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The Muhammadan Reality or al-Ḥaqīqa al-Muḥammadiyya (Arabic: الحَقیقَة المُحَمَّدیّه), in theoretical mysticism, designates the initial manifestation (tajalli) of the Divine Essence. It appears in the form of Prophet Muhammad (s) as the archetype of the Perfect Man. This concept corresponds to the "First Creature" in Islamic theology and the First Intellect in Islamic philosophy.

The Muhammadan Reality constitutes a foundational element in Ibn 'Arabi's doctrine of the Perfect Man. Within theoretical mysticism, it serves as the underpinning for discourses regarding Wilaya, prophethood, and messengership. Ibn 'Arabi elucidated this concept by drawing upon specific prophetic hadiths. Among Shi'a expositors of Ibn 'Arabi, scholars such as Sayyid Haydar Amuli, Muhammad Rida Qumsha'i, and Imam Khomeini have accorded significant attention to this concept, endeavoring to explicate it in relation to the other Infallibles (a).

The manifestation of the Muhammadan Reality in the form of the Perfect Man (i.e., the existence of the Prophet) possesses two dimensions: the terrestrial (mulki) and the celestial (malakuti). Its celestial aspect represents the first creation and the medium through which all other beings are brought into existence. Its terrestrial aspect is manifested in every historical epoch within the Perfect Man of that age, appearing successively among the prophets until it culminates and becomes established in the corporeal existence of the Prophet (s). Shi'a commentators on Ibn 'Arabi posit that the Muhammadan Reality possesses terrestrial and celestial extensions within the existence of the Perfect Men succeeding the Prophet (s). In their view, this extension occurs within the framework of Wilaya; it concludes after its establishment in the celestial existence of Imam Ali (a) and the subsequent Shi'a Imams (a), culminating in the concept of the Seal of the Saints, identified by some as Imam al-Mahdi (a). This extension of the Muhammadan Reality is termed the 'Alawi Reality (al-Haqiqa al-'Alawiyya).

Nature and Status

The Muhammadan Reality is a concept within theoretical mysticism[1] defined as the first determination (ta'ayyun) of the Divine Essence.[2] This determination is regarded as the qualification of the Divine Essence by Oneness.[3] In Sufi ontology, this determination constitutes the primordial manifestation (tajalli) of the Divine Essence, synonymous with the act of creating the cosmos;[4] consequently, the Muhammadan Reality is deemed the first creation and the medium between the Truth (al-Haqq) and creation (al-khalq).[5] In Mystical anthropology, the manifestation of the Muhammadan Reality is the Perfect Man,[6] with the existence of Prophet Muhammad (s) representing its complete instantiation.[7] In theoretical Sufism, the Muhammadan Reality is equated with the concept of the first creation in theology[8] and the First Intellect in philosophy.[9]

The Muhammadan Reality is regarded as a pivotal concept in Ibn 'Arabi's theory of the Perfect Man.[10] It is considered the foundation for discussions concerning Wilaya, prophethood, and messengership in theoretical misticism.[11] These three concepts are themselves treated as subjects within mystical anthropology and the discourse on the Perfect Man.[12] It is stated[13] that Ibn 'Arabi drew upon specific prophetic narrations to elucidate this concept.[14] Among Shi'a commentators on Ibn 'Arabi, scholars such as Sayyid Haydar Amuli,[15] Muhammad Rida Qumsha'i,[16] and Imam Khomeini[17] have engaged with this concept, with some attempting to interpret it in relation to the other Infallibles (a) as instances of the Perfect Man.[18]

Explanation and Characteristics

Toshihiko Izutsu, a specialist in Islamic wisdom and Mysticism, drawing upon the works of Ibn 'Arabi[19] and certain commentators,[20] expounded upon the Muhammadan Reality as follows: The Muhammadan Reality is the primordial divine manifestation existent before any other creation.[21] This reality constitutes the Greatest Name; it is comprehensive of all Divine Names and Attributes and stands superior to them.[22] The manifestation of the Greatest Name in the Muhammadan Reality occurred in the form of the supreme being of creation (the Perfect Man), the instantiation of which is the existence of Prophet Muhammad (s).[23] The manifestation of the Muhammadan Reality in the form of the Perfect Man (i.e., the existence of the Prophet (s)) entails two aspects: mulki (terrestrial) and malakuti (celestial). Its celestial aspect represents the first creation and serves as the intermediary for the creation of all other beings, while its terrestrial aspect appears in every historical epoch within the Perfect Man of that era.[24] This aspect manifests successively in the divine prophets, including Adam (a), Noah (a), Abraham (a), Moses (a), and Jesus (a), concluding with its final historical manifestation in the terrestrial existence of the Prophet of Islam (s).[25] An illustration of these two aspects of the Muhammadan Reality in the form of the Perfect Man is reflected in a narration attributed to the Prophet (s): "I was a prophet while Adam (a) was between water and clay."[26]

By virtue of its status in Mystical ontology and anthropology, the Muhammadan Reality is ascribed certain characteristics. Due to its maximal connection with the Truth (al-Haqq), this reality serves as the primary and most evident proof of His existence in the cosmos.[27] Furthermore, owing to this same perfect connection, its knowledge of the Truth constitutes the most complete knowledge and serves as the source of human cognition of reality.[28]

Naming

Muslim mystics have employed various designations to refer to the Muhammadan Reality, in addition to "the First Determination." These include the First Manifestation,[29] Haqiqat al-Haqaiq (The Reality of Realities),[30] and the Ahmadi Reality (al-Haqiqa al-Ahmadiyya).[31] This station is also termed the Khatami Reality (The Reality of the Seal)[32] and the Human Reality (al-Haqiqa al-Insaniyya).[33] It is designated the Khatami Reality because it represents the ultimate pinnacle of human ascent in the spiritual journey toward God,[34] and the Human Reality[35] because the station of the Perfect Man, while subordinate to the station of the Divine Essence, transcends all other determinations.[36] It is said that mystics termed it the Muhammadan Reality because they regarded the station of the first determination as the exclusive domain of the Prophet (s) and the terminus of his spiritual journey.[37] Some Sufis have articulated reasons for this nomenclature; for example, al-Fanari (d. 834/1430-31), a commentator on Ibn 'Arabi, asserted that it bears this name because this station is the locus of the light of the Messenger of God (s) and the manifestation of his rank.[38] He cited a narration from Prophet Muhammad (s) as evidence for his assertion,[39] wherein he stated: "The first thing God created was my light."[40]

'Alawi Reality: The Extension of the Muhammadan Reality in Shi'a Mysticism

Commentators on Ibn 'Arabi, including his Shi'a interpreters, posit that the concept of the Muhammadan Reality possesses terrestrial and celestial extensions within the existence of Perfect Men succeeding Prophet Muhammad (s).[41] It is suggested that they attribute this to the existential breadth of the Muhammadan Reality and its status within creation.[42] In their view,[43] this extension occurs in the station of the Vicegerency of God and within the context of Wilaya; it is an extension that concludes following its establishment in the celestial existence of Imam Ali (a) and the subsequent Imams of the Shi'a within the concept of the Seal of the Saints of the Muhammadan Wilaya, the instance of which is identified by some[44] as Imam al-Mahdi (a).[45] This extension of the Muhammadan Reality has been termed the 'Alawi Reality (al-Haqiqa al-'Alawiyya) by some scholars.[46]

Muhsin Jahangiri (d. 2019), a scholar of Ibn 'Arabi, identified traces of the concept of the 'Alawi Reality within the works of Ibn 'Arabi himself;[47] specifically where, after discussing the Muhammadan Reality, Ibn 'Arabi names Imam Ali (a) as the individual closest to the instantiation of the Muhammadan Reality (the Prophet (s)).[48] Jahangiri hypothesized that Ibn 'Arabi's reference to Imam Ali (a) pertains to the reality of the 'Alawi Wilaya rather than his personhood, just as Ibn 'Arabi's reference to Prophet Muhammad (s) concerns the Muhammadan Reality rather than his person.[49] According to Jahangiri, this analysis implies that Imam Ali (a) represents the most perfect manifestation of the 'Alawi Reality, much as the Prophet (s) is the most perfect manifestation of the Muhammadan Reality.[50]

Notes

  1. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 248; ʿAlam al-Hudā, "Ḥaqīqa Muḥammadiyya", p. 712.
  2. ↑ Jāmī, Naqd al-nuṣūṣ, pp. 34–35.
  3. ↑ Jāmī, Naqd al-nuṣūṣ, pp. 34–35.
  4. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, pp. 248–249.
  5. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 248; Imāmī, "Ḥaqīqa", p. 167.
  6. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 248.
  7. ↑ Jahangiri, Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī, p. 493.
  8. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 249.
  9. ↑ Ibn ʿArabi, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, vol. 1, p. 94.
  10. ↑ Imāmī, "Ḥaqīqa", p. 167.
  11. ↑ Amīnī-nizhād, Āshnāʾī bā majmūʿa-yi ʿirfān-i islāmī, p. 400.
  12. ↑ Amīnī-nizhād, Āshnāʾī bā majmūʿa-yi ʿirfān-i islāmī, p. 400.
  13. ↑ ʿAlam al-Hudā, "Ḥaqīqa Muḥammadiyya", p. 713.
  14. ↑ Ibn ʿArabi, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, vol. 1, p. 243; Ibn ʿArabi, Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, vol. 1, pp. 63–64.
  15. ↑ Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī, Jāmiʿ al-asrār, pp. 391–392.
  16. ↑ Qumshaʾī, Majmūʿa-yi āthār-i Ḥakīm Ṣahbā, pp. 78–88.
  17. ↑ Khomeinī, Miṣbāḥ al-hidāya, pp. 56–57.
  18. ↑ Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī, Jāmiʿ al-asrār, p. 407; Khomeinī, Miṣbāḥ al-hidāya, p. 63.
  19. ↑ See: Ibn ʿArabi, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, vol. 1, pp. 119–120.
  20. ↑ See: Qayṣarī, Sharḥ Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, pp. 127–129.
  21. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 249.
  22. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 249.
  23. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 248.
  24. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 248.
  25. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p. 249.
  26. ↑ Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, 1378 SH, p. 248.
  27. ↑ ʿAlam al-Hudā, "Ḥaqīqa Muḥammadiyya", p. 713.
  28. ↑ ʿAlam al-Hudā, "Ḥaqīqa Muḥammadiyya", p. 713.
  29. ↑ Ibn Turka Iṣfahānī, Tamhīd al-qawāʿid, p. 131.
  30. ↑ Jāmī, Naqd al-nuṣūṣ, p. 36.
  31. ↑ Fanārī, Miṣbāḥ al-uns, p. 333.
  32. ↑ Āshtiyānī, Sharḥ-i muqaddama-yi Qayṣarī bar Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, p. 464.
  33. ↑ Qayṣarī, Sharḥ Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, p. 120; Qumshaʾī, Majmūʿa-yi āthār-i Ḥakīm Ṣahbā, p. 86.
  34. ↑ Yazdānpānāh, Mabānī wa uṣūl-i ʿirfān-i naẓarī, p. 405.
  35. ↑ Qayṣarī, Sharḥ Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, p. 120; Āshtiyānī, Sharḥ-i muqaddama-yi Qayṣarī bar Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, p. 464.
  36. ↑ Yazdānpānāh, Mabānī wa uṣūl-i ʿirfān-i naẓarī, pp. 405–406.
  37. ↑ Yazdānpānāh, Mabānī wa uṣūl-i ʿirfān-i naẓarī, p. 405.
  38. ↑ Fanārī, Miṣbāḥ al-uns, p. 333.
  39. ↑ Fanārī, Miṣbāḥ al-uns, p. 333.
  40. ↑ Ibn Abī Jumhūr al-Aḥsāʾī, ʿAwālī al-liʾālī, vol. 4, p. 99.
  41. ↑ Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī, Jāmiʿ al-asrār, pp. 383–384; Khomeinī, Miṣbāḥ al-hidāya, pp. 75–76.
  42. ↑ Imāmī, "Ḥaqīqa", p. 167.
  43. ↑ Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī, Jāmiʿ al-asrār, p. 401; Nayrīzī, Risāla rūḥiyya wa manhaj al-taḥrīr, Shiraz, pp. 18–19; Khomeinī, Miṣbāḥ al-hidāya, p. 63.
  44. ↑ ʿAbd al-Razzāq al-Kāshānī, Sharḥ Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam, p. 127; Qumshaʾī, Majmūʿa-yi āthār-i Ḥakīm Ṣahbā, pp. 111–114; Ḥasanzāda Āmulī, Hazār wa yak nukta, pp. 387–388.
  45. ↑ Jahangiri, Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī, p. 496; Imāmī, "Ḥaqīqa", p. 167.
  46. ↑ Nayrīzī, Risāla rūḥiyya wa manhaj al-taḥrīr, Shiraz, p. 112; Khomeinī, Miṣbāḥ al-hidāya, p. 63.
  47. ↑ Jahangiri, Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī, pp. 495–496.
  48. ↑ Ibn ʿArabi, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, vol. 1, p. 119.
  49. ↑ Jahangiri, Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī, p. 496.
  50. ↑ Jahangiri, Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī, p. 496.

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