Sufi cosmology (Arabic: الكوزمولوجية
الصوفية‎) is a Sufi approach to cosmology
which discusses the creation of man and the
universe, which according to mystics are the
fundamental grounds upon which Islamic religious
universe is based.
According to Sufi cosmology, God's reason
for the creation of this cosmos and humankind
is the "manifestation" and "recognition" of
Himself as it is stated in Hadith Qudsi – "I
was a hidden Treasure; I desired to be recognized
so I created the creature".
== Emanation ==
Islamic Sufis describe the Divine Descent
and the creation of universe and humankind
in the following stages, when Noor-e-Ahadi
(Light of One), coming out of His self-isolated
oneness, intended to manifest Himself in multiplicity.
These stages are also termed as “Tanzalat-e-Satta.
Many saints have explained these Tanzalat-e-Satta
in their books.
Abu Saeed Mubarak Makhzoomi has discussed
them in his Arabic book called Tohfa Mursala.
They are also discussed in the exegesis of
Fusoos-ul-Hikam, a book by Ibn Arabi.
Alam-i-HaHoot (Realm of He-ness): The level
of HaHoot refers to HaHooiyat (The Unknowable
and Incomparable world).
It is an Arabic term which pertains to the
Divine's Essence prior to manifestation.
The spiritual stage related to it is called
Ahdiyat(Alonehood).
This is the Realm of pre-existence and a level
of non creation.
According to sufis, this state of Ahdiyat
is incapable of being conceived, incapable
of interpretation and is beyond all logical
bounds.
At this stage Allah is all alone and hidden
in his own veil and cannot be exemplified
with anything.
Nothing exists here, neither the universe
nor the creation.
Here the Zaat (Divine essence) and neither
His attributes are revealed or manifested.
Alam-i-Yahoot (Realm of First Manifestation):
The spiritual stage pertaining to YaHoot is
referred to as Wahdat (Oneness).
YaHoot is the first level of manifestation
of "Hoo".
When the Divine Essence desired to manifest,
He manifested Himself in the form of Noor-e-Mohammad
(Light of Muhammad).
Since YaHoot is a world of Oneness, so it
clarifies that Noor of Mohammad is a manifestation
of God’s Essence and is not a separate entity.
This is the first step towards Divine descent.
The creation has not started yet.
Here Hoo is called Allah which in Arabic means
"the worshippable one", because there is a
being in the form of Noor of Mohammad who
worships Allah.
And the level is called yaHoot because there
is an entity who would address Hoo as YaHoo
(O’Hoo).
Alam-i-LaHoot (Realm of Absolute Unity): The
world of LaHoot is related to the level of
Wahdiyat (Unity).
Here the soul of Mohammad is manifested from
the Noor of Mohammad.
Since this is a world of Unity so at this
level Noor of Allah and Noor of Mohammad are
in the same form.
Therefore, the soul of Mohammad is in fact
the soul of Allah called Rooh-e-Qudsi (The
Divine Soul).
At this level the whole universe and its creation
is hidden in Noor-e-Mohammad and is anxious
to manifest itself.The above three levels
are the levels of Unity and non-creation.
The presence of Hoo in HaHoot, YaHoot and
LaHoot indicates Absolute Unity.
The creation takes place in the coming levels
of Jabrut, Malakut and Nasut.
Alam-i-Jabrut (Realm of Power):Jabrut is an
Arabic term which means 'bridge' or anything
that connects two things.
It is called Jabrut because it connects the
above three levels of non-creation and the
coming levels of creation.
The level of Jabrut is related to the level
of creation of souls of human beings.
Here Allah created the souls of human beings
from Rooh-e-Qudsi.
The soul of human beings created from Rooh-e-Qudsi
is called Rooh-e-Sultani(the Kingly soul).
The Divine attributes like knowledge, wisdom
etc. which were present in totality in Rooh-e-Qudsi
at the above non-creation levels got divided
into human beings.
Rooh-e-Sultani has attributes of angels because
angels were created at the same level.
Here Rooh-e-Qudsi got concealed in the Rooh-e-Sultani.
Alam-e-Malakut (Realm of Intelligence): This
level refers to the world of symbolic forms.
At this level the souls took a recognizable
but immaterial and intangible form for the
first time.
Here Rooh-e-sultani got concealed in the cover
of Rooh-Noorani(the soul of celestial light).
The souls of animals, plants and all non-living
things were also created at this level.Due
to the creation of souls of animals at this
level the human soul adopted beastal qualities
like lust,greed, covet etc.
Alam-i-Nasut (Realm of Physical bodies): The
level of Nasut refers to the physical world
of material bodies.
The stage where foundations of the tangible
world of matter are laid.
Here Rooh-e-Noorani got concealed in the cover
of Rooh-e-Hewani (the soul directly related
to the physical body) which was the breathed
into the physical bodies of flesh and bones
and non-living things.
The process of human creation got completed
here and Allah manifested Himself completely
in Humans by concealing in the covers of Rooh-e-Qudsi,
Rooh-e-Sultani, Rooh-e-Noorani and Rooh-e-Hewani.
== 
See also ==
Sufi metaphysics
Sufi philosophy
Arcs of Descent and Ascent
Meaning of life
== References ==
== External links ==
Sufi cosmology and psychology
