The Worlds of God

by Iscander Micael Tinto

The creation is essentially a theophany (tajalli). As such, creation is an act of the divine imaginative power : this divine creative imagination is essentially a theophanic Imagination. Corbin, Creative Imagination, p.182.

Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, p.20.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp. 203, 295

Izutsu, Sufism and Taoism, pp.12, 20

There are essentially five Divine Presences (al-hadarat al-ilahiyyat al- khams) (Nasr, Islamic Spirituality, Foundations, p. 353)

AL-HAHUT (cf. Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp.98-9)

The Hidden Mystery (Bahá’u’lláh, Prayers and Meditations, p.183:20)

Heaven of Oneness, a realm so exalted that even the Manifestations of God are unable to understand (Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, vol. 1, p.58)

Unknowable Essence of God (Momen, “Relativism,” p.190)

World of Divine Essence or Ipseity (Nasr, Science and Civilization, p.93)

Divine Essence (Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions, p.270)

The inacessible realm of the Divine Essence (Schaefer, Beyond the Clash of Religions, p.122)

The Presence of the Essence, HUWIYAT

The Divine Essence (Nasr, Islamic Spirituality, Foundations, p.353)

háhút: This is the realm of the unknowable Essence of God, the realm of “He” (huwa); the paradise of absolute oneness (ahadiyya). In this realm, God is known by such names as the “Hidden Mystery” and the “Absolute Unknown.” This is God as the unmanifested Essence. In this station, all of the names and attributes of God are undifferentiated and inseparable from the Essence; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá likens this to a dot of ink on paper within which are hidden and enclosed all letters and words in potential form, although no trace can be seen of these, nor are they in any way differentiated from the dot in this state of potentiality. This realm is so exalted that it is forever beyond all of the rest of creation; even the prophets of God have no access to this station.

Bahá’u’lláh describes it thus:

“To every discerning and illumined heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, the divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless mystery. . No tie of direct intercourse can possibly bind Him to His creatures. He standeth exalted beyond and above all separation and union, all proximity and remoteness… Gracious God! How could there be conceived any existing relationship or possible connection between His Word and they that are created of it?. . . All the Prophets of God and their chosen Ones, all the divines, the sages, and the wise of every generation, unanimously recognize their inability to attain unto the comprehension of that Quintessence of all truth, and confess their incapacity to grasp Him, Who is the inmost Reality of all things.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp.98-9)

The action of love within the Divine Essence results in the manifesting of the Absolute to itself. In this stage, the names and attributes of God became defined within the divine consciousness as the archetypal forms and essences of all created beings. However, since this is an event which takes place only within the divine consciousness, they are said to subsist within the Absolute and cannot yet be said to have achieved existence. Therefore this stage is regarded by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as part of the Hidden Mystery. (Momen, “Relativism,” p.190)

AL-LAHUT

World of the Heavenly Court (Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p.25)

Plane of Divinity:World of God in relation to the Manifestation (Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, vol. 1, p.58)

All Glorious Horizon, Lord of Lords, Tongue of Grandeur, Most Exalted Pen, Primal Will, First Intelligence. This realm is the first emanation from God, the first revelation of the Essence of God. The Divine Names and attributes, potential and concealed in the realm of Hahut achieve existence. (Schaefer, Beyond the Clash of Religions, p.122, Momen, “Relativism,” p.191)

Divine Names and Qualities, Universal Intellect, Pure Being. (Nasr, Science and Civilization, p.93)

The Divine Nature revealing itself (Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions, p.270)

The Heavenly Court (KI p.181), the All-Glorious Horizon (PM 183:20), the Tongue of Grandeur (PM 183:20), the Most Exalted Pen (TB 8:52), the Primal Will (SWB 4:10:6), the Supreme, Divine Intelligence (Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p.65)

The world of Names and Qualities (Nasr, Islamic Spirituality, Foundations, p.353)

láhút : This is the realm in which the potentialities hidden within the Essence of God are first actualized and revealed, but still within the Godhead; the realm of “He is He and there is none but He.” In this realm, the divine names and attributes, potential and concealed in the realm of háhút, achieve existence. This realm is the first emanation from God, the first revelation of the Essence of God. In Bahá’í terminology, it has variously been named the Heavenly Court, or the All-Glorious Horizon; and the manifestation of God in this station is called the Lord of Lords, the Tongue of Grandeur, the Most Exalted Pen, the Primal Will, the First Intelligence. In other religious dispensations it has been identified as Jehovah, the Speaker on Sinai, the Logos or Word of God, and the Nous or Divine Intellect.(Momen, Relativism p.191)

AL-JABARUT ( WOB 113)

World of the Empyrean Heaven (Bahá’u’lláh, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p.25)

All-Highest Dominion. God’s chosen Ones in relation to created things are invested with His Authority. (Taherzadeh, Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, vol. 1, p.59)

All-Highest Paradise; in previous Dispensations Logos or Word of God, Nous or Divine Intellect (Momen, “Relativism,” pp.191-2)

Intelligible World, World of Angelic Substances (Nasr, Science and Civilization, p.93)

Spiritual Existence beyond form. Divine decrees and spiritual powers are located. (Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions, p.270)

The archangelic world (Nasr, Islamic Spirituality, Foundations, p.353)

Ibn Arabi inserts between Jabarut and Malakut a sphere called ALAM AL – MITHAL where existentialization takes place. Sphere into which the high ambition (Himma) and prayers of the saints reach in order to set spiritual energies free and bring possibilities into actual being. ( Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions, p.270)

jabarút : This is the realm of the revealed God acting within Creation; the realm of “Thou art He Himself and He is Thou Thyself”. This realm is called the paradise of conditioned oneness (wáhidiyya), the all-highest Paradise. This is the realm of God’s actions and decrees. The manifestations of God in this realm, the agents of His Will, have in previous religious dispensations (and occasionally in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh) been considered to be the archangels, to each of whom is delegated the execution of one aspect of the decrees of God: for example, ‘Izrá’íl, the Angel of Death, and Isráfíl, the seraph who will sound the trumpet on the Day of Judgement. (Momen, “Relativism,” p.191-2)

AL-MALAKUT

World of the Kingdom of the Angels (SV p.25)

Kingdom of God, Heaven of Justice (RBv1 p.59)

Angelic Realm, Concourse on High, All Glorious Paradise (Momen, Relativism p.192) (see also PM 183:20, TB 4:13,7:8, 8:46, GL 129:3, 141:3, HWP 18,19, SWB2:34:1, SWA 8:1, 8:2, 8:5, 17:6, 42:3, 193:12)

World of Psychic and Subtle Manifestation (Science and Civilization, Nasr p.93)

Angelic World (Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions p.270)

Sphere of the Angels ( Qur’an 6:75, 8:185, 24:37 )

The lower angelic and subtle worlds (Nasr, Islamic Spirituality, Foundations p.353)

“malakút : This is the angelic realm, the realm of those “whom neither business nor commerce distract them from the remembrance of God”. (Qur’an 24 :37)The manifestations of God in this realm have in previous dispensations been referred to as angels, while in Bahá’í writings they are called the “Concourse on High.” In Bahá’í terminology, the realm itself is called the all-glorious (abhá) Paradise. Concerning this realm, Bahá’u’lláh has written in the Lawh-i -Varqá:

‘The meaning of the Kingdom (malakút) in its primary sense and degree is the scene of His transcendent glory.[14] In another sense it is the world of similitudes (‘álam-i-mithál)(see Corbin, “imaginal world) which existeth between the Dominion on high (jabarút) and this mortal realm (násút); whatever is in the heavens or on the earth hath its counterpart in that world. Whilst a thing remaineth hidden and concealed within the power of utterance it is said to be of the Dominion (jabarút), and this is the first stage of its substantiation (taqyíd).

Whenever it becometh manifest it is said to be of the Kingdom (malakút). The power and potency it deriveth from the first stage, it bestoweth upon whatever lieth below.’” (Momen, Relativism p.192)

AL-MULK

The corporeal world (Nasr,Islamic Spirituality, Foundations p.353)

AL-NASUT

Mortal World (SV p.25)

Mortal World, Heaven of Bounty (RB v1 p.59)

Physical World: Mineral, Vegetable, Animal Kingdoms (Momen, Relativism p.192)

Terrestrial or physical domain, dominated by man (Nasr, Science and Civilization p.93)

Place of humanity and creation (Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions p.270)

cfr. Goodall, Cooper, Daily Lessons received at Akka, pp.43-4

násút : This is the physical world. This world may be subdivided into the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms. But, even at this level, each created thing is capable of manifesting some aspects of God.” (Momen, “Relativism,” p.192)

NB: In some cases a sixth state is added “the Universal Man” which contains the previous five states.(Nasr, Science and Civilization, p.93)

ZAMAN – WORLD OF TIME: BEGINNING AND END KNOWN

DAHR – DURATION: BEGINNING AND END NOT REVEALED

SARMAD – PERPETUITY: BEGINNING NOT SEEN KNOW HAS AN END

AZAL – ETERNITY: NO BEGINNING NO END (SV:p25)

Hahut corresponds with ‘Alam al-haqq

Jabarut and Malakut with ‘Alam al-amr (Realm of Command, realm without time and matter, realm of the Intellect “ Aql “ and souls “ Nafus“)

Nasut corresponds with ‘Alam al-khalq Realm of Creation

Alam Al Ghaib Realm of the Unseen

al-Ghazali explains that there exist three worlds :

The World of the Kingdom and of the sensible perception (Mulk)

The Kingdom of Omnipotence (Jabarut)

The World of the Kingdom (Malakut)

The Worlds of God as are found in “Prayers and Meditations” of Baha’u’llah