This verse verifies that all of the meanings denoted by all of the Names within the Dimension of Names exist within the point of the essence of man.
As opposed to others, Abdul Karim al-Jili penned his work from the perspective of the multiplicity from the One. This is also the perspective that I employ. The biggest reason why it’s difficult to understand these topics rests in the attempt to view things the other way around, that is, the One from the point of multiplicity. If one tries to explore a tree starting from the seed to the fruit, it will be systematic and easier to grasp than if he starts off at the fruit or the leaf and tries to understand the roots and then the seed… This is a much longer and harder route. Another example is that of observing the formation of the human body from a single cell…
Now when I say the Dimension of Names I want to make something clear. I am not referring to a collection of Names, rather I’m referring to a singlereality designated by the Names. The Dimension of Names is an abstract dimension or domain of attributes. The multitude of Names doesn’t imply the multitude of the One that is named. All of the Names belong to the One. It is the same One that is denoted by all of the names. All of the attributes and qualities the Names reference pertain to the same existence, the Supreme Oneness. This is the only existence, the one and only reflection, besides which there is no other. HU ALLAH, the AHAD the SAMAD.
In so far as our essence (our ‘point’ of existence) we (all individuals of perceptive ability within the infinite multiverses) manifest new qualities at every instance as does the universe.
The angel called Spirit (The Reality of Muhammad) about whom it is said “He encompasses the whole of creation” comprises the essence of every ‘thing’. Thus when he said, “I saw my Rabb” he was pointing to this truth. For the One named Allah is both the One who exists within every iota of existence and the One who is beyond being labeled and limited by the manifestations of His Names, as He is Great (Akbar) and beyond all concepts (al-Ghani). So when he said, “My Rabb is Allah” he told the truth in terms of tashbih (the similarity/comparability of the divine) and when he said “Allah is al-Ghani” he also told the truth in terms of tanzih (the incomparability of the divine).
If you are Muhammadan both will be within your observation!
If you’re Ahmadian, then even beyond this will be accessible to you… though only the qualified will know…
Know this for sure, however, the knowledge of religion is a complete integrative whole. It is all about how much one can benefit from the knowledge of Allah. Far from being about the literal meanings of the Quran and Hadith, it is all about deciphering and comprehending their inner deeper meanings and putting them into practice and holistically experiencing their reality. This is what Sufism is about. Those who suffice with whatever they’ve memorized and who deny the things, which their comprehension falls short of understanding, can’t read the Sunnatullah and can’t understand the system of Allah. What’s worse, they are unaware of their lack of understanding. Denial is like the mind’s fuse. When the mind doesn’t “get it” it blows the fuse to protect its sanity.
You can’t learn religion from religious leaders or so-called theologists. They can only provide one part, if that, of the whole, for their expertise generally veils them from seeing the whole.
Only the ignorant can be fooled by those who flash out memorized verses and hadith without having reached gnosis of knowledge.