For information on obtaining Existence and the Fall by Hamid Parsania see my June 10th post.

Wasalaam,

Irshaad

Any thoughts on that?

Thanks for your comment.

Avicenna’s visionary recitals and Shurawardi’s metaphysics also delve deeply into this subject. As well, Najm Kobra, Semnani, Lahiji, Shabestari and many others have commented extensively on the congruences between man’s inner nature and the spiritual geography of seven heavens recorded in the Qur’an and in the statements of the Imams. Often, this is portrayed in terms of very detailed and specific visionary experiences described in terms of the seven prophets of one’s being, or seven realms of light, or seven valleys representing spiritual states and metaphysical realms. There is a very vibrant, rich, and fascinating literature available on this subject - one which, I am sure Baha’u'llah would have been aware of, although he has a tendency to write in generalities rather than in the comprehensive and thoroughly elaborated manner of these earlier authors.

Baha’u'llah is describing in a summary form one version of the inner states of the seeker in terms of a journey through seven valleys. The book “Existence and the Fall” however, touches this subject in terms of attempting to clarify the metaphysical geography, the multi-layered hierarchical terrain, the layered structure of reality spoken of in the Qur’an and commented upon by so many generations of scholars and visionary seekers.

I would recommend reading as many of the above mentioned authors as possible if for no other reason than to gain an appreciation for the depth and breadth of metaphysical commentary available in the Islamic tradition.

From among the earliest commentators Ibn ‘Abbas is the one, who had expressed this truth in the period when man was not even prepared to imagine that in the universe there are other habitats also, apart from the earth, where rational creatures live. Even the scientists of today are yet in doubt about this being a reality, nothing to say of the people living 1500 years ago, That is why Ibn ‘Abbas felt hesitant about whether he should say such a thing before the common people are not, because he feared it might affect their ‘faith. Mujahid says that when he was asked the meaning of this verse, he said: “If I give you the commentary of this verse, you will turn disbelievers, and your disbelief will be that you will deny it.” Almost the same thing has been related from Sa’id bin Jubair, saying; ‘Ibn ‘Abbas said: what can be the guarantee that if I tell you its meaning, you would not turn disbelievers?” (lbn Jarir, ‘Abd bin Humaid). However, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Hakim and Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman and Kitab al-Asma’ was Sifat have cited, on the authority of Abud-Doha, this ‘commentary from Ibn ‘Abbas in different words: “In each of those earths there is a Prophet like your Prophet, an Adam like your Adam, a Noah like your Noah, an Abraham like your Abraham, and a Jesus like your Jesus.” This tradition has been related by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bat and by Ibn Kathir in his Commentary, and Imam Dhahbi says: “It has been reported authentically, but in my knowledge none apart from Abud-Doha has related it; therefore, it is an uncommon and rare tradition.” Some other scholars regard it as a falsehood and Mulla ‘AIi; Qari, in his Maudu at Kabir (p. 19), has described it as a fabrication, and written: `Even if it is a tradition from Ibn ‘Abbas, it is based on Israelite traditions.” But the truth is that the actual reason why the people have rejected it is their regarding it as remote from reason and beyond understanding; otherwise there is nothing in it which may by itself be opposed to reason. Thus, ‘Allama Alusi in his discussion of it in his commentary writes: “There is neither any intellectual barrier to taking it as correct nor religious. It only means that in every earth there is a creation which turns to its origin just as mankind in our earth turns to Adam (peace be upon him). and in every earth there are individuals, who are distinguished among others just as the Prophets Noah and Abraham (peace be upon them) are distinguished among us. ” A little below the ‘Allama writes: “The earths may be more than seven, and likewise the heavens also may not be only seven. To rest content with the number seven, which is an indivisible integer, does not necessarily negate the higher numbers.” Then, about the distances between one heaven and another, which have been stated as five hundred years or so in some Ahadith. the ‘Allama says: “This is not meant to give the exact measurement of the distances, but to express the truth in a manner easily comprehensible to the people.”