteric aspect that resides in it, so that the Decree is the hidden part of Creation, and He Who holds the Decree and Creation is the hidden part of both.. So the concealment of the Decree is symbolic but not real, and the Hidden One is the One whose flashes of His light make all that is hidden visible. And just as manifestation belongs to Him alone, so concealment belongs to Him alone, so that He holds concealment, the extreme of which is unlimited.

This Name has the number 62, an even number of odd and defective whose divisors add up to 34. This alludes to this noble sum which is the words “He is the one who heals” (Huwa Æabīb). And the names of their letters allude to the hidden essence of man, which is his heart4, since they add up to 1325. So they designate a heart behind the heart of the Qur’an, whose equivalent expression is Yā’Sīn6; or else they are equivalent to the heart of the world, whose equivalent expression is Muṣṇd7. It alludes to the first for some wise men and to both things for others. And His Name ‘the Hidden One’ is the source of Oneness and Balance, the heart is the seat of the manifestation of both, and Muhammad is the most hidden part of the visible part of Creation and the most visible part of the hidden part of the Decree.

And according to another criterion, they are equivalent to His Name ‘He Who procures [good]’ (alMunīl) and ‘the Shining One’ (alSanī).8

Its harmonic square is of magnificent value and this is the way it is arranged:

Fig. 176

1 Cor. XII:76.
2 That is, there is an esoteric aspect of the esoteric.
3 In reference to Cor. VII:53.
4 Qalb = 132.
5 In reality they add up to 232, and we do not know the criteria with which they obtain 132.
6 Which is equivalent to 132.
7 Which equals 132, counting the redoubled mīm.
8 Both Names equal 130, and the names of their letters should add up to 230 according to this second criterion

(not counting the hamza of the letters bā’ and Ðā’), so, as in the previous case, 100 is subtracted and we ignore the criterion adopted to obtain this result.

15 18 21 8 20 9 14 19 10 23 16 13 17 12 11 22

379

ASEVENTY-SEVENTH PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘GOBERNADOR’ (Wālī )

This sublime Name is profitable to rulers, chiefs, successors, teachers, spiritual guides, and to all who have in any respect power over certain people. He who performs his continuous 2ikr constantly is loved by all creatures; and he who unfolds it harmoniously in his magic square with the crescent moon and recites it the number of times of its numerical value in order to obtain authority, obtains it.

It has the number 47, which is a prime number: as for seven, it is due to freedom of action (tajallu1⁄2) counting the šadda1 that resides in the government (wilāya); and forty corresponds to the whole domain (mulk)2 that resides in it.

And the names of its letters add up to 207, and it is a number that lies between ‘Who restores [health and strength]’ (alJabir) and ‘the Almighty’ (alAbbār);3 and alludes to two glorious Names, which are ‘Sulðān’ ‘Glorious’ (Majīd). And according to another criterion4 is equivalent to His Name ‘One Who restores’ (Jabir). And its square is as follows:

Fig. 177

ASEVENTY-EIGHTH PARAGRAPH ON ITS NAME: ‘ENASALZADO’ (Muta’ālī )

Whoever continually performs the 2ikr of this great Name will be above whoever rivals him in any matter, and is useful to one who faces a lawsuit or trial.

He who composes his magic square on a sheet of lead when Saturn is at its height or in its mansion and in favorable conditions, and recites the Name the number of times of its numerical value, thereby subdues every adversary, for it is one of the Names of greatest power.

It is said that when someone recites it constantly, his adversities are smoothed out and any difficulty becomes insignificant for him.

And it has a magic square of extraordinary power that is known to the lords of intuitions. Whoever writes it on a canvas of yellow silk with saffron when the moon is at its height, recites the Name three hundred times and carries it with him, will see by the grace of God that luminous dignity and that sovereign magnificence that letters are incapable of containing.

1 The word tajallu1⁄2, counting the reduplicated lām (“counting the šadda”), is equivalent to 1150, and when these figures are added together, it is equivalent to 7.

2 We believe that from the letter mīm of almulk. 3, 206 and 208 respectively.
4 Not counting the hamza of the name of the yā’.

11 14 18 4 17 5 10 15 6 20 12 9 13 8 7 19

380

This Name has the number 551, which is an odd and defective number, when adding its divisors 49, and this is equivalent to two high letters that are Ðā’ and mīm. Both letters allude to the freedom or lack (tajallu1⁄2)1 of restrictions implied by different degrees of dignity, which is the limit of sublimeness (alta’ālī ). And it is a square number, since it results from multiplying the first complete number (kāmil) by itself.

And the names of its letters add up to 814, alluding to two glorious Names, which are ‘Venerated’ (Mukarram) ‘One Who Leads on the Right Path’ (Rašīd).

Your magic square is as follows: 2:

Fig. 178

ASEVENTY-NINTH PARAGRAPH ON ITS NAME: ‘BONDADOSO’ (Barr)

He who assiduously performs the 2ikr of this sublime Name is treated kindly in all his circumstances, and the gifts and benefits are multiplied in him. Whoever arranges it in a square written on a silver plate with the Names derived from it, will not ask anything of God, exalted be He, that He does not grant him.

In him lies the security for the traveler, whether by land or sea, because if he constantly invokes him, God facilitates his objectives, paves the way for him and is protected among his crew. And when the wind is unfavorable and annoying to the crew of a ship, if they recite it continuously, the favorable wind reaches them. And you must know, God guide us, that whoever drinks wine and fornicates with women frequently, if he recites it seven hundred times every day, he will end up hating all that.

It has the number 402 pronounced and 202 written. The first number is odd and is equivalent to ‘the One Who favors’ (alNāfi’) and ‘the Defender’ (al’Ā1⁄2im)3; and ‘the Savior’ (alMunŷī) including the article, and ‘One who gives profit’ (alMufīd) without the article, both three times4. It is one of the abundant numbers as its divisors add up to 414, which is equivalent to His Name ‘Who makes ships sail’ (Mujrī alfulk).

The second number [202] is also odd even, and is equivalent to ‘the Companion’ (al1⁄4ā¬ib) twice. It is a defective number whose divisors add up to 104, which is equivalent to His Name ‘Who Approaches’ (Mudnī) and His Name ‘Who Appoints’ (Ŷā’il). And as for its square, it is as follows:

1 A concept that, as explained in the previous section, has a value of 7, a number that multiplied by itself gives 49.

2 According to the Berlin manuscript, alBūnī dealt extensively with the following square in his work entitled ‘Ilm al hudà waasrār alihtidā’.

3 Both are equivalent to 201. 4 Both are equivalent to 134.

lā’tm 5 69 399 39 29

68 403 38 28 4 402 37 32 3 67

36 31 2 71 401

381

50 52 57 43 56 44 49 53 45 59 50 48 51 47 46 58

Fig. 179

APART EIGHTIETH ON HISNAME: ‘WHOACCEPTS REPENTANCE’ (Tawwāb)

For one who constantly performs the 2ikr of this Name, God makes it easy for him to return to his starting point [in any matter]. It is convenient for every traveler on the Path who does not fail to recite it all day and all night; and in it lies an extraordinary secret to keep flies away from the body.

It has the number 415, a long, flawed number whose divisors add up to 89, which is equivalent to our words ‘He is Wise’ (Huwa ©akīm), because of the wisdom that lies in the act of repentance, as it is a return to the starting point. And in the same way it is equivalent to our words ‘He is Most Pure’ (Huwa Subbū¬), since the return to the beginning is the return to the place of pure Transcendence (tanzīh) where the lights of divine Glory (alsubu¬āt) shine. So the repentant sails on the Sea of Glory through his repentance, and in it his own purity (Ðahāra) takes place: ﴾ It is true that Allah loves those who repent and those who are purified ﴿1.

The names of its letters add up to 530, which is equivalent to two glorious Names which are ‘Excellent’ (Rafī’) ‘Holy’ (Qaddūs)2, and it has a magic square of enormous power known to the holders of the Wisdom of Radiance:

Fig. 180

APART EIGHTY-FIRST ON ITS NAME: ‘VENGADOR’ (MUNTAQIM)

Whoever continually recites this sublime Name and then curses some evil person is punished on the spot, for it is one of the subjugating Names, and one of the recitations of ‘Azrā’īl, peace be upon him!

It has the number 630, even odd and abundant when adding its divisors 1252. And this alludes to the words ‘He is Strong, Protective’ (Huwa Qawī Ýahīr). The names of its letters add up to 868, a number that is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Lord of Power’ (®ūlÆawl) ‘Innovator’ (Badī’).

1 Cor. II:222.
2 Not counting the reduplicated letter dāl of Qaddūs.

103 106 110 96 109 97 102 107 98 112 104 101 105 100 99 111

382

And it has a magic square of grandiose essence, known to the possessors of Fear and Divine Majesty, and it is as follows:

Fig. 181

APARTADO EIGHTY-SECOND SOBRE SU UN NNAME: ‘QUIEN CONCEDES EL PARDÓN’ (‘Afū)

Those who constantly recite this resplendent Name are inculcated with a love for good morals from the point of view of morality and also for indulgence. Whoever commits a fault and fears the punishment of a lord or other person, let him recite this Name the number of times of the numerical value of its letters, for Allah, exalted be He, will save him from that which he fears with the blessing of this Name. And his 2ikr is also beneficial to one named Yūsuf.

And you should know that the Names ‘Who forgives everything’ (alGafūr), ‘Who pardons’ (alGāfir) and ‘Who grants forgiveness’ (al’Afū) constitute a series of Names very close in meaning, and their recitation together is helpful in avoiding the painful, especially spiritual and earthly sufferings: praise be to Him Who deposited His secrets in His Names!

The author of al-Muntahab1, Allah have mercy on him, said: “Whoever performs the 2ikr of this Name will not have any worry, anguish or fear, nor will he suffer the reverses of fate.”

It has the number 162 in its oral value and 156 in its written value. The first is an odd and abundant number, when adding its divisors 201, a number that alludes to His Name ‘Defender’ (‘Ā1⁄2im) and ‘He Who divides’ (Fā1⁄2il), for the protection (al’i1⁄2ma) that prevents the consequences of sin from taking place, protection that resides in Forgiveness. So ‘the Protector’ is the result of the ‘ayn of Forgiveness (al ‘afw), and ‘Who separates’ is the result of its letter fā’.

And as for its written value, since it is even of the odd and even, and is an abundant number when its parts are added 236, a number that is equal to His words, exalted be He: ﴾ Be!, and is ﴿2.

The names of its letters add up to 225, a number that alludes to two glorious Names: ‘Unique’ (Wā¬id) ‘Omnipotent’ (Jabbār). And it has a square of great value known to the lords of the

1 We do not know the author to whom he alludes, although it could be Barhān alDīn alNasafī, (d. 1300 AD) author of an anthology or Muntajab of a work attributed to alGazālī on the ninety-nine Names, entitled al Maq1⁄2ad alasnà fī šar¬ alasmā’ al¬usnà (cf. R. MACH, Catalogue of Arabic Manuscripts (Yahuda Section) in the Garret Collection, Page. 208, no. 24312).

2 Cor. xxxvi:82; II:117; iii:47, etc.

MQTNM 280 71 57 101 121 117 123 0 301 89

22 318 149 140 1 171 18 24 38 379

383

Yūsufi experiences (ala2wāq alYūsufiyya) and the lords of the dispositions of Beauty, and is as follows:

Fig. 182

APARAGRAPH EIGHTY-THIRD ON ITS NAME: ‘PIADOSO’ (Ra’ūf)

Whoever performs the 2ikr this Name of magnificent power, his heart is softened, his spirit is subdued and he shows compassion towards the creatures of God, exalted be He! and when its bearer [of his cudrado] meets a violent person, it softens his heart.

A certain sage said that those who continually invoke this Name until they are overwhelmed by a spiritual condition derived from it, people have compassion for their misfortunes and their hearts incline towards it.

It has the number 281 following one criterion and the number 286 following another; or 287 and 292, and what happens in the latter result is that one is not counted when the alif is hidden, counting instead the wāw1, so we will abbreviate by taking two of these four numbers.

The first number is 286, a number in which the letters of the Name are reaffirmed, being manifest in their numerical degrees in the same way as they are in their written form. And the knowledge that is drawn from this equivalence is not found in a different criterion of numerical evaluation of the Name, for this number is even of odd and defective when adding its divisors 218, which is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Living’ (©ayy) ‘He who blesses’ (Mu1⁄2allī), and this is because of the spirit of perfection that resides in life, and by the reverent inclination imposed by divine piety (ra’fa) that resides in prayer.

The second number is 292, which is even for odd and even, and is abundant in adding its divisors 358, which alludes to two glorious Names which are ‘Being’ (Mawŷūd) ‘Clement’ (Ra¬mān).

The names of its letters add up to 297, a number that is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Sincere’ (1⁄4ādiq) and ‘Clear’ (Mubīn). And it has a square of extraordinary value, known to the masters of the esoteric senses, and this is the way in which it is arranged:

Fig. 183

1 Extract four values in this way: 281 = r’f; 286=RWF; 287=r’wf; 292=rwwf.

2 It refers to the fact that the numerical value of the letters rā’, fā’ and wāw is clearly reflected in the degree of the units, tens and hundreds of the number 286.

37 40 49 30 48 31 36 41 32 51 38 35 39 34 33 50

57 54 61 69 45 67 48 55 52 64 50 62 70 46 58 49 56 53 60 68 63 66 47 59 51

384

APARTADO OCYSIMO CUARTO SOBRE SU NOMer: ‘SSEÑO DEL REINO’ (Malik almulk) c

To him who constantly performs the 2ikr of this resplendent Name asking for power (mulk), Allah, exalted be He, bestows it. And it has a square of magnificent power which arranges the letters in this way: mā lk alm lk, and which is composed at the moment of the sun’s apogee. And if the king constantly recites this Name, his kingdom is perpetuated.

He has the number 212, which is even for odd and even, and is defective in adding up to his divisors 166, which is equivalent to His Name, praise and praise be to Him, ‘Subsistent’ (Qayyūm). And [212] is a number that contains that of the name of the letter nūn twice1, and the name of the jŷīm four times2, its half equals ‘Loyal’ (Wafī) and its fourth part is ‘Creator’ (Mūŷid).

And it has a square of magnificent power which is as follows3:

Fig. 184

APART EIGHTY-FIFTH ON HISNAME:
‘LORDOF MAJESTY AND GEENOUSNESS’ (®ŪLŶalāl walIkrām)

This glorious, sublime and luminous Name is one of the Names of Majesty, and it has been said that it is the Supreme Name of God (Ism Allāh al’aÞam),4 and therefore to whom God constantly invokes it, may He be exalted, He grants everything he asks. And in the ¬adī£ it is transmitted: “Persevere [in the invocation] with ‘O Lord of Majesty and Generosity!’ “5.

Whoever writes it on a chest (1⁄2undūq) in the early hours of Thursday, for that chest will be protected from thieves, God willing, exalted be He!

And to the one who stares at his written form and his numerical mystery every day the number of times the value of his letters while reciting the Name, Allah, exalted be He, facilitates earthly and spiritual affairs, according to what a certain šayj said, God be satisfied with him!

mlk al lk mā 49 42 89 32 43 52 29 88 30 87 44 51

This Name has the number 1100, which is even for the even, and the odd, it is abundant, it corresponds to the Name ‘Enriching’ (Mugnī)6. Their divisors add up to 1504, adding to the base 404, which are their Names ‘Lord’ (Rabb) ‘Benefactor’ (Mun’im). So wealth or sufficiency is the result of the

1 Nūn = 106.
2 Ŷīm = 53.
3 Note that the division of the letters into the square does not correspond to the description given a few lines earlier. 4 Cf. Ibn Māŷa, no. 3848.
5 We do not find this tradition.
6 This Name is equivalent to 1100.

385

Majesty and Transcendence, and divine favor (alin’ām) is the result of Generosity (ikrām), as well as the ability to enrich. Then ‘the Enricher’ gathers the attributes of Majesty and Generosity, for only He Who is rich can make others rich.

And it has a magic square of great value known to the masters of delightful experiences, and this is the way in which it is to be arranged:

krām walI alŶalāl ®ū

94 707 260 39

708 97 36 259

37 258 709 96

Fig. 185

APART EIGHTY-SIXTH ON HISNAME: ‘EQUITATIVO’ (MuqsiÐ)

To him who frequently invokes this noble Name the secrets of measures (almawāzīn) are revealed, he is distinguished by impartiality and uniqueness, influencing it on his exterior and on his interior, and he avoids the evil that lies in excess and excess.

It is one of the glorious Names to be arranged in a magic square at the moment of Mercury’s exaltation, and in it resides an extraordinary secret to those who make and work with scales, God, praised and exalted, is wiser!

He has the number 209, which is an odd and defective number, the divisors of which add up to 31, or which c equals His ‘Good’ Name (Æayyib). And as for the names of His letters, they are equivalent to His Name ‘Gracious’ (Barr) according to one criterion, and to His Name ‘Sleeper’ (Kāšif) according to another1.

Ðsqm 99 41 8 61 42 102 58 7 59 6 43 101

Fig. 186

1 They are equivalent to 402 and 401 respectively, and both criteria differ in counting the hamza (1) of the name Ðā’.

386

AEIGHTY-SEVENTH PARAGRAPH ON ITS NAME: ‘AGRUPADOR’ (Ŷāmi’ )

This glorious Name is profitable in uniting scattered things, and it also belongs to the group of Mercury.

Whoever has lost a slave or lost an animal, let him recite it continually, for God, exalted be He, will give him back that, God willing! Do you not see how the letter jīm of Reunion (aljam’), the alif of Union (alulfa), the mīm of affection (almawadda), and the ‘ayn of inclination (al’aÐf) are gathered together in it?

Its character alludes to your words ‘It is He Who extends sustenance’ (Huwa al-Bāsi),1 and the names of its letters allude to your words ‘He is the Eternal Harmonizer’ (Huwa alMu’allif al-Qadīm).2 And you should know that the magic squares composed of letters are in correspondence with the body and the numerical squares with the spirit, so try to understand. And this is the figure of ‘the Grouper’ between his numerical tertiary square and his literal quaternary square: dispose of it with caution, for it is one of the noblest secrets.

It has the number 114, which is odd and abundant, when adding its divisors 126. This is equivalent to His Name ‘Strong’ (Qawī), since the union of the scattered elements and their transformation into a single entity can only be due to absolute strength, and the grouping attribute of the Day of Judgment contains twice the numerical value of ‘the Glorious One’ (al-Majīd).3 Allah, praise and exaltation be to Him, knows better!

Fig. 187

APART EIGHTY-EIGHTH ON ITSNAME: ‘SENOUGH’ (Ganī)4

Whoever repeatedly invokes this sublime Name until he reaches harmony with some of his spiritual entities (‘awālim), God makes him have no need of anything other than Himself.

It is a Name of great power, and its 2ikr is of no use to those in the early spiritual degrees, while ‘the Enricher’ (alMugnī) is better for them. So that

1 This is equivalent to 114.
2 Which is equivalent to 382.
3 Equals 57 not counting the article.
4 Other translations may be ‘One who is free from all need’, ‘the Self-sufficient’, ‘One who is self-sufficient

itself’, etc.

387

‘the Sufficient’ is one of the Names of Harmonization (altajalluq) and ‘the Enricher’ is one of the Names of Dependency (alta’alluq), and the moment ‘the Enricher’ becomes a Name of Harmonization, ‘the Sufficient’ will be of the Names of Realization (alta¬aqquq)1.

It has the number 1070 when pronounced and 1060 when written. Its value in terms of pronunciation is an even number of odd and defective when adding its divisors 874, which is equivalent to two glorious Names, which are ‘He who extends sustenance’ (BāsiÐ) ‘Lord of Majesty’ (®ūlŶalāl). And as for its written value, it is even of odd even, and it is abundant when adding its divisors 1208, adding to its numerical base the equivalent of His Name ‘Who enumerates everything’ (Mu¬1⁄2ī).

And it has a square of great value that the seekers of Supreme Wealth will recognize, and it is the following:

Fig. 188

APARAGRAPH EIGHTY-NINTH ON HIS NAME: ‘ENRIQUECEDOR’ (MUGNĪ )

Whoever continually realizes the 2ikr of this glorious Name God makes him not need creatures, and whoever persists in his 2ikr until he comes into harmony with some of his spiritual entities, will get whatever he desires.

It has a square of great value that will be composed during the exaltation of Saturn, and whoever carries it with him and recites the Name the number of times of the numerical value of its letters, then recites the surah of The Morning2, and at the end says: “My God, grant me the prosperity that You facilitate to many of Your servants, and grant that he may be able to do without all that is not Thee by Thy favor,” for if he persists in it for forty days, God sends him to teach him [whatever he desires to know] in his dreams or waking life. And [its square] will also be composed during the sun’s apogee.

263 273 274 260 268 266 265 271 264 270 269 267 275 261 262 272

I myself mentioned that Name to a friend, advising him to constantly perform his 2ikr. And this person undertook a spiritual retreat of forty nights remembering the Name, and at the end of that the roof above him opened, forty Iraqi quintals of gold descended and he was
told: “If you wish, we will give you more, and if it is enough for you, it is enough for us.”

1 Our interpretation of these words is that mystics in the lower spiritual states cannot yet be in harmony (tajalluq) with the attribute of Self-Reliance, because at those levels they need God or depend on Him (ta’alluq). And when the mystic succeeds in harmonizing with ‘the Enricher’, the ‘Enough’ becomes one of the Names of Realization (ta¬aqquq), which implies a contemplative view of God and one of the highest spiritual degrees.

2 Cor. xciii.

388

And Abū ©āmid al-Gazālī, God be pleased with him, said in his Revivification of the Religious Sciences 1, that he who says after the Friday prayer: “My God, O Enough, O Praiseworthy, O Initiator, O Recreator of life, O Merciful, O Lover, grant that I may do without by what you allow from what you forbid, and through obedience to Thee of that which offends Thee, and through Thy grace of one who is not Thee,” to whom He constantly repeats this sacred recitation, God causes Him to have no need of His creatures, and provides for them without limitation. And to him who constantly pursues this recitation, his earthly means of subsistence are multiplied, and his provisions are expanded. In the same way, those who write it and carry it hanging, their commercial businesses prosper.

You must know, brother, may God bring you supreme wealth and red sulphur, that through the secrets of the Names and their lights God bends the earth, withdraws the waters and diverts the winds for whom He wills from His choicest friends (awliyā’). Through them He penetrates into beings and with them God opens the channel through which Wisdom flows in the heart. And God said, Exalted be He: ﴾ God possesses the most beautiful Names. And he said to him, ” Call me, and I will answer you.” And he [the Prophet] said, peace be upon him!: “Destiny answers prayer alone, and longevity is only godliness provides.”4 And he said, “Prayer is profitable for that which has descended and for that which has not descended;”5 and he said, “Prayer is the weapon of the believer.”6 And he said, “Prayer is the essence (mujj) of worship (‘ibāda)”7; and he said, “To whom a door is opened in prayer, the gates of Paradise are open.”8 And he said: “He that calleth not upon God is the object of His wrath;”9 and he said, “Verily God loves those who persistently persist in the invocation.”10 And in another “he says, “God weareth not weary [of granting] until ye grow weary [of beseeching him].”11

This Name has the number 1100, and it is equivalent to His Name ‘Lord of Majesty and Generosity’, because His trait, praise be to Him, is Beautiful, and through His wealth He shows Himself generous. It will not be necessary to go into it further.

The names of its letters add up to 1267, and this is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Harmful’ (3⁄4ārr) ‘Cunning’ (Makūr). And it has a square of great value known to the holders of the secret mosaics (Mūsawiyya). And it is as follows:

Fig. 189

1 I¬yā’ ‘ulūm aldīn, the monumental work of the famous theologian and mystic al-Gazālī (d. 1111), composed of forty books, and of which there are numerous editions.

2 Cor. VII:180.
3 Cor. XL:60.
4 AlTirmi2ī, no 2060.
5 Al-Tirmi2ī, no. 3471; and Aṣd, no. 21033, where the Prophet says that there is no valid warning against the

decreed by God, but that the believer must use prayer to pray for his unfavorable situation.
6 Not found in the aforementioned collections.
7 AlTirmi2ī, no. 3293.
8 In the base ms. we read “alJaanna,” while in ms. B we read “alijaba”; and this is a variant of the

¬adī£ already quoted above (AlTirmi2ī, no. 3471), in which we read “alra¬ma”. 9 Ibn Mājja, no 3817; A¬mad, no 9342, 9789.
10 Not found in the aforementioned collections.
11 Bujārī, no. 1083, 1834; Muslim, no 1302; etc.

īngm 999 41 9 51

42 1002 48 8 49 7 43 1001

389

ANINETIETH PART ON HISNAME: ‘PREVENTOR’ (Māni’)1

Whoever continually recites this sublime Name, God protects him from everything that inspires fear in him. And if someone performs his 2ikr when he wishes to harm one of his slaves, Allah, exalted be He, prevents him from doing so and makes him forget him. His 2ikr is very beneficial for the sick and convalescents, and also for anyone who is tempted by earthly passions.

It is a Name of enormous value, and its square will be composed while Mercury is in its exaltation. It has the number 161, which is an odd and elongated number, resulting from multiplying the first complete number (kāmil) by a prime number2. And He is defective because His divisors add up to 31, which is equivalent to His ‘Good’ Name (Æayyib).

These are the Names in which a determination is interpreted, and they are Names that it is convenient to gather and use certain 3.

And this Name has a square of magnificent value which is composed by the secret of harmonious fit (altadājjul) and which the masters of these noble secrets will know, so try to understand and you will prosper, God willing! This is the magic square:

‘nām

2 39 71 49 42 3 48 68 47 69 41 4

Fig. 190

ANINETY-FIRST PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘QUIEN AFFLICE’ (3⁄4ārr)

This sublime and resplendent Name and this wonderful 2ikr is useful in provoking discomfort and illness if it is written and recited at the appropriate times, or if it is recited in inner concentration.

It has the number 1201 pronounced and 1001 written. 1001 is an odd and defective number whose divisors add up to 343, which is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Seer’ (Ba1⁄2īr) and ‘Desired’ (Ma’rab).4

The names of its letters add up to 1117, which is equivalent to two noble Names: ‘Enough’ (Ganī) ‘Glorious’ (Majīd). And it has a square of magnificent power whose shape is as follows:

Fig. 191

1 Also ‘Who hinders or impedes’.
2 That is, 7 x 23.
3 We believe that it refers to the fact that such Names should include the article determined when the 2ikr is performed

with them.
4 We do not know the criterion followed to obtain this equivalence, or if it is an error, since both

names add up to 545 (302 and 243 respectively).

300 303 306 292 305 293 299 304 294 308 301 298 302 297 295 307

390

You must know, God help you to understand the meanings of the wrappings and to reveal the secrets of the letters, that harm is found in the measure of knowledge and mastery, so that one who
has a more perfect knowledge and mastery can inflict deeper damage. And since the Truth, exalted be He, wished to distinguish Himself by this Name, He caused all the harm He inflicts on something harmful to be of benefit to the one who is harmed [by the latter], inasmuch as it concerns Him with regard to present and future rewards and merciful acts.

And if a person has an enemy, and blood predominates in his complexion to such an extent that his spirit can hardly consistof 1, and in such a way that if he remained in that state he would die that very night, then his harm is quickly caused. Then his enemy deals him a hard blow with which he loses blood, since his injury is the height of benefit for that affliction that he does not know and that takes place in him, for in reality no one afflicts except God, exalted be He! And I affirm that a great number of evils are repressed with a greater evil, so that the evil repressor is a benefit to the one who is harmed. Try to understand that.

And Abū ‘Abd Allāh Zayn alDīn alKāfī said, “May God be in His glory: Whoever harmoniously arranges this luminous Name and this marvelous secret on a lead tablet, in the first hour of the Sabbath and with the full moon, then recites this Name seven times as the numerical value of its letters while staring at its written figure, and then he asks for the injury of a person, he is attended to on the spot, for in him reside extraordinary secrets for the lords of the mystical states. And even though we know that this is not to be revealed to anyone, in them the extraordinary mysteries and marvelous influences are manifested, for to whom a part of it has been granted, the essence of the lodestone is made visible in him to those who are able to perceive it. 2: God causes the Spirit that comes from His Decree to fall on whom He wills from His servants 3.

ANINETY-SECOND PART ABOUT ITSNAME: ‘QUIEN FAVORECE’ (Nāfi’ a

In this sublime Name resides the healing of every sick person and the relief of every afflicted. Whoever continually invokes it when he finds himself in a dangerous situation, God, exalted be He, delivers him from it. And if he is endowed with a sincere spiritual condition and perseveres in his recitation until he comes into harmony with some of his spiritual entities, he will not touch with his hand someone who suffers some harm without Allah, exalted be He, to make his evil disappear. And in the same way who composes his square

1 In medieval medicine the predominance or excess of one of the four humors (blood, phlegm, cholera and melancholy) in the body is the cause of different diseases, from which health resides in the balance of these humors (v. 11). AVERROES, Avicennae Cantica, ed. and trans. Jaime Coullaut Cordero, Concepción Vázquez de Benito and Emiliano Fernández Vallina, Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad, 2009 [in press], where you will find a section dedicated to diseases due to excess blood (vv. 11641196)).

2 It means that the divine gifts are visible in these mystics, although they are perceptible only by the hearts of their fellow men in spiritual rank. On the other hand, the lodestone usually symbolizes the Love or Grace of God, an image in which the heart of the mystic is the attracted iron (see A. SCHIMMEL, As Through a Veil – Mystical Poetry In Islam, N. Y.: Columbia University Press, 1982, p. 105).

3 Cor. lx:14.

391

magical on a silver seal with the moon in its exaltation, every sick person who bears this seal God, exalted be He, heals him.

You should know that it is related to His Name ‘Who dispenses’ (Mu’āfī),1 and the one who performs His 2ikr is the servant of the Mighty One (‘abd al’Azīz).2 The names of its letters are equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Deity’ (Ilāh) ‘Healer’ (Šāfī)3. And it is appropriate to write on the four sides of his square: ﴾ And with the Qur’an we send down a cure and a mercy for the believers ﴿4.

His 2ikr is indicated for one who is called Qāsim and belongs to the people of divine lights. And it has a noble harmonic square in whicha 3 x 3 numerical square will be
placed inside
a 4 x 4 literal square. And it will be written

Mercury being in its exaltation, for its bearer will see the miraculous by the work of God as far as inner and outer health is concerned, so be cautious with it. This square is as follows:

Fig. 192

This Name has the number 201, which is an odd and elongated number, the factor of which (Åil’) is three, which is one of the noblest numbers; and it is also equivalent to the Supreme Name three times5. It is one of the defective numbers, adding up to 71 its divisors, which is equivalent to His Name ‘Calculator’ (©āsib). The names of His letters add up to 428, which is equivalent to ‘Terrible in Punishment’ (Šadīd almi¬āl),6 increasing to the Name they designate 227, which is His Name ‘King of kings’ (Malīk almulūk).7 And this is his magic square:

49 52 58 42 57 43 48 53 44 60 50 47 51 46 45 59

Fig. 193

1 Since both Names equal 201.
2 It also equals 201.
3 The names of their letters add up to 428, as do both Names combined.
4 Cor. XVII:82.
5 This refers to the name Allāh, which in this case would be worth 67, although it is usually equivalent to 66. 6 Cf. Cor. XIII:14.
7 In the original Malik almulūk, which would add up to 217.

392

And he who composes the name of the Sun in a numerical square of 4 x 4, arranges within it His ‘Living’ Name (©ayy) and carries it with him, his spirit is strengthened and his health is perpetuated. And this is the aforementioned square:

Fig. 194

ANINETY-THIRD PART ON ITS NAME: ‘LUZ’ (Nūr )

To those who continually recite this sublime Name, God, exalted be He, enlighten their hearts; and it has a square of great value, which will be composed during the height of the sun, for it confers a perpetual power (mulk).

And he who harmonizes in a square His Names ‘Flattering’ (Nāfi’) and ‘Light’, is a witness of wonderful things concerning the mystery of the maintenance of Life inwardly and of Sovereignty externally.

It has the number 256, and is one of the noble Names whose letters are consolidated in the numerical degrees of the total number to which 1 is equivalent. It is an even number of the pair, cubic2 and defective with respect to its base by a single digit. It is equivalent to the name of Jabbra’īl, peace be upon him, and His Name ‘Everlasting’ (Dā’im) ‘Benefactor’ (Mun’im). And the names of His letters are equivalent to His Name ‘the Creator’ (alFāÐir).3

Abu ‘Abd Allāh al’Æarā’ifī4 (may Allah have him in His glory) said: when a matter is obscure to a person, so that he is unable to discern right from wrong, or if he is misled, and recites the Name the number of times of the numerical value of its letters with sincere resolution, God, exalted be He, shows him the way and guides him to what is right.

1 That is, 256 is the result of adding 200 (rā’), 50 (nūn) and 6 (wāw).
2 44 = 256.
3 They add up to 321.
4 He is probably referring to A¬mad b. ‘Abdūs alÆarā’ifī (d. 958), a disciple of Ibn Karrām (see C. E. Bosworth,

“Karrāmiyya”, in EI 2).

393

Zayn alDīn alKāfī said, God have him in His glory: Whoever recites it continually, God makes his interior shine and illuminates his exterior; and if he is endowed with a sincere spiritual condition, God kindles the Light in his heart, for in his 2ikr reside secrets for the lords of the first spiritual degrees, and in his 2ikr there are lights proper to the holders of the highest spiritual degrees.

And whoever recites it in a dark room with his eyes closed until he is overwhelmed by a spiritual state derives from it, he witnesses wonderful lights filling his heart. And it is a noble Name whose 2ikr is indicated for the lords of visionary revelations (mukāšafāt).

It has a square of magnificent power known to the people of pure hearts, and it is as follows:

Fig. 195

And if His Name ‘Innovator’ (alBadī’) is added to the 2ikr, and a person recites them in a state of fasting and inner purity until he has mastered a spiritual state resulting from it, then he will not really need the light of the lamp. And it is a 2ikr indicated for the masters of mystical intuitions, God is wiser!

ANINETY-FOURTH PART ON ITS NAME: ‘GUÍA’ (H ādī )

This resplendent Name is beneficial to every traveler on his Path as long as sincerity is found in his search for the Light. And it is one of the Names that do not have a magic square of their own, and if you want to arrange it in a square you will use the names of its letters in this way: hā’, alif, dāl, yā’.

A certain saint said: “He who recites it constantly is helped by God in all his visible and hidden circumstances.” Whoever composes it on a silver seal with the moon in its exaltation and carries it with him is helped in devout acts. And whoever hangs it around the neck of a baby who has difficulty breastfeeding, is guided.

55 75 77 49 65 61 59 71 57 69 67 63 79 51 53 73

It is one of the glorious Names for one who confuses the way, and if he enters the darkness and says, “O Guide, guide me,” then he is really being guided to the place he seeks. In it reside extraordinary secrets for the lords of spiritual states, and it is one of the recitations of the angel Isrāfīl, peace be upon him!

394

Whoever writes it four times on a grapefruit, in the early hour of Wednesday and with the crescent moon, then vaporizes it with the leaves of his tree, and recites the Name every day fifty times before it, for really the grapefruit will never change or shrink, so the occasion belongs to the sons of Ādam.

His 2ikr is appointed for the owners of sincere spiritual states together with Allah, exalted be He, and in it resides a beautiful decree and a glorious mystery for kings and notables, for every king who recites it until he is seized with a mystical state will be obeyed by the regions (albilād) and the servants will submit to his leadership and guidance.

And in it lies a wonderful meaning for those travelers (sālikūn) who wish to ascend with their spirit to the world of Subsistence (albaqā’), so try to understand this luminous secret and this divine Name, ﴾ God grants His Sovereignty to whom He wills. God is Splendid, Knowing ﴿ 1.

This Name has the number 20, which is even of odd even; and it is abundant in adding up its divisors 22, which is equivalent to His Name ‘Dear’ (©abīb). And the names of His letters add up to 165, a number which is equivalent to His Name ‘Who makes understood’ (Mufhim), by the clarification (ifhām) of the path that lies in the divine Guidance, a Guide that will have been lost by one who is in ignorance (alfāim).

Its magic square is as follows:

yā’ dāl alif hā’ 110 8 11 36 9 113 33 10

34 9 10 112

ANINETY-FIFTH PARAGRAPH ON HIS NAME: ‘INOVADOR’ (Badī’ )

This sublime Name is profitable to him who wishes to show an ingenuity or work that has no precedent, and has a square of magnificent power. A certain sage said that whoever performs the 2ikr of this beautiful Name will not fail to learn new things about the divine sciences, and God will cause the sciences to emanate from his language.

And Ibn Šahriyār2, may God have on His glory, said: “He who continually remembers it attains those aspects of the religious sciences which he hopes to attain. I myself persevered in his 2ikr when I did not understand anything about the divine sciences, and not four years had passed when God made Wisdom flow through my tongue and saw me talking about what I did not know before.”

1 Cor. II:245.
2 Unidentified.

Fig. 196

395

It has the number 86, which is even for odd and elongated, and results from multiplying a prime number by a prime number1, so pay attention to this wonderful secret. And it is a defective number whose divisors add up to 46, so that in them there is elevation (‘ulūw) and perfection (tamām)2, and this alludes to the authority of the First Intellect.

And the names of His letters add up to 181, which is equivalent to His Name ‘the Knower’ (al’Alīm) including the article, because innovative creation (alibdā’) can only be the result of profound knowledge. And it has a square of great value that is the following:

‘īdb 9 3 43 31 1 35 5 45 6 38 34 8

Fig. 197

ANINETY-SIXTH PART ON ITS NAME: ‘PERPETUO’ (Baqī ) a This sublime Name is to be engraved when the ascendant is a fixed constellation, with the

purpose of preserving those things that are feared to be corrupted.

And you should know that whoever gives himself to his 2ikr will not be affected by any disease during his lifetime, since what it confers is eternal subsistence (baqā’). And every king of the earth who performs his 2ikr sees his kingdom consolidated and is safe from catastrophes.

It has the number 113, a prime number that alludes to Oneness (alA¬adiyya) and Kingship (Malīkiyya)3. And the names of His letters added together are equivalent to His Name ‘Provider’ (Razzāq), and since the Provider is Perpetual, then there is no regret for what has been lost.

īqāb 20 6 51 36 27 4 52 30 56 3 9 45

Fig. 198

1 2 x 43.
2 The term ‘ulūw is related to the 6 (wāw), and tamām to the 40 (mīm) of the number 46. 3 A¬ad (13) + Malīk (100) = 113.

396

ANINETY-SEVENTH PART ON HISNAME: ‘HEREDERO’ (Wāri£)

Whoever constantly performs the 2ikr of this supreme Name in order to obtain something that is not in his hands, God causes him to inherit it, either on the initiative of the one in whose hands it is, or because he is forced to do so. And it is a recitation of great power and very profitable for the most important successors and for the heirs.

Abū ‘Abd Allāh Zayn alDīn alKāfī said: “Whoever recites it until he is seized with a spiritual state consequent thereon, becomes a chief of his tribe (qabīla), is loved among his relatives (‘ašīra), and sees by the grace of God that which he is unable to describe as to the good and prosperity of himself, of his family and what he owns, because it is one of the best kept secrets.

It has a magic square of sublime power and numerous benefits, and it is as follows:

It has the number 707, and it is a noble number because it symbolizes Intensity (šidda), Strength (quwwa), Absolute Mastery (i¬āÐa) and Perfection (kamāl)1. And it is odd and defective, for its divisors add up to 109, which is equivalent to His Name ‘the Most Pure’ (al-Subbū¬) counting the article.

And the names of its letters add up to 826, which is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Sagacious’ (Jabīr) ‘Bountiful’ (Ŷawād). Try to understand.

ANINETY-EIGHTH PART ON HISNAME: ‘WHOLEADS ON THE RIGHT PATH’ (Rašīd)

Whoever constantly recites this noble Name, achieves that all his vicissitudes have a good conclusion. And to those who arrange it in a square and carry it with him, God makes his spiritual and physical condition adequate and that he does not repent of any act.

It has the number 514, which is even odd and defective when adding its divisors 260, which is equivalent to our words ‘He is Compassionate’ (Huwa Rā¬im). And the names of its letters add up to 608, which is equivalent to two glorious Names: ‘Truth’ (©aqq) ‘Unbreakable’ (Matīn).

And it has a sublime square that the masters of Information (aliÐÐilā’) will know, and it is the following:

Fig. 200

£rāw 5 2 199 501

198 498 8 3 4 7 499 197

Fig. 199

dīšr 299 201 3 11 202 302 8 2

9 1 203 301

1 I do not know the reason why 707 corresponds to these concepts.

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ANINETY-NINTH PART ON ITS NAME: ‘SMELLING’ (1⁄4ABŪR) B

To the one who performs the continuous 2ikr of this sublime Name God provides firmness in the face of misfortunes, and he will not be unable to finish any work he has begun. It is very useful for people who make great efforts and to endure the hardships of tiring jobs.

Its square is like that of the rest of the Names, except that it is to be composed when the ascendant is one of the fixed zodiacal constellations. He has the number 298, which is an odd number, elongated and defective, since its divisors add up to 152, which is equivalent to His Name ‘One Who perpetuates’ (Mubqī). So notice how the seal of the Names is that worthy Name with which God removes the inhabitants of Paradise from sorrow: ﴾ And they will say: Praise be to God, who has taken away all sorrow, truly our Lord is Forgiving, Grateful. Who has made lawful for us the Abode of Permanence, thanks to His favor; in it neither fatigue nor incapacity will affect us ﴿1.

The names of its letters will be written in this way: s r m d ī 2, so look carefully at the secret seal c of This Name, for God speaks the Truth and He shows the way. And it has a magic square of exceptional power, which is suitable for travelers who are on the first steps of the Path, God knows better!

rūb1⁄2 89 3 9 197 8 198 88 4

1 91 199 7

Fig. 201

1 Cor. xxxv:345.

2 The names of the letters of 1⁄4abūr add up to 314, and also the letters s r m d ī, which form the Name Sarmadī, ‘Everlasting’.

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
SON THE PECULIAR VIRTUES OF KHY’1⁄4, AND ITS DIVINE AND SACRED LETTERS

Know, O sincere seeker and passionate lover, may God guide you to the kīmīyā’ of happiness and to the sīmīyā’ of eternal lordship, that the science of the divine Names is an excellent and illuminating knowledge and a subtle and spiritual secret, in which the most notable Gnostic saints such as alTustarī and alŠiblīexcelled, and which was accredited by the most outstanding scholars such as alGazālī and al Rāzī2. It is one of the sciences infused by God in its origin and one of the revealing traces in its disposition. Its reality is the containment of the subtle realities of the eternal Names, and the confrontation of the Gnostic subtleties of the Theophanies of Oneness, which procure for the people of the Gnostic confrontations (altawajjŷuhāt) the Singularity, and for all who are ready to receive them Stability, where the Gnostic who has verified the Truth is more apt than the one whose arguments based on ignorance falter.

The reflection of secrets and the pole of lights, our lord the Messenger of God, said: “In the divine science resides an essential preserved part, which only the wise of God come to know, and all that you mention of it is reprehensible to the people of the Magnificence of God.”3

I am jealous that he looks directly
at the sun without any curtain, for the lover is jealous.

O brothers of purity and lovers of loyalty, this is the hidden pearl, the preserved secret, the red sulphur and the shining ruby, the allusion of which is clear to the knowers of God, for the shell cannot conceal the pearl from those who have been given understanding, while it is hidden from the wicked absorbed in the books of blindness. It is not harmed by the hands of unbelievers, and in it reside the fountains of the thirsty. Its parts are the steps of those who walk the Path, so take them diligently if you are able to understand, do you desire anything other than to witness the Truth, or are you incapable of reflection? Only those who have tasted it know its meaning, only those capable of interpreting the divine symbols come to value it in its entirety, and no one inhabits the temples of its lights except those versed in Science. Apply yourselves to the observance of his perfect decree, for in it resides an exhortation to the worlds, and as to what is obscure in it, for God is the best Revealer.

If the wise beheld the swing of His Science, they would desire it like children with eager eyes.

1 Abū Bakr alŠiblī (d. 945 CE), celebrated saint of Baghdad and author of numerous mystical poems.

2 Fajr alDīn alRāzī (d. 1149 CE), one of the most influential theologians and exegetes of Islam, and author of a treatise on the names of God entitled Lawāmi’ albayyināt fīlasmā’ wal1⁄2ifāt .

3 We do not find this “goodbye” in the collections cited. 4 Cf. Cor. VI:90.

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And do not think that this luminous Science is uttered by tongues or traced with fingers, but that each luminous letter in it is composed of a dark letter, and in it are chained
together a resplendent notion and a subtle concept, but with an arrangement of marvellous composition and
an order of extraordinary gradation, which you will perceive after unveiling sublime knowledge and sacred concepts, after resolving spiritual symbols and discovering the talismans of the treasures of Lordship, the theophanies of Eternity, the confrontations of Oneness, the pure fountains, the clear springs, the
prodigious acts and sincere breaths. After understanding revelatory mysteries, illuminating influences, allusions to the Throne, Sufi expressions, symbols from the Tablet, and gratifying signs. And after revealing the peculiarities of the letters, the Hindu numerals, the numerical correspondences, the obscure odd and double concepts, the mystical knowledge and the illuminating subtleties with which one arrives at the Divine Presence and the singular Oneness, without the crossing of a long road or the fatigue of a painful path. Know that, check it, understand it, and dig deeper into it: ﴾ That is God’s favor that He gives to
whom He wills. God is the Owner of immense Favor ﴿ 1.

And it is in His essence, exalted and glorified be He, to give Wisdom to whom He wills, for He is the One who brings down the Spirit that comes from His decree upon whom He wills from His servants (2), and sends down the Mystery of His Omnipotence upon whom He wills from His friends (awliyā’). If spiritual expansion and the moment are propitious, if harmony and the instant are favorable, if Providence takes place and accompanies Realization, if you free yourself from distractions and the sea of worries, if you abandon error, bewilderment, confusion and vulgarity, if you concentrate the scattered mind and absorbed thought, If you steal from the hours of your years some moments of purity and impose on the days of your life some lasting moments, then the promised brides of My illuminating sign appear by the virtues of your spiritual understanding. Those will feel gratitude as they remove the veil of the brides of secrets and discover the jewels of ideas in the wide glittering meadow and the Garden of shining brocade, while those who say, there is no fervent friend3 or merciful protector, lament.

And even if there is not enough time for it or the obstacle stands in the way of those who walk the Path, for from that you have already been granted white and pure brides, resplendent houris, shining beauties and passionate virgins of Yūsufi appearance, Maryamī impetus, musky fragrance and Meccan luminosity, honest and generous, pure and immaculate, chaste nubiles, shining companions who are not offended by an opinion, obscured by a mention, not touched by a thought, or approached by fantasy, because their gem is protected, their secret is preserved, their name is hidden, and their jar sealed. Its triaca is supreme, its sulphur red, its magnetic magnet, its attractive ruby, its fertile meadows, its flowering trees, its overflowing rivers, its birds rioting, its dazzling lightning, its abundant mana, its resplendent light, its full moon ascending, its radiant star, its crescent splendid, its aroma sumptuous and its beauty evident.

1 Cor. LXII:4.
2 Cor. XL:14.
3 Cf. Cor. XXVI:101.

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His heaven is sapiential subtleties and his earth are Gnostic knowledge, his west is secret and his east are lights, his heart is names and his chest are sparkles, his stroke is marvelous and his number extraordinary, his walls are verses and his fortresses are recitations, his subtleties are illuminating and his teachings are revealing. His book is well guarded and his science preserved. It is touched only by the purified, it is touched only by the most established sages in science, it is understood only by the most perfect saints, it is known only by the purest chosen, it is understood only by the accomplished sages, and only by the most obstinate virtuous ones attain it. ﴾ This is achieved only by those who have patience, no one can achieve it except the one endowed with an immense fortune ﴿1.

The kind one hesitates in his course
and becomes like the lover lusting after her passionately.

﴾ Let those who act act ﴿2, ﴾ act for something like this, and let those who yearn for it put their desire in it ﴿3.

And as for the virtues of the sublime Qur’an and the wise recitation, I will devote to it, God willing, a clear and exhaustive section in which I will

see the work that can be done, so that it is about to become the supreme triaca and the shining ruby.

Know that, God help us to obey Him and to understand the secrets of His Names, that this well-kept Book and this hidden pearl is the secret Science, the sealed mystery, the sublime prosperity, the eternal treasure, the ultimate triaca, and the suitable medicine. It is the key to unravel its signs and decipher the talismans of its treasures, it is the immersion in the seas of its secrets, the extraction of its unusual pearls from the depths of its cavities, and the discovery of its literal realities, its numerical lights, its combinatorial virtues, its odd and even particularities, its harmonic figures, its sacred recitations, their eternal Names, their spiritual secrets and the rest of the mysteries known only to the rarest of those who have learned in Science and the most perfect Gnostics: ﴾ That is the favor of God who grants to whom he wills. God is the Owner of immense Favor ﴿4.

Among the sages there are those who limit themselves to exoteric and literal exegesis (altafsīr allugawī) without reaching esoteric and prophetic interpretation (alta’wīl alnabawī), and are satisfied with the manifest without what lies hidden. Among them there are those who immerse themselves in the immensity of its waves and find red sulfur. Among them are those who go into its caves and extract the ruby, the shining pearl and the green chrysolite. Among them are those that walk the abysses of its flanks and collect ambergris and wet aloe. And among them there are those that cling to the end of its banks and extract from its fauna the supreme triaca and the fragrant musk. It is the Secret about which neither one nor the other can contradict each other, and the sages station themselves in the abode of Enumeration (al¬a1⁄2r) discarding what is not the same.

1 Cor. XLI:34.
2 Cor. xxxvii:61 3 Cor. LXXXIII:26. 4 Cor. LXII:4.

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incompatible. And it is the solid cord of God1, His clear light, His straight path, His steadfast way, and His eternal word. It is the sea whose wonders do not diminish, whose wonders are not extinguished, whose end cannot be conceived, and whose conclusion cannot be intuited. It is the badge that separates the good from the corrupt and the unhappy from the fortunate, and it is the Truth that is not affected by falsehood anywhere. And it is a Revelation whose descent comes from one who is Wise, Praised ﴿2.

And you should know that there are four kinds of sages: the sage whose object of apprehension (¬aþþ) is God, the sage whose apprehension of God is Science and Gnosis, the sage whose object of apprehension is the path (alsiyar) to the Hereafter, and the sage whose apprehension is the science to take the path to the Hereafter. The first is with God and in God, the second goes to God with the Science of God, the third goes to the Hereafter, and the fourth goes to the Science of the Hereafter, as it was handed down to us from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and save him!, who said: “The mighty (alkubarā’) sit together, the scholars (al-ukamā’) converse with each other, and the scholars (al’ulamā’) consult each other.”3 The powerful are those who have been instructed in God by God, and they are the possessors of the Understanding of God through God, His Book, and the secrets of His creations, because there is a difference between understanding, literal interpretation, and esoteric interpretation, as God says, exalted be He: ﴾ I will remove from My signs (āyāt) those who on earth are filled with pride without reason ﴿4. Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “[He means] I will deprive them of the understanding of the Qur’an.”

And those versed (al’ulamā’) in interpreting the meanings of the Qur’an are of three types: the first of them resorts to exoteric exegesis (tafsīr), and of the three it is the lowest group. The latter resort to esoteric interpretation (ta’wīl), and are in an intermediate position. And the third ones are based on Understanding (fahm), and they are the best.

Exoteric exegesis is based on the study, learning, and investigation of the doctrines of the ancients. Esoteric exegesis appeals to God’s Guidance and His Assistance. And the Understanding and Perception of God takes place through the intellect and deduction (alqiyās). So the possessors of Understanding speak for God, as He said, exalted be He: “I am His tongue with which He expresses Himself to the end of the saying.”

Luqmān al-akīm©5 said: “The hand of God is in the mouths of the sages, and they do not utter anything unless it predisposes them correctly. And Ibn ‘Abba’s recited: ﴾ Before you We have not sent any messenger or prophet ﴿6, nor any inspired narrator (mu¬adda£), and they are the people of Understanding, those who speak about the Qur’aan with Wisdom.

And it is narrated of one of the companions of the Prophet who said: O Messenger of God, we find in your reading what we do not find in ours; And he said, “Because you recite outwardly, while I

1 Cor. iii:103 ﴾ Hold fast all together to the cord of God and do not be separated ﴿. 2 Cor. XLI:41.
3 We do not find this “goodbye” in the collections cited.
4 Cor. VII:146.

5 A legendary sage and prophet mentioned in Cor. xxxi:1118 6 Cor. XXII:50.

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I recite inwardly”1, and what is intended by this is to account for the rank of the people of the occult sense (ahl albāÐin), that is, those who obtain the Understanding of God through the secrets of consideration (altadbīr)2, the lights of remembrance (alta2kīr)3 and the subtleties of reflection (altafkīr)4, understanding the different decrees that God expresses in the hidden senses of his verses.

This well-kept Book and this hidden mystery is the great ocean to which both go to drink thirsty for knowledge. God said, Exalted be He: ﴾ We have omitted nothing in the Book ﴿5, so there is no secret that does not bring good.

And it has been transmitted from the Prophet, God bless him and save him!, who said, “Each verse of the Qur’an has an apparent meaning and one to seven hidden meanings.”6

And Imam ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: His visible part is admirable (anīq), and his hidden part is the object of an embrace (‘anīq) whose wonders are not extinguished and his wonders do not cease.

And it is said that there is not a single verse in the Qur’an that does not have seven apparent meanings and seven hidden meanings, as well as seven allusions, signs, subtleties, details, and truths. The external or apparent is for the common people, the hidden is for the elect (aljawā1⁄21⁄2), allusions are for the elect of the elect, signs are for friends (awliyā’), subtleties are for the sincere (1⁄2adīqūn), details are for lovers (mu¬ibbūn), and truths belong to the prophets.

Then, under each word, even under each letter, there is a turbulent sea of wisdom, the bottom of which is violently agitated, and when it is recited by that witness of the Gnostics and that truthful of the fearful, it is conferred for each letter an intelligence (2ihn), to each intelligence corresponds a thousand understandings, to each understanding corresponds a thousand insights, To each insight correspond a thousand considerations, and one of these considerations does not make the heavens and the earth stand7. Therefore are His words, Exalted be He: ﴾ To whom Wisdom is granted has been given a great good ﴿8, namely, the understanding of the Qur’an and its meanings.

A certain sage said: Each verse has sixty thousand concepts, and the [concepts] that remain ununderstood are even more numerous. And he said: the final part of the Qur’an contains seventy-seven thousand two hundred knowledge.

One of the greatest masters of intuitions said: The essential reality of the Qur’an lies in the power that guides the heavens, the earth and everything in them, from the day of its existence to the day of its existence

1 Nor do we find this “goodbye” in the aforementioned collections.

2 Consideration (tadbīr) involves valuing or meditating on the contents of the Qur’an in order to gain a clear knowledge of what they mean (cf. E. W. LANE, Lexicon, i, p. 844b, in his translation of Cor. IV:82).

3 Cor. xl:12 ﴾ But remember only who in all things turns to Him ﴿.
4 Cor. x:24 ﴾ This is how we explain signs to people who reflect ﴿, among other examples.
5 Cor. VI:39.
6 See E. W. LANE, Lexicon, i, p. 220c, where he quotes the following tradition: “Each verse of the Qur’an has a

apparent sense and another that needs to be developed.”
7 In reference to Cor. xxx:24, ﴾ And among His Signs is that heaven and earth are sustained by His command ﴿. 8 Cor. II:268.

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of his return. Hence the signs which indicate the coming of the Day of Judgment suppose the disappearance of that Truth from the hearts of men and the disappearance of the exemplars of the Qur’an, such as the fold of the heavens and the contraction (qabå) of the earth. Try to understand that, for God speaks the Truth and He shows the Way.

ASUPPLEMENTARY SECTION ON THE EXCELLENCE OF THE BASILAND THE FĀTIHA

Know that, may Allah guide us to the understanding of His noble secrets, he who understands the secret of His words: ﴾ And with the Qur’an We send down a cure and mercy for the believers ﴿2, for in them resides the healing of the external parts (Þawāhir) of the bodies3, in the same way that it houses a cure for the spiritual essences of the hearts. That is why the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless and save him, alluding to His words said: “The healing of my community (ummah) is found in three things: in a verse of the book of God, in the vessel of one who practices a bloodletting, or in a spoonful of honey.”4 And he said, God bless him and save him!: “Whoever does not seek healing in the Qur’an God does not heal”; and said, “The Qur’an is the medicine.”5 So consider that sensibly and reflect on the pearls that God deposited in this well-kept Book and in this preserved secret, hidden in the shells of its letters, as well as the wonders hidden at the bottom of its sea.

I shall now mention, God willing, in this comprehensive guide and joyful compilation some of the many secrets of the sublime Qur’an. And I say, God is the Giver of success and the Giver of revelation and confirmation:

One of the Knowers of God said, God be pleased with them: Your BismiLlāh is on a par with His Kun Ṇ . It has a square of magnificent power, and this is the best of the ways in which it is arranged:

Fig. 202

And in it reside excellent virtues to solve difficulties and to be persuasive when it comes to obtaining the means of subsistence.

1 In allusion to Cor. xxxix:64, ﴾ When the whole earth is in His fist on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens folded in His right hand ﴿.

2 Cor. XVII:82.

3 The term Þawāhir refers to the physical parts of the body, even if they are not visible, i.e., those that do not belong to the realm of the spiritual.

4 See above, p. 139.5
These last two traditions are not found in the collections cited.

Wāŷid Māni’ Ŷawwād A¬ad Qadīr Qawwī Malik Muŷīd

Hādī Wahhāb Mun’im 1⁄4amad Wālī Mu’īd Badī’ 1⁄4ādiq

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