Appearance
The Levels of Receiving Words
The reception of words occurs at various levels, each defined by the nature of the words received. Sometimes, the term “word” refers to a literary sentence, whether in Arabic, Persian, or any other language. In such cases, the speaker articulates, and the listener hears and understands the conveyed mental concept. For example: “Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie” (18:5). In this context, receiving is merely the act of hearing with the ears and comprehending with the mind.
At other times, the word refers to an external essence, as previously mentioned. For instance: “Indeed, God gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary” (3:45). Here, receiving involves actual contact with the essence of the word, whether in a separate instance or within the bounds of nature and matter, regardless of the stage in which that reality manifests.
In some cases, “word” refers to the divine decree or a definitive ruling by God, as seen in: “And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured” (7:137), and “Thus the word of your Lord has come into effect upon those who defiantly disobeyed—that they will not believe” (10:34). In these instances, receiving equates to witnessing the connection with the preserved, unchanging divine tablet, which transcends mere destiny. If this lofty knowledge descends into the form of words and mental concepts, it aligns with customary understanding and is accessible to the common reception of the masses.
The term “words” is frequently used in the Noble Qur’an to refer to actual meanings and existential realities. This is evident in the divine declarations: “There is no changing the words of God” (10:64), and “The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His words” (6:115). At times, the term “word” also refers to the foundational beliefs and essential rights of Islam, as seen in: “Come to a word that is equitable between us and you” (3:64).
By understanding the different types of “words,” the modes of their reception become clear. Similarly, if the concept of comprehensive words (jawāmiʿ al-kalim) is fully explained, the nature of divine bestowal, prophetic requests, and the existential aspects of such gifts will be understood. Consequently, the profound meaning of the noble ḥadīth, “I have been given the comprehensive words,”(191) will also become clear. For one who seeks the grace of receiving, “The word of God is the highest” (9:40), it is essential to ascend to the pinnacle of spiritual exaltation and possess a share of the profound divine gnosis; otherwise, receiving such grace will not be attainable.
The key point is that the term “word” is not limited to verbal expressions with acquired meanings, nor is its reception confined to the physical and sensory ear. Some words exist without vocalization or speech, and some forms of hearing occur without the sensory ear. Amīr al-Muʾminīn, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.), spoke of the words and spirits in the intermediate realm (barzakh), stating: “Even if their traces have vanished and their news has been cut off, the eyes of insight have returned to them and the ears of intellect have heard from them, and they spoke without the means of speech.”(192)
Furthermore, regarding God’s speech and His intimate discourse with His chosen servants, he (a.s.) said: “And God, the Mighty and Sublime, has not ceased to have, in interval after interval and in times of cessation, servants whom He spoke to intimately in their thought and addressed in the essence of their intellects.”(193)
The speech that God, the Glorified, inspires within the innermost hearts of His pure and celestial servants does not require a sensory ear; similarly, its utterance does not rely on the larynx or mouth. This form of speech transcends conventional words and letters.
This sage considers those who have not engaged deeply in religious knowledge to be outside the realm of divine understanding. Those who have engaged but have not found pure demonstrative proof in all principles are seen as having entered the vestibule of religious knowledge, yet not fully acquainted with the master of the house. Those who excel in this knowledge and gather all necessary demonstrative proofs are viewed as truly acquainted with the sovereign of the house. He regards the pinnacle of such knowledge, companionship, and familiarity as the exclusive domain of the prophets, with lower degrees being the share of their true followers and sages.
Just as prophets hold different ranks, some perceive their Lord from a distance, as expressed in: “From afar, the Lord appeared to me.” Others witness their Lord up close. He states: One who lacks true realization in the knowledge of God and merely utters God’s name based on imitation or imaginary perception is, in my view, outside the house of knowledge and far removed from it.
In any case, it is possible that what has been described as Adam’s (a.s.) reception of the words encompasses both the intellectual and the sensory aspects. This is evident from the luminous statement of Imam Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.), where he said: “Then God, glory be to Him, extended His mercy to him in his repentance, met him with the word of His mercy, promised him a return to His paradise, and sent him down to the abode of tribulation and the procreation of offspring.”(194) This statement can be interpreted as covering both the angelic (malakī) and the divine (malakūtī) dimensions of Adam’s reception, particularly since, before his descent, he existed in a realm where the manifestation of offspring and the emergence of children were not concerns. This indicates that his previous realm was beyond material existence, and thus, the communication and reception of words in that realm aligned with its non-material nature.
Note:
The reception of the word of mercy mentioned in the passage from Nahj al-Balāgha aligns with God’s initial grace and is more compatible with the reading of the accusative case (naṣb) for Adam; although it does not contradict the well-known nominative case (rafʿ) reading.
If the intended meaning of “words” is existential realities, then reconciling the differences between various supplications and between seeking intercession (tawassul) and seeking healing (istishfāʿ) through the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) becomes straightforward. This means that, firstly, the variations in the narrations of supplications with different expressions can be resolved. Secondly, after resolving the differences in the ḥadīths on supplication, aligning the outcomes of those ḥadīths with seeking intercession and healing through the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.)—which have been described in other reports as receiving the words—will be feasible. If the intended meaning is simply conventional words and expressions with their mental meanings, then since the texts explain specific instances and are not exhaustive, reconciling all of them is possible. Even those narrations that interpret the received words as acts like weeping, modesty, supplication, regret, seeking forgiveness, and sorrow(195) can be included within the broader meaning.
Just as the levels of reception correspond to the ranks of the words, they are also dependent on the stations and spiritual ascensions of the recipients. Every recipient perceives the imparted speech according to the capacity of their heart: “Indeed, these hearts are vessels, so the best of them are the most capacious.”(196)