story of Soloman and Bilqis
Uzma
This is regarding the story of Solomon and Bilqis, in Book 4.
Was hoping the following point could be clarified,
''This is the indicated meaning: the seeker, possessed
with the (spiritual) state of (traveling on) 'the journey to
God' [sayr ilà 'llâh], cuts attachment from all possessions
and from all things except from the throne of the body."
(Anqaravi, Commentary)
The throne in the story is transfered from Bilqis's palace to
Solomon's, so Bilqis may believe , and it is transfered through the
mystic knowledge of a minister. Hence the throne is 1) a means to make
Bliqis believe. 2) symbolic of the body. What does this mystical
transfer of the throne mean. As, if she lives it behind, it still
appears mystically. What could this mean?
This is in relation to point 34 (869).
Just to clarify, the Quranic story states that a Jinn said he would
get the Throne of Bilqis,
However a person versed in the knowledge of the Book , said he would
and it was this man wo did, not the Jinn. Your point seems to state
that the Quran mentions a Jinn got the Throne, whereas Rumi offers an
explanation that the minister did.
Rumi states what the Quran says, there is no discrepancy
27:39 Said an 'Ifrit, of the Jinns: "I will bring it to thee before
thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the
purpose, and may be trusted."
27:40 Said one who had knowledge of the Book: "I will bring it to thee
within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed
firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test
me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly
his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful,
truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honour !"
Regards
Uzma
Ibrahim Gamard
Salaam,
Thank you very much for this Masnavi question. The website was set up
some years ago hoping that readers who were reading the translations
and commentary would click on the email/contact panel or Discussion
Board/Group panels on each article when they had any questions; then
they could return to the article. However, this rarely has happened.
Thank you for raising this question, for it is now evident that the
commentaries available to me have interpreted that the Throne of
Bilqiis was transported by the God-given spiritual powers of a man. It
always seemed to me that it was one of the jinn (but not the arrogant
`ifriit mentioned first), because the jinn did so many miraculous
labors for Solomon (pbuh). And who else but a Prophet can work
miracles in the Qur'an? Perhaps that is why Raazii thought that "he
who had knowledge through revelation" was Solomon himself.
The identity of the person who transported the throne is certainly
ambiguous. Anqaravii mentioned that some thought it was an angel or
Khizr. Then Anqaravii said, "But the most sound transmission of this
is that it is Aasif--such as what Hz. Mawlaanaa declared to be the
meaning." I have now corrected this footnote--thanks again.
I didn't say there was a "mystical" transfer of the throne, but said
"to transport it magically" (now changed to "transport it
miraculously"), meaning God-given powers. Your words, the "mystic
knowledge of a minister" refer to what the Qur'an says: qaala 'llaZii
`inda-hu `ilm-un mina 'l-kitaab".
Now to your question about the meaning of Anqaravi's statement: "the
seeker, possessed
with the (spiritual) state of (traveling on) 'the journey to God'
[sayr ilà 'llaah], cuts attachment from all possessions and from all
things except from the throne of the body. And the secret of this
intention is from connection to the known" ["illaa iin ke az takht-e
badan, wa sirr-e iin maTlab `an qariib-e ma`luum mee-shaw-ad"--the
Persian translation of the Turkish.]
My response is to refer to the explanatory footnotes on this verse of
the Qur'an by Muhammad Asad ("The Message of the Qur'an", p. 581). He
states that the term "throne" is a symbol for "dominion" and "regal
power" (Raaghib). "It appears that Solomon intends to confront his
guest with the image of her worldly power, and thus to convince her
that her 'throne' is as nothing when compared with the awesome
almightiness of God." Asad interprets the second offer to transport
the throne in the twinkling of an eye: "I.e, faster than any magic
could achieve: thus alluding to the symbolic nature of the forthcoming
appearance of the 'throne'. Here, as in the whole of the story of
Solomon and the story of the Queen of Sheba, symbolism and legendary
'fact' are subtly intertwined, evolving into an allegory of the human
soul's awakening to a gradual realization of spiritual values."
As to what Anqaravi really meant, since his commentary is so
influenced by the Akbarii school of msticism (the school of thought
deriving from Ibnu 'l-`Arabi), perhaps he meant that the "throne of
the body" means reflections of Divine Attributes latent within the
human body that have to do with how God originally intended Adam to be
as his "lordly" Vice-Regent [khaliifa]. Another interpretation is that
Islam and Islamic mysticism do not reject the body (as other kinds of
mysticism do in other religions), per the strong belief in
Resurrection of the body and and the experience of the Afterlife
though something "bodily" that cannot be severed from the human soul.
Ibrahim
Uzma
Thank you so much for you detailed reply and clarification. Often it
is through discussion that one learns, so thank you for that.
Would like to ask you what you think of the Masnavi translation by
Jawid Mojaddedi, published by Oxford University Press. It's in rhyme
and hence reads well. He done Book 1and 2 in its entirety.
Further, was hoping you could point out a source or book which
contains storyiesand verses of spirituality or deeper knowledge as
mentioned in the Quran, like the one of Bilqis and Soloman, etc Please
do let me know.
Thank you,
Uzma
On Apr 9, 8:49 am, "Ibrahim Gamard" <daralmasnavi....@gmail.com>
wrote:
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