The famous supplication of the Prophet Muhammad goes: “My Lord, show me the reality of things as they truly are.” The supreme level of spiritual visions (mushāhadāt) granted to him in response to this prayer, and continuously sustained thereafter, remains unknown to us. Knowledge regarding the "Reality of Things" must be related to how Allah, out of His mercy, brought creation into existence, with the secret of His own essence permeating every single atom. Thus, created beings and/or things came into manifestation through the divine disclosure (tajallī) of the name Al-Haqq (The Truth/The Real). For human beings—whose senses and perception are limited, and where discursive knowledge falls short—dreams first, followed by manifestations, divine disclosures, and spiritual visions, convey the most vital knowledge to those on the path of truth.

Dalí, on the other hand, knew that he would be called "mad" because of the testimony he bore at his own realm of consciousness. Indeed, he famously remarked: "The only difference between a madman and me is that I am not mad." As a veil, he put forward the methodology of dream-work as his rationale. When our Prophet returned from the Isra and Mi'raj (Night Journey and Ascension) with the most sublime visions, it was narrated that upon being asked, "Did you see your Lord?", he replied: "He is Light, how could I see Him? I saw Light." Notice that the question was "Did you see your Lord (Rabb)?", not "Did you see Allah?". This implies that visual forms of light are seen in the realms extending from the attribute of Lordship (Rubūbiyyah) down to our physical world—as a visible reflection. The higher realms must belong to the realm of the spirit. And naturally, the ultimate question arises: What is the Reality of Things?

So, why Dalí? Allah bestows His grace upon whomever He wills, but Dalí's almost fearless unveiling and exquisite depiction of certain realities under the banner of surrealism is a measure of his artistic capability.

Surah Yusuf (Chapter 12) in the Holy Qur'an, described as "the best of stories," conveys a profound REALITY. On the Path of Truth, events, dreams, and visions are always in need of interpretation (ta'bīr). Surah Yusuf mentions three distinct realities of dreams:

1. The dream of Prophet Joseph (Yusuf),

2. The dream of the two prisoners,

3. The dream of Pharaoh, or the King of Egypt.

Considering Dalí’s assertion that "cosmic dreams are the source of some of my paintings," and the necessity to interpret what he saw through the "superconscious" rather than merely the "unconscious," let us recall a few verses from Surah Yusuf:

• 12:100 "...This is the fulfillment of my dream of old..."

• 12:101 "My Lord, You have indeed granted me... and taught me the interpretation of events, dreams, and sayings..."

• 12:102 "That is from the news of the unseen..."

The methodology and spirit aimed at by the book -without departing from the framework of Zahir (Exoteric), Batın (Esoteric), Had (Limit), and Matla (Ascent)- is an elaboration of the line by the poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal: The Prophet Muhammad is the interpretation of the dream of the universe.

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On a night in Tokyo where we were perishing from the cold, we watched the movie “Being There” directed by Hal Ashby and starring Peter Sellers (translated into Turkish as “Bahçıvan”) at a film festival. Driven by my belief in self-discovery, upon returning to Istanbul I acquired a small garden and planted various trees and flowers. One day, while looking for a warehouse manager for the company I was working for at the time, I noticed gardening listed among the hobbies on a male candidate’s CV. Pretending not to be particularly impressed, I said, "What’s this about gardening?" With an expression that seemed to say, "I wish I hadn’t written it," he said, "I... sir, I love flowers." "Is that so?" I replied, "So how good are you at this job?" Looking straight into my eyes as if asking himself, "Should I say it or not?", he said, "I... talk to flowers." "Then the job is yours," I said. "Was I selected?" he asked. "Who could be more trustworthy to entrust our treasures to than someone who speaks the language of flowers or birds?" I replied.

With a joy growing like a mountain within me, descending, ascending, falling, getting up, on some days and nights I too spoke with Mount Fuji. That Mount Fuji which says, "How beautiful it is if the Sun and Moon are born within a person," Mount Fuji from Hokusai’s famous painting. Mount Fuji that stands as if distant and concealed on the horizon of mountain-like foamy waves, yet is their emulation and truth.

SO WE STARTED TALKING WITH MOUNT FUJI

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