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Although there is no consensus with regard to Sufi cosmology, one can disentangle various threads that led to the crystallization of more or less coherent cosmological doctrines. Reading various authoritative texts, one can see that practitioners of Sufism were not much bothered with inconsistencies and contradictions that have arisen due to juxtaposition and superposition of at least three different cosmographies:
The Ishraqi visionary universe as expounded by Suhrawardi Maqtul, Neoplatonic view of cosmos cherished by Islamic philosophers like Ibn Sina / Avicenna and Sufis like Ibn Arabi and Hermetic-Ptolemaic spherical geocentric world. All these doctrines (and each one of them claiming to be impeccably orthodox) were freely mixed and juxtaposed, frequently with confusing results- a situation one encounters in other esoteric doctrines, from Hebrew Kabbalah and Christian Gnosticism to Vajrayana Buddhism and Trika Shaivism. The following cosmological plan is usually found in various Sufi texts:
Emanationist scheme
Alam-e-Hahoot (Realm of He-ness)
It can also be thought of as the Realm of pre-existence , i.e the condition of the universe before its formation. It is equated with unknowable God’s essence and named Alam-e-Hahut (the world of “He-ness”). Etymologically, the Arabic root word for God with attributes (or Manifest Absolute) is Al-Lah or “the Divinity”, and Hu (“He”) is the root word for Unmanifest Absolute, the naked essence of Godhead that nothing can be said about. Alam-e-Hahoot has similarities to the Christian concept of Deus absconditus, and the Hindu notion of Nirguna Brahma.
Alam-e-Lahoot (Realm of Divinity)
Realm of Divinity is that region where incalculable unseen tiny dots emerge and expand to such large circles that they engulf the entire universe. This Realm is also known as Tajalliat (The Beatific Vision, or the Circle of the Beatific Vision). These countless circles are the bases of all the root causes of the universe. These very circles give rise to the species (or kinds of non living) of the universe. This whole circle is known as the Ghaib-ul-ghaib (Unseen of the Unseen). It is that ascent for which the human perception could train itself for the cognition of the Extolled Veil and Beatific Visions of the attributes of God that are operative in there. Alam-e-Lahoot has similarities to the Christian concept of Deus revelatus and the Hindu notion of Saguna Brahma.The final boundary of the human knowledge and understanding is called Hijab-e-Mehmood (The Extolled Veil), which is the extreme height of the Arsh (Supreme Empyrean). Nehr-e-tasweed(The Channel of Black Draught/Darkness) whose last limit is in the Realm of Divinity, is the basis of the Unseen & feeds Rooh-e-Azam (The Great Soul).
Alam-e-Jabaroot (Realm of Omnipotency)
The stage when the universe is constituted into features is known as the Realm of Omnipotency. Hijab-e-Kibria (The Grand Veil) is the last limit of this realm. Nehr-e-tajreed (Channel of Abstraction), whose last limit is The Realm of Omnipotency, feeds Rooh-e-Insani (Human Soul) with its information.Alam-e-Malakoot (Angelic Realm)
When the characteristics of the species and their individuals descend from the Realm of Omnipotency, separate consciousnesses comes into being, this stage is called the Angelic Realm. Its last limit is called Hijab-e-Azmat (The Great Veil). Nehr-e-Tasheed (Channel of Evidence) whose last limit is Angelic Realm, feeds Latifa-e-Qalbi .Alam-e-Nasoot (Realm of Humans)
When the features further descend and come out of the limits of the angelic realm, foundations of the tangible world of matter are being laid, which is known as Alam-e-Nasoot. It includes the material realm (most of which humans can see), and all the normally visible cosmos is included in it. Nehr-e-Tazheer (Channel of Manifestation) whose last limit is Alam-e-Nasoot, feeds Latifa-e-Nafsi. Human Realm is categorized as under:One Kitab-al-Mubeen, that controls
300 million Loh-e-Mehfooz, each one controlling
80 thousand Hazeere (Galaxies), each one containing
13 billion Solar systems, out of which
1 billion solar systems have life on one of their planets.
Each Star has 9, 12 or 13 planets around it.
On every planet with life on it, life exists in three different planes of existence. These include Plane of Angels, Plane of Jinns, & Plane of Humans. On the other hand, it is surrounded by another realm known as Alam-e-Araf or Barzakh (Astral plane), where humans stay after they die (when the connection of soul breaks with the physical body). Humans can also visit astral realm during sleep (in dream state) or during meditation.
Neoplatonist-Hermetic scheme
Ghayb-al-Ghaib
Aql-e-Kulli
Nafs-e-Kulliya
Seven Spheres
External links
- Sufi cosmology and psychology
- Islam Way Online - Your Religion and Spirituality Portal Islamic Cosmology: The Secrets of Creation up to the Court of Greatness
- Creationof The Throne
- Symbolic Cosmology in the Sufi and Baha'i traditions
See also
"Sufi cosmology"