Written transcript of the lecture
The Meshkat-e Noor teachings series🌼🔆🌼“Muhammad”: The Key to the Infinite🌼🔆🌼
🌹🔅☘️ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ ☘️🔅🌹
🔅🌹“The Hidden Secret of *Miftāḥ al-Barakah*” “The Key to Perfect Detachment” “The Secret of the Miʿrāj” “The Secret of *Qāba Qawsayn*” “28 Ṣafar—the Night of the Messenger of God’s Passing (PBUH)” and … Abstract with Supplement 1405.05.20 Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903) 🌹🔅
✨A Journey through *Miftāḥ al-Barakah*
🌸اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ🌸
🔅أَمِينِكَ عَلَى وَحْيِكَ🔅
🌷وَ نَجِيبِكَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ🌷
🌹وَ صَفِيِّكَ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ إِمَامِ الرَّحْمَةِ وَ قَائِدِ الْخَيْرِ🌹
وَ
✨مِفْتَاحِ الْبَرَكَةِ✨
💫O God, then send blessings upon Muhammad, Your trusted bearer of revelation, Your chosen one among Your creatures, and Your specially purified one among Your servants; the leader of mercy, the guide to all good, and the key to blessing.
| Arabic phrase | Translation | Analysis |
| أَمِينِكَ عَلَى وَحْيِكَ | Your trusted bearer of revelation | This points to the Prophet’s (PBUH) trustworthiness in receiving, preserving and conveying divine revelation without omission or alteration. |
| نَجِيبِكَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ | Your chosen one among Your creatures | *Najīb* means one who is chosen, noble, of the finest essence, and distinguished. |
| صَفِيِّكَ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ | Your specially purified one among Your servants | *Ṣafiyy* means one whom God has chosen for Himself and purified. |
| إِمَامِ الرَّحْمَةِ | The leader of mercy | The Prophet (PBUH) embodies divine mercy: «وَ ما أَرْسَلْناكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعالَمِينَ» (Al-Anbiyāʾ 21:107). |
| قَائِدِ الْخَيْرِ | The guide to all good | He is the leader and guide to every good and virtuous deed. |
| مِفْتَاحِ الْبَرَكَةِ | The key to blessing | Divine grace and blessing reach all creation through him. |
🔸Blessing is the manifestation of divine mercy, both all-embracing and intimate, in the visible and unseen realms.
🔸Like a radiant jewel, blessing inscribes the mark of miracle upon the page of the world.
🔸Blessing is not a suspension of the customary order; it is the unveiling, from behind that order’s veil, of the truth of the All-Powerful.
❇️The Key to Blessing and the Secret of Passing from Separation to Union
What does it unlock? The blessings of heaven and earth—and, beyond them, the blessings of « قابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنى», the blessings of servitude, of mysteries, of divine unity, of knowledge, of wisdom, of what lies beyond knowledge, and more …
To unlock knowledge: to journey from its heart to what lies beyond it; to pass beyond boundlessness; even to unlock the secret of infinity and carry us further still, leaving both the finite and the infinite behind (reflect upon this).
*Miftāḥ al-Barakah* is none other than the best means of drawing near to God.
*Miftāḥ al-Barakah* is the City of Knowledge itself! The City of Knowledge is the gateway to breaking free from all but God! A complete and perfect opening!
To unlock the blessings of the heavens and the earth, and pass beyond them all! To set forth and move through every passage, leaving them behind! To travel every path to its end!
In truth, Muhammad is the very constitution of blessing! The path to the Blessed One, toward God!
❇️A Key to Knowing the Divine Key
To forget the key to blessing is to forget movement! It is to forget freedom and liberation!
If the light is forgotten, we are imprisoned in darkness!
The secret of seeking knowledge of the Prophet—«اللهم عرّفنی نبیّک»—is to seek the رمز, the key to blessings,
❇️the key to blessings lies within our hearts and souls
If our hearts and souls are opened, like a seed that opens, splits and blossoms, like a computer that is booted up, then with that key God’s system—the system of servitude to Him—will be activated! Through it, the leaf of the Tree will awaken; it will become intimate with the Tree, attuned to it, vibrating in harmony with it and breathing alongside it; and with the Tree, it will sit and experience the world!
The Shi‘a are the *waraq* (leaves) of the Muhammadan Tree, in the Muhammadan manner!
The leaf must become a tree!
The souls of the true Shi‘a have a special bond with the Key of Blessing!
💫🔆عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ الثُّمَالِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُها ثابِتٌ وَ فَرْعُها فِي السَّماءِ تُؤْتِي أُكُلَها كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّها فَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَنَا أَصْلُهَا وَ عَلِيٌّ فَرْعُهَا وَ الْأَئِمَّةُ أَغْصَانُهَا وَ عِلْمُنَا ثَمَرُهَا وَ شِيعَتُنَا وَرَقُهَا يَا أَبَا حَمْزَةَ هَلْ تَرَى فِيهَا فَضْلًا قَالَ قُلْتُ لَا وَ اللَّهِ لَا أَرَى فِيهَا قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا حَمْزَةَ وَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الْمَوْلُودَ يُولَدُ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا فَتُورِقُ وَرَقَةً مِنْهَا وَ يَمُوتُ فَتَسْقُطُ وَرَقَةٌ مِنْهَا.[1]
🔆 It is narrated from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, from Imam al-Baqir (AS), who said: I asked him about the words of God, the Exalted:
«کَشَجَرَةٍ طَیِّبَةٍ أَصْلُها ثابِتٌ وَ فَرْعُها فِي السَّماءِ * تُؤْتِي أُکُلَها کُلَّ حِینٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّها» (Ibrahim 14:24–25)—“Like a good tree, whose roots are firmly planted and whose branches reach into the sky; it yields its fruit at every season by the permission of its Lord.”
He said: “The Messenger of God (PBUH) said:
I am the root of the tree; Ali (AS) is its trunk; the Imams are its branches; our knowledge is its fruit; and our followers are its leaves.
“Abu Hamza, do you see any virtue in this [parable]?”
I said, “No, by God, I see no virtue in it [beyond what you have said].”
He said, “Abu Hamza, by God, whenever a child of our followers is born, a fresh leaf grows on that tree; and when one of them dies, a leaf falls from it.”
❇️The Spirit of God: One Spirit
Every believer is connected to the “Miftāḥ al-Barakah” system through the Spirit of God! The Spirit of God is, in truth, a unique faculty of devotion and vital insight to which all believers are connected. When a believer connects to the Spirit of God in its entirety, they attain the highest experience of life and devotion!
So we must experience life and devotion through the Spirit of God in its entirety!
The Spirit of God is a faculty that will satisfy us with nothing but God!
The journey from drawing on the light and radiance of the Spirit of God to attaining the Spirit of God in its entirety enables us to feel the attractions of the divine will with our whole being and to attain a shared experience through the One Spirit.
The Spirit of God is one, just as reason is one: all are connected to a single center, though the degree to which they draw on it varies, like the planets.
Each faculty of perception entails a vast awareness of the Tree, as well as a connection with its other parts!
💫🔆 عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ الْمُؤْمِنُ أَخُو الْمُؤْمِنِ كَالْجَسَدِ الْوَاحِدِ إِنِ اشْتَكَى شَيْئاً مِنْهُ- وَجَدَ أَلَمَ ذَلِكَ فِي سَائِرِ جَسَدِهِ وَ أَرْوَاحُهُمَا مِنْ رُوحٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَ إِنَّ رُوحَ الْمُؤْمِنِ لَأَشَدُّ اتِّصَالًا بِرُوحِ اللَّهِ مِنِ اتِّصَالِ شُعَاعِ الشَّمْسِ بِهَا.[2]
🔆It is narrated from Abu Basir, who said: I heard Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (AS) say:
“A believer is the brother of another believer, like one body.
When one part of it feels pain, the rest of the body feels that pain too.
And the spirits of the two are from a single spirit;
indeed, the spirit of the believer is bound to the Spirit of God more firmly than the sunbeam is bound to the sun.»
❇️The leaf journeyed with Muhammad!
If the Shiʿa are leaves of Muhammad’s tree, then that very leaf must have accompanied the Tree on its ascent—and known the secrets of the Miʿraj!
Do you know of the Miʿraj?!
Remember the Tree once more!
❇️The connection between the Key of Blessing and the Messenger of God’s Miʿraj
The Miʿraj means opening a path to the highest realm. Without a key and sovereign authority, crossing the expanses of the heavens and the earth is impossible! (except by authority)
If we travel all the way around the world, we return to our starting point. It may be supposed that Muhammad, the Key to divine blessing, attained this station, for the account of «the distance of two bows» proves this very truth!
He leapt so high that he reached «or nearer»!
✨🔆النجم : 8 ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّى
✨🔆النجم : 9 فَكانَ قابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنى
💫🔆قُلْتُ فَلِمَ أَسْرَى بِنَبِيِّهِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص إِلَى السَّمَاءِ قَالَ لِيُرِيَهُ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاءِ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنْ عَجَائِبِ صُنْعِهِ وَ بَدَائِعِ خَلْقِهِ قُلْتُ فَقَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّى فَكانَ قابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنى قَالَ ذَاكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص دَنَا مِنْ حُجُبِ النُّورِ فَرَأَى مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ ثُمَّ تَدَلَّى ص فَنَظَرَ مِنْ تَحْتِهِ إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ الْأَرْضِ حَتَّى ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ فِي الْقُرْبِ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ كَقَابِ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى.[3]
💫 I said: “Then why did He take His Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH), up to heaven on the Miʿraj?”
He replied: “So that He might show him the realm of heaven and the wonders of His handiwork and the marvels of His creation therein.”
I said: “Then what is meant by God’s words عزّ و جلّ: «ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّى * فَکانَ قابَ قَوْسَیْنِ أَوْ أَدْنى» (al-Najm: 8–9)—‘Then he drew near and came down, until he was two bow-lengths away, or nearer’?”
He replied: “It was the Messenger of God (PBUH) who drew near to the veils of light and beheld the realm of the heavens.
Then he came down and looked upon the realm of the earth beneath him,
until he thought he was near the earth, at a distance of two bow-lengths or less.”
❇️The Key of Blessing and its special blessing
He went forth and opened «two bows’ length or nearer»; he widened the field of servitude to God! He extended the mosque as far as «or nearer»
and joined the mihrab from the realm of heaven to the realm of earth.
❇️Muhammad, the fault line of eternity
A key creates a break. The highest mission of the Key to divine blessing is to create breaks in servitude that make connection in servitude possible!
The fullest reach of blessing is the fullest breaking-away!
☘️«The crown of blessings lies in complete severance»—and this is the highest station of servitude.
☘️When a person breaks away from everything other than God and connects only to the source of His majesty, they find themselves dissolved in the boundless ocean of divine blessing. The source of majesty is not merely severance: it is the fault line of existence itself!
☘️This severance cuts a person off from everything other than Him, while drawing toward Him, like peacock feathers, all that is with Him. Whatever—and whoever—accompanies Him is drawn to Him and dissolved in Him!
☘️It is here that the noble supplication «إِلَهِي هَبْ لِي كَمَالَ الِانْقِطَاعِ إِلَيْكَ» comes to life. In this state, a person puts every blessing to work in serving, loving and cherishing Him!
☘️A blessing that eclipses every other blessing.
❇️The Key to the Infinite
The key to blessing is a path to the Infinite—to the very reality of divine blessing.
A key opens the way: a transcendent key for severing ties with all besides God and drawing near to God. God’s essence is beyond being joined to, so what is meant is complete attachment to the firm rope of God.
The source of majesty is, in truth, the rope of God. To be with the rope of God is to attain the station of being with God, and to experience remembrance and encounter through the rope of God! «فَتَصِلَ إِلَى مَعْدِنِ الْعَظَمَةِ» This station can be attained only through the Muhammadan order—that is, the Key to Blessing.
💫🔆 إِلَهِي هَبْ لِي كَمَالَ الِانْقِطَاعِ إِلَيْكَ وَ أَنِرْ أَبْصَارَ قُلُوبِنَا بِضِيَاءِ نَظَرِهَا إِلَيْكَ حَتَّى تَخِرَقَ أَبْصَارُ الْقُلُوبِ حُجُبَ النُّورِ فَتَصِلَ إِلَى مَعْدِنِ الْعَظَمَةِ وَ تَصِيرَ أَرْوَاحُنَا مُعَلَّقَةً بِعِزِّ قُدْسِكَ إِلَهِي وَ اجْعَلْنِي مِمَّنْ نَادَيْتَهُ فَأَجَابَكَ وَ لَاحَظْتَهُ فَصَعِقَ لِجَلَالِكَ فَنَاجَيْتَهُ سِرّاً وَ عَمِلَ لَكَ جَهْرا
🔆 O God!
Grant me complete severance and absolute detachment,
and illumine the eyes of our hearts with a ray of their gaze directed toward You,
so that the eyes of our hearts may pierce the veils of light
and reach the source of majesty,
and that our spirits may cling to the sanctified glory of Your might.
O God!
Make me one of those whom You called and who answered You,
upon whom You gazed and who were overcome with awe at the majesty of Your glory,
with whom You then spoke in secret,
and who acted openly for Your sake.
✨🔆Āl ʿImrān: 103 وَ اعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَميعاً وَ لا تَفَرَّقُوا …
🔆And hold fast, all together, to the rope of God [the Qur’an, Islam, and every means of unity], and do not become divided!
To join everything to Him—from every limb and faculty to all that pertains to us—so that He may lead us to the source of majesty, make us a medal and suspend us from the sanctified glory of God; to become a source of pride and honour to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and an adornment to them;
to attain a state beyond all states!
To break free of every limitation and join the Infinite, becoming one who has experienced what lies beyond all experience!
❇️ Muhammad (PBUH): The Exemplar of Detachment
☘️The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the fullest embodiment of this severance.
💫🔆 لِقَوْلِهِ لِلصَّحَابَةِ لَمَّا وَاصَلُوا إِذْ رَأَوْهُ يُوَاصِلُ لَا تُوَاصِلُوا فَقَالُوا لَهُ وَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ تُوَاصِلُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَسْتُ كَأَحَدِكُمْ إِنِّي أَبِيتُ عِنْدَ رَبِّي يُطْعِمُنِي وَ يَسْقِينِي[4]
💫This [report] refers to what the Prophet (PBUH) said to his companions when they – seeing him fast continually, without breaking his fast (wisal) – said: “Do not fast continuously.”
They then asked him: “How is it that you fast continuously?”
He replied:
“I am not like any of you. I spend the night with my Lord, and He gives me food and drink.”
❇️The heart and the boundless experience of the Key of Blessing
🌷🔆 وَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الْقُدْسِيِ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَا يَسَعُنِي أَرْضِي وَ لَا سَمَائِي وَ لَكِنْ يَسَعُنِي قَلْبُ عَبْدِيَ الْمُؤْمِن[5]
🔆God Most High has said: “Neither My earth nor My heaven can contain Me, but the heart of My believing servant can contain Me”
This statement must be interpreted, for the Essence of God cannot be contained by any vessel; to say otherwise would imply limitation. Even infinity cannot be conceived as a vessel for Him: He is bounded by no constraint, not even by boundlessness!
What is meant is that the light and majesty of God reside in the believer’s heart. This opening of the breast requires the Key of Blessing—that is, Muhammad (PBUH) is the secret of the opening of the breast. God opens hearts through His Muhammad!
Thus the secret of the opening of the breast, the secret of becoming a heart of God, is that very key
When a heart is made pure for God, God ascribes it to Himself and calls it His heart: it becomes a heart of God!
This is an honorific attribution: God’s light settles upon the heart, His majesty encompasses it, special divine knowledge shines forth from it, and it becomes a constant object of divine regard!
❇️Connection to the source of divine majesty
🌹What is meant by connection, then, is connection to divine majesty, not to the divine Essence. His unique Essence can be contained neither by a vessel nor by what it holds. Rather, He is the one who creates capacity. The believer’s heart is both a vessel for divine knowledge and a treasury of divine majesty.
☘️This means that the heart is emptied of every attachment and becomes a field in which the boundless manifests.
☘️To “become Muhammadan” means purifying the heart of all that is other than Him, so that it becomes the place where divine, transcendent blessing descends.
❇️The secret of seeing the Messenger of God (PBUH)
🌷🔆 قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص طُوبَى لِمَنْ رَآنِي وَ طُوبَى لِمَنْ رَأَى مَنْ رَآنِي وَ طُوبَى لِمَنْ رَأَى مَنْ رَأَى مَنْ رَآنِي[6]
🔆 The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Blessed is the one who saw me. Blessed is the one who saw someone who had seen me. And blessed is the one who saw someone who had seen someone who had seen me.
☘️This noble hadith underscores the virtue and good fortune of the Prophet’s companions, as well as of the generations after them who were blessed with meeting the Companions. It also highlights the importance of transmitting the Prophet’s teachings and practice from one person to another.
But this does not mean that everyone who saw him truly saw him!
It takes a discerning, penetrating heart—indeed, one with penetrating insight—and unwavering faith—indeed, firm faith—and a heart steeped in understanding, to behold the radiant beauty of God’s Beloved!
✨🔆al-Aʿrāf: 198 وَ إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الْهُدى لا يَسْمَعُوا وَ تَراهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَ هُمْ لا يُبْصِرُونَ
🔆And if you call them to guidance, they do not hear you! You see them looking at you, yet in truth they do not see!”
✨🔆al-Aʿrāf: 179 وَ لَقَدْ ذَرَأْنا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثيراً مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَ الْإِنْسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لا يَفْقَهُونَ بِها وَ لَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لا يُبْصِرُونَ بِها وَ لَهُمْ آذانٌ لا يَسْمَعُونَ بِها أُولئِكَ كَالْأَنْعامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولئِكَ هُمُ الْغافِلُونَ
🔆Indeed, We have destined many jinn and human beings for Hell: they have hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. They are like cattle—nay, even more astray. They are the heedless ones!
💫🔆وَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص «يَا عَلِيُّ مَا عَرَفَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا أَنَا وَ أَنْتَ، وَ مَا عَرَفَنِي إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنْتَ، وَ مَا عَرَفَكَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَا”[7]
💫 Among these is the narration from the Prophet (PBUH), who said:
“O ʿAli! None has known God but you and I;
none has known me but God and you;
and none has known you but God and I.”
Everyone can see Him according to their capacity; only ʿAli, Fatima, and their pure descendants have seen the Exalted One in His fullness!
One must see Him through their eyes for sight to be complete!
To truly behold Him is to behold the world from beginning to end: it is to behold the City of Knowledge, the City of Wisdom!
Miftāḥ al-Baraka leads us to Him!
Miftāḥ al-Baraka means attaining knowledge of God through the Messenger of God!
❇️ The infinite, too, is one of His signs
Divine blessing is infinite, yet it is itself beyond infinity!
Why is He beyond infinity?
Because He has «لاندّ و لا ضدَّ»
Infinity has meaning in relation to its opposite! But He has no counterpart whatsoever!
Infinity is a sign of His infinitude, and finitude is another of His signs!
Miftāḥ al-Baraka is the secret of passing from the signs to the One who bears them, from the traces to the One who is sought!
❇️ Detachment from all else is the highest arrival.
To detach from anything and everything is to be joined to what lies beyond all things!
One must even break free from existence itself! That is the secret of union!
Escape both mirage and water: water is for drinking, not for swimming in, but for flowing with!
With light, do not become dazzled by it; let its radiance guide you, journeying alongside that very light!
❇️The supreme secret of ascent
🔸 Detachment from “nothing”: letting go of everything other than Him that distracts us from remembering Him—wealth, status, pleasure, the passions of the self, and even attachment to oneself. These are all “nothings”; if you detach from them, you have lost nothing.
🔸Detachment from “nothing and everything” is what makes it possible to remain connected to the station of eternal nearness.
🔸The Most Sacred Divine Essence, “beyond every description and every limit.”
🔸 This is the station of “tawḥīd,” the final stage of the spiritual journey. One must turn away from all but God (“لا إله”) in order to reach God (“إلا الله”). This turning away and turning toward is pure tawḥīd.
💫🔆 (109) وَ انْزِعْ مِنْ قَلْبِي حُبَّ دُنْيَا دَنِيَّةٍ تَنْهَى عَمَّا عِنْدَكَ، وَ تَصُدُّ عَنِ ابْتِغَاءِ الْوَسِيلَةِ إِلَيْكَ، وَ تُذْهِلُ عَنِ التَّقَرُّبِ مِنْكَ. (110) وَ زَيِّنْ لِيَ التَّفَرُّدَ بِمُنَاجَاتِكَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَار[8]
🔆(O God,) remove from my heart the love of this lowly world, which keeps me from what is with You, turns me away from seeking a means of drawing near to You, and makes me heedless of seeking closeness to You.
And make it beautiful for me to withdraw into solitude with You in intimate prayer, by night and by day.
| Section | Lexical and grammatical analysis | Deeper meaning |
| “انْزِعْ مِنْ قَلْبِي حُبَّ دُنْيَا دَنِيَّةٍ” | “انزع”: remove, draw out; “دنیا”: material life; “دنیّة”: lowly, base, worthless. | A plea to uproot love of the world from the depths of the heart, not merely to renounce it outwardly. |
| “تَنْهَى عَمَّا عِنْدَكَ” | “تنهی”: forbids, keeps away; “ما عندک”: rewards, graces, and nearness to God. | The world keeps a person from seeking what is with God: contentment with worldly life obstructs the pursuit of the Hereafter. |
| “وَ تَصُدُّ عَنِ ابْتِغَاءِ الْوَسِيلَةِ إِلَيْكَ” | “تصدّ”: turns away, prevents; “ابتغاء الوسیلة”: seeking a means of drawing near to God. | The world keeps a person from seeking ways to draw near to God, such as worship, knowledge, and spiritual allegiance. |
| “وَ تُذْهِلُ عَنِ التَّقَرُّبِ مِنْكَ” | “تذهل”: makes heedless, causes to forget; “التقرّب”: drawing near to God. | The world can so engross a person that they lose sight of the very purpose of creation: nearness to God. |
| “وَ زَيِّنْ لِيَ التَّفَرُّدَ بِمُنَاجَاتِكَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ” | “زیّن”: make beautiful, make beloved; “التفرد”: solitude, seclusion; “مناجات”: intimate conversation with God. | A plea that solitude with God, by night and day, become sweet, so that intimate prayer becomes a person’s greatest joy. |
These two passages form a comprehensive prayer for purification of the soul and nearness to God:
asking that love of the world be uprooted from the heart, as the source of every obstacle to nearness:
the world keeps a person from divine reward (نهی از ما عندک).
It prevents them from seeking the way to nearness (صدّ از ابتغاءِ وسیله).
It distracts one from nearness itself (distracting the heart from drawing near).
The prayer to adorn the solitude of intimate communion with God points to a love of worship and the joy of servitude: that is, turning to converse with God not out of fear or habit, but out of longing and love.
In truth, this supplication is a roadmap for the spiritual journey toward God:
“Letting go of love for this world” ← “Seeking a means of approach” ← “Drawing near” ← “Finding joy in intimate communion”
❇️Let go of all that is and is not, and you will reach Him
Accumulating poverty does not increase one’s wealth; it only increases one’s poverty. A multitude of attachments does not bring freedom from need. Worldly wealth—even wealth in the Hereafter—adds to one’s attachments; it is poverty multiplied!
💫🔆 إِلَهِي أَنَا الْفَقِيرُ فِي غِنَايَ فَكَيْفَ لَا أَكُونُ فَقِيراً فِي فَقْرِي إِلَهِي أَنَا الْجَاهِلُ فِي عِلْمِي فَكَيْفَ لَا أَكُونُ جَهُولًا فِي جَهْلِي[9]
🔆 (The intimate supplication of Imam Husayn (AS)) My God! Even in my affluence I am poor; how, then, could I not be poor in my poverty and need?
My God! Even in my knowledge I am ignorant; how, then, could I not be ignorant in my ignorance?
🌹 This severance is not poverty or deprivation; rather, it is the enrichment of one’s being through the Everlasting Essence.
To be freed from all but Him is the summit of freedom from need!
💫🔆(The intimate supplication of Imam Husayn (AS):) إِلَهِي تَرَدُّدِي فِي الْآثَارِ يُوجِبُ بُعْدَ الْمَزَارِ فَاجْمَعْنِي عَلَيْكَ بِخِدْمَةٍ تُوصِلُنِي إِلَيْكَ كَيْفَ يُسْتَدَلُّ عَلَيْكَ بِمَا هُوَ فِي وُجُودِهِ مُفْتَقِرٌ إِلَيْك[10]
🔆 My God! My passage among the signs leads me away from beholding You. So gather me to Yourself through a service—worship and devotion—that brings me to You, and draw me near.
How can You be inferred from something that, in its very existence, depends on You?
❇️From knowing Muhammad to becoming like Muhammad
🔸 Muhammad (PBUH) is the light of “the Originator,” shining upon the dark heart of ignorance, leading it to the light of knowledge, and bringing springs of wisdom gushing forth from the dry earth of darkness.
☘️“Becoming Muhammadan” means exercising creativity in piety and bringing beauty into obedience. It means doing everything in the finest possible way, for he was “of a tremendous character”.
🔸 The believer’s heart is the throne of Allah, the All-Merciful. For that throne to become a vessel of abundant blessing, it must be emptied of everyone but Allah. This is the meaning of “complete severance.”
None but the decree of His Majesty, the Wisest of judges, should sit upon the heart!
God’s royal throne must be cleansed of all that is other than Allah!
When a heart purifies and devotes itself wholly to its Creator, Allah claims it for Himself, and it becomes the sanctuary of Allah, the throne of Allah!
🔸 Blessing is a light that rises from the horizon of Muhammad (PBUH) and the Family of Muhammad (AS).
☘️Anyone who wishes to live forever in the light of blessing must place the sun of their being in the sky of their guardianship.
«وَ ارْزُقْنِي بِبَرَكَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ أَفْضَلَ مَا ارْزَقْتَ أَحَداً مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِكَ»
☘️Blessing is a seed that grows only in the field of the heart that has severed all ties.
☘️The sun of this field is Muhammad (PBUH), and its water, the tears of longing for all that is other than him.
☘️Its fruit is attainment of a station where there is neither need nor one who meets a need; neither poverty nor wealth.
☘️Rather, only He remains, and His “good pleasure”.
☘️The prayer of perfect detachment is answered
.
A textual clarification: “Muhammad, the one who sews from beginning to end”
A system of thought–mysticism
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), not merely as a prophet, but as the “Key to Blessing,” the “Key to the Boundless,” the “Exemplar of Detachment,” and “the one who sews from beginning to end”
Transforming “blessing” from an abstract concept into a transcendent existential reality
✅
Clarifying “terminological ambiguities”:
💫“Severance as a way to union”
Illuminating the “boundary of true detachment” as distinct from “extreme detachment (asceticism)”
Detachment does not mean setting out alone! It means setting out toward Him together: bringing the many into unity and turning all toward that single centre. It is to sever oneself from all things and turn toward Him, while remaining among others without attachment to them!
💫
Illuminating the “Key to the Boundless” and the “beyond-infinite”
The Essence of the Almighty is not confined by any boundary or concept. All His attributes are intended to free us from the problem of “negation and anthropomorphism”!
In considering every attribute, we must bear in mind the interpretation of “Allahu akbar”: «الله اکبر من ان یوصف»
Thus, all descriptions are like paths that lead us beyond the path! They bring us to the threshold of the Unseen of the Unseen, the station of «وَ كَمَالُ الْإِخْلَاصِ لَهُ نَفْيُ الصِّفَاتِ عَنْهُ», the boundlessness that crowns the attributes—yet even that must be left behind to arrive!
Bringing “theoretical mysticism” into harmony with “practical guidance”
۱. The shared axis of theory and practice: the “Key to Blessing”
The text seeks to present the “Key to Blessing” as the key to the boundless; in practice, it shows that this key is “severing ties with all that is other than God and joining oneself to Him.” Thus, detachment (perfect severance) is both the theoretical aim of this key and the practical way to attain blessing.
۲. Harmony between “key knowledge” and “the act of unlocking”
Theory: The “Key to Blessing” unlocks knowledge and wisdom, and even carries one beyond the infinite (for God is «لاندّ و لاضدّ», and the infinite, too, is a sign of Him).
Practical expression: This opening is realised through “seeking knowledge of the Prophet” and “purifying the heart of all that is other than God.” The promise of “opening” makes the clearing of heart and soul a condition for that opening.
۳. Harmony between “the Tree of Tuba (the blessed tree)” and “the Shi‘a as its leaves”
The text’s theoretical statement: The “Blessed Tree” has the Messenger of God (PBUH) as its root, Ali (AS) as its trunk, the Imams (AS) as its branches, the knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt as its fruit, and the Shi‘a as its leaves.
The text’s practical description: A Shi‘a should be a “leaf,” and a leaf is always connected to the tree. Thus, the Shi‘a’s practice is to “travel alongside Muhammad (PBUH)” on the Ascension and to “know the secrets.” In this way, the theory—the tree’s structure—finds meaning in the practice of “the leaf’s living connection to the root and branches”.
4. Correspondence between “the Spirit of God, one spirit” and “the believers’ connection”
Theoretical proposition: The spirits of the believers come from a single spirit, and a believer’s spirit is more firmly joined to God’s Spirit than a sunbeam is to the sun.
Practical proposition: To attain “a shared experience through one spirit,” one must experience life and servitude through the “entire Spirit of God,” journeying from its radiance toward its fullness. The theory therefore takes “connection” as its principle, while the practice shows the “degree of benefit” drawn from that connection.
5. Correspondence between “the distance of two bows” and “the Ascension’s journey”
Theory: “قاب قوسين اَو اَدنی” means drawing near to the distance of two bows, or nearer still. In passing through the veils of light, the Messenger of God (PBUH) beheld the unseen realms of the heavens and the earth.
The text’s practical teaching: This journey requires a “key”; without the “Sultan” (that is, the مفتاح البرکه), crossing the expanses of the heavens is impossible. The theory thus points to the station of nearness, while the practice shows that “one must be accompanied by the divine key” to attain it.
6. Correspondence between “separation” and “union”
The text’s theory: “The crown of blessings lies in complete separation,” and separation from all else is the highest form of union.
The text’s practice: This separation means emptying the heart of “love for this lowly world” and living for God alone. The supplication for “complete detachment” and the Prophet’s (PBUH) words, “I spend the night with my Lord,” show that separation in practice is itself the height of connection to God.
7. Conclusion:
“Whoever wishes to live in the light of blessing must set the sun of their being in the sky of wilayah.” “How to turn that key” lies in emptying oneself of all else, connecting to the source of majesty, and attaining a station where both “poverty and wealth” vanish, leaving only God and His good pleasure.
Conceptual bridge
A conceptual bridge from “existential gnosis” to “practical formation”
| The language of mystical–existential propositions (the text’s statements) | Conceptual bridge (how to render them in the language of spiritual formation) | The language of–prescriptive spiritual formation (guidance for conduct and the heart) |
| “The مفتاح البرکه is the key to detachment from all but God.” | Detachment is not an abstract concept; it means discerning, at every moment, what is keeping you from God. | Recommendation: Each day, identify one small attachment—to possessions, other people’s opinions, or a lower desire—and let it go for a few hours. |
| “Severance is the highest attainment, and the crown of blessings lies in perfect severance.” | If you see letting go as painful and bitter, you will not do it. But if you know that letting go is itself a doorway to union, you will cherish the chance. | **Practice:** When you let something go for God’s sake, tell yourself: “Letting this go is itself the closest path to Him.” Accept release, then, not as a loss, but as a new kind of fullness. |
| “The Spirit of God is one spirit, and the believers are connected to it, though each receives a different share.” | Connection is not a fixed state: each person partakes of this spirit according to their capacity. That capacity grows through the practice of servanthood. | **Practice:** Spend a few minutes in silence each day and reflect: “To whom is my spirit connected?” In that silence, try to bring your own will into harmony with the divine will. |
| “The believer’s heart is God’s Throne; it must be emptied of all that is other than God.” | To be God’s Throne is to become the seat of His sovereignty—and that is possible only through continual emptying. | **Practice:** Before any important task, say three times: “O God, cleanse this heart of every thought that is not of You.” Then begin the task with Him in mind. |
| “Muhammad (PBUH) is the exemplar of severance: he spends the night with his Lord, who provides him with food and drink.” | The Prophet’s severance did not mean abandoning the world; it meant keeping the heart connected to the Highest Source. | **Practice:** Each night before sleep, spend a few minutes alone with God—not to ask for anything, but to practise “being with Him,” just as the Prophet (PBUH) spent the night with Him. |
| “The Key to Blessing is the secret of an expanded breast; Allah expands hearts through His Muhammad.” | An expanded breast is not a sudden gift. The heart opens through repeatedly remembering Muhammad (PBUH) and putting his example into practice. | **Practice:** Whenever you feel downcast or constricted during the day, send blessings upon him and, in that moment, put one of his virtues—such as honesty or kindness—into practice. |
| “Blessing is not the breaking of habit, but the discovery of truth behind the veil of habit.” | Habits are veils that conceal the truth of God’s power. To see blessing, one must step beyond the habitual. | **Practice:** Once a week, do an ordinary task in a new way (for example, give your worship a fresh form), so that your heart’s eye may open to a new manifestation of power. |
| “Let go of what is and what is not, and you will reach Him; accumulating poverty does not increase one’s wealth.” | Clinging to anything—even spiritual attainments—takes you farther from God. Freedom lies in being released from all that you possess. | **Practice:** Each morning, tell yourself: “What I have belongs to Him and will return to Him.” Be neither proud of what you have nor saddened by what you lack. |
| “The Key to Blessing brings us to the Messenger of God, and through the Messenger of God we attain knowledge of God.” | Knowledge of God comes through knowing His Messenger, and knowing the Messenger finds its meaning in following his Sunnah. | **Practice:** Today, observe one simple Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH)—such as greeting someone, using the miswak, or smiling—with the intention of “following God’s beloved.” Afterwards, pause and reflect on what truth about God this act has brought you closer to. |
**Summary of the conceptual bridge**
From the language of mysticism (“the Key to the Infinite” and “severance from all besides God”), we arrive at the language of spiritual formation, where:
“The key,” in practice, means choosing God over all else at every moment, even in the smallest acts.
“Severance,” in spiritual formation, means practising letting go of one attachment each day, so that the heart may learn to become God’s Throne.
“Connection to the Spirit of God” in life means bringing one’s will into harmony with the divine will, in silence and action.
“The Key to Blessing” in daily spiritual practice means consciously and lovingly following one Prophetic practice, so that it becomes a key to the opening of the heart.
“The distance of two bows’ length” in practical life means drawing so near to God that all distance falls away. This nearness is attained through “seclusion with God day and night” and “adorning one’s intimate prayer,” as the supplication says: “وَ زَیِّنْ لِیَ التَّفَرُّدَ بِمُنَاجَاتِکَ بِاللَّیْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ”.
From this perspective, no mystical proposition is without an ethical and formative dimension; and every moral exhortation is rooted in the same existential truth of “The Key to Blessing.” As the text puts it: “To become Muhammadan is to be creative in piety and to bring beauty into obedience.” Thus, mysticism is the map, spiritual formation is the journey along it, and the bridge between them is “daily action born of love.”
1. An epistemological perspective
“The distance of two bows’ length”:
“ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّى فَكانَ قابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنى” means the closest possible distance for knowing. “The distance of two bows’ length” means that knowledge of God comes through the Prophet’s (PBUH) gradual approach to the veils of light, not through remote reasoning. True knowledge arises when one passes beyond the “veils of habit” and beholds the unseen kingdom of heaven and earth, as the tradition says: “so that He might show him the unseen kingdom of heaven and all the wonders of His handiwork and marvels of His creation within it.”
Epistemological implication: Knowledge of God is not merely theoretical awareness; it is an “existential drawing-near.” The more a person passes beyond the veils of light—the very veils of knowing—the closer they come to “or nearer still.” The text describes this knowledge as “attaining knowledge of God through the Messenger of God”: that is, knowing becomes possible through “accompanying the key,” not through analogy and proof alone.
“The Ascension”:
The Ascension means “opening the way to the highest unseen realm”; without “authority” (that is, the Key to Blessing), passage through the expanses of the heavens is impossible. Epistemologically, the Ascension means a horizontal journey of knowledge, from signs to the One who gives them; as the text puts it: “The Key to Blessing is the secret of passing from the signs to the One who gives them, from آثار to the One who is visited.”
The implication: Knowledge is a gradual ascent, beginning with “breaking free from all that is other than God” and culminating in the vision of the unseen kingdom of earth and heaven. Such knowledge is attained not in books, but through “an existential journey accompanied by the key”.
“Complete detachment”:
“Complete detachment”: “فَتَخِرَقَ أَبْصَارُ الْقُلُوبِ حُجُبَ النُّورِ فَتَصِلَ إِلَى مَعْدِنِ الْعَظَمَةِ.” From an epistemological perspective, this means that the condition for knowledge is “piercing the veils.” So long as the heart is attached to anything other than God, the eye of the heart cannot see the truth. Detachment, then, is the condition for “connection in knowing”.
2. A mystical-psychological perspective
The concept of “the Ascension” from this perspective:
The Ascension was the journey in which the Messenger of God (PBUH) traversed the unseen kingdom, from heaven to earth. From a psychological perspective, the Ascension is the inward journey from “surface” to “truth.” The spiritual wayfarer sees together the lofty heights of the spirit (heaven) and the depths of their material being (earth), and “stitches” them together, as the text puts it: “He stitched the prayer niche from the unseen kingdom of heaven to the unseen kingdom of earth.”
Psychological conclusion: Human perfection lies in the “integration of the heavens and earth within one’s being.” The perfect human being is neither severed from the earth nor dwelling in an imaginary heaven, but experiences “the distance of two bows’ length” within themselves—that is, they forge a bond between their divine nature and their human nature so intimate that no distance remains.
The meaning of “complete severance” in this view:
The text defines “complete severance” as “breaking free of every limitation in order to join the infinite,” and says: “This severance is not poverty or deprivation; rather, it is the enriching of one’s being through the Eternal Essence.”
From a mystical psychological perspective, severance means “freedom from every form of unhealthy attachment” (the love of this lowly world, as mentioned in the supplication), so that the psyche, instead of being thrown into turmoil among competing concerns, may attain “inner unity.” This freedom does not mean suppressing desires, but “reordering them in the service of love for the Source”; as the text says: “In this state, a person puts every blessing to use in serving and loving Him.”
Conclusion: Psychological perfection is attained when the heart, rather than remaining scattered, becomes “a treasury of grandeur,” and “our spirits cling to the dignity of divine holiness”—that is, when human identity is shaped not by external attachments, but by absolute reliance on the Eternal Truth.
The meaning of “the distance of two bows’ length” in this view:
The text describes “the distance of two bows’ length” as the station reached by the Messenger of God (PBUH) after passing through the veils of light. Psychologically, this distance may be seen as “the distance between the desire of the self and the desire of God,” brought, through spiritual striving, as close as possible. “Or nearer still” means so close that the self is no longer “the resisting self,” but becomes “the soul at peace”—an experience the text calls “an experience beyond all experience”.
3. A strategic and social perspective (providing a model for society)
The meaning of “Muhammad (PBUH) as the paradigm of severance” in this view:
The text says: “Muhammad is the fault line of eternity,” and “He departed and opened the distance of two bows’ length, widening the realm of servitude.”
From a strategic perspective, the “fault line of eternity” means that the Prophet (PBUH) is a model through whom society is separated from “all other than God,” making attachment to “the rope of God” possible. In reality, this severance begins not with society itself, but with “ungodly norms,” so that society can become “one community,” as the noble verse “وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِیعًا” indicates.
The meaning of the “Ascension” in this view:
The text describes the Ascension as “opening the way to the highest heavenly realm” and “extending the mosque to ‘or nearer still.’” Through a strategic–social lens, the Ascension means setting an example of “collective ascent”: a society that accompanies its leader on the “Ascension” can pass beyond material and spiritual peaks and attain a “blessing-centred civilisation.” The text says: “If the Shi‘a are leaves of the Muhammadan tree, then those leaves must have ascended with the tree”; that is, the community of followers must move along the path of its own exemplar’s ascent.
Strategic conclusion: Through his Ascension, the Prophet (PBUH) raised “the ceiling of human aspirations” to “or nearer still,” so that society might understand that perfection does not lie in being earthbound, but in “ascending with the key”.
The meaning of “complete severance” in this view:
The text defines severance as “breaking away from everything other than God” and “joining the treasury of grandeur,” and says: “To connect everything—from one’s limbs and faculties to all that one is attached to—with Him is to become a source of pride for Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad.”
From a strategic perspective, “complete severance” means a society that breaks its dependence on powers, wealth, and interests detached from God, and holds fast to the “rope of God” alone. This severance brings “cultural and political independence” and guards society against “blind imitation.” The text says, “To break away from everything and nothing is to be joined to what lies beyond all things”; independence, then, does not mean isolation, but a society’s reliance on the source of inexhaustible power.
The result: a society that sees the Prophet (PBUH) as the model of “complete severance” can move beyond the “poverty of attachment” and attain the “richness of connection”—just as the text warns against “accumulating poverty upon wealth” and recommends “enrichment through the Everlasting Essence”.
A final synthesis through these three perspectives
From an epistemological perspective: “the bow’s two ends,” the “Ascension,” and “complete severance” all teach that knowledge of God comes through “existential nearness” and “piercing the veils of the heart,” not through reasoning alone. The key to this knowledge is the “Key to Blessing” (the Prophet Muhammad), “through whom we attain the greatest knowledge of God.”
From a mystical psychological perspective: these three concepts map out the “inner journey”—from scattered attachments (severance from all besides God), through spiritual unity (connection to the source of majesty), and onward to the experience of “nearer than near” (“the bow’s two ends”), which is the soul’s ultimate peace in the shelter of the “one spirit”.
From a strategic–social perspective: these concepts offer a model for “collective ascent.” The Prophet (PBUH), as the “exemplar,” shows that to attain blessing and everlasting life, a society must break with all besides God, connect to the rope of God, and seek its own Ascension by “extending the mosque to ‘or nearer still’” and “stitching the sanctuary of heaven’s dominion to the dominion of earth”.
A final sweetness:
“The Key to Blessing means attaining the greatest knowledge of God through the Messenger of God” (epistemological perspective),
“The believer’s heart is God’s Throne, and through complete severance it reaches the source of majesty” (psychological perspective),
“To connect everything—from the limbs and organs to all that pertains to us—to Him is to become a source of pride for Muhammad and the family of Muhammad” (strategic–social perspective).
🔰 “The Key to Blessing” as the “principle of transcendent severance”
“ Muhammad” (PBUH) is not merely a prophet, but an “existential principle.”
Severance from all besides God is the highest attainment.
The key to blessing means opening the gates of divine mercy through complete severance and turning wholly toward Him.
The Ascension is possible only through the “Key to Blessing,” for traversing the expanses of the heavens and the earth is impossible without the “authority” of Muhammad’s wilayah.
✅ Opening a “new paradigm” in Prophetic studies
“Muhammad (PBUH) is not a historical figure, but an ‘existential horizon’ that can be born anew in every age and bring the human being to ‘the bow’s two ends.’”
🔸 “The nature of severance from existence”
Tawhid is the first and final boundary of severance. Tawhid and its degrees form the supreme road, beginning with knowledge and ending in the perfection of sincerity! The Master has beautifully brought these stages together in this passage!
« أَوَّلُ الدِّينِ مَعْرِفَتُهُ وَ كَمَالُ مَعْرِفَتِهِ التَّصْدِيقُ بِهِ وَ كَمَالُ التَّصْدِيقِ بِهِ تَوْحِيدُهُ وَ كَمَالُ تَوْحِيدِهِ الْإِخْلَاصُ لَهُ وَ كَمَالُ الْإِخْلَاصِ لَهُ نَفْيُ الصِّفَات»
What a remarkable correspondence: perfect detachment and perfect sincerity!
In perfect detachment and perfect sincerity, one is no longer confined by the world, by being or nonbeing, by anything at all. Rather, one severs everything there is, together with oneself, through perfect sincerity and detachment!
The blessed Messenger, bearer of «أَبِيتُ عِنْدَ رَبِّي يُطْعِمُنِي وَ يَسْقِينِي» —in his state of perfect severance, detached even from food—would feed all creation with perfect detachment.
🔸 Diminishing or magnifying the “heart of the believer” into a “vessel of grandeur”
«لَا يَسَعُنِي أَرْضِي وَ لَا سَمَائِي وَ لَكِنْ يَسَعُنِي قَلْبُ عَبْدِيَ الْمُؤْمِنِ»
A heart that becomes a vessel for God’s “grandeur, light, and knowledge”—the vessel and its contents become one! In the mine of grandeur, the radiance and that which it illuminates become one! Could the mine of grandeur ever be separate from grandeur?
Let us not forget that He is not grandeur itself, but the Possessor of all grandeur; He cannot be described by grandeur. «إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفُ اللَّطَافَةِ لَا يُوصَفُ بِاللُّطْفِ عَظِيمُ الْعَظَمَةِ لَا يُوصَفُ بِالْعِظَمِ كَبِيرُ الْكِبْرِيَاءِ لَا يُوصَفُ بِالْكِبَرِ جَلِيلُ الْجَلَالَةِ لَا يُوصَفُ بِالغِلَظ».
🔸 “The social role of the Key to Blessing”
The key is more than an opening: it has moved beyond being opened to become the very opener!
The key was not fashioned for itself, but to untie knots—to unlock the innate qualities of human nature and the gates of hearts!
The Key to Blessing was sent forth to untie every knot among humankind and jinn—in a word, every knot in existence!
✨🔆Sabaʾ: 28 وَ ما أَرْسَلْناكَ إِلاَّ كَافَّةً لِلنَّاسِ بَشيراً وَ نَذيراً وَ لكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ
✅ “The Key to Blessing and the opening of civilization”
His Holiness is the key to blessings of earth and heaven, and the opener of earthly, terrestrial, celestial, and heavenly civilizations! No aspect of existence lies outside the sphere of His blessings!
🔸 An interpretation of “qāba qawsayn”
We have begun interpreting “qāba qawsayn,” and we shall set sail upon its depths! ان الله مع الصابرین!
🔸 The connection between the “Key to Blessing” and “Imamate” and “Wilaya”
Muhammad is the sky, and the Imams are its stars; Muhammad is the year, and the Imams its months; Muhammad is the tree, and the Imams its branches and fruits; Muhammad is the key, and the Imams its teeth!
The “Key to Blessing” is the “embodiment of blessing—unceasing, flowing, and eternal.” It is ever opening into new beginnings and fresh manifestations!
✧✦ “Muhammadan Intelligence” ✧✦
🌹 «اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَ اجْعَلْنا مِنَ الْمُسْتَمْسِکینَ بِمِفْتاحِ الْبَرَکَةِ، وَ الْمُنْقَطِعینَ إِلَیْکَ بِکَمالِ الِانْقِطاعِ، حَتَّی تَصِلَ أَرْواحُنا إِلی مَعْدِنِ الْعَظَمَةِ وَ تَعْلَقَ بِعِزِّ قُدْسِکَ» 🌹
🌸 وَالسَّلامُ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ الطَّاهِرینَ، وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَکَاتُهُ. 🌸
❇️“The Comprehensive Muhammadan Charter”
The “key to the Infinite,” “الله اکبر من ان یوصف,” and the “negation of attributes” mean escaping the snares of “assimilation” and “divestment” and attaining the station of “pure tawhid.” This is a masterpiece of spiritual insight, in which even “the infinite” is revealed as a veil between us and God.
When “knowledge” is joined to the “existential journey” (the Miʿraj), knowing is not theoretical awareness but “a gradual drawing near to the truth”.
When all existence becomes a single body, when the whole universe becomes the feathers of one bird soaring through the garden of the highest realm and ascending on the Miʿraj! Then all fly forth, in complete detachment, by the light, spirit, and Muhammadan reality!
When all experience servitude through one spirit! All, even as they are bound together, turn toward Him in detachment!
🌼Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141 (903)🌼
📜 “حِکَمُ مِفْتاحِ الْبَرَکَةِ» (مُهرستِ Scientific–Philosophical)
A) Ontology and Tawhid (Existential Knowledge)
1. Blessing is not a breach of the ordinary; it is the unveiling, from behind the veil of habit, of the majesty of the reality of the All-Powerful.
2. The Essence of the Almighty fits neither within the infinite nor within the finite; He is “الله اکبر من ان یوصف”.
3. All divine attributes lead toward a pathless way; the boundary of the Unseen of the Unseen is the station of “negation of attributes”.
4. The infinite is a sign of Him, and “beyond the infinite” is another.
5. God is “لاندّ و لاضدّ”; thus the infinite has meaning in relation to its opposite, but He has no counterpart.
6. The believer’s heart is God’s Throne—not a vessel for the Divine Essence, but the locus of the manifestation of divine majesty, light, and knowledge.
B) Knowledge of Muhammad (Prophethood and Wilayah)
7. Muhammad (PBUH) is not merely a historical figure, but an “existential horizon” reborn in every age.
8. Miftāḥ al-Baraka means opening the gates of mercy through complete severance from all but God.
9. The Miʿraj is impossible without the “sovereignty of Muhammadan wilayah,” for traversing the expanses of the heavens is impossible without a key.
10. Muhammad (PBUH) is the “first stitcher of beginning to end”; he stitched the sanctuary of the heavenly realm to the heavenly realm of the earth.
11. Miftāḥ al-Baraka is the way to the Infinite; and the Infinite itself is a crown among the attributes that one must pass beyond.
12. Muhammad (PBUH) is the “rift of eternity”: severing oneself from all else in order to cleave to the firm rope of God.
C) Epistemology (How Truth Is Known)
13. “قاب قوسین” means the closest possible distance for knowing: a knowledge attained through “existential nearness,” not through argument from afar.
14. The Miʿrāj is the journey of outward discovery from the “signs” to the “One whose signs they are,” and from the “traces” to the “One who is visited”.
15. Knowledge of God comes through knowledge of His Messenger (PBUH); and knowledge of the Messenger finds meaning in putting his Sunnah into practice.
16. “Complete severance” is a condition for “cognitive union”: so long as the heart is attached to anything other than God, the eye of the heart cannot see the truth.
17. “Or nearer still” means drawing so close that the self is no longer “resistant,” but becomes “at peace”.
18. True knowledge comes when a person passes beyond “the veils of habit” and beholds the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.
D) Mystical psychological wisdom (the inner journey and the perfection of the soul)
19. The Miʿrāj is the human being’s inward journey from “surface” to “reality”—the integration of the heavens and earth within one’s being.
20. Human perfection lies in “the integration of the heavens and earth within one’s being”: neither breaking away from the earth nor settling in an imagined heaven.
21. “Complete severance” means freedom from every unhealthy attachment, so that the psyche may attain “inner unity”.
22. Severance is not the suppression of desires, but their realignment in the service of love for the Source.
23. A heart made pure for God becomes the “heart of God”: the object of the divine gaze and a treasury of majesty.
24. “The poverty of attachment” becomes “the richness of connection” when the heart becomes “a mine of majesty”.
25. In the psyche, “the distance of two bows” means that the distance between the self’s will and God’s will draws as near as it can.
E) Strategic-social wisdom–(civilisation-building and the creation of exemplars)
26. The right kind of separation means “setting out toward Him together,” neither “monasticism” nor “dependence on the group”.
27. Muhammad (PBUH) is the “fault line of eternity”: he separates society from “ungodly norms” so that it may become “one community”.
28. The Miʿrāj means “extending the mosque as far as ‘or nearer still’”—a model for society’s collective ascent.
29. The Key to Blessing was sent to untie the knots of innate human nature and open the gates of the hearts of humankind and jinn.
30. A civilisation that accompanies its leader on the Miʿrāj attains a “blessing-centred civilisation”.
31. Breaking away from ungodly powers, wealth and interests leads to “cultural and political independence”.
🌿 و) The Wisdom of Human Nature (the Human Being’s Inner Constitution)
32. Blessing is a seed that grows only in the field of a heart that has “severed itself”.
33. The sun of this field is Muhammad (PBUH); its water, tears of longing for all that is other than him.
34. The fruit of this field is attaining a station in which there is neither need nor one who meets a need; neither poverty nor wealth.
35. Whoever wishes to live forever in the light of blessing must place the sun of their being in the sky of their guardianship.
36. The Key to Blessing is «احسن الوسیله الی الله»—the best means of drawing near to God.
ز) Mystical––Philosophical Wisdom (Ultimate and Transcendent)
37. Severance from “nothing” (all that is other than God) is the highest attainment of “everything” (God).
38. The crown of blessings lies in perfect severance; and perfect severance is the perfection of sincerity.
39. «أَبِيتُ عِنْدَ رَبِّي يُطْعِمُنِي وَ يَسْقِينِي»; that is, the Prophet’s severance—not abandoning the world, but joining the heart to the Most Exalted Source.
40. “Leave behind what is and what is not, and you will reach Him”; accumulating poverty does not increase one’s wealth, but one’s poverty.
41. The Key to Blessing is the secret of the opening of the heart: Allah opens hearts through His Muhammad.
42. «کمال الانقطاع» means severing oneself from all that is other than Him, and joining oneself to «به معدنِ عظمت».
✨ A Sealed Conclusion: Six Golden Keywords of «مفتاح البرکه»
| Keyword | Its Muhammadan Definition |
| مفتاح البرکه | The key that unlocks the blessings of heaven and earth: the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) |
| Transcendent Severance | Emptying the heart of all but God, and making creation companions in this severance, too! |
| قاب قوسین | The closest epistemic distance; the joining of the First and the Last |
| کمال الانقطاع | Freedom from every attachment in order to join the Mine of Divine Majesty |
| Ascension | An existential journey from the “signs” to the “Lord of the signs”; the expansion of the mosque to «اَو اَدنی» |
| Spirit of God | The one divine spirit to which believers are connected; yet each receives a different share |
🌹 The Closing Prayer, Sealed with «مفتاح البرکه»:
«اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَ اجْعَلْ قُلُوبَنَا مَفَاتِیحَ لِلْبَرَکَةِ، وَ أَرْوَاحَنَا مَعَادِنَ لِلْعَظَمَةِ، وَ عُقُولَنَا مَشْروحَةً بِنُورِ مَعْرِفَتِکَ، حَتَّی نَکُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْقَطِعِینَ إِلَیْکَ بِکَمالِ الِانْقِطاعِ، وَ الْمُسْتَمْسِکِینَ بِحَبْلِکَ الْمَتِینِ.»
🌸 وَالسَّلامُ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ الطَّاهِرینَ، وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَکَاتُهُ. 🌸
📜 “A Structured Summary of Muhammad, the First and the Last (Miftāḥ al-Barakah)”
(A theoretical and strategic framework for knowing Muhammad (PBUH) and becoming Muhammadan)
🔰 First Pillar: Defining Key Concepts (Core Terminology)
| Concept | Structured definition |
| Miftāḥ al-Barakah | The Noble Muhammad (PBUH): the key to unlocking the blessings of heaven and earth. “God’s Trustee of Revelation, the Noblest of Creation, the Chosen One among His servants, the Leader of Mercy, the Guide to Good, and the Key to Blessings”. |
| Blessing | The manifestation of divine mercy in the visible and unseen realms. It is not a violation of the ordinary order of things, but a revelation, behind the veil of habit, of the truth of the Almighty’s greatness. |
| Transcendent detachment | To empty the heart of all that is other than God, while making creation a companion in that detachment. |
| Complete detachment | Freedom from every unhealthy attachment (love of the lowly world) and complete connection to the divine “Source of Greatness”. |
| Miʿrāj | The Prophet’s (PBUH) existential journey from the celestial realm to the realm of the earth: opening the way to “two bows’ length” and extending the mosque of servitude to “or nearer”. |
| Two bows’ length | The closest possible distance in knowledge: passing beyond obstacles, signs, and traces to encounter God |
| Spirit of God | The one divine Spirit to which the faithful are connected; each draws from it according to their capacity. |
| The blessed tree | The tree of divine unity: its root is the Prophet (PBUH), its trunk is Ali (AS), its branches are the Imams (AS), its fruit is the knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt, and its leaves are the Shi‘a. |
| Becoming Muhammadan | Creativity in piety and the creation of beauty through obedience; taking the Prophet’s (PBUH) “magnificent character” as one’s model. |
🔰 Second Pillar: Diagnosing the Effects of Drifting Away from Miftāḥ al-Barakah (Recognising the Illness)
A) Forgetting the key means forgetting to move forward
Forgetting blessing = confinement in the darkness of ignorance and worldly attachments.
Being unaware of the Miʿrāj = deprivation of spiritual and civilisational ascent.
Neglecting detachment = accumulating poverty upon one’s wealth; dependence on anything other than God is itself an increase in poverty.
B) Obstacles to unlocking blessings in the present age (concrete examples)
| Epistemic obstacle | Concrete example | Consequence |
| Love of the lowly world | Attachment to wealth, status, fleeting pleasure, and the desires of the self | Preventing one from seeking the means of drawing near to God |
| Blind imitation | Following non-divine norms and court scholars | Neglect of “being alone in intimate communion” and spending the night in solitude with God |
| Forgetting the Prophetic tradition | Disregard for the Prophet’s (PBUH) practical example in everyday life | The loss of “blessing in one’s deeds” and the reduction of worship to habit |
| Denying the authority of the Household of the Prophet (AS) | Severing “the Key of Blessing” from “the branches and fruits of the tree” | Being deprived of the Imam’s enduring, flowing blessing |
🔰 Third Pillar: The Muhammadan Remedy (an antidote to distancing oneself from blessing)
Key principle: “The Key of Blessing is the key to breaking away from all else and joining the Source of Majesty.”
The steps of the remedy through three analytical lenses:
| Analyticalperspective | Separation (severance) | Connection (union) | Outcomeofopening |
| Epistemological | Piercing the veils of light and passing from the “signs” to the “Lord of the signs” | Reaching “the distance of two bow-lengths” and beholding the unseen realm of the heavens and the earth | Knowing God through knowing His Messenger |
| Mystical psychology | Freedom from pathological attachment and purification of the heart from “love of this world” | Connection to the “Spirit of God” and the heart’s transformation into a “Source of Majesty” | Integration of the heaven and earth within one’s being; the “serene soul” |
| Strategic–social | Breaking away from non-divine norms, corrupt powers and interests | Holding fast to the “rope of God” and forming a “united community” | Creating a “civilisation centred on blessing” in the light of the Prophetic exemplar |
🔰 Fourth Pillar: A Practical Guide for Today (Five Strategies)
First area: Knowledge (understanding the key)
Revisiting the hadith “أَوَّلُ الدِّينِ مَعْرِفَتُهُ…” and “the Key of Blessing” within the educational system.
Distinguishing “purely theoretical knowledge” from “existential knowledge accompanied by the key.”
Studying the Prophet’s (PBUH) heavenly ascent as a model for collective ascent.
Second area: Psychology (practising detachment)
Daily practice of detachment: each day, identify one small attachment—to wealth, people’s opinions or a self-indulgent habit—and break away from it for a few hours.
Nightly solitude: spend a few minutes alone with God each night—not to ask for anything, but simply to “be with Him” (أَبِيتُ عِنْدَ رَبِّي).
Beautifying supplication: ask God to make “solitary communion with Him” beautiful to you (a supplication from al-Sahifa).
Third area: Social (shaping a shared culture)
Reviving the Prophetic tradition in society: from offering greetings and smiling to economic justice and enjoining what is right.
Establishing “Muhammadan circles” in neighbourhoods and mosques to practise collective detachment from all but God.
Creating a “Blessing Fund” to help those in need, as a way of practising “giving one’s very life” on the path of the Key of Blessing.
Fourth area: Political (making the Prophetic exemplar a model)
Rejecting allegiance to the tyrants of the age, following the Prophet’s (PBUH) example of breaking away from non-divine norms.
Presenting the “Prophetic State” in Medina as a model of a “blessing-centred civilisation.”
Reviving the “Prophetic enjoining of what is right” as rational, public oversight of governance.
Fifth Pillar: Strategic (from Miftāḥ al-Baraka to the Promised Mahdi)
Redefining expectation: not waiting idly, but “practising being among the Mahdi’s companions” amid collective disconnection.
The bond between Ashura and Mahdism: Ashura as the uprising that began the movement of deliverance; the Occultation as an “ongoing Ashura”; and the Appearance as the promised moment when blessing is fully unleashed.
Establishing a “primordial covenant” based on verse 81 of Āl ʿImrān and the tradition of “hearts in accord” to prepare the way for the Appearance.
🌹 Conclusion: The conceptual framework of Miftāḥ al-Baraka at a glance
| Pillar | Key term | Functional summary |
| Epistemic core | Miftāḥ al-Baraka | Muḥammad (PBUH), the key to unlocking the blessings of heaven and earth |
| Condition for opening | Transcendent detachment | Emptying the heart of all but God, while keeping the hand free to serve |
| Epistemic horizon | Qāba Qawsayn | The closest possible distance for knowing and connecting with the source of majesty |
| Practical model | The Prophetic way | Following the Prophet’s example (PBUH) in private and in public |
| Ultimate vision | A blessing-centred civilisation | A society that, on the path of its collective ascension, has attained “or nearer still” |
✧✦ “اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَ اجْعَلْنا مِنَ الْمُسْتَمْسِکینَ بِمِفْتاحِ الْبَرَکَةِ، وَ الْمُنْقَطِعینَ إِلَیْکَ بِکَمالِ الِانْقِطاعِ، حَتَّی تَصِلَ أَرْواحُنا إِلی مَعْدِنِ الْعَظَمَةِ وَ تَعْلَقَ بِعِزِّ قُدْسِکَ، وَ اجْعَلْ هَذَا الْخُلاصَةَ مِفْتاحاً لِلْعَمَلِ وَ السُّلُوكِ، لا مُجَرَّدَ مَعْرِفَةٍ نَظَرِیَّةٍ.” ✦✧
🌸 وَالسَّلامُ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ الطَّاهِرینَ، وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَکَاتُهُ. 🌸
[1] Baṣāʾir al-Darajāt fī Faḍāʾil Āl Muḥammad صلى الله عليهم, vol. 1, p. 58 Ṣaffār, Library of Āyatullāh Marʿashī Najafī, Iran — Qom; second edition, 1404 AH.
[2] Al-Kāfī (Islamic edition), vol. 2, p. 166 Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya — Tehran; fourth edition, 1407 AH.
[3] Al-Amālī (by al-Ṣadūq), text, p. 150 Ibn Bābawayh, Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī, Ketābchi — Tehran; sixth edition, 1376 SH.
[4] ʿAwālī al-Laʾālī al-ʿAzīziyya fī al-Aḥādīth al-Dīniyya, vol. 2, p. 233 Ibn Abī Jumhūr, Dār Sayyid al-Shuhadāʾ Publishing — Qom; first edition, 1405 AH.
[5] ʿAwālī al-Laʾālī al-ʿAzīziyya fī al-Aḥādīth al-Dīniyya, vol. 4, p. 7 Ibn Abī Jumhūr, Muḥammad ibn Zayn al-Dīn, Dār Sayyid al-Shuhadāʾ Publishing — Qom; first edition, 1405 AH.
[6] Al-Amālī (al-Ṣadūq), text, p. 400 Ibn Bābawayh, Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī, Ketābchi, Tehran, 6th printing, 1376 Sh.
[7] Mukhtaṣar al-Baṣāʾir, p. 336
Ḥillī, Ḥasan ibn Sulaymān ibn Muḥammad, Islamic Publishing Institute, Iran, Qom, 1st printing, 1421 AH. Passage 108 and 109 of Supplication 47 in al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya
[9] Biḥār al-Anwār (Beirut edition), vol. 95, p. 225
Biḥār al-Anwār (Beirut edition), vol. 95, p. 225Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir ibn Muḥammad Taqī, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, Beirut, 2nd printing, 1403 AH.
