Zaat-e-Haq aur Zaat-e-Khalq mein faraq

It is extremely important to understand the barrier between Zaat e Khalq and Zaat e Ilahi otherwise person can go astray in these uloom.

Following are the basic differences extracted from Qur'an aur Tasawwuf by Mir Valiuddin sahab Rahimahullah:

Zaat-e-Khalq (M'aloom):

1. Soorat (form) hai, Ta'ayyun (determined) woh Tahayyaz (spatial confinement) hai, Hadd (limit) woh Miqdaar (Quantity) rakhta hai. Meaning it contains form. It can be determined and is confined in terms of space. It has limitations and is quantifiable.

2. Wujood-e-Zaati nahi rakhta. Saabit fil Ilm hai. Adam-e-Idhafi hai. Meaning it contains no personal existence. It is fixed/bounded in Ilm-e-Ilaahi.  It is non-existent additional (relative) being. It is only because Zaat-e-Haq is Maujood-e-Haqiqi and Waajib-ul-Wujood (will come in Zaat-e-Haq topic below), the M'aloomaat are saabit in Ilm-e-Ilaahi otherwise it is not possible which is why they are extra and relative to the pre-existence of Zaat-e-Haq. In simple terms all 'Adamiyaat are dependent on Maujood-e-Haqiqi.

3. Sifaat-e-Adamiyyah se mausoof - Maut, Juhl, Iztiraar, Ijz, Summ, Bukm, Umya se muttasif hai. Meaning it is described with Sifaat-e-Adamiyyah (Non existent characteristics). It is defined/characterised by Death, Ignorance, Lack of power/energy, Lack of intent (Inability or Incapability), Deafness, Blindness, Speechlessness.

4. Qaabiliyaat-e-Imkaaniyah-wo-Feyliya rakhta hai, feyl nahi. Yahi Qaabiliyaat-e-Feyliya Kasabiyyaat hain kyun ke Zaatiyaat hain. In hi ku Iqtidha'aat, Isti'daadaat kehte hain. Meaning it possesses potential/possible and actual abilities but no deed/action. And these abilities are called possessions. And these are only called as requirements, capabilities.

Zaat-e-Haq ('Aalim):

1. Be-soorat hai. Soorat ke lavazim se munazzah hai. Meaning he is does not have any kind of form. He is free from accessories of form.

2. Wujood-e-Zaati rakhta hai. Qaayim bil Zaat wo Mutasawwir bil Zaat hai. 'Adamiyyat se munazzah hai. Meaning he possesses Personal Existence. He is self established and self described. He is free from non-existentents.

3. Sifaat-e-Wujoodiyyah se mausoof hai. Y'aani Hayaat, Ilm, Qudrat, Iraadah, Sama'at, Basaarat, Kalaam se muttasif hai. Meaning he is described by Sifaat-e-Wujoodiyyah (Existent characteristics) which are Life, Knowledge, Power, Intent, Hearing, Seeing, Speech.

4. M'aloom ke Qaabiliyaat-e-Imkaaniyah se munazzah hai kyun ke is mein Feyl-e-Zaati hai. F'aal-e-Haqiqi hai. Meaning he is free from potential/possible abilities of M'aloom because he possesses Feyl-e-Zaati (Self Reaction or rather Personal Action). He is the real actor (do-er).

These 4 differences must be known memorized recollected before one can go into zuhoor discussion. The problem with those who went astray was that they mixed up these differences and so all sorts of strange aqaid came about.

Quotes by Shaikh ul Akbar Muhiyuddin Ibn Arabi R. A. from Futuhaat -e-Makkiyah:

'Abd ke liye 'Uboodiyat ki koi inteha nahi ke is ku paale aur phir Rabb ban jaaye jis tarah ke Rabb ke liye koi hadd nahi ke woh khatam ho jaaye aur woh 'Abd ban jaaye. Isliye Rabb "Rabb" hai bagair nihaayat aur 'Abd "'Abd" hai laa nihaayat.

Meaning "Servant cannot ever cross a level of servitude where then he becomes Rabb, and Rabb has no limit that once He reaches that He will cease to being Rabb, Abd remains Abd and Rabb remains Rabb".

Then he quotes a poem from Sheikh Muhiyuddin ibn Arabi ra:

Bandah "Bandah" hai go woh laakh taraqqi kare, 

Rabb "Rabb" hai go woh kitna hi nuzool kyun na kare.

Meaning:

'Abd remains 'Abd no matter how much he advances, and

Rabb remains Rabb no matter how much he descends.

Note: Here transcendence/descending does not mean literal decent but is used only as vocabulary to explain nuzool. The author is preparing for discussion on Zuhoor.