The number 1 in the Arabic alphabet is represented by the letter Alif (ا), the first letter of the script. Its name derives from the root alifa, meaning "to be familiar" or "to be in harmony," and its shape is a simple vertical stroke, often described as the first point of creation or the axis mundi. In the abjad numeration system, Alif holds the value of 1, signifying unity, the singular source, and the beginning of all numerical progression.

Position on the Tree of Life

On the Tree of Life, the number 1 corresponds to the Sephirah Kether (the Crown), the first and highest emanation. Kether is the point of origin, the unmanifested will, and the pure potential from which all other Sephiroth descend. This alignment underscores the number 1 as the root of all subsequent numbers, mirroring the role of Alif as the first letter from which all other letters are formed.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the system of Liber 777, the number 1 is associated with the Primum Mobile (the First Swirlings), the sphere of the outermost celestial motion. This corresponds to the astrological concept of the first cause or the initial impulse, beyond the fixed stars. The planetary attribution is to the sphere of Rashith ha-Gilgalim, the beginning of cycles, aligning with the number 1 as the initiator of time and space.

Historical context

The abjad system of Arabic numeration, which assigns numerical values to letters, has roots in earlier Semitic scripts, particularly the Phoenician and Aramaic alphabets. The letter Alif, as the first letter, was given the value 1 in this system, which was widely used in Islamic mathematics, astronomy, and mysticism. In the tradition of ilm al-huruf (the science of letters), Alif is considered the symbol of the divine unity (tawhid), representing the singular essence of God. The 9th-century alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan and later Sufi mystics like Ibn Arabi emphasized Alif as the first emanation, the "point" from which all existence unfolds. In the Western esoteric tradition, as codified by Aleister Crowley in Liber 777, this value is integrated into the Qabalistic framework, where the number 1 is linked to Kether and the path of the Fool in the Tarot, symbolizing the beginning of the journey.

In the table of Liber 777, at the step corresponding to Path 11 (the eleventh path of the Tree of Life), the numeration of the Arabic alphabet assigns the value 1 to the letter Alif. This placement reflects the alignment of the first letter with the first Sephirah, Kether, and the initial point of the divine emanation.