The Way of Illumination (The Sufi Teachi - Khan, Hazrat Inayat_0

ise and fall.
So there is a cycle of the life of the world, and the
cycle of the creation of man and his destruction, the
cycles of the reign of races and nations, and cycles of
time, such as a year, a month, a week, day, and hour.
The nature of each of these cycles has three aspects,
the beginning, the culmination and the end, which are
named Uruj, Kamal and Zaval; like, for example, new
moon, full moon, and waning moon; sunrise, zenith,
and sunset. These cycles, sub-cycles and undercycles,
and the three aspects of their nature, are
divided and distinguished by the nature and course of
light. As the light of the sun and moon and of the
planets plays the most important part in the life of the
world, individually and collectively, so the light of
the Spirit of Guidance also divides time into cycles.
And each cycle has been under the influence of a
certain Master with many controllers under him,
working as the spiritual hierarchy which controls the
affairs of the whole world, mainly those concerning
the inward spiritual condition of the world. The
Masters have been numberless since the creation of
man; they have appeared with different names and
forms; but He alone was disguised in them who is the
only master of eternity.