Tay al-Ard
Encyclopedia
Tayy al-Arḍ is the name for thaumaturgical
teleportation in the mystical form of Islam
ic religious and philosophical
tradition. The concept has been expressed as "traversing the earth without moving"; some have termed it "moving by the earth being displaced under one's feet". It is a concept widely familiar to the Sunnis, Shī‘īs and Sufis, each group having a different interpretation on it.
Ibn al-Nadim
defines it exactly the same way when he says:
The concept of tei al-ardh has its roots in the following verses of the Chapter
al-Naml
of the Quran:
The phrase "twinkling of an eye" is translated to mean in a very, very short time, i.e. almost instantaneously.
Some claim that according to these verses, it is the non-prophet Asif ibn al-Birkhia who transports the throne of Queen Sheba almost instantaneously. According to them, a hadith
by Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq also confirms that Solomon transports the throne by Tay al-Ard in specific.
A precise definition of Tai al-Ardh has been offered by Allama Qadhi, one of the masters of Allameh Tabatabaei
:
Other explanations offered are also mystical in nature. A hadith by Imam Muhammad al-Baqir e.g. is narrated in which he attributes the aforementioned esoteric knowledge of Asif ibn Barakhia to the Asma 'ullah or the "names of God", another widely discussed topic in Islamic philosophy
and mysticism
and even kabbalah
:
Being an allegedly esoteric knowledge by nature, it is not known exactly how it takes place, but theories and explanations abound. The most prevalent theory has to do with the concept of consciousness
and will (اراده). The person wills to be some place, and he is then simply there an instant later. This view can perhaps be understood from the perspective of Western philosophical idealism
, where esse est percipi: if space does not have an objective reality, and reality itself is thought of as observer-based and a subjective entity, then ideas such as moving in space without actually physically moving are no longer uncharted possibilities.
In addition, the jinn are believed to possess this knowledge of transportation, however in a limited amount, as is evident again from the aforementioned Quranic verses.
or Rumi or Al-Khidr
, were believed to possess keramat
, and writings from medieval Islam are full of stories and reports of certain individuals possessing such a trait. For example, Idries Shah
and Robert Graves
mention the case where senior members of the Azimia order were "reputed to appear, like many of the ancient Sheikhs at different places at one and the same time". Many other examples can be found in Attar's Tadhkirat al-Awliya (Biographies of the Saints) or the works of Ibn Arabi
, as well as other similar chronicles. However, no one for sure has known the number and identity of all those who possess such knowledge, since according to Hujviri, those who hold such knowledge "do not know one another, and are not aware of the other's state of excellence, and are hidden from themselves and from mankind."
One of the most discussed phenomena of this supposedly esoteric knowledge is the event of traveling without actually moving (طی الارض). Islamic texts and records (from the mystics) are full of such accounts from various eras. For example, Bayazid Bastami
has many such accounts, colored with mystical flavors, surrounding his life. In one account, he was asked, "They say you walk on water?" "A piece of wood can do that too," he replied. "They say you travel to Mecca
at night and return by dawn?" he was asked. "But a bird at flight can do that too" was his answer. "So what is the meaning of being human?" he was asked. "A human is he who does not fasten his heart to anything but God" came his reply. In all such and similar accounts, a certain individual of unusually high rank (a Sheikh
, Pir, or Imam
) is seen to have the ability to travel long distances in almost instantaneous amounts of time.
by saints [Arabic: awliya] (Sufi shaykhs, pirs) is a part of classical orthodox Sunni doctrine [aqeedah] as, for example, listed in the Creed of Imam Tahawi(Aqidah Tahawiyyah) and all other orthodox Sunni treatises on religious doctrine and has been accepted as such since the earliest times of Islam.
Tay al-Ard is one term used for this concept by the Sufi shaykhs (Sufism
being the spiritual aspect of Sunni Islam). Some Sufis call the concept tay al-makan ("folding of space"), the word makan ("location") being used as a synonym for the word ardh ("earth"). Both words are Arabic in origin, and both words are part of the Persian lexicon as well.
is widely believed to have a broad arsenal of karamat including this concept at his disposal. Three hundred and one of Mahdi's believed 313 companions also are believed to have the knowledge of this concept.
In the Shia academia, this concept is a topic that can be seen widely studied by the likes of Ayatollah
Marashi Najafi, Allameh Tabatabaei
, and Mulla Sadra
.
Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy is the capability of a saint or magician to work miracles. It is sometimes translated into English as wonderworking...
teleportation in the mystical form of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic religious and philosophical
Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies. It is the continuous search for Hekma in the light of Islamic view of life, universe, ethics, society, and so on...
tradition. The concept has been expressed as "traversing the earth without moving"; some have termed it "moving by the earth being displaced under one's feet". It is a concept widely familiar to the Sunnis, Shī‘īs and Sufis, each group having a different interpretation on it.
Definitions and discussion
The dictionary of Dehkhoda defines Tay al-Ard as:- "نوعی کرامت که بجای گام برداشتن و رفتن, زمین در زیر پای آدمی بتندی پیچیده شود و او به مقصد خویش هر چند دور باشد در مدتی بسیار کم رسد"
- "A type of keramatKeramatIn Islamic philosophy, irfan, and mysticism, keramat is a "thaumaturgic gift" akin to the miracles of prophets.Sufis believe that, whereas miracles can only be performed by prophets and are a testament to their prophethood, karaamaat are extraordinary things performed by Awliyaa' who are not...
in which instead of moving toward a destination by taking a step forward, the earth turns toward the traverser rapidly, no matter how far the destination be."
Ibn al-Nadim
Ibn al-Nadim
Abu'l-Faraj Muhammad bin Is'hāq al-Nadim , whose father was known as al-Warrāq was a Shia Muslim scholar and bibliographer. Some scholars regard him as a Persian, but this is not certain. He is famous as the author of the Kitāb al-Fihrist...
defines it exactly the same way when he says:
- "و یذکر ان الارض تطوی له (میمون القداح) فیمضی الی این احب فی اقرب مده"
The concept of tei al-ardh has its roots in the following verses of the Chapter
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
al-Naml
Al-Naml
- Summary :The surah tells the stories of various prophets, such as Moses, Solomon and Salih, who preached tawhid. The story of Solomon is more detailed. It is said that Solomon had converted Bilqis to the true religion after a hoopoe reported to him that she is a Sun-worshipping queen. The...
of the Quran:
- : "SolomonSolomonSolomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
said (to his own men): 'Ye Chiefs! which of you can bring me the throne of Queen of Sheba before she and her envoys come to me in submission?' "
- : "Said an 'Ifrit, of the JinnGenieJinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
s: 'I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted.' "
- : "Said one who had knowledge of the Book: 'I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of any eye!' Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: 'This is by the grace of my Lord!'..."
The phrase "twinkling of an eye" is translated to mean in a very, very short time, i.e. almost instantaneously.
Some claim that according to these verses, it is the non-prophet Asif ibn al-Birkhia who transports the throne of Queen Sheba almost instantaneously. According to them, a hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
by Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq also confirms that Solomon transports the throne by Tay al-Ard in specific.
A precise definition of Tai al-Ardh has been offered by Allama Qadhi, one of the masters of Allameh Tabatabaei
Allameh Tabatabaei
Allameh Seyyed Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei was one of the most prominent thinkers of philosophy and contemporary Shia Islam...
:
- اعدام جسم و بدن در مكان اوّل، و احضار و ايجادش در مكان مقصود
- "the ceasing and termination of matter in the initial location, and its appearance and re-creation in its final location (destination)"
Other explanations offered are also mystical in nature. A hadith by Imam Muhammad al-Baqir e.g. is narrated in which he attributes the aforementioned esoteric knowledge of Asif ibn Barakhia to the Asma 'ullah or the "names of God", another widely discussed topic in Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies. It is the continuous search for Hekma in the light of Islamic view of life, universe, ethics, society, and so on...
and mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and even kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
:
- "اسم اعظم خداوند، هفتاد و سه حرف است. آصف بن برخیا فقط یکی از آن حروف را میدانست که توانست زمین را درهم نوردد و قبل از یک چشم بر هم زدن، تخت بلیقس را از سرزمین سبا نزد سلیمان حاضر سازد؛ و ما ائمّه معصومین هفتاد و دو حرف از آن را میدانیم. یک حرف را هم خداوند به خودش اختصاص داده و تنها نزد اوست"
- "The Almighty's greatest name has 73 letters (or parts). Asif ibn Barakhia knew only one letter of it, which enabled him to traverse the earth in the blink of an eye. We Shia Imams however possess 72 of them. And the last letter is concealed from all creation and remains a secret to only the Almighty Himself."
Being an allegedly esoteric knowledge by nature, it is not known exactly how it takes place, but theories and explanations abound. The most prevalent theory has to do with the concept of consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
and will (اراده). The person wills to be some place, and he is then simply there an instant later. This view can perhaps be understood from the perspective of Western philosophical idealism
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
, where esse est percipi: if space does not have an objective reality, and reality itself is thought of as observer-based and a subjective entity, then ideas such as moving in space without actually physically moving are no longer uncharted possibilities.
In addition, the jinn are believed to possess this knowledge of transportation, however in a limited amount, as is evident again from the aforementioned Quranic verses.
History
Famous Sheikhs, Imams, and prominent figures in Islam, such as Abusaeid AbolkheirAbusaeid Abolkheir
Abusa'id Abolkhayr or Abū-Sa'īd Abul-Khayr , also known as Sheikh Abusaeid or Abu Sa'eed, was a famous Persian Sufi and poet who contributed extensively to the evolution of Sufi tradition....
or Rumi or Al-Khidr
Al-Khidr
Khidr or Al-Khidr is a revered figure in Islam, whom the Qur'an describes as a righteous servant of God, who possessed great wisdom or mystic knowledge, represented iconically by a fish...
, were believed to possess keramat
Keramat
In Islamic philosophy, irfan, and mysticism, keramat is a "thaumaturgic gift" akin to the miracles of prophets.Sufis believe that, whereas miracles can only be performed by prophets and are a testament to their prophethood, karaamaat are extraordinary things performed by Awliyaa' who are not...
, and writings from medieval Islam are full of stories and reports of certain individuals possessing such a trait. For example, Idries Shah
Idries Shah
Idries Shah , also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi , was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.Born in India, the descendant of a...
and Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
mention the case where senior members of the Azimia order were "reputed to appear, like many of the ancient Sheikhs at different places at one and the same time". Many other examples can be found in Attar's Tadhkirat al-Awliya (Biographies of the Saints) or the works of Ibn Arabi
Ibn Arabi
Ibn ʿArabī was an Andalusian Moorish Sufi mystic and philosopher. His full name was Abū 'Abdillāh Muḥammad ibn 'Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn `Arabī .-Biography:...
, as well as other similar chronicles. However, no one for sure has known the number and identity of all those who possess such knowledge, since according to Hujviri, those who hold such knowledge "do not know one another, and are not aware of the other's state of excellence, and are hidden from themselves and from mankind."
One of the most discussed phenomena of this supposedly esoteric knowledge is the event of traveling without actually moving (طی الارض). Islamic texts and records (from the mystics) are full of such accounts from various eras. For example, Bayazid Bastami
Bayazid Bastami
Bayazid Bastami , also known as Abu Yazid Bistami or Tayfur Abu Yazid al-Bustami, was a Persian Sufi born in Bastam, Iran.- Background :...
has many such accounts, colored with mystical flavors, surrounding his life. In one account, he was asked, "They say you walk on water?" "A piece of wood can do that too," he replied. "They say you travel to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
at night and return by dawn?" he was asked. "But a bird at flight can do that too" was his answer. "So what is the meaning of being human?" he was asked. "A human is he who does not fasten his heart to anything but God" came his reply. In all such and similar accounts, a certain individual of unusually high rank (a Sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
, Pir, or Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
) is seen to have the ability to travel long distances in almost instantaneous amounts of time.
Sunni view
Belief in the possibility of such charismata keramatKeramat
In Islamic philosophy, irfan, and mysticism, keramat is a "thaumaturgic gift" akin to the miracles of prophets.Sufis believe that, whereas miracles can only be performed by prophets and are a testament to their prophethood, karaamaat are extraordinary things performed by Awliyaa' who are not...
by saints [Arabic: awliya] (Sufi shaykhs, pirs) is a part of classical orthodox Sunni doctrine [aqeedah] as, for example, listed in the Creed of Imam Tahawi(Aqidah Tahawiyyah) and all other orthodox Sunni treatises on religious doctrine and has been accepted as such since the earliest times of Islam.
Tay al-Ard is one term used for this concept by the Sufi shaykhs (Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
being the spiritual aspect of Sunni Islam). Some Sufis call the concept tay al-makan ("folding of space"), the word makan ("location") being used as a synonym for the word ardh ("earth"). Both words are Arabic in origin, and both words are part of the Persian lexicon as well.
Shi'a view
The concept of Tay al-Ard also appears in Shia text such as the Usul-i Kafi. Shi'a particularly use the concept in the above Qur'anic verse in Shi'a-Sunni argumentations when accusations of over-meriting the Shi'a Imams are made. It is argued that if a non-prophet could teleport the throne, then it should present no theological objections against the belief that a Shi'a Imam, such as Imam Ali, might be able to do the same. Imam MahdiMahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
is widely believed to have a broad arsenal of karamat including this concept at his disposal. Three hundred and one of Mahdi's believed 313 companions also are believed to have the knowledge of this concept.
In the Shia academia, this concept is a topic that can be seen widely studied by the likes of Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Marashi Najafi, Allameh Tabatabaei
Allameh Tabatabaei
Allameh Seyyed Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei was one of the most prominent thinkers of philosophy and contemporary Shia Islam...
, and Mulla Sadra
Mulla Sadra
Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī also called Mulla Sadrā was a Persian Shia Islamic philosopher, theologian and ‘Ālim who led the Iranian cultural renaissance in the 17th century...
.
See also
- AlchemyAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
- Astronomy in Islam
- BilocationBilocationBilocation, or sometimes multilocation, is a term used to describe the ability/instances in which an individual or object is said to be, or appears to be, located in two distinct places at the same instant in time...
- Consciousness causes collapse
- Islamic astrology
- Karamat
- Kefitzat HaderechKefitzat HaderechKefitzat Haderech is a Jewish term that literally means "contracting the path". It refers to miraculous travel between two distant places in a brief time....
- Quantum mindQuantum mindThe quantum mind or quantum consciousness hypothesis proposes that classical mechanics cannot explain consciousness, while quantum mechanical phenomena, such as quantum entanglement and superposition, may play an important part in the brain's function, and could form the basis of an explanation of...
- Shia Islam
External links
- A discussion on the meaning of teleportation according to traditional Islamic philosophy, by Allama Tehrani http://www.maarefislam.org/doreholomvamaarefislam/bookscontent/mehretaban-arabic/mehretaban-11.htm
- Types of Tei al-ardh, by Allama Tehrani from his book Shining Sun
- http://web.archive.org/web/20070928143627/http://www.islamknowledge.org/Collection/booksindex/ShiningSun.htm
- Manuscripts on Tei al-ardh by Allameh Amini