MA’BÛDIYYAH - معبودية
Being Ma’bûd. The state, attribute, title and haqiqah arising from the Name Al-Ma’bûd. This attribute only belongs to Allah (‘Azza wa jalla), Who is worthy of being performed ‘ibâdah to and of being an 'abd for. Ulûhiyyah.
Man is in need of and connected with the majority of the species of the universe. His needs spread through every part of the ‘âlam and his desires extend to eternity. Just as he wants a flower, so does he want a huge spring. Just as he desires a garden, so does he desire eternal Jannah. Just as he longs to see a friend, so does he long to see Al-Jamîl Zuljalâl. Just as to visit one he loves who lives in another place, he is in need of opening the door of that place, to visit the ninety-nine per cent of his friends, who have migrated to barzakh, and to be saved from eternal separation, he is in need of refuging at the court of an Absolute Qadîr, Who will close the door of this huge world and open the door of the âkhirah, which is a wondrous assembly, Who will remove this world and establish and replace the âkhirah in place of it.
Thus, the True Ma’bûd of a man in this state will only be A Qadîr Zuljalâl, A Rahîm Zuljamâl, A Hakîm Zulkamâl One in Whose hand are the reins of all things, with Whom are the treasuries of all things, Who is all-seeing with all things, present in every place, free of the restrictions of space, absolved from impotence, sacred of fault and exalted from defect. Because One Who will provide the infinite needs of man can only be The One Who possesses an infinite qoudrah and all-embracing ‘ilm. In which case, the One Who is worthy of ma’bûdiyyah is only He.
The Twenty-Third Word/Second Discussion/1st Subtle Point
“لاَ اِلهَ اِلاَّ اللّٰهُ 1 In this phrase is an affirmation of the Tawhîd of Ulûhiyyah and Ma’bûdiyyah. We indicate an extremely powerful proof of this degree is as follows:
A most orderly activity is apparent on the face of the universe, especially on the page of the earth. And we observe there a khallâqiyyah through great hikmah. And we see ‘ayn al-yaqîn a most orderly fattâhiyyah; that is, the opening up a suitable shape and giving of a form to everything. Furthermore, we see a wahhâbiyyah and bountifulness through great compassion, generousty and rahmah. Since this is so, this state and this modality necessarily proves, indeed makes perceive of, the necessary existence and wahdah of a Fa’âl, Khallâq, Fattâh, Wahhâb Zuljalâl One.
Indeed, the constant disappearance and renewal of beings demonstrate that those beings are the manifestations of the sacred Names of a Sâni’ Al-Qadîr, and are shadows of the nûrs of His Names; that they are works of art resulting from His actions, and embroideries and pages of the pen of Qadar and Qoudrah and they are mirrors reflecting the beauty (jamâl) of His perfection.” The Letters ( 272 )