Mutun: Jawhara al-Tawhid

جوهرة التوحيد
--- t.b.d. ---

Jawhara al-Tawhid
by Imam Burhan al-Din Ibrahim al-Laqani al-Misri
(d. 1041 H)
Transl: anonymous

In the name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful

1
Praise is for Allah because of His gifts,

Then may Allah´s peace, and His blessings

2
be upon a Prophet who came with tawhid

at a time when the din was void of tawhid

3
and guided people to the Truth

with his sword and his guidance to the Truth

4
Muhammad the last of his Lord´s messengers

and [upon] his family, companions and party

5
To proceed. Knowledge of the basis of religion

is inescapable and needs elucidation

6
but enthusiasms have been dampened by prolixity

hence an abbreviation is a necessity

7
and this is a poem in the Rajaz metre that I have called

“The Jewel of Tawhid’, having refined it

8
and I hope that Allah will accept it and benefit

by it. I aspire to reward, ambitiously.

9
Now, everyone charged with the Shariá

is obliged to know what is obligatory

10
For Allah, and permissible and impossible,

And likewise in the case of His messengers, so listen well.

11 For everyone who imitates in tawhid

has a faith which is not free of hesitation.

12
And in this some people relate a dissident view

And others have considered ‘disclosure’ authoritative

13
saying, if he is certain of the belief another holds,

then this is enough; if not, he remains at risk.

14
Be definite that firstly what is obligatory

is knowledge, and there is a disagreement over this.

15
So regard yourself, and then move on

to the higher world, and then the lower

16
you shall find there a making whose wisdoms are brilliant

but in this the proof of nonexistence is established

17
and for everything which may come to nonexistence

pre-existence is absolutely impossible.

18
‘Faith’ has been interpreted as ‘considering true’.

(and) ‘pronouncing’: and there is disagreement here:

19
Some say it is a condition, like works, and others say no,
It is a part. And you must interpret ‘Islam’ as ‘works’.

20
Examples of this are Hajj and the Salat
Similarly the Fast, so understand, and the Zzakat.

21
The view that faith increases has been preferred
(so as to) increase a man’sobedience,

22
and that it decreases as the latter decreases,
and some say there is no disagreement; thus is it narrated.

23
His existemce is necessary, and his pre-existence,
similarly an eternity untainted by nullity

24
and that from that which is touched by nonexistence
He is other. The proof of this is pre-existence.

25
His subsistence is autonomous, unique,
Considered transcendent are his qualities, sublime.

26
above an opposite or a like or a partner, absolutely,
and a father, similarly a son or friends.

27
and ability, will, which is distinct from
command and knowledge and satisfaction, as is established.

28
and His knowledge, and it is not said to be acquired,
so follow the path of truth and cast away doubts

29
His life, similarly speech and hearing,
then vision. This has been brought by revalation;

30
and in ‘does he have perception or not’ there is disagreement,
and according to some it is correct not to give judgment [here].

31
Living, Knowing, Able, Willing,
Hearing, Seeing, Doer as He will.

32
Speaker, then the attributes of Essence
are neither other than nor the same as the essence

33
then: ability pertains to the possible,
infinitely, <and is not limited>.

34
Consider it necessarily to be one, as similarly are
will and knowledge, but this latter is universal.

35
and it is also universal covering the necessary and the impossible,
likewise His speech; so let us follow this.

36
Connect [His] hearing to every existent,
likewise vision – and His perception for those who accept it.

37
and other than these is the case of knowledge, as is established,
then life, which is not contingent upon anything.

38
We hold His tremendous names,
and the attributes of His essence, to be pre-existent.

39
The preferred view is that His names are known solely by divine instruction
likewise the attributes, so learn those which are given in revelation

40
Every text which gives the illusion of anthropomorphism
You must interpret, or leave to Allah, and seek transcendence

41
and consider the Qur’an, which is His speech,
to be above having come into existence, and fear His vengeance.

42
so every revealed text which suggests its creation in time
is to be interpreted as referring to the spoken text.

43
The opposites of these attributes are impossible
to attribute to him, like being within the dimensions.

44
As for what is permissible for Him, it is what may possibly
Be created and destroyed, like bestowing wealth.

45
Thus He is Creator of His slave and of his works,
And gives success to whomsoever He wishes to arrive.

46
He abandons whomsoever He wishes to be distant,
and fulfils His promise to whoever He wills.

47
The triumph of the saved is with Him in pre-existence,
likewise the damned, and one may not become the other.

48
Our doctrine is that the slave has an Acquisition, and is charged,
and does not exercise an [autonomous] influence, so know this.

49
so he is not compelled, and without choice,
and does not do all his acts by choice.

50
Hence if he rewards us it is by His sheer grace,
and if he punishes, it is by His sheer justice.

51
Their doctrine that what is in [His slaves’] interest is obligatory
For Him as a falsehood: nothing is obligatory or Him.

52
Have they not seen His giving pain to children
and to similar beings? So beware of what is impossible.

53
It is possible for Him to create evil,
And good, like Islam and the ignorance of unbelief.

54
We are obliged to have faith in Destiny
and in Decree, as is set forth in revelation.

55
It is [possible] for Him to be looked at with the eyes,
but without how or definition.

56
For the believers since it is related to the possible.
[understand] this; and it happened to the Chosen One in the world.

57
It is [possible] for Him to send all the Messengers,
not a necessity, but by His sheer grace.

58
but it is obligatory for us to have faith that this did occur,
so cast aside the heresy of those whose whims have played with them

59
Obligatory in their case was trustworthiness,
and truthfulness, and add intelligence to this,

60
similarly that they conveyed what they received,
and the opposite of this is impossible, as they have reported.

61
And what is possible for them, like eating,
and like legal intercourse with women.

62
That which has been set down is comprehended in
the Two Testimonies of Islam, so renounce ostentatious debate.

63
Prophecy has never been acquired,
though a person rise to the highest rank of goodness.

64
Rather, that is Allah’s grace, which He gives
To whom He will. Majestic is Allah, the Bestower of graces.

65
And the best of creation absolutely
Is our Prophet, so avoid dissension.

66
and the Prophets come after him in merit,
and after them come the virtuous Angels.

67
[Understand] this. And a faction has made a distinction, preferring.
and some of the whole may be better than others.

68
They were supported with miracles by [His] grace
and the protection [from sin] of Allah is definite for them all.

69
And the Best of Creation is given the unique trait of having
been made to complete all by our Lord, and made universal

70
his mission, so that his law is not to be abrogated
by another, until time itself is abrogated.

71
and his abrogation of other Shari’as occurred,
certainly. May Allah disgrace those who deny this.

72
Consider permissible the abrogation of one part of his Shari’a
by another part. There is no objection to this.

73
and his miracles are many and radiant
among them is Allah’s word which renders man incapable [of emulating it]

74
Believe firmly in the Prophet’s Ascension, as they narrate it,
and acquit A’isha of what they accuse.

75
and his companions, the best of generations, so listen well,
then the follower, and the follower of the follower.

76
and the best of them are those who succeeded to the Caliphate
and their merit is in order of their succession to the Caliphate.

77
they are followed by a noble and faithful group
who are six in number, so the total in ten.

78
then the people of Badr, whose import was mighty,
then the people of Uhud, then the Pledge of Ridwan

79
the merit of the forerunners is known by revelation,
[known] this, and they disagree in specifying them by name.

80
And use interpretation for the discord which happened,
should you look into this, and avoid the disease of envy.

81
And Malik, and the other Imams,
likewise Abu’l-Qasim, the guides of the Umma:

82
it is obligatory to follow a learned man among them,
thus have the scholars related with an intelligible expression.

83
Believe in the miracles of the saints,
and discard the words of whoever denies them

84
Our belief is that supplication has benefit,
and the Qur’an has an audible promise of this.

85
Guardians have been deputed for every slave,
and noble scribes who will never neglect

86
anything which he does, even if he should forget;
even his moaning when sick, as it has been narrated.

87
Then call your self to account, and shorten hopes,
for many a one who is zealous for a matter has achieved it.

88
We must believe in death,
and that the spirit is taken away by death’s messenger.

89
He who is killed has lived his full life,
and any other doctrine here is false and not accepted.

90
There is a difference concerning the destruction of the soul at the Trump
and al-Subki prefers the belief of its survival, as is known.

91
The coccyx, like the spirit, but al-Muzani considers correct the view
That it will decay, and he clarifies this.

92
‘Everything shall pass away’ – they have made specific
this general statement, so seek out what they have summarized.

93
Do not delve into the [question of the] spirit, since no text has come
from the Lawgiver in this regard, but there exists

94
A verdict of Malik that it is a form like the body,
So let this text on this authority be enough for you.

95
The intellect is like the spirit, but they have recognized
a dispute here, so look at their commentaries.

96
We will be questioned, then there is the punishment of the grave,
and its pleasure, these are obligatory, like the resurrection at the Assembly

97
Say: the body shall be restored, in truth,
from annihilation. Some say: from separation.

98
both being absolute. But this disagreement is made specific
to the Prophets and to those in whose regard there is a text.

99
There are two views on the restoration of accidents
and the preferred view is the restoration of substances.

100
There are two views on [the restoration of] time, and the reckoning
is true, and there is no doubting the truth.

101
He shall recompense evil deeds with the like thereof,
and multiply good deeds by His grace.

102
Through avoiding major sins, forgiveness is granted for
minor sins, and wudu’ is an expiation.

103
And the Last Day, then the terror of the standing,
are true; so make them light, O Merciful, and rescue us.

104
and the slaves must take the scrolls,
as is known by the text of the Qur’an.

105
Similar to this are the weighing and the Balance,
so the books shall be weighed, or the substances.

106
Similarly the Traverse; the slaves’ passage
Varies: some are saved, and others destroyed.

107
And the Throne, and the Footstool, then the Pen,
and the scribes, the Tablet: all contain wisdoms,

108
not through His need. Faith in them
is obligatory for you, O human being.

109
The Fire is true, and is created, like the Garden,
so do not incline to a mad denier,

110
as an abode of eternity for the saved and the damned,
given punishment and joy for as long as he abides.

111
Our faith in the Pool of the best of messengers
is inevitable, as is laid down in revelation.

112
A drink from it is attained by people who honored
their pledge. And say that those who transgressed shall be turned away

113
Obligatory also is the intercession of he who is given to intercede:
Muhammad, made to be first, do not forbid this.

114
and others from among good people with whom Allah is satisfied
shall intercede, as is mentioned in the reports.

115
since forgiving what is not unbelief is possible,
as we do not declare an unbeliever any believer on account of a sin.

116
Whoever dies and has not repented of his sin,
his matter is turned over ti his Lord.

117
Some who have committed major sins must be punished
but then eternity is not possible in this case.

118
Describe the war martyr as being alive,
and sustained from the longed-for gardens.

119
According to some, sustenance is what is benefited from,
but others say, ‘no, it is what is owned’; but this view is not followed.

120
Thus Allah gives sustenance through what is permitted; know this,
and He gives sustenance through what is disliked and forbidden.

121
In earning a living and depending on God there is a dispute,
And the preferred view is that one is better, as is known.

122
Our position is that a thing is something that exists,
and an existent is that which is established externally.

123
The existence of a thing in our view, and the atom,
are created, and this is undeniable.

124
then sins are in our view of two types,
minor and major, And the latter

125
must be repented of immediately,
and this will not be annulled if he returns to his condition.

126
but he shall renew his repentance for what he committed,
and as for acceptance, their opinions differ.

127
Preserving religion, then life, property and lineage,
and similarly mind and honor, is obligatory.

128
Whoever denies something known necessarily
in our religion is to be killed for unbelief, not as a hadd.

129
Similarly he who denies what is established by consensus,
or allows something, like adultery, so listen well.

130
It is necessary to appoint a just imam
who rules by the Shari’a (know this!), not by the mind.

131
This is not a pillar of belief in religion.
Do not diverge from his unambiguous command,

132
unless in cases of unbelief; in which case reject allegiance to him,
and Allah alone will protect us from his harm.

133
Other than this, it is not permissible to depose him,
he is not to be deposed if he is no longer qualified.

134
Enjoin what is good, and eschew slander
and backbiting, and base traits

135
like pride and conceit and the illness of envy
and like ostentation and argumentativeness. Follow this.

136
And be as the Best of Creation used to be,
an adherent of mildness, a follower of truth.

137
For all goodness lies in following those who came earliest,
and all evil lies in the innovations of those who came later.

138
All the Prophet’s guidance is best,
so do what is permitted and leave what is not.

139
so follow the righteous among the early ones,
and avoid the innovations from those who came later.

141
from the stoned one, then from my ego and whim,
for whoever inclines to these is lost.

142
And I hope that Allah will grant us
when we are question, absolutely, our proof.

143
Then may blessings and constant peace
be upon a prophet whose way was acts of mercy:

144
Muhammad, and his family and house,
And those follow his way from his nation.

Sources and
Acknowledgements: