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| gencnurCom | The
Thirty-Third Word This
Word consists of While
being the Thirty-Third Letter, In
the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Question:
We would like a concise explanation of the ways
man and the universe, that is, the microcosm and the
macrocosm, point to the necessary existence and unity of
God and His dominical attributes and functions, which the
two parts of the above verse denote. For the unbelievers
have gone too far, they are saying: “For how long shall
we say: ‘And He is powerful over all things,’ and
have to raise our hands?” Answer:
The thirty-three Words that have been written form
thirty-three drops from the ocean of this verse and from
the seas of truth which flow from it. If you look at
them, you will find your answer. What we say now is only
a sort of hint to the sprinkling of a single drop from
the ocean. For
example, if a wonder-worker wants to build a splendid
palace, he first of all sets the foundations in a wise
and regular fashion, and plans them in a way suitable to
their future purpose and results. Then he skilfully
divides them into sections and apartments. Next, he
orders and arranges the apartments, and decorates them
with tapestries, then illuminates them with electric
lights. Then, in order to renew his ingenious works and
favours in that ____________________ 1.
Qur’an, 41:53. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.684 magnificent
and adorned palace, he makes fresh creations and new
changes and transformations in every level of it. And
then he installs a telephone in every apartment connected
to his own abode, and opens up a window from each, so
that his may be seen. In
just the same way, And God’s is the highest
similitude,2 the Peerless Creator, Who is
named with a thousand and one sacred Names such as
All-Glorious Maker, All-Wise Sovereign, All-Just Arbiter,
willed the creation of the palace of the universe and
tree of the cosmos, which forms the macrocosm. He set the
foundations of the palace, the tree, in six days through
the principles of wisdom and laws of His pre-eternal
knowledge. Then He divided and formed it into the higher
and lower levels and branches through the principles of
Divine Determining and Decree. Next, He adorned
everything, each world, in an appropriate manner, like
the heavens with the stars and the earth with flowers.
Then He manifested and made luminous His Names within the
arena of those universal laws and general principles. And
then in a special way sent to the assistance of
individuals crying out at the constraint of those
universal laws His Names of Most Merciful and
All-Compassionate. That is to say, within those universal
and general principles He has special favours, special
succour, special manifestations, so that everything may
seek help from Him and look to Him at all times for every
need. Then from every apartment, every level, every
world, every realm of being, every individual, from
everything, He opened up windows which would show
Himself, that is, make known His existence and unity. He
left a telephone in every heart. For
now we shall not attempt to discuss those innumerable
windows, which is anyway beyond our power. Referring them
to the all-encompassing knowledge of God, we shall only
point out in a concise and brief manner Thirty-Three
Windows - since it corresponds to the blessed number of
the tesbihat following the prescribed prayers, and for a
more detailed explanation of this, which forms the
Thirty-Third Letter and Thirty-Third Word and consists of
gleams from verses of the Qur’an, we refer readers to
the rest of the Words. ____________________ 2.
Qur’an, 16:60.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.685 First
Window If
we look, we see that all things and especially living
creatures have numerous different needs and numerous
different wants. And those wants and needs are provided
for them at the appropriate time, in unexpected ways,
from places they do not know and their hands cannot
reach; succour comes to them. But the power of these
needy beings is insufficient for even the smallest of
those endless things they wish for; they cannot meet
their needs. Consider yourself: of how many things are
you in need that your hands cannot reach, like your
external and inner senses and their needs? Compare all
other living creatures with yourself. See, just as singly
they testify to the Necessary Existence and point to His
unity, so in their totality they show to the reason a
Necessarily Existent One behind the veil of the Unseen, a
Single One of Unity, among titles of Most Generous,
All-Compassionate, Nurturer, and Disposer. O
ignorant unbeliever and dissolute heedless one! With what
can you explain this wise, percipient, compassionate
activity? Deaf nature? Blind force? Senseless chance? Can
you explain it through impotent, lifeless causes? Second
Window While
in their existence and individuality, things are in a
hesitant, bewildered, and shapeless form among
innumerable possible ways, they are suddenly given a most
well-ordered and wise aspect of individuality. For
example, every human being has on his face
characteristics which differentiate him from all his
fellow humans, and it is equipped with utter wisdom with
external and inner senses. This proves that the face is a
most brilliant stamp of Divine oneness. And just as each
face testifies to the existence of an All-Wise Maker and
points to His existence, so too the stamp which all faces
display in their totality shows to the mind’s eye that
all things are a seal peculiar to their Creator. O
denier! To what workshop can you refer these stamps which
can in no way be imitated, and the stamp of Eternal
Besoughtedness which is on the totality?
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.686 Third
Window The
army of all the various species of animals and plants on
the face of the earth consists of four hundred thousand
different groups.3 Their being managed and
raised with perfect balance and order through their
sustenance, papers, weapons, uniforms, instructions, and
demobilizations, which are all different with nothing
being forgotten and none of them being confused, is a
stamp of the Single One of Unity as brilliant as the sun
which can in no way be doubted. Who other than One
possessing boundless power, all-encompassing knowledge,
and infinite wisdom could have any part in this
administration, which is wondrous to the utmost degree.
For if one who cannot administer and raise all together
these species and nations, which are one within the
other, interferes with one of them, he will throw the lot
into disorder. Whereas according to the meaning of, So
turn your vision again, do you see any flaw?4 there
is no sign of confusion. That means not so much as a
finger can interfere. Fourth
Window This
is the acceptability of the supplications offered through
the tongue of latent ability by all seeds, and through
the tongue of innate need by all animals, and through the
tongue of exigency by the desperate. Yes,
just as all these innumerable supplications are
observedly accepted and responded to, so in a large
measure do they in their entirety self-evidently indicate
and point to an All-Compassionate and Generous Creator,
the Answerer of Prayer. Fifth
Window We
see that things and particularly living beings come into
existence of a sudden, instantaneously. But, while things
which appear suddenly out of a simple substance should be
simple, formless, and without art, they are created with
an art and beauty requiring much skill, they are
decorated with ____________________ 3.
The members of some of those groups, even, are more
numerous than all the members of the human race from the
time of Adam up to the Last Day.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.687 painstaking
embroideries requiring much time, and adorned with
wonderful arts requiring many tools. Thus, just as each
of these instantaneous, wondrous arts and beautiful
combinations indicates the necessary existence of an
All-Wise Creator and the unity of His dominicality, so in
their totality do they show in most brilliant fashion an
infinitely Powerful, infinitely Wise Necessarily Existent
One. So
now, O stupefied denier! How can you explain this? With
‘nature’, which is unconscious, impotent, and
ignorant like you? Or do you want to make an infinite
mistake and call that All-Holy Maker ‘nature’, and on
the pretext of naming Him that, attribute the miracles of
His power to it and perpetrate an impossibility
compounded a thousand times over? Sixth
Window In
the creation of the heavens and the earth and the
alternation of night and day and the boats which travel
through the seas for the benefit of men, and in what God
sends down from the sky as rain and with it raises to
life the earth after its death and raises in it every
sort of living being, and in the circulating of the winds
and the clouds subjugated between the heavens and the
earth, are signs for a people who thinks.5 This
verse both points out the Divine existence and unity, and
forms a truly large window displaying a Greatest Name. The
gist of the verse is this: all the worlds in the higher
and lower levels of the universe show with all-different
tongues a single result, that is, the dominicality of a
single All-Wise Maker. It is as follows: just as in the
heavens -and astronomy even admits to it- extremely
well-ordered movements for extremely extensive results
show the existence, unity, and perfect dominicality of an
All-Powerful One of Glory, so too on the earth -and
geography even testifies to it and acknowledges it- most
orderly changes, like in the seasons, for most extensive
benefits show the existence and unity and perfect
dominicality of the same All-Powerful One of Glory. Also,
just as, being given their sustenance with perfect mercy,
and being clothed in different forms with perfect wisdom,
and being decked out with all sorts of senses through
perfect dominicality, each of all the animals on the land
and in the sea again testifies to the existence of the
All-Powerful One of Glory and indicates to His unity, so
in their totality do they show on a vast scale the
tremendousness of His Godhead and the perfection of His ____________________ 5.
Qur’an, 2:164.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.688 dominicality.
So too, just as each of the well-ordered plants in
gardens, and the finely adorned flowers which the plants
display, and the well-proportioned fruits which the
flowers display, and the embellished embroideries which
the fruits display, testifies to the existence of the
All-Wise Maker and points to His unity, so too in their
totality do they show most brilliantly the beauty of His
mercy and the perfection of His dominicality. Also,
just as the drops of rain sent from the clouds in the sky
charged with duties for important instances of wisdom and
aims and necessary benefits and results again demonstrate
to the number of their drops the the necessary existence
and unity and perfect dominicality of the All-Wise Maker,
so too do all the mountains on the earth and the
storing-up in them of minerals with all their different
properties for numerous different benefits show with the
strength and firmness of a mountain the existence and
unity of the All-Wise Maker and the perfection of His
dominicality. Also,
just as, being adorned with numerous varieties of
well-ordered flowers, the small hills in the plains and
among the mountains each testifies to the necessary
existence of an All-Wise Maker and points to His unity,
and all together show the majesty of His sovereignty and
the perfection of His dominicality, so the great variety
of the orderly shapes of all the leaves of the grasses
and trees, and all their different stages and states and
well-balanced and ecstatic movements again show the
necessary existence and unity and perfect dominicality of
the All-Wise Maker. Also,
just as the regular development at the time of their
growth of all living bodies, and each being equipped with
all sorts of organs and their being directed consciously
towards numerous different fruits again testify to the
necessary existence of the All-Wise Maker and indicate
His unity, and in their totality show on a truly vast
scale His all-encompassing power, and all-embracing
wisdom, and the beauty of His art, and the perfection of
His dominicality, so too souls and spirits being situated
in all animal bodies, and their being armed in most
orderly fashion with numerous sorts of systems and
faculties, and their being sent on numerous different
errands with perfect wisdom testify to the number of
animals, indeed to the number, of their faculties, to the
necessary existence of the All-Wise Maker and point to
His unity. And in their totality they show most
brilliantly the beauty of His mercy and the perfection of
His dominicality. Also,
just as the inspirations from the Unseen imparted to all
hearts, which make known to man every sort of science and
knowledge and truth and teach the animals how to procure
their needs, make known the existence of an
All-Compassionate Sustainer and point to His
dominicality, so their external and inner senses, which
like rays gathering immaterial flowers from the garden of
the universe, are all keys to different worlds,
demonstrate as clearly as the sun the necessary
existence, unity, oneness, and perfect domin
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.689 icality
of the All-Wise Maker, the All-Knowing Creator, the Most
Compassionate Creator, the All-Generous Provider. Seventh
Window The
perfect order of the works of art scattered over the face
of the universe, and their perfect proportion and
balance, and the perfection of their adornment, and the
ease in their creation, and their resembling one another,
and their exhibiting a single nature demonstrate on a
vast scale the necessary existence and perfect power and
unity of an All-Wise Maker. Moreover,
just as the creation of innumerable, different,
well-ordered complex beings from inanimate and simple
elements again testifies, to the number of those
composite beings, to the All-Wise Maker’s necessary
existence and points to His unity, so in their totality
do those beings demonstrate in truly brilliant fashion
His unity and the perfection of His power. Then
the utmost distinguishing and differentiating of beings
as they are renewed while being assembled and dissolved
-that is, during what is called the composition of
beings- amid the utmost degree of intermingling and
confusion, for example the distinguishing of the shoots
and growth of seeds and roots without confusing them in
any way although they are all mixed up, and the mixed-up
substances entering trees being divided between the
leaves, flowers, and fruits, and the nutrients which
enter the body in mixed-up form being differentiated and
separated out with perfect wisdom and perfect balance for
the cells of the body, - again demonstrate the necessary
existence and perfect power and unity of the Absolutely
Wise One, the Absolutely Knowing One, the Absolutely
Powerful One. Then
too the making of the world of minute particles into a
boundless, broad arable field and every instant sowing
and harvesting it and obtaining the fresh crops of
different universes from it, and those inanimate,
impotent, ignorant particles being made to perform
innumerable orderly duties most consciously, wisely, and
capably - this also shows the necessary existence of the
All-Powerful One of Glory and Maker of Perfection, and
His perfect The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.690 Thus
through these four ways a large window is opened onto
knowledge of God; addressing the reason, it displays the
All-Wise Maker on a large scale. Now,
you unhappy heedless one! If you do not want to see Him
and learn of Him in this way, divest yourself of your
reason; become an animal, and thus be saved! Eighth
Window The
testimony of all the prophets (Peace be upon them), who
among mankind possessed luminous spirits, relying on
their manifest and evident miracles; and the testimony of
all the saints, who with their luminous hearts are the
spiritual poles of mankind, relying on their
illuminations and wonder-working; and testimony of all
the purified scholars, who possess luminous minds,
relying on their researches and verifications; -the
testimony of all these to the necessary existence, unity,
and perfect dominicality of the Single One of Unity, the
Necessary Existent, the Creator of All Things, forms a
truly vast and light-filled window. O
you unfortunate denier! In whom do you place your trust
so that you do not heed these? Or by closing your eyes in
the daytime do you imagine the world to be plunged into
night? Ninth
Window The
universal worship in the cosmos self-evidently
demonstrates an Absolute Object of Worship. Yes, the
perfect obedience and worship of all angels and spirit
beings, -which is established by the testimony of those
who have penetrated to the spirit world and the inner
dimension of things and have met with the angels and
spirit beings- and of all living beings self-evidently
performing their duties in perfect order and in a
worshipful manner, and of all inanimate things
self-evidently carrying out their duties with perfect
submission and in a worshipful manner, all demonstrate
the necessary existence and unity of a True Object of
Worship. So
too the true knowledge of the knowing, which has the
strength of consensus, and the fruitful thanks of all
those who offer thanks, and the radiant glorification of
all those who recite God’s Names, and the
bounty-increasing praises of all those recite God’s
praises, and all the demonstrative proofs and The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.691 descriptions
of Divine unity of all those who acknowledge it, and the
true love and passion of all lovers of God, and the true
will and desire of those who seek Him, and the earnest
searching and penitence of all those who turn to Him,
-all these demonstrate the necessary existence and
perfect dominicality and unity of that Pre-Eternal
All-Worshipped One, the One Who is Known, Mentioned,
Thanked, Praised, One, Beloved, Desired, and Sought. So
too all the acceptable worship of perfected human beings
and the spiritual radiance and supplications, visions and
illuminations resulting from their acceptable worship
again demonstrate the necessary existence and unity and
perfect dominicality of that Eternal Being, the Enduring
Object of Worship. Thus, these three aspects open up a
broad, light-giving window onto Divine unity. Tenth
Window And
He sends down water from the sky and brings forth with it
fruits for your sustenance; and He has made subject to
you the ships, that they sail through the sea by His
command; and He has made the rivers subject to you; * And
He has made subject to you the sun and the moon, both
diligently pursuing their courses; and He has made
subject to you the night and the day. * And He gives you
of all that you ask Him. But if you count God’s
bounties, you will never be able to number them.6 The
mutual assistance and co-operation of beings in the
universe and the fact that they respond to one another
show that all creatures are raised by a single Nurturer,
are organized by a single Director, are under the
jurisdiction of a single Disposer, are the servants of a
single Lord. For through an all-embracing law of mutual
assistance, the sun cooks the necessities for the lives
of living beings on the earth through a dominical
command, and the moon acts as a calendar, and light, air,
water, and sustenance hasten to the assistance of living
beings, and plants hasten to the assistance of animals,
and animals hasten to the assistance of human beings, and
the members of the body hasten to assist one another, and
particles of food even hasten to the assistance of the
cells of the body. This most wise and generous mutual
assistance of these beings, and their responding to one
another’s needs and their supporting and strengthening
one another in accordance with a law of generosity, a law
of compassion, a law of mercy, show clearly and
self-evidently that they are the servants, officials, and
creatures of a sole, unique ____________________ 6.
Qur’an, 14:32-34.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.692 Single
One of Unity, a Peerless Eternally Besought One, an
Absolutely Powerful, Absolutely Knowing, Absolutely
Compassionate, Absolutely Generous Necessarily Existent
One. O
wretched bankrupt philosophy! What have you say in the
face of this mighty window? Can your chance interfere in
this? Eleventh
Window For
indeed in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest.7 Through
knowing a single Creator, all spirits and hearts are
delivered from the distress and confusion arising from
misguidance, and from the spiritual pains arising from
distress. They are saved by attributing all beings to a
single Maker. They find assurance through the remembrance
of a single God. For, as is proved decisively in the
Twenty-Second Word, if all beings are not attributed to a
single being, it becomes necessary to ascribe a single
thing to innumerable causes, and then the existence of a
single thing becomes as difficult as all beings. For if
attributed to God, innumerable things are ascribed to a
single being, and if they are not attributed to Him, it
becomes necessary to attribute everything to innumerable
causes. Then a single fruit becomes as difficult as the
universe, indeed, more difficult. For just as if the
management of one soldier is given to a hundred different
people, a hundred difficulties arise, and if a hundred
soldiers are given to the direction of one officer, they
are as easy to manage as a single soldier, so too the
coinciding of numerous different causes in the creation
of a single thing is difficult to the hundredth degree.
And if the creation of numerous things is given to a
single being, it becomes easy to the hundredth degree. Thus,
it is only by recognizing the Creator’s unity and
knowledge of God that man may be delivered from the
boundless distress arising from the desire to search for
the truth inherent in his nature. Since there are endless
difficulties and pains in unbelief and associating
partners with God, that way is certainly impossible and
devoid of truth. While since suitably to the ease,
abundance, and fine art in the creation of beings, there
is a boundless ease in affirming Divine unity, that way
is surely necessary and the truth. O
you miserable people of misguidance! See how dark and
full of pain is the way of misguidance! What is it that
makes you tak? it? And see how easy and pleasant is the
way of belief and affirming Divine unity! Take that way
and be delivered! ____________________ 7.
Qur’an, 13:28.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.693 Twelfth
Window Glorify
the Name of your Sustainer, the All-Highest, * Who has
created, and given order and proportion, * And Who has
determined [the nature of all things] and guided [them
towards their fulfilment].8 According
to the meaning of this verse, all things, and especially
living creatures, have been given a form and regular
proportions in accordance with wisdom as though they have
emerged from a purposeful mould. Contained in those
measured proportions are intricate extremities for
various benefits and uses. And the form of their clothes
and their proportions, which they change throughout the
periods of their lives, are each immaterial and
well-ordered and measured, and are composed of the
appointed events of their lives again in a fashion
suitable to wisdom and benefits. This shows clearly that
those innumerable creatures, whose forms and proportions
have been planned in the sphere of determining of an
All-Powerful One of Glory, an All-Wise One of Perfection,
and who have been given forms fashioned in the workshop
of Divine power, point to that Being’s necessary
existence and testify to His unity and perfect power with
endless tongues. Look at your own body and its members
and the fruits of its intricate and complex places! See
the perfect power within the perfect wisdom! Thirteenth
Window According
to the meaning of: And
there is nothing but extols His limitless glory and
praise,9 everything
recalls its Creator through its own particular tongue and
declares to His holiness. Yes, the glorifications all
beings utter audibly and through the tongues of their
beings demonstrate the existence of a single Most Holy
Being. The testimony of innate disposition may not be
rejected. Especially if the evidence comes from all
sides, it cannot be doubted. Look! The well-ordered forms
of beings, which through their manner of creation
comprise endless testimony, and offer evidence in
innumerable ways through the tongue of disposition and
look to a single centre like concentric circles - all
these are tongues. Similarly, their well-proportioned and
balanced assemblages are all testifying tongues. And
their perfect lives are all glorifying tongues. Thus, as
is proved in the Twenty-Fourth Word, their glorifying, ____________________ 8.
Qur’an, 87:1-3.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.694 extolling,
and testifying to a single Most Holy Being through all
these tongues demonstrate a Necessarily Existent One as
light shows the sun, and point to the perfection of His
Godhead. Fourteenth
Window Say:
who is it in whose hands is the governance of all things?10
* And there is nothing but its treasuries are with Us.11
* There is not a moving creature but He has grasp of its
forelock.12 * Indeed my
Sustainer watches over and records all things.13 According
to the meaning of these verses, all things are in need of
a single All-Glorious Creator in everything, in all
matters and circumstances. Indeed, we look at the beings
in the universe and we see that there is the
manifestation of an absolute force within an absolute
weakness, and the traces of an absolute power are
apparent within an absolute impotence; like, for example,
the wonderful states and stages plants display when the
life-force awakens in their seeds and roots. There is the
manifestation too of an absolute wealth within an
absolute poverty and dryness; like the poverty of trees
and the soil in winter and their glittering wealth and
riches in the spring. The sprinklings of an absolute life
are also apparent within an absolute lifelessness; like
the transformation of the elements into living matter.
There is, moreover, the manifestation of an
all-encompassing consciousness within an absolute
ignorance; like everything, from minute particles to the
stars, acting consciously and conforming to the order of
the universe and to the demands of wisdom and
requirements of life. Thus,
this power within impotence, and strength within
weakness, and wealth and riches within poverty, and life
and consciousness within lifelessness and ignorance
necessarily and self-evidently open up windows on every
side onto the necessary existence and unity of a
Possessor of Absolute Power and Absolute Strength, a
Possessor of Absolute Riches, an Absolutely Knowing,
All-Living and Self-Sufficient One. In their totality
they point to a luminous highway on a vast scale. And
so, O you heedless one who has fallen into the swamp of
nature! If you do not quit nature and recognize Divine
power, you have to accept that in everything, in every
minute particle even, reside an infinite force and power,
a boundless wisdom and skill, and the ability to see,
know, and administer most other beings. ____________________ 10.
Qur’an, 23:88.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.695 Fifteenth
Window According
to the meaning of the verse: Who
has created everything in the best way,14 everything
is cut out according to its innate abilities with perfect
measure and order, and put together with the finest art,
in the shortest way, the best form, the lightest manner,
and most practicable shape. Look at the clothes of birds,
for example, and the easy way they ruffle up their
feathers and continuously use them. Also, things are
given bodies and dressed in forms in a wise manner with
no waste and nothing in vain; they testify to their
number to the necessary existence of an All-Wise Maker
and point to that Possessor of Absolute Power and
Knowledge. Sixteenth
Window The
order and ordering in the creation and disposal of
creatures, which are renewed season by season on the
earth, show clearly a universal wisdom. Since an
attribute cannot be without the one it qualifies, this
universal wisdom necessarily shows an All-Wise One. The
wonderful adornment within the veil of wisdom,
self-evidently shows a perfect beneficence, and that
perfect beneficence necessarily points to a gracious,
All-Generous Creator. The all-encompassing benevolence
and bestowal within the veil of beneficence show
self-evidently an all-embracing mercy, and that
all-embracing mercy shows necessarily an All-Merciful and
All-Compassionate One. The sustenance and foods of all
living creatures above the veil of mercy, all perfectly
appropriate for their needs, show clearly a sustaining
Providence and a compassionate dominicality, and that
sustaining and administering necessarily point to an
All-Generous Provider. Yes,
all the creatures on the face of the earth, thus raised
with perfect wisdom, adorned with perfect beneficence,
bestowed upon with perfect mercy, and nurtured with
perfect compassion, testify to the necessary existence of
an All-Wise, Munificent, Compassionate, Providing Maker,
and points to His unity. Look
at and consider also the universal wisdom which is
apparent on the face of the earth as a whole and is to be
seen in its totality and shows clearly purpose and will;
and the perfect beneficence embracing all creatures,
which ____________________ 14.
Qur’an, 32:7. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.696 comprises
the wisdom; and the all-encompassing mercy, which
comprises the beneficence and wisdom and includes all the
beings of the earth; and the most generous sustaining and
nurturing, which comprises the mercy and wisdom and
beneficence and embraces all living creatures. Just as
the seven colours form light, and the light, which
illuminates the face of the earth, undoubtedly shows the
sun, so too that beneficence within wisdom, and mercy
within beneficence, and sustaining and nurturing within
mercy show brilliantly on a large scale and at a high
degree the unity and perfect dominicality of an utterly
Wise, Generous, Compassionate, Providing Necessarily
Existent One. O
you stupefied and heedless denier! With what can you
explain this wise, generous, compassionate, providential
sustaining, this strange, wonderful, miraculous state of
affairs which is before your eyes? With chance and
coincidence, which are aimless like you? With force,
which is blind like your heart? With nature, which is
deaf like your head? With causes which are impotent,
lifeless, and ignorant like you? Or do you want to give
the name of ‘nature,’ which is utterly impotent,
ignorant, deaf, blind, contingent¬ and wretched, to the
All-Glorious One, Who is utterly holy, pure, exalted, and
free of all defect and absolutely Powerful, Knowing,
Hearing, and Seeing, and thus perpetrate an infinite
error? So with what force can you extinguish this truth
brilliant as the sun? Under which veil of heedlessness
can you conceal it? Seventeenth
Window Indeed
in the heavens and earth are signs for those who believe.15 If
we observe the face of the earth in the summer, we see
that an absolute munificence and liberality, which
necessitate confusion and disarrangement, is to be seen
within a total harmony and order. Look at all the plants
which adorn the face of the earth! And
the utter speed in the creation of things, which
necessitates imbalance and disorder, is apparent within a
perfect equilibrium. Look at all the fruits which
decorate the face of the earth! And
an absolute multiplicity, which necessitates
unimportance, indeed, ugliness, is apparent within a
perfect beauty of art. Look at all the flowers which gild
the face of the earth! And
the absolute ease in the creation of things, which
necessitates lack of ____________________ 15.
Qur’an, 45:3. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.697 art
and simplicity, is to be seen within an infinite art and
skill and attention. Look carefully at all seeds, which
are like the tiny containers and programmes of the
members of plants and trees and the small cases
containing their life-histories! And
the great distances, which necessitate difference and
diversity, appear within an correspondence and
conformity. Look at all the varieties of cereal grains
sown in every part of the earth! And
the total intermingling, which necessitates confusion and
muddle, is on the contrary to be seen within a perfect
differentiation and separation. Consider the perfect
differentiation of seeds when they sprout, despite being
cast into the earth all mixed-up together and all
resembling one another with regard to their substance,
and the various substances which enter trees being
separated out perfectly for the leaves, flowers, and
fruits, and the foods which enter the stomach all
mixed-up together being separated out perfectly according
to the various members and cells. See the perfect power
within the perfect wisdom! And
the great abundance and infinite profusion, which
necessitate unimportance and worthlessness, are to be
seen as most valuable and expensive in regard to the
creatures and art on the face of the earth. Within these
innumerable wonders of art, consider only the varieties
of mulberry, those confections of Divine power, on the
table of the All-Merciful One on the face of the earth!
See them within the perfect mercy, the perfect art! Thus,
just as the day shows the light, and the light the sun,
the great value together with the utter profusion; and
the boundless intermingling and intermixing together with
the utmost differentiation and separation within the
utter profusion; and the great distance together with the
utmost conformity and resemblance within the limitless
differentiation and separation; and the infinite ease and
facility together with the infinite care in the making
within the utmost resemblance; and the absolute speed and
rapidity together with the total equilibrium and balance
and lack of waste within the most beautiful making; and
the infinite abundance and multiplicity together with the
highest degree of beauty of art within utter lack of
waste; and the utmost munificence together with absolute
order within the highest degree of beauty of art, all
testify to the necessary existence, perfect power,
beautiful dominicality, and unity and oneness of an
All-Powerful One of Glory, an All-Wise One of Perfection,
an All-Compassionate and Beauteous One. They demonstrate
the meaning of the verse: His
are the Most Beautiful Names.16 So
now, O you ignorant, heedless, obstinate wretch! With
what can you ____________________ 16.
Qur’an, 20:8; 59:24. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.698 interpret
this mighty truth? With what can you explain this
infinitely miraculous and wonderful state of affairs? To
what can you attribute these truly extraordinary arts?
What veil of heedlessness can you draw across this window
as broad as the earth and so close it? Where is your
chance and coincidence, your unconscious companion on
which you rely and call ‘nature,’ your friend and
support in misguidance? It is totally impossible for
chance and coincidence to interfere in these matters,
isn’t it? And to attribute to ‘nature’ one
thousandth of them is impossible a thousand times over,
isn’t it? Or
does lifeless, impotent nature have immaterial machines
and printing presses within each single thing, made from
each, and to the number of each? Eighteenth
Window Do
they not consider the government of the heavens and the
earth?17 Consider
this comparison which is explained in the Twenty-Second
Word: a fine, well-ordered, well-crafted work like a
palace self-evidently points to a well-ordered act. That
is to say, a building indicates the act of building. And
a fine, well-ordered act necessarily points to a
proficient agent, a skilful master, a builder. And the
titles of proficient master and builder point
self-evidently to a perfect attribute, that is, to a
faculty for the craft. And that perfect attribute and
that perfect faculty for the craft self-evidently
indicate the existence of a perfect innate ability. And a
perfect innate ability indicate the existence of an
exalted spirit and elevated essence. In
just the same way, the constantly renewed works filling
the face of the earth, indeed the universe, show clearly
acts of the utmost perfection. And these acts, which are
encompassed by total order and wisdom, point clearly to
an agent whose titles and Names are perfect. For it is
clearly obvious that well-ordered, wise acts cannot be
without the one who performs them. And titles of the
utmost perfection point to the utterly perfect attributes
of that agent. For according to the rules of grammar, the
active particle is formed from the infinitive [that is,
what is called ‘the root’ in Arabic grammar]; so too
the source and roots of nouns, names and titles are
attributes. And attributes at the utmost degree of
perfection point indubitably to utterly perfect essential
qualities. And those perfect essential qualities -which
we are unable to describe- point most certainly to an
essence which is at the utmost peak of perfection. Thus,
since in every part of the world all the works of art and
creatures ____________________ 17.
Qur’an, 7:185.
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.699 are
perfect works, each of them testifies to an act, and the
act testifies to a Name, and the Name to an attribute,
and the attribute to a quality, and the quality to the
Essence. Thus, just as singly they testify to the
necessary existence of the All-Glorious Maker to the
number of creatures and indicate His oneness, so
altogether they form an ascension in Divine knowledge as
strong as the chains of beings. They form a proof of
reality in continuous sequence which no doubt can pierce
or penetrate. So
now, O wretched, heedless denier! With what can you smash
this proof which is as powerful as the chain of the
universe? With what can you close this latticed window
with its innumerable spaces through which shine rays of
truth to the number of these creatures? Which veil of
heedlessness can you draw over it? Nineteenth
Window According
to the meaning of the verse: The
seven heavens and the earth and all within them extol His
limitless glory, and there is nothing but it extols His
limitless glory and praise,18 the
All-Glorious Maker has attached innumerable meanings and
instances of wisdom to the heavenly bodies so that it is
as if, in order to express His glory and beauty, He has
adorned the heavens with the words of the suns, moons and
stars. To the beings in the atmosphere also He has
attached instances of wisdom and meanings and aims, as if
to make it speak through the words of the thunder,
lightning, and drops of rain, and give instruction in the
perfection of His wisdom and beauty of His mercy. He
causes the head of the earth to speak too with its
meaningful words known as animals and plants and displays
the perfections of His art to the universe. Then He makes
the plants and trees speak, all words of that head,
through the words of their leaves, flowers, and fruits
and again proclaims the perfection of His art and beauty
of His mercy. Their flowers and fruits, too, He makes
speak, through the words of their seeds, and gives
instruction to the aware and conscious in the subtleties
of His art and the perfection of His dominicality. And
so, out of these innumerable words of glorification, we
shall lend our ears and listen to a single shoot and a
single flower and their manner of expression, and learn
the way in which they testify. Yes,
all plants and all trees describe their Maker with
numerous tongues in such a way that they leave those who
study them in amazement, ____________________ 18.
Qur’an, 17:44. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.700 causing
them to exclaim: “Glory be to God! How wonderfully they
bear witness to Him!” Yes,
the glorification of plants at the time their flowers
open, and the moment they produce new shoots, and when
they offer their smiling words is as beautiful and clear
as themselves. For through the beautiful mouth of each
flower and the tongues of its orderly shoots and the
words of its well-measured seeds, the order demonstrates
wisdom and is observedly within a balance which
demonstrates knowledge. And the balance is within an
embroidery of art which demonstrates skill and craft. And
the embroidery of art is within an adornment which
demonstrates favour and munificence. And the adornment is
within subtle scents which demonstrate mercy and
bestowal. And these meaningful qualities one within the
other form such a tongue of testimony that it both
describes the All-Beauteous Maker through His Names, and
portrays Him through His attributes, and expounds the
manifestation of His Names, and expresses His making
Himself loved and known. If
you hear such testimony from a single flower, will your
doubts and suspicions and heedlessness persist when you
listen to all the flowers in the dominical gardens on the
face of the earth and hear with what elevated strength
they proclaim the necessary existence and unity of the
All-Glorious Maker? If they do persist, can it be said of
you that you are a conscious human being? Come,
now look carefully at a tree! See its delicate mouth
within the orderly emergence of the leaves in spring, and
the blossoms opening in a measured manner, and the fruits
swelling with wisdom and mercy and dancing at the blowing
of the breeze in the hands of the branches like innocent
children. See the just balance within the wise order
expressed through the tongue of the leaves becoming green
at a generous hand, through that of the flowers smiling
with the joy of a favour received, and through the words
of the fruits laughing through a manifestation of mercy.
See the careful arts and embroideries within the balance
demonstrating justice; and the mercy within the skilful
embroideries and adornment; and the various sweet tastes
and delightful scents, which indicate mercy and bestowal;
and the seeds, each of which is a miracle of power within
the agreeable tastes: all these point in most clear
fashion to the necessary existence and unity of an
All-Wise, Generous, Compassionate, Beneficent, Bountiful
Maker, a Bestower of Beauty and Favours, to the beauty of
His mercy and perfection of His dominicality. Thus, if
you can listen at the same time to the tongues of
disposition of all the trees on the earth, you will see
and understand what exquisite jewels are to be found in
the treasury of the verse: All
that is in the heavens and on the earth extols God’s
limitless glory.19 ____________________ 19.
Qur’an, 62:1; 64:1. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.701 O
you unhappy heedless one who supposes himself to be free
through his ingratitude! If the All-Generous One of
Beauty, Who makes Himself known to you and loved by you
through these innumerable tongues had not wanted you to
know Him, He would have silenced them. Since they have
not been silenced, they should be heeded. You cannot be
saved by closing your ears in heedlessness. For the
universe does not fall silent at you stopping up your
ears, the beings within it will not be silent, the
witnesses to Divine unity will not hold their tongues.
And for sure, they will condemn you... Twentieth
Window20 So
glory be to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all
things.21 * And there is nothing
but its treasuries are with Us; but We only send it down
in a measure defined. * And We send forth the winds to
fertilize [the plants], and We send down rain from the
skies providing you with water therewith, and you are not
the keepers of its stores.22 Just
as perfect wisdom and beauty of art are apparent in
particulars and results and in details, so do the
universal elements and large creatures take up their
positions in accordance with wisdom and art, despite
their apparently being mixed up together by chance
without order. Thus, as its other wise duties show, light
shines in order to proclaim and make known the ____________________ 20.
The true meaning of this Twentieth Window occurred to my
heart at one time in Arabic in this way:
The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.702 Divine
creatures on the face of the earth, with the permission
of its Sustainer. This means that light is employed by a
Wise Maker; by means of it, He makes manifest His antique
works of art in the exhibitions of the market of this
world. Now
consider the winds! According to the testimony of their
other wise, generous benefits and duties, they are
hastening to extremely numerous and important tasks. It
means that their movement in waves is a being employed, a
being despatched, a being utilized by an All-Wise Maker;
it is a working expeditiously to speedily carry out the
commands of their Sustainer. Now
consider the springs, the streams, and the rivers! Their
welling-up out of the ground and out of mountains is not
by chance. For it is demonstrated by the testimony of
their benefits and fruits, the works of Divine mercy, and
by the statement of their being stored up in mountains
with the balance of wisdom in proportion to need, that
they are subjugated and stored up by an All-Wise
Sustainer, and that their flowing forth is their
conforming exuberantly to His command. Now
consider all the varieties of stones and jewels and
minerals in the earth! Their decorations and beneficial
properties, the wise benefits connected to them, and
their being prepared in a manner appropriate to human and
animal needs and vital necessities all show that they are
made in that way through the decoration, arrangement,
planning, and forming of an All-Wise Maker. Now
consider the flowers and fruits! Their smiles, tastes,
beauties, embroideries, and scents are all like
invitations to and menus for the table of a Most
Munificent Maker, an All-Compassionate Bestower of
Bounties; they are given as various menus and invitations
to each species of beings through their different
colours, scents, and tastes. Now
consider the birds! A certain indication that their
twittering and chirruping is an All-Wise Maker’s
causing them to speak is the astonishing way in which
they express their feelings to one another with those
sounds, and state their intentions. Now
consider the clouds! A definite indication that the
pattering of the rain is not a meaningless sound and that
the crashing of thunder and lightning is not a futile din
is that those strange beings are created in empty space.
Also drops of rain like the water of life are milked from
the clouds, suckling the living creatures on the earth so
needy and longing for them. These facts show that the
pattering and crashing are most meaningful and full of
wisdom. For at the command of a Most Generous Sustainer,
the rain calls out to those longing for it: “Good news!
We are coming!” They express this meaning. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.703 Now
look at the sky and consider carefully only the moon out
of all the innumerable bodies within it! That its motion
is at the command of an All-Powerful and Wise One is
demonstrated by the important instances of wisdom
connected to it and concerning the earth. Since we have
explained these in other places in the Risale-i Nur, we
cut this short here. Thus,
the universal elements we have enumerated from light to
the moon open in large measure a truly extensive window.
They proclaim and show the unity of a Necessarily
Existent One, and the perfection of His power, and
grandeur of His sovereignty. And
so O heedless one! If you are able to silence this voice,
crashing like thunder and extinguish this light brilliant
as the sun, forget God! Otherwise come to your senses!
Say, All Glory be unto You! And, The
seven heavens and the earth and all within them extol His
limitless glory!23 Twenty-First
Window And
the sun runs its course to a place appointed, that is the
determining of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.24 The
universe’s lamp, the sun, forms a window onto the
existence and unity of the universe’s Maker that is as
brilliant and luminous as the sun itself. Indeed, despite
their great differences with regard to size, position,
and speed, the twelve planets including our globe known
as the solar system are in motion and revolve with
perfect order and wisdom and perfect balance without a
second’s confusion, and are bound to the sun through a
Divine law known as gravity, that is, they follow their
leader as though in prayer. This demonstrates on a vast
scale the tremendousness of Divine power and the unity of
their Sustainer. Those lifeless bodies, those vast
unconscious masses, are rotated and employed within the
utmost order and wise balance, in various forms and over
varying distances and in varying motions, proving the
degree of the power and the wisdom; you compare for
yourself. If chance was to interfere the tiniest amount
in this vast and complex matter, it would cause an
explosion so great it would scatter the universe. If it
was to arrest the motion of one of them for a minute, it
would cause it to leave its orbit and would open the
possibility of its colliding with another planet. You ____________________ 23.
Qur’an, 17:44. The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.704 can
understand how awesome would be the collision of bodies
thousands of times larger than the earth. Now
we shall refer to the all-encompassing knowledge of God
the wonders of the solar system, that is, the twelve
planets which are the sun’s followers and fruits, and
consider only our own planet, the earth, which is here
before our eyes. We see that our planet is made to travel
on a long journey around the sun by a dominical command
as its most important duty -as is described in the Third
Letter- in a way that demonstrates the grandeur of
dominical majesty and the loftiness of the sovereignty of
the Godhead and the perfection of His mercy and wisdom.
It has been made a dominical ship filled with the wonders
of Divine art, and a travelling dwelling like an
exhibition, for God’s conscious servants to gaze on.
And the moon has been attached to it with precise
reckoning for mighty instances of wisdom, like being an
hour-hand for telling the time. The moon too has been
given various mansions through which to journey. Thus,
these aspects of this blessed planet of ours prove the
necessary existence and unity of a Possessor of Absolute
Power with a testimony as powerful as the globe of the
earth itself. You can make an analogy with the rest of
the solar system from this. Furthermore,
the sun is made to turn on its own axis like a
spinning-wheel, in order to wind into a ball the
immaterial threads called gravity and tie the planets
with them and set them in order. So too is it impelled
together with its planets at a speed that cuts five
hours’ distance a second towards, according to one
estimate, the Constellation of Hercules, or towards the
‘Sun of Suns’. This most certainly occurs through the
power and at the command of the All-Glorious One, the
Monarch of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity. It is as
though He makes the solar system perform these manoeuvres
like a platoon of soldiers under orders, and so
demonstrates the majesty of His dominicality. O
you astronomers! What chance can interfere in these
matters? The hands of what causes can reach them? What
force can draw close to this? Come on, you say! Would an
All-Glorious Monarch such as this display impotence and
permit others to have a role in his sovereignty? Would He
give to other hands living creatures in particular, which
are the fruit, result, aim, and essence of the universe?
Would He permit another to interfere? Especially man,
would He leave him to his own devices, the most
comprehensive of those fruits, the most perfect of the
results, His vicegerent on earth, and mirror-like guest?
Would He refer him to nature and chance and reduce the
majesty of His sovereignty to nothing; reduce to nothing
His perfect wisdom? The
Words / Thirty-Third Word - p.705 Twenty-Second
Window Have
We not made the earth a cradle, * And the mountains as
pegs, * And created you as pairs?25
* So behold the signs of God’s Mercy, how He raises to
life the earth after its death.26 The
globe of the earth is a head with a hundred thousand
mouths. In each mouth are a hundred thousand tongues. On
each tongue are a hundred thousand proofs, each one of
which testifies in numerous ways to the necessary
existence, unity, sacred attributes, and Most Beautiful
Names of an All-Glorious One. Yes,
we consider the first creation of the earth and we see
that rock was created from matter in a fluid state, and
that soil was created from rock. If that substance had
remained fluid, it would not have been habitable, and if
after becoming rock, the fluid had become hard as iron,
it would not have suitable for use. So what gave it its
state was surely the wisdom of an All-Wise Maker Who saw
the needs of the earth’s inhabitants. Then the layer of
soil was thrown over the pegs of mountains so that the
earthquakes arising from internal upheavals could breathe
through the mountains and they would not cause the earth
to be shaken out of its motion and duties, and so that
the mountains would preserve the earth from the
encroachment of the sea, and all would be storehouses for
the vital necessities of living beings, and would purify
the air from noxious gases so allowing living beings to
breathe, and so that they would accumulate and hold water
reserves, and would be a source and mine for the minerals
necessary for living creatures. Thus,
this situation testifies most clearly and powerfully to
the necessary existence and unity of a Possessor of
Absolute Power, an All-Wise and Compassionate One. O
geographers! With what can you explain this? What chance
could make this dominical ship full of these wonderful
creatures into an exhibition of marvels, and spin it at a
speed whereby it covers a distance of twenty-four
thousand years a year while not allowing a single of the
objects arranged on its face to fall off? Consider
also the strange arts on the face of the earth. How
wisely the elements are employed in their functions! How
well they attend to the guests of the Most Merciful One
on the earth through the command of that All-Wise and
Powerful One, and hasten to serve them! |