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Read Ebook: The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on Súfiism by Hujviri Ali Ibn Usman Nicholson Reynold Alleyne Translator
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Ebook has 782 lines and 170798 words, and 16 pages
CHAPTER. PAGES.
Translator's Preface xvii-xxiv
Author's Introduction 1-9
PREFACE.
Footnote 1:
Jull?b and Hujw?r were two suburbs of Ghazna. Evidently he resided for some time in each of them.
Footnote 2:
Footnote 3:
Footnote 4:
Footnote 5:
Footnote 6:
Ibid., No. 368.
Footnote 7:
Footnote 8:
None of these books has been preserved.
Footnote 9:
Although he was a Sunn? and a ?anafite, al-Hujw?r?, like many ??f?s before and after him, managed to reconcile his theology with an advanced type of mysticism, in which the theory of "annihilation" holds a dominant place, but he scarcely goes to such extreme lengths as would justify us in calling him a pantheist. He strenuously resists and pronounces heretical the doctrine that human personality can be merged and extinguished in the being of God. He compares annihilation to burning by fire, which transmutes the quality of all things to its own quality, but leaves their essence unchanged. He agrees with his spiritual director, al-Khuttal?, in adopting the theory of Junayd that "sobriety" in the mystical acceptation of the term is preferable to "intoxication". He warns his readers often and emphatically that no ??f?s, not even those who have attained the highest degree of holiness, are exempt from the obligation of obeying the religious law. In other points, such as the excitation of ecstasy by music and singing, and the use of erotic symbolism in poetry, his judgment is more or less cautious. He defends al-?all?j from the charge of being a magician, and asserts that his sayings are pantheistic only in appearance, but condemns his doctrines as unsound. It is clear that he is anxious to represent ??fiism as the true interpretation of Islam, and it is equally certain that the interpretation is incompatible with the text. Notwithstanding the homage which he pays to the Prophet we cannot separate al-Hujw?r?, as regards the essential principles of his teaching, from his older and younger contemporaries, Ab? Sa`?d b. Abi ?l-Khayr and `Abdall?h An??r?. These three mystics developed the distinctively Persian theosophy which is revealed in full-blown splendour by Far?d al-d?n `A???r and Jal?l al-d?n R?m?.
Footnote 10:
The author's view as to the worthlessness of outward forms of religion is expressed with striking boldness in his chapter on the Pilgrimage .
Footnote 11:
Footnote 12:
A summary of these doctrines will be found in the abstract of a paper on "The Oldest Persian Manual of ??fiism" which I read at Oxford in 1908 .
Footnote 13:
Some of al-Hujw?r?'s twelve sects reappear at a later epoch as orders of dervishes, but the pedigree of those orders which trace their descent from ancient ??f?s is usually fictitious.
Footnote 14:
Footnote 15:
Cf., however, p. 114, note.
Footnote 16:
The English version is nearly complete, and nothing of importance has been omitted, though I have not hesitated to abridge when opportunity offered. Arabists will remark an occasional discrepancy between the Arabic sayings printed in italics and the translations accompanying them: this is due to my having translated, not the original Arabic, but the Persian paraphrase given by al-Hujw?r?.
REYNOLD A. NICHOLSON.
KASHF AL-MA?J?B.
INTRODUCTION.
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE.
`Al? b. `Uthm?n b. `Al? al-Jull?b? al-Ghaznaw? al-Hujw?r? says as follows:--
I have asked God's blessing, and have cleared my heart of motives related to self, and have set to work in accordance with your invitation--may God make you happy!--and have firmly resolved to fulfil all your wishes by means of this book. I have entitled it "The Revelation of The Mystery". Knowing what you desire, I have arranged the book in divisions suitable to your purpose. Now I pray God to aid and prosper me in its completion, and I divest myself of my own strength and ability in word and deed. It is God that gives success.
SECTION.
Footnote 17:
The author's meaning appears to be that one consideration has a special reference to connoisseurs and competent persons, while the other has a general reference to the public at large.
As regards the particular consideration, when people see a book, and know that its author is skilled in the branch of science of which it treats, and is thoroughly versed therein, they judge its merits more fairly and apply themselves more seriously to read and remember it, so that both author and reader are better satisfied. The truth is best known to God.
SECTION.
SECTION.
SECTION.
Now as to the words "I have set to work in accordance with your invitation, and have firmly resolved to fulfil all your wishes by means of this book" , since you thought me worthy of being asked to write this book for your instruction, it was incumbent on me to comply with your request. Accordingly it behoved me to make an unconditional resolution that I would carry out my undertaking completely. When anyone begins an enterprise with the intention of finishing it, he may be excused if imperfections appear in his work; and for this reason the Prophet said: "The believer's intention is better than his performance." Great is the power of intention, through which a man advances from one category to another without any external change. For example, if anyone endures hunger for a while without having intended to fast, he gets no recompense for it in the next world; but if he forms in his heart the intention of fasting, he becomes one of the favourites of God . Again, a traveller who stays for a time in a city does not become a resident until he has formed the intention to reside there. A good intention, therefore, is preliminary to the due performance of every act.
SECTION.
Accordingly, I have composed this book for polishers of hearts which are infected by the veil of "clouding" but in which the substance of the light of the Truth is existent, in order that the veil may be lifted from them by the blessing of reading it, and that they may find their way to spiritual reality. Those whose being is compounded of denial of the truth and perpetration of falsehood will never find their way thither, and this book will be of no use to them.
SECTION.
Now with reference to my words "knowing what you desire, I have arranged the book in divisions suitable to your purpose" , a questioner cannot be satisfied until he makes his want known to the person whom he interrogates. A question presupposes a difficulty, and a difficulty is insoluble until its nature is ascertained. Furthermore, to answer a question in general terms is only possible when he who asks it has full knowledge of its various departments and corollaries, but with a beginner one needs to go into detail, and offer diverse explanations and definitions; and in this case especially, seeing that you--God grant you happiness!--desired me to answer your questions in detail and write a book on the matter.
SECTION.
SECTION.
The questioner, Ab? Sa`?d al-Hujw?r?, said: "Explain to me the true meaning of the Path of ??fiism and the nature of the 'stations' of the ??f?s, and explain their doctrines and sayings, and make clear to me their mystical allegories, and the nature of Divine Love and how it is manifested in human hearts, and why the intellect is unable to reach the essence thereof, and why the soul recoils from the reality thereof, and why the spirit is lulled in the purity thereof; and explain the practical aspects of ??fiism which are connected with these theories."
ANSWER.
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