Written transcript of the lecture
The Meshkat-e Noor teachings series🌼🔆🌼The Treasury of Night and Day🌼🔆🌼
🌹🔅☘️ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ ☘️🔅🌹
🔅🌹 “Essential Stagnation” “Moment-by-Moment Renewal and Creation” “The Breath of Night and Day” “Equipped with God’s Proof” “A Commentary on Supplication 6 of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya” and more … An outline with supplement 1405.01.20 Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903) 🌹🔅
✳️✅ ❇️ 🔆✨💫🔆 🌸☘️🌷🌹🌻 🌼 🕋 🌙 🤲 🌙 🕌 📖 🍃🪴
🔅🌼 Renewal and Creation through Supplication 6🌼🔅
Examine your oneness of God each day.
With a new year—and likewise with each new day—we become new people.
Through Supplication 6 of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya, every day and every night we ascend as a new work of art, a new servant of God.
Supplication 6 is a prayer of flight, of becoming new, and of passing from freshness to still greater freshness.
Through Supplication 6, at every moment we begin a new year and a new chapter in our lives.
Reduce your year to a moment; reduce the years of your life to moments. Every moment is a hologram of pre-eternity and eternity.
🔅🌼 The Secrets of Supplication Six of al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya 🌼🔅
Night and day are God’s treasury of secrets, His ever-present studio of creation.
Night and day are a gallery and a place where God’s majesty and beauty are made manifest.
The universe, viewed through the frame of night and day, is a center of innovation—renewed and recreated in every age! Indeed, new events and scenes unfold in it at every moment!
We must look upon the life of the world and its realities with the very essence of our souls!
❇️Essential Stagnation
Awaken, free, and cultivate your artistic sensibility, so that you may witness the new creations, renewals, and wonders of the universe.
We fail to perceive change, renewal, and creation because our senses and our very being have grown stagnant—our essential self imprisoned in the past.
✨🔆الرحمن : 29 يَسْئَلُهُ مَنْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ في شَأْنٍ
🔆All who are in the heavens and the earth beseech Him; every day He is engaged in a new work!
❇️Every moment is a moment of resurrection
💫🔆قَالَ: «إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ) قَالَ: قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ، فَإِنَّ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ ذَنْباً، وَ يُفَرِّجَ كَرْباً، وَ يَرْفَعَ قَوْماً وَ يَضَعَ آخَرِينَ».[1]
🔆The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: God Almighty said, “Every day He is engaged in a work; among His works are forgiving a sin, relieving a sorrow, raising some people up, and bringing others low.”
💫🔆 فِي مَجْمَعِ الْبَيَانِ وَ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ فِي قَوْلِهِ: «كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ» قَالَ: مِنْ شَأْنِهِ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ ذَنْباً وَ يُفَرِّجَ كَرْباً، وَ يَرْفَعَ قَوْماً وَ يَضَعَ آخَرِينَ. [2]
🔆In Majmaʿ al-Bayān, it is narrated from Abū al-Dardāʾ that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), speaking about God’s words, “Every day He is engaged in a work,” said: “Among His works are forgiving a sin, relieving a sorrow, raising some people up, and bringing others low.”
🔸At every moment, God’s decrees and will are at work!
🔸God Most High is the absolute sovereign of every moment!
🔸Every day is God’s royal throne!
❇️God’s wonders are renewed and unfolding at every moment
💫🔆عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَ فِيهَا: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ وَ لَا تَنْقَضِي عَجَائِبُهُ، لِأَنَّهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ مِنْ أَحْدَاثٍ بَدِيعٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ. [3]
🔆It is related from the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) that he said: “Praise be to God, who never dies and whose wonders never cease, for each day He is engaged in a new work, bringing about events never seen before.”
❇️A kiss upon God’s station today is a grace from His station tomorrow
💫🔆وَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ صُرَدٍ الْخُزَاعِيُّ لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ: مَا يَنْقَضِي تَعَجُّبُنَا مِنْكَ، بَايَعْتَ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَ مَعَكَ أَرْبَعُونَ أَلْفَ مُقَاتِلٍ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ سِوَى أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَ الْحِجَازِ؟ فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: قَدْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ فَمَا تَرَى الْآنَ؟ قَالَ: وَ اللَّهِ أَرَى أَنْ تَرْجِعَ لِأَنَّهُ نَقَضَ.
فَقَالَ: يَا مُسَيَّبُ إِنَّ الْغَدَرَ لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ وَ لَوْ أَرَدْتُ لَمَا فَعَلْتُ، فَقَالَ حُجْرُ بْنُ عَدِيٍّ: أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّكَ مِتَّ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَ مِتْنَا مَعَكَ وَ لَمْ نَرَ هَذَا الْيَوْمَ، فَإِنَّا رَجَعْنَا رَاغِبِينَ بِمَا كَرِهْنَا، وَ رَجَعُوا مَسْرُورِينَ بِمَا أَحَبُّوا، فَلَمَّا خَلَا بِهِ الْحَسَنُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: يَا حُجْرُ قَدْ سَمِعْتُ كَلَامَكَ فِي مَجْلِسِ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَ لَيْسَ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ يُحِبُّ مَا تُحِبُّ وَ لَا رَأْيُهُ كَرَأْيِكَ، وَ إِنِّي لَمْ أَفْعَلْ مَا فَعَلْتُ إِلَّا إِبْقَاءً عَلَيْكُمْ، وَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ.[4]
🔆And سُلَیمان بن صُرَد خُزاعی someone said to Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon them both): “Our amazement at you never ends! You made peace with Muawiya while you had forty thousand warriors from Kufa with you, not counting the people of Basra and the Hijaz.”
Hasan (peace be upon him) replied: “That is how it was. What do you see now?”
The man said: “By God, I see that you will return to battle, for he has broken the pact.”
He said: “O Musayyib, treachery is no virtue. Had I wished, I would not have done this.”
Hujr ibn Adi said: “Yes, by God, I wish you had died that day, and that we had died with you and never lived to see this day. We returned, resigned to what we disliked, while they returned, rejoicing in what they desired.”
When Hasan (peace be upon him) was alone with him, he said: “O Hujr, I heard what you said in Muawiya’s assembly. But not everyone desires what you desire, nor does everyone share your judgment. I acted only to protect you. And God Most High is at work every day.”
🔸God’s Proof is the supreme embodiment and manifestation of the divine attributes!
❇️The breath of night and day
Night and day are the inhalation and exhalation of the year of existence: the rhythm of the journey of spiritual wayfaring, the pulse of life, the melody of growth, and the path of maturation and perfection.
Night and day are the ground where divine wonders are planted and brought forth.
Night and day are vast treasuries of God; they are two pages from the book of creation.
No change in the world is without purpose; every event unfolds according to God’s wisdom and perfect decree.
❇️Night and day, like every creature God has made, are fashioned according to His sublime wisdom
✨🔆 The Believers, 115 أَ فَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّما خَلَقْناكُمْ عَبَثاً وَ أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنا لا تُرْجَعُونَ
🔆 Did you think that We created you without purpose, and that you would not be returned to Us?
✨🔆 The Resurrection, 36 أَ يَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسانُ أَنْ يُتْرَكَ سُدىً
🔆 Does man think he will be left to wander aimlessly?
❇️Creation is a showcase of God’s power
💫🔆فِي كِتَابِ عِلَلِ الشَّرَائِعِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ إِلَى جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُمَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الصَّادِقَ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: لِمَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ؟ فَقَالَ: انْ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لَمْ يَخْلُقْ خَلْقَهُ عَبَثاً وَ لَمْ يَتْرُكْهُمْ سُدًى، بَلْ خَلَقَهُمْ لِإِظْهَارِ قُدْرَتِهِ، وَ لِيُكَلِّفَهُمْ طَاعَتَهُ، فَيَسْتَوْجِبُوا بِذَلِكَ رِضْوَانَهُ، وَ مَا خَلَقَهُمْ لِيَجْلِبَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْفَعَةً وَ لَا لِيَدْفَعَ بِهِمْ مَضَرَّةً بَلْ خَلَقَهُمْ لِيَنْفَعَهُمْ وَ يُوصِلَهُمْ إِلَى نَعِيمِ.[5]
🔆In *ʿIlal al-Sharāʾiʿ*, with its chain of transmission, a report is related from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿUmārah, from his father, who said: I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq, Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad (peace be upon them both), “Why did God create creation?”
He replied: “God, Blessed and Exalted, did not create His creatures without measure, nor leave them without purpose. Rather, He created them to manifest His power and charged them with obeying Him, so that through this they might become worthy of His approval. He did not create them to benefit from them or to ward off harm through them; rather, He created them to benefit them and bring them to His blessings.”
☘️“سُدًى” means to be left without purpose or measure.
Human beings, with their plan, purpose, and aims, are placed within the vast systems of creation so that they may take the best possible steps toward the great ends of servitude to God!
🔸Creation is the arena in which divine power is manifested!
🔸The charge to obey is a precious endowment bestowed upon God’s servants, for obedience goes hand in hand with knowledge and ability. These two sublime tools enable human beings to display the highest art of creation and make themselves a canvas for divine knowledge and power.
❇️Earthly night and day are the staging ground for celestial night and day
We must consider night and day both on an earthly scale and on a cosmic one.
If we were to relocate to another place on Earth, night and day would change in both quantity and quality on every planet and star!
If we were to leave Earth for the heavens, these characteristics would change in each of the heavens.
✨🔆Al-Ḥijr: 21 وَ إِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ عِنْدَنا خَزائِنُهُ وَ ما نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلاَّ بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ
🔆“The treasuries of all things are with Us alone, and We send them down only in a measured amount.”
💫🔆قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي قَوْلِهِ: وَ إِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنا خَزائِنُهُ وَ ما نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ قَالَ: الْخِزَانَةُ الْمَاءُ الَّذِي يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَيُنْبِتُ لِكُلِّ حِزْبٍ مِنَ الْحَيَوَانِ مَا قَدَّرَ اللَّهُ لَهَا مِنَ الْفِدَاءِ. [6]
🔆In his commentary on the words of God Most High, “There is nothing whose treasuries are not with Us, and We send it down only in a measured amount,” ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm said: “The treasury is the water that descends from the sky and brings forth, for each kind of living creature, what God has allotted to it.”
❇️Night and day, too, have a treasury with God
just as water has a treasury with God.
The water of life animates the soul of all existence. At every level of being, in every part of it, the whole of creation is present. Whatever plant or animal we behold, we should see the whole of creation reflected in it, in its own distinctive translation. Every being is a tableau, a treasury, and a translation of all creation!
☘️Here, “فِدَاء” means the sustenance and nourishment God has allotted to every living creature.
💫🔆وَ رَوَى جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: فِي الْعَرْشِ تِمْثَالُ جَمِيعِ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْبِرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ، قَالَ: وَ هَذَا تَأْوِيلُ قَوْلِهِ: «وَ إِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنا خَزائِنُهُ».[7]
🔆Ja‘far ibn Muhammad narrated from his father, from his grandfather (peace be upon him), who said: “On the Throne is an image of everything God has created on land and sea.”
Then he said: “This is the interpretation of God’s words: ‘There is nothing whose treasuries are not with Us.’”
❇️Equip yourself with God’s proof
🔸To grasp the heart of truth, we must equip ourselves with God’s proof!
✨🔆al-Mā’idah: 35 يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَ ابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسيلَةَ وَ جاهِدُوا في سَبيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
🔆O you who believe! Be mindful of God, seek the means of drawing near to Him, and strive in His way, so that you may prosper!
🔸Faith + piety + seeking the means + striving in God’s way = prosperity
From heart, soul and senses to every part of our being, we must be equipped with God’s proof.
With a Sajjadi gaze—that is, with the all-seeing eye of God—we must look upon the whole expanse of existence, taking in all creation at once.
Night and day have many levels: they exist both in the outer world and within us, and have degrees both earthly and celestial.
We must become the gold, adornment and beauty of night and day!
We must make night and day a stage for our artistry!
We must add to the beauty of existence!
Through the beauty of our worship, we must add to the worth and value of existence!
We must uplift the spirits of those in our company!
🔅🌼 Night and day are mines of inexhaustible energy 🌼🔅
(1) الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَ النَّهَارَ بِقُوَّتِهِ
(1) Praise be to God, who by His power created night and day.
This intimate prayer is rich in profound affirmations of divine unity.
This prayer is a path to divine unity, its golden steps! It expounds the order that governs the earth!
It is a key to setting our innate nature in motion and bringing it to life!
Every creature of God is a testament to His praise, a sublime manifestation of His signs!
Thus, gazing upon and reflecting on God’s signs is a living act of praise—a praise of contemplation and thought!
❇️An intimate prayer that tenderly consoles
The intimate prayer of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) tenderly awakens our innate nature, body and soul.
Every creature of God stirs us to praise Him!
Each creature gives our praise of God its own distinctive flavour!
The creation of night and day is a manifestation of divine power. Praising God for them testifies to the greatness of these two signs of God!
Praise is the most beautiful state of lovers: it reveals their knowledge, wonder and astonishment, the stirring of their innermost being, and their longing to draw the Beloved’s attention!
The Creator of existence brought night and day into being not from need, but through His boundless power. Their creation is a sign of His greatness and wise governance. He created them by His power and made that power manifest; He enabled His creatures to benefit from it. The more anyone benefits from this power, the nearer they draw to Him.
The emphasis on God’s “power” points to this truth: no other agency had any part in bringing this order into being; everything depends solely on His will.
❇️Our role in night, day and creation
Self-examination: How much have we affected the particles of existence—through what we eat and drink, and even through what we think?
Our image is reflected in the frame of the soul of every particle and throughout the universe.
How many pearls of divine remembrance have we nurtured in the shells of our souls and of the world!
🌼Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903)🌼
🌸بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
💫Introduction: Night and Day, Two Sides of Existence
Among all the divine signs inscribed in the Book of Creation, night and day hold a special place. They are not merely natural features of the material world, but two states of being in which many divine realities are manifested. That is why the Noble Qur’an refers to them in many verses and presents them as signs of God’s power and wisdom.
Night and day are two opposing yet complementary movements that together shape life in the universe. They are like the inhalation and exhalation of a living cosmic being, each breath revealing fresh manifestations of divine power to the world.
💫Part One: Night and Day in the Noble Qur’an
1.1 Night and Day as Signs of Divine Power
In Surah al-Baqarah, verse 164, God Almighty says:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
“Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the succession of night and day; in the ships that sail the sea for the benefit of people; in the rain God sends down from the sky, bringing the earth back to life after its death; in the creatures of every kind He has scattered across it; in the changing of the winds; and in the clouds held between heaven and earth—there are signs for people who reason.”
In this verse, “the succession of night and day” is mentioned alongside great signs of God, such as the creation of the heavens and the earth, ships sailing the seas, the descent of rain, and the changing of the winds. This points to the immense importance of the cycle of day and night in the order of existence.
1.2 Night and Day as Means of Knowing God
In Surah Yunus, verse 6, we read:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا
“He is the One who made night and day follow one another, for whoever wishes to reflect or give thanks.”
A subtle point in this verse is its use of the word “khilfah,” meaning succession or replacement. Night and day are not simply opposites; they complement one another, together offering many opportunities to know God and give thanks to Him.
1.3 Night and Day as Signs of Divine Governance
Surah al-Furqan, verse 62:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا
This verse repeats the passage from Surah Yunus, underscoring the Qur’an’s emphasis on this point.
1.4 The Sun and Moon as Divine Signs
In Surah Yunus, verse 5, He says:
هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
“He is the One who made the sun a radiance and the moon a light, and set for it phases, so that you might know the number of years and how to reckon time. God created all this for no other purpose than the truth. He explains the signs in detail for people who know.”
This verse shows that night and day are not merely physical phenomena, but also a means of measuring time and understanding the order of the universe.
1.5 Night and Day in Other Verses
Surah Āl ʿImrān, verse 190:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
“Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the succession of night and day are signs for people of understanding.”
Surah al-Anʿām, verse 96:
يُكَوِّرُ اللَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ النَّهَارَ عَلَى اللَّيْلِ
“He wraps the night around the day and the day around the night.”
The word “yukawwir” comes from the root “kawr,” meaning to wrap or coil. This expression offers a beautiful image of the continuous turning of night and day.
💫 Part Two: Reports on Night and Day
2.1 Every Day God Is at Work
Several reports have been transmitted in commentary on the verse “کُلَّ یَومٍ هُوَ فی شَأْنٍ”:
First report:
عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ وَ لَا تَنْقَضِي عَجَائِبُهُ، لِأَنَّهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ مِنْ أَحْدَاثٍ بَدِيعٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ.
“Praise belongs to God, who does not die and whose wonders never cease, for every day He is engaged in a new affair, bringing about new events that had never occurred before.”
Second report:
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ، فَإِنَّ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ ذَنْباً، وَ يُفَرِّجَ كَرْباً، وَ يَرْفَعَ قَوْماً وَ يَضَعَ آخَرِينَ.
“The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: God Most High said, ‘Every day He is engaged in an affair.’ Among His affairs are that He forgives a sin, relieves a sorrow, raises one group and lowers another.”
2.4 The Divine Treasuries in Night and Day
عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ: فِي الْعَرْشِ تِمْثَالُ جَمِيعِ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْبِرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ، قَالَ: وَهَذَا تَأْوِيلُ قَوْلِهِ: «وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ”.
“Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) said: On the Throne is an image of everything God has created on land and sea. This is the interpretation of God’s words: ‘There is nothing whose treasuries are not with Us.’”
💫 Part Three: The Mysteries and Secrets of Night and Day
3.1 Night and Day: A Divine Atelier
Night and day may be likened to a vast atelier where the peerless Artist—God Most High—is continually creating new and wondrous works. Every moment of night and day is a fresh tableau of divine artistry, with:
fresh colours
new designs
deeper meanings brought to light
greater beauties revealed
This atelier never closes, and its work is never repetitive. Just as a person is never in the same state at two moments of life, the universe is never in the same state at two moments.
3.2 Night and Day: Divine Mines
Night and day are vast mines in which there are:
Mines of knowledge:
At every moment, new knowledge is drawn from divine knowledge—knowledge that did not exist before.
Mines of power:
God’s power manifests itself anew at every moment, bearing witness to the boundlessness of divine power.
Treasuries of Wisdom:
God’s wisdom takes a new form at every moment, astonishing the wise.
Treasuries of Mercy:
Divine mercy descends in a new form at every moment, showering God’s servants with grace.
3.3 Night and Day: A Showcase of Divine Majesty and Beauty
The cycle of night and day is an ever-present showcase of divine majesty (grandeur and greatness) and beauty:
Divine Majesty in the Night:
Darkness, revealing God’s infinite grandeur
The stars, revealing the boundlessness of the universe
The silence of night, revealing the greatness of divine power
Divine Majesty in the Day:
The sun’s light, revealing divine power
The brightness that makes truths visible
The warmth that shows how God gives life
Divine Beauty in the Night:
Moonlight, revealing the beauty of the sky
The stars, each one a portrait of beauty
The peace of night, beautiful in its own way
Divine Beauty in the Day:
The colors of nature, each a work of divine artistry
Light and shadow, coming together to create beauty
Natural landscapes, each a masterpiece without equal
3.4 Night and Day: A Center of Innovation
One of the defining features of night and day is God’s ceaseless creativity. At every moment, God:
devises new designs
creates new forms
blends fresh colors
brings forth new meanings
creates new beauties
This creativity bears witness to the endlessness of divine knowledge and power. God never tires of creating, and never repeats Himself.
💫 Part Four: Essential Stagnation and Ways to Overcome It
4.1 Defining Essential Stagnation
Essential stagnation is a state in which a person becomes unable to perceive God’s transformations and innovations. It is like a deep freeze within the soul, preventing spiritual life from flowing.
Causes of essential stagnation:
Excessive attachment to worldly things
Ignorance and lack of understanding
Those unaware of the truths of existence cannot perceive its transformations.
💫 Part Five: Renewal and Moment-by-Moment Creation
5.1 The Concept of Renewal
In ordinary usage, tajdīd means to refresh or renew. In mystical terminology, it means:
becoming fresh at every moment
being made new at every moment
being created anew at every moment
God Most High says in the Noble Qur’an:
يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا
“He brings the earth to life after its death.”
This verse is not about the earth alone; it concerns all of existence. After every “death” (that is, the end of each cycle), God brings the universe back to life.
5.2 The Meaning of Tبدیع
Tabdīʿ means bringing something into being without precedent. At every moment, God creates something that did not exist before. This is the meaning of “origination” (ibdāʿ) in a report from the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him):
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ مِنْ أَحْدَاثٍ بَدِيعٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ
“Every day He is engaged in a new affair, bringing about events unlike anything that came before.”
5.3 Every Moment, a New Year
One of the beautiful expressions in the text is this:
With Prayer 6, we begin anew at every moment, entering a new year and continuing our life.
This expresses a profound mystical truth: time is a convention devised by human beings. In reality, any moment can be the beginning of a new life.
5.4 Every Moment, a Hologram of Eternity
One of the profound expressions in the text is:
Every moment is a hologram of eternity.
This means that:
The entire history of existence is reflected in every moment
Every moment contains all of eternity
Time is not a line but a circle, with the whole circle present at every point
Every moment contains all the others
Part Six: Night and Day in the Spiritual Journey
6.1 Night and Day on the Spiritual Path
In the journey of spiritual wayfaring toward God, the cycle of night and day plays a vital role:
Night on the spiritual path:
A time for solitude and intimate communion
A time for watchfulness and deep reflection
A time for seeking forgiveness and repentance
A time for prayer and supplication
A time for connection with the heavenly realm
Day on the spiritual path:
A time for action and striving
A time for struggle against the self
A time for serving others
A time for spirituality to find expression in action
6.2 The Inbreath and Outbreath of Night and Day
Night and day are the inbreath and outbreath of the year of existence, the inbreath and outbreath of the steps along the spiritual path, the heartbeat of life, the melody of growth, and the course of maturation and perfection.
This is a beautiful and profound expression. Like breathing, the spiritual journey has two stages:
Inbreath (night):
Receiving spiritual nourishment
Reflection and watchfulness
Receiving God’s grace
Preparing the soul
Outbreath (day):
Generosity and giving
Action and striving
Serving others
Spirituality finding expression in action
6.3 Night and Day and the Stages of the Spiritual Path
In the Islamic mystical tradition, the annual spiritual journey is divided into various stages, each associated with the cycle of night and day:
First stage: Repentance and seeking forgiveness (night)
At this stage, the wayfarer looks into the darkness of their sins and turns back toward the divine light.
Stage Two: Spiritual Struggle and Discipline (Dawn)
The wayfarer strives against the self and prepares to receive the divine light.
Stage Three: Gnosis and Wisdom (Noon)
Stage Four: (Afternoon)
Stage Five: Arrival and Vision (Sunset)
The wayfarer reaches the final destination and beholds realities.
Stage Six: Return and Clarification (Night)
The wayfarer returns to guide others.
Section Seven: Night and Day, and God’s Proof
7.1 The Concept of God’s Proof
In ordinary usage, *ḥujjah* means evidence or proof. In theological terminology, God’s proof is someone who:
represents divine knowledge
conveys the divine will
is a practical model for God’s servants
is a sign of Allah on earth
7.2 Equipping Ourselves with God’s Proof
To grasp the innermost truth, we must equip ourselves with God’s proof!
This means that:
without divine guidance, it is impossible to comprehend realities
we must draw upon the divine light
we must take the Infallibles (peace be upon them) as our example
we must learn from reliable sources
7.3 The Sajjadi Perspective
With the Sajjadi perspective—that is, with the all-seeing eye of God—we must gaze upon the form of the universe, so that we may behold existence in its entirety.
“The all-seeing eye of God” means the eye of God that beholds. The Sajjadi perspective is a way of seeing that:
looks with the eye of the heart
sees realities, not appearances
grasps depth, not surface
sees unity within multiplicity
Section Eight: Night and Day and Their Different Levels
8.1 Earthly Night and Day
On the earthly scale, night and day mean the ordinary alternation of night and day, which:
affects human life
regulates daily activities
determines patterns of sleep and wakefulness
affects agriculture and animal husbandry
8.2 Celestial Night and Day
On the cosmic scale, night and day are different:
every planet and star has its own night and day
night and day differ across the seven heavens
in the Throne, night and day take another form
8.3 Inward Night and Day
Night and day are not only external; they are inward as well:
The inward night:
a time when the spirit is in darkness
a time when one feels distant from God
a time of heedlessness
a time when the inner consciousness lies asleep
The inward day:
a time when the spirit is illuminated
A time for drawing near to God
A time for remembering God
A time for awakening the conscience
8.4 Night and Day in Paradise
Night and day exist in Paradise too, but in a different form:
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي صَالِحَاتٍ
“Those who believe and do good works, We shall soon admit them into gardens of bliss.”
In Paradise, night and day come with blessings and never grow tiresome.
Part Nine: Night and Day and Art
9.1 Night and Day: God’s Workshop of Art
Night and day are a divine treasury of mysteries, an everlasting workshop of divine artistry.
This means that:
God is the peerless artist
The universe is His work of art
A new work of art is created in every moment
Beauty is the essence of existence
9.2 The Artistry of the Human Being
Human beings, too, should be artists:
Awaken, liberate and strengthen your artistic sensibility so that you may witness the transformations, renewals and new wonders of the universe.
An artist is someone who:
Sees beauty
Perceives depth
Discovers meaning
Creates beauty
9.3 Night and Day as Adornment
We should become an adornment and a treasure for night and day!
This means that:
We should adorn ourselves with spiritual virtues
We should see beauty and be grateful for it
We should take part in the beauty of the world
Part Ten: Night and Day and the Divine Treasuries
10.1 The Meaning of Treasuries
Treasuries are storehouses and repositories of treasure. God says:
وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ
“There is nothing whose treasuries are not with Us.”
This verse shows that:
Everything comes from God
God owns all things
The divine treasuries are without end
10.2 The Treasuries of Night and Day
Night and day have their own particular treasuries:
The treasuries of night:
Peace
Seeking forgiveness
Contemplation
Solitude
The light of the stars
The blessings of night
The treasuries of day:
Vigour
Action
Light
Gathering
✳️✅ ❇️ 🔆✨💫🔆 🌸☘️🌷🌹🌻 🌼 🕋 🌙 🤲 🌙 🕌 📖 🍃🪴
✅The cycle of night and day as an arena for the manifestation of divine power and wisdom
The cycle of night and day as the breathing in and out of existence
A holographic vision of the moment (every moment = eternity and everlastingness)
Emphasis on renewal in every moment and the rejection of stagnation
“Every moment is a momentary Resurrection”
“The year transformed into a moment”
❇️A subtle point: the stages of renewal
Stage One: Renewal of primordial nature (return to original monotheism)
↓
Stage Two: Renewal of knowledge (discovering new truths)
↓
Stage Three: Renewal of action (putting knowledge into practice)
🔅🌼 A subtle appendix: A distinctive perspective on Supplication 6 🌼🔅
Introduction: A window onto eternal light
The profound supplications of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) quench the thirsty human soul, gladden the grieving heart, breathe life into every heart and soul, and turn every ruin into a flourishing place, every flourishing place into a garden of Paradise, and every earthly realm into a heaven.
The sixth supplication in this collection is one of the most eloquent and profound prayers in this sacred book. In it, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) gives thanks for God’s boundless blessings while inviting us to reflect on the mysteries of creation and the alternation of night and day.
Part One: Night and day, two veils of divine light
🕊️ Night: A veil of mercy and contemplation
When night clothes the sky in darkness and stars gleam like diamond jewels across the vast expanse of the universe, it offers a precious opportunity to commune with the Lord in solitude. Freed from the bustle of daily life, we can descend into the depths of our being and enter into conversation with our soul.
At night, we can:
Repent for the sins of days gone by
Resolve how to live in the days ahead
Place our hope in God’s boundless mercy
Seek relief from troubles and hardships
☀️ Day: A veil of power and manifestation
When the sun shines above the horizon like a divine torchbearer, scattering its light across all creation, the day becomes a time for activity and effort. We should work and strive, seek knowledge, worship, and spread goodness.
✨ هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَالنَّهَارَ مُبْصِراً
“He is the One who made the night for your rest and the day bright.” (Surah Yunus, verse 67)
Part Two: Renewal and origination, two wings for the soul’s flight
🦅 Renewal: Returning to our primordial nature
In ordinary usage, renewal means “making new,” “refreshing,” or “restoring to an original state.” In Sufi terminology, it means returning to the pure primordial nature God instilled in human beings at the beginning of creation. This nature is pure monotheism, which can sometimes be forgotten amid the clamor of worldly life.
✨ فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفاً فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا
“So set your face toward the upright faith—the primordial nature of God upon which He created humanity.” (Surah al-Rum, verse 30)
Renewal takes place in three stages:
1. Renewal of the heart: cleansing the heart of impurities and heedlessness
2. Renewal of knowledge: freeing oneself from ignorance and superstition
3. Renewal of action: putting knowledge into good practice
🌟 Origination: Creating anew in every moment
In its literal sense, *tabdīʿ* means “a new creation” or “bringing into being something that did not exist before.” It goes beyond renewal: renewal is connected to the past, whereas *tabdīʿ* is the creation of the future.
✨ اللَّهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ
“God originates creation, then brings it back.” (Surah Yunus, verse 34)
In fact, with every passing moment, a person can:
Shape a new character
Learn new and virtuous habits
Form new relationships
Choose loftier goals
Part Three: Every Day, a New Year
Turning the Year into a Moment
One of the profound themes of this supplication is the idea of “turning the year into a moment.” This means that a person should not wait for the New Year to change; rather, they should begin their own new year in every moment.
✨ أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْناكُمْ عَبَثاً وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لا تُرْجَعُونَ
“Did you think We created you without purpose and that you would not be returned to Us?” (Surah Al-Mu’minun, verse 115)
This way of thinking is rooted in Islamic teachings:
Every day is a Day of Reckoning
Every moment is an opportunity to repent
Every breath is a new blessing
Every Moment, a Hologram of Eternity and Infinity
The idea of a “hologram of eternity and infinity” suggests that every moment in time contains all of the past and the future.
Part Four: Night and Day, Vast Treasuries of Divine Power
🏔️ Treasuries of Limitless Power
Night and day are two vast treasuries of divine power from which a person can draw. This power is spiritual, sustaining the human being on the path to perfection.
✨ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ
“There is nothing whose treasuries are not with Us, and We send it down only in a measured amount.” (Surah Al-Hijr, verse 21)
💧 Water, the Lifeblood of All Creation
Water, sent down from the sky, gives life to all living things. A tradition relates that the forms of all created beings exist at the Divine Throne, and that water bears these forms.
✨ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ
“And We made every living thing from water.” (Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 30)
Part Five: The Breathing of Day and Night
Inhaling: Drawing in Spiritual Air
In the spiritual journey, inhaling symbolizes receiving God’s blessings. Just as each breath brings fresh air to the lungs, at every moment a person can receive divine grace.
Exhaling: Releasing Impurities
Exhaling symbolizes letting go of sins and impurities. At any moment, a person can cleanse the soul of its stains and turn back to God.
✨ قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ
“Say: O My servants who have wronged themselves, do not despair of God’s mercy.” (Surah Az-Zumar, verse 53)
Part Six: Substantial Fixity, the Prison of the Past
Why We Fail to Perceive Change
One of the greatest obstacles on the path to perfection is “essential stagnation.” It arises when a person becomes trapped in the past and loses the capacity for change and growth.
✨ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ
“Have they not travelled through the land and seen what was the end of those who came before them?” (Surah Yusuf, verse 109)
🗝️ Breaking free from the prison of the past
To break free from essential stagnation, a person must:
Learn from the past without remaining trapped in it
Remain hopeful about the future
Make the most of the present
Never forget to repent
✨ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
“Indeed, Allah loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 222)
Part Seven: The Divine Atelier
🎨 Art in the service of spirituality
One of the beautiful themes of this supplication is its emphasis on art. Art does more than create beauty; it can also guide people towards God.
✨ وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَاماً
“And those who say, ‘Our Lord, grant us from among our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes, and make us leaders of the righteous.’” (Surah Al-Furqan, verse 74)
🌺 The art of making each night and day count
Every moment of the day and night offers an opportunity to create:
At night: reflection and prayer, composing poetry, writing
By day: working and striving, acquiring knowledge, doing good
Part Eight: God’s Proof to All Existence
🪞 The Sajjadi perspective: The All-Seeing Eye of God
Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) teaches us to see the world through God’s eyes. This means seeing everything in the light of the Divine.
✨ اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” (Surah An-Nur, verse 35)
Part Nine: The Noble Recording Angels
✍️ The angels who record our deeds
Islamic traditions tell us that two angels are appointed to each person to record their deeds.
✨ إِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ * كِرَاماً كَاتِبِينَ * يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
“Indeed, appointed over you are guardians, * noble recording angels * who know all that you do.” (Surah Al-Infitar, verses 10–12)
📖 From night and day to the noble recording angels
A person should live each day and night in such a way that the angels take delight in recording their deeds.
Part Ten: Praise of God
🏆 الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ بِقُوَّتِهِ
This opening sentence of the supplication is a comprehensive and complete expression of praise. God is worthy of praise for creating night and day and calling humanity towards Him through both.
✨ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds.” (Surah Al-Fatihah, verse 2)
Conclusion: Taking flight in the heavens of divine oneness
The Sixth Supplication of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya invites us to soar through the heavens of divine oneness. This ascent takes place through night and day, renewal and creation, art and spirituality, and knowledge and action.
Final note
This supplication teaches us that life is a unique opportunity to draw closer to God. Every night and day, every breath in and out, offers a chance for renewal and creation. Let us make the most of these opportunities and take steps along the path to perfection.
✨ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
«Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.» (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 201)
Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God 🌼
🌼Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903)🌼
[1]Al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, vol. 5, p. 237
[2] Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn vol. 5 193 Huwaizi, Abd Ali ibn Jumu‘a, Isma‘iliyan—Qom, Iran, 4th edition, 1415 AH.
[3] Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn vol. 5 193 Huwaizi, Abd Ali ibn Jumu‘a, Isma‘iliyan—Qom, Iran, 4th edition, 1415 AH.
[4] Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn vol. 5 193 Huwaizi, Abd Ali ibn Jumu‘a, Isma‘iliyan—Qom, Iran, 4th edition, 1415 AH.
[5] Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn vol. 3 566 Huwaizi, Abd Ali ibn Jumu‘a, Isma‘iliyan—Qom, Iran, 4th edition, 1415 AH.
[6] Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn vol. 3 7 Huwaizi, Abd Ali ibn Jumu‘a, Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, 5 vols., Isma‘iliyan—Qom, Iran, 4th edition, 1415 AH.
[7] Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn vol. 3 7 Huwaizi, Abd Ali ibn Jumu‘a, Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, 5 vols., Isma‘iliyan—Qom, Iran, 4th edition, 1415 AH.
