ISLAMIC MYSTICAL LITERATUREGOD'S LIGHT EXTENDS TO US
"Jabir,^67 god is light joined to imams' hearts,
extending to the far end of the spheres,
from the brain of the blue dome to the spirit
of speech.^68 From the brain it has sent a shadow
over the dark heart. Though the arrogant say
god's shadow does not fall over the earth,
the earth is the heart, and god is light
joined with the heart.^69 The spirit of speech,
a symbol of the king, comes from this light.
"When light cares to, it travels to the heart,
the canopy of the king's farthest dome,
and the five lights of the blue dome are joined
to the spirit of speech and final mixture
of holy breath, sun rays, a holy union,
believing glance, and each group of five in the world
springs from this light: Muhammad, Ali, Fatima,
Hasan, and Husayn, and their shadows fall
over the earth. These five lights join the spirit
of speech, of god who has radiated shadow
over the earth that is called heart. The spirit
of senses in the chamber of the water
and vacillating spirit in the chamber
of limpid wind are beautified with light.
Then all the seven palaces and heavenly
far spheres are joined—clear down to the heart—
by chains of light as by a rope or cable.
"The spirit of speech now commands the human spirits,
'Grasp this holy cord, and by this heavenly
journey rise higher.' So god's word is fulfilled:
'He holds on to the firm handhold.'^70 The heart
is earth where all the waverers live.- Or "Jafar."
- The following lines may be an addition to the text.
- Here god's shadow is not meant negatively but is like a reflection of the divine.
- Qur'an sura 2.