The Hermetic Wisdom of Quran — Introduction
Introduction
The history of man bears witness to his great struggle for discovering the right formula to conduct affairs in various aspects of his life. Time and again, men devised ideas of religious, political, or cultural nature that have continually brought solace from the ignominy of senseless conflicts that afflicted their mode of existence, and thereby they grew spiritually through those experiences and trials. The wisdom of the ancients was not actually based on absolute principles, rather on the relative conditions proportional to the human problems at hand; because the very nature of that wisdom had never been to bind human beings to a fixed legal structure by restricting their movements at every level of their spiritual growth, but to enshrine them regarding the wholeness in human existence through drawing the common connections between different aspects of their mundane life. Therefore, the laws serve best when they carry the wisdom of preventing the disasters rather than dealing with them afterwards, and the wisdom serves best when it abides by the principles of redemption and spiritual growth. The true wisdom also forms the very essence of all the magical ideas that have transformed the primeval existence of man into a responsible creature capable of serving the divine plan. The path of this transformation has never been easy for man because the applications of wisdom have always required tremendous sacrifices of vanity and egotism to counter the challenges posed by a human mind to accept the necessary changes in the attitude towards life. Eventually, wisdom represents the agency responsible for the unfoldment of human potential in order to embody the divine archetype of higher intelligence in human life.
The great ideals of wisdom were incorporated into the mystery teachings of ancient Egyptians in the form of Hermeticism. That is why the hermetic principles are outlined by the tenets of all the major philosophies in the world that include objectivity and resolution in the exercise of their traditions. Here, I have attempted to explain the manner in which symbolism of the hermetic precepts are used to define the notions of highest aspirations in the ethical behavior of mankind by the Islamic traditions.
The Function of Mysteries in Wisdom
Man in his consciousness carries the weight of eternity that ever haunts him in the form of ‘conscience’. Thus, conscience is the territory where all angelic and demonic entities of the human experiences reside, and their influence tends to effect the character of an individual human being. The sages of many cultures throughout history had acquired a connection to communicate with this deep and dark region of human consciousness in the form of their mystery teachings. Similar to a child that learns the prevalent language from his environment in due course of time as the capacity of perception increases with the growth of his mental faculties; the unraveling of mysteries to human consciousness is similarly a natural process of spiritual growth in a human being if not inhibited by the traumatic experiences from external sources. Such external disturbances may include the conflicts of perception created by the use of many languages in the immediate environment of the child; like for instance, if the father speaks Italian and the mother speaks French whilst the countrymen are English, then the instinctive acumen of that child would surely be challenged leading him towards reticent and confusing behaviors because the young mind would require to be educated in an amiable environment to avoid the misunderstandings in difficult situations of life; and that may particularly not be an option amongst people with conflicting religious views corresponding to the literary version of their faith; and there the instinctive ideals of moral goodness in humanity according to the values of its conscience have to be cultivated and curated to remedy the bias caused by the politics of supremacy conducted under the garb of those religions. Therefore, the mystery teachings of the ancient sages tend to communicate to these bewildered and perplexed children of mankind, the rather profoundly wise precepts of conscience in as much a simplified form as possible so as to help them steadily become more aware of themselves through using their own instinctive capacities of judgement, and thereby realize their great potential for spiritual growth.
The Quranic Depiction of Hermetic Mysteries
The Quran is considered as the book of divine guidance by Muslims whose main subject constitutes the spiritual life of a ‘man’. From a hermetic standpoint, the Quranic mysteries carry a great deal of connection to the hermetic arts of astrology and alchemy. The astrological theme for indicating the Quranic doctrine on various matters is also strongly symbolized in the Quran. For instance, the chapter 52 of Quran symbolizes the zodiac in this manner.
1. By the Mount,
2. And a Scripture inscribed,
3. On fine parchment unrolled,
4. And the House frequented,
5. And the roof exalted,
6. And the sea kept filled,
All of the above mentioned verses of Quran describe the zodiac through their metaphorical symbolism. The Mount represents the arch shaped vault of the sky between the two horizons, and the inscribed scripture on the fine unrolled parchment portrays the zodiac signs of the ecliptic as they are constantly visited by the seven planets; and as the zodiac is exalted in the roof which looks like blue water of the sea. This method helps to converge the archetypal properties of zodiac to deal with the problems of every kind according to their prospective scope, and thereby making the applied solutions both relative as well as universal. The consequence of such a wisdom is transformation of man into a higher and healthier consciousness that is not afflicted by any suffering on account of the evolutionary processes of existence. If the transformation causes the traumatic scars of pain in the human soul during the achievement of its objectives then the most insidious aspects of lust and power gets imprinted in the mind, causing it to loose the beauty of its divine consciousness.
The metaphorical depiction of symbolism also predominantly comprises of the essential theme of Quran
in its chapter called 'The Believers'. The structure of Quran here seems
to have fundamentally been constructed to appeal to the psychic nature
of man, such that the human mind may find focus and conviction in the
cosmic status of its purpose through a sympathetic association with the
higher acts of goodness. For instance, the first twelve verses stated in
the Chapter 23 of Quran have concepts that successively correspond to the principle
characteristics of the twelve zodiac signs. Accordingly,
1. Successful indeed are the believers, (Aries = Victory)
2. Who are humble in their prayers, (Taurus = Attitude)
3. And who shun vain conversation, (Gemini = Communication)
4. And who are payers of the poor-due; (Cancer = Support)
5. And who guard their modesty - (Leo = Self Expression)
6. Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess, for then they are not blameworthy, (Virgo = Selection)
7. But whoso craveth beyond that, such are transgressors - (Libra = Balance)
8. And who are shepherds of their pledge and their covenant, (Scorpio = Commitment)
9. And who pay heed to their prayers. (Sagittarius = Focus)
10. These are the heirs, (Capricorn = Authority)
11. Who will inherit paradise. There they will abide. (Aquarius = Exceptionalism)
12. Verily We created man from a product of wet earth; (Pisces = Intuition)
And
the ideas related to alchemical transfiguration in the following verses
of chapter 23, whereby the transformative processes would continue to
have their impact till they produce the ultimate perfect creation, and
the knowledge as merely a sort of information would turn to wisdom in
the form of a spiritual experience. There is always an emphasis on knowledge in
Quran, such that the people with higher levels of knowledge would get to
discover greater depths of wisdom in its message.
13. Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging;
14.
Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little
lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones
with flesh, and then produced it as another creation. So blessed be
Allah, the Best of creators!
There
are actually seven stages of transformations that are described from
verses 12 to 14 as human formative stages, but metaphorically they refer
to the seven stages of ascension from Lead to Gold for an alchemist.
The first stage corresponds to the metal Lead (Saturn) and its fear of
disintegration. After overcoming the most basic fear of physical
disintegration through finding strength in the material body, the second
stage corresponds to the metal Iron (Mars) and its fear of corrosion.
The fear of corrosion is essentially the emotional instability that can
be conquered through cultivating the attitude of patience and
perseverance. After corrosion, appears the fear of splitting or
dissociation in the form of metal Tin (Jupiter), forming the challenge
of the third stage. The fear of dissociation represents the loneliness
and boredom that arises due to the excessive disposition of patience,
and can be overcome by adopting the characteristic habits of a
philosopher, such as research and inquiry. The fourth stage deals with
the fear of impurity or impiety, which is the condition of metal Copper
(Venus). The impurity arises due to the excessive objectivity of
thoughts in a philosopher that may eventually lead to some sort of a
madness or disease. The care and investment into an individual’s self
worth and subjective happiness can deal with such problems. The fifth
stage is pure but very unstable, representing the state of metal Mercury
(Mercury) or Quicksilver. Once a person becomes beautiful, the need for
expression and appreciation of that beauty becomes paramount, then
those needs must be fulfilled through the creative expressions in
aesthetic or artistic endeavors. The sixth stage reflects the fear of
discoloration or stain in the form of metal Silver (Moon). It is the
transient nature of time that causes the most wondrous accomplishments
of past in the domain of art and culture to loose their glitter and
glamour. The imperfections of this stage can be resolved by embracing
the legacy of heroes that have achieved outstanding feats of courage
amidst extreme conditions of vulnerability. The seventh stage is the
final step represented by the metal Gold (Sun), whose state of
perfection in every aspect of existence is acquired by an alchemist
after the arduous tasks of overcoming all the challenges of mental fears
and physical vulnerabilities.
And We have created above you seven paths, and We are never unmindful of creation. (23, 17)
Say: Who is Lord of the seven heavens, and Lord of the Tremendous Throne? (23, 86)
The
principles of seven planetary orbital paths would determine the level
of virtue in a human being through the different facets, attributes, and
qualities of experiences in those seven transformative stages of life.
Every person would have to succeed in the seven trials through
overcoming the variable aspects of the seven archetypal planets in order
to prove themselves worthy of serving the Tremendous Throne which
constitutes the great ecliptic of the zodiac signs. The state of
illumination of an alchemist depicts the confidence of physical strength
and the power of mental perfection, and thus a true alchemist
represents the highest order of perfection in the domain of life.
These verses when put together alongside the full context of chapter 23, with the stories of destruction due to the elemental chaos, and admonitions regarding the conducts of lost souls in contrast to the genuine undertakings of true believers; it overall constitutes an exercise of theurgy of great potential when extrapolated to its implied proportions. Therefore, this mode of communion seems to have always been there since ancient times which adheres to the quantification of human knowledge through the quality of heavenly wisdom accorded by the spiritual teachings of the great sages throughout the ages, and this method for the transformation of man into a spiritual being also depicts the hermetic doctrine , “As above, so below; and as below, so above”.
The Mystery Letters of Quran
The mystery letters of Quran form the fundamental touchstone in the demonstration of the esoteric teachings of Quran as I had mentioned in my earlier articles on the Huroof-al-Muqattaat. The signs of the zodiac with their essential archetypal characteristics constitute the subject of discussion in the Quranic chapters that begin with the mystery letters called “Huroof-al-Muqattaat”. They metaphorically represent the twelve signs of the zodiac as explained in the article on “The Mystery Letters of Quran (Huroof-al-Muqattaat)”, where I had treated them individually to demonstrate the reasons and modalities of their connections with the zodiac signs. I had not explained the function of these mystery letters in that article as a group when they appear as a prefix of the Quranic chapters, which I intend to accomplish in the current series of articles on “The Hermetic Wisdom of Quran”. The mystery letters of Quran appear in the following given sequence in order of their occurrence in the Quranic chapters.
Alif, Lam, Mim @ Chapters 2, 3, 29, 30, 31, 32.
Alif, Lam, Mim, Sad @ Chapter 7.
Alif, Lam, Ra @ Chapters 10, 11, 12, 14, 15.
Alif, Lam, Mim, Ra @ Chapter. 13.
Kaf, Ha, Ya, Ain, Sad @ Chapter 19.
Ta, Ha @ Chapter 20.
Ta, Sin, Mim @ Chapters 26, 28.
Ta, Sin @ Chapter 27.
Ya, Sin @ Chapter 36.
Sad @ Chapter 38.
Ha, Mim @ Chapters 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46.
Ha, Mim, Ain, Sin, Qaf @ Chapter 42.
Qaf @ Chapter 50.
Nun @ Chapter 68.
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The mystery letters of Quran according to their individual zodiac signs and astrological properties.
Alif => Aries = Conflict
Lam => Taurus = Wealth
Mim => Gemini = Speech
Sad => Cancer = Authority
Ra => Leo = Community
Kaf => Virgo = Tactic
Ha => Libra = Justice
Ya => Scorpio = Commitment
Ain => Sagittarius = Vision
Ta => Capricorn = Action
Sin => Aquarius = Rebellion
Nun => Pisces = Patience
The mystery letters of Quran according to their combined astrological influence as they appear as groups in the prefixes of their respective chapters.
Alif Lam Mim = The Conflict about Wealth and Speech
Alif Lam Mim Sad = The Conflict about Wealth, Speech, and Authority
Alif Lam Ra = The Conflict about Wealth and Community
Kaf Ha Ya Ain Sad = The Tactic for Justice, Commitment, Vision, and Authority
Ta Ha = The Action for Justice
Ta Sin Mim = The Action of Rebellion and Speech
Ta Sin = The Action of Rebellion
Ya Sin = The Commitment of Rebellion
Sad = The Authority
Ha Mim = The Speech for Justice
Ha Mim Ain Sin Qaf = The Speech for Justice, Vision, Commitment, and Tactics
Qaf = The Tactic
Nun = The Patience
The End Note
This article is meant to serve as an introduction to the hermetic wisdom depicted through its metaphorical symbolism in the Quran, and I shall further attempt to explain the details in the relevant series of articles. However, I shall conclude this article by quoting the following verses from Quran.
(Moses) said: My Lord! relieve my mind. And ease my task for me; And loose a knot from my tongue, That they may understand my saying. (20, 25–28)