The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 124
PREFACE ESSENCE OF ISLAM 123 Dihyah Kalbi, or some other person, as something difficult to compre- hend which leads to the objection that if Jibra'il, peace be on him, actu- ally took on a new body resembling Dihyah Kalbi and infused his spirit into it, then what would happen to his original body with three hun- dred wings? Would that body remain lifeless, and would Ḥadrat Jibra'il 'die' and after suffering death, assume another body through a process of transmigration? AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE Shaikh 'Abdul-Haqq believed that Jibra'il did not descend physically with revelation. He affirms that all scholars believe that Jibra'il remains permanently in heaven; moreover, it is his metaphysi- cal descent that is manifested upon the earth. The same example also explains the appearance of some great Auliya' in various places and in different forms. Not only Jibra'il, but all angels make metaphysical appearances on earth and yet they do not leave their assigned station in heaven. In answer to this objection, he [the Shaikh] states that according to scholars, this descent is symbolic, not literal, so it does not neces- sitate leaving one body and entering into another. Again, he states that Jibra'il, peace be upon him, fully projected his attributes upon the personality of Dihyah Kalbi— which Jibra'il, peace be upon him, possessed complete power and will to do. Thus, he was able to appear, with his perfect attributes, in the likeness of Dihyah Kalbi. In other words, having invested this abstract person- ality with his own attributes, he appeared before the Prophet, peace be upon him, in the likeness of Dihyah Kalbi. Jibra'il never descended bodily from heaven; rather, he remained firm and steadfast in his place in the heav- ens. Jibra'il appearing upon earth is only a likeness of the real Jibra'il in heaven a reflection and not the real Jibra'īl himself; for Jibrā’il, with all his characteristic attributes, always remains in heaven and enjoys a unique nature and exalted status. After making this statement, the above-mentioned Shaikh declares that just as Jibra'il descended in a symbolic rather than a literal form, this is also an example of spiritual realities manifesting in physical forms. The same example would explain the appearance of God Almighty in the human form, which is experienced by those gifted with spiritual vision. The same example also explains the appearance of