Some Tafsir from Sahl al-Tustari (d. 283/896)
Bismillah~
Translations taken/paraphrased from Böwering's truly tasty Mystical Vision of Existence in Classical Islam. Sahl al-Tustari's hermeneutic was not textual, though it was systematic: moment by moment repentance, understood as fundamental turning of one's being toward source, that had succeeded many years of arduous asceticism, particularly fasting. He stopped extremes of fasting and continued in continual remembrance. The Qur'an for Tustari calls to the sirr, the secret of the soul where man is in colloquy with Lord and, deeper, Lord alone speaks wordlessly. The tafsir is a notebook of jottings by disciples of their master's responses to Qur'an recitations, possibly ecstatic utterances.
Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth
The likeness of His light is as a niche
wherein is a lamp
the lamp in a glass
the glass, as it were, a glittering star
kindled from a blessed tree,
an olive neither of the east or the west
whose oil wellnigh would shine,
even if no fire touched it
Light upon light
Allah guides to His light whom He will
and Allah strikes similitudes for humanity
and Allah has knowledge of everything
24:35 Ayat al-nur
likeness of His light: Light of Muhammad
the lamp and glass: his breast and heart
like a star: with faith and wisdom
shining of the oil: the prophecy of Muhammad would elucidate
humanity even without speech or expression
By the white forenoon
and the brooding night
93: Duha
The spiritual self, and the natural self when it relies calmly on continuous remembrance
...the last shall be better for thee than the first
In the final world, the prais&egrav;d station and intercession is better than prophethood and apostleship in the lower world.
Did He not find thee an orphan and shelter thee?
You were alone, o Prophet, and he sheltered you with your companions.
Did He not find thee erring and guide thee?
He made you aware of the eminent value of your self. He found you erring --incomplete-- in your pure affection; He gave you drink of His affection with the cup of His love, and guided to intimate knowledge of Him.
Did He not find thee needy, and enrich thee?
Your self was bewildered in intimacy with Us; We strengthened it with teh Qur'an and wisdom
Translations taken/paraphrased from Böwering's truly tasty Mystical Vision of Existence in Classical Islam. Sahl al-Tustari's hermeneutic was not textual, though it was systematic: moment by moment repentance, understood as fundamental turning of one's being toward source, that had succeeded many years of arduous asceticism, particularly fasting. He stopped extremes of fasting and continued in continual remembrance. The Qur'an for Tustari calls to the sirr, the secret of the soul where man is in colloquy with Lord and, deeper, Lord alone speaks wordlessly. The tafsir is a notebook of jottings by disciples of their master's responses to Qur'an recitations, possibly ecstatic utterances.
Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth
The likeness of His light is as a niche
wherein is a lamp
the lamp in a glass
the glass, as it were, a glittering star
kindled from a blessed tree,
an olive neither of the east or the west
whose oil wellnigh would shine,
even if no fire touched it
Light upon light
Allah guides to His light whom He will
and Allah strikes similitudes for humanity
and Allah has knowledge of everything
24:35 Ayat al-nur
likeness of His light: Light of Muhammad
the lamp and glass: his breast and heart
like a star: with faith and wisdom
shining of the oil: the prophecy of Muhammad would elucidate
humanity even without speech or expression
By the white forenoon
and the brooding night
93: Duha
The spiritual self, and the natural self when it relies calmly on continuous remembrance
...the last shall be better for thee than the first
In the final world, the prais&egrav;d station and intercession is better than prophethood and apostleship in the lower world.
Did He not find thee an orphan and shelter thee?
You were alone, o Prophet, and he sheltered you with your companions.
Did He not find thee erring and guide thee?
He made you aware of the eminent value of your self. He found you erring --incomplete-- in your pure affection; He gave you drink of His affection with the cup of His love, and guided to intimate knowledge of Him.
Did He not find thee needy, and enrich thee?
Your self was bewildered in intimacy with Us; We strengthened it with teh Qur'an and wisdom