What Does the Saying “العلم نقطة کثرها الجاهلون” Mean?

First Page

Everything begins with a point, and the point gives rise to quantity and quality …

For example, as a point moves, a line takes shape; the line becomes a plane, and the plane becomes a volume. This progression gives rise to dimensions beyond the three we know.

Now imagine that only a single point moves, and the path it traces remains in the observer’s memory …

If we imagine a photon as a point, changes in its oscillations produce different colours, while all we do is observe the movement of a single photon.

The movement of a particle of food across the palate, and the manner and quality of that movement, produce taste. We can extend this example to touch, smell and the other senses …

All these senses lead to the brain. Through its processing, the brain in effect produces colour and taste, sensations of cold and warmth, softness and so on. We can now relate this process to a single point of thought, to a single current …

Love is like this, too: in essence, it is a current that flows through the heart. The same is true of the other inward senses …

The point is the summit of knowledge; it is the point that makes knowledge manifest. If the truth of this point were unveiled—the knowledge held within it, capable of expounding knowledge for all eternity—we could grasp all that it expounds in an instant!

To be continued

Second Page

The point signifies both beginning and end. It is a warning and a call to attention; it reminds us of the centre.

The movement of a point gives rise to creation and dimensions.

As a point occupies different positions and those positions are drawn in our mind, forms and dimensions take shape. The rapid movement of a luminous point is, in a sense, calligraphy and painting in the mind and in thought.

When the Calligrapher of Being moves the tip of His pen to create, the pen-tip and the mark of the point are the first expression of His will; that point contains His entire will. The reader must reach the divine will through that point. All the remaining forms interpret that single point.

The movement of a point gives rise to letters, words, sentences and written texts. In other words, the movement of a point is the very creation of the universe. Creation is the manifestation of divine knowledge. Whether in the point itself or in its movements, what is truly revealed are signs that lead to knowledge. Whoever reaches knowledge in that very point will have no need to draw a line or follow it any further.

The point is the supreme sign of knowledge. Knowledge accepts no limits and is confined to no dimension. Whoever attains knowledge has reached the unity of knowledge. Knowledge does not multiply; it is the countless things known that multiply, all of them signs of knowledge. Whoever reaches knowledge through unity encounters knowledge in its very unity; whoever fails to reach unity becomes entangled in multiplicity.

If we find the point of light, we have found all illumination. Through that point, every truth in the universe will be brought to light. If the gaze is fixed on it, we will be united with the whole of truth in an instant.

It should be remembered that vibrating light is not the reality of light, but only its display. Apart from vibration, light is whole and singular, containing the entirety of truth about light.

To be continued

The Third Leaf

In a word, the “point” in the sense of the point at the heart of existence is the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. The Family of Muhammad are the gates and guides leading to that point; in a sense, we may even regard the Prophet’s household as the point itself.

The source and centre of knowledge is that very point.

If we describe knowledge as a singularity, that singularity is “Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad,” peace and blessings be upon him and his family!

علی علیه السلام said: أَنَا النُّقْطَةُ أَنَا الْخَطُّ أَنَا الْخَطُّ أَنَا النُّقْطَةُ أَنَا النُّقْطَةُ وَ الْخَط
Virtues of the Family of Abū Ṭālib (by Ibn Shahrāshūb), vol. 2, p. 49

The Commander of the Faithful, علی علیه السلام, said: “I am the point beneath the extended ب.”
The Dawning Lights of Certainty: On the Mysteries of the Commander of the Faithful, p. 31

يس : 12 إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِ الْمَوْتى‏ وَ نَكْتُبُ ما قَدَّمُوا وَ آثارَهُمْ وَ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ أَحْصَيْناهُ في‏ إِمامٍ مُبينٍ
ُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ حَدِيثٌ طَوِيلٌ يَقُولُ فِيهِ: مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ مَا مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا عَلَّمَنِيهِ رَبِّي وَ أَنَا عَلَّمْتُهُ عَلِيّاً وَ قَدْ أَحْصَاهُ اللَّهُ فِيَّ، وَ كُلُّ عِلْمٍ عَلِمْتُ فَقَدْ أَحْصَيْتُهُ فِي إِمَامِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَ مَا مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا عَلَّمْتُهُ عَلِيّاً.
Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn, vol. 4, p. 381
ِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: أَوْصَى مُوسَى ع إِلَى يُوشَعَ بْنِ نُونٍ وَ أَوْصَى يُوشَعُ بْنُ نُونٍ إِلَى وَلَدِ هَارُونَ وَ لَمْ يُوصِ إِلَى وَلَدِهِ وَ لَا إِلَى وَلَدِ مُوسَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَهُ الْخِيَرَةُ يَخْتَارُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِمَّنْ يَشَاءُ وَ بَشَّرَ مُوسَى وَ يُوشَعُ بِالْمَسِيحِ ع فَلَمَّا أَنْ بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الْمَسِيحَ ع قَالَ الْمَسِيحُ لَهُمْ إِنَّهُ سَوْفَ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي نَبِيٌّ اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ مِنْ وُلْدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ع يَجِي‏ءُ بِتَصْدِيقِي وَ تَصْدِيقِكُمْ وَ عُذْرِي وَ عُذْرِكُمْ- وَ جَرَتْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فِي الْحَوَارِيِّينَ فِي الْمُسْتَحْفَظِينَ وَ إِنَّمَا سَمَّاهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْمُسْتَحْفَظِينَ لِأَنَّهُمُ اسْتُحْفِظُوا الِاسْمَ الْأَكْبَرَ وَ هُوَ الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي يُعْلَمُ بِهِ عِلْمُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ الَّذِي كَانَ مَعَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ ص يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنا رُسُلًا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ* ... وَ أَنْزَلْنا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتابَ وَ الْمِيزانَ الْكِتَابُ الِاسْمُ الْأَكْبَرُ وَ إِنَّمَا عُرِفَ مِمَّا يُدْعَى الْكِتَابَ التَّوْرَاةُ وَ الْإِنْجِيلُ وَ الْفُرْقَانُ فِيهَا كِتَابُ نُوحٍ وَ فِيهَا كِتَابُ صَالِحٍ وَ شُعَيْبٍ وَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع فَأَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- إِنَّ هذا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولى‏ صُحُفِ إِبْراهِيمَ وَ مُوسى‏ ...
Al-Kāfī (Islamic edition), vol. 1, p. 293
ِ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْبَاقِرِ ع قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ أَحْصَيْناهُ فِي إِمامٍ مُبِينٍ قَامَ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِمَا فَقَالا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هُوَ التَّوْرَاةُ قَالَ لَا قَالا فَهُوَ الْإِنْجِيلُ قَالَ لَا قَالا فَهُوَ الْقُرْآنُ قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَأَقْبَلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص هُوَ هَذَا إِنَّهُ الْإِمَامُ الَّذِي أَحْصَى اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى فِيهِ عِلْمَ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ.
Al-Amālī (al-Ṣadūq), text, p.:

It can continue.