Answers

THE TENTH PHRASE:  “And He is powerful over all things”

That is to say, absolutely nothing at all is difficult for Him. However many things there are in the sphere of contingency, He is able to clothe all of them in existence most easily. It is so simple and easy for Him that according to the meaning of,

His command is only, when He wills a thing to be, He but says to it, “Be!” and it is, (36:82)

He only has to command and it is done.

As soon as a skilful artist puts his hand to his work, it functions smoothly like a machine. One could say in order to express his speed and skill, that the work of art is so closely under his control that it is as if at his command, at his touch, the pieces appear, the works of art come into existence. In the same way, the verse states: “His command is only, when He wills a thing to be, He but says to it ‘Be!’, and it is,” alluding to the absolute subjugation and obedience of all things to the power of the All-Powerful One of Glory, and the absolute ease and lack of trouble with which His power functions. We shall elucidate in five points five of the innumerable mysteries contained in this mighty truth.

The First

In relation to divine power the greatest thing is as easy as the smallest. The creation of a species with all of its members is as easy and trouble-free as the creation of a single member. It is as easy to create Paradise as the spring and it is as easy to create the spring as a flower.

This mystery has been explained and proved with the six comparisons – the Mystery of Luminosity, the Mystery of Transparency, the Mystery of Reciprocity, the Mystery of Balance, the Mystery of Order, the Mystery of Obedience, and the Mystery of Disengagedness – at the end of the Tenth Word, which is about the resurrection of the dead, and in the discussion also about the resurrection in the Second Aim of the Twenty-Ninth Word, which is about the angels, the immortality of man’s spirit, and the resurrection. It has been demonstrated in these that in relation to divine power the stars are as easy as atoms and that innumerable individuals are created as easily as one individual. Since these mysteries have been proved in those two Words, we refer you to them and cut short the discussion here.

The Second

A decisive, self-evident proof that everything is equal in relation to divine power is this: we see with our own eyes in the creation of animals and plants the highest degree of mastery and exquisiteness of art despite the infinite multiplicity and liberality; and the greatest distinction and differentiation within the utmost confusion and intermingling; and the highest worth as regards art and supreme beauty as regards creation within the greatest abundance and profusion. While needing much equipment and much time, they are created with the utmost ease and speed with the greatest art. Simply, those miracles of art come into existence suddenly and out of nothing.

Thus, by observing this activity of power every season on the face of the earth, we see that it establishes irrefutably that the greatest thing is as easy as the smallest in relation to the power that is the source of those actions, and that the creation and administration of innumerable individuals is as easy as the creation and administration of a single individual.

The Third

The vastest whole is as easy as the smallest part in relation to the power of the All-Powerful Maker who rules in the universe with actions, direction, and disposal that are clearly to be seen. The creation of a universal consisting of a multiplicity of individuals is as easy as the creation of a single particular, and in an insignificant particular, art of the highest worth may be displayed. This mystery and the wisdom in it arise from three sources:

Firstly: from the assistance of unity (vâhidiyet).

Secondly: from the facility of unity (vahdet).

Thirdly: from the manifestation of oneness (ehadiyet).

The Assistance of Unity, which is the first source: That is, if all things are the property of a single being, then as a result of unity, he can concentrate the power of all things behind any single thing and all can be administered as easily as one thing. We shall explain this mystery with a comparison in order to make it easier to understand:

For example, if a country has a single ruler, by reason of the law of his sole sovereignty (vahdet-i saltanat), he is able to mobilize the moral strength of the whole army behind every single soldier. And because he is able to do this, a single soldier is able to capture a king and have command over him in the name of his monarch. Furthermore, just as the monarch may employ and direct a single soldier and a single official, by reason of the mystery of sole sovereignty, he is able to direct the whole army and all his officials. It is as if, by reason of the mystery of sole sovereignty, he is able to send everyone, everything, to the assistance of one individual.

Every single individual, therefore, will rely on the combined strength of all the individuals; that is, each will receive assistance from all. If the rope of sole sovereignty were to be unfastened and they become irregular soldiers, then each soldier, suddenly losing a boundless strength, would fall from a high position of influence to that of a common man. And to command and employ them would beget difficulties to the number of individuals.

In exactly the same way, “And God’s is the highest similitude,”(16:60) since the universe’s Maker is One, He assembles His names, which look to all things, before each single thing, and He creates with infinite art, in a valuable way. If there is need for it, He looks to a single thing by means of all things, He causes them to look to it; He gives assistance and strengthens it. Also, by reason of the mystery of unity, He creates, disposes, and administers all things as though they were a single thing.

It is due to the mystery of this assistance of unity that in the universe a certain quality is apparent which is exalted and sublime to the utmost degree as regards its art and value, and this within the utmost abundance and profusion.

The Facility of Unity, which is the second source: that is, matters which occur according to the principles of unity, in one centre, from one hand, according to one law, occur with the greatest ease. If they are distributed among numerous centres, numerous laws, and numerous hands, it engenders difficulties.

For example, if the equipment of all the soldiers of an army is manufactured in one centre, according to one law, and at the command of one commander-in-chief, it is as easy as equipping one soldier. If on the other hand, all their equipment is made in different factories, in different centres, then all the military factories necessary to equip an army are necessary to equip one soldier. That is to say, if unity is relied upon, an army is as easy as a single soldier. Whereas, if there is no unity, as many difficulties arise in equipping one soldier as in equipping an army.

Furthermore, if with regard to unity, the elements necessary for life are given to a tree’s fruits, relying on one centre, one law, and one root, thousands of fruits are as easy as a single fruit. If, on the other hand, each fruit is bound to a different centre and all their vital necessities are sent to them separately, each fruit will give rise to as many difficulties as the whole tree. For the elements necessary for the life of the whole tree will be necessary for each fruit.

Thus, like these two comparisons, “And God’s is the highest similitude,”(16:60) because the universe’s Maker is the Single One of Unity, He acts with unity (vahdet), and because He acts with unity all things are as easy as one thing. Moreover, He is able to make a single thing as valuable as all things as regards its art. And creating innumerable individuals in a most valuable form, He demonstrates absolute liberality through the tongue of the limitless abundance and endless profusion of beings, and He manifests boundless generosity and infinite creativity.

The Manifestation of Oneness, which is the third source: that is, since the All-Glorious Maker is not physical or corporeal, time and space cannot restrict Him, creation and place cannot obtrude on His presence and witnessing, means and mass cannot veil His actions. There is no fragmentation or division in His regarding and acting towards creation. One thing cannot be an obstacle to another. He performs innumerable acts as though they were a single act. For this reason, in the same way that, as far as its meaning is concerned, a huge tree can be encapsulated in a seed, a world also can be contained within a single individual, and the whole world can be encompassed by the Hand of Power.

We have explained this mystery in others of the Words like this: the sun is to an extent unrestricted with regard to its luminosity, so its image is reflected in every burnished and shining object. If thousands and millions of mirrors are exposed to its light, the manifestation of its likeness will be found in each one of them without being divided. If the capacities of the mirrors are such, the sun will be able to demonstrate its effects in them in all their magnitude. One thing will not be an obstacle to another. Thousands of things will enter thousands of places with the ease of one thing entering one place. Each place will display the sun’s manifestation as much as thousands of places display it.

Thus, “And God’s is the highest similitude,”(16:60) the manifestation of the universe’s All-Glorious Maker is such, with all His attributes which are light and with all His names which are luminous, that through the mystery of the regard of oneness, although He is not in any place, He is all-present and all-seeing in all places. There is no division in His regarding and acting towards the creation. He performs every task at the same time, in all places, without difficulty, without hindrance.

Thus, it is through these mysteries of the assistance of unity, facility of unity, and manifestation of oneness, that when all beings are attributed to a single Maker, the creation of all of them becomes as simple and easy as that of a single being. And each being can be as valuable as all beings as regards the fineness of its art. This truth is demonstrated by there being within the boundless plenitude of beings endless subtleties of art in every one of them. If the beings are not attributed directly to a single Maker, each becomes as problematical as all beings and the value of all of them decreases, it falls to that of a single being. If it were the case, either nothing would come into existence, or if it did, it would be without value, worthless.

This mystery led the Sophists, who were the most advanced philosophers, to realize that the path of associating partners with God was infinitely more difficult than the way of truth and path of affirming divine unity; that it was irrational to the utmost degree. So because they had averted their faces from the way of truth and looked to that of unbelief and misguidance, they were compelled to renounce their reasons and deny the existence of everything.

The Fourth

The creation of Paradise is as easy as that of the spring in relation to the All-Powerful One’s power, who administers the universe with acts that are plain to see. The creation of spring is as easy as that of a flower. The loveliness of a flower’s art and the fineness in its creation may be as beautiful and valuable as the spring. The mystery of this truth is threefold:

First: the necessity and total detachment of the Maker.

Second: the complete otherness of His essence and His unrestrictedness.

Third: His not being bound by space and His indivisibility.

First Mystery: The fact that necessity and total detachment give rise to infinite ease and facility is an extremely profound mystery. We shall facilitate understanding of it with the following comparison:

The degrees of existence are different. And the worlds of existence are all different. Because they are all different, a particle from a level of existence that is deeply rooted in existence is as great as a mountain from a less substantial level; it contains the mountain.

For example, the faculty of memory, which is the size of a mustard-seed in a head from the Manifest World, takes on an existence the size of a library from the World of Meaning. And a mirror the size of a fingernail from the external world encompasses a mighty city from the level of the World of Similitudes. If the memory and the mirror from the external world had possessed consciousness and creative power, they would have been able to bring about endless transformations and activity in the Worlds of Meaning and Similitudes through the power of their minute existences in the external world. That is to say, when existence is firmly established, power increases; what is only a little becomes much. Especially if having acquired complete stability existence is disengaged and detached from materiality and is not restricted, only a partial manifestation of it will be able to transform many worlds of other less substantial levels of existence.

Thus, “And God’s is the highest similitude,”(16:60) the universe’s Glorious Maker is Necessarily Existent. That is, His existence is essential, it is pre-eternal and post-eternal, its non-existence is impossible, its cessation is impossible; it is the most firmly rooted, the most sound, the strongest, and the most perfect of the levels of existence. In relation to His existence, the other levels of existence are like extremely pale shadows.

The degree of Necessary Existence is so stable and real, and contingent existence is so insubstantial and pale that many of those who have investigated creation, such as Muhyi al-Din al-‘Arabi, have relegated the other levels of existence to the level of delusion and imagination; they said: “There is no existent save Him.” That is, things should not be ascribed existence relatively to the Necessary Existence. They asserted that they do not deserve to be called existent.

Thus, for the Necessarily Existent One’s power, which is both necessary and essential, contingent beings’ both created and accidental existences and both unstable and powerless realities are infinitely easy and simple. To raise all human beings to life and then judge them at the Great Gathering is as easy as resurrecting leaves, flowers and fruits in the spring, indeed, in a garden, or on a tree.

Second Mystery: Easiness in regard to the complete otherness of His Essence and His unrestrictedness arises from this: most certainly, the universe’s Maker is not of the same kind as the universe. His Essence resembles no other essence at all. Since this is so, the obstacles and restraints within the sphere of the universe cannot hinder Him, they cannot restrict His actions. He has complete disposal over the universe and is able to transform all of it at the same time. If the disposal and actions that are apparent in the universe were to be attributed to it, it would cause so many difficulties and such confusion that neither would any order remain nor would anything continue to exist; indeed, nothing would ever come into existence.

For example, if the masterly art in vaulted domes is attributed to the stones of the domes, and if the command of a battalion, which properly belongs to its officer, is left to the soldiers, either neither of them would ever come into existence, or with great difficulty and confusion they would achieve a state completely lacking in order. Whereas, if in order for the situation of the stones in the dome to be achieved, it is accorded to a master who is not a stone himself, and if the command of the soldiers in the regiment is referred to an officer who possesses the essential quality of officership, both the art is easy and the command and organization are easy. This is because, while the stones and the soldiers are obstacles to each other, the master and the officer can look from every angle, they command without obstacle.

Thus, “And God’s is the highest similitude,”(16:60) the sacred Essence of the Necessarily Existent One is not of the same kind as contingent beings’ essences. All the truths of the universe are rays from the name of Truth, which is one of the Beautiful Names of His Essence. Since His sacred Essence is Necessarily Existent and completely detached from materiality and different from all other essences, it has no like, no equivalent, no equal. So, most certainly, the administration and sustaining of the universe is as easy for that All-Glorious One’s pre-eternal power as that of the spring, indeed, of a tree; and the creation of the resurrection of the dead, the realm of the hereafter, and Heaven and Hell, is as easy as the resurrection in spring of a tree which had died the previous autumn.

Third Mystery: The fact that indivisibility and not being bound by space result in the utmost facility has this meaning: since the All-Powerful Maker is free of the restrictions of space, He may be thought of as being present everywhere through His power. And since there is no division or fragmentation in regard to His Essence, He can regard and act towards all things with all of His names. And since He is present everywhere and acts towards everything, beings and intermediaries and mass cannot hinder and prevent His actions, indeed there is no necessity for them to do so.

Let us suppose there was some necessity, then things like electric wires, the branches of trees, and veins in human beings, would resemble means of facilitation, of the arrival of life, and of swiftness in actions. So, let us ignore the idea of hindering, restricting, preventing, and intervening, and say that they are means of facilitating, expediting, and uniting. That is to say, from the point of view of the obedience and submission of all things to the domination of the All-Powerful and Glorious One’s power, there is no need for them. If there were some need for them, it would be as a means of facilitating.

In Short: The All-Powerful Maker creates everything in an appropriate form without trouble, without undergoing any process, swiftly and easily. He creates universals as easily as particulars. He creates particulars as full of art as He does universals. Indeed, whoever creates universals and the heavens and the earth must necessarily be the one who creates the particulars and animate individuals contained in the heavens and earth; it could be nothing other than him. For those tiny particulars are the fruits, seeds, and the miniature specimens of universals.

Furthermore, whoever creates the particulars must also be the one who creates the elements and heavens and earth, which encompass the particulars. For we see that particulars are each like a seed and tiny copy in relation to universals. Since this is so, the universal elements and the heavens and earth must be in the hand of the One who creates those particulars so that, according to the principles of His wisdom and the balances of His knowledge, He can insert the gist, the meanings, the samples, of those universal and all-encompassing beings in those particulars, which are like their miniature specimens.

Indeed, from the point of view of the wonders of art and marvels of creativeness, particulars are not behind universals; neither are flowers lower than the stars, nor seeds inferior to trees. Indeed, the tree’s meaning, which is the inscription of divine determining and is in the seed, is more wonderful than the physical tree, which is the weaving of divine power and is in the garden. And the creation of man is more wonderful than the creation of the universe. If a Qur’an of Wisdom were to be written in particles of ether on an atom, it would far surpass in value a Qur’an of Grandeur written in stars on the face of the heavens. Similarly, there are minute particulars which are superior to universals as regards the miraculousness of their art.

The Fifth

We have demonstrated to an extent in our explanations above, the infinite ease, utmost speed, extreme swiftnesss of actions, and boundless facility apparent in the creation of beings, together with the mysteries and instances of wisdom in their creation. The existence of things with this utmost speed and utter facility, therefore, has given the people of guidance the following firm conviction, that in relation to the power of the One who creates beings, Paradises are as easy as the spring, the spring as easy as gardens, and gardens as easy as flowers.

According to the meaning of,

The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all is but like that of a single soul,(31:28)

the resurrection of all humankind is as easy as causing one person to die and raising him to life again. And according to the explicit statement of,

Nothing will there have been but one single blast, and lo! before Us will all of them be arraigned,(36:53)

to raise to life all human beings at the resurrection is as easy as calling together with the sound of a bugle an army that has dispersed to rest.

Although this infinite speed and boundless ease are decisive proofs and certain arguments for the self-evident perfection of the Maker’s power and for everything being easy for Him, in the view of the people of misguidance, the formation and creation of things by that power, which is so easy as to be necessary, gave rise to the notion that things form themselves, which is utterly impossible, and thus became the cause of confusion. That is to say, because they see that some ordinary things come into existence very easily, they imagine that they are formed spontaneously. That is, they are not created, but come into existence of their own accord.

There, look at this sheer stupidity! The people of misguidance make what is the proof of an absolute power, the proof of its non-existence; they open the door to innumerable impossibilities. For if it were the case, such attributes of perfection as infinite power and all-encompassing knowledge, which are necessary to the Maker of the universe, would have to be ascribed to every particle of every creature so that each could form itself.