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HOW
CAN WE
RECONCILE THE
TENDER CARE,
THE BENEFICIAL
MANAGEMENT
AND
LOVING-KINDNESS
REQUIRED BY
SUCH OF
THE
GREATEST NAMES
OF GOD AS THE
ALL-COMPASSIONATE,
THE
ALL-WISE AND
THE
ALL-LOVING,
WITH DECAY IN
THE
WORLD,
WITH DEATH,
SEPARATIONS,
MISFORTUNES
AND
TROUBLES,
WHICH CAN BE
SO TERRIBLE
AND
FRIGHTENING?
Through
Five Symbols that
demonstrate the
motive and
necessary cause
for, and Five
Signs which show
the purposes and
benefits behind,
the decay and
death of living
creatures, we will
try to catch a
glimpse of this
profound and
sublime truth.
Whatever
God does is
good and His
is the kingdom
of everything:
He does
whatever He
wishes in His
kingdom
A
skilful clothes
designer employs
an ordinary man as
a model to make a
jeweled and
artistically
fashioned garment
in return for
wages. In order to
display his skill
and artistic
ability, he gives
a shape to the
garment on that
man and so makes
him sit and stand.
I wonder, then, if
the man will have
a right to object
to the designer,
saying, ‘Why do
you continually
change the shape
of this garment,
which makes me
look good, and
give me trouble by
making me sit and
stand?’ In the
same way, the
Majestic Creator
takes each species
of creatures as a
model and, in
order to display
the manifestations
of His Names and
the perfection of
His art, causes
everything,
especially the
living creatures,
to put on a
garment of
existence
bejeweled with
senses, and
embellishes it
with the Pen of
Destiny and
Decree. He gives,
in return, to each
being, as wages
particular to it,
a certain
perfection and
pleasure and
bounteous gifts.
That being the
case, has anything
the right to
object to the
Majestic Maker,
the Owner of the
Kingdom, Who has
free disposal of
everything in His
Kingdom in
whatever way He
wills, saying, ‘You
are giving me
trouble and
disturbing me!’?
God forbid!
The
creatures can make
no claim to any
rights against the
Necessarily-Existent
Being; rather, if
they have a ‘right’,
it is to fulfill
the duty of
thanksgiving for
the level of
existence that God
has conferred on
them. For all the
levels of
existence
conferred are
actual, concrete
realities
dependent on a
necessary cause,
whereas the levels
not conferred are
only
possibilities. A
possibility does
not have an
actual, external
existence, and
there are
possibilities of
infinite number
for a thing to
have existence.
Besides, there is
no necessary cause
whereby something
infinitely
possible should
attain existence.
It
is an
ingratitude to
complain about
God, as He is
He Who has
given
existence to
anything that
exists
For
example, minerals
cannot complain,
saying, ‘Why
were we not
created as plants?’
For there were
possibilities of
infinite number
for them to have
any level of
existence, whether
inferior or
superior. So, what
they must do is to
thank their
Creator for the
mineral existence
with which they
were favored. Nor
do the plants and
animals have a
right to complain
to God why they
were not granted a
level of existence
superior to
theirs; rather,
they must thank
God, the plants
for being favored
with existence and
life; the animals
for being granted
a precious ore of
spirit as well as
life and
existence. As for
you, O man of
complaint! You
were not left
non-existent; you
were favored with
the garment of
existence and
experienced the
pleasures of life.
Further, you were
made neither an
inanimate object
nor a plant nor an
animal. You enjoy
a healthful human
existence. O man
of belief, you
were additionally
favored, without
being left in
misguidance, with
the blessing of
Islam. And so on.
It
is, then, an
ingratitude to
complain about God
- when you should
be grateful to Him
for the level of
existence He
bestowed on you as
a pure blessing -
that He did not
favor you with
still greater
blessings to which
you aspire
passionately,
though wrongly,
since they are of
the order of
possibilities and
so non-existent.
Suppose
a man elevated to
a very high
position - say,
one made to climb
a minaret as far
as its pinnacle,
and favored with a
particular
blessing at each
step - were to
complain that he
had not been
elevated still
higher: would not
even the most
foolish people see
that this is an
attitude of great
ingratitude and
injustice on the
part of that man?
O
man of complaints,
if you act in a
greedy way,
heedless of
contentment and
thrift, know for a
certainty that
contentment is a
profitable
thanksgiving,
while greed is an
ingratitude
causing loss.
Thrift shows a
beneficial respect
for bounties
received, whereas
extravagance means
to make light of
bounties in a
harmful and
shameless way. If,
then, you are a
sensible man, try
to be content
with, and show
consent to, what
you have. If you
are suffering
poverty impossible
to endure, turn to
the All-Patient
One, and try to
acquire a becoming
patience, and do
so without
uttering
complaints.
If
you want, in any
case, to have
someone to find
fault with, it is
your carnal self,
so complain to God
Almighty about
that.
Every
creature is
active because
it has the
yearning for,
and takes
pleasure in,
activity.
Further, in
every activity
lies a kind of
pleasure; it
may even be
that activity
itself is a
pleasure.
One
of the Divine
purposes for the
Majestic Creator’s
continuous renewal
and re-creation of
beings through the
awesome activities
of His Lordship is
as follows:
Every
creature is active
because it has the
yearning for, and
takes pleasure in,
activity. Further,
in every activity
lies a kind of
pleasure; it may
even be that
activity itself is
a pleasure.
Pleasure points to
a perfection,
indeed, is itself
a kind of
perfection. Since,
then, activity
points to
perfection,
pleasure and
beauty, and again
since the
Necessarily-Existent
Being, Who is the
Perfect One of
Majesty, has all
kinds of
perfection in His
Being, Attributes
and Acts, then He
will certainly
feel, in a manner
fitting to His
Necessary
Existence and
Holiness, that is,
in accordance with
His essential
independence of
the whole of the
creation, and with
His absolute
Perfection and
being free from
deficiencies and
any sort of
likeness to any
creatures,
infinite sacred
affection and
infinite sacred
love. This sacred
affection and love
are the cause of
an infinite sacred
enthusiasm, which
is the origin of
an infinite,
sacred joy, in
turn the source of
infinite sacred
pleasure. God, the
All-Merciful, the
All-Compassionate,
because of this
pleasure as well
as of His
Compassion, feels
infinite sacred
gladness and
infinite sacred
pride for His
creatures’
realization of
their full
potentials and
attainment of
their relative
perfections
through their
deeds by His
Power. It is thus
this sacred
gladness and
sacred pride that
require the
incessant,
infinite whirl of
creation which, in
turn, demands an
incessant
changing, renewal
and transformation
in the universe.
Finally, this
incessant
changing, renewal
and transformation
call for decay,
death and
separation.
The
comprehensive
purposes for
the creation
of beings
Once
in the past, the
motives and causes
set forth by human
philosophies for
the creation and
life of beings
seemed very
insignificant to
me. I inferred
from this why such
philosophies would
inevitably result
in the absurdity
which leads
prominent figures
in philosophy
either to the
misguidance of
naturalism or
sophistry, or even
to the denial of
the Will and
Knowledge of the
Maker or to regard
the Creator as
self-compelled (to
do what He does).
Just
at that point, the
Divine Compassion
came to my aid
with the Divine
Name, the
All-Wise, and
showed me the
comprehensive
purposes for the
creation of
beings. Each
creature is a
Divine missive,
such that all
conscious beings
study it. I
remained content
for one year with
discovering this
purpose, but later
began to seek for
some other great
purposes. First,
the wonder of
Divine Art in
beings became
manifest to me
and, afterwards,
another great
purpose showed
itself: namely,
the greatest of
the purposes for
the life and
creation of beings
are related to the
Maker. I perceived
that they present
to Himself, in the
manner of a mirror
reflecting His
Beauty and
Perfection, the
perfection of His
art, the
embellishment of
His Names, the
jewels of His
Wisdom and the
gifts of His
Compassion. After
a long while, I
noticed the
miracles of God’s
Power and the
functions of His
Lordship in a very
rapid change and
renewal brought
about through the
amazing acts of
His creativity.
After that, not
content with all
those purposes, I
thought that there
should be another
still greater
purpose for the
life of creatures,
and the motives
and purposes which
have already been
partly explained
in the foregoing
Symbol and which
will come below
became obvious to
me. I knew for
certainty that the
actions of Divine
Power in the
universe and the
incessant flux of
things are so
meaningful that,
through that flux,
the All-Wise Maker
causes all the
kinds of beings to
speak. It is as if
the individual
active creatures
in heavens and on
the earth, and
their actions are
the words of the
speeches of those
kinds of beings,
and each movement
is an act of
speech. That is,
all creatures
glorify God
through their
movements,
including their
birth and death.
Things
do not go into
absolute
non-existence
through death,
rather they
are
transferred
from the
sphere of
Power to the
sphere of
Knowledge,
from the
visible,
material
world, the
world of
changing and
mortality, to
the World of
the Unseen,
which is the
world of light
and permanence
Things
do not go into
absolute
non-existence,
rather they are
transferred from
the sphere of
Power to the
sphere of
Knowledge, from
the visible,
material world,
the world of
changing and
mortality, to the
World of the
Unseen, which is
the world of light
and permanence.
The
beauty and
perfection in
things belong, in
reality, to the
Divine Names,
being the
manifestations of
those Names. Since
those Names are
permanent with
their never-ending
manifestations,
their inscriptions
will almost
certainly be
renewed, freshened
and become more
and more
beautiful. Not
going into
absolute
non-existence,
only their
relative forms of
existence change,
with their real
nature and
identity, which
are the source of
beauty and the
object of
enlightenment and
perfection,
remaining
permanently.
The
inanimate beings
owe their beauty
to the Divine
Names, so the
admiration and
love felt for
them, belong to
those Names, and
their changing
(since they are
mirrors reflecting
Divine Names) does
not detract from
the Names. As for
the animate
beings, the death
of those without
intelligence is
not complete
annihilation;
rather, through
death, they are
freed from the
corporeal body and
the turbulence of
life, and transfer
the fruits of
their duty to
their permanent
spirit, which,
depending on a
Divine Name,
attains some kind
of happiness
peculiar to
itself. The death
of intelligent
beings is a
journey, through
the All-Wise Maker’s
stations of the
Intermediate World
of the grave and
the worlds of
ideas and spirits,
which are more
beautiful and
illumined than
this world, to the
World of
Permanence where
eternal happiness
and material and
spiritual
perfections are
obtained.
In
short: Since the
Majestic Maker
exists and is
permanent with His
Attributes and
Names, the
inscriptions and
manifestations of
those Names are
constantly renewed
in spiritual
permanence; they
are not subject to
absolute
non-existence.
As
is well-known, man
is, on account of
his humanity,
connected to most
of the creatures.
He derives
pleasure from
their happiness
and grieves about
their misfortunes.
He rejoices
especially over
the happiness of
animate beings,
particularly over
that of human
beings and most
particularly of
the men of
perfection whom he
approves and
loves, and shares
their grieves.
Moreover, like an
affectionate
mother, he may go
so far as to
sacrifice his own
rest and happiness
for their welfare.
Thus, every
believer may,
according to the
degree of his
belief and through
the light of the
Qur’an and
belief, be happy
with the happiness
and permanence of
creatures, and
their being saved
from nothingness
and their being
valuable missives
of the Lord, and
thereby he may
acquire so
comprehensive a
light as to fill
the entire world.
Everybody benefits
from this light
according to his
capacity. But a
man of misguidance
who regards death
as absolute
annihilation,
falls to despair
and depression,
and suffers
pessimism due to
the misfortunes
and death of all
creatures; he is
obsessed, because
of his unbelief,
by fear of going
to absolute
non-existence, and
suffers hellish
torment even
before he goes to
Hell.
The
Names of God
Almighty have
innumerable kinds
of manifestation.
Just
as there are many
departments of a
king’s
government
representing his
functions as the
supreme ruler,
supreme judge,
supreme commander
and the supreme
head of the
religious office
etc., so too, the
Names of God
Almighty have
innumerable kinds
of manifestation.
The variety and
difference of
creatures result
from the variety
of those
manifestations.
Since every
possessor of
perfection and
grace tends to see
and show his
perfection and
grace, the various
Names of God, too,
would like,
because permanent,
to manifest
themselves on
behalf of the Most
Sacred Being. That
is, they desire to
behold their
inscriptions; they
want to see and
show the
reflections of
their perfection
and grace in the
mirrors of their
inscriptions, and
therefore they
tend to renew or
re-write in a most
meaningful way,
moment by moment,
the great book of
the universe and
the various
missives of
creatures, or to
write thousands of
different letters
on a single page
and present it for
the viewing of the
Most Holy Being,
as well as for the
viewing of
conscious beings
to read and
ponder. Look at
the following
stanza of truth,
which expresses
this point:
The
sheets of
the book
of the
universe
are of
innumerable
kinds,
Its
individual
letters
and words
are also
countless.
‘Written’
in the ‘printing
house’
of the
Guarded
Tablet of
Truth,
Each
creature
in the
universe
is a
meaningful
word.
Consider
the lines
of the
books of
the
universe,
for they
are
missives
to you
from the
Highest
Abode.
Since
God exists,
everything
exists. Since
everything is
connected to
God, each
single thing
is connected
to everything.
Since
God exists,
everything exists.
Since everything
is connected to
God, each single
thing is connected
to everything. For
each thing has,
through its
connection to God,
a connection to
everything because
of God’s Unity.
And through this
connection, each
thing can be an
object of the
infinite light of
existence. Decays
and separations
cannot impede this
reality, so one
can receive an
infinite light of
existence by
living even for a
moment in
consciousness of
this connection.
If, on the other
hand, this
connection cannot
be established or
is ignored, one
becomes the object
of infinite
separation and
non-existence, for
one will then
experience endless
despair and
depression because
of the decay and
death of each
creature to which
one feels a
connection. If one
were to live, in
this state, even
for a million
years, he would
not be able to
taste the true
pleasure of a
moment’s life
lived in
connection to God.
It is for this
reason that men of
truth have
concluded: a
moment of life
enlightened
through connection
to God is
preferable to a
million years of
life devoid of
such light. It is
for the same
reason that men of
truth have drawn
the conclusion
that receiving the
light of existence
is only possible
through
recognition of the
Necessarily-Existent
Being.
In
view of the
one who
recognizes
God, the
universe is,
in the light
of existence,
filled with
angels and
other beings
of
spirituality
and
consciousness.
But the one
who does not
recognize God
sees the
universe as a
vast, dark,
and desolate
place where
beings are
waiting for
death and
separations.
In
view of the one
who recognizes
God, the universe
is, in the light
of existence,
filled with angels
and other beings
of spirituality
and consciousness.
But the one who
does not recognize
God sees the
universe as a
vast, dark, and
desolate place
where beings are
waiting for death
and separations.
It is indeed so:
consider the fact
that each fruit on
a tree has a
connection to all
the other fruits
on that tree and
thereby has as
many kinds of
secondary
existence as the
number of the
other fruits, and
that when it is
picked, it is in
fact separated
from all the other
fruits and
enveloped by a
darkness of
non-existence. It
is for this reason
that, due to the
connection to the
Power of the One
Eternally-Besought,
for each being or
thing everything
has an actual
existence;
otherwise there
are as many types
of non-existence
as the number of
things.
Thus,
through the
telescope of this
reality, consider
how comprehensive
is the light of
faith and how
frightful is the
darkness of
misguidance. What
we call faith is,
in fact, the
essence of the
sublime truth
explained in this
Symbol. Where
there is no faith,
everything means
non-existence for
an unbeliever,
just as nothing
exists for a
person without
senses.
There
are three facets
of the world and
things:
The facet
turning to
the Divine
Names. Being
the mirrors
of those
Names, this
facet does
not
experience
any decay
and
separation
but is
continually
refreshed
and renewed.
The facet
turning to
the
Hereafter -
the world of
permanence.
Being like a
field sown
with the
seeds of the
Hereafter to
grow into
permanent
trees with
permanent
fruits, this
facet of the
world is in
the service
of the World
of
Permanence;
it causes
transient
things to
acquire
permanence.
It is again
not decay
and death,
but life and
permanence,
which are
manifested
in this
facet too.
The facet
turning to
us who are
transient
beings.
People of
desires and
fancies love
this facet
of the
world, which
is, on the
other hand,
the
market-place
of sensible
conscious
persons and
the stage of
trial for
the
duty-bound.
This facet
is
apparently
the object
of decay and
death.
However,
there are,
in its
inward
dimension,
the
manifestations
of life and
permanence
to heal the
sorrows
coming from
death, decay
and
separations.
In
conclusion:
Those
streams of
beings, that
flux of
creatures, are
moving objects
and
ever-changing
and renewed
mirrors to
renew and make
more bright
the lights of
existence and
creation of
the
Necessarily-Existent
Being.
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