Azal (Sempiternity)


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From Farhang-e Istilahat-e Irfani (The Dictionary of Gnostic Terminologies) by Sajjadi:

Azal is timelessness in the past tense. Azaliyat: Free of any beginning; Abadiyat: Free of any ending.

Luma’
By Tusi

Azal is Qidam and Azaliyat is attributed solely to Allah. Azali is one of the Divine Names. Azaliyat is one of Hu’s Divine Attributes. Azal has no beginning; Abad has beginning but no ending. Azal coincides with Ahadiyat as long as there are no antecedent formations of temporal time and corporeal matter.

Azal-e Āzāl
Lahiji from Sharh-e Golshan-e Raz

Azal is one thing and Azal-e Āzāl something else.

Azal-e Āzāl is the everlastingness of the Wujud (Divine Being), in absolute sense, that has no ‘Adam (Non-Being).

Azal is what is annexed to Adam (Non-Being). Therefore every being has Azaliyat and also Abadiyat:

1.    Azaliyat: What is within the Divine Knowledge about a being, an immovable essence
2.    Abadiyat: An instantiated corporeal form of being, derived or extracted from the Azali knowledge-form (item 1)

In other words, within the Divine Presence, Azaliyat and Abadiyat of all beings are the same, forms of knowledge that are equal in presence of Allah. Indeed the Azal and Abad have Ittihad (Synchronicity) within the Divine Presence. And no matter what is present or what is emergent there are no differences between the Azal and Abad within the Divine Presence, for they are equally accessible (to Allah).

For example the creation of Adam and (second) descending of Jesus are together (as if in one time).

Remark: I have read in one of Ibn Sina’s treatise the following passage but I cannot find the lection:

Azaliyat is a modality of Divine Presence which is free of Fa’iliyat (Doer-ness) i.e. Allah does things in Azal free of Allah being the doer meaning there is no trace of any doer but Allah does those actions.



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