COSMOSÕ
BEING ACCORDING TO THE QUR`AN: Linguistic Process of Emergence
The One
Creator, al-Lah:
When speaking of creation
the foremost concept in Islam is that of Tawhid (Oneness of Divinity). al-Lah
alone is the Creator and He has no help in this affair. This doctrine is known
as tawhid. The term Tawhid is derived from One (Wahid). There are no other
elements capable of creativity such as Al-Lah. He alone is the Creator. In
Sufism and BahaÕi thought this concept becomes broadened into the concepts of
Ahadiyyat and Wahidiyyat, Oneness and Singularity. Suffice it to say that the
following Qur`anic Ayats convey the meaning of tawhid in the Qur`an: 4:119,
6:101, 13:16, 16:20, 71:14 and 74:11. The notion of Al-Lah's Tawhid is
formulated as La ilah illa Al-Lah (there is no Divinity except Divinity).
QUR`ANIC
CREATIVE TERMINOLOGY:
There is a differentiated
level of meaning to each term of the act "to create' in Qur`anic Arabic.
Of these various levels we can see that there is a differentiation in the meanings
used in the Qur`an for the creating the present order either out of a previous
stasis or ex nihilo. The most used terms in the Qur`an are as follows:
-- Khalaq: prime creative term meaning the initial creative act,
the production of prime matter, the basic unit that all other created things is
composed, It is also a generic term for ÒcreatingÓ. In the Arabic Lexicon it
means: 'to create, 'creating', 'creation'; 'stature', 'constitution'. It is
also similar to 'Fatara'. An Islamic scholar writes of Khaliq:
"Khalq,
noun of the action verb khalaqa, which properly means the act of creating, can
also be used to designate Creation in its entirety: wa'l-Khalq yakun al-masdar
wa-yakun al-makhluq (LA). The noun of the agent, al-khaliq, defined by the
article, is applied only to Divinity and is one of His Names. According to the
LA, in the speech of the Arabs al-khalq is used to designate the production fo
some new thing (ibtida`) on a pattern which has not been previously employed
(`ala mithal lam yusbaq ilayh). Abu Bakr b. Al-Anbari, a philologist of the
4th/10th century, gives a slightly different definition: khalq is either a
product (insha`) designed on an invented model (abda`a), or it is the act that
determines the proportions (taqdir) of something which is to be brought into
being; thus when `Isa bin Maryam [Jesus] (Qur`an III, 49) says: Yes, I will
create (akhluqu) for you from clay the likeness of a bird, he does not wish to
say that he will bring into existence that which does not exist (lam yurid annahu
yahdithu ma'dum). Ibn Sidah (5/11th century) considers that for Divinity to
create is to bring into being a thing which previously was not (ba`d an lam
yakun). It should be noted that some commentators (al-Hasan al-Basri and
Mujahid) give the meaning of din (religion) in the sense of Hukm (the totality
of classes of Law) the word Khalq in the verse (IV, 119): 'They have tampered
with Divinity's Creation.' The reasoning behind this is that Divinity has
stamped on creation a nature (fatara 'l-khalq) that conforms with Islam; cf.
Qur`an 30:30): Anature created by Divinity fitrat Al-Lah) according to which He
has stamped the nature of men; there can be no change in Divinity's
creation...." (EI III, pg. 980)"
-- Badaa: to produce a thing out of prime matter and give it
definition in this respect it is accomplished by the 'Amr' or command of
Al-Lah. It is noted:
"The Tafsir al-Jalalayn explains badi as: that which gives existence (mujid) without following a previous model." (EI III, pg. 983)
-- Ja'ala: to create new forms out of previously created forms,
and in this respect is akin to number and division in the neo-platonic formula.
In the Arabic lexicon it is defined as: 'to make', 'to appoint' (li), 'assign',
'to place' and 'to reckon'. Of this the scholar again writes:
Here khalaqa
has precisely the same meaning as ja'ala: to render an object this way or that,
to make from that object this thing or that, which is exactly equivalent to one
of the usage's of the Latin creare, e.g. creare aliquem consulem, ja'ala
fulanan hakiman, to make soemone a governor. In the passage in Qur`an, 32,
already cited, verse 12 has >We created (khalaqna) man of clay, verse 13
states, We made (ja'alnahu) a drop of sperm of clay..." (EI III, pg. 981)
-- Sawwa: to bring something to perfection or to create a higher
state within a previous existing thing, not the creation of something new in
form or substance Further elucidated as:
"...The Qur`an links the creative act to the informing act by the particle thumma. According to the grammarians, there is a relationship of diminishing order between wa (and), fa (and then), and thumma (and afterwards). There is therefore a certain distance between the act of creating and the act fo giving form, the khalq and the tawsir. The verb sawa (to level to smooth; ...to polish) is linked to khalaqa by the particle fa: He who has created you and then proportioned and stabilized you (alladhi khalqaka fa sawwka fa `adalaka, LXXXII, 7); He who has created and proportioned (LXXXVII,2). The close relationship between these two verbs seems to indicate a kind of explanation of the etymological meaning of khalaqa can be explained by qaddara: He created him from a drop of sperm and (fa) fixed their proportions of their species (fa-qaddarahu taqdiran, LIV, 49)." (EI III, pg. 981)
-- Ansha'a: which is to produce something out of a form but not
changing that form which is replicated in the new creation, it is exemplified
in reproduction of human each new human is in the same form as their parent,
and made of the same matter--genetic or biological-- and is a new being or
creation.
-- Bara'a: to create, Creator (active participle).
-- Dhara'a: to create, to multiply, to scatter abroad.
-- QaDa': to decree, to create. QaDa' is an important concept in
Islamic thought it is written of as:
"On the basis of the Qur`an the word qada' can be understood as DivinityÕs eternal decision or decree concerning all beings. It is given different interpretations, especially when, contrasted with another term, qadar, meaning destiny, predestination. For instance according to al-Bukhari qada' is th eternal, universal and all-embracing decree of Divinity, while qadar denotes the details of His eternal universal decree." (EI IV, pg. 364) (See Divinity's Speech for more on this below)
We will
see a recurrent theme in Islam of the Command or Decree being the vehicle of
creative power.
THE
QUR`ANIC CREATIVE PROCESS:
To examine the use of some
of these terms we begin by looking at ayah 4:1:
"O mankind (insan)! Fear (taquwa) your Guardian Lord, Who created (khalaqa) you from a single Person (nafsi wahid), Created (khalaqa), out of it, His mate (zawjah), and from them twain scattered (kathira) countless men and women..."
In this
verse we see the use of the term "khalaqa" to create something out of
the prime matter which here is called a Person or Soul (Nafs) depending on the
translator. The 'Person' (nafsi) is equated with the neo-Platonic 'Prime
Matter'(hayula awwal) or that whose substance all substances are generated
from. Thus we see how 'khalaqa' is used for creation of the first substance and
the naming of that substance as a 'nafsi' understood to be a 'Person' or
'Soul'.
In the
following two ayahs we see the development from this point of primary oneness
of creation:
"It is he Who Produced (ansha'a) you from a single soul (nafsi wahid): then there is a resting place and a repository: We detail (fasila) Our signs for people who understand." Qur'an 6:97
Notice
here the use of the creative term ansha'a, meaning to grow, increase, develop,
reach maturity. It is quite possible that one interpretation may be that this
'soul' is the 'mate' of the 'Person' created by Al-Lah since in this instance
the creative term is not 'khalaqa' as it was for the 'Person' and 'mate' of the
previously cited ayah, and it was from the level of the 'mate' that all
qualifying creative terms were used for further processes of creation (as shall
be demonstrated in the following). The use of the term 'ansha'a' is to be paid
close attention to for if ansha'a means 'produce from' then the 'mate' is made
of the same substance of the Person and thus is a projection out of the
'Person' vice a separate matter.
In
terms of fashioning that which is produced it is important to look at the
following:
"Glorify the name of thy Guardian Lord Most High, Who hath created (khalaqa), and further, given order (fasawwa'a) and proportion; Who hath measured (qaddara). And granted guidance (hida'a)." Qur'an 87:1-3
In the
above we see the relationship of creating through the process of 'khalaqa' and
the qualifying of that created through the reasoning mechanism of Al-Lah's
process, here it is called 'qadar' which is like the balance. We also see the
use of the term 'sawwa' in 'fasawwaa' which is used after the term khalaqa and
here it's meaning is a qualifying proportion, and again it maintains the true
position of the hierarchy of creative modes. Again 'sawwa' is 'to fashion' or
'polish' it is not to change or alter the form or create a new being it is an
intellectual creative process not a substantial one or physical creation it is
to take a thing from one state to a higher state. Going back a step to 'Ja'ala'
we see in the following verse:
"He created you from a single Person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and sent down..." (kalaqakum min nafsi wa hadha thumma ja'ala minha zawjahaa wa anazala...) Qur'an 39:6
Again we see in this verse
that first 'khalaqa' appears (in the above the creation a geno type is denoted
by the term 'khalaqa', i.e. humans (you) not an individual but a species). The
use of 'ja'ala' versus the previous 'khalaqa' for 'mate' is due to the mate
being of the same nature of the Person: this raises a question of how it, the
mate, can be of the same nature and be referred to as created by 'ja'ala' (akin
to philosophical ideas of emenation {Arabic: fayd, sadir, tajalli, ishraq) in
previous ayahs, but this can be answered by the reference of Person and 'mate'
to the creation of sub-species which is a species onto itself in comparison to
the division of earlier ayahs of many persons or as there was no reference to
the common nature of 'Person' and 'mate' there would be no need for a term of
gradation, i.e. 'ja'ala', but of creation, i.e. khalaqa. This 'khalaqa' establishes
the genus and 'ja'ala' establishes the species. So there is a logic and motion
in the Qur'an which is a rational order. And this rational order establishes a
relationship of created to it's Originator.
"the Creator of the heavens and the earth: He
has made for you pairs from among yourselves, and pairs among cattle: by this
means does He multiply you: there is nothing whatever comparable unto Him, and
He is the One that hears and sees."
(Fatiru as-sama'wati wa ala urdhi ja'ala li-kum mina nafusikum azwa'ja wa minha 'ala nahim azwa'ja tadhrawakum fiyhi laysa kamasah shay' wa huwa as-sami=a al-basiru.) Qur'an 42:11
It is
interesting in this ayah that Al-Lah is known as Al-Fatiru, the Creator,
whereas He is also known as al-Khaliq also the Creator. The term used for 'made
pairs' is 'ja'ala' or to make out of something and the creation is carried on
in pairs. Later it shall be very interesting to compare the primary created
matter the 'Person' which is known as a 'wahid' or unicity or primary one or a
monad and the dyad of two created beings out of a primary thing by the mode of
'ja'ala'. This is an integral expression for division in the Neo-Platonism of
Plotinus. It is also interesting that the form of 'ja'ala', 'ja'il', is used in
the Qur'an to indicate placing a viceregent:"I am setting (ja'il) in the
earth a viceroy (khalifah)." 2:30 In the context of this ayah it is Adam
that is the viceroy that Al-Lah has placed on the earth. It is interesting to
note the use of the term 'badaa' in the sense of originator and to note that
this origination is conducted via the verbal command 'be'. In the following we
see:
"The Originator is He of the heavens and the earth: and when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, "Be" and it is." (badiymu as-sama'wati wa'l-ardi wa Idhaa qada'a ma fa'nama yaquwlu lahu kun faykunu.) 2:117
It is
important to note that taken together 'the heavens and the earth'
(as-ssama'wati wa'la urDi) imply a sense of dominion or entire realm or species
whereas the sub-species of heavens or earth. Thus, the high term for creation
is 'badaa' (also related to the term 'ibda).We see the use of higher terms for
a 'Creator' in the following ayah:
"He is Al-Lah, the Creator, the Maker who shapes all forms and appearances! All that is in the heavens and on earth extols His limitless glory: for He alone is almighty, truly wise!
(Huwal-Lah al-Kaliqu al-Bari'u al-Musawwiru lahu ala samaa 'u al husna' yusabihu lahu maa fi al-sama'awti wa'la rDi wa huwa al-ma'iyru al hakiymu) 59:24
The
term for Creator is 'Khaliq' the term for liberator is 'baari' and the term for
shaper of forms is 'sawwa'. It is important to realise the use of the term
'sawwa' is not in the sense of creating a new form but shaping a form into an
appearance. As though one is not creating a new substantial thing but sculpting
the existing matter as an artisan into a thing of definition by design. It is
also important to notice that the higher names of Al-Lah are in the sense of
primary createdness of 'Khaliq' and 'Baari'.
We see two distinctive
processes in creation through this ayah that of prime creation and that of
qualifying that primary creation in a secondary process of bringing into
definition. (It is this secondary process that is spoken of in the cosmogenic
narratives of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Israeli/Arabic cultures). In terms
of 'sawwa' we see the further elaboration of the Soul in the following ayah:
"By the soul and the proportion given to
it." (wa nafsii wa maa sawwa'hu) 91:7
It is interesting
that the soul (nafsi) is spoken of as being granted a process of secondary
createdness through 'sawwa' it is an embellishment of the soul created by
'khaliq' and taken to a higher state. Additionally:
"And when I have fashioned him fully and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down before him in prostration!" (fa-idha sawwatuhu wa nafakut fiyhi min ruwhi' (ruah) faqamuwa lahu sajiduna) 15:29
The
aspects of fashioning are here expressed through 'sawwa' the secondary process
so it is in this aspect that we see 'him' as not being completed until he is
fashioned by the spirit (ruah) of Al-Lah, which is created by a primary process
of 'khaliq' so it is the agent of primicity that dwells within a secondary
being. From the term 'sujud' (prostrate) we know this must refer to Adam as it
is indicated in Surah al-Baqara that 'the angels bow down before him'. This
raises a question as to the identity of the 'Person' in ayah 4:1. Could that
person be Adam the first created human being? In the Ismaili tradition there is
a heavenly Adam who in non-corporeal and the corporeal Adam who is a corporeal
being (this shall be addressed later in the paper).
It is important to consider
other aspects of the created cosmos to understand the relationship of the hierarchy
of creative terminology.
"al-Lah is He Who has created seven heavens and like them, of the earth. Through all of the realm flows down from on high, unceasingly, His will, , so that you might come to know that Al-Lah has the power to will anything, and that al-Lah encompasses all things with His knowledge." (Al-Lah al-dhia kalaqa saba ma sa'wati wa min al-ardi mashalahunna yatanazzalu al-amr bi-yanarunna li-ta'lamuwa inna Al-Lah 'ala kulli shayin qadiyru fadiyru wa inna Al-Lah qad ahad bi-kulli shayin 'ilma) Qur`an 65:12
Addressing
the creation of the earth we see that the term for the creation of 'heavens and
earth' is 'khaliq' which is to say both taken together equates to a species. It
is also of interest to note the 'will' ('Ansha) of al-Lah descending through
all the realms, numbered as Seven (saba), which encompasses all things--the
heavens and the earth and creatures therein. The individuation of each
component of the species of 'heavens and earth' is known as occurring out of a
process of 'ja'ala':
"As a
blessing He made the constellations (zodiac) and placed therein a lamp and a
moon"
(yabarraka al-dhia ja'ala fi as-samaa buruj wa
ja'ala fiyraa sira'ja wa qamara muniyra.) Qur'an 25:61
"...made the sun and moon" (...ja'ala al-shamsu
w'al qamaru) Qur'an 10:5
"Praised be al-Lah which created the
heavens and the earth and made the darkness and light" (al-hamdilillah
al-dhia kalaqa as-samawati wa'la rdi wa ja'ala al-zulumat wa nuri) Qur'an 6:1
"Verily the Lord, al-Lah, created the heavens and the earth in six eaons (dispensations)" (inna rabbikum al-Lah al-dhia kalaqa as-samawuti wa'l-ardi fi sittat ayyam ) Qur'an 7:54
We see
that the typology of creation of a primary process and a secondary process is
continued in terms of the creation of the firmaments. It could be suggested
that the moon or lamp is an unfoldment out of the dominion of the heavens or
constellations, created in primacy with the secondary creation being the
formation of individual units of the heavens the lamp and the moon. Thus, we
would see the higher heavens ('samaa') solar system and the lower heavens as
the individual earth. Also, we see that the earth has seven firmaments within
it as the heavens also and since the earth is unfolded out of that primary unit
it is a sense of mimesis that the earth has seven climbs as it's progenitor
species. {see the works of Haydar Amuli for more indigenous Shi'a thought on
this subject}
Time (zaman) plays an
important role as well in this cosmology if we see that in ayah 7:54 that the
heavens and earth are created in six aeons. We see the use of time in creation
in:
"He it is who has made the sun a radiant
light and the moon a light, and has determined for it phases so that you might
know how to compute the years and to measure. None of this has al-Lah created
without [an inner] truth. Clearly does He spell out these messages unto people
of [innate] knowledge"
huwa al-dhia' ja'ala ash-shamsa diyaa' wa al
qamara nuwra wa qaddaratu ma naazala li-ta'lamuwa 'adada as-siniyna wa'l-hisaba
ma kalaqa al-Lahu dhilika illa bi'l-Haqqi yufasilu al-ayati li-qawmi ya'lamuwna
Qur'an 10:5
It is interesting to note
the use of time in the sense of measuring out the years as well it is of
interest to note the term 'qadar' for determination whereas elsewhere it is
used as 'proportion' so it is the sun and moon are that which gives proportion
to our lives through a measuring out. The agents of this measuring, the sun and
moon, is made by a secondary process, 'ja'ala'. So we see proportioning or
destiny (qadar) is a secondary process.In terms of the creation we must recount
the agent of the creative act, for it is by the word, which in Greek philosophy
is known as 'logos' that things take on existence:
"Verily, all things have we created in
proportion and measure, and our command is but a single word, like the
twinkling of an eye."Inna kulli shayin kalaqna'hu biqadari wa maa Amru bi
illa wa hidatu Kalimah bi-an-nasariQur'an 54:49-50
"Whenever We will anything to be, We but
say unto it Our word 'Be' and it is."
(Idhaa qawlunaa li-shay' adhaa iradna'hu anna
quwla lahu kun fayakuwn) Qur'an 16:40
The
term for the will, in this case is, 'irada' where the agency of that will is
the word 'Be' (kun fayakun). It is the Command (Amr) of al-Lah and the Command
is the Word (Ar. Kalimah, Gr. Logos) which is the active agent to giving
proportion and it is also a higher creative processive agent (See Qur'an
2:117). And since it is the will of al-Lah descending through all the realms of
al-Lah and the word is the active agent in the creation we see that it is the
Word as a Command (logos) that is descending through the several realms of
al-Lah. It is the word which gives proportion (qadar) and in an esoteric sense
it is the Qur'anic revelation which is a pre-destiny, thus eternal
(pre-existing).
To conclude it is necessary
to outline what the Islamic Cosmos' structure. From the definition of primary
and secondary processes their is the recognition of hierarchic structure of the
universe. It is established in the Qur'an (see ayah 25:2 re: malakut) that
al-Lah has no partner in His dominion (malakut) thus, there are two dominions
His, known in mystical terms as Huwit, and the created dominion of the heavens
and earth. We see also, that by primary and secondary processes of creation
that the created dominion is also divided into higher and lower levels, by way
of 'khalaqa' and 'ja'ala'. We see this also in the terms of earth with seven
zones and heavens with seven zones. As well we know of al-Lah assigning duties
by His 'Amr in each of the seven firmaments. As well, we can see that the six
dispensations may mean a day for each aeon or zone, thus if the earth is
unfolded out of the heavens by the process of 'ja'ala' it is the seventh day or
firmament and by mimesis also has seven firmaments. Thus we have a three-fold
picture of reality: al-Lah's Dominion, the dominion of creation, and the
particular dominion of earth or the plane of 4 dimensions. Terms of creation of
the species or created dominion are: 'khalaqa', 'badaa', and 'fatara'. The
Terms for enfolding out, or sub-species, of this primary createdness are:
'ja'ala, 'anshaa' and 'baari'. An example of this total creation process is
that of the creation of the 'Soul' (Nafsii) by the primary process of
'khalaqa'; the bringing forth of the 'mate' by the secondary process of
'ja'ala' and further creation continua of pairs denoted by the process of
'anshaa'.
POST-QUR`ANIC
ISLAMIC TERMINOLOGY:
Subsequent to the classical
era in Islam several terms developed to indicate the creative process of
al-Lah. The Mu`tazilia, `Asharia, Isma`ili, 'Irfani, and Sufi all developed
related, but autonomous terms, for the creative and emenative process.
Mu`tazili/Ma`turidi:
- Ijad, bringing into existence
- Hadath, originating existence
Falasafa:
- Khalq, in the sense of creatio ab eterno
- `Ibda, Ibn Sina's term, it is the extent to which a thing owes
it's existence to something other than itself, and is subordinate to this other
thing and no other, without the intermediary of matter, instrument or time.
- Fayd, Mulla Sadra popularly used this term, as well as
al-Farabi. Emanation from the initial created entity or substance.
- al-Bari, Muhdith, Mukhtari`, Mubdi', Mubki', Mutammim, Mukammil.
Various terms used by the Ikhwan al-Safa' denoting Al-Lah as Creator. They
explain the verse 'A lahu'l-khalq wa-al-amr' (7:45) as khalq designating
corporeal things and amr spiritual substance. They generally use `Ibda' for
creating.
- Inbi`ath, Ismaili term for emanation along with the general
Ismaili term `Ibda' for creating.
- Takwin, to compose from matter without temporality
- Hadatha, to compose from matter with temporality
Sufi
& Baha'i
- abda'a, to create
- harraka, to cause to move
- taqdir, Ibn `Arabi term, "The first divine step in creation
was resolution (taqdir), even before the existence of creatures: it is the
manner in whch creatures ae qualified in respect of being manifestations of
Divine Reality (bi-Kawnihim mazahir li-al-Haqq)" (EI III, pg. 987)
- arada, to will
- sha'a, to will, volition
- sadara, to emanate
- *zahara, to manifest into existence
- ta`addada, to multiply
- `illah, to cause
- `ayyada, to particularize
- `ayyana, to particularize
- fassala, to detail
- fa'ala, to act
- afada, to effuse
- qayyada, to determine
- takaththara, to multiply
- ijab, to necessitate
- awjada (ijad), to bring into existence
- wallada, to generate
- istilla, to burnish
- amkan, to make possible
- jala, to self-reveal or effulge (not to be confused with ja'ala)
- ishraqa, to effulge (cf. Qasida al-Warqiya in Sufi & Baha'i
Cosmogenisis)
several allusionary (ishara) terms are used in a creative or
emenative context such as, tasha'ba, lah, ishraqa, awqudat in Baha'i writings.
Hence,
we see how the overall schema of creative innovation and emanation from the
"thing" or "quiddity" (mahiyat) created is dealt with in
allusive terms and symbolic (ramz) expressions in subsequent Islamic genres.
Work Cited:
EI Ed. By Bianquis, Bosworth, van Donzel, Heinrichs ÒEncyclopedia of IslamÓ, Leiden 1987