The First of Fifteen Evidences:
The balanced order The measured regularity and balanced order observed in all creatures testify to an all‑encompassing knowledge.
Yes, there being in all things – from the universe, which resembles an orderly palace, and the solar system, and the page of the air, whose particles display an astonishing order in the broadcasting of words and sounds, and the face of the earth, which every spring with perfect order and regularity raises three hundred thousand different species, to the members, cells, particles, and bodily systems of all living beings – a balanced order and perfect regularity, which are the works of a profound, comprehensive, unfailing knowledge, means that they testify in extremely clear and decisive manner to an all‑encompassing knowledge.
The Second Evidence:
And regular balance In all the creatures in the universe, particular, universal, from the planets to the red and white corpuscles in blood, in everything, there is an exceedingly orderly measure and appropriate balance which point self‑evidently to an all-encompassing knowledge and testify to it decisively.
Yes, we see for instance that the members and bodily systems of a fly or human being, and even the cells of the body and red and white corpuscles in the blood, are placed with so sensitive a balance and fine a measure, and they are so fitting and suitable for each other, and their mutual proportion with the other members of the body is so orderly, and they are in such harmony with them, that it is in no way possible that one lacking infinite knowledge could have given them those situations.
Similarly, a balance so perfect and measure so regular and unfailing govern in all living creatures and sorts of creatures from minute particles to the planets of the solar system that they prove conclusively an all‑encompassing knowledge and testify to it with complete clarity. This means that all the evidences for knowledge are evidences also for the existence of the All-Knowing One. Since it is impossible and precluded that there should be an attribute without the one it qualifies, all the proofs of knowledge form a powerful and completely certain supreme proof of the Pre-Eternal All-Knowing One’s necessary existence.
The Third Evidence:
And the general, purposeful wisdom In all the creativity and activity in the universe, and in all the changes, raising to life, employing in duties and discharging from them, all creatures and all species of creatures have functions, uses, and purposes which are so intentional and knowing that they leave no room for chance. We see that with respect to creation one who does not possess all‑encompassing knowledge could in no way lay claim to any of them.
For example, although it is only a piece of flesh, together with its two main functions, the tongue, which is one of the hundred human members – human beings being only one of innumerable animate creatures – is the means to hundreds of instances of wisdom, results, fruits, and uses. Its functions of tasting foods, recognizing all their different savours, informing the body and the stomach, being an exacting inspector of the kitchens of divine mercy, and an accurate interpreter and telephone exchange for the heart, spirit, and mind in the function of speech all point in most brilliant and decisive manner to all‑encompassing knowledge.
If through its purposes and fruits a single tongue furnishes such evidence, innumerable tongues and innumerable living beings, infinite creatures, point to and testify to an infinite knowledge with the clarity and certainty of the noonday sun. They proclaim that there is nothing at all outside the bounds of the knowledge of the One All Knowing of the Unseen, or outside His wisdom and will.
The Fourth Evidence:
And all‑embracing, particular favours The favours and instances of compassion and protection bestowed on all living creatures in the world of conscious beings, on every species and individual, particularly and appropriately, point self‑evidently to an all-encompassing knowledge, and offer innumerable testimonies to the necessary existence of One Gracious and All-Knowing Who knows those who receive the favours and their needs.
Note: The explanation of the words of the Arabic piece, which is the summary and essence of the Risale‑i Nur, indicates the truths which the Risale‑i Nur – being distilled from the Qur’an – has taken from the flashes of Qur’anic verses, and particularly the proofs and evidences for knowledge, will, and power. For the Risale‑i Nur expounds the scholarly proofs which the Arabic words indicate. This means that rather than being elucidations, explanations, and translations of those Arabic words, each of these scholarly proofs explains an indication and fine point made by numerous Qur’anic verses. To return to our main question.
Yes, with our own eyes we see that there is an All‑Knowing and Compassionate One Who knows us and all beings with spirits, and knowing them, protects them, and knows all their needs and plaints, and knowing them comes to their assistance with His favours. One out of numberless examples: the general and particular favours bestowed on human beings as sustenance, medicines, and the minerals they need point most clearly to an all-encompassing knowledge, offering testimonies to a Most Merciful and Compassionate One to the number of foods, medicines, and minerals.
Yes, wise and purposive works like the feeding of human beings, and particularly of the helpless and infants, and especially their conveying from the kitchen of the stomach the nutrients necessary for all their members and even their cells, and the mountains being pharmacies and stores of all the minerals necessary for them, could only occur through an all‑encompassing knowledge. Aimless chance, blind force, deaf nature, and lifeless, unconscious causes and the simple, overwhelming elements could in no way interfere in this feeding, administering, preservation, and planning, which is knowing, percipient, wise, compassionate, and gracious. Apparent causes such as those are merely employed and utilized within the bounds of the knowledge and wisdom of One possessing absolute knowledge, and at His command and with His permission, as a veil to the dignity of divine power.
The Fifth and Sixth Evidences:
And the regular decrees and fruitful determining The forms and proportions of all things, particularly plants, trees, animals, and men have been cut out with skilful art according to the principles of divine decree and determining, which are two sorts of pre‑eternal knowledge, sewn in a way entirely appropriate to the stature of each, and clothed on them perfectly. Each is given most well-ordered, regular, and wise shapes. These singly and all together point to an infinite knowledge and testify to their number to an All-Knowing Maker.
Yes, out of innumerable examples, we look at only a single tree and a human person, and we see that both outwardly and inwardly the fruit‑bearing tree and multi-membered person have been delimited by unseen compasses and a subtle pen of knowledge, and that each of their members have been given perfectly ordered fitting forms so that they may produce the required fruits and results and perform the duties of their natures. As for this, since it could occur only through infinite knowledge, they testify to the number of plants and animals to the necessary existence and boundless knowledge of a Maker and Giver of Form, an All-Knowing Determiner Who knows the relationships of everything with everything else and keeps these in view, and knows the definition through the compasses and pen of the decree and determining of pre-eternal knowledge of the outsides and insides of their fellow-men and fellow-trees and their species, and of their measured proportions and form, and they testify to the One Who does this.
The Seventh and Eighth Evidences:
And the specified appointed hour of death and fixed, regular sustenance Superficially, the appointed hour and sustenance appear to be unknown and unspecified, but for an important instance of wisdom under the veil of vagueness, the appointed hour is determined and specified on the page of every living being’s destiny in the notebook of pre‑eternal divine decree and determining; it can be neither brought forward nor delayed. There are numerous evidences that the sustenance of every living being is also appointed and determined and inscribed on the tablets of decree and determining.
For example, a huge tree leaving behind when it dies its seed, which is its spirit of a sort, to continue its duties in its place, and this occurring through the wise law of an All‑Knowing Preserver; and milk, the sustenance of infants and young, flowing forth from breasts, and its appearing from between blood and execrement, and pouring into their mouths pure and clean without being polluted; reject decisively the possibility of chance and shows clearly that they occur through the compassionate law of an All-Knowing and Compassionate Provider. You can make an analogy with these two small examples for all living creatures and beings with spirits.
This means that in reality both the appointed hour of death is specified and determined, and each person’s sustenance has been determined and recorded in the notebook of his destiny. But for most important instances of wisdom, both the appointed hour and sustenance are concealed behind the veil of the Unseen and appear to be to be vague, unspecified, and apparently bound to coincidence.
For if the appointed hour had been specified like the setting of the sun, the first half of life would be passed in absolute heedlessness and be lost by not working for the hereafter, and the second half would passed in ghastly terror, as though one was every day taking one more step towards the gallows of death, exacerbating the calamity of death a hundredfold. For which reason the calamities one suffers, and the resurrection of the dead, which is the world’s appointed hour, have mercifully been left in concealment in the Unseen.
As for sustenance, since after life itself it is the greatest treasury of bounties, and the richest source of thanks and praise, and the most comprehensive mine of worship, supplication, and entreaty, it has apparently been left vague and shown to be tied to chance. For in this way the door of seeking sustenance through the intercession of continuously seeking refuge at the divine court, and pleading and beseeching, and praise and thanks, is not closed. For if it had been clearly specified, its nature would have been altogether changed. The doors of thankful, grateful supplications and entreaties, indeed of humble worship, would have been closed.
The Ninth and Tenth Evidences:
And the regular excellence and careful adornment All the beautiful creatures which display the manifestations of an eternal beauty and loveliness especially in the spring on the face of the earth, for instance the flowers, fruits, small birds and flies, and especially the gilded, sparkling flying insects – in their creation, forms, and members are such a miraculous skill and precision, such a wonderful art, mastery, and excellence, and all sorts of shapes and tiny machines which show their craftsman’s wondrous proficiency, that they point decisively to a truly comprehensive knowledge, and – let there be no mistake in the expression – an extremely skilful, scientific innate knowledge, and testify that it is impossible that aimless chance and unconscious, confused causes could interfere. While the phrase and careful decoration means that those fine artefacts are adorned in a way so agreeable, are decorated in a way so sweet, display a beauty and art so attractive, that their maker could create these works only by possessing an infinite knowledge. He knows the best manner of everything, and wishes to display to conscious beings the beauty of exquisite craftsmanship and the perfection of its beauty. For He creates and decorates an insignificant flower and tiny fly with the greatest care, skill, and art, giving them the greatest importance. This attentive adorning and beautifying self‑evidently point to a boundless and all-encompassing knowledge, and testify to the number of those beauties to the necessary existence of an All-Knowing and Beauteous Maker .
Which comprises five universal evidences and proofs
The Eleventh Evidence
The utterly perfect order, balance, and total distinction with absolute ease, and the creation of things in unlimited abundance with absolute skill and speed with absolute balance, to an unrestricted extent with perfect beauty and art, over infinite distances with complete congruence, with unlimited intermingling yet with complete distinction.
This evidence is another and better form of the similar lines at the end of the Arabic piece above, but because of my severe illness it explains the five or six evidences it comprises in the form of a very brief indication only.
Firstly: Throughout the earth we see the making of wondrous living machines, some instantaneously and some in a minute or two, in orderly and measured fashion, each different from its fellows, with the greatest ease, arising from a thorough knowledge and skill, all of which point to an infinite knowledge and testify that the perfection of knowledge is proportionate to the ease resulting from the skill and knowledge in the art.
Secondly: Perfect creations of the greatest art within the greatest profusion and multitude, point to a boundless knowledge within an infinite power, and testify to their number to One Who is Absolutely Knowing and Powerful.
Thirdly: Creations which are of the finest balance and measure despite being made with absolute speed, point to a boundless knowledge and testify to their number to One Absolutely Knowing and Absolutely Powerful.
Fourthly: The making of innumerable animate beings on the broad face of the earth with the greatest craft, adornment, and beauty of art despite their wide extent, points to an all‑encompassing knowledge which confusing nothing, sees all things together, and for which nothing is an obstacle to anything else. It testifies too that singly and altogether they are the artefacts of One Knowing of All Things, an Absolutely Powerful One.
Fifthly: The coming into being of the members of a species which are far from each other, with one in the east, one in the west, one in the north, and one in the south, in the same way, both resembling each other and differing, could occur only through the infinite power of One Absolutely Knowing and Absolutely Powerful Who governs the whole universe, and through His infinite knowledge, which encompasses all beings together with all their states, thus pointing to an all‑encompassing knowledge and testifies to One All-Knowing of the Unseen.
Sixthly: The creation of a great multitude of living machines in confusing circumstances and dark places, for example seeds under the ground, without confusion, despite their similarity and all being mixed up together, in miraculous fashion without neglecting any single one of any sort, together with all their distinguishing features, points as clearly as the sun to pre‑eternal knowledge and testifies as brilliantly as daylight to the creativity and dominicality of One Absolutely Powerful and Absolutely Knowing. For the details we refer you to the Risale‑i Nur and here cut a long story short.