Returning to the Heavenly Vision

🌼🔆🌼A journey from the darkness of faults to the light of witnessing; from the outward realm of creation to the inner reality of guidance🌼🔆🌼
🔹Weekly sessions on the commentary and interpretation of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya
📅 Date: 1404/05/02 – 28 Muharram 1447
✨ Session: Meshkat-e Noor
🎤 Speaker: Master Ali Saei

Some of the topics discussed in the session:

Why can’t I see? 🌌

O God, leave no quality in my soul, heart, or spirit incomplete. O God, remove all my faults. O God, perfect every deficiency in my being. O God, bring the noble qualities of my soul to fulfillment. O God, perfect my sight, my hearing, and my senses by Your grace.
O God, if I look upon this world with my flawed vision, I will see no beauty in it.
Even if I am immersed in the water of life, without a sense of life, without a life-giving spirit, I will not taste what it means to live.
Even if I am immersed in pleasure, if purity departs from my being, O God, I will know nothing but pain.
O God, I look at the heavens, yet see nothing. I do not perceive their order and harmony. O God, I look, yet I do not even see the earth,
though You, my God, have given me the ability to behold every region of the earth and the heavens—with all their wonders and all their unseen realms.
O God, I look at the seven heavens, yet I do not see.

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا

Time and again, O God, I have looked at this noble verse and recited it, yet it is as though I have not heard it—as though I am still deaf to the sound of Your verse.
I should have observed the seven layers of heaven, carefully considered all their subtle details, so that I would not have become indifferent to this world.
I should have wearied my eyes looking upon all the wonders of Your heavens, until I understood that these heavens and earth, and all that is in them, are perfectly beautiful in their utter obedience.

وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

☀️

*ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنْقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ

*
No matter how long I search—and let all people, all those with clear sight, come and search—none will find disorder in these earths and heavens. They will grow weary, but they will find no ugliness or crookedness in them.

*وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا *
And now I want to look at the heavens, at their order and harmony, to see how far I have fallen**, how much I have destroyed and distorted myself, how little I have understood…

Should I aspire merely to the order and harmony of the heavens?
No, **I must rise above them!
For all these heavens and this earth are means placed in our hands, so that we may reach higher worlds and cultivate the world within our being.

The strength of servitude, not being earthbound 🕊

On the one hand, I look at the heavens.
On the other, my God reminds me:
“Whatever is in the heavens and the earth has been placed at your service.”

So I should have brought all the heavens and the earth into service
in the worship and obedience of God.
Why am I still earthbound?
I crawl upon the earth; I am dead, dead in spirit…

When, then? When should I have absorbed all these heavens and this earth into my being,
so that I might prove the strength of my servitude to God…

Returning to the orbit of servitude 🌀

«وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَائِبَيْنِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ»
On the one hand, I see the beauty of the heavens and the earth, and my own crookedness… Yet on the other hand, I was supposed to put all this order to work for me.
So here I am, helpless and unaware!
If the heavens and the earth were to disobey God’s command for even a moment, what would become of this great order?
What would happen if the earth strayed from its orbit for even a moment? How many earthquakes would there be!

Now I understand: I have strayed from the orbit of worship and servitude to God, and brought this calamity upon myself.
I am captive to impurity—I make no excuses.
When I look at all these creatures, I see that each has strayed from its perfect order.
The creatures of the earth—insects, venomous creatures, predators and reptiles—when have they ever strayed from their orbit and brought this immense calamity upon themselves?
When have they fallen prey to such great pain and affliction?

I must return to the orbit of worship and servitude to God.
Once more, I must journey, travel and walk the path within the perfect order of my Lord.
If I do not, I am doomed to perish.

Reflecting on the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth 🌠

«يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّكَ كَادِحٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَدْحًا فَمُلَاقِيهِ»
One day, we will meet our Lord…
And this is only the outward appearance of the earth and the heavens.
I should have seen the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth too—not only their visible realm, but their inner reality as well. I should have put that to work for me, but I did not.

I do not know where I went wrong!
The Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth…
How thoughtfully have I gazed at the sky?
Have I ever had the time to look thoughtfully at the heavens and the earth?
I have had no time to reflect…
Has the time not come to reflect?

When will I learn to look?
I must gaze at the heavens with the eye of the heart.
We look, but do not see!
We listen, but do not hear!
We take delight, but fail to taste the world.

What are we to do?
We must strive earnestly in our seeking.
Once again, we must seek with sincerity, so that our Creator may open our eyes.

«وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَا»
I look at the earth; I look at the sky,
but I must see not only the visible realm—I must see its inner reality too.
I must beseech my God: And those who strive in Our cause…
O God, You will open the gates of my sight and reveal its secrets to me…

Why can I not see? Why can I not hear? 👁‍🗨

Why can I not see my Imam of the Age?
I see him… but do not recognize him.
I look at him… but do not see him.

«إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَى لَا يَسْمَعُوا…»
If you call them to guidance, they do not hear.
Why do they not hear? Do they have no ears?
Why?

«وَإِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدَىٰ لَا يَسْمَعُوا ۖ وَتَرَاهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ»
You see them looking at you, but they do not see…
We look at God, at the Mahdi… but we do not see!

We gaze upon the Kingdom, but do not see! 👁✨

We look at the Kingdom, but do not see!
And yet we should have seen.

«وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ»
Thus did We show Abraham the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth, that he might be among those who are certain.

Is gazing upon the Kingdom the work of prophets alone?
Must we become like Abraham, the intimate friend of God? No… everyone must see.
With God’s Proof present**, we **should have seen the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth.

The Great Secret of Imam Baqir (AS) 🌌

I will unveil a secret from Imam al-Baqir (AS)**, the one who opened the knowledge of the Household of Muhammad.
He takes Abu Basir on a journey… to where?
To places even the noble Abraham the Friend of God never set foot in.

Imam al-Baqir said:

“You have reached a place Abraham never reached. You have come to a place, set foot in the realm of the earth, that Abraham never saw. Abraham beheld the realm of the heavens, but the realms of the earth are twelve worlds.”

Would you like me to show you where your Imam of the Age is?
It is here…
I’ll show you now.
May you be granted the strength, God willing…
May you find your way to the realm of the earth where our Imam of the Age is.

Where the Ahl al-Bayt dwell in the realm of the earth 🏞

Each of us Imams, in our own time, dwells in one of these worlds.
The Imams’ true dwelling place is in the realm of the earth in these worlds.
Our Imam of the Age is in the twelfth realm of this earth.

How can we reach it?
Only through purity of heart.
How did Abu Basir set foot there?
Only through the key of the Imam’s being** was the way opened to him.

**The realm of the unseen means the inner reality of things 🕳

The realm of any thing is its inner domain.
It is everything hidden from us by outward appearances.

The realm of the earth means the earth’s inner mysteries—its hidden knowledge.
The realms of the heavens and the earth are the veiled layers of this created world.
They are the alphabet of the highest knowledge.

How can we reach them?
The realm is the City of Knowledge.
The realm is the gates of knowledge.

For example:
the knowledge of Dhul-Qarnayn…
the technology Salman al-Farsi had attained…
was but a tiny glimpse of that exalted realm.
It all lies in the hands of His Eminence, the Remnant of God, the Greatest (AJ).

How to see the Imam of the Age (AJ) 🌠

What is the way?
How can I see my Imam of the Age?
I see him… but I do not recognize him.
How can I know him?

By journeying with him through the realms of the heavens and the earth.
But only with a sincere heart.
All I need to do is drive Satan from my heart
to behold the highest realm.

If there were no devils, we would see the realm 🌌

If devils did not circle around the heart of the son of Adam**, they would surely gaze upon the **realm and behold the highest realm.
If they had patience, the vision of the highest realm would dwell in their hearts.

The time has come for us to arrive…
“أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ ۗ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ لَكَافِرُونَ”
Have they not reflected within themselves?

The time has come for us to behold the realms of the heavens and the earth, to open a way from this dust to those celestial spheres, to rise from the earthly plane to the Throne.

Connecting to the realm’s system 🛰

What should we do?
We must connect ourselves to the system of the realms of the heavens and the earth.
We must connect with the Qur’an.
We must join the network of the Ahl al-Bayt.

Is it possible?
By God, it is.

Just as when a person eats food, that food is put to work within them and all its energy surges through their being;
if we can put the realm of the earth’s foods to work, then they will become the fuel that carries us to the highest realm.

The Light of God: The Key to Beholding the Inner Reality of Existence 🔆

What must we do for our hearts to attain such purity that they can unlock all the instruments of God and the hidden stores of divine knowledge?
How should we ask?
How can we connect ourselves to the supreme network of the Two Weighty Things?

Why do we offer these prayers?
Because our hearts are without light.
If God’s light shines into our hearts, we will then sense the exalted vista of this world.

If God’s light shines upon our eyes, only by that light can we behold the inner reality and mystery of this world.
If that light shines upon our hearing, then we can hear God’s hidden mysteries.

It is that light that opens our hearts to the joys beyond this world of existence.
We must reform ourselves**; we must **recreate the very structure of our being.

Reforming the Soul’s Genes to Connect with the Kingdom of Heaven 🧬

We must reform our genes.
The genes of our souls must be set right.
Our task is simple: whatever happens is in Allah’s hands.

«إِن كَتَبْتَنِي…»
Whatever we have done and whatever we have become is written in the Mother of the Book.
And God’s hands are free to act upon His Mother of the Book.
If I am wretched in the Mother of the Book, my God can make me blessed.

The Mother of the Book and Hope for a Changed Destiny 📜

How do you know? From the Mother of the Book!
Who am I? This narrow-mouthed person!
Such a thing may befit the great, but God is Most Generous and kind to the lowly.

If I am wretched, if I accepted every misfortune in the primordial realm**, then in the **Mother of the Book I am known as one doomed to misery…
O God, You are the author of the Mother of the Book.
O God, remove the name of wretchedness from me.

Why?
Because:
«يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ۖ وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ»
He erases whatever He wills and confirms whatever He wills, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.

Why should I be afraid?
I am afraid I might forget that the Mother of the Book is in God’s almighty hand,
and that He is the one who writes it…

Erased from the Mother of the Book; Reborn in Purity ✨

Let me share another secret…
Whatever we have done, whatever shortcomings there may be in our worship, is recorded in the Mother of the Book.
Ask God to change it**; He will not only change it, but *erase* it!
To erase it means to make it as though it had never happened…

If you have made a mistake, if we have sinned—
Can one sin against the Lord?
Allahu akbar!
If we have, He is the Eraser.
The Mother of the Book is in His hands.
He erases it so completely that it is as though I never sinned.
Not “as though”… but as if I had never sinned at all!

Then I reach a state of purity and cleanliness…
Would that we were always connected to God’s blessed tree,
and always bore pure fruit at God’s door.

Good deeds are the sign of connection to the blessed tree**.
Whoever fails to connect to the blessed tree will connect to the **evil tree.
Sin is proof of connection to the evil network.

«وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ اجْتُثَّتْ مِنْ فَوْقِ الْأَرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِنْ قَرَارٍ»
It is a foul tree, uprooted from the earth, with no stability or firmness…

Let Us Not Be Unmindful in the End Times ⚠️

Let us keep watch over our state.
If we forget our God**, we will be wretched in this world and the next.
These are the **end times.
And the flaws of this age are the flaws of the end times.

What should we do?
Ignorance is portrayed so convincingly that we mistake it for beauty.
We mistake corruption for reform**,
and **vices for virtues…

So let us not leave our faults unattended**,
lest they turn our very being into a **field of ugliness.

The Triumph of Reason over Lust and Falsehood 🔥

Whoever flees from vice** has escaped *faults. Whoever masters their own desires* can flee every earthly fault and **be saved.

Anger and desire must be brought under the command of reason.

Lying and envy are among the ugliest faults in this world, and we must flee from them.
A lie is ugly; uglier still is believing lies.
Worse than that is worshipping lies.
And worse still is fostering them!

This is the affliction that has gripped our age.
We must keep away from every kind of deception:
the deception of status and beauty**,
the deception of *conduct, mannerisms and airs*,
all of it **accompanied by the insinuations and temptations of Satan and the self,
and drawing people into a mire of misery.

In this age, people have come to love being deceived.
They hire others to deceive them,
so they can bear the darkness imprisoned within them.

Discerning Falsehood: A Believer’s Duty 🧭

Falsehood** is a weapon for making the beautiful seem ugly
and the ugly seem beautiful.
**Discerning falsehood is the highest duty and responsibility of every believer.

The test is made harder to prove the sincerity of faith and certainty**,
and this has been so throughout the ages…
But this age is **the end of that test.