Patrick Geay

Charles-André GILIS, The initiatory Doctrine of the Pilgrimage, Al-Bustane, on 1994. IBN ARABI, The thirty six thirty six Koranic certificates of the Unity, translation and Ch-A.GILIS , Al-Bustane's presentation, on 1994. 

It is necessary to greet Publishing(editions) Al-Bustane for the republication of these two essential publications of Ch-A.Gilis appeared respectively in 1982 and in 1984 to the Publishing(editions) of I Œuvre. The first established(constituted) and always establishes(constitutes) an approach without equal of the meaning ésotérique rites of the Pilgrimage in Mecca. As for the second, published first of all under the title: The Koran and the function(office) of Hermès, it was about a presentation of extracts of chap.198 Futûhât al-Makkiyya (The Illuminations of Mecca) of Ibn Arabî, entitled: " The Knowledge of the Breath of the Quite-merciful and its secrets ". We shall make here only give a brief outline of these two remarkable works which during their first publishing(edition) had been almost crossed(spent) under silence. The initiatory Doctrine of the Pilgrimage leans mainly on educations passed on by Ibn Arabî, in particular in him(it,her) chap.72 Futuhat, but also as in all the Ch-A.Gilis's following publications, on the works of R.GUÉNON and M.VÂLSAN. Véritable Omphalos, Mecca represents, according to this study, an Islamic symbol of the Divine Town but also the centre of the human state from which access to the centre To be total him(her,it), represented by Arafat, ultimate station of the Pilgrimage where invisible presence and blessing of the " divine King of the World " becomes updated once the year, is made possible. In cleanly spoken Kaaba, stony building built according to the proportions of the sacred architecture is the receptacle of God's presence on the Earth and Pierre Noire, set in its angle is, concentrates more specially what Islam indicates(appoints) by the Right-hand side of Allâh. Ch-A.Gilis evokes besides in a way diachronique the various states of Kaaba, since the Paradise adamique by way of the reconstruction of the House crowned by Abraham and Ismaël then finally at the time of the Seer Muhammad. So, although Islam represents the last revelation, shown consequently to the extremities of the human cycle, Pilgrimage seems as a purificatory collection allowing those that carry out him(it) reinstatement, at least virtual, of original state, and beyond, realization of the supreme Nearness. On many other points, this work could give place to interesting searches, in particular on the masonic plan, which we shall not miss to begin in the future. 

The thirty six Koranic certificates of the Unity indicate(appoint) the verses of the Koran in which metaphysical Unity ( Tawhid) is asserted. These are followed(logical) by a comment of Ibn Arabî and Ch-A.Gilis's additional notes which come to clarify many difficult passages. As for the precedent, this work of a big doctrinal content can not be the object of a fast presentation. So shall raise(find) we simply some important elements. One will note first of all the big interest of correlations established by Ch-A.Gilis between the number 360, the Fourth sky which in Islam is that of the Sun, governed by the Seer Idris ( Hénoch / Hermès), initiatory Pole of the world, and Royal Art. Real centre of seven global heavens, this sphere of the Sun is also that where from proceeds subtle demonstration symbolized with the number 8 of which 36 is exactly the triangular. Therefore the thirty six certificate ( Tâhll) of the Unity allows to show how this last one shows her presence through the set(group) of the individual forms which represent her own determinations to the universal plan. Secondly, it is advisable to insist on the relation, at once underlined by Ch-A.Gilis, between the notion of At all merciful Breath and that of divine Verb, what calls back(reminds) the particular link which unites the Christ with the Science of the Letters of which he is the holder. It is necessary in that case to repeat here that according to Ibn Arabî, quite complete Existence is not anything else that Words even of Allâh, what allows to understand(include) the existing report between the Breath, Word, Names and Letters which compose this Word. Now, the Quite-merciful ( arRahmân ) is in Islam the principle of the life and the one that maintains, underlines Ch-A.Gilis, by the breath Universal Existence. To finish, the reader will find in the term of this volume an appendix dedicated to the hermetic Seal of the Sun or ' squared magic ' of base 6, understanding(including) 36 compartments. Without revealing all the symbolic aspects of this square, we shall indicate to the passage the strong coherence of the meanings which it(he) covers and in particular, makes him(it) that the addition of the numbers which appear in the horizontal, vertical lines, as well as in the diagonals always gives the sum of of 111 which one knows links with the polar function(office). On several points this dense text must be completed by the reading of another Ch-A.Gilis's work appeared in 1993 (The seven Banners of the Caliphate) which reveals notably the existence of a relation privileged between the number 515 and Idris / Hermès.

Patrick Geay

Tinder HAMPÂTÉ BÂ, Jesus seen by a Moslem, Stock, on 1994. 

This small work, introduced by Monseigneur Yapi, postfacé and annotated by Hélène Heckemann (literary heir of the author), consists of two different parts introduced with a diagram conceived and realized with Tinder Hampâté Bâ, representing the symbol of the convergence of three Revelations abrahamiques, and completed in appendix by a text explicatif of Hélène Heckmann. Tinder Hampâté Bâ ( 1900-1991 ), born in Mali, was a follower of Tierno Bokar, the " wise person of Bandiagara ", shaikh of the brotherhood tidjaniya and masterful representative of the high spiritualité Moslem of Black Africa. Through sound work and the life, faithful in the memory and in the education of his(her) boss, leaning on the fundamental values of the Islam, which he recognizes and wishes to recognize as common to all the authentic religions, Tinder Hampâté Bâ wanted the agent of the conciliation of the believers of any confessions and, in particular three big monotheist religions. The first part of the book reproduces a conference given by the author in Niamey (Niger) in 1975, within the framework of an episcopal committee(commission) of relations with the Islam. Through the comparative study of the sacred texts of the Christianity on one hand and the Islam on the other hand, (more particularly those concerning Jesus and Marie), the author attempts to list(count) the points of convergences susceptible to to take away(gain) the membership of two communities and, arousing so a brotherly meeting on a common ground, to suspect them and recognize the deep links of spiritual relationship which unite them and which proceed from the same unique(only) source. It(he) darkens deliberately the points of differences which are anyway perfectly inflexible, in the point of view exotérique where is situated conference, but he invites to follow him(it) beyond forms in an argumentation arithmologique appropriate(clean) to intrigue usefully if it should not be convinced. Second part gathers(reunites) various extracts of conferences and studies ésotériques putting in evidence parallels(parallel lines) visible and less visible than there is possibility of establishing between Christian Pater and Moslem Fatiha. Through the text is outlined acutely a crowned geometry common to the two prayers that one notices fondues in the wave of the same universal movement. Tinder Hampâté Bâ by-passes at least partially the inconveniences of the translation by pressing its argumentation on the study of the roots from Koranic Arabic and from numerous senses(directions) which derive from it. The two parts of this book are the expression of a powerful will of conciliation among the believers of the last two monotheisms abrahamiques, and the big merit of the author is to tempt this conciliation at a level nature of which returns the very difficult company, the conferences - and this book which ensues from it being more specially intended for a public exotérique. Tinder Hampâté Bâ preaches the application of what René Guénon calls " practical tolerance " which takes place on horizontal plan and is totally foreign to the domain of pure Ideas (that one can appear on a vertical axis) and what he presents on the contrary as the indispensable means of preparation for the succession(advent) of the Truth passing by, under varied forms, from the Supreme Source. Some will remain sceptic or will doubtless think that it is there lost and total punishment utopia, the evidence of convergences not being able to hide that of differences, limitations inherent to religious forms and those bound(connected) to the human individuality encouraging rather and for a long time to the adversity. It is necessary to underline all the same intelligence and skill of the speech of the author which confides to the arithmologie or to the science of the roots from classic Arabic of the points which rhetoric would not be enough to light(enlighten). And about arithmologie, let us note that system applied to the French letters, created and taught by Tierno Bokar, can surprise and rests(poses) the interrogation of the origin of the Science. When this last one is unknown, it remains only to judge the tree in his fruits; now, it is easy to notice quickly that a systematic application of the method leads(drives) to interesting results which would justify a more widened study. In conclusion, it is likely that Tinder Hampâté Bâ knew the limits of the reach of its action and he is maybe less useful of épiloguer on the efficiency of this last one than to appreciate a work rich in outlines, in whom(which) every lit(enlightened) believer as well as a lot of initiated will be able to find material(subject) with reflection and with a more detailed search.

Stéphanie LAMARCHE

IBN ARABI, The unveiling of the effects of the journey, published(edited) Arabic text, translates and presented by Denis Gril, Publishing(editions) of the Brightness, 1994. 

Denis Gril, who teaches Arabic the University of Provence, is already known for its translation of the Book of the Tree and Four Ibn Arabî's birds (Two Oceans, on 1984) and for its remarkable presentation of the chap. of Futuhat which this last one dedicates to the science of letters (cf. The Illuminations of Mecca, VIII, Sindbad, on 1989), without counting numerous goods(articles) appeared in different specialized reviews. This court treated(handled) as Ibn Arabî concerns essentially the symbolism of the journey as movement since the state of ignorance towards the realization of the science. Such is so the effect of the collection of the pilgrim: access to secrets and to understanding of the hidden sense(direction). So, the sincere interpreter would be the one that passes from a world to the other one, of the enigma in the vision, the darkness in the light. But if this pérégrin is in movement, it is that fundamentally existence has for origin movement; That of the God in the world which It(he) creates and renews all the time. Nothing is consequently immovable, everything in the universe aims by his(its,her) end, returns towards the origin. To every being is inspired, without it(he) is necessarily aware(conscious) of it, the movement which is convenient for him(her) by the unique(only) and real divine Agent. The seers participate also in this universal movement. That is Adam during the exit of the Paradise, of which effect is moreover far from being purely negative, either Hénoch who will be raised(brought up) in the fourth sphere, that of the Sun, to the station of initiatory Pole, they follow all the road which is reserved(distant) them, such Abraham, the Bosom friend of God, which about the sacrifice of his(her) son should also have to travel him(her) since the world of the imagination towards that of the understandable. One will read so with big profit this new translation of Kitâb al-isfâr of which wealth and force will allow to perceive once again the incomparable dimension of the education of Ibn Arabî. The works which pursues D.GRIL on the hermeneutics of the Koran will doubtless bring invaluable information. By waiting for their publications, it is necessary at any rate to be delighted, although it does not go without presenting any dangers, to see multiplying searches on this Boss, everywhere in West.

Patrick Geay