Mouood Mouood English Edition
36. God and transmigration
• Imam Mahdi(A.F.) has said : Surely, Almighty God is He, Who created everybody and distributed provisions for their sustenance. Indeed God has neither physical body nor does He transmigrate into a body. Nothing is like Him & He is All-Hearing and All Seeing.
(Karaamaat Mahdi)
Note: a) Every mass is convertible to energy, so mass is nothing but energy. All this universe and everything in it is created not from matter but merely by God’s intention. And by His intention God will revive every dead person with exactly the same fingerprints and DNA even though decayed to dust.
Note b) God is without any need or necessities. He does not need a body. He has no ears, but He hears thousands of supplications in a number of languages from all over the world at one and the same time and without any confusion, He is All-Hearing; and also All-Seeing without eyes. Furthermore God can make anything speak, even a particle of sand. God used to speak to Moses (A.S) but His voice emitted from a tree. God does not need a mouth, tongue and lips to speak with.
Note c) The holy Qur’an says: “Hand of God is above their hands” (Fath 48:10)
It is an allegorical statement to help us understand the attribute of God. It means God is most powerful. There are many such allegorical statements in Qur’an which are misunderstood , as God has no Body and nothing can accommodate or contain God, hence transmigration (tanasuqh) of God from one body to another is meaningless. Nearness to God is not physical but spiritual.
37. It is You (O God)
Imam Husain (A.S) in his supplication on the day of ‘A’rafah’has prayed to God as follows:
“Oh My Master! it is You who favored gracefully,
It is You who provided all bountiful blessings,
It is You who did everything best and performed everything beautifully.
It is You who has granted excellence and superiority and accomplished everything with pink of perfection.
It is You who provided sustenance1 for all.”
It is You whose goodwill ensures success.
It is You who bestowed all gifts, enriched, made people devoted, provided shelter & sufficiency.
It is You who has guided, safeguarded, covered & clothed.
It is You who has forgiven, disregarded & connived (at sins).
It is You who has given dominance, honor and strength.
It is You who has assisted, supported, approved, and given victory2 .
It is You who has cured, provided health and security3.
It is You who are munificent,
It is You who have bestowed affluence & exalted. Perpetual prayers is for You & bountiful gratefulness is for You forever.
1 If God has made some people rich to provide work for the poor and give up extravagance and brutal wars, then poverty can be driven out of all the countries of the world
2 Real victor is he whom God regards as a victor because of obeying him. Do not consider martyrs who die in the way of God as dead but they are alive and provided with sustenance
3 Doctors, medicines, prayers & alms help in recovery from illness if God approves.
38. Ascension and God
At God’s command Mohammad (S.A) the last & best messenger of God was taken up on Burraqh from sky to sky by Gabriel (A.S) the angel of revelation. During his journey he was introduced to a number of angels, who after salaam and welcome greetings prayed for Mohammad (S.A.).
On the first sky he met Ismaiel (A.S.) the chief of all angels there, then he met the angel Maalek(A.S.) in charge of Hell; this angel was awful and he never smiles and gets extremely wrathful on seeing the sinners and criminals. He will punish all enemies of God in Hell.
The holy Messenger was also introduced to E’zraiel (A.S.), the angel of death. All the seven skies were full of angels. It is said that each sky has ten times more angels than the previous lower sky. The holy messenger of God, during his ascent from sky to sky was also introduced to a number of divine messengers, such as, Adam (A.S.) the ancestor of all mankind. Yahya (A.S.) and Jesus, son of Mary (A.S.). He was also introduced to Joseph (A.S.) on the third sky, Idris(A.S.) on the fourth sky ,then Haroon(A.S.) on the fifth sky, and Moses(A.S.) on the sixth sky, and Abraham(A.S.) on the seventh sky by the side of Bayt ul Mamoor, wherein after performance of ‘salaat’ he saw some of his companions.(who had died) After seeing Kawthar and Rahmat , the two heavenly streams, he entered Paradise and perceived the houses built for him and his Ahle Bayt , their courtyards had the fragrance of musk.
There the holy Messenger (S.A.) was reminded about recitation of the statements written below the Throne (عرش (
لا حول و لا قوه الا بالله العلي العظيم ولا منجا منك الا اليك
“There is no power and might except Allah (God) The Most High, The Magnificent and there is no refuge against You except towards You.”
Then the holy messenger (S.A.) performed congregation prayers and the angels prayed behind him. Afterwards he proceeded further and Gabriel (A.S.) told him: ”This is ‘Sidrat ul Muntaha’ I cannot go beyond it, you may proceed further. (Tafseere Borhan V: 2 P: 404)
a) When the holy messenger reached Sidratul Muntaha in his ascension* to the seventh sky, Gabriel said: “I cannot proceed further you may go ahead. You are in a place where no creation of God has reached nor shall ever reach.” There it was that Mohammad (S.A) said: “ I heard my God said; “O Mohammad! Messengership has come to an end; who is in your mind as your successor?” I replied; “My Lord! I have tested all people but I could not find any one more obedient to me than Ali. (Tafseere Qummi V:2 P:3)
b) The holy messenger has said when he reached the last stage of ascension until the spiritual distance between him and God was equal to or less than two bows (Qabe Qausain) he heard the voice of God, the Almighty, which was exactly like the voice of Ali (A.S). Then God told him that He spoke to him in the tone of Ali because the voice and tone of Ali was more pleasing to the messenger than anyone else.
c) There is a narration that God asked: “O Mohammad! Whom do you love amongst all people?” I replied: “My Lord Ali Ibne Abi Talib.” God said: “Look! who is next to you?” when I looked towards my left, I perceived Ali Ibne Abi Talib. (Tafseere Borhan V: 2 P: 404)
Note: In Surah e Najm Qabe Qausain is mentioned, but it does not mean physical distance, because God is nearer to everyone than his own self. A person can always reach God with the speed of thought, so God is always near at the same time distant. The Names of God, Al Qaribo and Al Baeedo do not indicate the distance of two bows between God and Mohammad (S.A). This distance is not physical but spiritual and it is interpreted as the everlasting spiritual distance between the Creator and the Creation. No created being can claim to be the Creator, Who is Unique and only One and ever alive.
