45

The Mother of Books 1

THE ESSENTIAL MYSTERY

Jabir rose to his feet, saying, “My lord,

tell me the meaning of the holy phrase,

Bismillah al-rahman al-rahim.

These words meaning ‘In the name of Allah,

the compassionate, the merciful’ begin

each chapter of the Qur’an. And many

recite them before doing anything.

All know them as the essential mystery.”

Baqir said, “They are from the high king, who is god. 2

He wrote them as the loftiest line on earth:

seven and twelve parts the king made for himself. 3

Overhead he made a sea of a thousand colors

and below another sea named godliness. 4

Between the seas the king placed seven and twelve deathles s

uncreated lights, his ears and eyes. As written in the Qur’an,

‘He let two great bodies of water flow. They meet

with a barrier to halt their commingling.’ 5

“Jabir, the large bodies of water are two seas,

the barrier is the king, their pearls and coral

are the Naqib and Najib angels. 6 They are dazzling

lights and lamps joining realms to believers’ hearts.

By the highest god, here is knowledge 7 flowing

from paradise to paradise and hell to hell,

and nothing has been written of these events.

THE SEVEN AND TWELVE LIGHT OUR FORM AND BODY

“Jabir, the seven and twelve also light our form

and body. 8 So the brain is the white sea,

and the spirit of speech is the high king

found in the medulla. Two eyes, two ears,

two nostrils, and the mouth are seven parts

of the high king. Two hands with ten fingers

are the twelve parts dividing the white sea

and remote eternal sphere. And in that sphere

is the high king’s canopy over our heads.

“The sphere is the great spirit of a thousand colors.

The brain is the white earth over seven skies

as the white sea lies over seven realms

of a heavenly palace. As it is written, ‘A revelation

from him who created the earth and heaven.

The merciful one sat on the throne possessing

all in the skies, on earth, and in between

and underground.’ 9 God is on the white sea

as the high king’s throne—he is all powerful !

“He made the houris, 10 castles, torches, lights,

and young men of eternal youth, his pearls

scattered on the earth. 11 Jabir, Bismillah al-rahman

al-rahim at the beginning of the Qur’an

is the holy palace. Ba and sin and mim and the dot

under the ba 12 are four angels. In our tongue

they are Salman, Miqdad, Abu Zarr, and Ammar.

Two lams and ha describe three other angels:

Komayl, Abu Horayra, and Jondob,

and alif in the middle of seven letters

is the high king. He is all powerful! 13

OUR FEATURES ALSO REFLECT BISMILLAH’S LETTERS

“Our human features were created to prove

this mystery. The right ear, eye, nostril,

and language reflect ba and sin and mim ,

and language is the dot under the ba .

The left ear, eye, and nostril become lams

and mim and ha . The holy spirit of life

on the forehead is the sign and proof

of alif in the middle, and these parts

figured on our head are the spirit’s tools. 14

The ears are set at both sides for eternity.

Quicker than a wink they inform life spirit.

The eyes, nose, and mouth are set so Salman,

Miqdad, Ammar, Abu Zarr, Jondob,

Abu Horayra, and Komayl obey

the high king. They remain his subjects, girded

before him. They are carrying his throne. 1 5

BISMILLAH ALSO MEANS GOD’S THRONE AND GREATNESS

“Jabir, 16 Bismillah al-rahman al-rahim

is greater than people say. A mere heart

cannot imagine god’s name and his throne

and the godhead. Here we have the high king’s

complete magnificence. And so his seven

and twelve attributes appear in the letters

and they are also concealed inside them.

“The twenty-eight lights of the Najib angels

and light of four angels give life to heaven

and earth, and also slip it away from them.

They hide in the clothing of the twelve letters

that make up al-rahman al-rahim ,

and Bismillah is the throne of god.” 17

The revealer of knowledge 18 said, “This word

and image is written on a silver tablet:

Bismillah al-rahman al-rahim .”

BISMILLAH’S NINETEEN LETTERS

Jabir said, “Be visible to your weak servant, lord.

Let thousands of lives and their possessions

be sacrificed, all for the life of the lord.”

The revealer of knowledge answered him,

“I must save your life. Be careful, Jabir. 19

Bismillah stands for the most remote realm,

and al-rahman al-rahim is the white sphere.

Bismillah has nineteen letters: ba two ,

sin three, mim three, alif three, and lam three,

second lam three, ha two. Nineteen letters. 20

THE SEVEN AND THE TWELVE AS MUHAMMAD AND HIS FAMILY

“The seven are parts of the high king: Muhammad,

Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, Abdallah,

and Abu Talib. 21 There is nothing above

or beside the seven. With a hundred thousand lights

and sparks and the glow of every color

and type, the seven appear in the white sea.

The other twelve are twelve lights of the people

of the house, lined in a row as incomparable

members of this realm. ‘God commands the hosts

of heaven and earth. He is almighty and wise.’ 22

THE SEVEN AND THE TWELVE AS HEAVENLY FEATURES

“The seven and the twelve lie hidden in the raiment

of the seven angels, signifying the seven letters

of the Bismillah , namely, Salman, Miqdad,

Abu Zarr, Ammar, Abu Horayra, Jondob,

and Komayl. The seven mantles and curtains

come from the seven and twelve in the same way

that Bismillah is the seven and the twelve.

Seven and twelve secret letters lie hidden

deep in the seven, and from east to west

in the world, no one is reliable but the reade r

of this book or someone who has learned

by hearing words spoken by the believers.

“Al-rahman al-rahim is the twelve Naqib

of the white sea, and their raiment conceals

twenty-eight Najib and four familiar angels.

They are hidden, but if you add the letters

of al-rahman al-rahim you come up with

the thirty-four letters: twenty-eight Najib,

the two Yatim, and four familiar angels. 23

“The twelve hidden letters are Bismillah

as Bismillah is al-rahman al-rahim .

The most remote realm is the high king’s canopy

over the white sea, and the twelve Naqib,

special beings before the high king, carry

the white sea. The high one says, ‘Each day

the eight in the sky carry the lord’s throne.’ 24

The twenty-four posts of god’s throne are the twelve

Naqib, the seven angels of the throne,

and five special beings from Muhammad

to Abu Talib are two groups of seven.

THE BODY AS A MICROCOSM OF THE UNIVERSE

“‘And we told seven stories and cited from

the powerful Qur’an.’ 25 ‘We’ are the twelve,

the people of the house after the seven angels

of the throne. Seven and twelve. It is written,

‘God created heaven and earth in six days

sitting on his throne.’ 26 Jabir, see the microcosm.” 27

Jabir said, “My lord, I ask you to inform me.”

The revealer of knowledge answered ,

“These seven lights made a circle around

the faces of the believers and imams. 28

The seven and twelve virtues hide in them.

If one is missing, then the body’s clothing

and form are incomplete. The right ear hears

three words of knowledge. The right eye sees

three tools, white, black, and yellow. The right nostril

smells three aromas, good, bad, and mixed.

The left ear and nostril are similarly set,

and the tongue speaks the three words of knowledge.

They are nineteen. As it is written, ‘It burns the skin.

Nineteen over them.’ 29 The twenty-eight Najib angels

are ten fingers and two hands confirming

the twelve and twenty-eight of the white sea.

“Here you have the meaning of Bismillah

al-rahman al-rahim . Jabir, here is

the knowledge that heaven and earth cannot know

and in the book there is no explanation.”

WHAT IS THE CREATOR OF THIS WORLD LIKE?

Jabir rose to his feet, wiped his face with his hand,

and asked, “My lord, is the creator in heaven

or on earth? What is he and where is he from?

What does he look like? What virtues has he?

Where is he from and what has he created?” 30

The revealer of knowledge—may our salvation

come from him—said, “Jabir, these are hard questions.

Forget them. It’s wrong to open the curtain

before the high king. It is a grave sin.

No prophet or spirit has ever drawn open

the curtain, even a slit, to reveal the king.

No book has ever recorded his face.

Keep this book for yourself and the believers. ”

Jabir was still awhile. He paused, stood up,

murmured a prayer, praised god, and then he said,

“My lord, lord of all lords, speak to your weak,

helpless servant. Answer my question.” And all

close to him arose and pleaded with him.

The revealer of knowledge said, “Jabir,

could we move the curtain and the veil

the slightest bit and make the high king visible?

If someone did this, their spirit would leave their body

and enter that of the listener. Jabir, these words

must not be overheard. It is dangerous.

Jabir, be careful! I will write them on a paper.

May god guard you and guard the messenger,

and Muhammad and Ali, and Salman, Miqdad,

and Abu Zarr, and the Naqib and Najib angels.

I leave it to you to read and to be silent.

Then believers who own this book will read

and learn and not spread the word disastrously.” 31

The revealer of knowledge—may we be blessed—

wrote it on paper and placed it in Jabir’s hands.

He wrote, “Our lord and creator is in heaven

and on earth, in heaven’s highest spheres

and in the microcosm of the curtain

of believers and imams who live in time.”

THE FIVE PREEXISTENT LIGHTS

“Before the sky or earth or any creature,

there were five preexistent lights in five colors

like the rainbow. 32 Sublime air issued like sun

from sparks of light and spread over the sky

and earth. The five lights stood in this air,

and a glow came out of the belly of light

continuously and in five colors: hearing,

sight, smell, taste, and speech. The five light s

are Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan,

and Husayn. They came from nothing. As it is written,

‘Speak out that he is god, one sovereign god.

He did not father children, nor was he fathered;

there’s none like him.’ 33 Around believers’ heads

these five lights swim around the throne of god.

THE SPIRIT OF SPEECH SITS IN THE SEA ON THE BRAIN

“The spirit of speech sits among them. 34 He is the god

of truth. He creates and appears in each name

and body, from the loftiest of summits

down to the profoundest depths. Jabir,

I said, the lord is spirit through his godliness

and sun through light. Through spirituality

he has been called the spirit of speech. He sits

in the white sea on the brain of the believers.

His is color of lightning, clouds, and moon.

GOD’S FORM AND ATTRIBUTES

“Here is god’s form. His right hand is retention

that comprehends and is the color of sun.

His left hand is the spirit of thought. From it

comes the full propagation of all light.

‘No. Spreading his hands, he gives as he wishes,’ 35

and this spirit is the color violet.

God’s head is the grandest spirit composed

of all kinds of colors, a thousand of them.

There is nothing higher than he, neither

in heaven nor on earth. ‘There is nothing

that might be his equal. He hears and sees.’ 36

“His right eye is a huge spirit, the color

of white crystal. His left eye is the spiri t

of the intellect, color of red yellow fire.

The two spirits see all heaven and earth,

both this world and the next. He says, ‘God sees

through what they do.’ 37 Elsewhere he says, ‘Their vision

does not comprehend him, but he their vision.’ 38

“His two ears are an intense mixing of

the rays of color from the holy veil.

They hear the voices of all living creatures

and bring them from all spheres and palaces

into this spirit in the form of god.

As it is written, ‘We gave them hearing and sight

and understanding. Yet their ears and sight

and even understanding couldn’t help them,

for they rejected the emblems of god

and they were seized by him whom they had mocked.’ 39

“The lord’s nostrils are the spirit of knowledge,

one the color of red carnelian, exuding everywhere

a floating holy perfume. The other nostril

is the spirit of the almighty, green

from god’s breath and radiance. His tongue

is the voice of holy spirit, the color of red rubies,

and by whom all creation was affected.

As it is written, ‘Praise him who holds dominion

and to whom all of you will be returned.’ 40

“The heart of the lord is the spirit of faith,

whose name is the confessor of one true faith

and who is the color of the sphere of the moon.

The faith of all believers shines through him,

and guidance and trust in our god of spirits

comes from him. It is written, ‘Whoever trusts

in god will find fulfillment. God brings his own

desires to completion. He has set the measur e

and goal for all things.’ 41 And the lord’s two feet

reveal the holy and the believer’s view

in this house of speech where he is connected

to the heart and spirit of the body’s life.

“On the day of resurrection the lord

will place his foot across hell and freeze it.

The heart is not based on any perception

and bears no witness till the holy is revealed

and a believer’s vision appears in him,

and that vision will testify to the true

and present and existing lord, and wake

at night and fast by day. ‘Our god affirms

there is no other god. A truth for angels

and the wise. He provides us with justice.’ 42

“The lord’s throne is this godly seat, the brain.

The right half of the brain is the spirit

of wisdom, and the left is the spirit of abundance.

The lord sits in his majesty. As it is written,

‘The merciful set himself on the throne.’ 43

These five lights, visible from eight angles,

are reflected on the believers’ faces

and compose the lord’s throne: of two eyes, ears,

nostrils, speech, and spirit perceiving taste.

BE CAREFUL, JABIR

“By god, the highest and most powerful god!

We wrote these words in no other book.

Careful, Jabir! The spirit of anyone openly

speaking these words will quit its bodily form.”

Then Jabir read the tablet and he fell

to the ground, bowed, and said, “I testify .

Praise and honor Muhammad and Ali,

the lord of angels and spirit, the glorified

and chosen one, and his governor as-Salsal 44

and Abu al-Hattab.” 45 Baqir said, “Jabir,

all the believers who receive this book,

let them take care! They must read it silently

and only at night. By day they should seek

each single believer who knows the lord

and witnesses him. He’ll find deliverance

from the imprisonment of heart. Jabir,

I mean every believer who knows the lord

and his majesty, who witnesses him

and gives up life, money, and his possessions.”

WHAT OF THOSE WHO DENY GOD’S ATTRIBUTES?

Jabir asked, “My lord, what does it mean

when fallen creatures say that god cannot

be described and he is without attributes?”

Baqir answered, “Jabir, these are god’s words

of wrath. The high king is near and is called near

and rejects the worship of cursed Iblis: 46

‘They see him distantly; we see him close.’ 47

Watch out, Jabir. I tell you, when the Qur’an

states, ‘Say, he is one god,’ 48 this is the speech

of unbelievers. What do you say to that?”

Jabir said, “Lord of all lords, you know best.”

Baqir said, “God is as we have described him,

as he appeared to Iblis. The cursed Iblis said,

and full of loathing, ‘You are not our lord .

There is only one god and a godhead, but he

is in heaven. There is no likeness or image

of him.’ Yet this is a shallow explanation

of the verse, ‘Say, he is one god.’ The words

also signify enormous anger.

May Iblis be far from you, from all Muslims

and believers. Jabir, for all the faithless

he is far and difficult, but for believers

he is near and plain. Believers know he is,

but the unbelievers see nothing there.

“When you worship what is not, it rejects

your worship. When something is not, the worship

is refused. As it is written, ‘He rejects repentance

of the unbelievers.’ 49 Jabir, for us

there is no room for what is not. Apart

from god as he’s described, we see no other.

The high king is the spirit in the godhead.

In light he is the sun coming from god.

From realm to realm that light kisses light

all the way down into the holy seat

of the believers’ brain, like rope or path.

When light and spirit fade, believers wed

the truth, and through the light return to body.”

THE ORDER OF THE HEAVENLY REALMS

Jabir 50 said, “My lord, if you will, enlighten me.

Tell your servant the face, sense, and majesty

of holy realms, of light joining realm to realm.”

Baqir said, “First comes the curtain of eternity

on the white sea and the form of the high king.

Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn

are of this realm, finished by Abu Tali b

and Abdallah. These five angels’ five lights

join the white sea like trees of paradise. 51

“Five creatures sit in five trees in the first, white sphere:

The lion, Boraq, the white falcon, the royal phoenix,

and Duldul, who is the sign of godliness,

sit on the top of five trees, 52 singing praise,

happiness, honor, and glory from the leaves:

‘All on heaven and earth glorify god,

most holy king, the powerful and wise.” 53

Boraq comes from the light of Muhammad,

Duldul from the light of Ali, the lion

from the light of Fatima, the white falcon

from the light of Hasan, the royal phoenix

comes from the glittering light of Husayn.

“The white sea is decorated with them.

In all this vastness in the white sphere,

a thousand times greater than other realms,

lies ‘a garden as great as sky and earth.’ 54

The high Duldul is proof for the believers,

and Naqib and Najib for the high king.

“Boraq beams light across this holy sea

for seven angels. The lion and falcon

spread a hundred thousand feathers of light,

and holy radiance brightens the white dome.

The royal phoenix spreads his shadow over

the heads of Naqib and Najib angels,

the stream of living water flows majestic,

‘and shadows scatter and the waters gush.’ 5 5

THE RUBY RED CURTAIN

“Below this white dome is a curtain red

like a ruby. In this curtain five creatures

appear in five Tuba trees. The ruby curtain

is believable down to the last sphere.

In rainbow colors 124,000 lights

on the white sea glitter to the last sphere

where 124,000 white lights

came to the ruby curtain. As it is written,

‘Have you not seen that god created seven layers

of skies and how he placed the moon as light

and sun as lamp? God made you grow in earth

like plants.’ 56 The high one fastened many lights

and spirits to these spheres, and then he placed

the sun and moon and glowing trees as beauty.

THE FIERY CURTAIN

“Below this curtain is a curtain the color

of fire. Five figures from the ruby curtain

show on this cloth. Their names are Gabriel,

Michael, Israfil, Azra’il, and Sura’il.

One hundred twenty-four thousand lights from the ruby curtain

shine in the sphere. As written, ‘Light on light.

God chooses whom he leads into the light,

with allegories to describe his people.’ 57

Light has been described as the color fire.

The fire-colored sea is like an ocean,

and firelight glows in a white crystal of

an indescribable beauty and brilliance,

a sphere showing unnumbered lights and spirits .

THE CARNELIAN SPHERE

“Below this sphere is a curtain the color

of carnelian, and five lights of five angels

from the fire-colored sphere appear in this sphere

of carnelian color, five splendid figures

inhabiting the sphere. Their names are mind,

soul, victory, happiness, and imagination.

‘A row and row of angels.’ 58 In this sphere

the aura from 124,000 lights dazzles

like 100,000 suns and moons

mixed with red. Holiness shines in good food.

As it is written, ‘A spring where the lord’s

servants drink and let water gush endlessly.’ 59

THE EMERALD SPHERE

“Below this curtain is a sphere the color

of emeralds. One hundred twenty-four thousand lamps

and glimmering green torches. Five great lights

from the carnelian line up in a row.

A hundred thousand birds of color float,

and the bright peacocks stand majestically

in rows and rows of feathers. In their sphere

they are on fire. They sing and echo praise

to the high king and chant endlessly

to affirm the word of god: ‘Have you not seen

how birds spread their wings and pull them back in?

Only the merciful one keeps them aloft.’ 60

THE VIOLET DOME

“Below is a violet dome called the gardens

of paradise. A hundred thousand luminou s

rivers and fragrant herbs and babbling brooks

mark this violet sphere, as well as castles

of paradise below where the four rivers

of wine, milk, honey, and pure water flow.

They are called the water of life. Five great

lights of this sphere, who are known as the houris,

float over these castles. As it is written, ‘Houris

locked up in tents.’ 61 Their words are the water

of life when praising the exalted king.

“The river of wine is practical knowledge,

the river of milk their esoteric knowledge,

the river of honey their inspired knowledge

of the eternal and ultimate sphere.

As it is written, ‘The paradise promised to those

in awe of god is in this way created.

In it are rivers with unpolluted water,

another river with milk of constant taste,

another with wine a delight to drink,

another fashioned of transparent honey.’ 62

In this curtain 124,000 lamps dazzle.

THE SUN-COLORED SPHERE

“Below this sphere is a curtain of the color

of sun, and from the violet curtain come

124,000 bright candles and lamps

glowing in this curtain colored by sun.

Five other lights are masters in this sphere,

commanders of these lights, ‘holding a lamp

surrounded by a glass as if it were

a glittering star.’ 63 This sphere is a great sea

intrinsic with holy light. One hundred twenty-four thousand suns

flow into this sea, and the earthly world

cannot suffer its heat. As it is written ,

‘We’ve made the sun the pilot, drawing him

gently to us. God made the night your mantle.’ 64

THE MOON-COLORED CURTAIN

“Five colors have dropped down from this curtain

to the next one, the color of the moon,

and 124,000 rainbow lights

hang in garlands with an aura of sunlight

over this curtain colored like the moon.

In this curtain are 100,000 moons,

with 24,000 full moons in rows

marking the fourteenth night. All praise five lights,

confirming the words of god: ‘To catch the moon,

the night must still enter before day.

All hover in the firmament.’ 65 Rezwan,

angel of paradise, has the five lights,

and the five colors of the angel soar,

fulfilling words of god: ‘The good dwellings in

gardens of Eden. But the peace of god

conjures up more: supreme felicity.’ 66

THE SEVENTH SPHERE

“The fire lights from the veil colored by moon

appeared in the next sphere, which is the color

of lapis lazuli. Praise and adoration

reverberate from 100,000 lights

and spirits that are constellations shining

with stars orbiting around the five lights.

From the blue curtain 124,000

luminaries appeared across the earth

and joined the hearts of prophets and the saints

and magistrates, and in their hearts the lights

ignite so brilliantly the veil is raised,

giving them strength for anything they wish .

GOD’S LIGHT EXTENDS TO US

“Jabir, 67 god is light joined to imams’ hearts,

extending to the far end of the spheres,

from the brain of the blue dome to the spirit

of speech. 68 From the brain it has sent a shadow

over the dark heart. Though the arrogant say

god’s shadow does not fall over the earth,

the earth is the heart, and god is light

joined with the heart. 69 The spirit of speech,

a symbol of the king, comes from this light.

“When light cares to, it travels to the heart,

the canopy of the king’s farthest dome,

and the five lights of the blue dome are joined

to the spirit of speech and final mixture

of holy breath, sun rays, a holy union,

believing glance, and each group of five in the world

springs from this light: Muhammad, Ali, Fatima,

Hasan, and Husayn, and their shadows fall

over the earth. These five lights join the spirit

of speech, of god who has radiated shadow

over the earth that is called heart. The spirit

of senses in the chamber of the water

and vacillating spirit in the chamber

of limpid wind are beautified with light.

Then all the seven palaces and heavenly

far spheres are joined—clear down to the heart—

by chains of light as by a rope or cable.

“The spirit of speech now commands the human spirits,

‘Grasp this holy cord, and by this heavenly

journey rise higher.’ So god’s word is fulfilled:

‘He holds on to the firm handhold.’ 70 The heart

is earth where all the waverers live .

Half is the dark and disbelief, half light

and mercy. The spirit of the senses means

disbelief. Dark is the rebuked Adam.

The vacillating spirit lies in the chamber

of wind and sun, and the spirit of senses in

the chamber of the water and the moon.

As it is written, ‘the sun rises, the moon soars.’ 71

“The journey from below and up to heaven

is tied to spirit in the way Muhammad

was joined to Ali. There is a blue curtain

comprising the believers’ spirit of speech,

so all these parts join right up to god.

This is the meaning of the sovereign as

shadow of god. This sign of life comes from

the brain casting a shadow on the heart.

God on the throne, his shadow fell to earth,

and the five special beings cast their shade,

spanning from realm to realm on tested spirit.

“These five are never absent from the world.

Everywhere their names are Muhammad, Ali,

Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn. From the high throne

of god and down below to earth, nothing

and no one’s ever free of them. Each group of five

in the world springs from these five glowing lights.

Five lights, originating in the faces

of humans, prove the hand contains five fingers,

the eye five layers. Orders of Muhammad

are five. As it is written, ‘Prophet, we have sent you

to testify as a messenger of good news,

to warn; with his permission you call out

to god and are a bright light. Tell the believers.’ 72

Such is the meaning of heavenly spheres. ”

THE BEGINNING OF CREATION SPRINGS FROM AZAZI’IL

Then Jabir 73 stood, prayed, and said, “My Lord,

how did the high king create all these spheres

and palaces? From where did he make the spirits?

What was the origin of his creation?” 74

The revealer of knowledge—may we be blessed—

said, “The creation of these realms is hard

to fathom. Not everyone knows the way

to knowledge, and its secret’s well concealed.

Jabir, in the beginning there was god,

only eternal god and nothing else,

but in the middle of five special lights

the high king shone, as told in the beginning

of this book. All the heavens and the earth

were nothing but pure clear fine spiritual air.

From five specific elements came five

lights of the farthest realms, and they contained

some 124,000 hues,

and every moment was another color.

“Those special elements were members of

the farthest dome. A hundred thousand shining

lights, candles, and lamps emerged from the depths

of the high king in that dome, moving from

nonbeing to being. As it is written, ‘Questions of

the hour are but a second.’ 75 No one knows

the majesty of angels, of angelic beings

and creatures. If the seas turned into ink

and trees were writing instruments, the seven

heavens were paper, and the spirits and being s

of lights, jinns, and humans began to write

and wrote about the appearance and majesty

of the eternal farthest dome, all would be used,

less than a thousandth of it written down,

fulfilling words of god, ‘Look, if the sea

were ink for words of my lord, it would

dry up before seizing words of my lord.’ 76

“Then the high king’s cries echoed left and right.

The two cries then converted into beams,

and these two beams were pure uncounted spirits.

Each spirit was made of seven colors, each

color a million colors like the rubies

from Badahsan, carnelian, coral,

turquoise, emerald, and pearls. And each joint beamed

its light like a clear star, and as our fingers

and toes have nails, so every moon or sun

shone from each nail. They were in six circles,

and each group had a leader and an elder.

The master was Azazi’il, and his

six ranks of elders went from one to six.

IN HIS IMAGE AND ARROGANCE AZAZI’IL CREATES FROM LIGHT

“The high king lent Azazi’il light, and using

this light he shaped his creations.

In his image he made spirits. The king

shouted about what he had done. Azazi’il shouted

his creation of place, aeon, and spirit into being,

and no one but the high king knows how many. 77

“The high king said to Azazi’il, ‘Old man,

tell me who you are and what I am

and what all these creatures are.’ Azazi’i l

answered, ‘You are a god and I’m a god,

and all these spirits both of us have made.’ 78

“The high king said, ‘There cannot be two gods.

You’re my creation. I’m the one who’s made

these spirits,’ in fulfillment of god’s word;

‘I will create a person out of clay.’ 79

“Azazi’il said, ‘What I’ve made is more

than yours; yes, I’ve made ten times more than you.

How can you dare claim your divinity?’

THE HIGH KING TAKES BACK THE LIGHT FROM AZAZI’IL

“The high king captured Azazi’il’s light,

saying, ‘These creatures you have made I made

also. If I withdraw the gift I loaned you,

how will you create?’ He took from Azazi’il

the light he’d loaned him and the creatures

that had been made with it, and from it

he made a dome of a white sea a thousand times

larger than the blue dome of earthly sky.

He made 124,000 lamps,

flickering candles, and brightly burning lights

appear, and painted palaces and castles

out of white crystal in 100,000 colors,

and he adorned them with the flowing rivers

of the water of life and on the riverbanks

the Tuba tree. In branches of the trees

the royal phoenix sat, and in its shade

were young men and boys. The white falcon, Duldul,

Boraq, and the lion adorned this white sphere.

On branches he created the wood pigeon,

turtledove and nightingale, beautifu l

beyond description. ‘Nothing had been made

like him. He is the one who hears and sees.’ 80

“After the high king fashioned the white dome

in all its beauty, he told Azazi’il,

‘Make another sea equal to the one

that I have made.’ After the king said this,

Azazi’il was shocked. He could not make

such a creation. And as it is written, ‘Those

who won’t believe are doomed to nothingness.’ 81

‘God doesn’t lead those lacking faith in him.’ 82

THE HIGH KING CREATES MORE GLORIOUS BEINGS

“The high king wanted to create more beings

and showed this, shouting out his echo ahead

and behind, and when it reached the horizons

of the holy realm, everything rebounded

the echo of the two shouts, and from them

arose six tiers of spirits a thousand times

more delicate and pure. They were embellished

with pearls, corals, and rubies. A light shone

from every joint, a sun from every sinew.

A clear moon sparkled out of its navel.

“The high king glorified himself and from him

all learned to glorify and became glorifiers.

The senior in these six ranks was his Salman. 83

The others said, ‘This place is beautiful,

and the form god has given us is beautiful.

If the godhead who created us appeared ,

we’d testify he gave us paradise

and beauty’s forms would be with us forever.’

“Then the high king turned to them, saying, “I am

Allahu akbar , I am Allahu akbar .”

The spirits were amazed, not knowing whether

the high king spoke for himself or someone else.

When some time passed, the high king said again,

“I am Allahu akbar, I am Allahu akbar ,”

which means, ‘I am your great god and creator.’ 84

THE RANKS AFFIRM GOD AND HIS MESSENGER AND REGENTS

“Soon Salman understood. Turning to the king,

he said, ‘I testify that there’s no god but god,

you are our god, and none but you exists.’

No other spirit understood when he said,

‘I testify there is no god but god.’ 85

“Miqdad caught on and said, ‘I testify

Muhammad is the messenger of god,

and you are god. The one who glorifies,

preparing us and singing praise, is Salman.

He is your prophet and has gone ahead

and is the one who’s made us know your name.’

“No other spirit testified but Salman:

‘Muhammad is the messenger of god.’ 86

“Abu Zarr got it, and standing up, he turned

to his right and left, saying, ‘Let us pray.

Come quickly, you spiritual beings and brothers,

and witness your creator and his regent .

I testify. He is our god, and Salman

his regent, and Miqdad is Salman’s regent.”

And once again he uttered, ‘Let us pray.’

“Twelve spirits who are called our leaders 87

said in a single voice, ‘Grace be with you. Come

and quickly hear and testify to obtain redemption,

and testify to the witnessing of Salman,

Miqdad, and Abu Zarr.’ They listened awhile.

No one answered, and they repeated, ‘Grace

be with you.’

Then came twenty-eight pure spirits, 88

flawless, and turning to the king, they said,

‘God is most great, god is most great, you are

the great god. There is no other god but you.’

These five ranks reaffirmed it absolutely.

As it is written, ‘Those who go ahead are first,

and they have proved themselves closest to god.’ 89

Those nearest the high king were these five ranks.

“But then the 124,000

vacillating spirits, who had turned

away and were suspect, spoke in one voice,

‘Maybe we learned the joy of chanting praise

from him, maybe from his manner of speech.’

Yet then they said, ‘It’s wrong that one of us be god.’

As it is written, ‘They had lapsed between two parties

and never could decide.’ 90 Yet in the end

they bore certain witness and spoke these words,

‘There is no god but god,’ and rose up shouting

as the prayer caller in the muezzin’s voice.

“These words are why they too stood up. Their ranks

were six. The first Salman, second Miqdad ,

third Abu Zarr, fourth Naqib, 91 and fifth Najib.

These first five special ranks are the foremost,

and the sixth rank belongs to waverers.

The elected recognized the high creator.

AZAZI’IL REBELS AND FALLS FROM GLORY

“The king said to Azazi’il, ‘Azazi’il,

lie on the ground before Salman. All followers

lie on the ground before the foremost who

confirm Salman or I will cast you down

below.’ As it is written, ‘When we said to the angels,

lie down before Adam, they all lay down

except for Iblis, who arrogantly refused.

He was faithless.’ 92

“Then Azazi’il

turned to the king. He was a fool and claimed

divinity. 93 A second and a third

arose and came to aid Azazi’il.

They claimed divinity, calling the king

a common liar and a thief, a trickster,

and then they said that ‘god is one of three.’ 94

“The six denying ranks turned on Salman

and battled him at length with arrogance.

The high king said, ‘You, unbelieving demons,

corruption, rebels! You attempt to rule

this realm and the eternal far white sea,

but you cannot rule unless you will affirm

me and my regent.’ This fulfills god’s word,

‘Jinns and humans! You try to penetrat e

the precincts of the sky and of the earth,

but without my permission you will fail!’ 95

THE DENYING RANKS ARE CONFINED

“Then the high king gave orders to Salman,

‘We cannot leave these beings in this state.

From seven lights I made to cloak the faithless,

turn ruby light into a ruby curtain.

Transform the fire light, and make a curtain

from it, and keep them muffled in the cloth

and cover the white eternal farthest sea

with this curtain, color of ruby.’ As it is written,

‘We told you all to fall from paradise.’ 96

“Right then Salman began to terrorize,

seizing the ruby light, and cloaking them

as by a ruby dome, cloaked the white sea

and farthest dome. He stripped them of their fire,

spreading it out below them. They lived

between these curtains for a thousand years.

THE HIGH KING APPEARS

“After a thousand years the high king shone

in Salman’s curtain, with his special beings,

the pure-hearted Naqib, Najib, and waverers,

and he shouted, ‘These are my creatures. Bow

before them. As lord over them and you,

I command all who sprang out of the loins

of Adam’s children, I command you now

to testify, for am I not your lord?’ 97

“Then select beings and all the pure of heart

recognized the high king: ‘Yes, we declare.’ 9 8

And 124,000 vacillators

also affirmed, declaring he was god,

but others froze. Six ranks of unbelievers

rebelled against the powerful Salman

and the high king. They started a new war,

fulfilling words of god: ‘We made and formed

you and we told the angels, “Bow to Adam.”

All bowed but Iblis. Iblis wouldn’t bow.’ 99

THE FAITHLESS FALL FURTHER

“Then the high king commanded Salman, ‘Hurl

these beings out of the fire-colored sea,

and take the carnelian light away from them,

and spread it below them.’ Salman struck terror

into them, hurled them below the curtain,

color of fire. He took carnelian light

from them. They howled. He spread it under them

like earth. He made a dome of colored fire

their heaven, hiding the ruby dome from them.

And for another thousand years they lived

between these curtains.

But in the same month

and year in this new realm, they forgot all

they did under the fire-colored realm,

and then the war and battle disappeared

from monastery and from sanctuary

and from their memory. Every thousand years

they fell from realm to realm until they landed

in this despicable world, unknowing where

suddenly they were. As it is written, ‘So it is.

Our signs came to you and you forgot them

and hence you too will be today forgotten.’ 100

“Then the high king appeared with all who had

affirmed him, and at Salman’s carnelian clot h

and realm, he ordered them to testify,

‘Bow down before my regent, my right hand.’

“Some waverers chose Salman. They were saved.

But the faithless Iblis rebelled. His second,

third, and all the followers of Iblis showed

their stupid disbelief a thousand times.

This denial of the realm reads in the Qur’an,

‘We have created people of damp clay.’ 101

“Then the high king said to Salman, ‘Remove

the covering of emerald green from the faithless

and unjust, make it earth, and then transform

the carnelian realm, now earth, into their sky,

and keep these wretched beings prisoners there.’ 102

“Salman struck them with terror, removed them

from clarion green light. He made a green curtain

and held them prisoners, blind to the fire realm.

“After a thousand years the high king shone

again, and as confronting them before,

he asked them to affirm divinity.

But Azazi’il said, ‘I will never do it,

for you are as I am and cannot be our god.

There’s only one god in the highest realm.’

THE TRANSCENDENCE OF THE DIVINE

“God stands beyond all ‘when’ and ‘how,’ beyond

description, and beyond known qualities.

He was not made by anyone. No one made him. 103

The words, ‘Say, he is god,’ 104 are words

of Azazi’il in that emerald realm,

but only superficially. The prayer

of all confessors of the one who is no t

is founded on the words, ‘Say, he is god,’

and true for all those nonexistent ones.

But the prayer of unity of the confessor

and of those confessing the existing one

is also founded on ‘Say, he is god.’

‘Say, he is god’ is true for all that is.”

Then Jabir said, “My lord, reveal and tell me

what it means that we servants escape

from every doubt and from uncertainty.”

The revealer of wisdom answered, “Jabir,

the meaning of ‘Say, he is god’ concerns

five angels about whom we’ve often spoken:

Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan,

and Husayn, who lead the believers’ prayers

and who appear before believers’ eyes.

These five lights with the spirit of speech join

the pious. But for nonbeings, ‘Say, he is god

and the sole god’ displays the cunning of

those who avow extremes of seeing nothing,

nothing in heaven or on earth apart

from the always existent god

who stands before us in this book. Even

the unbelievers see that seven heavens

and earth came out of him. God says, ‘He made

no child, nor was he made.’ 105 He did not come

from anyone, and he never gave birth

to anyone. They should not be so stupid

as to suppose that he’s derived from lust

or luscious food, that he had made himself

from some vile drop of what exists in heaven

and on the earth. The drop, however, is

the noxious water that he took from beings

and transformed into water, clay, and dust.

From it he made seven heavens and earth.

Jabir, does all this go against the truth? ”

Jabir said, “Lord, let your servant hear how

the Iblis tale unfolds and how it ends.”

Baqir said, “Jabir, the elder of the beings

told the godhead, ‘There’s only one true god,

and he stands in the highest realm.’ The others

gathered in groupings of six ranks. They called

the king a liar, and every rank took up

a diverse blasphemy against the king.

THE FAITHLESS FALL TO THE EARTH

“Then the high king was furious and ordered

Salman to hurl the beings out of the green sea.

He removed their violet mantle and spread

it out below them, making it the earth

under their feet. He made the violet sea

from it, decking it with a million lights

and spirits and mountains made of crystal

with running waters, and called it paradise.

This is the fourth paradise. Three realms above

is the sea colored ruby, a paradise

named palace of glory; the sea color

of fire that is the paradise named ‘the palace

of dominion’; and the emerald-green sea,

that is the paradise named ‘the palace

of eternity.’ But the three realms

below them are named the gardens of Eden

and gardens of refuge. Sun-colored sea

is palace of dominion. Moon-colored sea

is paradise of gardens of refuge;

and the blue sea is the garden of Eden,

and every realm was one time called the heaven

of beings, and then they turned into the earth.

The paradise of the high king has no

borders or end, fulfilling words of god:

‘a garden huge as heaven and the earth.’ 10 6

AZAZI’IL CONTINUES HIS REBELLION

“Azazi’il stayed with six groups of beings

locked in this paradise a thousand years.

After the thousand years the high creator

appeared behind the curtain of Salman

and said clearly, ‘I am god.’ Azazi’il

denied him and again he was the fool.

This denial is mentioned in the Qur’an,

where it says, ‘When we said to the angels,

“Lie down before Adam,” they all lay down

except for Iblis. He said, “Should I bow

before one whom you fashioned out of clay?”

He asked, “What kind of king is this? You showered

more honor on him than me. If you’ll grant me

a chance to wait until the resurrection,

I’ll murder his descendants, save a few.”

God said, “Go away. Whoever follows you,

hell will be his reward. Wake whom you can,

use your armies to incite them, take up

their fortune and their children, promise them

all kinds of things. Satan makes lying vows.

But you have no command over my servants.”’ 107

“They fought a horrid and horrific battle

against the high king. Then the high creator

ordered Salman, ‘We have no use for them

in paradise. Take the sun-colored light

from them and spread it out below them all.’

Salman struck terror in their ranks. He cut

them off from sun-colored light and turned

it into sun water, spread it below,

adorned it with great tons of light and color,

the sun and moon. Azazi’il was imprisoned

with all his beings. He cloaked his violet realm

with realms of sun. His beings stayed behind

the curtain of the sun a thousand years .

“Then the high king appeared among them, saying,

‘I am your god, and Salman is my regent

and curtain.’ Azazi’il and his beings

of course denied him and began to fight,

saying, ‘Salman is not the high king’s regent

and he’s not god. Our creator is elsewhere

in the highest realm.’ As it is written, ‘They see him

far off, but we perceive him close.’ 108 They stayed

denying in disbelief. The struggle filling

this realm appears in the Qur’an where

it says, ‘When we said to the angels, “Lie down

before Adam,” they all lay down except for Iblis.

He was a jinn sinning against himself.

He did not follow the one lord’s command.

Do you choose him and demons of his seed

as friends instead of me? They’re enemies

who are an awful trade for the offenders!’ 109

“At the command of the supreme creator,

Salman screamed and terrorized the enemy,

and threw them down. He cut them from the light,

color of moon, and spread a curtain made

from it and pulled them down below. They spent

a thousand years imprisoned in this realm.

MORE DIVINE APPEARANCES, MORE ARROGANCE

“Then the high king appeared again, demanding

a confirmation of divinity.

He said, ‘I am your god. Now witness it.’

Humbly some of them bore witness and became

the undefiled. And some vacillators

relinquished doubt, and yet denial o f

the unbelievers just increased. The story

of denial in the realm colored with moon

is in the Qur’an, meeting god’s word,

‘We earlier heard Adam. He forgot;

we found him undecided and we said,

concerning angels, “Lie down before Adam.”

Then they lay down except for Iblis. Then

Satan whispered to him sinister thoughts.

He said, “Adam, shall I show you

the tree of life? Shall I reveal to you

the one dominion that will never end?”’ 110

“Then the high king commanded Salman, ‘Take

the turquoise-colored cloak away from them

and let it be their place of habitation.’

Salman regarded them with awful anger;

he took away their turquoise-colored mantle

and sent them back to live in ghastly realms

below, all in fulfillment of god’s word,

‘So it is. Our revelations came to you

and you forgot them. So you’ll be forgotten

today,” 111 until the thousand-year cycle

of this realm elapses. Then the high king

appeared out of the curtain of Salman

with all the special beings and faithful ones

in this realm, and among them and clearly visible,

he said, ‘I am your god, I who in each place

and palace have demanded truth from you,

I am your god and lord of ancestors. 112

Witness my divinity so you won’t fall

lower than this realm. I’ve taken six colors

away from you and only the color blue

is left. If I take blue from you, you’ll fall

from highest peaks into the deepest pits. ’

A LESSER SALMAN IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE GREAT SALMAN

“The prince of the believers spoke. A spirit

left Salman, him they called lesser Salman. 113

At once he answered the high king, saying,

‘We are believers, and I bear witness

that you are god and that no other god

but you is here or anywhere exists.

I say it for Muhammad, high Ali

the chosen one, for his regent Salsal,

those gifts of god, our light. I testify

there is no other god but he, holy

and powerful.’ When the lesser Salman

testified with Miqdad, Abu Zarr, Naqib,

and Najib of the faithful, some wavering

spirits also swore faith, and humbly they,

a mob of waverers, were so redeemed.

AZAZI’IL AND HIS RANKS CALL GOD A LIAR

“Then Azazi’il and all he had produced

grew skeptical, as were the second, third,

fourth, fifth, and sixth ranks. And so the six ranks

of unbelievers proved their doubts, their errors,

and called the king a liar and a fool.

This denial and rejection is that mentioned

in the Qur’an. It’s there and it confirms

the word of god, ‘When the lord said to angels,

I’ll make a man from clay, but when I’ve made him,

and breathed my spirit into him, lie down

before him. Then the angels all lay down

before him—except Iblis. He was proud,

belonging to the mob of unbelievers.’ 11 4

“The oldest of the faithless denied

seven times more than he had done before

in every other realm. And seven sparkling

colors made of millions of colors were seized

from him by Salman in the seven realms:

one from the realm of divinity, one

from the curtain manifesting the kingdom,

one in the curtain of glory, one in the sea

of the high lord, one in the sea of divinity,

one on the carpet of light, and one more sea,

which is the sanctuary of the spirit.

So the cursed Azazi’il, and those

who proceeded from his cry fell down

from the high king, down into the curtain,

and fell for seven thousand years because

of seven harsh denials and rejection.

These are noted in the Qur’an: denial

of the divinity, denial of

the kingdom, denial of the glory,

denial of the highest god, denial

of his godliness, denial of light,

and denial of the spirit’s mind.

“The high king had bestowed each particle

of his inherent light to the rash fool,

who used it to create his filthy creatures.

From bellowing screams they made spirits,

filling them with disbelief, denial, lies, error,

rebellion, and corrupting avarice.

AZAZI’IL GOES BY MANY NAMES

“The name of this curse changes in each realm.

In god’s realm he was called Azazi’il,

and in the time of humans was called

Harith, 115 at the time of Adam, Ahriman, 11 6

at the time of Noah and David, Suwa, 117

at the time of Abraham, Nimrod, 118

at the time of Moses, it was the pharaoh,

at the time of Jesus, it was the tempter,

and at the time of Muhammad, Abu Jahl. 119

In our time he is called Satan. All names

are sounds invented by the cursed one,

who with the others in the turquoise dome

refused to witness, while the ones who came

before, whose leader is Salman, accepted

manifestation of the highest king.”

THE EARTH IS CREATED

Then Jabir said, “My lord, what do you say

to commentary on the following verse

from the Qur’an? ‘Once we offered treasure

that was to be entrusted to the world,

to heaven first, then to the earth, and then

to mountains. Yet none of them make it his,

since they were petrified. Some humans did,

although it was the sacrilege of fools.’” 120

Baqir spoke, “Jabir, the high king states in verse,

We stored our treasure in heaven and they took it.

We put it on earth and they took it.

We put it on the mountains and they took it.

Everyone between the skies and earth took it,

but nervously, cautiously, and after

the high creator’s warning. Only a group of humans

took it with hardship. As for all the rest,

the unbelievers, hypocrites, and heathen,

they snubbed the warning of the lofty king ,

who castigated them four thousand years.

If the humans speak again, they will return

to the high king, who in mercy

will pardon them. This is the warning for

the treasure that had once been in our charge.

“Jabir, the demonstration of the princes

among believers happened in the place

of god, thereby increasing his divinity.

The heavens are Salman, Miqdad, Abu Zarr,

Ammar, Jondob, Horayra, and Komayl,

who undertook the tasks. The earth is angels

of Naqib, one step below the seven angels.

The mountains are the Najib and a few

waverers whose example was held up

before the people, and they all accepted.

MOUNTAINS, ROCKS, ANIMALS APPEAR

“The other six ranks of the faithless with

their leaders—curse and punish them—refused

the holy gift. So he made them appear

shaped as mountains and rocks, and he transformed

them into animals not to be saved.

But if the faithful and the lingering waverers

in this world keep the pact with the high king,

receiving the holy manifestation,

they will be free from every punishment.

This is the commentary on that verse.

“When these poor faithless, fastened to denial,

quarreled and went to war with the high king,

he terrified them, ‘You the unbelievers,

the impure and ungrateful, you seek victory,

rule and control in precincts of the sky.

But you can do nothing without full faith,

without witnessing me. I am the lord.’

As it is written, ‘You jinns and humans! If you

have power to penetrate the skies and earth ,

do so. But you will fail unless I give you

powers.’ 121 This is my proof and testimony.

“Then the high king—whose majesty is great—

said to Salman, ‘You are my gate, my book,

the Qur’an is the word of god, and you

are my right hand in all my palaces,

realms, and curtains. You are my ambassador

and throne of which I’m god. You are the treasure

and faithful keeper of treasure; my spirit

shows on your curtain, through you; I am lord,

and you the lord of believers. I’ve placed

the guidance of the earth and heaven in

your hand; I am the lord and you the lord

of all heavens and earth. These unbelievers

who won’t revere or think of me in awe,

who quarreled and who warred against me,

I’ll turn to mountains, rocks, deserts, rivers,

I’ll make them into animals and birds.

You, Salman—with Miqdad, Abu Zarr, Ammar,

Jondob, Horayra, and Komayl—turn them

into the seven parts of earth.’ Then he

commanded the Naqib, ‘Make of them twelve

countries of the dark earth.’ He ordered the Najib,

‘Make twenty-eight islands out of your body.’

THE SEAS AND LANDS APPEAR

“Suddenly the huge Salman terrified them,

howled at them. And they screamed back like

a hundred thousand basins and gold bowls

clashing together. All light and spirit fled,

and from it he spread out the blue curtain.

At once the waverers asked miracles

from the high king, and unbelievers went

into the dark, and he curtained this hord e

of faithless, and these happenings fulfilled

the word of god, ‘the day on which the smoke

of heaven could be clearly seen.’ 122 The terror

of Salman turned each being into water,

and water into sea. Small particles

were clay, and seven angels made the seven

parts of the earth from their own matter.

First, Salman made the east coast of Africa

with all mountains and rivers made of those

who had denied. Miqdad made Hindustan

from the second rank, Abu Zarr made Turkestan

from the third rank, Ammar made Horasan

out of the fourth, and Jondob made Iraq

out of the fifth, Abu Horayra made Egypt

from the sixth, and Komayl made Byzantium

from the seventh rank. Komayl completed

creation of the earth, and it was finished.

The twelve Naqib created the twelve countries:

Sind, Hind, Tibet, Berber, Russia,

Abyssinia, Hazar, Turkestan, Bahrain,

Kuhestan, Armenia, Persia, Maghreb, and Slavia.

ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE WORLD ARE MADE FROM THE UNBELIEVERS

“The twenty-eight Najib angels created

the twenty-eight islands of Hind and Sind,

the island of Ceylon, Alexandria, Constantinople,

Barqius, Ferghana, Arrajan, Sawad, Macin,

the Ionian islands, Gilan, Ifriqia, Askalon,

Nisibin, Malatia, Samarkand, Antiochia,

Tartus, Kis, Oman, the island of Karak,

and Masqat. From them and around the mountains

he also made seven great seas. From matter

he made oil, sulfur, tar, pitch, zak, salt ,

and limestone. He made every mountain, rock,

piece of gravel, and mineral in the world

out of those unpeaceful with the high king

and those who fought his regents. May his blessing

be on us. As it is written, ‘So we reward those

who are not sober or who do not believe

signs of the lord. Their punishment will be

a hereafter of extreme enduring pain.

Did you not understand when you look at

the homes of generations we destroyed?’ 123

“All waters of the world were made from them.

Followers of those beings, outsiders,

consider those waters not as waters that the

regents of the high lord made from them but as

rains from the firmament, yet if such rain

came down it would have rained a thousand years

and all the world would long have turned to water.

These waters were made by Salman out of

the faithless, which he poured into the world

and put into the seaways of the earth. They flow

through the earth’s arteries, and four elements

of nature rise into the air and fall as rain

to keep the earth damp and fresh.

“All this Salman created, every mountain,

rock, and beast. All vegetation and plants.

SALMAN TURNS THE FAITHLESS INTO ELEMENTS AND CREATURES

“All those who fought against the high creator

he degraded. All those who reproached the high king

he made into fine clay. All those who turned

against the lofty king he turned into bronze.

All those who’d practiced soothsaying he made

into iron. All those who called the king

traitor he turned into mountains and rocks .

All those who said the king was a magician

he turned into the deserts of the world.

All those who called the high king ignorant

he made as fire. All those who hurled insults

at the high king he turned into gold

so in this world they could be minted coins.

All those who turned against him in six realms

he made into a dinar and six dangs. 124

All those who saw the high king as sorcerer

he made into silver. All those who questioned

the high king he made into copper. And those

who wondered who the high king was he turned

to lead. All who contested him were trees

and tree trunks. All who treated the high king

with violence he turned into minerals

of varying colors. All who mocked him became

cattle, beasts, and wild animals, and all

who called the king a trickster became birds.

All who were boorish to the lord were echoes.

All who did not hold the word of our high king

in awe he made as snakes. And all who called

the high king arrogant he made as fish.

And all who uttered hateful things became

small creatures. All who used stinging sarcasm

he made into wolves and hyenas. All who

were cruel to him he made as pigs and bears.

All who turned the evil done to the high king

into sweet presents for themselves were lions,

and all who uttered shabby slurs were treated

shabbily. If we keep telling all this,

this book will be absurdly long.

THIS WORLD IS MADE COLORLESS

“God made the world framed with appalling mountains,

expansive deserts, profound seas, and beast s

and birds from substances of the six ranks

of faithless. Then he took away the color

of the world. Prolonged time passed without day

or darkness, when there was no time or name

or any soul across the dry cracked earth.

THE WORLD COMES TO LIFE

“Then the high king flung out denying spirits,

the faithless minds, flung them out of the kingdom

down onto earth, and then he gave the world

a breath, a spirit, and it came to life.

Vegetation and plants sprang from the earth,

and through his force vegetation and plants

were fashioned from the substance of the cursed,

proceeding from the shout of Azazi’il.

“This vegetative spirit spread everywhere

across the earth. And then the high king chose

to regenerate the seven colors taken

from Azazi’il: red, black, blue, violet,

indigo blue, yellow, and white. He called

them clouds and returned water to the streams

and rivers, scattering them over the earth,

keeping the earth moistened and fresh. And steam

in the spirit’s world became the angel whom

the high king consigned to the clouds. He fulfilled

his words, ‘The thunders praise him, as do angels.’ 125

“But the beasts, the mountains and the rocks,

the vegetation and the plants and bodies

all issue from the pot of Ahriman,

and even now Ahriman comes with clouds

and thunder. And obeying the high king

he brings his creatures their daily bread. ”

THIS DESCRIBES THE BODY AS MICROCOSM

Jabir said, “My lord, what can be the proof

that the highest command descends from clouds?” 126

Baqir answered, “Here is truth. Each particle

of holy light sent through this cloud down to

the path of breathing earth is consonant

with the highest command. The cloud itself

consists of substance of Azazi’il.

Jabir, if clouds were not from Azazi’il,

the sun and moon sloping along their spheres

would not be hidden to the waverers.

Azazi’il shows in the microcosm

with seven faces: evil thoughts and greed,

jealousy, doubt, uncertainty. The glow

of faith’s spirit and the intelligible sun

are also hidden from the spirit of lust.

“Clouds of the macrocosm are combined

with light of the high king as a nude body

combines with spirit. And the other cloud,

highest in the command, is spirit’s speech,

color of cloud, the thunder and lightning

and the moon’s rain are knowledge of the light.

The earth on which it tumbles is the heart,

the sky from which it comes is spirit’s faith,

its sphere is language: ‘All float in a sky.’” 127

SOULS ARE CREATED

Jabir said, “My lord, please tell us the rest

about the meaning of the macrocosm.”

Baqir said, “Jabir, when this cloud kept the world

moistened and fresh, yellow and green, and it issue d

vegetation and green plants, no one ate

the plants combined with vegetative power.

The being that rebelled again against

the high king seized the vegetative power,

implanted it in hearts of animals

and everything this earth produced. It was

eaten by the spirit of the senses, and both

rose with the lusting mind of the deniers.

“The waverers were in the blue curtain

and praised the high king. The high king’s justice

did not permit doubters and waverers

to be in the same place, on the same carpet

of the almighty, as the pure and honest.

Then the high creator said to waverers,

‘I want to create people in this world

and grant them dominion of the world.’

This happened, meeting his words, ‘When your lord

said to the angels, “I will place a successor

on earth,” they said, “Do you want someone who

will harm and spill blood, while we sing out

our hearts of praise to you and glorify?”’ 128

“Then Salman, Abu Zarr, Miqdad, Ammar, Jondob,

Abu Horayra, Komayl, and the Naqib

and Najib said, ‘God will do what he wants,’ 129

and ‘He decides as he wishes.’ 130 The waverers

in the seven curtains and some who testified

in each curtain were still, since they were saved.

The prophet says, ‘Who knows silence escapes.’

“But other vacillators said, ‘Our lord,

should you who make the vices in this world

instill decay and bloodshed? When we must,

we’ll praise, sanctify, glorify all you want. ’

“Then the high king said, ‘Your sins went too far.

You must be dismissed from the blue curtain.

I know how far it goes with you, though you

don’t know. I know all things you do not know.’ 131

“The waverers shouted and wept, ‘We gave

advice that was a sin. Why was it so?’

A mob below them festered with remorse

and penitence. They begged for intercession

and complained to the king, ‘You mustn’t grieve

one time but often.’ 132 But the king forgave,

freed them of doubt, created spirits of them,

and spread them over all the earth: ‘He made

their spirits by mixing fire.’ 133 The waverers

received the name confessors of the one

and only. Degradation was made from them.

There were four thousand of them, and in rank

they made their home below the Najib angels.

“The other waverers who remained did not

complain or demand intercession. No,

they praised the king, and turning to him

said, ‘Lord, what can you do for us who were

transgressors? 134 Lord, we know that we have sinned

against ourselves. If you will not forgive us,

we’ll stay among the lost. If we repent,

pardon us, lord, or else we are the lost.’

THE WAVERERS LEARN PRAISE

“The high king said to Salman forgivingly,

‘Cast these waverers out from the blue dome

down to a heavenly airy covering.’ Salman

transformed them into air and held them firmly

up in the air. They formed pairs, two and two ,

and reproduced amazingly, beyond

moderation and limit. The high king

in self-praise shone among them to confirm

what he had told them in his highest realm

so they would learn to praise. They said to him,

‘You are our elder and speak for us. Show us

the god you praise.’ The high king said to them,

‘I will show you your lord, provided you

enter a covenant with me. When you see him—

his power is great—you’ll testify and he

will move you to the place of the undefiled.

However, one who doubts or disclaims him

will be sent down to earth.’ So vacillators

entered into a covenant with him—

his power is great—and they agreed with it.

“Then the high king said, ‘I am Allahu akbar , 135

the great god that you seek. And I am he.’

Nine hundred ninety-nine spirits stepped forward

and testified to the high god and said,

‘We do believe, affirm, and witness you

as god of grace and mercy and that you

showed in the seven realms and palaces.

We do believe, affirm, and witness you.’

Through this confession they again were saved.

The one who declares clearly and sincerely,

‘There is no other god but he,’ will rise

to paradise. He took the dregs in them

and made of it a horde of ghosts and demons.

God made the unbelievers from the dregs

of the believers. The spirits, sons of spirits,

he created from the lowness of believers,

the demons from the lowness of the tested.

‘A multitude belonged to earlier time,

and a multitude belonged to later time.

What is the fate of those fixed on the left?

A searing heat and boiling water, shad e

of the black smoke.’ 136 And they received the name

‘the tested,’ and he kept them there below

the confessors of the one and only.

THE SEVEN RANKS OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS

“In this way the former were seven ranks.

The first is Salman’s level, second Miqdad,

third Abu Zarr, fourth the Naqib, fifth the Najib,

sixth the confessors of the one and only,

and seventh the tested, fulfilling his word,

‘The patient and truthful and humble who

give alms and pray for pardon in the dawn.’ 137

“For other vacillators the high king

commanded Salman, ‘Send them out of here,

keep them on earth.’ ‘We told you to get out,

all of you, go. True guidance comes from me.’ 138

Immediately 313 of them screamed

as someone screams when thrown into a prison.

That’s how they howled, and loud as they could.

The high god pardoned them again, cut them

from doubt and wonder. He made seventy thousand

angels from them, and now these waverers,

as pure, received the name of messengers,

and they were worthy of his grace and pardon

through the mercy of the exalted king.

‘After I was afraid I fled from you.

My lord endowed me with the power of judgment

and I became one of the messengers.’ 139

IBLIS APPEARS

“Among the low ones who were called angel

the cursed Iblis appeared. He belonged to the low ones ,

but it was the high one’s will that spirits

and sons of spirits would fall into his hands.

Then the high king commanded that the low

go down to the earth. And after many years

he commanded the destruction of Iblis,

his spirits, and the sons of spirits. Iblis

and all the angels and the low ones warred

on other spirits and the sons of spirits.

They all plunged into seas, and some of them

became sea creatures. They were whales, snakes, fish,

some wild animals and birds, some Gog

and Magog, 140 some turned into shells, pigs, limestone,

everything in the seas is of their substance.

Iblis emerged among the angels and painted

their coverings and shapes in all the colors

of the seven heavens and earth. He made them.

“The covering and form of these angels

was like fire. They were haughty in their form

and arrogant, but Azazi’il became

a thousand times prouder even than they.

THE HIGH KING WANTS TO CREATE PEOPLE ON EARTH

“Then the high king told them, ‘I want to make

people on earth, endowing them dominion

over the world.’ ‘When the lord told his angels,

I will send a successor to the earth,’ 141

they became three nations. One nation said,

‘God does what he wants to.’ 142 ‘And he decides

his ways. You want it solely at god’s desire.’ 14 3

“Others said, ‘Why place someone on this earth

who unjustly sheds blood, who commits acts

of shame?’ ‘Azazi’il rebelled and others rose

in the madness of his misery, and said,

“If you create someone else in this world,

we will not prostrate ourselves before him.”’ 144

“The high king said, ‘Come before waverers

and bow down before everything above you,

and before those who know the earth and heavens

and those who know the plants and growing things.’

The angels could not comprehend, but waverers

explained the knowledge of the earth and heavens,

the names of plants and growing things, mountains

and all on earth. ‘He taught Adam the names

and then he showed them to the angels.’ 145

IBLIS REBELS; SHADOWS AND PHANTOMS APPEAR

“Iblis and his people who had the form of fire

rebelled and showed their disbelief. ‘We won’t

bow down before them, we’re better than they.’

‘You fashioned me of fire but him of clay.’ 146

The high king grew furious. He said to them,

‘The covering will fall off all of you—

and this is hell—and you will wander proud

no longer, but you’ll linger in those tight

and black and body-hugging darkest forms.’

“Iblis and his people said, ‘We have praised you.

How can you let our efforts go in vain?’

The high king answered, ‘I am not reducing

your wages. I have turned you into women,

beauties among the skeptics and the dregs.

Amuse them and keep them from staying o n

the right path. You appear to right and left

of them. Then I will send you down to hell

for this sin. Seven thousand years you’ll keep

the shape of flesh and blood of animals.’

As it is written, ‘We created you and gave

you form. Then we said to the angels, “Bow

before Adam.” All bowed except for Iblis.

He wouldn’t bow. God said, “What stops you from

bowing as I have ordered?” Iblis said,

“I am better than he. From fire you made me,

but he is only clay.” God said, “Go

down from him to the earth. Pride and arrogance

are not permitted here. Leave! You belong

in the future to those who are disdained.”

Iblis said, “Grant me a reprieve until

the day they are awakened.” God said,

“You will linger among those whose fate

will be made apparent later.” Iblis said,

“Since you let me go wrong, I’ll wait for them

on the straight path. I’ll conquer them from front

and from behind, from right and left. You’ll see

that most of them are ungrateful to you.”’ 147

“Then the high king transformed Iblis’s people

into a form of shades, a hell of shadows

where they were fixed. But waverers he turned

into phantoms. As it is written, ‘Some will be

in paradise and some will burn in hell.’ 148

THIS DESCRIPTION RECALLS THE HEART IN THE BODY

“Now, paradise is in the form of phantoms,

but hell takes on the form of those in shadow. 14 9

And hell consists of lowness of believers,

which is their punishment. If form were not

of shadows, they would have no place to be.

Without the earth, there’d be no place for phantoms

here in the world. So if the body had

no heart, the wavering spirit couldn’t find

existence in this form; if in the heart

there were no chambers for his blood, there would

be no place for rebuked Adam to exist.

DO NOT EAT OF THIS TREE

“Then the high king said to the vacillators,

‘Live in this paradise of phantoms, and eat

only from what you have been commanded

to eat from. From this one tree do not eat.’

That means, do not fall into any act

of lechery. He made a covenant

with them: ‘I will send Gabriel to you.

He is my holy guidance. And you who follow

my guidance need not live in fear. You won’t

be sad.’ 150 You’ll stay in paradise as phantoms,

but if those formed of shadow become women,

beautiful women, do not touch their bodies.

As it is written, ‘Do not come close to this tree, 151

or you will be a party to transgressors.’ 152

FATIMA

“Then Gabriel led the inspired spirit to

a place in paradise and saw a figure,

painted in millions of colors, sitting on

a throne, a crown on its head, and two rings

in its ears, girded with a shoulder sword ,

and paradise glowed with light from this being.

The waverers were eager to discover

what kind of being it was. The inspired spirit

appeared to them. ‘This being is from the first

and farthest realm. The figurehead of Fatima

is of the highest majesty that lives

in paradise. Her crown is Muhammad,

her earrings are Hasan and Husayn,

and the girded sword is the prince who is

faithful Ali. Her throne is the lord’s seat

on which the high king—great is his power—sits

in splendor.’ All praised and glorified this being.

MEN ARE TEMPTED BY WOMEN

“After some time, Iblis became a woman,

a beauty. And everyone with him became

beautiful women before the waverers.

They all were tempted; for a man there is

nothing more tempting than a woman he

might have. Sensual lust caused them to touch

and lay their hands on them and grope around

their bodies. After nine months, out of them

emerged another being.

The snake and peacock

lived in the second and third paradise

of those who followed Iblis’s insanity.

HUMANS ARE EVICTED FROM PARADISE

“When the high king came in, he howled against

the lingerers, ‘Get out of here, all of you. 153

Get out of paradise. Assume the form

of thin dark shadows.’ He hurled them awa y

into their shadowy shape, and had women

appear with deep vaginas and with breasts.

“The vacillators fell under the cover

of shadows, and they hollered day and night.

The prince of unbelievers shone among

them as a stunning woman and seduced them,

and they attained destruction. The high king fumed

against them, ‘Curse you. My curse is on you

until the day of judgment, 154 till you leave

the form of shadows and are flesh and blood,

and skin and hair.’

HUMANS NEED TO BE FREE FROM BODY

“Then the vacillators grieved

and said, ‘Our lord, if only you command us,

we will be washed and clean of sin, even

in this, our present form.’ The high lord said,

‘Atonement for such sin I won’t accept

as you are in your bodily form. Doubt hangs

on you.’ They answered him, ‘What can we do

to become pure again while in our bodies?’

HUMANS MUST FULFILL GOD’S FOUR CONDITIONS

“The high king said, ‘You must fulfill my four

conditions to exist closer to me.

The first is that in every each shape and form

you see me, testify in all the tongues:

Arabic, Farsi, Greek, Hindi, Sindi,

Georgian, Slavic, Syrian. And with decision,

prove that you are upright .

The second is

you recognize the proper imams and holy

and enlightened ones who know, 155 and learn

from them about my knowledge and my nature;

witness the deity with their words and spirit.

“Third is that all of you must become brothers

and sisters to each other, and not withhold

your life or limb; give up possessions, wealth,

and blood for our religion and believers.

Hold to religion and your worldly life

in proper order, and never choose the ways

of evil and of violence—neither in public

nor in your heart share food and sustenance

or time with them. Witness the deity

and spirit and be as friendly as you can,

so fellowship is real because you testify.

‘Believers are brothers.’ 156 These three conditions

are triple witness to the exalted king:

one to the prophets, one to right imams,

and one to brothers and sisters who keep faith.

“The fourth is that you must not live by profit

and worldly fancy. Do not indulge desires.

When you’ve fulfilled these three conditions I

assign you, I will grant you one last pleasure:

I’ll pardon you and give you back eternal

paradise. As it is written, ‘But the believers

who do what’s right will go into gardens

whose hollows are filled with flowing streams, and stay

forever.’ 157 And elsewhere it says, ‘He must

behave with honor,’ 158 and elsewhere it reads,

‘those of good works.’ 159 If you keep my covenant ,

I also will. Be dutiful to me

and I will do my duty toward you.’” 160

HOW THE INDIVIDUAL COMES TO KNOWLEDGE AND IS SAVED 161

Then Jabir said, “My lord, when will the spirit

and heart be saved?”

Baqir answered, “A spirit

of conviction living in the heart is witness

to divinity and leaves the heart and goes

into the brain, if it has witnessed clearly.

And even after worship from the highest

heaven and from the earth, it won’t accept

anything but witnessing described as just

in Muhammad’s Qur’an, 162 a testimony

for current imams, whose appearance is

the paradise of the exalted king.

“Their speech provides the gate to paradise,

the place of Salman, and the site where orphans

bow and where seven angels say their prayers,

the realm of the Naqib, the palace of the Najib,

the dome of Adam and the ark of Noah,

the priestly robes of Abraham, the tablets

of Moses, the summit of Jesus, and the throne

where Muhammad the chosen lives, along

with the thirty-legged footstool of Ali,

the prince of the believers, and the garden

of Fatima, and paradise of Hasan and Husayn,

the bridge of the believers. They make up

the refuge of the cherubim, the spheres

of beings of light, direction of the prayer

of spiritual beings. The high king said ,

I do not wish you to turn east and west

to say your prayer. The eternal god prefers

you turn to the good imams and believe

in their prophetic light, in every show

of light, and every palace, realm, aeon,

and cycle, each location of the deity,

the kingdom, the great lord, the glory and

eternity of godliness, the light,

spirit, humanity, the flesh, and imam.

“Everywhere you must testify to him

and sacrifice possessions, blood, and power

to build a dam to hold back death and need,

hunger and poverty, grave sicknesses

and all the world’s catastrophes. What happens

to you in any form, be patient; suffer it.

In all things fear judgment, try to grow nearer to god,

and be on guard against this awful world.

Have faith. And thus you fulfill god’s word,

‘Goodness does not require you to turn

your face to east or west. It asks you to believe

in god and the last day, the angels, scripture,

and prophets.’ 163 The last day is a great day.

Believe in these words and believe in light

of the high king’s regent, Salman, who is

the word of god. For everything in heaven

and on the earth is also in the word of god,

and nothing on dry land or in the sea

is not part of his word, ‘and there is nothing,

wet or dry, not recorded in his word.’” 164

WHERE DOES THIS SECRET KNOWLEDGE COME FROM?

Then Jabir said, “My lord, is the final testimony

from us or from the will and glor y

of the high king? When the inspired who know

sit on the carpet of the great lord, the curtain

of light is raised and your students testify.

Where does this secret knowledge 165 come from?”

Baqir answered, “Get away from bad students 166

as from the avarice of those who know.” 167

Jabir said, “My lord, explain to your low servant.”

Baqir said, “Be careful. These words are difficult.

By Muhammad and the glorified, by Ali

the highest, these are words not written in

a book. One keeps them secret. Jabir, if

the right imam and the inspired who knows

reveals the truth to students, the pupil

would not accept it and the heart’s spirit

could not absorb it. The speaking spirit

of life is all alone. Then at the bidding

of the high king, with the purpose and will

of the imam, a spirit of lightning color

will come down from the blue dome and enter

the student’s brain and spirit of the heart.

The spirit of the heart believes in glory

and words of one who knows and testifies

in truth of the convinced. At the will of the

high king, the shining spirit descends from

the moon-colored curtain and searches out

the tested spirit, speaker for the teacher.

The spirit of the heart of students hears

this word and testifies to godliness

of one who knows, but his rank is incapable

of holding the word in his memory. 168

“Then by the will of one who knows, the spirit

of retention descends from the sun-colore d

curtain, and it enters faith’s spirit.

The word remains in memory, but he

has not the strength to think of it. But sent

by the high king, thought’s spirit comes down from

the violet-colored curtain and resides

in his retention. The spirit of the heart

thinks of this thought and understands the words

of one who knows but who lacks strength to speak

before the one who truly knows the word.

“Then the almighty’s spirit descends from

the emerald green curtain and enters thought.

The student’s heart floats overhead and in

his limbs he clearly sees the holy realm.

These words are clear but are not from the curtain

until the will of one who knows the light

of spirit and of wisdom descends from

the agate-colored realm and joins the spirit

of the high lord. This spirit is gifted with language,

and light of knowledge speaks before the one

who knows. It is not perfect yet, and one

who knows has not approved it. Then intellect

comes down from the realm, the color of fire,

and enters knowledge. Finally the student

understands clearly and hears the words

of one who knows. He cannot yet transcend

his sensual soul, the spirit of desire, and the rebuked Adam,

until the holy spirit appears from the dome

of red ruby and enters his spirit.

“The spirit of the student’s heart crushes

the three souls tempting sin in him, kills them,

and as the seven components, heart, head, lungs, liver,

spleen, bladder . . . he destroys the seven

unbelievers who have lived in his soul,

and Iblis’s cycle is over now.

The lusting in his penis and testicles

is dead, the spirit of the heart awakes

at night and fasts by day. A human still is

not about to rise to heaven. He’ll get ther e

if by the will of the high king and through

the light of one who knows and the resolution

of the disciple a great universal spirit

descends from the white dome and enters in

the student’s holy spirit. Then spirit of

the student’s heart will climb a few steps higher

from the house of wind and hover in

the commanding arteries of his chest.

“Body and matter will be bright and light

because of light of godliness and holy

revelation. God says, ‘Is there anyone

whose chest god has expanded for Islam

so he’s enlightened by the lord?’ 169 But spirit

of the heart still can’t reach the brain. Great spirit

descends from under the high king’s canopy,

in the remotest realm, at the command

and by the will of the high king and with

the purpose of good imams, landing perfectly

on the great universal spirit. Then

the spirit of the heart can move from chest

to lips, tongue, and mouth, and end up on

the holy throne. The one who knows arises

and testifies to spirit as to himself.

“The student will be perfect, and ten spirits

are spoken for. God says, ‘These are the perfect ten.’ 170

The ten stanzas of the Qur’an also

convey the ten Islamic 171 ranks, ten days

of feast, 172 the counting going up to ten

and when it gets to ten begins again,

and every number ten around the world

stands for it too. That’s why we call this book

the ten speeches, and this description resides

uniquely in this book and in no other.”

1 . The Mother of Books: translated into German by Heinz Halm, Die islamische Gnosis, 113–98; translated from the German by Heather TerJung; retranslated as blank verse by Willis Barnstone.

2 . High or exalted king, throughout the text, is god. On Jabir, the student, compare Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju‘fi. On Baqir (or al-Baqir), compare Muhammad al-Baqir, the fifth imam, as revealer of knowledge. Al-Baqir means “the one who opens,” for example, the one who opens knowledge. See below.

3 . The numbers seven and twelve also occur in the Secret Book of John and other gnostic texts.

4 . Another heavenly body of water, a luminous spring of living water, is described near the opening of the Secret Book of John.

5 . Qur’an sura 55.

6 . Two classes of angels. The term Naqib means “leader”; the term Najib means “noble one.”

7 . Elsewhere, gnosis.

8 . This and other sections that focus on the body as the locale of divine mystical activity may be later additions to the text, applying this story of the godhead and its evolution to the individual’s inner mystical experience.

9 . Qur’an sura 20.

10 . Young women of legendary beauty who live in paradise.

11 . Qur’an sura 76.

12 . Ba, sin, and mim, with lam and ha (below), are the Arabic letters of Bismillah .

13 . The Arabic letters of the Bismillah indicate angelic powers, with god (the letter alif ) in the middle. Here the names of the angels derive from names of followers of Ali: Salman, Miqdad, Abu Dharr, Ammar, Kumayl, Abu Hurayra, and Jundub.

14 . The Arabic letters of the Bismillah also reveal the head’s powers.

15 . Qur’an sura 40.

16 . Or “Jafar,” another student.

17 . This description is reminiscent of the pleroma or fullness of holy glory in gnostic texts. On god’s throne, compare the merkavah (god’s chariot) in Jewish mystical literature. The use of letters to signify virtues is characteristic of Kabbalah.

18 . The gnostic revealer plays a prominent role in numerous texts.

19 . The dangers of mystical inquiry are fully documented.

20 . The sum of nineteen is found by counting the numbers of letters in the names of the letters in Bismillah .

21 . Muhammad is the prophet, Ali his cousin and son-in-law, Fatima the daughter of Muhammad, Hasan and Husayn the sons of Ali, Abdallah the father of Muhammad, and Abu Talib the father of Ali and uncle of Muhammad. The first five represent the five powers or lights or angels, the last two seem to be later additions. See below.

22 . Qur’an sura 48.

23 . More ranks of angels. The two Yatim (orphans or single ones) may be Miqdad and Abu Zarr. See below.

24 . Qur’an sura 69.

25 . Qur’an sura 15.

26 . Qur’an sura 7.

27 . The following lines may be an addition to the text.

28 . Leaders of the Islamic community.

29 . Qur’an sura 74.

30 . Such a list of questions to be answered by the revealer is attested in other gnostic texts.

31 . For a similar statement, see the Secret Book of John.

32 . The father’s realm of five is presented in the Secret Book of John.

33 . Qur’an sura 112.

34 . The following lines may be an addition to the text.

35 . Qur’an sura 5.

36 . Qur’an sura 42.

37 . Qur’an sura 2.

38 . Qur’an sura 6.

39 . Qur’an sura 46.

40 . Qur’an sura 36.

41 . Qur’an sura 65.

42 . Qur’an sura 3.

43 . Qur’an sura 20.

44 . Salman.

45 . A Muslim mystic from among the ghulat . Perhaps a later addition to the text.

46 . The devil.

47 . Qur’an sura 70.

48 . Qur’an sura 112.

49 . Qur’an sura 9.

50 . Or “Jafar.”

51 . On the five trees of paradise see Gospel of Thomas 19, and Manichaean literature. Here in this text the legendary trees of paradise are called tuba trees (tuba means “happiness”).

52 . An eagle is perched on the tree of knowledge in paradise according to the Secret Book of John. In Islamic tradition Boraq is the winged horse on which prophet Muhammad rode on his night journey, and Duldul is Muhammad’s white mule.

53 . Qur’an sura 62. The revealer proceeds to describe the seven heavenly spheres, from the first, white sphere to the seventh, lapis lazuli sphere.

54 . Qur’an sura 57.

55 . Qur’an sura 56.

56 . Qur’an sura 71.

57 . Qur’an sura 24.

58 . Qur’an sura 89.

59 . Qur’an sura 76.

60 . Qur’an sura 67.

61 . Qur’an sura 55.

62 . Qur’an sura 47.

63 . Qur’an sura 24.

64 . Qur’an sura 25.

65 . Qur’an sura 36.

66 . Qur’an sura 9.

67 . Or “Jafar.”

68 . The following lines may be an addition to the text.

69 . Here god’s shadow is not meant negatively but is like a reflection of the divine.

70 . Qur’an sura 2.

71 . Qur’an sura 6.

72 . Qur’an sura 33.

73 . This reference to Jabir, like some later references, may indicate the name of another student (Jabir ibn Abdallah al-Ansari).

74 . Another typical list of questions.

75 . Qur’an sura 16.

76 . Qur’an sura 18.

77 . The gnostic demiurge (for example, Yaldabaoth in the Secret Book of John) creates in a similar fashion in other texts.

78 . Azazi’il’s boastful statement recalls the arrogant claim of the demiurge in gnostic texts.

79 . Qur’an sura 38.

80 . Qur’an sura 42.

81 . Qur’an sura 18?

82 . Qur’an sura 16.

83 . As the manifestation of the divine Salman resembles Sophia, wisdom, or even the first human, in gnostic texts.

84 . As the text indicates, Allahu akbar is Arabic for “great god” or “god is great.”

85 . The profession of monotheism is the first part of the shahada, or Islamic creed.

86 . The second part of the shahada .

87 . Naqib.

88 . Najib.

89 . Qur’an sura 56.

90 . Qur’an sura 4.

91 . Halm, Die islamische Gnosis, 160, reads Najib, probably in error.

92 . Qur’an sura 2.

93 . As noted before, he acted like the gnostic demiurge.

94 . Qur’an sura 5. This claim may recall the Christian trinitarian confession.

95 . Qur’an sura 55.

96 . Qur’an sura 2.

97 . Qur’an sura 7.

98 . Qur’an sura 7.

99 . Qur’an sura 7.

100 . Qur’an sura 20.

101 . Qur’an sura 15.

102 . Human beings are imprisoned in this world, according to gnostic texts.

103 . The Secret Book of John opens with such a statement of divine transcendence.

104 . Qur’an sura 112.

105 . Qur’an sura 112.

106 . Qur’an sura 57.

107 . Qur’an sura 17.

108 . Qur’an sura 70.

109 . Qur’an sura 18.

110 . Qur’an sura 20.

111 . Qur’an sura 20.

112 . Qur’an sura 37.

113 . The distinction between a greater and a lesser Salman recalls two wisdoms, Sophia and Achamoth, in Valentinian literature, or two primordial humans, one heavenly and one earthly, throughout gnostic texts.

114 . Qur’an sura 38.

115 . A name for the devil in Druze sources.

116 . The name of the evil god in Zoroastrian sources.

117 . One of the idol gods in Qur’an sura 71.

118 . Genesis 10:8–12.

119 . In Arabic, “father of folly,” nickname of an opponent of prophet Muhammad.

120 . Qur’an sura 33.

121 . Qur’an sura 55.

122 . Qur’an sura 44.

123 . Qur’an sura 20.

124 . Monetary amounts.

125 . Qur’an sura 13.

126 . The following lines may be an addition to the text.

127 . Qur’an sura 36.

128 . Qur’an sura 2.

129 . Qur’an sura 3.

130 . Qur’an sura 5.

131 . Qur’an sura 2.

132 . Qur’an sura 25.

133 . Qur’an sura 55.

134 . Qur’an sura 7.

135 . On Allahu akbar, see above.

136 . Qur’an sura 56.

137 . Qur’an sura 3.

138 . Qur’an sura 2.

139 . Qur’an sura 26.

140 . On Gog and Magog as powers on the earth, see Ezekiel 38–39; Revelation 20:8; Qur’an sura 18. Magog is also mentioned in Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5.

141 . Qur’an sura 2.

142 . Qur’an sura 3, 5.

143 . Qur’an sura 76.

144 . The madness of Yaldabaoth is described in the Secret Book of John.

145 . Qur’an sura 2.

146 . Qur’an sura 7.

147 . Qur’an sura 7.

148 . Qur’an sura 42.

149 . The following lines may be an addition to the text.

150 . Qur’an sura 2.

151 . Or “structure”?

152 . Qur’an sura 2.

153 . Qur’an sura 2.

154 . Qur’an sura 38.

155 . Gnostics?

156 . Qur’an sura 49.

157 . Qur’an sura 4.

158 . Qur’an sura 18.

159 . Qur’an sura 18.

160 . Qur’an sura 2.

161 . These final passages, perhaps an addition to the Mother of Books, describe how a person is liberated from the body and comes to wisdom, knowledge, and perfection.

162 . Qur’an sura 18.

163 . Qur’an sura 2.

164 . Qur’an sura 6.

165 . Gnosis?

166 . Or “disciples.”

167 . Gnostics?

168 . Literally, “monastery and sanctuary.”

169 . Qur’an sura 39.

170 . Qur’an sura 2.

171 . Or “Salmanic” (the text is unclear).

172 . Ten feast days to celebrate the martyrdom of Husayn.