The Descent and the Metaphysical Barsakh Levels

Published in December 19, 2019

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

 We have received this question via an email message; we quote it here followed by our reply: (... Reading the Quran, I have not understood  how Adam and his wife descended from Paradise to earth; how did this descent occur? Did Satan descended with them or not? How? ...).

OUR REELY:

Firstly: the meaning of the descent:

1- The descent can be physical and literal; we exemplify this in the points below.

1/1: This is about Noah in the Ark: "It was said, “O Noah, descend with peace from Us; and with blessings upon you, and upon communities from those with you. And other communities We will grant prosperity, and then a painful torment from Us will befall them.”" (11:48); Noah's Ark moved amidst waves as huge as mountains: "And so it sailed with them amidst waves like mountains. And Noah called to his son, who had kept away, “O my son! Embark with us, and do not be with the disbelievers.” He said, “I will take refuge on a mountain - it will protect me from the water.” He said, “There is no protection from God’s decree today, except for him on whom He has mercy.” And the waves surged between them, and he was among the drowned." (11:42-43)

1/2: This is within the story of Moses and the Israelites during the Exodus when they passed through Sinai, Egypt: "And recall when you said, “O Moses, we cannot endure one kind of food, so call to your Lord to produce for us of what the earth grows: of its herbs, and its cucumbers, and its garlic, and its lentils, and its onions.” He said, “Would you substitute worse for better? Descend into a plain, where you will have what you asked for.”..." (2:61). Of course, as they were atop the mountainous areas of the Sinai desert, Moses told them to descend into a plain where green fields have the food items they demanded.

2- The descent can be metaphorical; i.e., the piety and reverence are shown when one prostrates and kneels during prayers offered to the Lord God, which are movements involving lowering one's head. Arrogant, disbelieving ones never do so. The descent in the sense of showing reverence is mentioned in the following Quranic verse.

2/1: "Then after that your hearts hardened. They were as rocks, or even harder. For there are some rocks from which rivers gush out, and others that splinter and water comes out from them, and others that descend in awe of God. God is not unaware of what you do." (2:74).

2/2: Without mentioning the words descend & descent, and employing the verb (send down), the same meaning is found in the following verses:

2/2/1: "Had We sent this Quran down on a mountain, you would have seen it trembling, crumbling in awe of God. These parables We cite for the people, so that they may reflect. " (59:21).

2/2/2: "And of His signs is that you see the land still. But when We send down water upon it, it stirs and grows. Surely, He Who revived it will revive the dead. He is Able to do all things." (41:39).

2/2/3: "... And you see the earth still; but when We send down water on it, it vibrates, and swells, and grows all kinds of lovely pairs." (22:5).

Secondly: the six Barsakh levels of the earth and the seven Barsakh levels of the heavens:

1- The physical universe with its earth, other planets, stars, and galaxies is the lowest level beneath the overlapping Barsakh metaphysical levels; the atoms and particles in the physical level of the universe have lower speed of vibration and this is why the material, tangible items are visible. In contrast, in the Barsakh metaphysical levels, the speeds of vibrations exceed all speeds known to man; this is why we cannot see ethereal, Barsakh creatures despite the fact that the Barsakh levels overlap the physical universe and the earth.    

2- This is mentioned in the Quran regarding the unimagined speeds of angels who move about between the Barsakh levels: "Praise be to God, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Maker of the angels messengers with wings - double, triple, and quadruple. He adds to creation as He wills. God is Able to do all things." (35:1). No human beings can see angels in their ethereal form; they can be seen when they take the human form; e.g., Abraham and Lot saw the angels who took the form of men.

2/1: "Our messengers came to Abraham with good news. They said, “Peace.” He said, “Peace.” Soon after, he came with a roasted calf. But when he saw their hands not reaching towards it, he became suspicious of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said, “Do not fear, we were sent to the people of Lot.”His wife was standing by, so she laughed. And We gave her good news of Isaac; and after Isaac, Jacob." (11:69-71).

2/2: "And when Our envoys came to Lot, he was anxious for them, and concerned for them. He said, “This is a dreadful day.” And his people came rushing towards him - they were in the habit of committing immoralities. He said, “O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear God, and do not embarrass me before my guests. Is there not one reasonable man among you?”" (11:77-78).

2/3: Mary saw Gabriel when he took the form of a man: "And mention in the Book Mary, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern location. She screened herself away from them, and We sent to her Our spirit, and He appeared to her as a complete human being. She said, “I take refuge from you in the Dominant Lord, should you be righteous.” He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord, to give you the gift of a pure son.”" (19:16-19).

3- If God desired to make angels be seen, by people on earth, in their original, ethereal form, the speeds of vibrations of their movements would have been made like that of tangible objects on earth: "Say, “If there were angels on earth, walking around in peace, We would have sent down to them from heaven an angel messenger.”" (17:95).

4- As far as we know, from the Quran, Muhammad is the only person who saw Gabriel in his original, ethereal form as an angel; this is a great sign/miracle which occurred in the Night-Journey during the Night of Decree at Mount Al-Tur in Sinai, Egypt; Gabriel descended to meet with Muhammad; Muhammad's heart/soul (and not his physical eyes) saw Gabriel on a Barsakh level, and within this encounter, the Quran was printed inside the soul/heart of Muhammad.

4/1: " By the star as it goes down. Your companion has not gone astray, nor has he erred. Nor does he speak out of desire. It is but a revelation revealed. Taught to him by the Extremely Powerful. The one of vigor. He settled. While he was at the highest horizon. Then he descended and hovered around. He was within two bows’ length, or closer. Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed. The heart did not lie about what it saw. Will you dispute with him concerning what he saw? He saw him on another descent. At the Tree of the Extremity. Near which is the Garden of Repose. As there covered the Tree of the Extremity what covered it. The sight did not waver, nor did it exceed. He saw some of the Great Signs of his Lord." (53:1-18).

4/2: "Glory to Him who journeyed His servant by night, from the Sacred Mosque, to the Farthest Mosque, whose areas We have blessed, in order to show him of Our signs. He is the Listener, the Beholder." (17:1).

5- There are seven Barsakh levels or layers of heavens and seven Barsakh levels of the earth through which the Lord God's commands descend: "God is He Who created seven heavens, and their like of earth. The command descends through them, so that you may know that God is Capable of everything, and that God Encompasses everything in knowledge." (65:12); such levels overlap as per the speeds of the vibration of its atoms and particles.

5/1: "He who created seven heavens in layers. You see no discrepancy in the creation of the Dominant Lord. Look again. Can you see any cracks?" (67:3).

5/2: "Do you not realize that God created seven heavens in layers?" (71:15).

6- The earth is a physical level whose atoms and particles move very slowly; the seven Barsakh metaphysical levels/layers of the earth overlap the earth in a certain order: the first Barsakh level overlaps the second one, the second one overlaps the third one,...etc. until the seventh earth Barsakh level of the physical universe which is overlapped by the first heaven Barsakh level, who is in turn overlapped by the second level...etc. until the seventh Barsakh level of the heavens. This is who such levels overlap with the physical universe (with its galaxies, stars, etc.) and the earth; of course, the Quranic term for the physical universe is (between the earth and the heavens): "We did not create the heavens and the earth, and what lies between them, except with Truth. The Hour is coming, so forgive with gracious forgiveness." (15:85). Hence, people on earth do not feel the earth and the heavenly Barsakh levels overlapping with the planet earth; each level has its ethereal beings: angels, jinn, and devils.

7- Human beings cannot see these ethereal beings but they can see human beings; e.g., the devilish companions who control souls of sinners and disbelievers and the angels who record deeds of all human beings. Of course, another Barsakh creature is the human soul itself inside the human body; the human soul is imprisoned in the physical human body but it is freed/relieved momentarily from it during sleep; i.e., within deep slumber, one's soul return to Barsakh and return to its human body upon waking up. The souls leaves the bodies forever in death and return to Barsakh, its origin, but each soul carries with it its Book of Deeds closed after the death of a person.  

Thirdly: the descent among the Barsakh levels:

1- Iblis was an arch-angel of the Upper Realm in the seventh heaven; when he arrogantly refused to obey the Lord God's command of prostrating to Adam, the Lord God has expelled him from all Barsakh levels of the heavens not only the Upper Realm; he became Satan the Devil and he exists only within Barsakh levels of the earth like all jinn; this is about the angels of the Upper Realm after the expulsion of Iblis/Satan: "Those who are in the presence of your Lord are not too proud to worship Him. They glorify and praise Him, and to Him they bow down." (7:206).

2- This is about the expulsion of Iblis/Satan or his descent from the Barsakh Upper Realm:

2/1: "I have no knowledge of the Upper Realm as they dispute. It is only revealed to me that I am a clear warner.” Your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being from clay. When I have formed him, and breathed into him of My spirit, fall prostrate before him. So the angels fell prostrate, all of them. Except for Iblis. He was too proud, and one of the faithless. He said, “O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating before what I created with My Own hands? Are you too proud, or were you one of the exalted?” He said, “I am better than he; You created me from fire, and You created him from clay.” He said, “Then get out of here! You are an outcast! And My curse will be upon you until the Day of Judgment.”" (38:69-78).

2/2: "He said, “Descend from it! It is not for you to act arrogantly in it. Get out! You are one of the lowly!”" (7:13).

3- When the jinn and devils try in their earthly Barsakh levels to hear vibrations of the Upper Realm (i.e., the seventh heaven), they are hit with Barsakh projectiles.

3/1: "We have adorned the lower heaven with the beauty of the planets. And guarded it against every defiant devil. They cannot eavesdrop on the Upper Realm, for they get bombarded from every side. Repelled - they will have a lingering torment. Except for him who snatches a fragment - he gets pursued by a piercing projectile." (37:6-10).

3/2: "We probed the heaven, and found it filled with stern guards and projectiles. We used to take up positions to listen in; but whoever listens now finds a projectile in wait for him." (72:8-9).

3/3: "We have adorned the lower heaven with lanterns, and made them missiles against the devils..." (67:5).

4-   Adam and his wife lived in a Barsakh Paradise inside an earthly level of Barsakh; they were able to see Satan who was expelled from the Upper Realm; Satan were also able to see Adam and his wife; he managed to deceive them both as they obeyed his ill-advice and consumed the fruit of the Forbidden Tree: "But Satan whispered to them, to reveal to them their nakedness, which was invisible to them. He said, “Your Lord has only forbidden you this tree, lest you become angels, or become immortals.” And he swore to them, “I am a sincere advisor to you.” So he lured them with deceit. And when they tasted the tree, their nakedness became evident to them, and they began covering themselves with the leaves of the Garden. And their Lord called out to them, “Did I not forbid you from this tree, and say to you that Satan is a sworn enemy to you?”" (7:20-22). Once they ate from the Forbidden Tree, Barsakh lights were removed from their bodies; Adam and his wife saw their nakedness and genitals for the first time; they tried to cover their nudity with Barsakh Paradise tree-leaves while Satan mocked them; the Lord God warns human beings from the schemes of Satan here: "O children of Adam! Do not let Satan seduce you, as he drove your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their garments, to show them their nakedness. He sees you, him and his clan, from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils friends of those who do not believe." (7:27). Adam and his wife descended unto the physical level of the earth; they and their offspring could no longer see ethereal Barsakh creatures, and all human beings can never see ethereal Barsakh creatures: jinn, devils, and angels.

5- This context of the story of Adam and his wife contains the idea of descent unto the physical earth where all human beings live now as a result.

5/1: "He said, “Descend from it, altogether; some of you enemies of some others. But whenever guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance, will not go astray, nor suffer." (20:123).

5/2: "But Satan caused them to slip from it, and caused them to depart the state they were in. We said, “Descend, some of you enemies of one another. And you will have residence on earth, and enjoyment for a while.”" (2:36).

5/3: "We said, “Descend from it, all of you. Yet whenever guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows My guidance - they have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve." (2:38).

5/4: "He said, “Descend, some of you enemies to one another. On earth you will have residence and livelihood for a while.”" (7:24).

6- The ties between human beings and the Barsakh realm are never severed despite the fact that human beings cannot see or reach the Barsakh levels or their ethereal creatures.

6/1: There are angels who record deeds of all human beings and there are the angels of death.

6/2: There are devils who whispers sin and evil into human souls; even to souls of prophets/messengers. There are devilish companions who control souls of misguided, sinful people; there are jinn and devils.

6/2/1: This is about the devilish companion: "Whoever shuns the Remembrance of the Dominant Lord, We assign for him a devil, to be his companion. They hinder them from the Path, though they think they are guided." (43:36-37); the devilish will be seen on the Resurrection Day by the sinner: "Until, when he comes to Us, he will say, “If only there were between me and you the distance of the two Easts.” What an evil companion!" (43:38).

6/2/2: There is a direct link between the revelations of disbelieving jinn/devils and the revelations of the disobedient, polytheistic sinners; this is clear in the following Quranic verses.

6/2/2/1: "Some individual humans used to seek power through some individual jinn, but they only increased them in confusion." (72:6).

6/2/2/2: "Likewise, We have assigned for every prophet an enemy - human and jinn devils - inspiring one another with fancy words in order to deceive. But had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. So leave them to their fabrications." (6:112).

6/2/2/3: "...The devils inspire their followers to argue with you; but if you obey them, you would be polytheists." (6:121).