For information on obtaining Existence and the Fall by Hamid Parsania see my June 10th post.

Wasalaam,

Irshaad

Any thoughts on that?

Thanks for your comment.

Avicenna’s visionary recitals and Shurawardi’s metaphysics also delve deeply into this subject. As well, Najm Kobra, Semnani, Lahiji, Shabestari and many others have commented extensively on the congruences between man’s inner nature and the spiritual geography of seven heavens recorded in the Qur’an and in the statements of the Imams. Often, this is portrayed in terms of very detailed and specific visionary experiences described in terms of the seven prophets of one’s being, or seven realms of light, or seven valleys representing spiritual states and metaphysical realms. There is a very vibrant, rich, and fascinating literature available on this subject - one which, I am sure Baha’u'llah would have been aware of, although he has a tendency to write in generalities rather than in the comprehensive and thoroughly elaborated manner of these earlier authors.

Baha’u'llah is describing in a summary form one version of the inner states of the seeker in terms of a journey through seven valleys. The book “Existence and the Fall” however, touches this subject in terms of attempting to clarify the metaphysical geography, the multi-layered hierarchical terrain, the layered structure of reality spoken of in the Qur’an and commented upon by so many generations of scholars and visionary seekers.

I would recommend reading as many of the above mentioned authors as possible if for no other reason than to gain an appreciation for the depth and breadth of metaphysical commentary available in the Islamic tradition.