Words of Power and The Power of Words My

The Institute of Asian and African Studies
The Mar Schloessinger Mernorial Foundation
Offpri,nt from
JERUSALEM STIJDIES Ii{

ARABIC AI\D ISLAM
27 (2a02)
S. Svrrr
Words of power and the power of words
THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM

THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
JSAI 27 (2002)
WORDS OF POWER
AND THE POWER OF WORDS:
MYSTICAL LINGUISTICS TN THE WORKS OF
AL.HAKIU AT.,.IIRMIDHI-
Sara Sviri
Uniuersity College, London
"The whole world is a book whose letters are His word"

Ibn Masarra, Risalat al-i'tibdr
".. . and when a man says something (for example, Ah) then the
gigantic flames on the surface of the sun answer him back."
Joel Hoffman, The Heart is Kutrnandu
In the Judaee'Islamic tradition language is the divine instrument of

creation: God said, and the world was. According to both the Pen-
tateuch and the Qur'dn, existence is bound by a word pronounced by
God in the act of creation. This word, or logos, is the imperative form
of the existential verb- yehi in Hebrew (derived from /r-u-y) , kun in
Arabic (derived from ,t-ur-n). Energized by the 'meaning' conveyed in
it, the existential verb manifests an extraordinary potency, the potency
to transform the primordial nothingness into actual existence: through
the logos non-existents become existent and creation emerges et nihilo.
But language is also a human instrumentl indeed, the human function
par excellence. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Judaeo-Islamic
religious perspective which has assigned creative power to syllables and
words divinely pronounced, has also, by extension, assigned potency to
words uttered by the human instruments of speech. The pivotal position
of language within Jewish mysticism is abundantly attested to and uni-
versally acknowledged.l The attitude toward language within Islamic
'My thanke go to Ella Almagor, Meir Bar-Ashcr, Etan Kohlberg, Michael Lecker,
Ada Rapoport-Albert and Peter Starr for their generoua advice and comments.
I The foltowing is a selective list of relevant studies on
'language' in Jewish my*
ticism: M. Idel, "Reification of Language in Jewish Mysticiem," in S. Katz, ed.,
Mytticism and Language, pp. 42-79; idem, I(cbbolah New Perryectiues (New Haven,
1988)-parrim; idem, Language, Torah and Eermeneutict in Abulafir (Albany,
1989); idem, 'On Talismanic Language in Jewish Mysticism," Diogenes 170 (1995):
2&-41; idem, "Le Langage Mystique: de la Coemogonie a I'Epistemologie," Reuue de
l'Eistoirc iler Religiont,2l3 (1996): 379-384 (notc alao other papers in this volume);
N. Janowitz, The Poeticc of Arcent: Theories of Longuage in a Rabbinic Arcent Test
(Albany, 1989); A. Kaplan (trans. and ann.), Sclcr Yetzia. The Book of Creation
in Thcory aad Practice (York Beach, 1997); Y. Liebes, Arc Poetica in Seter Yehira
(Tel Aviv, 2000) (in Hebrew); E. Lipiner, The Metaphytict of the Hebrcu Alphabet
204
Words of Power and the Power of Words 205
mysticism is more complex and of a twofold nature: on the one hand,
evidence for the fascination of certain Muslim mystics with words and
with the power they possess has never been lacking; yet at the same time
this fascination is curbed not only by the desire to keep the mysteries of
language sealed,2 but also by a strong attraction to, and a preference for,
the silence that lies beyond words.3 Correspondingly-in spite of the
fair number of studies that can be mentioned
- far more scholarly atten-
tion has been paid to the mystical implications of language in Judaism
than to its counterpart in Islam.a
(Jerusalem, 1989) (in Hebrew); G. Scholem, "The Meaning of the Torah in Jewish
Mysticism," in On the Kabbalah and its Symbolisrn (New York, 1960), pp. 32-86;
idem, "The Name of God and the Linguistic Theory of the Kabbalah," Diogenes,
79-80 (f972): 59-80 and 164-194. For the numerous studies on SeJer Yezira, seeY.
Liebes, "Bibliography for the Course on Sefer Yezira: Its Sources and Commenta-
tors," Jerusalem, The Hebrew University, ca. 1995 (unpublished).
2 See, e,g., Ibn al-'Arabr's warning in the second chapter of al-Futufil al-makkigya,
Uthman Yalrya, ed., vol. 3, p. 208 $175a: "In itself, this is a noble science, but it is
rare to [practice it] safely; therefore, it is best to refrain from pursuing it"; note also
his forthright caution against the magical overtones and application of the science of
letters-/(itab al-mtm ual-waw wa-al-nun, in -Rcsa'i/ (Beirut, 1997), p. 110f; also
D. Gril, "La science des lettres (analyse du chapitre 2 des al-Fufifiat al-makkiyya),"
in Ibn'Arabt, Les lllumination de Ia Mecque. Testes choisis pr6sentis et traduits. . .
(re88), p. 406
3S.", e.g., al-Niffarr, Kitdb al-mauaqil (trans. A.J. Arberry) p. 90 (Arabic text)
and p. 92 (Eng. trans.) mawqil no. 55: "Set the letters behind thee, otherwise
thou will not prosper and it will take thee unto itself... ; I am not known by letter,
nor by what is in letter, nor by what is of letter... ; The beginning of authorities
is, that thou shouldst have gnosis without expression." For the topic of'saying'the
'unsayable,'see M. A. Sells, Mgsticol Languages ol Unsaying (Chicago, 1994); also A.
Schimmel, "Letter Symbolism in $uli Literature," in Mystical Dimensions of Islam,
Appendix I, p. 4f 1. Note Liebes's comments on "rest" (menilha) and "withholding"
(belima\ in the creative act accordingto SeJer Yetsira and other Jewish sources-
see ,4.rs Poetica ch. 20, pp. 149ff.
aCf., u.g., K. C. Ryding, "Alchemical Phonology," pp. lf. The following is a list
of selected studies on, and references to, esoteric aspects of the Arabic language: T.
Canaan, The Decipherment ol Arab Talismans (Damascus, 1938-9); H. Corbin, llis-
tory o! Idamic Philosophy (London, 1993), pp. 75f,L44fret passim; E.Doutt€., Magie
et Religion, ch. III, pp. 103ff; C.A. Gilis, Le Coran et la Fonction d'Hermis' Traduc-
tion et prdsentation d'un cornmentaire d'Ibn Arabi sur Ie 36 attestations coranique
de l'[Jniti iliuine (Pafis,l9sa);T. Fahd, tra Diuination Arabe (tsaa),2l5ffet passiml
idem, "Huruf ('ilm al-)," EI2, vol. 3, p. 595; D. Gril, "La science des lettres...,"
pp. 385-438; P. Kraus, Jabir ibn llayydn: Contribution d I'histoire d'es id,€es scien-
tifiques d,ans I'Islam. Vol. 2: "Jabir et la science grecque," 1942 (reprint 1986); P.
Lory, "La mystique des lettres en terre d'Islam," Annales de Philosophie 17 (1996):
101-109; idem, "La magie des lettres dans le Shoms al-ma'ariJ d'al B[nf," Bulletin
d'Etudes orientales 39-40 (1987-s9): 97-111; D. B. Macdonald, "Djafr," EI2, s. v.;
L. Massignon, Essai sur les origines du ledque technique de la mystique musulnane
(Paris, 1954), pp. 98ff et passim; Khalid M. Malik, ',Ayn al-rniftafi (an electronic pub-
lication), www.rneern.freeuk.corn -for this reference I am grateful to Prof. Zev Bar
Lev; P. Nwyia, Exigise coranique et langage nystique (Beirut, f970), pp. 164ffet
passim; K. C. Ryding, "Alchemical phonology: science, sound and mysticism in the
Arab Middle Ages," in K. R. Jankowski, ed., I{istory o! Linguistics (1995)' pp.83-92;
206 sara sviri
In this paper I wish to make a contribution to the study of words of
power in early Islamic mysticism. One of the early Muslim mystics in
whose oeuure language holds a central position is al-Hakrm al-Tirmidhr,
the 3rd/9th-century mystic from Tlansoxania. Among early mystics
he is unique in having developed an elaborate-though far from sys-
tematic-'theory'of language, especially in its relationship to mystical
knowledge. In what follows I shall examine some of his statements and
insights concerning sacred language, the efficacy of sacred formulae, and
the centrality ofthe science oflanguage for the characterization ofmysti-
cal knowledge and its upholders, the awliya'. In this examination I shall
survey al-Tirmidhr's interpretation and analysis of some of the eurranic
verses and the prophetic traditions from which he derives the inspiration
for his distinctive discourse on mystical linguistics.
l. Words of Power between magic and mysticism

It is related of 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf, one of the ten blessed com-
panions of the Prophet Muhammad to whom Paradise was vouchsafed
during their lifetime (al-'ashara al-mubashshcro), that whenever he en-
tered his house he would recite the Verse of the Thron e (ayat al-kurst)
at its four corners in order to protect all sides of the house from the
evildoings of Satan. In this fourfold ritual, an act which no doubt echoes
pre-Islamic prophylactic practices,5 he would recite one of the longest
single verses in the Qur'an:
God there is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting.
Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that
is in the heavens and in the earth. Who is there that shall
intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies
before them and what is after them, and they comprehend
not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His
A. Schimmel, "The Primordial Dot Some Thoughts about Stifi Letter Mysticism,"
- Symbolism," in Mystical Dimensions oJ Is-
JSAI 9 (1987): 35O-256; idem, "Letter
larn, Appendix I, pp. 4ll-425i G. Vajda, "Les lettres et les sons de la langue arabe
d'aprds Abu Hatim al-Razl," Arabica 8 (f 961): 113-130; H.A. Winkler, Siegel und,
Charaktere in der muhammedanischen Zauberei (Berlin and Leipzig, 1930); Y. Zo-
ran, "Magic, Theurgy and the Science of Letters in Islam and their parallels in Jewish
Literature," Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Folklore 18 (1996): 19-62 (in Hebrew).
5
For the practice of placing magic bowls, or invoking the spirits, at ihe four corners
of a house in Late Antiquity, see J.A. Montgomery, Aramaic Incantotion ?eds (1913),
p. 133, Bowl 4: "you are charmed and sealed in each one of the four corners of his
house (rnin arba' zault bete)"; see also Montgomery's "Introduction," pp.40ff; C. H.
Gordon, 'rTwo Magic Bowls in Teheran," Orientalia 20 (19b1): 3O7 (The Aramaic
Bowl): "Vanquished are the black-arts and mighty spells... [and] the enchanting
women away from the four borders of the house (min arba'a megrd beE ); Naveh
and Shaked 1987, pp. 2OO-2O1, bowl 13: "They sprinkled fat in the four corners.. . ";
also Naveh and Shaked 1993, pp. 137-33, bowl 25. I am gratefut to Dr. Dan Levene
for these references .
Throne comprises the heavens and earth. ., He is the All-

High, the All-glorious (Qur'an 2:255).6
The extraordinary efficacy of this verse is confirmed in a tradition re-
Iated by Ubayy b. Ka'b, a Medinese companion known for his insistence,
against highly distinguished opposition, on including the two protective
Slras, 113 and 114, known as al-mu'awwidhatani, in the canonical ver-
sion of the Qur'an.7 The Prophet had asked him which of the verses in
the book of God is the most powerful. Ubayy recited: allahu la ilaha illa
huwa al-l.tayy al-qayyum god but He, the Living, the
Everlasting"
- "God there is no
the end of the verse. Approvingly, the Prophet struck
-to saying: "O Ab[ al-Mundhir, may you derive delight
him on his chest
firom this] knowledge! In the name of Him in whose hand Muhammad's
verse has a tongue and two lips with which it hallows the
- this
soul Iies
angel at the flank of the Throne."8
Another account validating the special rank of this verse comes from
Sahl al-T\rstarf, an early mystic from Basra (283/896). According to
al-Tustarr's Tafs[r, it was revealed to him in a vivid, living experience
that the power of this verse rests upon the fact that it contains God's
Supreme Name (ism allah al-a'zarn).e "This is the greatest verse in the
Book of God," Sahl says of ayat al-kurst. "It includes the supreme name
of God which is written in the sky with green light in a single line from
east to west. I used to see it written like that in the Night of Might when
I was in 'Abadan."10
6 Nauddir al-ugfil, ch. 255 p. 33S
[= Beirut 1992, vol. 2, p. 251]; see also al-
Suyiitr, al-Durr al-manth*r, vol. l, p. 574. All Qur'anic translations in thisarticle
are from Arberry, The l(oran Interpreted.
TSee below (notes 16 and 17); on Ubayy, see al-Dhahabl, Siyar a'ld,m al-nubald',
Sh. Al-Arnawtrt and H. al-Asad, eds. (Beirut, l4O2/1982), vol. 1, pp. 389-402 (No.
82).
sSee Nctradir, chapter 255 entitled
"On the Verse of the Throne and what is
guarded by it," pp. 337-8 [= Beirut 1992 vol. 2, pp. 2a9-2521i Wensinck, Concor-
dance, vol. 8, p. 372; also al-Dhaha6, op. cit, p. 391. For words of power taught
to Ubayy by the Prophet, see AbI Nu'aym al-Igfahdnf, lIilyat al-awliya', vol. 1,
pp. 25off; see also a.l-Suytr{T, AI-Durr ol-manthur, vol. L,572 and cf. ibid, p. 576,
where the reply is attributed to Abl Dharr and to Abl Umama; for the protective
effcacy of the "two verses with which God concluded S*rat al-baqara" according to
the companion al-Nu'man b. Bashtr, see al-Farra' 1963 (trans. J. Robson), vol. 2,
pp. 454-5; cf. Ibn al-JawzT, Zdd al-maslr, vol. 1, pp. 26445. For the'ascent'of
letters and words of power, see below p, 226f. For further discussion and references,
see Y. Zoran, "Magic," pp, 54ff.
gOla
icm alldh al-a'4am, see D. Gimaret, Les noms iliuins en Isldm. Exdgise
Iexicographique et thi,ologique (Paris, 1988), pp. 85-94 (for primary and secondary
literature see ibid, pp. 9-11 and 15-35).
10
See al-Tustar\, Tafs{r, p. 17 in Biiwering, Mystical Vision, p.49; for al-Tustarf's
standing with regard to'ilm al-furit, see Biiwering, pp. 54, 80; for another mystical
experience of this verse, see Kubr5, Fawa'ifi al-jamal, p. 77, $159: wa-ghibtu ta-
ra'aytu soma'an d,hat kawakib ta-tahimtu min kaudkibihd al-Qur'dn Syat al-kurst
kodhalika follows here a pictorial depiction after which come the words bi-la
-there
208 Sara Suiri
Clearly, the purpose of this cluster of traditions, as of many others

in the same vein, is to establish the fact that certain verses, formulae,
words, names, and even letters, are endowed with extraordinary power.
By reciting them, man, too, may gain power over malevolent entities
and impending calamities and even, provided he or she belongs to the
spiritual elite, gain entrance into sacred and mystical realms.rl
The Verse of the Throne is only one of many protective 'formulae'
(kalimat) which al-Hakrm al-Tirmidhr records and comments upon in
his compendium Nauadfr al-usil,l (The Rarest [or 'most precious'] of
Tladitions) and whose power he ponders in several of his works. The
Nawadir opens with a short narrative in which a man complains to the
Prophet that he was bitten by a scorpion and could not sleep all night.
The Prophet instructs him to recite the following formula before retiring
at night: I take refuge in God's perfect words against the evil which
He has created.l2 "If you do so," the Prophet says, "then, God willing,
nothing will harm you till you wake up." A few variants that follow
this version promise similar protection when stopping at a way-station
(manzil) or when waking up with a fright (faza') in the middle of the
night. Fathers and grandfathers, we are told, recite these special words
to ask protection for their offspring: the Prophet, reciting "By God's
perfect words I ask that you be protected from any devil or venomous
reptile and from all evil €y€,"13 used this formulato ask protection for
his grandchildren l{asan and Husayn. "My father Abraham," he would
say, "used to protect by ii [his sons] Ishmael and Isaac." 14
Invocations and sacred protective formulae-as has been established
lart wa-la kalima: ttl lost consciousness and saw a starry sky and from its stars
I understood the Qur'en, the verse of the Throne... without letters and with no
word"; cf. al-Makkt, Qit al-qulib, vol, 1, ch. 5, p, 22; for the assertion, attributed
to Abu Umama, that God's Supreme Name is, indeed, Allah la ilaha illa huwa ol-
lagy al-qayydm, see al-Suytrfl, al-Durr al-manthir, vol. 1, p. 576; cf. Fakhral-Dln
al-REzI, Maldtib al-ghagb, vol. 2, p. 1l; for a miraculous use of riycl al-kurst in early
Shfrsm, see J. Loebenstein, "Miracles in Silr Thought: A case-study of the miracles
attributed to Imam Ja'far al-$adiq," Arabica 50 (2003) (forthcoming); I am grateful
to J. Loebenstein for this reference. For the use of iiyat al-kursi as ta'wlz (talisman,
charm), see Khalid M. Malik,'Agn al-mifial,t (www.rneem.Jreeuk.com/Taweez.html)
I I For a recent study of the talismanic properties of the
Qur'anic text, see C. Hamls,
"L'usagdtalismaniquedu Coran," Reuue de l'histoire des religions 2f8 (2001): 83-95.
I am indebted to Prof. Moshe Idel for this reference.
t2 A'idhu bi-kalimdti
'lldh al-tdmmd,t min sharri ma khalaqa Nauadir, ch. 1, p.
2 [= vol. f, p. 23, l.f2]. -
Ls u'idhukumd bi-kalimdti
'lldh al-tdmma min kutli shayldn wa-hdmma wo-min
kulli 'ayn lcmrna-ibid; for parallels from the canonical l.radrth litera,ture, see
Wensinck, Concordance, vol. 7, p. 107; for hAmma and its plural form hawdmm, see
Ibn $ammed al-Jawhan, Taj al-lugha wa-silyah al-'arabiygo, (Beirut, 1979), vol. 5, p.
2O62i on the power of the 'evil eye,'see, e.g., Fakhr al-Dr-n al-REzI, Matatth al-ghayb,
vol. 6, pp.343ff.
ra Nawadir, p. 2
[= vol. l, p. 2a, l. 9l; see also, e'g., al-$an'ani,'Abd al-Razza.q,
Mugannat , vol. 4, p. 336 no. 7987i cL Wensinck, Concordance, vol. 4, p. 427.
in the extensive study of the Aramaic 'magic'bowls from Mesopota-
mial5 - present a meeting point of normative religion and magic. In early
Islam, the attitude of a few pious Muslims toward the two protective
Slras par excellence, al-mu'awwidhofani, shows the ambivalence, even
suspicion, with which texts that smacked of the workings of 'magic'
were regarded. In contrast to the overall reverence with which these
Slras were regarded by most eminent Muslims, there is ample evidence
that the legitimacy of their use as talismanic invocations, and even their
inclusion in the Qur'an, was strongly debated. In his o/-Durr al-manthur
al-Suyltr has recorded in detail the controversy regarding such inclusion.
It transpires that as authoritative figures as 'Abdallah b. 'Abbas and
'Abdallah b. Mas'ld shunned them altogether.l6 Ibn Mas'[d, we are
told, used to erase them from his mushaf warning: "Do not mix the
Qur'en with what does not belong to it. These two are not [part] of
God's Book. The Prophet was told to use them merely as protective
formulae." And, faithful to his injunction, Ibn Mas'[d-alone, it seems,
of all the Prophet's companions-refrained from reciting them.lT
Between evidence for the widespread use by most devout Muslims of
verses and invocations as protective formulae 18 and the sporadic wish
of a few pietists to keep Islam clean of any practices which may have
'magical' undertones, al-Hakrm al-Tirmidhr offers.a perspective which
connects the potency of words not with 'magic' but with 'holiness.' Ac-
cording to this perspective it is the mystic, the Friend of God (al-wah),
and not the 'magician' (al-sahir) who truly acquires the knowledge of the
power that words contain. The former, contrary to the latter, knows how
to use this power effectively without losing sight of their ultimate single
source. It is in accordance with this perspective and with al-Tirmidhl's
mystical analysis of linguistic elements that I have chosen to label his
system'mystical linguistics.'
15See Naveh and Shaked, Amulets and Magic Eourls, Introduction, pp. 35ff et
passim; also idem, Magic Spells and Formulae, Introduction, pp. 17ff.
16 See al-Suyutl, al-Durr al-manth*r, vol. 6, pp. 714fti fiot the hesitancy of another
companion, 'Uqba b, 'Amir, see al-Farr5' [=Ibn al- Farra'] Abu Mulrammad al-Husayn
b. Mas'trd (d. ca 516AH), Michkat al-maqabif (trans. James Robson), vol. l, 173f:
The prophet asked him: "Shall I not teach you,'Uqba, the best two Strras to recite?
Then he taught me 'Say, I seek refuge... ' He saw that I was not greatly pleased with
them so when he alighted for the morning prayer he used them in leading the people
in the morning prayer'; cf. ibid, vol. 2, p. 451; see also A. Jones, "The Qur'an II,"
p. 238.
17 Wo-Ibn Mas'iil.,. kana yalukku al-mu'awwidhatayni min al-muqlyaf wa-yaqllu:
ld tukhallitt al-qur'dn bi-md laysa minhu, innahumd lagsata min kito,b Allah, innama
umira al-nabigy an gata'awwadha bihimo-al-Suytrfr, loc. cit.
18See, for example, the long chapters in al-Makkr,
Qut ol-quilu,b, vol. l-passim;
alsoal-Ghaze.h,IlTyd"ulam oI-din, K;tab al-atl,hkar wal-da'awdt, vol. 1, pp.390-435;
for the long list of traditions in the canonical f adilh literature, cf. Wensinck, Con-
cordance, vol. 4, pp. 424432.
210 Sara Suiri
II. To know 'the thing itself '
Nowhere in his work does al-Tirmidhr offer a systematic discourse of

sacred language-far from it. It would be misleading to attempt to
portray his linguistic outlook as a neat, coherent system. Neverthe-
less, throughout his large corpus, al-Hakrm al-Tirmidhr displays with
consistency, and in his distinctive phraseology, the understanding that
language occupies a pivotal position in the divinely created order. His
ideas concerning the unique features of language are stamped with the
hallmark of his comprehensive teaching of wilaya. For him language-
notably the Arabic language-is not only the means whereby God cre-
ated the world; not only the divine gift to humanity by which it is distin-
guished from both animals and angels; it is also the vessel within which
God has concealed His secrets.le In the quest for divine gnosis (ma'rifa)
these secrets can and, in fact, should, be deciphered. But not all and
sundry are up to the task. The power to decipher the hidden 'meanings'
that Ianguage holds is part and parcel of the special science ('flrn) that
God's men, the awliya', have inherited from the prophets.2o Mystical
linguistics, according to al-Hakrm al-Tirmidhr, is the foundation of 'the
science of the friends of God' ('ilm al-awliyc'). God has endowed all men
with the ability to understand and employ language in order to distin-
guish between existents, and He has endowed His friends with the special
ability to unravel, through language, His hidden secrets. All aspects of
Ianguage are thus sacred by definition, although the disclosure of God's
mysteries encapsulated in words and letters was reserved for Adam and
after himfor the prophets and the awliya'. Consider, for example, the
following passage from al-Tirmidhr's ?aisCl naza'ir al-Qur'an, in the
context of interpreting the particle infinna:
And if an inquirer asks, 'whence this [knowledge]?' he is [to

be] answered: This is the Supernal Wisdom (al-hikma al-
'ulya), the Wisdom of Wisdom. It is concealed from all be-
ings except from God's prophets and from the elect among
reOnthesuperiorityof Arabic,see,e.g.,'Ilmal-awtiya', 115f; cf. AboHatimal-

RdzT, Kitdb al-zlna, vol. l, pp. 64f, 68f, 71 et passim. For a comparative study on the
superiority and primordiality of languages in Antiquity and Late-Antiquity, see M.
Rubin, "The Language of Creation or the Primordial Language: A Case of Cultural
Polemics in Antiquity," Journal of Jewish Studies 49 (1998): 303-333.
20Cf. Ibn al-'Arabf, al-Futufidt al-makkigya, vol. 3, pp. 197-a
$126g: wa-li-hadha
'l-'ilm rijalun kab{run qatlruhum... min 'ull8mihim khawdqg al-'ilm lil-fiurldt wal-
asnta'- "To this science pertain men whose status is high.., Among the sciences
[with which they are familiar] is the science of the special properties of letters and
names"l also ibid $170 (with reference to al-tlakfm al-Tirmidhr): "This science is
named the science of the friends of God." For similar views expressed by Abraham
Abulafia, the l3th-century Jewish mystic, see Idel, Language, Torah and Hermeneu-
tics in Abraham Abulafio (tOA9), p. 23 et passim.
Words of Power and the Power of Words 2tl
His friends whom He has designated by His Wish (ahl cI-
safwa min awliya'ihi al-mukhtaggin bi-rnashr,'atihi). It is
from letters that names come to be and it is to letters that
they return. This is a concealed science (makhzon min al-
'ilrn) that no one can comprehend but the Friends of God.
The intellects of these comprehend through God while their
hearts are attached to Him, befuddled by His Godship (/a-
walihat fi uluhiyyatihi).2l It is there that the veil is lifted
off these letters and ofr the attributes-the attributes of the
[Divine] Essence.22
A section of this esoteric knowledge is the science of primordiality,
'ilm al-bad', of which al-Tirmidhl says: "In the letters of the alpha-
bet the whole science of primordial things is contained" (wa-fi huruf
al-mu' jam'ihn al-bad' kulluhu).z3 It is by means of letters, the a-b-j-d
[sic], that the unfolding of the divine order and governance- al-tadbtr
al-ilahi-takes place. The science of God's Governance of the world
('ilm al-tadbrr), which encompasses all existents and eventualities from
the creation of Adam to the end of days (yawm al-waqt al-ma'lum),
is contained in the twenty-eight or the twenty-nine letters of Arabic-
'twenty-nine' since, according to some systems, the lam-alif combina-
tion is counted as the twenty-ninth 'letter'.24 In this vein al-Tirmidhr
comments upon the Qurtanic account of God teaching Adam, and not
the angels, the names of all existent things:
that God taught Adam, peace
Names contain all the things
be on him. By displaying all of His creation in front of
him God made manifest Adam's superiority over the angels.
21 Al-Tirmidhl frequently connects the root u-l-h, which denotes intense love and
the stupefaction that arises from strong emotions, with the divine name Allah and its
offshoots-see, e.g. Kitab al-riga{a, pp. 53-54; K;tab al'qalat, p. 165: wa-auualu
asrna' al-rabb huwa AIIah wa-mubtada' asma'ihi huwa AIIah, Ja-idha sdrat al-qulib
ila 'tlah inqala'at'an al-khalq, walihat bihi ua-Iahat'an al-khalq... ; cf. also Fakhr
al-Dln al-Razt, Lauami' al-bayyindt (- Sharfi asma' allah al-husna), pp. 113ff: innc
'l-walah'ibdra 'an al-mafabba 'l-shadida... 'inda 'I'wijdan wa 'l-wiqal ua-khawf
shad.{d'ind.a 'l-fiqdan ua 'l-infiqal, fa-huua ta'ala musamman bi-ismi AIIah liLanna
'l- mu' rninln a y al gulu lahum al-bahj a w al- surur' in da rn a' riJ atihi u a-
yafi qulu lahum
luzn shadtd'inda 'l-fiijab wa 'l-bu'd.
22 To|gtl na4a'ir aI-Qur'an, pp.104-105.
23'Ilm al-awliya', p.lI4 see also idem, TaisiT nazd,'ir al-Qur'an, p' 104'
24On th. Iam-aliJ as the twenty-ninth letter, see'IIm al'awliya'114; cf. SNrdt dl-
awliya', p. 28, 1.1; also al-Khaltl b. Ahmad (d. l75AH), Kitab al-Ilurtf , p. 47i
Abu Hatim al-Razi, K;tab al-ztna, vol. 1, pp.65; 70 et passim; cf. Ibn al-'Arabr,
al-Futafiat al-malekiyya, vol. 1, p. 325, $$617ff; also idem, Kitab al-rnrrn wal-uau
ual-nin in Rasd.'il 1997, p. 108-note that Ibn al-'Arabt counts the larn-aliJ as
the twenty-eighth letter, whereas he does not count the ali! among the letters: ua-
'indana -l-ali! Ioysat rnin al-l.turuJ; cf. Vajda, "Lettres et sons," p. 118 and note 1';
also A. Schimmel, "Letter Symbolism," p. 419.
21.2 Sara Sairi
Then He said [to the angels], "...'Now tell me the names

of these, if you speak truly.' They said, 'Glory be to Thee!
We know not save what Thou hast taught us. Surely Thou
art the All-knowing, the All-wise.' He said, 'Adam, tell them
their names.' And . . . he had told them" (Qur'an 2:31). Thus
God made manifest Adam's superiority over the angels con-
cerning the science [of names]. He taught him both the sci-
ence and the foundation ofthe science: as for science, it is the
names; as for the foundation of the science, it is the letters,
the twenty-eight letters from which [all] languages began.2s
Language is thus both revealing and concealing. It is'revealing'since
all that exists becomes known by being named. And it is 'concealing'
since this naming is merely an external differentiating device encoding
something internal which cannot be cognized unless it is decoded by
means of a God-inspired knowledge. This is how al-Tirmidhr brings this
understanding to bear:
God taught Adam the names... then He taught him the ex-
planation (bayan), as He has said: "and He has taught him
the explanation'l (Qur'an 55:3); that is to say, the distinc-
tion (tamyiz) between things according to their [different]
aspects. . . By means of letters he [earnt to] distinguish be-
tween things (oshyo') and by means of names he came to
know their hidden contents and the essences (jawahir) con-
cealed within the[ir] elements ('onosir).26
The interdependence of language and mystical knowledge is repeat-.
edly emphasized by al-Tirmidhr in his magnum opus, Szrat al-awliya',
also (and traditionally) known as Khatm al-awliga'.27 In answer to the
question, "What is the science by which the Friends of God are distin-
guished," he writes:
[It comprises of] the science of primordiality ('ilm al-bad'),

the science of pre-ordained destinies ('ilm al-maqadrr), the
science of the Day of the Covenant ('ilm gawm al-mtthaq)
and the science ofletters ('ilm al-huruf). These are the foun-
dations of Wisdom, namely the Supernal Wisdom (al-hikma
al:ulya). This science becomes manifest to the most eminent
25'IIm al-auliyd', ll3-41 cf. Abu Hatim al-Razt, Kitdb al-zlna, vol. l, p. 66f; on
a similar view pronounced by Ibn 'At5' (309/922), see Nwyia, Exdgise Coranique,
p, 165.
26'Ilm al-awliyc', p. 115; cf. Kitab al-saldt, p. 158: al-ma'riJa mashfiuna... !al-
acmd' llashuuhd.
27For Radtke's reasons for re-publishing al-Tirmidhr's treatise underlhe title of
Sirat al-auliyd', see idem, Drei Schritten, pp.3ff; for an early reference to the text
as Khatm al-awligd,', see, e.g., al-Hujwr-rr (d, 46511072), Kasht al-mafjab, p, 141.
ofthe friends (kubara' al-awliya') and from them it is passed

to those who have a share in God's friendship (yaqbaluhu
'anhum man lahu hazz min al-wilaya).28
Hence, the process of acquiring mystical knowledge begins with the
knowledge of the true, concealed meanings of names/words. Names, as
has been seen, are God-given and formpart ofthe act ofcreation. In fact,
every 'thing'has been created with its proper 'name.' From the esoteric
viewpoint, this name (isrn) is not an arbitrary or random combination
of letters or sounds; neither is it merely a conceptual, conventionally
accepted reference to the thing it names. Rather, it is inherently, es-
sentially, connected with that thing. The name, by its affinity with the
thing it names, marks out the thing's essential ontological aspect. In al-
Tirmidhl's terminology, it points to the 'core' (lubb), or the 'light' (nur)
or the'meaning'(rno'no) of the'thing.' Since'things' (ashya') are known
by their names (asma'), to know the name of a thing-in the mystical
sense of 'knowing'-is to know the thing itself. Tlue knowledge of ex-
istent things, al-Hakrm al-Tirmidhr tells us, in contrast to mere refer-
ential knowledge, is attained by means of penetrating, through mystical
contemplation, the very core of a word/name (isrn). In this mystical-
epistemological process, first the name of a thing becomes known; this is
the external, or referential, aspect of knowing-it is not yet true know-
ing. But once this external knowledge has been established, the astute
mystic plunges into a contemplative mode through which the thing itself
may become known. This is the internal, or true, aspect of knowing. It
can be said, therefore, that 'names' are themselves, in their core, living
'things' and that their power derives from mystically tapping into their
ontological vitality.
l1I. Deciphering the Divine Code
In al-Tirmidhf's system, one aspect of the process of 'deciphering' God's

secrets by means of language has a 'deconstructive' nature: the mystic
engaged in contemplation the description of which will follow below
-
focuses on unraveling the meaning/s contained within the smallest units
-
of language. Sounds and letters, the elementary components of words
(what we would call the phonetic and phonemic aspects of words) are for
him meaning-carriers. When mystically observed, each letter is seen to
allude to a layer of meaning, or 'light,'extending beyond its physical or
mental manifestations. When the 'meanings' of all the components that
make up a word/name are added up, the true sense of the word/name,
28Sirat al-awliyd', p. 58 $81; cf. the following unanswered, yet suggestive, questions
-tn
Sirat al- awliy d' p. 22: No. 26. "What is the Science of Primordiality and his saying:
'God was and there was no thing with Him'? Then what ?" also no. 27: "What is
3he beginning of names ?" See also Radtke and O'Kane pp.74f et passim.
2t4 Sara Suiri
as well as the truth of the 'thing' it names, emerge. A name is thus more
than the sum total of its articulated or comprehended components. The
vitality and power that linguistic formulae possess emanate precisely
from the activation, through mystical visualization, of the sum total of
'meanings' or 'lights' contained within each of their components.2e
In the opening passage of The Scienc6- of God's Friends ('ilm aI-
awliya'), a treatise in which discussions concerning language occupy
an important place, al-Tirmidhr lays down these principles and illus-
trates his method by decoding the 'secrets' hidden in the word isrn (=
name/word):
I Know. , . that knowledge in its entirety is [contained] in
i names; names mark things out. There is no existent which
has no name. Its name is the indicator of this existent. [The
\ word] 'name'(isrn) is derived from [the word] 'mark' (si,ma).
Every name points to the object [which it names], so much so
that [the word] 'name' (ism) in itself points to [the meaning
of] name.3o [The word] (166s'-isrn-is made out of two
letters: sfn and rnfno; indeed, it is srn; and the clil has been
added in its beginning as a prop ('imad) , hence [the word] has
become ism... The letter sln derives from ssnc' (radiance)
and the letter mrm derives from majd (glory). Scno'is [the
same as] dfyc' (glowing light) and majd is the core (lubb) and
the hidden aspect (maknun) of a thing. This indicates that
[the word] isrn is thus named since it illuminates for you the
core of a thing and its hidden aspect. The name, therefore,
translates and reveals for you the hidden aspect of a thing.
This is the meaning of the [word] 'name.'3l
A few interpretative methods are combined in the complex process
described here: etymological and semantic affnity (isrn l sirnc = sign,
29 For the
'magical' connotations of 'phonosymbolism,' a discipline that "deals with
sound/image, sound/meaning and sound/archetype correspondences," and the recent
"increasingly sophisticated study of synaesthesia and aemantic values associated with
submorphemic entities, also called 'phonesthemes' " see Terrence Kaufman in Karin
C. Rydins, "Alchemical Phonology," pp. l-2 and note 1.
-
I
30 Note lhat my translation deviates somewhat from the editor's reading implibd
by his insertion-for a clarification that I find uncalled for-of two words to al-
Tirmidhl's text: . . . fattd, anna nals al-ism dalil'ald [wujud gafiib] al-ism.
3L'Ilm al-awliyd', p. 113; cf. Nauddir p. 185: wa'l-asmd'simd,t al-shay'fa-leull
ism dalil'ala sahibihi wa-mushtaqq min ma'ndhu ual-asmd' al-agliyya hiya allat{
jd'at min'inda 'Ildh ta'dla rn;thla Yaf,ya [Qur'an, 7:19] . ..wa-Afmad, [6:of].. .; cf.
Abu Hatim al-Rdzr, Ifitab al-ztna, vol. 2, p. 8 and note that al-Rdzrcites al-Tirmidhr
explicitly: qala al-Tirrnidht tt 'l-;sm.. . For the different parsing of dsrn according
to the grammarians of Kufa and Baqra, see Ibn al-Anbart, Kitab al-insat (ed. G.
Weil), pp. l-6; ilhahaba 'l-ktfiyyun ild anna 'l-ism mushtaqq min al-wasm uta-huwa
'I-'alama wa-dhahaba 'l-baErigyin ild annahu mushtaqq min al-sumuww wa-huua 'l-
'uluwui also Fakhr al-Drn al-Rezr, Lawdmi' al-bayginat, p. 27.
mark);3z grammatical analysis of the root-letters (isrn ( s, m); the se-
mantics of root-letters, based on the understanding that the root-letters
of a word are an acronym encrypting fundamental semantic concepts
("* - sand', rntnt - rnajd)33 ; the application of synonyms to highlight
the meaning of the fundamental, or core, concepts (sana' = diVa'i majd
- lubb, rnakndn ) and, finally, the synthesis with which the whole 'de-
constructive' process culminates, leading to the true understanding of
the word/name under observation.
Evidently, the method by which the secrets hidden \n ism are un-
raveled may be also applied to the Divine Names. Indeed, al-Tirmidhr
offers another example of the application of his method by 'decoding' the
divine narne wahid, the One or the Single. In an earlier paragraph of
'Ilm al-awliyo', al-Tirmidhr defines the subtle distinction between three
divine names that at first sight seem synonymous: uof,id , fard and ahad.
Wahid, he says, alludes to [God who is] known by mystical knowledge
(al-ma'ruf bil-ma'rifa); ford, Singular, alludes to the transcendence of
God who is mystically known (al-tanzzh lil-ma'r[f); and ahad alludes
to the transcendence of [God who is] qualified by attributes (al-tanzrh
li 'l-mawsLf).3a Then, further down, he offers an analysis of the name
uahid:
One (wahid) is the foundation of [all] numbers. The name
wahid is modeled upon the form fa'i|... The root of the
word is fi-d,two letters to which the rp has been added for
reinforcement and completion, for a wold is incomplete unless
it possesses three letters: a letter by which it begins, a letter
by which it is filled, and a letter by which it is sustained and
comes to a halt... Thus, the root of this word is, indeed,
!o' and do-l... [The letter] fro' [derives] ftom hayat,life, and
[the letter] do-l [derives] from drn, religion, namely'reckoning'
(hisab). 'Reckoning' and number have been placed at the
beginning [of all numbers]. The beginning of numbers is that
which is the cause of 'life' and its end is [what derives] from
'reckoning,' hence: !d.35
In this somewhat nebulous illustration of his method al-Tirmidhr
seems to be alluding to the mystical knowledge that can be gleaned from
32 Cf. Abu Hatim al-Razr, Kitiib al-ztna, vol. 2, pp. 7f and Vajda, 'rl,ettres et sons",
p. 123 and notes 1, 2.
s It should be noted that the above represents a specific rather than a universal
'decoding' of the letters under observation. The 'decoding'may vary according to
the contextual or hermeneutic environment . Mrm, f.ot example, can stand f.or malik ,
mulk, mamlakc etc. - cf. Nwyia, Ecigdce Coranique, 166f; also al-Qushayrl, Lala'iJ
al-ishdrdt, vol. l, 203.
3a'Ilm aI-awliyii', p. 115.
35 lbid, pp. 116-7: ., ,
fa-qzla walad [9] wa-qila al.rad thumma mayyazahu [sic] 'ala
qolib ta'il ta-qalu uah;d.
216 Sara Sairi
deconstructing the divine name wahid, One. When broken down to its
radical components, this name is found to combine the meanings of 'life'
and 'religion' (dzn). Wahid is the name of the number from which all
other numbers stem; its radical consonants point at once to 'life' as the
very beginning of existing things and to 'religion' in the sense of'reckon-
ing' (hisob) as their end. The name thus points to the all-encompassing
divine aspect that arches over the beginning and the end of existence.
Clearly, from the point of view of root-letters alone, the same interpre-
tation could be applied also to the name ahod; however, al-Tirmidhr
suggests that, alongside the root, the 'form' upon which the name is
modeled-in the case of wahid this is /o'fl, which indicates an active
agent-has also to be taken into account. Wahid thus points to the dy-
namic, active aspect of God whereas olrod refers to His transcendence.3o
IV. KUN and God's 'Perfect Words'

The imperative form /cun, conveying the all-encompassing creative power
of God, also merits linguistic analysis. Faithful to his 'deconstructive'
system, al-Tirmidhr breaks the form down to its constituents in order
to extract from them its core meaning: the letter kaf , he writes in the
opening chapter of Nawadir al-usul, stems from, or points to, God's
existence (kaynuna), while the letter nrln points to His light (nur).37
'Existence' and 'light'are not mere semantic 'exponents' of the acronym,
These words, as well as the letters that stand for them, sustain
merely represent
- and not
the fundamental features of 'creation' as such.38 The
-
letters /cff and ndn, even when disjointed and divested of any 'external'
alone when combined to form the primordial existential
meaning
verb-carry- letwithin themselves the potency required for any creative
act.3e No wonder, therefore, that the efficacy of words of power-words
which are endowed with protective power-is associated with the divine
Iogos.4o
36For the transcendence of ahad, see Ab[ tlatim al-Razr, Kitab al-zina, vol. 2, p.
42; also ;bid, p. 33 where the author discusses the superiority of alad over wdlidq
cf. also ibitl, vol, L, pp,69-70: Ja-bil-hicab qamat al-dunya wal-akhira... fa-kana li
iglita' al-hurit ig!i!a' al-fiisdbkullihi;fora 'philosophical'interpretation,cf. "Daqa'iq
al-$urdt by'Abd al-Ra'trf of Singkel," in A. Johns, Jfil4S (1955) pp. 68-69. Whether
my reading of this paragraph is correct remains a moot question.
37 Cf. Na;m al-Drn Kubre, Fawd'if al-jamdl, p. 87
$175: innamd \-kdt kdt al-kaun
ucl-nin nrf'ruhu,
3E
For r lengthy meditation on the divine KUN and the mystical significance of the
kal and the nrra, see Ibn al-'Arabr, Shajarat al-kawn (various editions); also idem,
Kitab al-i'lam bi-isharat ahl al-ilham, Bdb al-ma'riJa, p. 5, l. 19: man u'liya kun fa-
qad u'[iya'l-ma'rifai idem, I(itab al-mlm wal-waw ual-ndn, p. 111;idem, al-Futihitt
al-rnakhiyya, vol. 3, ch. 26, p. 2O4, $17O.
39For arguments against assigning such potency to kun, see Fakhr al-D-rn al-RezT,
Mataflb al-ghayb, vol. l, pp. 487f (commentary to Qur'dn 2:lt7).
40For an allusion to an act of'creation' by means of &un carried out by a human
Words of Power and the Power of Words 2I7
Kun, like isrn and wahid, derives from a two-letter root. Grammati-
cally, therefore, it belongs to a category labeled'deficient' (manqusat).al
But, paradoxically, while this concept of 'deficiency' is the construct of
grarnmarians (ahl al-Iugha) for whom linguistic wholeness is conditioned
by the existence of (at least) three root-letters, the so-called 'deficient'
twelettered /cun, from a divine perspective, is labeled 'perfect' (tamma),
as in Qur'an 6:116: "Perfect is the word (kalirno) of thy Lord in truth-
fulness and justice; no man can change His words (kalimatihi)."q2 By
extension, all formulae of power-such as 'Praise be to God' (al-hamdu
Ii -'llah), 'God is Great' (allahu akbar) are labeled 'perfect' (al-kalimat
al-tammat). They all stem, according -to al-Tirmidhr, from one primor-
dial 'perfect' word-/cun, Be! the word by which creation came into
existence:
The perfect 'word' of God [in the singular] or the perfect
'words' of God [in the plural] convey one meaning. When
one says 'God's perfect word,' one refers to the plurality [of
words], and when one says 'God's perfect words'one refers to
the single [primordial] word from which, according to varying
situations and times, multiple words derived. This [single]
perfect word is God's saying: innama amruhu idha arada
shay'an an yaqila lahu KUN fa-yakinu (36:82): "His com-
mand, when He desires a thing, is to say to it 'Be,' and it
is." He has also said: idha qada arnran fa-innama yaqulu
lahu KUN fa-yak0nu (2:II7,3:47, 19:35, 40:68)
- "when He
decrees a thing, He but says to it 'Be,' and it is."a3
By saying "His words" [in the plural] He [has implied] that
His word be dispersed in all things. For every decree and ev-
ery desire for a thing]... has a word for that thing from
our Lord, since [it came about] through His saying: Be!
This transpires from the following hadtth fqudsr] transmit-
ted by Ab[ Dharr in the name of the Prophet: "God has
at€nt, seeNajm al-Dtn Kubrd, Fawa'if al-jamdl, pp. 86-87 $175, and note the un-
&rlying defensive Lone: ua-"lam anna 'l-sagydr innamd y6qatu bi 'l-wilaya idha
-Jiya kun... wa-lagsa 'l-talafiuq b; 'I-kd! wal-nin jd'izan lt baqq al-bari' subf,anahu
hrnamd ma'ndhu sur-'at dl-ijad taqot- "Know that the wayfarer is deemed holy only
rhen he is given &un,.. The articulation of &aJ and nrTn ftoweverl does not mean
impinging on the prerogative of the creator, Glory be to Him; only the speed [with
rbichl something is brought into existence." Cf. also Ibn al-'Arabr, Fuqil1 al-fiikam,
Afifi, ed., vol. 1, p. 142 (the chapteron'Isd): "'Kun'is God's word. In its capacity
as the instrument of creation (the creative logos), this word defines existence: all
r-irtents stem from ftun, and are, therefore, God's words."
{r The term manqd,, is used prolifically by Sibawayhi; see al-ffitab, vol. 2, pp. 67ff,
90ff, 165ff et passim. I am grateful to Professor Aryeh Levin for this reference.
{2 Cf. Arb"rry's translation, p. 135, where both lcclimo and kalimat are translated
by 'words' in the plural.
13 Nawidir p. 3, ll. 2-5
[= vol. 1, p. 24].
2I8 Sara Suiri
said, 'Surely, My favour is a word and My punishment is a
word' ( innc ma' a!d' I kaldm wa-' adhabt kalam).aa
In essence, therefore, all that comes to be, by dint of being a'created'
eventuality, relates to words, or a word, as its source of existence. Formu-
lae of power in particular, made sacrosanct by scripture or by prophetic
tradition, and uttered by men in special circumstances of need, threat,
or ritualistic repetition (as, for example, before retiring to sleep) retain
the original creative force of the divine fot.tu
That al-Tirmidhr assigns special significance to the 'perfect word/s' is
suggested by the fact that his Nawadir al-uqul
- a voluminous collection
of trare,'or tprecious,'traditions-opens with it. The first chapter of
the Nqwadir, entitled "On the protection from a scorpion's bite and on
the refuge [one finds] in protective formulae," revolves around traditions
concerning the formula "I seek protection by all of God's perfect words
from the evil that He has created" (a'udhu bi-kalimati 'llah kulliha rnin
sharri rnd khalaqa).46 "When a man seeks protection by this word,"
writes al-Tirmidhr, "it becomes for him a refuge and he is protected
from the evil of that against which he has sought protection." He goes
on to explain:
When the believer becomes aware that nothing can be unless
it has come under [God's] Decree and Ordinance (al-qada'
wal-qadar) and that [God's] Decree manifests itself through
His saying Be! (,tun), he extols this word and his heart be-
comes attached to it. Even when he is desirous or fearful of a
thing, his heart (golb) will yearn for His Will (rnasftr-a) while
lhe fu'ad contemplates His Wish (irada), his ear listens to
the word &un, and his eye beholds His Governance (tadbir).
Hence, when he says o'udftu bi- kalimat 'IIah al-tamma min
sharri nta lchalaqa, he becomes protected from the evil of that
which God has created and is [taken] in[to] God's stronghold
to pasture in God's sanctuary, secure and peaceful.aT
Clearly, a'udhu bi-kalimati 'llah al-tamma is seen by al-Tirmidhl as
an archetypal formula from which all invocations, especially those start-
ing with a'ildhu bi-, branch off. However, true to his unfailing differ-
entiation between grades of purity among God's friends, here, too, he
aa Nauddir p. 3, ll. 13-16
[= vol. 1, p. 25.] This is indeed a rare tradition. One
other gource in which it is recorded ie al-fabardni, al-Mu'jam al-awsa!, vol' 7, p. 165
(no. 7f69). For this reference I am indebted to Mr. Abraham Hakim.
a5 For the analogy of letters and the act of creation, see Massignon, Passion 563fr;
cf. A. Johns, "Daqd,'iq al-funlt by 'Abd al-Ra'iif of Singkel,t' JA.AS (1955): 55ff.
This treatise was written by 'Abd al-Ra'of al-Singhah (1693) as a commentary to two
verses by Ibn al-'ArabT.
46For variants,see Nawdilir, ibid; cf. al-Ghaz5.h, Ifya' 'ulam al-din, vol. I (Kitdb
al-adhkar wal-ila'awdt), pp. 42lff; also Wensinck, Concordance, vol. 4, p. 426.
47 Nauddir, p. 3, ll. 18-22.
Words of Power and the Power of Words 2L9
distinguishes between those who seek protection in God's words and
thce who rely on God alone, with no intermediaries. Basing himself
on the Qur'anic narrative in which Abraham, when thrown into a burn-
ing furnace, responds with hosbC 'llc-lr ("God suffices me") to the angel
Gabriel's offer of help (Qur'an 21:69)a8 , he sees in the latter a model
for the ideal 'friend' who will reject any help or protection if it be from
an agent other than God:
This (i.e., Abraham's response) is the fashion with which
the 'men of certitude' (ahl al-yaqzn) say, 'God suffices me,'
whereas the 'mixed one' (al-rnukhallat\as falsifies [this say-
ing] by his actions, since he becomes attached to means and
people.. . His saying 'God suffices me' is like the saying of
the 'unifiers' (al-muwahhidun), [namely,] the saying of the
'men of faith' (alrl al-tman)-not like the saying of those
who have realized truth (al-rnuhaqqiqun), the 'men of purity
and certitud e' (ahl al-nazaha wal-yaqr.n). . . 50
Seeking refuge in God (al-isti'ddha bi Xlah) means to attach
oneself to Him alone, whereas seeking refuge in God's Word
(al-i,sti'adha bi-kalimatihi) means to attach oneself to His
governance (tadbtr), for this is how He has [decreed to] gov-
ern, [namely], that things should [come to] be by the Word.51
sCf. Appendix, no. 7.

sThe term rnukhalla! is frequently used by al-Tirmidhr to denote an inferior type
drorshipper in whose actions and aspirations the ncls and its associates, the 'adver-
sies,' comingle; see, e.9., Sfrat al- awligd' p. 48 $71: Fa-kam rnin murid mukhalla!
jr{,elzta'a ila najwahu ta-rakana ilaghd wa-qad mdzajathu -l-nats bi-dawdhihd "How
lty a 'mixed' seeker listens to [God's] secret communication and relies on-it while
* naJs blends [this] with her wile tricks"; also Nawd,tlir, ch. 242, p. 309; also Sviri,
'Thc Self and its Transformation in $trI.ism," p. 2o3 and note 44. In translating this
rd other passages, I have chosen to retain the personified apsect of ncls by using
tlc feminine pronouns she. . . her (rather than it. . . its) as in Arabic.
s Naudtlir p. 4; ll. 8-11 [= vot. 1, p. 27,11. 6-9].
srNauddir,p.4, ll. 13-14; onthedifferencebetweenthe'peopleof theword[truly]'
ead the'people who [merely] pronounce the word,' see Nawddir ch. 213, p, 246-248:
--- al-farq bayna ahl al-kalima wa-ahl al-qawl bil-kalima [= vol. 2, pp.72-75]; also
ilc,s'ala tt 'l-tman, MS. Chester Beatty, f. 139b, l. 5: lal-jahill yalma'u. . . an yanala
a,anazil al-uasd'il to-yakina bayna yadayhi wa-ld yadrt bayna yaday man huua illd
l-itm ual-furut allati yanliqu b;hd "The ignorant one wishes to attain the loci of
- but he does not know in front of whom he is,
divine gifts and to be in front of Him,
ooly the word and the letters that he utters."
220 Sarc Suiri
Y. Seeking Refuge in God from God

Al-Tirmidhr's differentiation between two types of isti'adha and his em-
phatic assertion that, ultimately, the search for protection and refuge
ends with God, beg further consideration. That invocations, supplica-
tions, protective formulae, and even prayers, especially non-canonical
ones (dutc', munajat), emerge from a foreboding or an awareness of evil
with which one is threatened, raises a theological problem: What de'
main does this threat or evil fall under? Does the domain within which
evil operates exist outside of Allah's Will and Decree? Since this is not
a viable option, it would entail asking Allah's help and favour against
something that is part of Allah's own making. From the point of view
of a theology that upholds the belief in complementary yet opposite di-
vine attributes, this problem is not difficult to resolve: one asks to be
granted refuge in God's benevolent attributes (forgiveness, forbearance)
from His malevolent ones (punishment, anger). However, to stop here
would imply an outlook that is still confined within a dualism of sorts.
For mystics like al-Tirmidhr and like most, if not all, S[fis-for whom
all aspects of duality, human or divine, are finally subsumed within an
overarching, undifferentiated Oneness-the petitioner, too, even when
practicing isti'adha to counteract any calamity, should be mindful that
the ultimate source of succour and refuge is a God whose absolute decree
he should submissively accept. Hence, one should acknowledge that, ul-
timately, he is seeking refuge in God from God. Such reflections, though
not theologically formulated, are evinced from the prophetic tradition
with which al-Tirmidhr concludes the first chapter of the Noucdir and
from his commentary thereon.s2 According to this tradition, the Prophet
was told by Gabriel to repeat, when performing the sujud, Lhe following
formulae: "I take refuge in your forgiveness ('alur) from your punishment
('iqab)"
- he sought refuge, explains al-Tirmidhr, in [Divine] Forgiveness
against [Divine] Punishment since they are contraries; "I seek refuge in
your forbearance (rido) from your anger (su/chf)" reiterates al-
-ri{a,
Tirmidhr, is the opposite of sufrhf. Then he (i.e., Muhammad) says, "I
take refuge in You from You." Meaning, he asks refuge.in Him from Him
for He has no opposite (fa-'sta'adha bihi minhu li-annahu la didda lahu).
This, explains al-Tirmidhr, is [corroborated] by the saying, "There is no
escape from You but to You" which explicates God's dictate: "Therefore
flee unto God!" (Qur'an 51:50)-that is to say, flee from Him to Him.53
52 Nawddir, p. 5, ll. 26-29 1= vol. 1, p, 31,11. 3-91.
53
Cf. Abu Jelib al-Makkr, Qut al-qulub, ch. 13, p. 75, ll. 5-6; also al-Niffarl, rKitiib
al-mawdqiJ wal-rnukhagabat, pp. 195-6 (mukhapba 4o): ya'abd ista'idh b{ mirnmd
ta'lamu tasta'id,h bt minka uta 'sta'idh b, m;mma ld ta'Iamu tasta'idh bi minni - "O,
worshipper! Ask refuge in Me from what you know, you will then be asking refuge
in Me from you; and ask refuge in Me from what you do not know, you will then be
asking refuge in Me from Me"; also al-Qushayrl, Lata';t al-;shardt, vol. 6, p. 354;
Words of Power and the power of Words 227
The notion of fleeing from God to God has found its way
arso into
Yd:"d Hebrew poetry; to wit, the famous line by the Andalusian
Jerish poet solomon b. Gabirol (d. ca 10bg): "And iirrroor"u.ch
out
my sin, I shall flee from Thee to Thee and hlde myself
f.o* ihl ,".uth
in Thy shadow'" 5a As for the stfi lore, the foilowing
i. a ,triking saying
attributed to Ab[ Yazrd al-Bistamr that illustrates ihi. .,r"ry
att]tude:
Having beheld the world, I chose the world_to_come; having
beheld the world-to-come, I chose the Lord; having
beheld
the Lord, I chose fleeing. Then I beheld fleeing uid lo, it
ended me with Him, so I retreated in shame .id h*u"'r"_
mained submissive.ss
11' visualizing and actiuating words: the contempratiue way of rcnowzng

trIystical knowledge means to see things 'as they really are,.E6
It can also
be said to be the apprehension by L"ur* of .o inrru, .""ing ,hi.h
performed by the 'eyes of the heart,- ,lights,
i,
things' The capacity to 'know' by means - of the that shine lorth from
of mystical contemplation is a
special asset with which the friends of God have been
endowed. A thing is
really known when its inner light is revealed. That such
t no*t"Jg..u' u"
attained at all is due to the fact that, in the beginning (i.e.,primJrdially),
it was planted by God in man's heart. God mouldeJ i' a wondrous
s:y (tark[ban'aj[ban), says al-Tirmidhr. He placed-uo the knowredge of
all names-that is to say, of all existing things-in man,s,heart,and
then assigned the 'chest' as the locus *h"ru *o.-d./names/entities
can be
'visualized,'an act that he sometimes names taswjrr. For ihe physical
act
of articulating names, ta'b,r, seven organs were apportioned
in the area
elso Ibn al-'Arabl, at-Futtfidt al-makkiyya, vol. l, p. 22gg62Z
and vol. 10, p. f69
$224' For parallels from the canonicat iiditt riteruture, see wensin ck, concord,ance,
wl. 4,p, 427.
ff see section 38 of IbnGabirol's philosophical poem Keter Markhut The Kinglg
Cmwn, trans. Bernard Lewis 1961, p. Oi. Orr',,fleeing from you - you,
poetry of Ibn Gabirol and on its Islamic antecedents, to in the
see i. Ratzaby, Migginze shirat
Eahkedem (Texts and studies_in orient
fsic] Liturgicar poetry) (Jerusalem, rggl),
Pg' l3oj 341-42 (in Hebrew). Ratzaby faiL, ho*eter, to register'the wide circuration
of the Islamic hadtth that is replicaied, aimost verlatimlry
Iun c"ir"i; tti"
motif in Hebrew Poetry in general, see D. Sadan, ,,From Vou to you;;-ioionoyy;^ ""
35 (1958): 25-3b. For the last two references i am grateful to professor yoseph
Yahalom.
s5Ibn Mi"kawayh, al-Hikma
al-khatitta (1982), p. r9a
example, al-Hak-rm al-Tirmiihr, i(itab al-qaJa', f. ZOb, ll. l4_t7: ua-
-'l.S"",for
hailhd.ba'da ma ya,rilu alldha haqqa ma,rijailhi wo:orilo ,l-ashyd,, miniu-wa-bihi
wa-lahu wa-ilaghi ua'ra'a 'r-ashya' kama kina
ua-kushitat lahu 'l-ashyd' kanr6 hiya lrl ua-kama hiya tia-kama takinu...
,,after tt i",
t u knows dod with a true knowl_
-
edge; he knows things from Him, by Him, for Him, to
Him; he sees things as they
were' as they are, as thev will be... and things are reve.lei
to him as ffil*"Ii
are."
222 Sara Sviri
extending from the throat to the lips: the throat, the uvula, the tongue,
the [upper and lower] teeth and the two lips. Al- Tirmidhr labels these
organs 'the letters' instruments' (adawat aI- huruf).i7 The articulation
of all twenty eight letters and some count twenty nine 58 is carried
-
out by means of these seven instruments.se -
For a word, say in prayer, or an invocation, to be eflective, it has
first to go through a process of exteriorization: it has to be drawn out
of the heart (qolb), where it resides as an innate hidden secret (sirr
maknin), into the chest (sodr). There its'light'(nur) or'form'(suro)
or'meaning'(ma'na) may become manifest to the eyes of the fu'ad,
that outer layer of the heart (qclb) which, in al-Tirmidhr'ssystem, is its
'seeing' part. Concurrently with this 'seeing,' the word is articulated in
57 Adawdt al-f,urit is, to the
best of my knowledge, a rather unusual term for
the oygans of articulation; for a similar term, d-ldt al-nu{q, employed by Ibn Jinnr
(4th/lOth Century), see Bakalla, Ibn Jinnt, Part III.2, p. 233; for the locus, or point,
of articulation, however, Ibn Jinni employs the terms makhraj, makhdr;j or madraja,
madarij pp.244-245, Makhraj,ormuhhraj, andthepluralformmakhdrij,
-seeibid,
are employed by al-Sibawayhi - see AI-K;tab, vol. 2, pp, 452fr, Cf. Abu Hatim al-
RdzT, K;tdb al-zina 1,64, who alternates lyayyiz, alydz with rnadraj (?), madarij;
note, however, the editor's variant reading oI mahhraj for madraj ibid, p. 65, note
1.
-
56 See above note 24.
59'Ilm al-awligd', lL4: "He divided the tetters among the
[vocal] instruments: the
throat (al-ialg), the uvula (al-lahat), the tongue (al-lisan), the [two sets of] teeth
(al-asnan) and the two lips (al-shatafini). Hence the saying of 'Ah, may Allah be
pleased with him: 'There is no speech unless it be produced at seven [organs]: the
throat, the uvula, etc.. . ' " Note that al-Tirmidhr 's seven-based system differs from
the nine-based one devised by al-KhalTl b. Alrmad (d. 7St); cf. the similar but
more complex classification of al-REzf, Kitd,b al-zina, vol. 1, p. 64; cf. Sibawayhi,
al-Kitab, vol. 2, p. 453, where an elaborate system of sixteen loci of articulation
is proposed. It is noteworthy that in the context of his physio-psychological theory,
too, al-Tirmidhl resorts to a seven-based system, the "seven organs" al-jawdrilg
-
al-tob'i see, e.9., Kitab al-Ealat, p, 3: wa-ja'ala al-qalb arntran'ala al-jawdril.t...
wa-higa al-jawarill al-sab'... ua-ja'ala al-jawdril.t al-sab' bi-manzilat sab'at rnin aI-
ghanam ua-wakala al-'abd bi-ri'dyatihii- "God placed the heart as leader over the
organs, these are the seven organsr and He made the seven organs like seven sheep,
and He assigned man to watch over them." The "seven organs" motif, which is
deeply rooted in al-Tirmidhl's teaching, and the recurrence of "seven" as the basis for
various classifications, may reflect pre-Islamic traditions. Seter Yezira, for example,
an early Hebrew text in which mystical linguistic is palpable, talks of "the seven
gates of the self (netesh): two eyes, to ears, two nostrils and a mouth" (4:7). As
for the vocal instruments, al-Tirmidhr's system is, in fact, identical with the five-
loci one of SeJer Yezira in all but one point: whereas al-Tirmidhi, basing himself
on a tradition attributed to tAli, counts "teeth" as well as "lips" as two organs
each, namely upper and lower, in Seter Yezira each of them counts as one organ-
"Twenty-two foundation letters. .. He set them in the mouth in five places: in the
throat, in the palate, in the tongue, in the teeth, in the lips" (2:3). On the "striking
similarity " between Seter Yezira and "the phonological analysis of the Arabic system
by al-Khaltl," see Ryding, "Alchemical Phonology," p.84; on the intriguing likelihood
of an early Indian source for the phonetic classification of both Seter Yezira and the
Arab grammarians, see Liebes, Ars Poetica,236-237.
cq or in several, of the instrumental organs enumerated above. But the
Iti<dation alone cannot produce the required effect. In order to make
it *ctive, it must be coupled with 'visualization.' Without allowing its
imc light to be displayed and seen by the eyes of the heart, a word in
1rryet or in a protective formula cannot become actively efficacious.o0
ln The Ends of Prayer (Kitab al-salat wa-maqasiduftc), al-Tirmidhi
b a6fed to explain the fact, to which he has previously exposed his
iderlocutor, that "every word has a light." This is his explanation:
A spoken word is worthy when it comes [together] with the
heant's visualization [of it], while the chest is empty and wide
open and the eyes of the /u'ad glow in the chest with their
innate light; that is to say, with the light of being alive with
God. Then, [seeing] the spoken words arranged according to
their ranks in the chest, he [= the reciter of the words] comes
to know their meanings. When he utters the words whilst
the fu'ad is visualizing their meanings, their lights burst out
and fill up the chest. Then, by grasping the meanings, the
light of the intellect ('ogl) shines forth. The spoken words
thus ascend to God together with these lights. Words are
containers (qawalib) and the lights are the stuff with which
these containers are filled (hcsftra).61
It appears that in this physio-mystical terminology al-Hakrm al-Tir-
Bidhr- offers a precise description of a practice to be followed in the
p&suit of an efficacious language-based ritual. In the performance of
this ritual three functions must come together: the external function of
articulation carried out by the 'instruments of speech' (adawat al-huruf ),
the inner function of introspection and visualization of the 'lights' con-
tined in the articulated words, and the mental function of cognizing
them semantically.
lifl- Mystical'Seeing'
The heart (qalb), as we have seen, is the locus where mystical knowledge
b stored. It is located within the chest (sodr) where also the lower-self,
the nofs, resides-al-Tirmidhr labels the chest "the courtyard of the
@ Cf. Ibn al-'Arabi's notion of istillar, namely, the 'evocation' of words and letters
b5r the practitioner through his imagination (khayal). According to both Ibn al-'Arabr
ud al-Tirmidhl, the acts of writing and pronouncint are not in themselves sufficient
lor drawing out the potency that words and letters contain; see, e.g. al-Futuhat al-
makkiyya, vol. 3, ch. 26 (Jr ma'rifat aqldb al-rumi'z), p. 203, $$168ff: wa-idha
til,aa ma'ahu at-istihddr'arnila- "if he employs istillar, he will be efficatious [in
hb act of power]" ; also ibid, p. 2O4, $170, where lbn al-'Arabr explicitly acknowledges
aI-HakIm al-Tirmidhr.
6r K;tab al-Ealat, p. 14; for the ascent of words, see below, p. 226 and, appendix no.
ll-
224 Sara Suiri
heart and the lower-self" (sahat al-qalb wal-nafs).62 All inner organs in
al-Tirmidhr's system are vessels or containers (qawalib). But whereas the
heart contains lights and spiritual energies, the lower-self contains lusts
and appetites (shahawat). It is this juxtaposition of a heart filled with
enlightened knowledge and devout inspiration and a lower-self filled with
turbid appetites and lustful inclination which makes the chest the battle-
field for fierce encounters between these two antithetical inner functions.
At the same time, the chest is also the arena upon which the images, or
forms, of all that is produced by either the qalb or the ncls are reflected.
It is from the chest that these psycho-spiritual reflections 'exit'into the
external organs ofthe body and are executed there as acts. The namefor
chest, scdr, exhibits this 'exit' etyrnologically: "the chest is named .1adr
[- the place of 'exit'] since from it things exit to the organs" (innama
surnmiya sadran li-anns al-umur minhu tasduru ila al-arkan).63
The reflections in the chest of the inner activities of both heart and
lower-self are observed by the eyes of the fu'ad, the 'seeing' layer of the
heart. But whereas spiritual things that are stored in the heart emit
lights, the appetites and desires that are stored in the lower-self emit
smoke and a cloudy mist. These block the vision of the /u'od: When
the chest is clear, visions of the divine realm (rnolakut) arc displayed in
front of the eyes of the /u'od. When the chest is filled with the clouds
and smoke of desires, the heart is veiled and it loses access to mystical
knowledge.
In the following passage, condensed from his "The taining of the
Self" (Kitab al-riyada), al-Tirmidhr offers one of his typical descriptions
of the organs and functions involved in the process of mystical 'seeing':
[God] placed within man's interior a hollow morsel. . . its in-
ner part is the 9o16, and its outer part is the /u'ad ... Then
He fixed for the fu'ad two eyes and two ears and a gate-
way to the chest, and he made the chest the courtyard of
this house... By its side He fixed another morsel, which He
named lung. Here resides the nafs [- the lower-self], and
from here she breathes out (tatanaffasu) her life-force... into
the rest of the body.
The spirit resides in the head up to the roots of the ears...
The spirit, too, blows throughout the body. The spirit has
life and the nals has life. Both operate within the body by
way of their [separate] life-forces] so that both inner and
outer limbs move by these two innate lives. The spirit is a
light in which the spirit of life [!] is contained. The ncls is a
dark wind, its origin earthly...
62See Kitab al-Ealat, p. 8; also Sirat al-awligd',p. 12,$22.
63 K;tab al-Eal6t, p. 8; also Nauoilir, p. 258, l. 19.
Then God singled out the believers by [conferring on them]

the light of the Intellect ('cql). This He placed within the
brain. In order that the rays of its light may shine in front
of the eyes of the fu'ad He fixed for it a gate [which opens]
from the brain to the chest. [By means of this light] the
fr'od discerns right from wrong and regulates man's affairs.
Within the qalb God placed the light of Oneness. . , The qolb
is made alive by God and [then] the eyes of the /u'c-d open.
The light of Oneness, through the gate of the qalb , illuminate
the chest; the eyes of the /u'od contemplate it thanks to the
Iight of life which is inherent in them. Then [man] affirms
God's Oneness and knows Him...
God fixed for Desire (shahwa) a gate [that opens] from its
location [between the lung and the heart] onto the chest.
[Through this opening] the smoke of desires, which Inclina-
tion (hotua) carries, flares up till it reaches the chest and
encircles the fu'ad so that the eyes of the fu'ad are [covered]
in smoke.. . and are hindered from beholding what the light
of the Intellect regulates. The same goes for anger: when it
flares up it is poised like a cloud in front of the /u'cd's eyes
and the Intellect is obscured. . . When the chest is filled with
the cloud of anger the eyes of the fu'ad are [covered] in it, the
rays of the Intellect are cut off and the cloud stands between
the fu'ad and the Intellect. The heart of the infidel then falls
into the darkness of unbelief; this is the hard casing (ghulfa)
which God has mentioned in His book [saying], "They say:
'Our hearts are sealed' (ghuluf , Qur'an 2:88); and He has
also said, 'Their hearts are blind' (fi gharnra, Qur'an 23:63).
And the heart of the believer remains [covered] in the smoke
of Desire and the clouds of Pride, and this is non-awareness
(shafla). . .
Then [God] revived the heart by the Light of Life after it had
been a hollow morsel of flesh; and when He revived it by the
Light of Life the heart moved and opened the eyes that were
placed in the /u'od. Then He guided him by His Light, the
Light of Oneness, and the Light of the intellect. When the
Iight shone in his chest, the heart became firmly attached to
it and by this light [man] knew God... 6a
6t K;tab al-riyaQa, pp.3442; see also Nawddir p. 4f 1 ll. 6-7: lam yatard'a li-
'agnay al-Ju'dd, lr Eadrihi Eun'u 'llah fttilka 'l-ztnai cf. Radtke, Al-$ak*n at-Tirmiy'i
1980, pp, 68ff et passim.
226 Sara Suiri
VIII ?ie Breath: 'Blowing'on Hands
Chapter 246 of the Nawadir, entitled "What one says before retiring
to sleep," is the platform from which al-Tirmidhr discusses the signifi-
cance of the breath for the efficacy of protective formulae. The chapter
opens with four variants of a tradition, all four reported in the name
of 'A'isha, according to which the Prophet, before retiring to bed, used
to recite three verses, jointly labeled al-mu'awwidhcf : "Say, He is God,
One" (Qur'an 112:1), "Say, I take refuge with the Lord of the day-
break" (Qur'an 113:1) and "Say, I take refuge with the Lord of men"
(Qur'an 114:1). This recitation was combined with the following ritual:
the Prophet would bring his open palms together, would 'blow' (yon-
futhu) on them and would then rub with them (yamsahu) the exposed,
or the accessible, parts of his body. He would repeat this ritual three
times. According to one of the variants, the Prophet performed this
ritual when he was ill, and this goes also for his last and fatal illness.
'A'isha said that when he became incapacitated by illness, she would do
it for him saying, "Give me your hands and I shall rub you with them
for the blessing [they contain]."65
65 Nawddir pp. 319-321
[- vol. 2, pp.2t2-2161 and see below, Appendix, no. 9;
for parallels from the canonical fcddlr literature, see Wensinck, Concordance, vol.
6, pp. 496-7; also al-Farra' (trans. Robson), vol. 2, p. 451; also al-Makkl, Qut
al-qultb, vol. 1, pp. 70ff. The meaning of. yantuthu is by no means unequivocal.
Lexicographers and commentators have been debating the meaning of naJth and its
derivatives. Accordingto Lisdn alJarab (Beirut 1374/1955\,vol. 2, pp. 1954, "naJth
is less than 'spitting' (taf ), since spitting always produces some spittle, whereas na/th
resembles 'exhaling' (naJkhl more. [However], it has been [also] said that natth is
precisely'spitting"' al-naJth aqall min al-tafl Ii-anna al-tafl Ia yakinu illd ma'ahu
-
shay' min al-n\, wal-natth shabth bil-naJkh. Wa-qtla, huwa al-tafl biLagnihi; cf.
Ibn al-Jawzf, Ghartb al-fiadtth, vol. 2, pp.422-3: al-natth natkh laysa rna'ahu rlqi
also idem, Zd,d al-masir, vol. 8, p.334 (see also here furtherdown). See now also
the highly pertinent section on "Magic and Medicine" in R. G. Hoyland, ,Arcbia
anrl the.Arcbs (London and New York, 2001), pp. 150-153, and, in particular, the
prooftexts from pre-Islamic poetry, p. 153. Al-Tirmidhr's explanation implies that,
for him, ncltli denotes a kind of 'blowing' produced through lips that are almost
closed, unlike 'breathing'- an act that he labels nal&ft which is produced through
-
the open mouth. On the basis of the cluster 'bf ' with which al-Tirmidhr illustrates
the point he is making (for which see below, p.228), it is possible to deduce that the
'blowing'he has in mind produces not only air, but also small spurts of spittle. Note
that the same root, n-J-th, is used in Surat al-Jalaq (ffS:S) to denote a malevolent
magical act. There, it is the women'blowing on knots'- al-naffathat I{ 'l-'uqdd-
from whose spells one should take refuge. According to some commentators, nafth in
this context means 'to exhale (nol&i) whilst spitting on the magical knots.' However,
according to Lisdn al-'Arab, vol. 2, p. 196, no spittle is involved in the act: a/-
naffafiat fi l-'uqad hunna al-sauafiir, wal-nawdfith al-saudfiir lllna yanluthna lr 'l-
'uqad bi-ld riq; also Fakhr al-Dln al-Razr, Motdttb al-ghayb (Beirut, 1990), vol. 16,
pp. 178-9; cf., however, Ibn al-Jawzl, Zdd. al-mastr, vol. 8, p. 334: fa-amma 'l-
naffathat, ta-qala lbn Qutayba hunna 'l-sawdl.rir yanJuthna ayy yattulna idha sal.rarna
ua-raqagnd. QaIa al-Zajjaj, yattulna bi-la rtq ka-annahu natkh; wa-qdla lbn al-
Anbdri: qdla'l-Iughauiyyin: tatstr natatha nalakha naJkhan laysa rna'ahu riq...'
What is the meaning of this ritualistic blowing on hands and the

rubbing of parts of the body with them and in what way are these acts
instrumental in rendering the protective verses effective? By 'blowing'
(nafth) and rubbing (mash), explains al-Tirmidhr, the blessing contained
in the verses reaches the entire body: "For it behooves him who recites
these Stras that their light and blessing should reach his body. He cannot
make it reach it in any other way."66 But firstly, and prominently, it is
through the breath that this blessing is transmitted. For there are two
types of breathing, says al-Tirmidhr. There is the breath that comes
from the spirit (ruh) and there is the breath that comes from the lower-
self (ncfs). The two can be easily distinguished: the former is cool, while
the latter is hot. It is by means of 'blowing'
out through the lips
- when the air is breathed
that the air emanating from the spirit spreads the
-
blessing of the protective verses and words throughout the body. This
cool, spiritual breath cleanses the body outwardly and inwardly and, in
doing so, prepares the soul (ndr [t]) to ascend to God during sleep.67
Here is the explanation in al-Tirmidhr's own words:
Forearlycommentarieson Sirat al-Jalaq, seeLecker, "TheBewitchingof theProphet

Mulrammad," Al-Qantara f 3 (1992): 564f; see also the discussion and references in
Y. Zoran, art. cit. p. 35f. Note that al-Haklm al-Tirmidhl himself, in this very
chapter of lhe Nauad,ir, does not shy away from interpreting the Qur'anic nafrathat
in the following way: "the magician ties [a knot] and 'blows' and by [doing] so s/he
places a spell on the limbs of the one against whom s/he aims" ya'qidu
-/a 'l-safiir p. 321,
wa-yanfuthu wa-yu'akhkhidhu bihd a'da'a man yaqgid,uhu bi-dhalika
l. 2l= vol. 2, p, 215,1. 13]. For the distinction between naJth and -seenalkh-a
distinction that probably suggests that natth denotes 'exhaling with a discharge of
spittle' whereas nclclr simply denotes'exhaling,' see al-Qurlubr, al-Jami' li-alkatn
al-Qur'an (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1415/1995), part 20, p. 231: wa-qdla Ibn Juragj,
qultu lilAld': al-Qur'an yunlakhu bihi au yunJathu?... ual-llakitn baynahurnd al-
sunna- qalat'A';sha: inna al-nabigy kano yanfithu lt 'l-ruqya lll
66 Nawadir, p.
319, ll, 28-29 [= vol. 2, p. 213, ll. S-9]: li-annahu yanbaght min
q;ra'd hadhihi al-suuar an gaqila ila 'l-jasad nuruha wa-barakatuhd, wa-ld yaqdiru
'ald 'l-iEaI iUa b;-rnithl; hadhd,
67 Contrary to al-Tirmidhr's pervasive use of the term nals to designate the adverse
and repugnant aspect of man's psyche, it is obvious that here, in the context of the
ascension to the Throne, he is referring to a noble entity, In fact, in the passages
which follow the above citation, and basing himself on Qur'en 39:42- "God takes
the souls (al-antus) at the time of their death, and that which has not died, in its
sleep; He withholds that against which He has decreed death, but looses the other till
a stated term." equates onlus (souls, pl. of ncls) with aruaft (spirits,
pl. of ruf)-see-al-Tirmidhr
Nauddir,l. 32f [= vol. 2, p. 2f 6, ll.6-7]; cf. Kitab al- yalat, p. l5l:
ja'alahu ruhdn;yyan natsiyyan jama'a lahu al-rtf wal-nats Ji jaul walyid ya'rnaldni
bi-fiayd,tayni ua-quuwatayni wa-tadbtrayni'ubidata 'Ilah. Wa-tt al-manarn takhruju
ildahurna hiya 'l-naJs li-tu'ayina wa-tushahida akhbar al-malakft ti'l-ghaub thum.ma
tarji'u ila 'l-rufi ual-'aql bi-tilka 'l-akhbdr min al-bishcra made man an entity
of spirit and psyche. He placed the two together in one hollow - 'rHebody and there they
operate with two vitalities, two energies, and two orders by way of worshipping God.
Then, during sleep, one of the two, the nals , goes out in order to see and witness the
affairs in the hiddenness of the divine Kingdom. The nols then returns to the spirit
and the mind, carrying with her the messages of these affairs."
228 Sara Suiri
When a man says c61' 68 the air emerges cool from the cool-
ness of the spirit; when he says 'hah' the air emerges warm
from [the warmth] of the lower-self (ncls).6e The former is
[named] 'blowing' (nafth), the latter is [named] 'exhalation'
(nafkha). This is so because the spirit resides in the head
whence it spreads to the rest of the body. The lower-self re-
sides in the cavity [of the body] (botn) whence it [too]spreads
to the rest of the body. Each one of these two is endowed
with life which the body employs in movement. The spirit is
heavenly and the lower-self earthly. The spirit is fashioned
upon obediencd whereas the nols is fashioned upon appetites.
When [a man]joins his lips, the spirit is squeezed in its abode.
Then, when he intends to let it out, [the air] with its coolness
exits through his lips. This [act] is [called] 'blowing' (nafth).
[However], when he opens his mouth [in breathing] the ncls
is squeezed, and when [the air is] let out, it exits as hot wind.
The above tradition talks of 'blowing' (nafth) because the

spirit is faster than the nals in responding to the light of
these words. . . By means of blowing into the palms, the spirit
carries to them a puff of air that has encountered the lights
of these words with which the chest has been illumined and
ignited. . . 70 For each of these words, as well as each of their
letters, is endowed with light. When [the Prophet] blew,
air from the spirit] reached his palms with which he [then]
rubbed [first] his face and the exposed parts ofhis body and
[subsequently] any part that he could reach... The [distinc-
tion between diflerent] grades of 'blowing' depends on the
light of the heart and the measure of the [inner] knowledge of
these [sacred] words that the blower [has attained].7l When
one performs this bodily (bi-jasadihi) while retiring to bed
he is like a man bathing in the purest and best of water. All
the more so when you consider [that he is like] a man bathing
in the lights of the words of God! [He] also resembles a gar-
ment shaken of all dust, cleansed of all thorns and cleared of
68 See above, note 65.

6eCf. Na5m al-Dfn Kubre, Fawd'if, al-jamdl, pp. 68-9, $143, where Kubrd. at-
tributes to Sahl al-Tustarr (d. 283/896) the distinction between two types of sighing:
c-lr, which is, he says, "the name of God,tt versus a/c[, which is "the name of Satant'
a sigh that is accompanied by spitting.
-
70 Fa-adda al-rufi ild al-kafiagni bi-dhalika al-nafth rtl.ran qad bdsharat anutdr al-
qadr allati andrathd tilka al-kalimat ua-ash'alatha-p. 320, ll. 8-9 [- vol. 2, p.
2t3,ll.23-251
7r Fa-tufawut at-nafathdt min ahliha'ala qadr nur qulnbihim ua:ilmihim bi-tilka
al-kalimdt-p. 32O, ll. 13-14 [= vol. 2, p. 2f 4' l. 5].
Words of Power and, the Power of Words 229
all foul smells so that it becomes as good as new. Thus [this
man's] soul goes out to God in his sleep... 72
The above description and interpretation makes it obvious that, for
al-Tirmidhr, the act of 'blowing' complements and reinforces the con-
templative act spoken of above. Visualizing with the eyes of the fu'ad
the 'lights' of the words and letters, when these are reflected upon the
empty chest, allows for attaining the mystical knowledge that makes
these words effective. Then, emitting through the lips the cool breath
that comes from the spirit that heavenly, obedient and fast-moving
-
'energy' which resides in the head-helps in transferring the blessing
and power of these 'lights' to all available parts of the body. The physical
body together with its subtler, inner parts is thus envisaged as a coordi-
nated, complex unit. With this body-psyche complex man is called upon
to perform several ritualistic acts: to pronounce with his tongue the sa-
cred formulae and verses, to 'blow'through his lips on his open hands, to
rub with his hands over exposed parts of his body, and to visualize with
the eyes of his heart the inner 'lights'of words and letters. All these acts
prepare for the ascension of the purified soul to the heavenly Throne, in
front of which it will prostrate, thus completing the multi-layered ritual
by performing the ultimate act of submission in God's proximity.
IX. The Ascent of Perfect Words

The soul, according to al-Tirmidhr, is not the only entity to make the
ascent to the divine realms. Also words and letters, when purely pro-
nounced and when mystically contemplated, ascend to God. In The
Ends of Prayer he writes,
When one recites the Qur'an [one should bear in mind that]
every word has an 'external visual appeatance' (tara'in za-
hfr) and [that] every letter in the word has an'inner visual
appearance' (tara'in batin). By this [inner] 'visual appear-
. ance' his heart travels to the Master of Wisdom (fa-rakiba
qalbuhu bi-dhaliks 'I-tara'r ila waliyg al-hikma), for letters
are the vehicle (markab) of the [visualized] 'meanings' which
the word contains.T3
Al-Tirmidhr describes the ascent of sacred words with the rich vo-
cabulary and the poetic imagery that remind one of the Hekhalot liter-
ature. Indeed, al-Tirmidht's corpus is replete with passages that raise
comparative questions, especially vis-ir,-vis Jewish mystical texts of the
T2Nawddir, p. 320 ll. 14-17
[= vol. 2, p. 214, ll. 6-9] and see Appendix no.
10. For the tradition according to which the soul ascends to God during sleep, see,
e.g. al-fabarr, Jam;' al-bayan (19541t373), vol. 24, pp. 8f (commentary to Qur'an
39:42).
73 Kitab al-Ealat, p. 14
230 Sara Suiri
pre-Islamic eras (see, in particular, Appendix, no. 11).74 These, however,

are beyond the scope of the present paper.75
Primary among the perfect words is, no doubt, the la ilaha illa 'llah,
known, according to the Prophet's amplification of Qur'en 48:26, a,s kali-
mat al-taqwd, 'The Word of Godfearing.'76 The following passage which
describes the ascent of this sacred formula is culled from a collection of
short texts titled "Esoteric Questions" (al-masa'iI al'maknuna):
God has said, "O believers, fear God, and speak words hitting
the mark, and He will set right your deeds for you and will
forgive you your sins" (Qur'an 33:70-1). God created man,
then He bestowed His grace upon the people [who are under]
His compassion (rahma) and He revived their hearts. And
He gave them light and opened the eyes oftheir hearts to His
light, and by this light they contemplated Him and placed
their confidence in Him. And they made this light radiate
from their chests by a formula (kalima), which is made of
Ietters (or: syllables, huruf), each of which has a [spiritual]
meaning. This formula is lo ilaha illa 'llah, each letter of
which has power and light. When it is pronounced by the
mouth [of my servant] the air of the aspirated breath comes
forth with a sound that reaches the ears, but everything else
is obscured from sight.
When this formula ascends to God and enters the gates of
heaven, like lightning it expands in the air to the right and
to the left, and its rays and sparks pierce through the sphere
of heaven and through the sphere of illiyyin7T and ascends
to the column [supporting] the Throne. It rends open the
74
For comparative studies on Jewish mystical literature in early Islam and Late
Antiquity, see, e.g. D. Halperin, The Faces oJ the Chariot, Appendix II: "Islamic
Reflections of Merkabah Traditions," pp. 467-490; also S. Wasserstrom, "Sefer Yeqira
and Early Islam: a Reappraisal," Journal oJ Jewish Thought and Philosophy a (f SsS):
1-30; note, however, Liebes's critique, in particular of wasserstrom's linguistic thesis
concerning Seler Yezira - see Ars Poetica: 234f'
75 On the ascent of letters in Jewish mysticism, see Idel, "Reification of Language,"
pp. 66ff; for the mystical ascent of the soul to the heavenly realms during prayers and
invocations, see Janowitz, The Poetics ol Ascent (1989)-passim.
76See Naud,dir, ch.287 pp. 416-420
[= vol. 2' pp' 410-413]; cf' also ibid' ch. 254,
pp. 336-7 [- vol. 2, pp.246-249]i also idem, 'Ilm al'auliyd!, p. l4O et passim. For
the haitith, reported in the name of Ubayy b. Ka'b, "I heard the Prophet say, 'Enjoin
upon them the Word of Godfe aring' ld ildha illa 'lldh," see Wensinck, Concordance,
vol. 6, p. 58. For the term kalimat- al-ikhlag, see Abu Hatim al-Rezl, Kitdb ol'ztna,
vol. 1, p. 149
77On'Illiyyun,seeEI2, vol.3,pp. 1132-33(R'Paret);seealso Sirat al'auligo',p-
1S, $35 (= Radtke and O'Kane, The Concept o! Sainthooil, pp.68-9). For a detailed
discussion of this heavenly location, see Amir-Moezz\ The Divine Guide in Early
Shi'ism, pp. 38fl.
Words of Power and the Power of Word,s 23I
heavenly veils till it stands in front of the Compassionate One
at the halting place (mawqif) from which God bestowed His
grace upon his servant. From this place God accepts man's
goodness and forgives his wrongdoing, from here He protects
him, and from here He brings him close to Himself. He who
has the greatest portion of God's acceptance, forgiveness,
and protection, he has [also] the greatest portion of light in
his chest.78
Finally, all these acts are rewarded with imminent success and bless-
ing. That these are bestowed on both soul and body during the life-time
of the performer of this ritual, is made clear in the following passage:
Whoever performs this act regularly upon retiring to bed sees
an evident benefit in his body and in the rest of his affairs.
For the soul, by reading this Srlrc [!], ascends to God in her
'sleep blessed, purified, cleansed and free
of idolatry. In this
form, having bathed in these [purifying]things (i.e., 'words'),
she prostrates beneath the Throne. There she attains God's
gifts and generosity, which she takes back to the body as a
bountiful goodness and a healing plenty.Te
X Conclusi,on
To conclude, I shall list in broad headings the principles upon which al-
tlakrm al-Tirmidhr's mystical linguistics is based:
Words are not human constructs but God-given-language is part
of the divine governance and order by which human cognition of cre-
ated things is enabled. The word that names a thing is closely linked
to the essence, or tcore,' of that thing, hence, to know the name of a
thing is to know the thing itself. The sounds or letters that make up a
word, accessed by external sensory organs (ears, eyes, touch), are con-
tainers (qawali,b) of subtle substances, or energies, known as 'lights' or
tmeanings,'which cannot be directly accessed by the sensory organs.
Mystical knowledge is the knowledge of these 'lights' that words and
'things' contain-hence, mystical knowledge is the knowledge of 'the
thing in itself'; it can equally be said to be the knowledge of the essence,
or core, of a word or a thing.
78 Mas'ala no. 57, p. 115; cf.'IIm al-auliya',134-5-see Appendix, no. 11.
7e
fa-man ittokhadha hddhd al-fr't'indamd, ya'wt ila fird,shihi'ddatan ra'd al-naJ'
al-4ahir tt jasadihi ua-sd'ir urnarihi li'anna al-naJs ta'ruju ild alldh tt mandmihd
ma'a'l-baraka wa'l-lahara wa'l-nazdha wa'l-takhallug min al-shirk bi-qird'at
hddh;hi 'l-Sara [!] fa-tasjudu tahta 'Uarsh wa-higt bi-hddhihi al-giJa qad ishtasalat
bi-hddhih; 'I-achy6' ta-tandlu min hiba' alldh wa-kardmatihi md torji'u bihi ila 'I-
jasdd bil-khagr al-kathir wa'l-mazid (9) al- shafi-Nowddir, p. 321, ll, 3-7 [= vol.
2,p,215, ll. 15-19].
232 Sara Suiri
Mystical knowledge is attained through an inner faculty of ,seeing,

by which the 'lights'contained in words and things are accessed. For
this faculty to function, man, in addition to his external sensory organs,
has been divinely endowed with subtle inner organs.
Inner 'seeing' takes place in the cavity of the chest, but only when
the chest is empty and clear of obstructions. The main obstruction to
inner 'seeing'comes from a turbid, cloudy energy, or ,wind,'emanating
from 'desires' and earthly attractions.
Linguistic elements become empowered by inner ,seeing,: when a
word, or a sacred formula, is intrinsically ,seen, and ,known,' its inner
'lights' are externalized and it becomes powerful and efficacious. It is
then said to have'ascended' to God and to have been pronounced in front
of God's Throne. The process, or ritual, by which linguistic formulae be-
come empowered, involves the coordination of the practitioner's bodily,
psychic, mental and spiritual faculties. It is empowered language, lan_
guage that has ascended to the Throne, that attracts the divine response
and that brings the sought for rescue, remedy, and blessing.
These principles, inasmuch as they lie at the foundation of al-Tir-
midhr's mystical linguistics, are also at the foundation of his teaching
concerning 'holy men.' Indeed, for him the phenomenon of wilaya is
bound up with-in fact, it is defined by-the mystical knowredge that
stems from the inner 'seeing' of words and names.E' It is by means of
this 'seeing' that the man of God, the wah, can gain knowledge of the
essence of 'things'-be they terrestrial, psychological, or celestial; be
they primordial, eschatological or present. Language and wilaya arc,
therefore, intrinsically bound up. And from this bond stems 3,ne6hs1
nexus: that of existence (ontology), knowledge (epistemology), and be_
ing; namely, for the wah,, the knowledge of existence and existents is not
distinguished from his state of being. He is, therefore he knous; and the
higher in the hierarchy of being he is, the clearer and truer his knowl-
edge of 'existence' becomes. Equq,lly, the truer his knowledge, the more
potent the words he employs.
8ocf. Ibn al-'ArabT, at-Fufifat al-marckiyya, vol. 3, ch.

26 (!r ma'riJat aqldb ar-
rurniz), p. 2O4, gl7}l ua-hadha 'l-,ilm gusdmma ,ilm al-auiiya, wo-b;h; io4haru
a'ydn al-ka'indt... wa-min hadha ja,ala al-Ilakim at-Tirmidht ,ilm al-auliya,; zlso
idem, .I(irdb al-mtm wal-wdw wal-n1n, p. l0Z.
Appendix
(1)On Reciting Surat al-ikhtaq (112)-Nawadir, ch. 93, p. 131 [=

Beirut 1992, uol. 1, P- 28ll:
ln the name of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him: One day [when
I was sick] the Prophet came to visit me. He said: "I ask that 'God,
the One, the Most Elevated, who does not beget nor is begotten, whom
nothing equals' may protect you from the evil that you find [yourself
ir]." He repeated this seven times, and, before departing, said: "you
cannot [use] for protection anything [that is] better than this; he who
uses it is asking [God's] protection by means of [a formula] that equals
a third of the Qur'an [and that is] in accord with Allah who is pleased
with it for Himself."
(2) On the Efficacy of Surat Ya Srn (36) - Nawadir ch. 253, p. 335-6
r-
L-L ?eirut, 1990 uol. II, p. 244-2161
(Passages from the chapter titled "The Qur'a1 resembles a bag of musk" )
Mut ammad b. Marwan reported in the name of Ab[ Ja'far: "He

who finds spite (sau.r'o) in his heart, let him write Ya Sin with saffron
in a bowl, then drink it..."
In the name of Hiltl b. al-Salt concerning Ab[ Bakr al-Siddrq who
said: The Prophet said: "The Stra Yc ,Sln is named in the Torah al-
mu'imma. He was asked: What does al-mu'imma mean? He said: It
brings together (tu,immu) for him who recites it the goodness of this
world, wards off its tribulations, and protects him against the horrors
of the next. It is also called the Protective and Provider (al-mudafi'a
al-qadiya): it protects the reciter from all things and provides him with
all his needs. Reciting it equals twenty pilgrimages; Iistening to it equals
[the charity] of one thousand din5rs [spent] for God's sake.
When one
writes it then drinks it, it gives his body a thousand cures and a thousand
Iights and a thousand [measures] of certitude, blessing' and mercy, and
he is spared all kinds of malice and illness."
In the name of Anas: The Prophet said: "Everything has a heart
and the heart of the Qur'an is Ya sin. He who recites it is reckoned as
having recited the Qur'an ten times." [Ab['Abdallah explainsl As the
heart is the commander of the body, so Ya sin is the commander of the
rest of the Stras and it embraces the whole of the Qur'an.
234 Sara Suiri
The Book of God contains one Slra that is named Mighty (al-'azrza) ,
and he who recites it is named Noble (ol-sharrf). On the Day of Resur-
rection it will intercede for its reciter more than ffor the tribes of] Rabr'a
and Mudar. This is Strat Ya .9[n.81
(3) fhe Prophet's Prayer-Nawadir, ch. 80, pp. 120-21 [= uol. 2,

pp. 263-641
The Prophet used to pray thus: "Oh God, may you keep me away from
despicable deeds, qualities, appetites, and ailments" (allahumma, jan-
nibni munkarat al-a'mal wal-akhlaq wal-ahwa' wal-adwa'). And also
thus: "I take refuge in You from the calamities of time and from unfore-
seen malice" (a'udhu bika min bawa'iq al-dahr wa-faj'ati al-niqam).
(\ Al-harndu Ii 'llah-Nqwadir ch. 171, pp. 215-16 [=uol. 2, 10-11]:
The formula 'Praise be to God' (al-hamdu Ii 'llah) is one of 'the abiding

righteous things' (al-baqiyat aI-salihat) alluded to in Qur'an 18: 46 (also
19: 76). In a tradition reported in the name of Anas, the Prophet said:
"He who is given the world and then is given this 'word' (kalima) and
pronounces it, [will find that] it is superior to the whole world, as the
world perishes and the word abides." 82
(5) The Five Words-I{itsb al-1alat, pp. 160-161:
Man was given five words (&alirnat) lthat act] as translators (tarjama) of
the treasures of Oneness (tawhtd)-they arc: subl.tana 'llah, al-hantdu
Ii 'llah, la ildha illd 'Ilah, allahu akbar and tabdraka 'llah. [He was
given these words] so that his tongue should pronounce [the Oneness of
61 For the efficacy of Yd Stn, see Ibn al-'Arabl's account of his marvelous recovery
thanks to his father's recitation of this stra in Addas, Quest tor the Red Sulphur,
p.20.
62C1. Mas'ala, Ms. Chester Beatty, f. 8Ob, ll. 2-7: sa'alta 'an
laqiqat bi-
bismi 'llah ta-inna 'l-dunga kulluha samm,.. fa-biemi 'llah yu'khadhu al-samm hattii
Iii yalrrrahr... wa-bil-famdi lilldh yakhruju 'l-'ibod ild 'lldh'an wabaliha fa-qad
khafiata 'lldh'an al-'ibad wo-a'|dhum kalimatoyni wofiratayni ta'khudhu 'l-dungd
kullaha bi-kalima udlida ta-taslamu min sammihd wa-fitnatihd... bil-lamdi li 'llahl
see also Nawddir, p. 41O.
God] an-d so that, through his tongue, the lights [contained in them] be
ignited.s3
(Q fhe Words of Pledge (kalimat al:ahd) p.

-Nawadir, ch. 17/1, 917
[= ool. 2, 19-11]:
Concerning the formula that is pronounced as an affirmation of the wor-
shipper's pledge ('ahd) of faithfulness to God. It is said to have the
following result: he who recites it at the end of the ritual prayer will be
written by an angel in a special sealed book and be reckoned in the Day
of Resurrection as one of the People of the Pledge (ahl al-'uhud). BV
this writ he will be protected in the day of reckoning. This is what he
recites by way of making a pledge:
Alldhumma falir al-samswat wal-ard'alim al-ghayb wal-shahada al-
rcl.tmdn al-rahtm inni a'hadu ilayka fi hadhihi 'l-fiayat al-dunya an-
naka anta sllah Ia ilaha illa anta wahdaka lA sharika laka wa-anna Mu-
hammadan'abduka wa-rasuluka fa-Ia takiln[ ila nafst, fa-innaka in takilnn
ila nafsi tuqarribnt min ai-sharr wa-tubA'idni mina -l-khagr wa-innt la
athiqu illd bi-rahmatika fa-j'al ral.tmataka l[ 'ahdan'indaka tu'addzhi ila
yawm al-qiyama innaka la tukhlifu J-m{ad.
Oh, God, Creator of heavens and earth, He who knows the hidden
and the manifest, the Merciful the Compassionate. I submit to you my
pledge [that] throughout this life [I shall affirm] that you are God and
that there is no god but You alone with no partner, and that Muhammad
is your servant and messenger. May You not submit me to my lower-
self, for, if You submit me to my lower-self, You set me close to evil and
far off from goodness. I do not trust [anything] but Your Mercy; keep,
therefore, Your Mercy with You as a pledge to be brought out to me in
the Day of Resurrection, for You do not go back on your promise.
Ab[ 'Abdalleh [al-Hakim al-Tirmidhr ] explicates that he who pro-
nounces these words adorns himself with a pledge of complete trust in
God. He uses these words throughout his earthly life as a deposit en-
trusted to God, for he places his hope and expectation in Him alone.
And God in His generosity will not fail him. This is confirmed by a
tt.
Qu'6nic verse: . . having no power of intercession save these who have
taken with the All-Merciful covenant" (Qur'dn 19: 87).
Ab[ 'AbdallSh goes on to say that to take a pledge of sincerity and
faithfulness concerning the lo ilaha illa '/la7r means that, in relation to
Ea
For the use of these formulae in early Shicism and for the teaching of the Shi'ite
Imams, according to which the knowledge of these sacred formulae marks the superi-
ority of man over the angels, see Amir-Moezzi, The Diuine Guide, p, 35 and p. 164
note 189.
236 Sara Suiri
all worldly or otherworldly things, the worshipper's heart will not rely
upon anything but God.8a
(7) fhe Secret of the Ten Words [pronounced] after prayer Nawadir
ch. 175, pp. 217-8 [= uol. II, pp. 1/1-1i]: -
These are the ten formulae that should be pronounced at the end of
the canonical prayer; five of them relate to this world and five to the
world-to- come:
Hasbr 'llahu li-dtni As for my religion,
God suffices me
lIasbl'llahu li-dunyaya As for my worldly life,
God sufices me
Hasbt 'llahu lima As for what bothers
ahamrnan[ me, God suffices me
Hasbr 'llahu liman As for he who wrongs me,
bagha'alayya God suffices me
Hasbt 'llahu li-man As for he who envies me,
hasadant God suffices me
Hasbr 'llahu li-man As for he who maliciously
kadani bi-su' tricks me, God suffices me
Hasb['llahu'inda'I-mawt At death, God suffices me
Hasbt 'Ilahu'inda At the questioning of
'l-musa'ala fi 'l-qabr the grave, God suffices me
Hasbt 'llahu'inda 'l-mrzan At the Scales, God suffices me
Hasbt 'llahu'inda 'l-q[ra[ On the Path, God suffices me
These ten formulae culminate with an additional one that brings
together the worshipper's notion of God's oneness with his attitude of
complete surrender: Hasbi 'llahu la ilaha iIIa huwa'alayhi tawakkartu wa-
ilayhi untbu - God suffices me, there is no God but He, on Him I rely and
to Him I return. The element connecting these formulae-hasbz ,llahu,
"God suffices me" (Qur'an 9:129 and 3g:88) Abraham,s un-
compromising faith when, thrown into the fire,-reflects
he rejected all help, even
when this was offered by the angel Gabriel, insisting, *God is sufficient
to me." Consequently, God ordered the fire to ,,be coolness and safety
on Abraham" (Qur'an 21:69) . Hence, these words become a token of
complete reliance on God.85
84Cf. K;tab al-qalat,
"Hadtth al-bara,at,,'pp. ZSfi; for the concept of bcro'c (as
"acquittance"), see Kister, "Sha'b6n is my month," p. 26, note 49; on the pagan
notion of 'ahd in similar contexts, cf. Edward westermarck, pagan suruiuals oJ
Mohammedan Ciuilisation (London: MacMillan & Co, f9$), pp. 88ff.
85see
Quf al-qulib, ch. b, pp. 2O-21; cf. al-Ghazih, Il.zya, ,ulom al-dzn, vol. l,
p.418 (du'a' Ma'rut aI-I{arkht).
(8) Words of Deliaerance, Forgiueness and Instruction-

Nawadir ch. 177, p. 219 [= uol. II, 17-18]:
'Abdallah b. Ja'far said: The messenger of God used to say; "Teach
your dying [to recite] la ilaha illa 'Ilah al-halzm al-karrm subhana 'llahi
rabbi, 'I-samawat al-sab' wa-rabb aI-'arsh aI-'a4tm al-harndu li 'llahi rabbi
'l-'alamzn. He was asked: And what is its effect (literally: how is it) on
the living? He said: Better by far.86
Ahl al-bayt call these formulae "words of deliverance" and they pro-
nounce them in supplication when they face calamities and misfortunes.
It wa.s reported in the name of 'Ah, may Alld,h honour his face, that he
had transmitted [the following] in the name of the Prophet: "Have I not
taught you words that, if you recite them, your sins will be absolved and
you will be forgiven? [These are] la ilaha illa 'llahu 'l:a4rm, la ilaha illa
'llahu -I-halirn al-kartm, subl.tana 'llahi rabbi 'l-samawat wa-rabbi 'l-'arsh
al-'aztm, al-ftamdu li 'llahi rabbi 'llalamtn.
(9) What One Says before Retiring to Sleep Nawadir, Chapter

-
aol' II, 212]:
246, PP. 319 [:
In the name of 'Aqrl in the name of Ibn Shihab in the name of 'Urwa
in the name of 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her: Every night
when the Prophet retired to bed he would join his palms, then he would
blow on them and [as it were] recite from them: "Say: He is God, One"
(Qur'an 112:1) and "Say: I take refuge with the Lord of the Daybreak"
(Qur'an 113:1) and "Say: I take refuge with the Lord of men" (Qur'an
114:1), Then he would rub his hands over every possible part of his
body, starting with his head and face and any other exposed part ofhis
body, and he would repeat it three times.
Mdlik reported in the name of Ibn Shiheb in the name of 'Urwa in the
name of 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her: Whenever the prophet
sufered [an illness], he would recite for himself the protective [verses]
al-mu'awwidhcf 87-and would blow [on his hands]. When his pain was
-
too strong, I would recite them for him and would rub him with his [own]
hand seeking the blessing [contained in it].
In the name of Ylnus in the name of al-Zuhrr in the name of 'Urwa in
the name of 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her: When the prophet
retired to bed he would blow on his palms while reciting (literally: in
E6
For canonical traditions on talqin al-mayyit bi-ld ilaha illd 'ltdh, see Wensinck,
Concord,ance,vol. 6, p. 296.
87For the definition
"asking refuge in God is to enter into His shelter and sanctu-
ary" al-isti'adha bi-'llah dukhnl ti ma'manihi ua-fiaramihi, see Nauadir ch. 219,
p. -
257.
238 Sara Suiri
reciting) "Say, He is God, One" as well as the two protective Slras and
he would then rub with them his face, his arm, his chest and whichever
part of his body they reached. When he suffered an illness, he would tell
me to do this for him. I would say, 'Give me your palms and I shall rub
you with them for their blessing.' Yflnus said, "I used to see Ibn Shihab
do likewise whenever he retired to bed."
In the name of Ziyed b. Sa'd [transmitting what] Ibn Shiheb had
reported to him in the name of 'Urwa in the name of 'A'isha, may Allah
be pleased with her: "Whenever the Prophet suffered [an illness], he
would blow on himself while reciting (literally: in) the protective verses
and would then rub himself with his hands. Then, when he suffered
the illness of which he died, I would blow [on his hands] while reciting
(literally: in) the protective verses and would then rub him with his
hands."
$0) fhe Ascent of the Spirit - Nawadir ch. 2/6 [: aol 2,

pp. 215-2161:
It has been reported in the name of 'Abdallah b. 'Umar, may God have
pleasure with both [father and son]: "The spirits in sleep ascend to God.
That which is pure prostrates in front of the Throne and that which is
impure prostrates from a distance (literally: distanced). This is why it
is recommended that a man should not sleep unless in a state of purity."
Ab[ 'AbdallAh [al-Hakim al-Tirmidhr] says: 'Abdallah b. 'Umar in his
tradition refers to spirits (arwah) though it is the souls (cnlus, pl. of
nols) [that ascend in sleep]... [In fact] that which exits during sleep is
the soul, as God has said, "God takes the souls (al-anfus) at the time
of their death, and that which has not died, in its sleep; He withholds
that against which He has decreed death, but looses the other till a
stated term" (Qur'en 39:42). [It has been reported] in the name of Ab[
al-Darda', may God be pleased with him: "The souls ascend to God
in their sleep. That which is pure prostrates beneath the Throne and
that which is impure prostrates from a distance and that which is defiled
its prostration is prohibited." Abu 'Abdallah says: If from the purity
of ablution he attains the proximity of the Throne, how much more so
when he arrives in a state of purity having been bathed and cleansed
and purified by the lights of God's words that reverberate in his chest
and from which he has blown (nafatha) on his body. Such a prostration
has, indeed, a tremendous weight with God.
(II) The Ascent of Ia ilaha illa 'llah-'Ilm al- auliya',

pp. 13/-5:
... la ilaha iUa 'llah-a formula that, if it were to carry the heavens
and the earths, it would crush them into thin dust; a formula whose
sound adorns the earth; a sound in which the hills and valleys and
deserts and [open] spaces take pride. . . ; a formula which pierces through
the celestial air, which pierces through the heavenly seas, which pierces
through the rows of Cherubim (karibiyynn) and the rows of Spiritual Be-
ings (rfioniyyun); which pierces through the seas of fire; which pierces
through the seas of darkness; which pierces through the seas of snow
and the seas of hail; a formula which pierces through the veils of reve-
lations and the veils of holiness and the veils of lightning and the veils
of rubies. . . and the veils of precious stones, and the veils of pearls, and
- it does not stop
the veils of flame piercing through one veil after an-
other till it reaches the veil of awe (mahaba). A formula that pierces
through all these veils and through the spaces and deserts of light [that
lie] between them till it stands in front of our Lord, the Lord of Power
(rabb al-'izza) and its voice and echo reverberate around the Throne. A
formula invested with power and authority with which it pierces through
these veils, with which it traverses through these open spaces faster than
a flash of lightning, faster than the twinkle of the eye, till it stands with
a roar and a sound in its place by the Throne of the Merciful One. And
when the angels hear this roaring sound they raise their voices around
the Throne, all the angels who surround the Throne and the angel whose
name is Spirit (ruh) [!] They raise their voices in glorification, praise,
jubilation, sanctification and supplication. They say: Praise be to Thee,
who is sublime in Power, who is sublime in Majesty, who is sublime in
Exaltation. There is no God but Thee. Forgive this one who pronounces
[this formula]. Protect him from the tribulation of Hell and carry him
into the Garden which You have allotted for him-for him and for his
fathers and spouses and offspring, for You art Mighty and Wise.88
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JERUSALEM STIJDIES Ii{

Words of power and the power of words

THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM

"The whole world is a book whose letters are His word"

In the Judaee'Islamic tradition language is the divine instrument of

l. Words of Power between magic and mysticism

Throne comprises the heavens and earth. ., He is the All-

Clearly, the purpose of this cluster of traditions, as of many others

II. To know 'the thing itself '

Nowhere in his work does al-Tirmidhr offer a systematic discourse of

And if an inquirer asks, 'whence this [knowledge]?' he is [to

reOnthesuperiorityof Arabic,see,e.g.,'Ilmal-awtiya', 115f; cf. AboHatimal-

Then He said [to the angels], "...'Now tell me the names

[It comprises of] the science of primordiality ('ilm al-bad'),

ofthe friends (kubara' al-awliya') and from them it is passed

l1I. Deciphering the Divine Code

In al-Tirmidhf's system, one aspect of the process of 'deciphering' God's

IV. KUN and God's 'Perfect Words'

sCf. Appendix, no. 7.

Y. Seeking Refuge in God from God

11' visualizing and actiuating words: the contempratiue way of rcnowzng

Then God singled out the believers by [conferring on them]

VIII ?ie Breath: 'Blowing'on Hands

What is the meaning of this ritualistic blowing on hands and the

Forearlycommentarieson Sirat al-Jalaq, seeLecker, "TheBewitchingof theProphet

The above tradition talks of 'blowing' (nafth) because the

68 See above, note 65.

IX. The Ascent of Perfect Words

pre-Islamic eras (see, in particular, Appendix, no. 11).74 These, however,

Mystical knowledge is attained through an inner faculty of ,seeing,

8ocf. Ibn al-'ArabT, at-Fufifat al-marckiyya, vol. 3, ch.

(1)On Reciting Surat al-ikhtaq (112)-Nawadir, ch. 93, p. 131 [=

Mut ammad b. Marwan reported in the name of Ab[ Ja'far: "He

(3) fhe Prophet's Prayer-Nawadir, ch. 80, pp. 120-21 [= uol. 2,

(\ Al-harndu Ii 'llah-Nqwadir ch. 171, pp. 215-16 [=uol. 2, 10-11]:

The formula 'Praise be to God' (al-hamdu Ii 'llah) is one of 'the abiding

(5) The Five Words-I{itsb al-1alat, pp. 160-161:

(Q fhe Words of Pledge (kalimat al:ahd) p.

(8) Words of Deliaerance, Forgiueness and Instruction-

(9) What One Says before Retiring to Sleep Nawadir, Chapter

$0) fhe Ascent of the Spirit - Nawadir ch. 2/6 [: aol 2,

(II) The Ascent of Ia ilaha illa 'llah-'Ilm al- auliya',

"On Talismanic Language in Jewish Mysticism" Diogenes

Malik, Khalid M.'Ayn al-miftah. An electronic publicationi wwn).

Sadan, D. "Mimmkha Elekha(=From You to You)," Mahanayyim 35

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