Ibn Arabi's Cosmic Order using 28 (arabic) letters of alphabet
The Intellective World
1. Hamza -- the First Intellect (Highest Pen) 2. Ha' -- Universal Soul (Preserved Tablet) 3. 'Ayn -- nonmanifest Nature -- what underlies the "four natures" - (heat and cold) + (dry and wet) 4. Ha' (dot below H) -- the Last or Dust Substance (Prime Matter) - like nature, remains unknown except through traces - fills the Void and is underlying matter/potential of everything in universe except Intellect and Soul.
Higher Realm of Imagination
5. Ghayn -- The All Body, the Manifest -- a corporeal substance, from which every corporeal and imaginal body is shaped and formed.
6. Kha -- Shape, the Wise -- through shape, the bodily things of the universe become distinct from one another / Gemini 7. Qaf -- the Throne, the All-Encompassing -- mentioned in Qu'ran (20:5) as where the All Merciful sat. First bodily thing that assumes a specific shape / Gemini Encompasses the entire manifest universe including world of imagination.
8. Kaf -- the Footstool, the Grateful -- the first imaginal thing - locus of where God lets down his "two feet", which are the foot of mercy and the foot of mercy mixed with wrath. Above footstool, only mercy -- Footstool embraces the heavens and the earth (2:255) - the manifestation of cosmos demands good and evil, suffering and happiness, commands and prohibitions. "True gratitude [is] possible only after this division, . . . true gratitude [recognizes and accepts] God's mercy and guidance and [thanks] Him in every state, whether we consider the state beneficial or harmful."
Bodily World starts here with the Celestial Spheres
9. Jim -- the starless sphere -- the black satin sphere, the Independent -- free of the specific stars or planets that designate the lower spheres. (In Dante, the Primum Mobile -- source of motion) [Paradise is located here between the starless sphere and the sphere of fixed stars] 10. Shin -- sphere of fixed stars, the Determiner. The 12 constellations of the zodiac appear here and this sphere can be divided into the 28 waystations of the moon. This disequilibrium 12/28 = 6/14 = 3/7 drives the constant movement and change in the lower realms. 11. Ya -- the [7th] or highest heaven -- the Lord -- Saturn (Saturday) - Abraham. 12. Dad (dot under D) -- [6th heaven] -- the Knowing -- Jupiter (Thursday) - Moses. 13. Lam -- the [5th heaven] -- the Subjugating -- Mars (Tuesday) - Aaron. 14. Nun -- the [4th heaven] -- Light - holds a central spot in bodily/imaginative worlds SUN (Sunday) -- Idris (Enoch). 15. Ra' -- the [3rd heaven] -- Form-giver -- Venus (Friday) - Joseph. 16. Ta' (dot under T) -- the [2nd heaven] -- Enumerator Mercury (Wed.) - Jesus. 17. Dal -- the [1st or lowest heaven] -- Clarifier Moon (Monday) - Adam.
The Elemental Globes -- pictured as four concentric globes within the influence of moon
[The 4 elements can be seen as giving in the imaginal and in the bodily worlds.] 18. Ta' -- the fire -- the Gripper. 19. Za' -- the air -- the Alive rise to the progeny or kinds of beings. 20. Sin -- the water -- the Life-giver in the spiritual (though less than God), 21. Sad -- the earth -- the Death-giver.
The Progeny -- children of the fathers (celestial spheres) and mothers (the 4 elements)
22. Za' (dot under Z) minerals -- the Exalted the Spirituals. 23. Tha' -- plants -- the All-Provider. 25. Fa' -- the angels (made of light) -- the Strong. 24. Dhal -- animals -- the Abaser. 26. Ba' -- the jinn (made of fire) -- the Subtle. 27. Mim -- human beings (made of clay) -- the All-Comprehensive. 28. Waw -- the levels, stations -- the Uplifter of degrees ...".
The Intellective World
1. Hamza -- the First Intellect (Highest Pen)
2. Ha' -- Universal Soul (Preserved Tablet)
3. 'Ayn -- nonmanifest Nature -- what underlies the "four natures" -
(heat and cold) + (dry and wet)
4. Ha' (dot below H) -- the Last or Dust Substance (Prime Matter) -
like nature, remains unknown except through traces -
fills the Void and is underlying matter/potential of everything in universe except Intellect and Soul.
Higher Realm of Imagination
5. Ghayn -- The All Body, the Manifest -- a corporeal substance, from which every corporeal and imaginal body is shaped and formed.
6. Kha -- Shape, the Wise -- through shape, the bodily things of the universe become distinct from one another / Gemini
7. Qaf -- the Throne, the All-Encompassing -- mentioned in Qu'ran (20:5) as where the All Merciful sat.
First bodily thing that assumes a specific shape / Gemini
Encompasses the entire manifest universe including world of imagination.
8. Kaf -- the Footstool, the Grateful -- the first imaginal thing -
locus of where God lets down his "two feet", which are the foot of mercy and the foot of mercy mixed with wrath.
Above footstool, only mercy -- Footstool embraces the heavens and the earth (2:255) -
the manifestation of cosmos demands good and evil, suffering and happiness, commands and prohibitions.
"True gratitude [is] possible only after this division, . . .
true gratitude [recognizes and accepts] God's mercy and guidance and [thanks] Him
in every state, whether we consider the state beneficial or harmful."
Bodily World starts here with the Celestial Spheres
9. Jim -- the starless sphere -- the black satin sphere,
the Independent -- free of the specific stars or planets that designate the lower spheres.
(In Dante, the Primum Mobile -- source of motion)
[Paradise is located here between the starless sphere and the sphere of fixed stars]
10. Shin -- sphere of fixed stars, the Determiner.
The 12 constellations of the zodiac appear here and this sphere can be divided into the 28 waystations of the moon.
This disequilibrium 12/28 = 6/14 = 3/7 drives the constant movement and change in the lower realms.
11. Ya -- the [7th] or highest heaven -- the Lord -- Saturn (Saturday) - Abraham.
12. Dad (dot under D) -- [6th heaven] -- the Knowing -- Jupiter (Thursday) - Moses.
13. Lam -- the [5th heaven] -- the Subjugating -- Mars (Tuesday) - Aaron.
14. Nun -- the [4th heaven] -- Light -
holds a central spot in bodily/imaginative worlds SUN (Sunday) -- Idris (Enoch).
15. Ra' -- the [3rd heaven] -- Form-giver -- Venus (Friday) - Joseph.
16. Ta' (dot under T) -- the [2nd heaven] -- Enumerator Mercury (Wed.) - Jesus.
17. Dal -- the [1st or lowest heaven] -- Clarifier Moon (Monday) - Adam.
The Elemental Globes -- pictured as four concentric globes within the influence of moon
[The 4 elements can be seen as giving in the imaginal and in the bodily worlds.]
18. Ta' -- the fire -- the Gripper.
19. Za' -- the air -- the Alive rise to the progeny or kinds of beings.
20. Sin -- the water -- the Life-giver in the spiritual (though less than God),
21. Sad -- the earth -- the Death-giver.
The Progeny -- children of the fathers (celestial spheres) and mothers (the 4 elements)
22. Za' (dot under Z) minerals -- the Exalted the Spirituals.
23. Tha' -- plants -- the All-Provider.
25. Fa' -- the angels (made of light) -- the Strong.
24. Dhal -- animals -- the Abaser.
26. Ba' -- the jinn (made of fire) -- the Subtle.
27. Mim -- human beings (made of clay) -- the All-Comprehensive.
28. Waw -- the levels, stations -- the Uplifter of degrees ...".
___________________________________________
Kim H. Veltman, “Alphabets, Elements and Cosmologies Abstract”, Appendix 5a.
http://www.caldarelli.it/cosmogonie/veltman%20mirandola.pdf
Ibn Arabi (from William Chittick Self-Disclosure of God, pp. xxix-xxxii )
http://www.valdostamuseum.org/hamsmith/Sufiphysics.html
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