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The Twenty-Second Word
[This Word consists of Two Stations]
First Station
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
So God sets forth parables for men, so that they may bear [them] in mind. (Qur'an, 14:25.)
*Such are the similitudes which we propound to men that they may reflect. (Qur'an, 59:21.)
One time two men were washing in a pool. Under some extraordinary influence they lost their
senses and when they opened their eyes, they saw that it had transported them to a strange
land. It was such that with its perfect order it was like a country, or rather a town, or
a palace. They looked around themselves in complete bewilderment: if it was looked at
in one way, a vast world was apparent; if in another, a well-ordered country; and if
in another, a fine town. And if it was looked at in still another way, it was a palace which
comprised a truly magnificent world. Travelling around this strange world, they observed it
and saw that creatures of one sort were speaking in a fashion, but they did not understand
their language. Nevertheless, it was understood from their signs that they were performing
important works and duties.
One of the two men said to his friend: "This strange world must have someone to regulate
it, and this orderly country must have a lord, and this fine town, an owner, and this finely
made palace, a master builder. We must try to know him, for it is understood that the
one who brought us here was he. If we do not recognize him, who will help us? What can
we await from these impotent creatures whose language we do not know and who do not heed
us? Moreover, surely one who makes a vast world in the form of a country, town, and
palace, and fills it from top to bottom with wonderful things, and embellishes it with
every sort of adornment, and decks it out with instructive miracles wants something
from us and from those that come here. We must get to know him and find out what he
wants."
The other man said: "I do not believe it, that there is a person such as the one you
speak of, and that he governs this whole world on his own."
His friend replied to him: "If we do not recognize him and remain indifferent towards him, there
is no advantage in it at all, and if it is harmful, its harm will be immense. Whereas
if we try to recognize him, there is little hardship involved, and if there is benefit,
it will be great. Therefore, it is in no way sensible to remain indifferent towards him."
The foolish man said: "I consider all my ease and enjoyment to lie in not thinking of him.
Also, I am not going to bother with things that make no sense to me. All these things
are the confused objects of chance, they are happening by themselves. What is it to me?"
His intelligent friend replied: "This obstinacy of yours will push me, and a lot of others,
into disaster. It sometimes happens that a whole country is laid waste because of one
ill-mannered person."
So the foolish man turned to him and said: "Either prove to me decisively that this large
country has a single lord and a single maker, or leave me alone."
His friend replied: "Your obstinacy has reached the degree of lunacy, and you will be the
cause of some disaster being visited on us. So I shall show you twelve proofs demonstrating
that this world which is like a palace, and country which is like town, has a single maker
and that it is only he who runs and administers everything. He is completely free of all deficiency.
This maker, who does not appear to us, sees us and everything, and hears our words. All
his works are miracles and marvels. All these creatures whom we see but whose tongues we
do not understand are his officials."
FIRST PROOF
A hidden hand is working within all these works. For something which has not even an
ounce of strength, (This alludes to seeds, which bear trees on their heads.) something
as small as a seed, is raising a load of thousands of pounds. And something that does not have
even a particle of consciousness (This indicates delicate plants like the grapevine, which
themselves cannot climb or bear the weight of fruits, so throwing their delicate arms
around other plants or trees and winding themselves around them, they load themselves onto them.)
is performing extremely wise and purposeful works. That means they are not working by
themselves, but that a hidden possessor of power is causing them to work. If they were
independent, it would necessitate all the works which we see everywhere in this land
being miracles and everything to be a wonder-working marvel. And that is nonsense.
SECOND PROOF
Come, look carefully at the things which adorn all these plains, fields, and dwellings! There
are marks on each telling of that hidden one. Simply, each gives news of Him like a seal
or stamp. Look in front of your eyes: what does He make from one ounce of cotton? (This
indicates a seed. For example, a poppy seed like an atom, the kernel of an apricot stone,
and a tiny melon seed, produce from the treasury of mercy woven leaves finer than broadcloth,
flowers whiter than linen, and fruits sweeter than sugar and more delicate and delicious
than sweets and conserves, and they offer them to us.) See how many rolls of cloth,
fine linen, and flowered material have come out of it. See how many sugared delights and
round sweets are being made. If thousands of people like us were to clothe themselves
in them and eat them, they would still be sufficient. And look! He has taken a handful
of iron, water, earth, coal, copper, silver, and gold, and made some flesh (This indicates
the creation of animal bodies from the elements, and living creatures from ***.) out of them.
Look at that and see! O foolish one! These works are particular to such a one that all
this land together with all its parts is under his miraculous power and is submissive to
his every wish.
THIRD PROOF
Come, look at these mobile works of art! (This alludes to animals and humans. For since animals
are tiny indexes of the world, and man is a miniature sample of the universe, whatever
there is in the world, a sample of it is in man.) Each has been fashioned in such a way
that it is simply a miniature sample of the huge palace. Whatever there is in the palace,
it is found in these tiny mobile machines. Is it at all possible that someone other than
the palace's maker could come and include the wondrous palace in a tiny machine? Also,
is it at all possible that although he has included a whole world in a machine the size
of a box, there could be anything in it that was purposeless or could be attributed to
chance? That means that however many skilfully fashioned machines you can see, each is like
a seal of that hidden one. Rather, each is like a herald or proclamation. Through their
tongues of disposition they are saying: "We are the art of One Who can make this entire
world of ours as easily and simply as He created us."
FOURTH PROOF
O my stubborn friend! Come, I shall show you something even stranger. Look! All these works
and things in this land have changed and are changing. They do not stop in any one state.
Note carefully that each of these lifeless bodies and unfeeling boxes has taken on the
form of being absolutely dominant. Quite simply it is as though each rules all the others.
Look at this machine next to us; (The machine indicates fruit-bearing trees. For they bear
on their slender branches hundreds of workbenches and factories, and weave, adorn, and cook
wonderful leaves, flowers and fruits, and stretch them out to us. And majestic trees
like the pine and the cedar, even, set up their workbenches on dry rock, and work.)
it is as though issuing commands; all the necessities and substances necessary for its
adornment and functioning come hastening to it from distant places. Look over there: that
lifeless body (This alludes to grains, seeds, and the eggs of flies. For example, a fly
leaves its eggs on the leaves of the elm. Suddenly the huge tree turns its leaves into
a mother's womb and a cradle for the eggs, and into a store full of a food like honey.
Simply, in that way the tree, which is not fruit-producing, produces fruits bearing spirits.)
is as though beckoning; it makes the largest bodies serve it and work in its own workplace.
Make further analogies in the same way.
Simply, everything subjugates to itself all the beings in this world. If you do not accept
the existence of that hidden one, you have to attribute all his skills, arts, and perfections
in the stones, earth, animals, and creatures resembling man everywhere in this land to
the things themselves. In place of a single wonder-working being, which your mind deems
unlikely, you have to accept millions like him, who are both opposed to one another,
and similar, and one within the other, so they do not cause confusion everywhere and
the order be spoiled. Whereas if two fingers meddle in a country, they cause confusion.
For if there are two headmen in a village, or two governors in a town, or two kings in
a country, the result is chaos. So what about an infinite, absolute ruler?
FIFTH PROOF
O my sceptical friend! Come, look carefully at the inscriptions of this vast palace, look
at all the adornments of the town, see the ordering of this whole land, and reflect on
all the works of art in this world! See! If these inscriptions are not worked by the pen
of one hidden who possesses infinite miracles and skills, and are attributed to unconscious
causes, to blind chance and deaf nature, then every stone and every plant in this land has
to be an inscriber so wondrous it can write a thousand books in every letter and include
millions of works of art in a single inscription. Because look at the inscription on these stones;
(This alludes to man, the fruit of the tree of creation, and to the fruit which bears
its tree's programme and index. For whatever the pen of power has written in the great
book of the universe, it has written its summary in man's nature. And whatever the pen of Divine
Determining has written in a tree the size of a mountain, it has also included it in
its fruit the size of a finger nail.) in each are the inscriptions of all the palace, and
the laws ordering all the town, and the programmes for organizing the whole country. That means
that it is as wonderful to make these inscriptions as to make the whole country. In which case,
all the inscriptions, all the works of art, are proclamations of that hidden one, and
seals of his.
Since a letter cannot exist without showing the one who wrote it, and an artistic inscription
cannot exist without making known its inscriber, how is it that an inscriber who writes a huge
book in a single letter and inscribes a thousand inscriptions in a single inscription, should
not be known through his writing and through his inscribing?
SIXTH PROOF
Come, let us go out onto this broad plain. ( This indicates the face of the earth in
the spring and summer. For the groups of hundreds of thousands of different creatures are created
one within the other and written there. They are changed without fault or error and with
perfect order. Thousands of tables of the Most Merciful One are laid out, then removed
and replaced by fresh ones. All the trees as though bear trays, all the gardens are
like cauldrons.) On it is a high mountain whose summit we shall climb to so that we
can see all the surrounding country. We shall take with us a good pair of binoculars which
will bring everything close, for strange things are happening in this strange land. Every
hour things are taking place that we could not imagine. Look! These mountains, plains,
and towns are suddenly changing. And how? In such a way that millions of things are
being changed in a most regulated and orderly fashion one within the other. Truly wondrous
transformations are being wrought, just as though millions of various cloths are being
woven one within the other. Look! These flowery things which we know and are familiar with
are disappearing and others have come in their place in orderly fashion which resemble them
in nature but are different in form. It is quite simply as though this plain and the
mountains are each a page, and within them are being written hundreds of thousands of
different books. And they are being written faultlessly and without defect.
It is impossible a hundred times over that these matters should have come about on their
own. Yes, for these works which are skilfully and carefully fashioned to an infinite degree
to have occurred on their own is impossible a thousand times, for rather than themselves,
they show the artist who fashioned them. Moreover, the one who did this displays such miracles
that nothing at all could be difficult for him. It is as easy for him to write a thousand
books as to write one book. Look all around you; he both puts everything in its proper
place with perfect wisdom, and he munificently showers the favours on everyone of which they
are worthy, and he draws back and opens general veils and doors so bountifully that everyone's
desires are satisfied. And he sets up tables so generously that a feast of bounties is
given to all the people and animals of this land; each group and individual is given one
particular and suitable for it, even. So, is there anything more impossible in the world
than that there should be anything attributable to chance in these matters that we see, or
that among these matters that we see there is anything purposeless or vain, or that many
hands should be interfering in them, or that their maker should not be capable of everything,
or that everything should not be subjugated to him? And so, my friend, find a pretext
in the face of these if you can!
SEVENTH PROOF
Come, my friend! Now we shall leave these particular matters and turn our attention
to the mutual positions of the parts of this wondrous world in the form of a palace. Look!
Universal works are being carried out and general revolutions are occurring in this
world with such order that all the rocks, earth, trees, everything in this palace, observe
the universal systems of the world, and conform to them as if each was acting with will. Things
which are distant hasten to assist one another. Now look, a strange caravan (These are the
caravans of plants and trees, which bear the sustenance of all the animals.) has appeared,
coming from the Unseen. The mounts in it resemble trees, plants, and mountains. Each bears a
tray of provisions on its head. And look, they are bringing the provisions for the various
animals awaiting them on this side. And see, the mighty electric lamp (The mighty electric
lamp indicates the sun.) in that dome both furnishes them with light, and cooks all their
food so well that the foods to be cooked are each attached to a string (And the string,
and the food attached to it, are the slender branches of trees and their delicious fruits.)
by an unseen hand and held up before it. And on this side, see these wretched, weak, powerless
little animals; how before their heads are attached two small pumps (And the two small
pumps allude to the *** of mothers.) full of delicate sustenance, like two springs;
it is enough for those powerless creatures to only press their mouths against them.
In Short: Just as all the things throughout the world look to one another, so they help
one another. And just as they see one another, so they co-operate with one another. And just
as they perfect each other's works, so too they support one another; standing shoulder
to shoulder, they work together. Make analogies with this for everything; they are uncountable.
Thus, all these things demonstrate as decisively as two plus two equals four that everything
is subjugated to the maker of this wondrous palace, that is, to
the owner of this strange world. Everything is like a soldier under his command. Everything
turns through his strength. Everything acts through his command. Everything is set in
order through his wisdom. Everything helps the others through his munificence. Everything
hastens to the assistance of
the others through his compassion, that is, they
are
made to hasten to it. Now, my friend, say something in
the face of this
if you can!