Second Stopping‑Place
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Say: He is Allah, the One and Only. Allah, the Eternally Besought One.
This Stopping‑Place consists of three aims.
The First Aim
The representative of the people of misguidance and those who assign partners to Allah the Most High fell to earth at the slap he received from a star, as was described at the end of the First Stopping‑Place. So, because he could find nothing going for him anywhere from the particles to the stars, he gave up laying claim to them in that way and instead, like Satan, tried by means of three important questions to induce doubts in the believers’ minds about divine unity and oneness.
The First Question: He said in the manner of the atheists: “O you who believe in One Allah! Looking on behalf of my clients, I could find nothing, nor get anything at all out of the beings in the universe; I could not substantiate my claims. But then, how do you prove the existence of One Who is Single and Unique and possesses infinite power? Why do you not think it possible for others to interfere and to share in His power?”
The Answer: It is decisively proved in the Twenty‑Second Word that every creature, every particle, every star, is an illuminating argument for the Necessarily Existent and Absolutely Powerful One. Every link in the chains of beings in the universe is a clear evidence for His unity. The All-Wise Qur’an proves this with its innumerable proofs, and mentions most frequently those proofs that are clearest in the view of people generally.
For example: If you ask them, who is it that created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say, “Allah. And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and colours. With these and many verses like them, the All‑Wise Qur’an presents the creation of the heavens and earth as self-evident proofs of divine unity. So whether they like it or not, because of the way the heavens and earth have been created, anyone who is conscious and intelligent will be compelled to affirm the Glorious Creator. As the Qur’an says: They will certainly say, ‘Allah’.
In the First Stopping‑Place we started with a particle and demonstrated the stamp of unity on beings as far as the stars and the heavens. With verses like these the Qur’an repels the ascribing of partners to Allah the Most High from the stars and heavens down to particles. It indicates this in the following way.
The Possessor of Absolute Power Who creates the heavens and earth with such order and balance, of course creates the solar system, which is a region of it. The solar system is self‑evidently within His controlling and directing grasp.
Since the Absolutely Powerful One holds the sun and its planets within His grasp, and orders, subjugates, and directs them, certainly the earth, which is a member of the solar system and is tied to the sun, is also within His regulating and controlling grasp.
Since this is so, the beings which are created and inscribed on the face of the earth and are like its aims and fruits are also within His sustaining and perfecting grasp.
And since all the creatures spread and scattered over the earth, which gild and adorn its face, are continuously renewed, coming and going, filling the earth and being emptied from it, they are all of them within the grasp of His knowledge and power; and since they are measured and ordered on the scales of justice and wisdom;
and since all the species of beings are within the grasp of His power; certainly, all the well‑ordered and faultless members of those species, which are like miniature specimens of the cosmos, balance-sheets of its species, and tiny indexes of the book of the universe, must also be within His creating, sustaining, directing, and perfecting grasp.
And since this is so, the cells, blood corpuscles, limbs and muscles which comprise those animate creatures’ bodies are also self‑evidently within the grasp of His knowledge and power.
And since every cell and corpuscle is under His command and within His grasp, and since they are in motion according to His laws, surely the particles out of which they are formed and which are like shuttles weaving the embroideries of art which clothe them, are also necessarily within the grasp of His power and the sphere of His knowledge. For they are in motion in orderly fashion faultlessly performing duties at His command, with His permission, and through His power.
And since this is so, the identifying features and distinguishing marks to be found on everyone, all the differences in faces, voices, and languages, of necessity also occur through His knowledge and wisdom.
So now look again at the verse which mentions and points out the beginning and end of this chain: And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: indeed, in that are signs for those who know.
We therefore now say: O representative of the unbelievers! You can see, these arguments as strong as the chains of the universe prove the path of affirming divine unity, and they demonstrate a Possessor of Absolute Power. The creation of the heavens and the earth demonstrates an All‑Powerful Maker, and the infinite power of that All-Powerful Maker, and that His infinite power is at the point of infinite perfection; since this is so, there is an absolute lack of need for any partners. That is to say, He in no way needs any associates. Since He has no need, why do you take that dark path? Why do you feel constrained to take it?
Moreover, since both He, and beings, are in absolutely no need of partners, just as it is impossible for there to be any partners in His Divinity, so it is impossible for there to be any in His creation and sustaining of beings. Their existence is impossible. The reason for this is as follows: We proved that the power of the Maker of the heavens and the earth is both infinite and at the point of infinite perfection. If there were any partner, it would mean that, although His power is infinite, another finite power would limit and overcome His infinite and perfect power and would take possession of certain areas of it and in effect negate it. It would then be necessary, without there being any compulsion, for something finite to make something infinite when it is infinite finite and limited, and for itself to become infinite for a time. This is a manifold and totally irrational impossibility.
Also, since there is no need for partners, and, since their existence is impossible, to claim otherwise is purely arbitrary. That is, since there is no cause that could induce such a claim, rationally or logically, it would be meaningless. According to the science of jurisprudence, such a claim is designated arbitrary. That is, it is a meaningless abstract claim. A principle of the sciences of theology and jurisprudence is this, that a probability not originating from any indication or sign has no importance; it cannot induce doubt in a matter that is definite. It cannot shake the certainty that is based on sound judgement. For example, it is possible that Barla Lake or Eğridir Lake consists of grape‑molasses or that it has been transformed into oil. But since that possibility does not originate from any indication, it does not affect our certain knowledge, or induce doubt in the fact, that it exists and consists of water.
Therefore, we questioned every sort of creature from every corner of the cosmos and whatever was questioned from the particles to the stars in the First Stopping‑Place, and from the creation of the heavens and the earth to the individual features in faces in the Second Stopping-Place, everything demonstrated through the tongue of its being the seal of unity; everything testified that Allah is One. You saw this for yourself. There is, then, nothing in any of the creatures in the universe on which the possibility of Allah the Most High having any partners could be constructed.
That is to say, since to claim that Allah the Most High does have partners is purely arbitrary and meaningless and is an abstract claim, it is pure ignorance and unqualified stupidity.
Thus, nothing remained for the representative of the people of misguidance to say in the face of this. The only thing he could say was: “What indicates that Allah the Most High has partners is the configuration of causes in the cosmos. It is that everything is tied to a cause. So that means that causes have an actual effect, and if they have an effect, are not they able to be Allah the Most High’s partners?”
The Answer: Effects have been tied to causes because divine will and wisdom require them to be so, and so that great numbers of the divine names may be manifested. Everything has been tied to a cause, but we have decisively proved in numerous places, including many of the Words, that “causes have no actual power with which to create their effects.”
So, for now we shall just say this: Among causes human beings are self‑evidently the most superior, and have the greatest power of choice and the most extensive ability to control and direct other causes. And among the most obvious of man’s actions over which he exercises choice are eating and the powers of speech and thought. Furthermore, all these faculties are extremely well-ordered, wonderful, and purposeful chains. But of the hundred links in these chains only one is subject to man’s power of choice.
For example, in the chain of actions concerning food, which stretches from the nourishment of the body’s cells to the forming of fruit, only moving the jaw and chewing the food is subject to man’s choice. And in the chain of speech, only exhaling air and blowing it into the mould of articulated letters. And while a word in the mouth is a seed, it becomes like a tree; in the air it yields the fruits of millions of the same word and enters the ears of listeners along with millions of others. Man’s imagination can barely reach this metaphorical shoot, so how should the short arm of choice reach it?
Since among causes man is the most superior and has the greatest power of choice and yet his hands are thus tied from real creation, how should other causes, such as inanimate creatures, animals, the elements, and nature have any real power of disposal over other causes?
Each of those causes is only a container; a cover for the dominical works; a tray‑bearer for the gifts of the Compassionate One. Of course, the receptable for a king’s gift, or the handkerchief in which it is wrapped, or the person who brings the gift, which is placed in his hand, can in no way be partners in the king’s sovereignty. Anyone who supposes that they are partners is imagining nonsensical absurdities. In the same way, apparent causes and intermediaries can have absolutely no share in Allah the Most High’s sustaining of His creatures. Their lot is only to perform a service of worship.
The Second Aim
The representative of the ascribers of partners to Allah the Most High could in no respect prove that way, and so, although despairing, since he wanted to destroy the way of those who affirm divine unity, he tried to sow doubts in their minds by asking the following question:
The Second Question: “O you who affirm divine unity! You say, Say: He is Allah, the One and Only. Allah, the Eternally Besought One; that the Creator of the universe is one, He is Single, He is Eternally Besought by all creatures; and that the Creator of everything is He; that He is one in essence and at the same time the reins of all things are directly in His hand, the key to everything is in His grasp, everything is under his control, one thing cannot be an obstacle to another. And you say that at the same instant He has total disposal over all things and all their states. How can such a far‑fetched fact be believed? How can a single individual be in innumerable places and do innumerable things at the same time with no difficulty?”
The Answer: This question may be answered by explaining an extremely profound, subtle, elevated, and comprehensive mystery concerning divine oneness and eternal besoughtedness. The human mind can look at this mystery only through the telescope of a comparison and observatory of a parable. While there is nothing similar or analogous to Allah the Most High’s essence and attributes, the functions of His attributes may be considered to an extent by means of comparisons and parables. So we shall point to that mystery through comparisons of a material nature.
First Comparison: As is proved in the Sixteenth Word, a single individual may attain universality or comprehensiveness by means of different mirrors. While actually being a true particular, it as though becomes a universal with numerous qualities and functions.
Indeed, matter like glass and water may act as mirrors to physical objects, and one such object may attain universality in such a mirror. In the same way, air, ether, and some creatures from the World of Similitudes are like mirrors to lucent objects and spirit beings. With the speed of lightning or imagination those mirror‑like creatures become means of travel and spectating, so that the lucent and spirit beings travel with the speed of imagination in those spotless mirrors, those subtle dwellings. In the space of a single instant the spirit beings can enter thousands of places. And because they are lucent and because their reflections are the same as them and possess their qualities, they are as though present in person in every mirror, everywhere, as is contrary to the case with physical beings. The reflections and likenesses of dense corporeal beings are not identical to the corporeality of those beings; they do not possess their qualities and may be thought of as dead.
For example, although the sun is a particular and a single individual, it becomes like a universal by means of shining objects. It reflects its image, a sun like itself, in all shining objects, drops of water, and fragments of glass on the face of the earth, according to their capacity. The sun’s heat, light, and the seven colours in its light, a sort of likeness of the essential sun, is found in all shining physical objects. Let us suppose the sun had knowledge and consciousness, then every mirror would be a sort of dwelling‑place or seat or chair for it, it would be in contact with everything in person. It would be able to communicate with all conscious creatures by means of mirrors, with the pupil of every eye, even, each of which would be like a telephone. One thing would not be an obstacle to another. Communicating with one thing would not be a barrier to communicating with another. While being present everywhere, it would be present nowhere.
If the sun, which is a material, partial, and inanimate mirror to only the divine name of Light out of innumerable names, can therefore display universal activity in an unlimited number of places while being a single individual, should the All‑Glorious One, with the oneness of His essence, be unable to perform innumerable actions at the same time?
Second Comparison: Since the cosmos is like a tree, all trees may be likened to the truths of the universe. So we shall take the mighty and majestic plane tree facing this room as a miniature example of the universe and demonstrate with it the manifestation of divine oneness in the universe.
This tree has at least ten thousand fruits and each fruit has at least a hundred winged seeds. At one instant of time the ten thousand fruits and million seeds display all together one art and creativity. While the centre of the laws of the tree’s formation is present in its original seed, roots and trunk, through a manifestation of divine will and a condensing of the dominical command, which may be described as particular, individuated, and a knot of life, it is also present at the ends of all its branches, within every fruit and every seed. No part of any member of the tree is lacking the laws, they are not obstacles to one another; the tree is formed through them.
And that single manifestation of will and law issuing from a command are not transmitted and radiated like light, heat, and air. For they leave no trace nor may any hint of them be perceived in the long distances and various beings between the places they go. If their being present in all the fruits and seeds had occurred through being transmitted and radiated, some trace or hint of them would have been perceived. Rather, they are present in all those places without being fragmented or radiated. The universal and general actions are not incompatible with His oneness and individuality. It may even be said that while the manifestation of will, and the law and life‑source are present in all the places, they are present in none of them. It is as if the law has as many eyes and ears as there are fruits and seeds of the majestic tree. Yes, each part of the tree is like a centre of the senses of the law, so that their long intermediaries are not a veil and do not form a barrier, but like telephone wires are a means of facilitating and bringing things closer. The farthest is like the nearest.
Since, as is clear from observation, through a single partial manifestation of an attribute of the Single and Eternally Besought One like will, millions of events occur in millions of places without intermediary, one has to be certain, completely certain, that the All‑Glorious One can have total disposal over the tree of the universe, together with all its parts and particles, through the manifestation of His power and will.
As is proved and explained in the Sixteenth Word, while being in one place and being particulars identifiable as single, through the mystery of luminosity, impotent and subjugated creatures like the sun, and semi‑luminous creatures like spirit beings, which are restricted by matter, and the laws issuing from a command and the manifestations of will which are the life-source and centre of direction of this plane tree, which in turn are like its light and spirit, are clearly present in numerous places and in numerous events. While being particulars restricted by matter, it is as though they acquire an absolute universality, and through the exercise of will, in the space of one second may demonstrably perform a great number of works. You see for yourself and you will not be able to deny it.
The Single and Most Pure and Holy Essence, Whose attributes are all‑comprehending and functions, universal, is far beyond and exalted above matter, and is utterly remote and free from any restriction and the darkness of density. All these lights and luminous beings are but obscure shadows of His sacred names; and all existence and life and the World of Spirits, the Intermediate Realm, and the World of Similitudes, semi-transparent mirrors reflecting His beauty. What being can be hidden in the face of His oneness, which is within the manifestation of His attributes and actions, which in turn are evident through His universal will, absolute power, and all-embracing knowledge? What matter can be difficult for Him? What place can be concealed from Him? What object can remain distant from Him? What individual can draw close to Him without acquiring universality? Can anything at all be hidden from Him? Can any matter at all be an obstacle to another? Can any place at all be empty of His presence? Ibn al-‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “He has an immaterial eye that sees and ear that hears all beings.” Is this not so? Are the chains of beings not each like a wire or vein for the swift conveyance of His commands and laws? Are obstacles and difficulties not means and intermediaries in His disposal of beings? Are causes and intermediaries not merely an apparent veil? While He is present nowhere, is He not present everywhere? Does He have any need to be located in a place or situation? Can the veils of distance, smallness, and the degrees of existence be obstacles to His proximity, power of disposal, and witnessing? Moreover, could the qualities pertaining to material, contingent, dense, numerous, restricted, and limited beings, and the states of change, transformation, division, and occupying space, which are their particular and confined necessary consequences, in any way touch the Most Pure and Holy Essence, Who is far beyond matter, is Necessarily Existent, the Light of Lights, and is Single, One, and free from any restriction or limitation and exalted above and pure of any fault or deficiency? Could impotence in any way be fitting for Him? Could any defect approach the skirt of His splendour and glory?
Conclusion of the Second Aim
Once, when I was reflecting on divine oneness, I looked at the fruits on the plane tree outside my room. A chain of thought came to me as inspiration, and I write it here in Arabic exactly as it came to me.
All these fruits and the seeds within them are miracles of dominical wisdom, wonders of divine art, gifts of divine mercy, material proofs of divine unity, bearers of the good news that divine favours will be granted in the hereafter. Just as they are all truthful witnesses to His all‑embracing power and knowledge, so each of them is a mirror confirming His unity in all the corners of the world of multiplicity and in all the parts of a sort of world that has become multiple, like this tree. They turn the gaze from multiplicity to unity.
Each of them says through the tongue of its being: “Don’t let your gaze wander over all this mighty spreading tree lest you become distracted, for the whole tree is within us. Its multiplicity is contained within our unity.” Even, as the heart of the fruit, every seed is a physical mirror confirming divine unity. So too it recites in the silent prayer of its heart, the divine names the mighty tree recites in its audible prayer.
Furthermore, just as the fruits and seeds are mirrors professing divine unity, so they are the visible signs of divine determining and embodied tokens of divine power. With these words, divine determining and power intimate the following: “The many branches and twigs of this tree appeared from a single seed and demonstrate the unity of the tree’s Artist in creating it and giving it form. Then, after growing and spreading its branches, it gathered together all its truths in a single fruit; it encapsulated its entire meaning in a single seed, thereby demonstrating the wisdom in the Glorious Creator’s creation and planning.” Similarly, the tree of the universe takes its existence from a source of unity and is sustained by it. And man, the fruit of the universe, demonstrates unity within this multiplicity of beings, while with the eye of belief his heart sees the mystery of unity within multiplicity.
Moreover, the fruits and seeds are allusions of dominical wisdom. Wisdom says the following with them to those who are aware: “The comprehensive regard towards this tree and its planning look with their comprehensiveness and universality to a single fruit. For the fruit is a miniature specimen of the tree. It is what is aimed at by the tree. Also, the comprehensive regard and planning look to all the seeds within the fruit, for each seed bears the meaning or index of the whole tree. That is to say, since the fruit is the aim the tree’s existence and the purpose of its creation, the One Who plans the tree regards each fruit with all His names connected to the planning. Moreover, the mighty tree is sometimes pruned and trimmed for the sake of the tiny fruit; some parts of it are destroyed so that it may make new growth. It is grafted in order to produce even better, permanent fruit.”
In the same way, man, who is the fruit of the tree of the universe, is the purpose of its creation and existence and the aim of the creation of beings. While his heart, which is the seed of the fruit, is a most brilliant and comprehensive mirror to the universe’s Maker. It follows on from this wisdom, therefore, that tiny man will be the cause of the destruction and transformation of the universe. He will be the point of momentous revolutions like the Day of Resurrection. It will be for his judgement that the door of this world will be closed and that of the hereafter opened.
Since we have arrived at a discussion of resurrection, it is appropriate to explain one point concerning its reality which demonstrates the clarity and strength with which the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition illuminates and proves resurrection.
The result yielded by this sequence of thought shows that if it is necessary for man’s judgement and his gaining eternal happiness, the whole universe will be destroyed and that a power capable of destroying and transforming the universe shows itself and exists. But resurrection has many degrees. It is obligatory to believe in some of them; they must be acknowledged. Whereas others become apparent according to levels in spiritual and intellectual development, and for these knowledge pertaining to both are necessary. In order to present cogent and strong proofs for the simplest and easiest level, the All‑Wise Qur’an points out a power capable of opening up a truly vast realm of resurrection.
The degree of resurrection in which it is necessary for all to believe is this: After human beings die, their spirits depart for another realm. And their bodies rot except for a minute cell from the base of the spine which will act as a seed. It remains intact, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah the Most High will create the human body out of it and return its spirit to it.
This degree is so simple, then, it may be seen every spring through millions of examples. Sometimes in order to prove this degree, the verses of the Qur’an point out the unlimited activity of a power capable of raising to life all particles, and sometimes the traces of a power and wisdom capable of sending all creatures to extinction and then recalling them. Then they point to the activity and traces of a power and wisdom able to scatter the stars and shatter the heavens, and sometimes to the activity and manifestations of a power and wisdom capable of causing all animate creatures to die and then raising them to life again all at once at a single trumpet‑blast. Sometimes the verses demonstrate the manifestations of a power and wisdom that will raise to life all the animate creatures on the face of the earth separately and gather them together. And sometimes they demonstrate the traces of a power and wisdom that, lopping off its mountains, will cause the globe of the earth to disintegrate completely, and then restoring it will transform it into an even more excellent form.
That is to say, apart from the Day of Resurrection, in which it is obligatory for everyone to believe and to acknowledge, with that power and wisdom, Allah the Most High can create numerous other degrees of resurrections. And what is more, dominical wisdom requires that besides certainly bringing about humankind’s resurrection, He shall bring about all those other degrees or create certain other important matters.
A Question: You say: “You make much use of analogies in the form of comparisons or parables in the Words. Whereas according to the science of logic, this form of analogy does not afford certainty. A logical proof is required for matters of certain knowledge. Analogy in the form of comparison and parable is utilized by scholars of jurisprudence in matters in which the prevailing opinion is sufficient. Also, you present comparisons in the form of stories; the stories are imaginary and cannot be true. Is this not contrary to reality?”
The Answer: It has been stated in the science of logic that analogies in the form of comparisons and parables do not afford certain knowledge. However, there is a certain type of this form of analogy that forms a proof more powerful than those proofs of logic yielding certainty. This type of analogy is as follows. It demonstrates the tip of a universal truth by means of a partial comparison and constructs its conclusion on that truth. It demonstrates the truth’s law in a particular matter, so that the vast truth may be known and particular matters may be ascribed to it.
For example, although the sun is a single being, by means of luminosity it is present in every shining object. The law of a truth is demonstrated by means of this comparison which states that light and luminosity cannot be restricted: for them, distance and proximity are the same, many and few are equal, and space cannot conquer them.
This is another example: a tree’s fruits and leaves are all shaped and formed at the same time, in the same fashion, easily and perfectly, in a single centre and through a law issuing from a command. This is a comparison or parable demonstrating the tip of a mighty truth and universal law. It proves the truth and the truth’s law in a truly decisive form, so that, like the tree, the mighty universe displays and is the field of operation of that law of truth and mystery of divine oneness.
Thus, the analogies, comparisons, and parables employed in all the Words are in this form and are more powerful and afford more certainty than the categorical proofs of logic.
Answer to the Second Part of the Question: It is a well‑known fact that in the science of rhetoric, when the true or literal meaning of a word or phrase is used solely as a means of conveying another meaning, it is called an allusive expression. The literal meaning of a word or phrase defined as allusive is not either true or false; it is the allusive meaning that is such. If the allusive meaning is correct then the phrase is true. Even if its literal meaning is not true, it does not damage the statement’s veracity. If the allusive meaning is not correct while its literal meaning is, then the phrase is false.
For example, “So‑and-so’s sword-belt is very long.” This phrase alludes to the man’s tall stature. If he was tall but did not have a sword and belt, the phrase would still be correct and true. If he was not tall but had a long sword and belt, then the phrase would be false, since it is not its literal meaning that is intended.
The stories or parables in the Words, for example, those in the Tenth and Twenty‑Second Words, are sorts of allusions. The truths at the end of the stories are extremely correct, extremely true, and conformable to reality; they are the allusive meanings of the stories. Their literal meanings are comparisons that bring distant objects close like a telescope and however they may be it does not damage their veracity and truthfulness. Moreover, all those stories are comparisons or parables. Purely to enable people in general to understand, what is properly communicated without words is put into words, and immaterial and abstract matters are represented in material form.
Third Aim
After receiving this decisive and convincing answer to his second question, the representative of all the people of misguidance was reduced to silence, but then asked the following third question. “Phrases in the Qur’an like The Best of Creators, and The Most Compassionate of the Compassionate, suggest that there are other creators and compassionate ones.
And you also say, ‘the Creator of all the worlds possesses endless perfections. United in Him are the utmost levels of every kind of perfection.’ Whereas, the perfections of beings are known through their opposites: if there were no pain, pleasure would not be a sort of perfection; if there were no darkness, light could not be proved to exist; if there were no separation, there would be no pleasure in union, and so on, would there?”
The Answer: We shall answer the first part of the question with five indications.
First Indication: From beginning to end, the Qur’an demonstrates divine unity; this is a clear indication that those sort of phrases in the Qur’an are not as you understand them. Rather, The Best of Creators is to say, “He is at the highest and best rank of creativity,” which in no way indicates that there is another creator. Like the other attributes, creativity has many degrees or ranks. The Best of Creators means, “He is a Glorious Creator at the furthest and most excellent degree of creativity.”
Second Indication: Terms like, The Best of Creators do not look to a plurality of creators, but to the varieties of the state of being creature. That is, “He is a Creator Who creates everything in an appropriate form, at a faultless degree.” Verses like, Who makes most excellent everything He creates, express this meaning.
Third Indication: The comparison suggested by terms like, The Best of Creators, Allah is Most Great, The Best Judge between truth and falsehood, and The Most Bountiful are not comparative and superlative adjectives comparing Allah the Most High’s actual attributes and actions with others who possess samples of those attributes and actions. For all the perfections in the universe, and in jinn, men, and angels, are but pale shadows in relation to His perfection. How could any comparison be possible? It is rather human beings, and particularly the people of neglect, who see perfection in terms of comparison.
For example, a private shows complete obedience and respect to his corporal. It seems to him that all benefits come from him and he thinks little of the king. Even if he does think of him, it is still to the corporal that he shows his gratitude. So it is said to the private: “See here! The king is much greater than your corporal, it is only him that you should thank.” Now this sentence does not compare the king’s imperial commandership, which is actual, with the corporal’s command, which is partial and only apparent; because to do so would be meaningless. The private prefers the corporal and loves and thanks only him as a result of what he considers important and how he sees his relations with the corporal.
Similarly, when apparent causes are imagined to be the creator and bestower of bounties in the view of the people of neglect, they become a veil to the True Bestower of Bounties. Such neglectful people cling onto causes and suppose that bounties and favours are from them; they praise and acclaim them. The Qur’an says: “Allah the Most High is a greater, more excellent Creator, a far better Bestower of Bounties. So look to Him, and thank Him.”
Fourth Indication: Just as there may be comparison between actual beings and preference for some over others, so there may be comparisons between possible or even hypothetical things and preference. Numerous degrees or levels are present in the true natures of most things. So too, in the view of the intellect, innumerable degrees may be present in the true natures of the divine names and sacred attributes. Whereas Allah the Most High is at the most perfect and excellent of all the possible and imagined degrees of those attributes and names. The whole universe witnesses to this truth through all its perfections. His are the Most Beautiful Names, “describing all His names as the most excellent,” expresses this meaning.
Fifth Indication: This use of the comparative and superlative is not to be understood in terms of creatures, but in terms of the fact that Allah the Most High has two sorts of manifestations and attributes.
The First Sort: In accordance with the mystery of His unity, this consists of His disposal over creatures under the veil of causes and intermediaries and in the form of universal laws.
The Second Sort: In accordance with the mystery of His oneness, it is His disposal over creatures directly, without veil, regarding each in a particular way. This means that through the mystery of oneness, His bestowal, creation, and grandeur which are direct, are greater and more elevated and excellent than the works of His bestowal, creation, and grandeur which are apparent through the manifestations of causes and intermediaries.
For example, let us suppose there is a king, but he is a saint‑king. He has great numbers of officials and commanders but they are only veils, for the authority and execution of all matters are directly in his hand. The king’s power of disposal and execution of affairs are of two kinds: The First Kind: The execution of affairs he demonstrates and the commands he gives through a universal law in the form of visible officials and commanders in accordance with their abilities and ranks. The Second Kind: This is not through universal laws. He does not make visible officials a veil; his execution of affairs and royal favours are direct and may be described as more elevated and excellent.
In the same way, the Creator of the universe, the Monarch of Pre‑Eternity and Post-Eternity, has made causes and intermediaries veils to His execution of affairs and has demonstrated the majesty of His dominicality. But He left private telephones in His servants’ hearts so that, charged with a particular worship, they might leave causes behind and turn directly to Him, and might declare: You alone do we worship and You alone do we ask for help!
Thus, the meanings of The Best of Creators, Most Compassionate of the Compassionate, and, Allah is Most Great look to this meaning, too.
We shall answer the second part of the representative’s question with five signs.
The First Sign:
In his question, he said: “If something has no opposite, how can it be perfection?”
The Answer: The questioner does not know what true perfection is. What he has in mind is only relative perfection. For merits, virtues, and qualities that look to something and are acquired relatively to something else are not real, they are relative and weak. If what they look to disappears, then they too will disappear. For example, the relative pleasure and merits of heat occur through the effect of cold, and the relative pleasure of food, through the effect of the pain of hunger. If the cold and hunger disappear, then the pleasure diminishes.
Whereas true pleasure, love, perfection, and virtue are such that they are not constructed on imagining something else. They are present of themselves. They are essential, inherent truths. Qualities such as the following are like this: the pleasures of existence, life, love, knowledge, belief, permanence, mercy, and compassion; and the beauty of light, sight, speech, noble‑heartedness, fine character, and form; the perfection of essence and of attribute and perfection in actions. Whether or not there is something else, these qualities will not change.
Thus, all the perfections of the Glorious Fashioner, the Beauteous Maker, the Perfect Creator are true perfections; they are essential and what is other than Him cannot affect Him. They can only be recipients.
The Second Sign:
Sayyid Sharif al‑Jurjani wrote in Sharh al‑Mawaqif: “The cause of love is either pleasure, benefit, resemblance (that is, inclination towards creatures of same kind), or perfection. For perfection is loved for itself.” That is to say, if you love something, you love it either because of the pleasure it affords, or the benefits it brings, or because it is similar in kind like the inclination towards children, or because it possesses some perfection. If it is for perfection, no other cause or purpose is necessary; it is loved purely for itself. For example, everybody loves people of former times who possessed perfection; even if they have no connection with them they still love them admiringly.
Thus, since all Allah the Most High’s perfections and qualities and all the degrees in His beautiful names are true perfections, they are loved for themselves. The Glorious One, Who is the true beloved, loves His perfections, which are true perfections, and the beauties of His attributes and names in a manner appropriate to Himself.
And He loves the good qualities of His art and creatures, which are mirrors reflecting those perfections. He loves His prophets and saints, especially the Most Noble Beloved (Upon whom be blessings and peace), who is the Lord of the Prophets and Prince of the Saints. That is, with His love for His own beauty, He loves His Beloved One (UWBP), who is the mirror to that beauty. With His love for His own names, He loves His Beloved (UWBP) and his brothers who are comprehensive and aware loci of those names’ manifestations. With His love for His art, He loves His Beloved (UWBP) and those like him who are heralds and exhibitors of that art. With His love for His artefacts, He loves His Beloved (UWBP) and those who follow him who appreciate and admire those artefacts and respond to them saying: “What wonders Allah has willed! How beautifully they have been made.” And with His love for the good qualities of His creatures, He loves His Most Noble Beloved (UWBP) and his followers and brothers in whom are united the finest of moral qualities.
The Third Sign:
All the perfections in all the universe are signs and indications of a Glorious Being’s perfection and beauty. Indeed, all the goodness, perfection, and beauty in the universe is but a pale shadow in relation to His true perfection. We shall mention briefly five proofs of this truth.
First Proof: A perfect, splendidly adorned and decorated palace plainly points to perfect skill and craftsmanship. And the craftsmanship and art, which is a perfect act, plainly points to a perfect author, master, and craftsman together with his titles and names like fashioner and adorner. And those perfect names doubtlessly point to the master’s perfect and skilful attributes. And that perfect skill and those attributes self‑evidently point to his perfect ability and faculty. And that perfect ability and faculty necessarily point to the perfection of his essence and the exaltedness of his nature.
In exactly the same way, this palace of the universe, this perfect and adorned work of art, self‑evidently points to actions of the utmost perfection. For perfections in works of art result from perfection of action; they demonstrate it. And perfection of actions point to a Perfect Author and the perfect names of that Author. That is, in relation to the works of art, they point to the perfection of such names as Planner, Fashioner, All-Wise, All-Compassionate, and Adorner. Moreover, the perfection of the names and titles, without any doubt, point to the Author’s perfect attributes. For if the attributes were not perfect, the names and titles which originate from the attributes would not be perfect. And the perfection of the attributes self-evidently points to the perfection of His functioning essence, because it is from the functioning essence that the attributes proceed. And the perfection of essential functions points at the degree of knowledge of certainty to the perfection of the functioning essence. It points to a perfection so worthy that although the light of the perfection passes through the veils of functions, attributes, names, actions, and works of art, it still demonstrates the goodness, beauty, and perfection to be seen to this great extent in the universe,
Thus, after the existence of this degree of true, essential perfection has been established with cogent proofs what importance remains for relative perfections, which look to other things and which exist only in so far as they gain superiority over their likes and opposites? You may understand, then, just how paltry they become.
Second Proof: When the universe is studied as something from which lessons are to be taken, the conscience and heart may conjecture and perceive the following: the one who has so beautified and adorned the universe with all manner of fine things, must himself possess an infinite degree of beauty and perfection so that he might make it thus.
Third Proof: It is a well‑known fact that works of art which are well-proportioned, symmetrical, perfect, and beautiful are based on an exceedingly well-drawn-up plan. And a perfectly drawn plan points to a perfectly sound knowledge, fine intellect, and refined faculty of spirit. That is to say, it is the spirit’s immaterial beauty which is manifested in art by means of knowledge.
Thus, the universe, with its innumerable material fine qualities, is formed of the distillations of immaterial fine qualities pertaining to knowledge. And those immaterial qualities pertaining to knowledge and those perfections are certainly the manifestations of an infinite, eternal loveliness, beauty, and perfection.
Fourth Proof: It is obvious that that which gives light must possess light, and that which illuminates must be luminous, that bounty comes from riches, and kindness proceeds from one who is kind. Since this so, since all this loveliness and beauty is given to the universe and perfection is bestowed on beings, they point to an eternal beauty as light points to the sun.
Beings pass over the face of the earth like a vast river sparkling with flashes of perfection. In the same way that a river sparkles with manifestations of the sun, the flood of beings momentarily sparkles with flashes of loveliness, beauty, and perfection, and then is gone. And the beings following after them display the same flashes and sparkling. It may be understood from this that just as the manifestations and instances of beauty on the flowing bubbles of water are not from themselves, but are manifestations and instances of beauty from the light of a sun,
so the qualities and perfections which glisten briefly on the flood of the universe are the flashes of the beauty of an Eternal Sun’s names.
Yes, the annihilation of the mirrors and the vanishing of beings occurs together with perpetual manifestation and constant effulgence. It is clear from the manifestations appearing that their apparent beauty is not theirs; they are rather eloquent manifestos and clear proofs of a Transcendent Beauty and Renewed Munificence; of the Necessarily Existent, the Loving One, the Undying One.
Fifth Proof: If four people who have arrived via four different routes all speak of the same event, it suggests with a certainty born of unanimity that the event definitely occurred.
Thus, although their ways, dispositions, abilities, and times were all different, all the scholars of religion with their different ranks, the saints and purified ones with their different paths and ways, and the true philosophers with their different creeds are in agreement. They are the people of illumination and experiential knowledge, who have unveiled the secrets of the cosmos and have observed and borne witness to the truth – through their unveilings, illuminations, and witnessings, they have unanimously agreed that the qualities and perfections to be seen in the mirrors and displays of the universe and its beings, are the manifestations of a Single Necessarily Existent One’s perfection and the manifestations of the beauty of His names.
Their consensus and accord, then, constitutes an unshakeable proof.
Let us suppose that in order not to hear this Sign, the representative of the people of misguidance was compelled to stop up his ears and flee. For certainly, like bats, heads so plunged into darkness cannot endure these lights. In which case, from here on we shall consider them little, if at all.
The Fourth Sign:
Rather than looking to its likes and opposites, the pleasure, loveliness, and beauty of a thing look to where those qualities are manifested. For example, generosity is a fine and pleasing attribute. The pleasure a generous person obtains from the joy and pleasure of those he has favoured is thousands of times more gratifying than the relative pleasure obtained from feeling superior to other generous people. Also, a kind and compassionate person receives true pleasure proportionately to those towards whom he has been compassionate find ease and comfort. For example, the pleasure a mother receives from the happiness and comfort of her children, because of her compassion, is so strong she would sacrifice her very soul for their comfort. The pleasure of such compassion will even make a hen attack a lion in order to protect her chicks.
Thus, the true pleasure, goodness, happiness and perfection in elevated attributes do not look to peers and opposites, but to their dependants and the places they are manifested. The beauty, therefore, of the Beauteous and Perfect One’s mercy, Who is Ever‑Living and Self-Subsistent, Clement and Benevolent, Compassionate and Merciful, looks to those who receive His mercy. There are endless degrees in the happiness, enjoyment and joy of those who receive the manifestation of His mercy and compassion, and especially those who receive its endless varieties in everlasting Paradise. We may understand that, according to the degrees of their happiness and joy, the Merciful and Compassionate One experiences exalted, pure, holy, and beautiful meanings, like fondness and love, in a manner appropriate to Him, that may be described through qualities which are proper to Him. He possesses utterly pure and holy qualities which we may not mention because the Shari‘a does not permit it, but which may be described as sacred pleasure, holy love, pure joy and sacred happiness. We have proved in many places that they are infinitely more exalted, elevated, holy, and pure than the love, joy, and happiness that we see in the universe and may perceive among creatures. If you wish to take a look at a flash of those meanings, then look through the telescope of the following comparisons.
For example, a noble‑hearted, magnanimous personage laid out a fine banquet on his magnificent voyaging ship in order to feed the poor, the needy, and hungry. Then he himself watched from on deck. You can understand how pleased and happy the thankful pleasure and appreciative gratitude of the poor, hungry and needy made that generous personage; how much it gratified him.
Man is not the true owner of even the humblest repast and is merely like a distributor. Therefore, if his joy is thus, you can draw an analogy with the sacred meanings of love and results of mercy that pertain to the Merciful and Compassionate One, which we are powerless to express. For He causes men, jinn, and animals to journey in the seas of space, and to board the mighty earth, which is a dominical ship. Then, loading the table of the face of the earth with innumerable varieties of foods, He invites all living creatures to the feast, which is a sort of light snack or appetizer. For besides this, He will make each of every sort of perfect delight a table laden with bounties in a permanent and everlasting realm. He will inaugurate an unending and comprehensive banquet of innumerable pleasures and subtle wonders, which will be true food for His countless and endlessly needy and yearning slaves.
And, for example, a skilful and practised craftsman who likes to display his ingenuity, after inventing an object like a gramophone which plays without records, will set it up, try it out and then show it off. If it gives the desired and expected results perfectly, how proud will its inventor feel, how pleased and gratified will he be. He will say to himself: “May Allah bless this!”
And so, if an insignificant man is so pleased with the smooth working of a gramophone and with his craftsmanship which is only superficial, for in reality he creates nothing, then how should the All‑Glorious Maker be? For He created the mighty universe as an orchestra and gramophone, and He made the earth, and all the animate creatures on it, and among animate creatures especially man. And man’s head He created in such a fashion that it is a dominical gramophone and divine orchestra so that science and philosophy are struck with wonderment at the art and craftsmanship displayed in it.
Thus, all these beings show all the results desired of them to the utmost degree and in the best possible way. They are completely obedient to the commands that give them existence, which are described by the creatures’ particular worship and glorification and their appointed salutations to Allah the Most High. The pride, pleasure and joy together with the sacred meanings and pure qualities, which we are unable to describe, that are obtained from these and from the attainment of the dominical aims sought from the beings, are so exalted and holy that if all the minds of humankind were to unite and become one mind, it would still be unable to reach or comprehend their substance.
And another example. What pleasure and enjoyment a just ruler who loves to enforce justice and right receives from granting the oppressed their rights and receiving their thanks and from punishing the wrongdoers and taking revenge for the oppressed.
You can draw an analogy with the sacred meanings pertaining to the Absolutely Wise One, the Truly Just One, the All‑Compelling and Glorious One, which arise from establishing justice, and not only for men and jinn, but for all creatures. That is to say, the sacred meanings arising from bestowing the right of existence and the right of life on everything, from protecting existence and life from aggressors, and from arresting and restraining those ghastly creatures from their aggression; and that arise especially from the judgement of men and jinn at the Great Gathering in the realm of the hereafter. And besides this, the sacred meanings arising from the greatest manifestation of justice and wisdom that is apparent in animate creatures.
Thus, as may be seen from these three examples, a great many degrees of loveliness, beauty, grace, and perfection are present in all the thousand and one divine names, just as there are a great many degrees of love, pride, glory, and grandeur. It is because of this that the elevated and authoritative saints who manifested the name of Loving One said: “Love is the very leaven of the universe. It is through love that all beings are in motion. It is from love that the laws of attraction, affinity, and ecstasy present in all beings spring.” One of them wrote the following:
The firmament is intoxicated, the angels and the stars and heavens are intoxicated,
The sun is intoxicated, the moon and the earth and the elements are intoxicated,
The plants, the trees, and humankind are intoxicated, animate creatures are all intoxicated,
All the particles of all beings are altogether intoxicated, and yet more intoxicated.
That is to say, everyone receives the manifestation of divine love and is intoxicated in accordance with his capacity.
It is well‑known that every heart has affection for someone who bestows kindnesses on it, and that it loves true perfection and is enamoured of noble beauty. And the heart loves even more one who bestows kindnesses, not only on itself, but also on those it loves and feels compassion for. And so, as we explained before, may it not be understood from the following just how deserving of love and passion is the All-Beauteous and Glorious One, the All-Perfect Beloved One, and how intoxicated and giddy is the whole universe with love of Him? For He is named with a thousand names each of which is the source of thousands of perfections and the means for thousands of degrees of beauty. And through His bounties, in all the names are thousands of treasuries containing bounties, and He makes all those beings we love happy.
It is because of this mystery that the saints who manifested the name of Loving One declared: “We do not want Paradise. One flash of the divine love will suffice us for ever.”
It is also because of this that as is recorded in the Hadith: A minute’s vision of the divine beauteousness in Paradise will far surpass all its other delights.
Thus, these endless perfections of love occur only through the All‑Glorious One’s names and His creatures within the sphere of His unity and oneness. That is to say, those perfections that are imagined to exist outside that sphere are not perfections at all.
The Fifth Sign:
The Fifth Sign consists of five points.
First Point: The representative of the people of misguidance said next: “The world is execrated in your Hadiths and called ‘carrion.’ Also, all the saints and people of truth have contempt for the world, they say that it is pernicious and unclean. Whereas, you show it to be the means and proof of all divine perfections and speak of it rapturously.”
The Answer: The world has three faces.
Its First Face looks to Allah the Most High’s names; it displays their impress. It is a mirror to them, reflecting their meanings. This face of the world consists of innumerable letters or missives describing the Eternally Besought One. This face is utterly beautiful and is worthy of love, not loathing.
Its Second Face looks to the hereafter. It is the seedbed of the hereafter and arable field for Paradise. It is the flower bed of mercy. This face is also beautiful like the first one and is deserving of love not contempt.
Its Third Face looks to man’s base appetites. It is a veil of neglect and a plaything for satisfying the desires of the worldly. This face is ugly because it is transient and mortal; it is full of pain and it deceives. The contempt described in the Hadith and the loathing of the people of truth, then, is for this face.
The importance and approbation which the All‑Wise Qur’an demonstrates towards the universe and all beings is towards the first two faces. It is the first two faces of the world that the Companions of the Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace) and other people of Allah seek.
There are four classes of people who have contempt for the world.
The First: Those who seek knowledge of Allah the Most High. They have contempt for it because it is a barrier to knowledge, love, and worship of Allah the Most High.
The Second: Those who look to the hereafter. They see the world as ugly either because unavoidable worldly matters prevent them from doing works pertaining to the hereafter. Or, due to their elevated degree of belief, they see it as ugly in relation to the perfections and beauties of Paradise. Indeed, in the same way that a handsome man will appear ugly when compared to the Prophet Joseph (Upon whom be peace), however valuable the qualities of this world, they become as nothing when compared to those of Paradise.
The Third: These people have contempt for this world because they cannot obtain it. This contempt arises not from loathing but from love.
The Fourth: These people have contempt for the world because although they obtain it, it does not stay, it leaves them. And this vexes them. They insult it in order to console themselves and say it is foul. But this arises from love of the world, whereas acceptable contempt arises from love of the hereafter and the love that springs from knowledge of Allah the Most High.
That is to say, acceptable contempt is of the first two kinds. May Allah the Most High make us like those people. Amen. In Veneration Of The Lord Of The Prophets