Allah's Existence/ "Arsh e Elahi"

                                  

Allah's "Arsh" is Allah's frame of time and space where Allah exists as "Ahad"/alone. This is a frame of time and space where all creations are already annihilated; that is why Allah lives in this frame of time and space as "Ahad"/ alone. 

We have already seen in my article ‘Time Travel’ that Time and space are considered as a twin and interdependent phenomenon. Time may be defined as a distance between two points in space. Simply speaking, if a person moves from point A to point B, the duration required for space travelled/ covered between points A and B may be called Time to reach from A to B. In other words, if space between A and B is expanded, the time to reach from A to B will be expanded; and if the space between A and B is contracted/ condensed, time to reach from A to B will be shortened. It means the same event (in this case moving from A to B) will require more (expanded) time to happen, if space is expanded; and the same event will require lesser time to happen, if space is condensed/ contracted.

This concept of time and space may be substantiated on the basis of Quran.

Sura al-maarij states that “Lord of the Ascending Stairways. The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him in a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years” (al-ma,arij-3,4). These stairways or gates are used by Hazrat Gabrael (as) and other angels to reach to such divine proximity from where they receive commandments from Allah, and such ascendance of angels from earth to seventh sky happens within a DAY (twenty four hours) which is actually equal to fifty thousand years on earth. It means events happen quicker on 1st sky as we move from 1st sky to upper skies; the events occurring in fifty thousand years on earth take one day/24 hours to occur on earth in seventh sky. In other words, one second spent in the seventh sky would be equal to 211.22 days spent on earth; it means the events which are seen to be happened in one second in seventh sky would happen in 211.22 days on earth. That is why Allah states: “Indeed, they see it [as] distant, But We see it [as] near”(al-ma,arij-6,7). It also explains why 'meraj' was possible only within a part of night; the events witnessed by Hazrat Muhammad (saw) during the ‘journey of meraj’, would take thousands of years to take place according to earth time. It also explains return of Hazrat Masih (as) from an upper sky (i.e. fourth sky) to earth as much a young man as he was at the time of his exaltation - he would have stayed in the upper sky for a short period of time, but events happened in that short period  would have taken thousands of years passed on earth. (for details plz see my article ‘Period of Masih’s Stay in Upper Sky’).

From understanding of above mentioned Quranic verses, we may draw three conclusions. The first conclusion is because events happen quicker on earth as we move from 1^st sky to upper skies, it means space starts contracting/ condensing  as we move from seventh sky to 1^st sky. In other words, space starts expanding more as we move from 1st sky to upper skies. It means both time and space contract more on earth as we move from 1^st sky to upper skies. Thus, as we have seen through al-ma,arij-3,4, by spending a few hours in upper skies, we can see the events happening spending a few hours in upper skies, we can see events happening in future hundreds of years on earth.

It means we can draw second conclusion that mankind can travel in future time; this is what has been actually done by Hazrat Muhammad (saw) during ‘journey of Meraj’. During the short period which our Nabi (saw) spent in upper skies, he (saw) witnessed events which would require thousands of years to happen on earth; it means, ‘meraj journey’ was travel in future time.

The third conclusion is if events happening in 211.22 days on earth can be seen happening so in one second in seventh sky, from the same analogy it seems possible that all events happening from beginning to end of this world can happen in a single moment in such a frame of Time and Space which exist separately from frames of time and space of seven skies. Allah  is not bound to operate keeping within ambits of Time and Space in seven skies. Quran says about process of creation: “For to anything which We have willed, We but say the word, "Be", and it is” (al-nahl-40).  From this verse it is evident that anything which is willed by Allah happens forthwith. It is possible only in such frame of Time and Space which exists separately from frames of time and space of seven skies.

We can say that Time and space may be expanded/contracted to such a point where all events happening from beginning to end of this world may happen in a single moment of time. This testifies our Messenger's (saw) saying that Allah is done with process of creation and its allied matters; it means He is alone as all creatures are already finished.  It means Allah even at the present moment is alone; even at the present moment, He is ‘ahad’. Even at the present moment, Allah has such a frame of space and time where all the creations have already been annihilated; that is why He is alone and 'Ahad' even at present moment. That is why our sufis experience only one existence during meditation/ ‘mushahda-e-zaat’. But it does not mean that the created and the Creator are one; it only means that we experience one existence in such a frame of space and time when the creations have already been annihilated and Allah is already done with business of creations; this frame of time and space may be called Allah's frame of time and space.

 All other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies are to be perished; but Allah's frame of time and space is to continue. It does not mean Allah does not exist in other frames of time and space. Actually, Allah exists everywhere in all frames of time and space.  The difference between  Allah's frame of time and space and other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies is that Allah's frame of time and space is where Allah is alone, where all creations are already perished. Both kinds of frames of time and space (Allah's and others found in seven skies) are actually single entity but having varying degrees of contraction/expansion.

Allah’s frame of time and space is also called “Arsh e Elahi”; ‘Arsh e Elahi’ or Allah’s frame of time and space is Allah’ Dwelling where Allah exists as ‘Ahad’ but where all the events from the beginning to end of all creations, happening in all frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies, are collected; all stages and finality of all these events is recorded. A person attaining the stage of ‘Fana fillah’ and ‘Baqi billah’ is enabled to observe and feel all events recorded in “Arsh e Elahi” or Allah’s frame of time and space. Allah exists in ‘Arsh e Elahi’ as ‘Ahad’ , but it does not mean events occurring in other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies are non-existent in “Arsh e Elahi”; actually Allah is ‘Ahad’ /alone in his frame of time and space in the sense that all creations are already annihilated in Allah’s frame of time and space or in “Arsh e Elahi”.

But one day all frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies will be extinguished; all creations including human souls will be annihilated; that would be end of final stages of human journey; that would be end of ‘fana fillah’ and ‘baqi billah’ stage of human journey;  after that no human soul would be able to observe and feel events recorded in "Arsh e Elahi". after that no human soul will exist to be graced with stages of ‘fina fillah’ and ‘baqi billah’". “Everyone upon the earth will perish”(al-rahman-26). Only Allah’s ‘Arsh’/ frame of time and space will exist for ever.