37:61 For the like of this, then, let the doers do.
If it is suitable to say to the faithful about the hope for joy, the bliss of paradise, and the vision of the youths, “For the like of this, then, let the doers do,” then it is more suitable that the recognizers have hope for seeing the majesty of the Unity and finding the realities of proximity and the good news of union, and that they sacrifice their eyes and heart and expend their lives and spirits for the sake of this good news.
37:83 And surely among his party was Abraham.
Abraham was of the party of Noah in the principles of tawḥīd, even if they disagreed in the branches of the religion and the shari’ite details. In the shari’ah, all the prophets are the same in tawḥīd and the principles of the religion, and there is no disagreement in that. This is exactly what He says: “He has set down for you as the religion that with which He counseled Noah” and so on [42:13].
The disagreement is in Shariah and the rulings. This disagreement is a mercy from the Lord so that the work of the religion will not become tight for the people. God desires for you ease and does not desire for you hardship [2:185]. They are like a group who are heading toward a way station, and each of them takes a different road, though the last way station is the same. Some roads are nearer, some farther.
No road is nearer to the felicity of the afterlife than the road of Muṣṭafā and his Shariah. This is why his Shariah abrogated the shariah and his pact abolished the pacts—a revealed shariah, not newly arrived; a firm pact, not faulty; a holy shariah, not foolish; a confirmed pact, not temporary; a known shariah, not ignored; an expanded pact, not curtailed; a shariah that is as bright as the daytime sun and lights up the hearts of the friends. Muṣṭafā said, “How is it that you are with your religion like the moon when it is full, but only the seeing see it?”
37:84 When he came to his Lord with a sound heart.
Abraham turned his face toward the threshold of the Exalted Lord with a sound heart, without any blight or any discord, released from attachments and having turned away from the share of his soul. This is just what He says: 37:99 He said, “Surely I am going to my Lord; He will guide me.”
That fact that he was going in God necessitated his going to God. He went forth well in God’s work so he went straight in God’s road. About Abraham, the Real says, “Surely I am going to my Lord,” reporting his words. Concerning Moses He says, “Moses came to Our appointed time” [7:143], reporting his attribute.
About Muṣṭafā He says, “Who took His servant by night” [17:1], reporting His attribute for his sake. Abraham was in the station of dispersion, Moses in togetherness itself, and Muṣṭafā in the togetherness of togetherness. The mark of Abraham’s dispersion is Surely I have turned my face toward Him Who originated the heavens and the earth [6:79]. The mark of Moses’ togetherness is We brought him near as a confidant [19:52]. The mark of Muṣṭafā’s togetherness of togetherness is Then He drew close, and He came down [53:8].
In the tasting of the folk of recognition, Surely I am going to my Lord alludes to the disentanglement of the servant. The meaning of disentanglement is to be cut off from all along with the Real, in the beginning through effort and in the end totally. In the beginning, the body is striving, the tongue is in remembrance, and one’s lifespan is in the effort. In the end, one is on loan to the people, estranged from oneself, and at ease from attachment. For one hundred years the sun will rise in the east and set in the west before a disentangled man is given the eyes to discern the station of creation from the station of the Real and know the difference between the beginning and the end.
Wāsiṭī said, “Abraham was going from creation to the Real, and Muḥammad was coming from the Real to creation. Someone who goes from creation to the Real recognizes the Real through evidence, and someone who goes from the Real to creation recognizes the evidence through the Real. Do you not see that Abraham came by way of the evidence? When he arrived at a bit of evidence, he would say, ‘This is my Lord’ [6:76]. This was the beginning of his state. When he reached the end, he saw the beauty of tawḥīd with the eyes of face-to-face vision and said, ‘I am going to my Lord; He will guide me.’”
“O God, he who seeks the Real from the evidence worships in hope and fear, he who loves the Real for His beautiful doing will turn back on the day of tribulation, and he who seeks the Real through himself will fancy that the not found is found. O God, the recognizer knows You through light, but he cannot express the radiance of Finding. He burns in the fire of love and does not turn away from the fire.”
37:102 And when he reached the age of striving with him, he said “O my son! I see in a dream that I will sacrifice thee. Look, what dost thou see?” He said, “O my father! Do as thou art commanded. Thou shalt find me, God willing, one of the patient.”
Ishmael was a child increasing day by day. He grew up noble and stood up exalted. He was the extract of bosom friendship and the oyster shell for the pearl of Muḥammad the emissary. The corner of Abraham’s heart became attached to him and looked upon him while deeming him beautiful. Any talk that keeps you back from the road—let it be unbelief or faith. Any picture that holds you back from the Friend—let it be ugly or beautiful. [DS 51]
“O Bosom Friend, you claimed friendship with Me and like a desirer you came into the road of desire: ‘Surely I have turned my face toward Him Who originated the heavens and the earth’ [6:79]. Now you have come with a heart that is dedicated to love for My majesty and beauty and you have turned it toward him, placing love’s seal on him. Make a sacrifice of him for Me, and sever yourself completely for Me! If you want Me, apply the remedy to your pain.”
At the beginning of desire, the pirs of the Tariqah have the desire to keep their eyes down so that they will not look at anything, for whenever they look at something, that thing will become their bond and the basis of tribulation. One day Jacob gazed at Joseph’s beauty with an eye that deemed him beautiful—look at the tribulation he suffered and how he was afflicted by separation from Joseph! The same state occurred for Abraham. He gave the corner of his heart over to love for Ishmael. He fell into trial and threw Ishmael into tribulation as well. He told him the story of his dream, saying, “I see in a dream that I will sacrifice thee.” Ishmael himself was brave, noble in nature, and beautiful in character. He answered, “O my father, do as thou art commanded. Thou shalt find me, God willing, one of the patient. O father, bring to pass what you have been commanded. The road of your bosom friendship must be pure and approved. As for me, whether I have a head—or not.” They spoke to see which of them was more generous—he who was sacrificing his son, or he who was sacrificing his life and body. Abraham said, “My work is more wondrous, for I am sacrificing my precious child.” Ishmael said, “My generosity is more tremendous, for I am sacrificing my dear life and my precious body.” Abraham said, “For you, it is not more than an hour’s pain, and for me, it will be pain with every breath and grief at every instant—that I sacrificed my own child with my own hand.”
It is as if the Exalted Lord said to them, “I am more munificent and more generous than both of you, for I will take the unslain as slain, and I will send a sacrifice unasked for. ‘And We ransomed him with a tremendous sacrifice’ [37:107].” Why should the sacrifice sent by God not be greater and more tremendous? Gabriel brought it, Abraham accepted it, and it became Ishmael’s ransom.
