The entire body of spiritual knowledge is divided into three primary domains. The first concerns the actions and deeds of individual life and includes the creative formulas governing the formation of life. The second deals with the creative formulas of species. The third concerns the recognition and introduction of the Lord, the Creator, God Almighty.
Every human being, every individual of a species, and every species as a whole is bound to live in two alternating states: sleep and wakefulness, described as night and day. When all verses that mention night (lail) and day (nahar) are carefully contemplated, it becomes evident that these two terms represent alternating states of perception. When perception is shaped into the pattern of night, it becomes dream-consciousness. When it is shaped into the pattern of day, it becomes wakeful consciousness.
God says, “He merges the night into the day and merges the day into the night.” (57:6)
He also says, “We strip away the night from the day, and behold, they are in darkness.” (36:37)
This indicates that human perception continually alternates between diurnal (day) senses and nocturnal (night) senses. When the senses function in the state of day, they are confined and limited. When they enter the nocturnal state, these limitations are removed.
Whenever mystical knowledge or knowledge of the Unseen is mentioned, it refers to the nocturnal senses.
God says, “And We appointed for Moses thirty nights and completed them with ten more.” (7:142) Although Moses remained on Mount Sinai for forty days and nights, nights alone are mentioned, indicating that Moses remained in a nocturnal state of perception, not merely physical darkness.
Likewise, God says, “Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque.” (17:1)
This signifies that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was taken on the Night Journey while in his nocturnal sensory state, during which the Unseen was revealed.
All knowledge, whether acquired or divinely gifted, is rooted in contemplation and reflection. As the sphere of inquiry expands, new sciences and philosophies emerge. Every science has two dimensions: its outer, apparent form and its inner, intrinsic reality. Mystical knowledge follows the same principle.
The three spiritual sciences may be likened to three leaves, each with two pages, making six pages in total. These contain the reflection of the Beatific Vision, the divine secret plan, its explanation, the cosmic structure, the record of divine commands, and the details of actions and deeds. Within these are preserved the knowledge of the entire cosmos, including the Preserved Tablet, the Supreme Throne, the realm of souls, the heavens, the intermediate realm, the material world, purgatory, resurrection, judgment, hell, paradise, eternity, and infinity.
When God bestows knowledge of these realms upon a person, that individual becomes chosen by divine decree. Those entrusted with God’s system of administration include prophets and others besides prophets.
Qalander Baba Auliya recounts an incident involving Tajuddin Baba Auliya of Nagpur, who was entrusted with certain administrative responsibilities in the divine order. Once, while seated beneath a tree in deep absorption, Tajuddin Baba gazed at a fallen leaf. Under the influence of his gaze, the leaf began to move like a living creature, eventually transforming into an insect. Other leaves followed in the same manner.
When asked about this, he explained, “All elements of life unite within the tree. Every leaf contains faculties such as sight, hearing, understanding, and movement. These become visible only when the leaf encounters life. When a leaf unites with my life, it becomes a living creature. Life produces life, and life merges into life.” These words articulate the principle of cloning, expressed in 1916, long before its scientific recognition in 1993.
Scientific knowledge is broadly divided into physics, psychology, and parapsychology. Physics studies matter, psychology studies consciousness, and parapsychology studies the unconscious. Modern science has discovered that every material body is surrounded by a field of light, commonly referred to as the aura.
Everything that exists is surrounded by a covering of light. Death occurs when this astral body separates from the physical body. The astral body is sustained by Noor, the cosmic light. God granted this knowledge to Jesus (peace be upon him).
God says, “I create for you out of clay the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God’s permission. I heal the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead by God’s permission.” (3:49)
God declares, “We created man from an essence of clay.” (23:12)
He also says, “Then He fashioned him in due proportion and breathed into him of His spirit.” (32:9)
And, “The example of Jesus before God is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him: Be, and he was.” (3:59)
Life remains in the physical body only as long as the soul remains within it. When God breathed His spirit into Adam, perception and consciousness became active.
God says, “They ask you about the soul. Say: the soul is from the command of my Lord, and you have been given but little knowledge.” (17:85)
Although this knowledge is described as little, it is a portion of the infinite knowledge of God, and even a portion of the infinite remains limitless in depth.
The soul operates by divine command. When God wills a thing, He says Be, and it comes into existence. This same command was granted by God’s permission to Jesus, enabling him to restore life, heal the blind and the leper, and give life to what was lifeless.