The Higher Realms

When the sources of knowledge converge to universal truth One of the glorious features of the religion of Allah is the verification of realities from multiple sources. By sources we mean the Holy Quran, and the authentic traditions, supplications, and visitations associated with the holy infallibles. We may list these four sources as follows:  Quran : Allah communicating with man Hadith : Infallible communicating with man Du'a : Infallible communicating with Allah Ziyarat : Man communicating with infallible The focus of this discussion will be verses 54-55 of Chapter 5 of the Holy Quran, Surah Al-Ma'idah - Primarily, verse 54.  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّـهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ...

There is something worth pondering over in Chapter Al-Imran, verses 190-194 and verse 195. (Indeed, all the verses of the Holy Quran are worth pondering over.) Verses 190-194 refer to some individuals who are in communication with their Lord. These people call out to Allah five times, by exclaiming Rabbana (Our Lord!). Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day, there are signs for those who possess intellect. Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth [and say], ‘ Our Lord  , You have not created this in vain! Immaculate are You! Save us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord  , whoever that You make enter the Fire will surely have been disgraced by You, and the wrongdoers will have no helpers. Our Lord  , we have indeed heard a summoner calling to faith, declaring, ‘‘Have faith in your Lord!’’ So we believed. Our Lord...

Introduction One of the attributes of the Holy Quran is that it is a descriptive book. It contains descriptions of Allah's attributes and of his creations. Some of the descriptions are direct while others are abstract. There are abundant and clear undisputed references to Allah and the holy prophet throughout the holy Quran.   On some occasions, there are captivating descriptions of someone / something that don't (necessarily) refer to Allah and his prophet, yet are noteworthy in their own right. Such descriptions are of what we may refer to a "third entity". Depending on the description, the third entity may be the holy Quran, an individual, a group of people, or something entirely different.  The purpose of this article is not to provide detailed exegesis of Quranic verse. Rather, we will be listing and where required, briefly commenting on the specific aspects of the descriptions. The Third Entity  For the purpose of this article, we will define ...