Third Matter: It explains the wisdom behind the marvelous activities and changes in the universe.
THIRD MATTER
An important matter that has not been solved by philosophy and reason.
Every day in [new] splendour does He [shine]!1* Indeed, your Sustainer is Doer of what He will.2
Q u e s t i o n : What is the reason for and wisdom in the astonishing unceasing activity in the universe? Why do these fleeting beings not stop, but continuously change and are renewed?
T h e A n s w e r : To explain the wisdom in this would require a thousand pages. And so we shall leave aside a full explanation and squeeze an extremely brief summary of it into two pages.
If a person performs a natural function or social duty and works enthusiastically to do so, one who observes him carefully will certainly understand that there are two things that make him perform the duty:
The First are the benefits, fruits, and advantages which result from the duty, which are called ‘the ultimate cause.’
The Second: There is a love, a desire, a pleasure, which cause the duty to be performed enthusiastically, and these are called the ‘necessitating cause and reason.’
For example, eating food; the pleasure and longing arising from appetite drive a person to eat, and afterwards, the result of eating is nourishing the body and perpetuating life. In the same way, And Allah’s is the highest similitude,3 based on two sorts of Divine Names, the awesome and astonishing endless activity in the universe is for two vast instances of wisdom, each of which is also infinite:
T h e F i r s t : Almighty Allah’s Most Beautiful Names have incalculable sorts of manifestations. The variety in creatures arises from the variety of the manifestations. The Names require to be manifested in a permanent fashion; that is, they want to display their embroideries; that is, they want to see and display the manifestations of their beauties in the mirrors of their embroideries; that is, they want every instant to renew the Book of the Universe and missives of beings; that is, they necessitate the continuous meaningful writing, and to display each missive to the study and gaze of the the Most Pure and Holy Essence, the One signified, as well as to all conscious beings; they require to make each of the missives read.
T h e S e c o n d R e a s o n a n d I n s t a n c e o f W i s d o m : Just as activity in creatures arises from an appetite, a desire, a pleasure, and there is a definite pleasure in all activity, rather, all activity is a sort of pleasure; so too, in a suitable way and form appropriate to His essential self-sufficiency and absolute riches and in a manner fitting for His absolute perfection, the Necessarily Existent One has boundless sacred compassion and infinite holy love. And He has a boundless sacred ardour arising from that sacred compassion and holy love, and an endless holy joy arising from that sacred ardour, and, if one may say so, an infinite sacred pleasure arising from the sacred joy. And pertaining to that Merciful and Compassionate One, is, if the term is permissible, a boundless sacred gratification and infinite holy pride arising from the boundless feeling of compassion that springs from the sacred pleasure, sacred gratification and pride which arise from the gratitude and perfections of creatures which result from their abilities emerging from the potential to the actual and their developing within the activity of power. It is these which necessitate in boundless fashion, an endless activity.
Thus, it is because philosophy, science, and natural philosophy do not know this subtle instance of wisdom that they have confused unconscious Nature, blind chance, and lifeless causes in this utterly knowing, wise, percipient activity, and falling into the darkness of misguidance, have been unable to find the light of reality.
Say, “Allah [sent it down];” then leave them to plunge in vain discourse and trifling.4
O our Sustainer! Do not cause our hearts to swerve now that You have guided us, and bestow mercy upon us from Yourself; indeed, You are the Bestower of Gifts.5
O Allah! Grant blessings and peace to the Solver of the talisman of Your universe to the number of atoms of beings, and to his Family and Companions, so long as the earth and the heavens persist.
The Enduring One, He is the Enduring One!
S a i d N u r s i
***
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1. Qur’an, 55:29.
2. Qur’an, 11:107.
3. Qur’an, 16:60.
4. Qur’an, 6:91.
5. Qur’an, 3:8.
- Why did Allah create us if He does not need us?
- Why does Allah want to be known and His attributes to be manifest? Does it give Him a divine delight?
- Twenty-Fourth Letter: It explains an important secret of the obscure secrets of the universe, and wisdoms behind the manifestations the divine names of ar-Rahim (All- Compassionate) al-Karim (The Generous) and Wadud (Loving). It consists of two stations.
- Can things like smelling, laughing and crying be thought of related to Allah?
- Second Important Matter: It is an important explanation about unity of existence, which is a disputable issue.
- The Eleventh Word: The meanings that prescribed prayers express. The aims of the creation of senses and faculties of man. The nine aims of human life.
- Question 6: Is it appropriate in terms of mercy for the innocent people to die in earth quakes?
- Fifth Matter which is the Fifth Booklet: The booklet of Thanking.
- Isra and the Miracle of Miraj (Ascension)
- Third Aim: The explanation of verses such as “The Best of Creators” and “The Most Compassionate of the Compassionate” and the answer to the question about the perfection of the Creator of all the worlds.
