Light and Darkness

Why does our world contain both so much beauty and so much suffering? What is the origin of darkness? And what role would Iblis have played in the formation of the physical world?

Since Antiquity, spiritual traditions have sought to understand the opposition between light and darkness.

Light often represents knowledge, truth and closeness to God.

Darkness symbolizes ignorance, going astray and distance from God.

But in the fifteenth Door of The Goal of the Wise, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Him is Peace) presents a much more complex conception.

Through the teachings of Mani, accounts attributed to Imam Al-Baqir and conversations with Ahmed Al-Hassan, he explores the origin of material creation and the fall of Iblis.

1. Mani, the Messenger of Light

The chapter begins by mentioning Mani, founder of Manichaeism in the 3rd century.

Mani presented himself as a messenger of light.

In Manichaean doctrine, light and darkness hold a fundamental place in the explanation of the universe.

The book reports the teaching according to which light would have been held captive in the kingdoms of darkness.

Material creation would thus be marked by the presence of these two principles.

This conception belongs to an ancient religious tradition that seeks to explain the existence of evil in the world.

2. Why is light present in matter?

According to the interpretation set out in this Door, light is indispensable to the existence of all things.

Even in a world marked by darkness, a portion of light would remain present.

The author presents this idea as an element that makes it possible to understand the complexity of creation.

Light here represents a spiritual reality and not simply a physical phenomenon. This distinction is essential: the religious notions of light and darkness must not be confused with the scientific concepts describing light radiation.

3. The account of Azazel in Umm Al-Kitab

The chapter then cites an account attributed to Imam Al-Baqir in the text Umm Al-Kitab.

In this account, Azazel receives a light that allows him to fashion creations.

But he comes to claim an authority that does not belong to him.

The High King then reminds him that this ability depends on a gift that was granted to him.

When this light is withdrawn from him, Azazel proves incapable of reproducing a comparable creation.

The account illustrates a central idea: possessing an ability does not mean being its absolute source.

Power received can become a trial when the one who benefits from it forgets its origin.

4. Did Iblis know the power of God?

The fifteenth Door reports a particularly important conversation between Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq and Ahmed Al-Hassan.

The author asks the Imam about the motivations of Iblis.

Did his opposition to Adam stem from an ignorance of God?

Ahmed Al-Hassan answers, according to the account, that Iblis possessed considerable knowledge of the divine power.

His going astray would therefore not simply be linked to a lack of knowledge.

It would have arisen from envy, from the love of power, from the desire for authority and from the ego.

This distinction is fundamental.

Great spiritual knowledge does not necessarily guarantee humility.

5. Envy and the fall of Iblis

Envy holds a central place in the explanation of the fall of Iblis.

According to the book, Iblis would have refused to accept the place granted to Adam.

His desire to keep his rank and his authority would gradually have prevailed over his obedience.

This reading highlights a paradox.

A being can recognize the existence of God while refusing to submit to His will when it contradicts his own ambitions.

The fall of Iblis thus becomes a teaching on the dangers of pride.

6. Why was Iblis called the father of creation?

The chapter also presents a particular explanation of the name of Iblis.

In a reported conversation, Ahmed Al-Hassan associates an interpretation of this name with the idea of the fatherhood of creation.

He specifies, however, that this title does not mean that Iblis would be the absolute Creator.

He would have received this name because of the place he occupied and the love the angels bore him.

This is an esoteric interpretation specific to the account, and not an established linguistic etymology.

7. Iblis and the creation of physical bodies

One of the most singular teachings of this Door concerns the origin of material bodies.

In the reported dialogue, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq asks whether Iblis took part in the creation of physical bodies.

Ahmed Al-Hassan confirms this interpretation and distinguishes material bodies from the bodies of light associated with Mohammed and his Family.

The book thus proposes a hierarchical vision of creation.

It distinguishes the luminous spiritual reality from the material manifestation.

This doctrine belongs to the religious cosmology of the book and does not constitute a scientific explanation of the origin of the human body.

8. Power without humility

The reflection on Iblis contains an important moral teaching.

The danger does not lie solely in ignorance.

It can also appear when an individual possesses considerable knowledge, responsibilities or authority.

Knowledge can become a means of serving.

But it can also feed pride when it is used to assert one's superiority.

In the account, Iblis represents precisely this drift.

His problem is not the absence of abilities, but the way he regards his own importance.

9. The inner light and human choice

The theme of light and darkness ultimately invites a personal reflection.

What are the motivations of our actions?

Are we seeking the truth or recognition?

Do we want to serve or to dominate?

Are we capable of accepting that another person receives a responsibility we would have wished to obtain?

These questions extend the account of the fall of Iblis.

They show how a cosmological doctrine can also become a teaching on human behavior.

Conclusion — Knowledge is not enough without humility

The fifteenth Door of The Goal of the Wise proposes a spiritual interpretation of material creation, of light and of the origin of darkness.

It gives an important place to Mani, to the account of Azazel and to the teachings concerning Iblis.

But its most accessible teaching perhaps concerns the relationship between knowledge and pride.

What use is it to know the truth if our ego prevents us from accepting it?

This question leads directly into the next Door, devoted to one of the greatest obstacles on the spiritual path: The Human Ego.