Imam Jawad (AS): A Miracle of Knowledge

🌻🔆🔆🌻
🌼🔆🌼The Language of Divine Oneness: The Secret of Unity🌼🔆🌼
🔹The Birth of Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (AS)
📅 Date: 1404/10/09 – 09 Rajab 1447
✨ Session: Meshkat-e Noor
🎤 Speaker: Master Ali Saei
📝 Some of the topics discussed in the session:
Jawad means an explosion of light ✨

On the night of the birth of Jawad al-A’immah, this magnificent child of the House of Muhammad (PBUH).
Imam رضا (AS) speaks of his Jawad: “This is Jawad, this child—the one whom time has never before brought forth. He is the greatest child in the world of Islam. There is no one like Jawad; none like him can be found in all existence.” No one who saw Jawad failed to see with the vision of Ridha. If we behold the beauty of Imam Jawad through the eyes of Imam رضا (AS), we will see God’s wonders, marvels, and mysteries. From beginning to end, we will witness an explosion of light. Jawad means an explosion of light, an explosion of knowledge, an explosion of wisdom.
No one in Islam is greater than Jawad. Who is this Jawad? This magnificent bearer of blessings, this Greatest Name of God, “the great, greatest, most generous Name.” This is the secret of blessings: God’s greatest blessing in the city of Muhammad. Jawad is the heaven of God’s blessings; Jawad is the realm of God’s blessings; Jawad is the dominion of God’s blessings. The light of Jawad is in our hearts. By God, the light of Imam Jawad (AS) is in the hearts of the faithful, hidden in our hearts—a treasure trove of God’s light. The light of Jawad must burst forth from within us. If this light of God’s blessings leaps from our hearts, if we let the light of Jawad shine within us, earth and heaven and the celestial realm will illuminate our sight. With that light, we can see from one end of the universe to the other. Through love for Imam Jawad (AS), our hearts become a wellspring of God’s blessings. Imam Jawad (AS) is a mighty source of God, a mighty source of divine power. Jawad is Muhammad’s nuclear energy. This light works wonders in our hearts and in the heart of the world. What wonders this light works, we cannot know! If it shines, our souls will flourish. It shines, yet I have extinguished this light in my heart, driven it out through my deeds. By gazing upon this lowly world, I have shut my eyes to God’s light. If only I had looked into my heart, taken a peek, and asked: Is it a flourishing land or a wasteland? A barren desert or a boundless sky? If the Imam’s light is in my heart, then the twelve lights of God must shine within me. If these twelve lights shine, my heart will become not merely a sky, but a sky of skies. How many galaxies am I? I will see thousands upon thousands of galaxies in my heart. If observers enter my heart, they will be astonished. They will be unable to travel from one end to the other; they will never reach the far side. Then it will become clear that my heart is a land of wonders. One of those lights—the Light of Lights, which absorbs every light in the universe—is the sign of Jawad, the secret of drawing near to God. Who has tasted it, who has discovered its flavor?

If I attain knowledge of Jawad 🔑

We are wonderstruck, drawn in. What must it feel like to draw near to God—a state beyond all states! With Imam Jawad, one can reach that station. He is the Gate of Mysteries. The seed of piety must sprout in our hearts, grow into a mighty tree, and bear fruit. If I attain knowledge of Jawad, it means I have set that supercomputer of Jawad in motion within my heart. Then I can unravel the innermost secrets, pierce the breast of the unknown, and discover and explore mysteries beyond mysteries. The light of Jawad works miracles; it is God’s lamp. It must remain alight in my heart, always shimmering. Without Jawad, my land is dark, cold, and ill. Without Jawad, my heart is dead, constricted, a land of darkness. If I turn to this remembrance of God—for Jawad means remembrance of God, the furnace of God’s remembrance—Jawad brings the remembrance of God in my heart to its highest pitch and makes me dwell in remembrance of Him.

I must know God’s proof ⚖️

Whoever turns away—whether deliberately or inadvertently, out of laziness or heedlessness—and turns his back on the remembrance and light of God will lead a hard life, sink into darkness, and be raised blind on the Day of Resurrection. If I do not know Jawad in this world, I will not find him in the next. This is a secret. If I do not know the Imam of my time, I will not see him. Even if I live to witness his ظهور and behold his blessed stature, I will still be a stranger to him; I will still turn my back on him. This is dangerous. I must know God’s proof. If I do not, I am rejected.

The Day of Resurrection will come. On that day, the lights of the Immaculate Imams (peace be upon them) will shine to the right and left of the believers, opening the way for them and leading them to their homes in Paradise. Yes, if I do not know them, I will be blind. I will plead, “Wait for us, so we may take some of your light.” We will beseech the believers, but they will say, “Go back to the world.” We will plead for light… I must beg for the light of each of the Immaculate Imams, one by one, so that on the Day of Resurrection I may draw upon those immense lights of God.

Let the light of Jawad shine. If the light of Jawad and God’s proofs is extinguished, the way will be lost. If the light of al-Jawad, the light of the Imams, goes out, our nervous system will cease to function. The celestial nerves within me will no longer work. I will find nothing but dust; I will not reach the heavens. I will be buried in this earthly realm and never attain the Throne.

How many faculties do we have within our souls? They are countless. Set aside the outward limbs: how many inner faculties do I have? They lie dormant. Where within me is that greater world of which people speak? If only my nervous system were connected to God’s proof, so that I might discover that greatest world. Because I have severed myself from these mighty means provided by God, I have no direction left but this world.

Each of the Infallible Ones is not merely a world, but the whole of creation; they are the entirety of knowledge, all the knowledge God has encompassed. To be deprived of knowing the Imam and loving him is to be deprived of knowledge and wisdom—to be deprived of servitude to God. To be deprived of knowing the Imam is like dying, like falling to the ground.

Imam al-Jawad, this Imam of blessings, is the purest honey of the Shia and their immense wealth. We are poor; Jawad is God’s treasure for the poor. Its secret lies in knowing al-Jawad. With that key, one can reach the wealth of the first and the last. Imam al-Jawad is the lifeline of my soul. If I sever myself from him, I will be deprived of Thār Allāh. Yes, it is Jawad who will bring the Shia to their station. Yes, Jawad is one of those eruptions of knowledge, one of those mighty fountains belonging uniquely to God.

The Shia’s final grade is in the hands of Imam al-Jawad 📜

“Knowledge is about to speak forth from the household of Muhammad—knowledge before it is even asked for.” Yes, Jawad is the nuclear energy of knowledge; that energy has reached the point of detonation. What will happen if that explosion takes hold of us? Imam al-Jawad means knowledge in full surge, knowledge welling up: knowledge released, knowledge split open and exploding. All it takes is a moment’s reflection within our hearts.

Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad, the Imam of the Imams: Imam al-Jawad will shoulder the Shia and carry them forward. I had no idea that the Shia’s final grade was in the hands of Imam al-Jawad. Yes, my examination paper is in the hands of Imam al-Jawad. Imam al-Jawad is God’s assessor. So, what is my grade? What is my Jawadi grade? How many pages does my record of knowledge about Imam al-Jawad contain—or is it blank? How well do I know my Imam al-Jawad, or how far am I deprived of knowing him?

Let me turn to his sacred words—the words that begin to sound forth before he even speaks. Before our Imam al-Jawad opens his lips to speak, before he opens them to wisdom, the knowledge in those words bursts forth from his blessed being, beyond his precious soul. Whoever it seizes, it turns upside down and transforms, carrying them from the earthly carpet to the Throne.

The secret of the glorious name Allah 🔑

When someone asks the Imam about “the One,” the Imam answers. He says: “If only those philosophers, those seekers after mystical knowledge, had turned to Imam Jawād. If only they had heard this one saying of his, they would not have gone astray or strayed from the garden of knowledge.”

What does “the One” mean? It means that every tongue agrees in affirming His oneness, His unity. As Allah, exalted is He, has said: “If you ask them who created them, they will surely say, ‘Allah.’”

I am astonished by those who fear, or refuse, to call the Creator “Allah”—who shrink from saying “Allah.” He is the Originator: He brings all things into being from nothing. Why will they not say it? Their souls cry out: “Allah.” Why, then, will their tongues not turn to “Allah”? I am astonished by them.

The mystery of the glorious name “Allah”… This glorious name, “Allah,” holds mysteries within mysteries. It is itself a mystery beyond all mysteries. “Allah” is not a mystery; He is the source of all mystery. His sacred name, the name “Allah,” is that great mystery.

Every tongue knows this name, this glorious name, “Allah.” All cry out “Allah.” With all their hearts and souls, they bear witness to Allah’s oneness: with the tongue of the throat, with the tongue of their state, their conduct and their deeds, and with the very essence of their being, they invoke Allah’s oneness by His sacred name, “Allah.”

By God, even a flower cries out the glorious name “Allah.” Its beauty bears witness to God’s oneness. The flower’s very harmony is its confession of God’s oneness; its speech is the glorification of the majestic name “Allah.” Whatever beauty we find in this universe is a flame, a gleam, of testimony to Allah’s oneness.

Can there be even one particle in this universe that does not bear witness to God’s oneness? Idolatry is darkness; it has no light at all. It is sheer ignorance.

Tawhid is creation’s common language 🔗

If God’s knowledge encompasses the whole universe, that knowledge is a manifestation of tawhid; it proclaims God’s oneness. His knowledge encompasses all things: all are immersed in God’s oneness, all swim in His tawhid. They draw breath from it as fish do from water. Without it, without this immersion in tawhid, all would die.

Can a human being be released from tawhid, escape it? No. They would cease to exist. Yet they cannot cease to exist unless God wills it; they do not simply vanish. They cannot flee tawhid. The knot of tawhid is the navel of all creation’s life. Tawhid is woven into the souls of all creatures; it cannot be undone. God Himself wove it, and no one can unravel what God has woven.

The whole universe beats with the pulse of tawhid. Tawhid is the grammar that connects the worlds. Through tawhid, all are joined together and made one. Tawhid is creation’s common language.

Through tawhid, a person reaches the heights of learning and knowledge. Through tawhid, a person can unlock the mystery of every thing and attain pure understanding. Tawhid and the limbs and faculties shaped by tawhid mean having faculties through which I can perceive everything. A tawhidi eye is an eye that sees everything. A tawhidi ear is an ear that hears every truth in this universe. A tawhidi heart is a heart that holds within itself all God’s treasures and love for God. Tawhidi being is the most beautiful, most delightful, most noble, and most luminous element in the universe.

It is through the language of tawhid that a person can communicate with all creatures and speak with them. Through this language, a person can even speak with the limbs, faculties and cells of their own being—even with extraterrestrial beings. If we learn this language, nothing will remain unknown to us. We will understand every vibration in this universe.

If I turn away from tawhid, I will turn away from myself ☯️

We will speak with the stars and galaxies. Through tawhid, a person attains the greatest felicity. The many “I”s within me are one with me: if I attune myself to their tawhid, I will share their language. The particles of my being are in harmony and unity with my intentions, thoughts and reflections, if I honour the mystery of tawhid. Then I will perceive this harmony and unity.

If I turn away from tawhid, I will turn away from myself. I will even forget who I am—let alone connect with the whole universe, let alone be joined to this vast world of God’s creation.

Its mystery lies in holding fast to the Two Weighty Things ⚓️

Indeed, if I forget God, God will cause me to forget myself. Turning away from our innate nature—even though that is impossible—is to suppress it. We must keep the nerve of our innate nature constantly alive, so that, through «اجماع السن», we may form one great, unified assembly. Its secret lies in holding fast to the Two Weighty Things. If I cling to the Two Weighty Things, my innate nature will reach the height of its splendour and flourishing. It will always be set in motion; it will always grow; my innate nature will continually be renewed—renewed in step with the universe, in step with the highest celestial realm. «الله کل یوم هو فی شأن». At every moment, it will add to its innate nature, through that One who is the Originator of the heavens and the earth.

Innate nature is, as it were, the manifest prophet present within our souls 🧭

Imam al-Jawad (AS) said: «اجماع السن علیه بالوحدانیة». This points to the great divine innate nature within the human soul. When people ask about it, the Imam cites the words of God, the Almighty and Exalted: given this innate nature, it is impossible to flee from knowing God or to escape that knowledge. Innate nature cannot be changed or transformed. Everyone understands its language: a shared language present since the world was first created. Innate nature is, as it were, the manifest prophet present within our souls. It is never separated from us, even for an instant: a messenger always stationed in our souls, through whom we are in constant communication with God. Even if the prophets and messengers were to come, if that innate nature were silent, we would see no image of them. It is through innate nature that we know the beauty of the prophets. All the heavenly books are disclosed to us through it. It is through that innate bond of innate nature that we believe in the angels, the prophets and messengers, the heavenly books and the signs of God. Without it, we would be dead.

The heart’s imaginings are more discerning than the eyes’ sight 🔍

In another saying, Imam al-Jawad (AS) speaks of someone asking him about the noble verse «لاتدرکه الابصار و هو یدرک الابصار». Imam al-Jawad replies. Addressing Abu Hashim, the Imam says: «خاطره‌ی دل‌ها، اوهام دل‌ها، دقیق‌تر از بینایی دیدگان است. چرا که تو گاهی با اوهام دلت، سند و هند و شهرهایی را که اصلاً نرفته‌ای، درک می‌کنی ولی با دیده‌ات درک نتوانی.» The heart’s imaginings cannot comprehend God—so how much less could the eyes’ sight? This is a very subtle point. The heart’s imaginings mean the most discerning rational proofs. So why do people try to picture God through the imaginings of their hearts? Can the very Being who creates reason be grasped by reason? Any reason that tries to make the Creator of reason its object of understanding is the most unreasonable of all. Reason itself would never dare to do so. That is a counterfeit reason that has usurped reason’s place. Indeed, despite our inner convictions, the reality that transcends reason, whose oneness we affirm with absolute certainty—when our very souls and being affirm His oneness, why do our imaginings construct arguments for associating partners with Him? If every part of the universe bears witness to His oneness, where do the proofs for associating partners with Him come from? Apart from true mystics and philosophers, no deviant mystic or philosopher considers themselves a polytheist.

Human beings are confined within their own limits 🚪

The Imam is asked, “Is it permissible to call God a ‘thing’?” He replies, “Yes, they may call God a ‘thing.’” Why? So that they may move beyond two limits: the limit of negation, which is the limit of تعطیل, and the limit of likening God to creation, تشبیه. Thus these two paths fall away from Him. For one must have something with which to praise God. So, lest they be trapped in the constriction of تعطیل and تشبیه, permission has been given to call God by His attributes. One calls upon Him by those attributes, but must then move beyond them as well, and reach «کمال‌الاخلاص». If one does not reach it, one is still caught in the narrow confines of تشبیه. We call Him a “thing”; we affirm His existence. We praise the One who bestows existence by virtue of existence, so that we may find a way forward, so that our own being does not fall silent. This is the limit of my capacity: beyond what I know, I have no path. So we call Him by that perfection which lies beyond what I know.

I have fallen away from the caravan of divine oneness. I must flee this desert of تعطیل and تشبیه, so that I may call upon God as He ought to be called. This, then, is the heart of divine oneness; this is the destination. This is the way. Praise is the path by which I may reach the destination of کمال اخلاص (the negation of attributes). Thus, denying that He is a thing bears witness to His being beyond all things. He is the source of things; He is the one who brings things into thinghood. If I become even a little more intimate with my Imam, the Imam will speak to me without dissimulation. When a person can free themselves from this field, they will attain perfection—that is, they will leave the field of تعطیل and تشبیه. These two limits are boundaries to be crossed. We must cross them. My means—the vehicle that carries me onward toward the destination, that highest destination—is this. So modern humanity is imprisoned between تعطیل and تشبیه. It must set itself free from this prison. In truth, the human being stands in the field of solving a riddle. The chains of constraint must be broken. A person must come to understand that they must not measure reality by themselves. Human capacities are limited in every dimension, so they must not compare reality with themselves; God cannot be measured by such limits. A person cannot go beyond themselves. How, then, can they cross over? They cannot. It is when a person conquers the self through self-knowledge, in order to attain self-knowledge, that God will carry them beyond the human condition—that human being—to where they can grasp what lies beyond humanity, and from that beyond remember their God. Thus, understanding that the human being is confined within limits is itself a great knowledge, a tremendous act of recognition.