Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 34
34 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION in him. This is what is alluded to when Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran: 1 إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً. Meaning that, I am going to appoint My Khalifah upon the earth. It is obvious that a picture is a khalifah or the true image of something and, in other words, its substitute. That is why a picture depicts the features of the original and outlines exactly as they are. It is recorded in the hadith, as well as the Torah, that God Almighty created man in His own image—thus, image implies this very spiritual resemblance. It is also obvious that, for instance, when sunlight falls on a highly polished mirror, not only is the sun visible within it, but that mirror also manifests the attributes of the sun; that is, its light also gets projected onto another by way of reflection. The same applies to the image of the Spiritual Sun; when a pure heart accepts its reflected image, the rays emit from it and illuminate other objects in the likeness of the sun, as if the entire sun also entered it with all its glory. There is another point worth remembering at this juncture, and it is that even those who belong to the third category and enjoy a per- fect bond with God and receive the perfect and pure revelation, are not equal in acceptance of divine bounties. The sphere of their natu- ral capacity is not equal to one another. Rather, the sphere of natural capacity is of a lesser magnitude for some and it is greater for others, while for some it is greater still, and it is even beyond imagination and estimation for some others. Some have strong ties of love with God, others stronger, and I yet others have such that the world cannot fathom it, and no intellect can grasp its magnitude. They are so consumed in the love of the Eternal Beloved that not even a single particle or fibre of their being or self survives. And all these people of varied ranks cannot progress beyond their natural capacity in the light of the verse: 1. Surah al-Baqarah, 2:31 [Publisher]