Seadet-i Ebediyye - Endless Bliss Sixth Fascicle

ceases to exist. Only, the Sôfiyya-i-’aliyya say that this existence is
wahmî (imaginary). For, those people, (i.e. the Sôfiyya-i-’aliyya,)
see nothing as they progress in a path of Tasawwuf. There is
nothing but the existence of Allâhu ta’âlâ in their sight. Scholars,
on the other hand, avoid calling those existences ‘wahmî’ because
they fear that ignorant people may misunderstand them and fall
into a state a misconception that those existences will cease to exist
when imagination ceases to exist, in the aftermath of which lurks
the horrifying danger of denying the eternal, endless torment and
felicity.
Question: By saying that things exist at a level of imagination
(wujûd-i-wahmî), the Sôfiyya argue that their existence is
imaginative and not real, although they admit that it is a perpetual
existence. Scholars say that things exist in the outside, i.e. in actual
fact. Doesn’t that mean difference between them?
Answer: Since the wujûd-i-wahmî, the appearance in
imagination, would not cease to exist if fancy and imagination
ceased to exist, it should be existent actually. For, this existence is
perpetual. It will not cease to exist if all the fancies cease to exist,
which in turn means real existence. Only, the real existence of
creatures is like non-existence, like fancy and imagination, when
compared with the real existence of Allâhu ta’âlâ, who is Wajib-ulwujûd
(indispensable existence). Hence, the two groups do not
differ.
Question: When the wujûd-i-wahmî of things is real, there will
be two real existences, which in turn is contradictory to wahdat-iwujûd.
Doesn’t wahdat-i-wujûd mean unity of existence?
Answer: Both existences are real. There are also two realities
existent: [Creator and creatures.] However, it is not in the same
respect that either existence is real. For, when a person’s image
appears in a mirror, an object does not actually exist in the mirror.
The image seen is neither on the mirror, nor in the mirror. The
image in the mirror exists in our imagination. It is a wujûd-i-wahmî
and imaginary appearance which is not a dream. It actually exists.
If a person says that he has seen, say, Ahmad in the mirror, reason
and convention will believe him. He will not be sinful if he swears
(that he has seen Ahmad in the mirror). As is seen, Ahmad is not
actually in the mirror. In respect of fancy and imagination, his
being in the mirror is real as well. However, whereas the former is
real in every respect, the latter is real with respect to fancy and
imagination. It is a marvel that fancy and imagination, which are
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