بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَ الصَّلاَةُ وَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ

 

QUESTION:If we are all equal and Allah loves us all equally, then why is it that Allah has created us so differently? For example, people born with disabilities and sickness, as well as people with more favourable external qualities than others? How is this equal when people will suffer either physically or emotionally?

ANSWER: Allah (jalla jalâluhu) created this world as a place of integration of the opposites. Many important hikmahs and significant results, including all the differences we see, the mystery of examination, being of this world an arena of trial, striving and competition, the mystery of man’s accountability, the infinite degrees of progress, perfection and decline of man occurs from the interpenetration of the opposites.

Firstly: The hikmah of the creation of opposites, and the differences arising from the creation of the opposites will be explained, then the results of it.

 

The hikmahs of the creation of opposites, and the differences arising from the creation of the opposites:

It elucidates one mystery of the âyah: 1 اَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ It is as follows:

In everything, even the things, which appear to be the ugliest, there is an aspect of true beauty. Yes, everything in the universe, every event is either beautiful in its essence, which is called 'beauty in essence', or it is beautiful concerning its results, which is called 'consequent beauty'. There are certain events to the outward appearance they are ugly and confused, but beneath that exterior veil, there are extremely shining beauties and orders.

For instance: In the season of spring, beneath the veil of stormy rains and muddy soil, the smiles of infinite beautiful flowers and well-ordered plants are hidden, and behind the harsh devastation and the veils of sorrowful separations of the season of autumn, in order to preserve delicate tiny animals, the friends of the coy flowers, from the pressure and torments of winter events, which are the place of manifestation of Subhân’s Jalâl, together with discharging them from the duty of life, it is to prepare a place for the delicate, fresh and beautiful spring under the veil of winter.

There is the unfolding of numerous ma’nawî flowers, which hide beneath the veil of events like storms, earthquakes and epidemics. Many kernels of disposition, which have not developed and grown like seeds, sprout and become beautiful due to the events exteriorly ugly. As though all transformations and universal alterations are ma’nawî rains. But since man both performs ‘ibâdah to the external of things and is self-conceited, he judges them to be ugly by looking to the exterior. Regarding his self-conceitedness, he judges it to be sharr through reasoning according to the result that only looks to himself. Whereas, if one of the aims of things belongs to man, thousands of them belong to their Sâni's Names. For example, he accepts thorned plants and trees, which are among the great miracles of Al-Fâtir's Qoudrah, to be detrimental and meaningless. But, they are the equipped heroes of the grasses and trees. For example, hawks assaulting sparrows is apparently incompatible with rahmah. But, the sparrow's disposition unfolds through this assault. For example, they consider the snow to be very chilly and insipid. But, beneath that chilly, insipid veil, there are aims so warm and results so sweet as sugar that cannot be described. Also, since man is self-conceited and performs ‘ibâdah to the external of things, and also reasons everything according to the face that looks to him, he supposes many things that are pure courtesy (adab) to be contrary to courtesy (adab). For example, in human's view, the discussion of the human reproductive organ is shameful. But this veil of shame is on the face looking man. Otherwise, the faces that look to creation, art and the aims of fitrah are such veils that if they are looked at with the eye of hikmah, they are mere courtesy (adab); shame does not touch them at all.

Thus, certain expressions of Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm, the source of courtesy (adab), are in accordance with these faces and veils. Beneath the exterior faces of ugly creatures and events which appear to us, there is art with hikmah that is extremely beautiful and very beautiful faces looking to their creation, they look to their Sâni’, and there are many beautiful veils, they conceal hikmahs, and there are numerous exteriorly disorderliness and confusion, they are the most regular sacred inscription.

The Eighteenth Word

 

“the perfections of beings are known through their opposites: if there was no pain, pleasure would not be a sort of perfection; if there was no darkness, light could not be proved to exist; if there was no separation, there would be no pleasure in the union, and so on…” The Words ( 644 )

 

“For if something is continuous, it loses its effect. The people of haqiqah even say that unanimously, اِنَّمَا اْلاَشْيَاءُ تُعْرَفُ بِاَضْدَادِهَا , that is "Things are known through their opposites." For example, if there was no darkness, light would not be known and would contain no pleasure. If there was no cold, heat could not be comprehended and would contain no pleasure. If there was no hunger, food would afford no pleasure. If there was no thirst of the stomach, there would be no pleasure in drinking water. If there was no sickness, no pleasure would be had from good health.” The Flashes (270-271 )

 

“the existence of degrees within a thing comes about through the intervention in it of its opposite. For example, strong and weak degrees of light result from the intervention of darkness; high and low degrees of heat proceed from the admixture of coldness; and greater and lesser amounts of strength are determined by the intervention and opposition of resistance.” The Rays ( 181 )

 

“Yes, the confrontation and interpenetration of khayr and sharr in the universe, and pain and pleasure, light and darkness, heat and cold, beauty and ugliness, and hidâyah and dhalâlah are for a vast instance of hikmah. For if there was no sharr, khayr would not be known. If there was no pain, pleasure would not be understood. Light without darkness would lack all importance. The degrees of heat is realized through the cold. Through ugliness, a single haqiqah of beauty becomes a thousand haqiqahs, and thousands of varying degrees of beauty come into existence. If there was no Jahannam, many of the pleasures of Jannah would remain concealed. By analogy with these, in one respect everything may be known through its opposite and a single haqiqah produce numerous shoots and become numerous haqiqahs.” The Rays ( 252 )

 

“There is Great Hikmah in the Creation and Combining of Opposites:

The Sun and a Minute Particle Are Equal in the Hand of Qoudrah

O Brother with a sobered-heart! Manifestation of power is from the combining of opposites. Do you know what is the mystery, there is a pain in pleasure, sharr within khayr, ugliness within beauty, harm within benefit, vengeance within ni’mah, fire within nûr?

It is so that the relative haqiqahs may be established; that there may be many things within one thing, and that they may find existence and become apparent.

Swift motion makes a point into a line. Its being spun at speed makes a flash of nûr, a luminous circle.

The duty of relative haqiqah is that seeds should sprout in this world. They form the mud of the universe, the links in its order, the connections between its embroidery.

In the âkhirah, these relative matters will be haqiqahs. The degrees of heat are caused by the intervention of cold.

The degrees of beauty come about through the intervention of ugliness. The cause becomes the real cause (‘illah).

Light is indebted to darkness, pleasure is indebted to pain; there is no health without illness.

If there was no Jannah, perhaps Jahannam would not be tormented. It cannot be without extreme cold. If there was no extreme cold, it would not burn.

The Undying Khallâq demonstrated His hikmah in the creation of opposites. His majesty became apparent.

That Eternal Qadîr displayed His power in the combining of opposites. His tremendousness was manifested.” The Words (753-754 )

 

If you were to ask: Allah (‘Azza wa jalla) is Hakîm and Ghanî, so what is the hikmah of the creation of sharr, ugliness and dhalâlah in the ‘âlam?

You would be told: Know that what is essentially intended in the universe is perfection, khayr and beauty, and they are the pillars and in the majority. As for the sharr, ugliness and deficiencies, if compared with those pillars, they are in the minority and are secondary and dispersed. Their Khâliq created them interspersed among beauty and perfection, not as essentially intended results but as preliminaries of the emergence and existence of the relative haqiqahs of khayr and perfection and as the measures of those haqiqahs.

If you were to ask: What is the importance of the relative haqiqahs that partial sharrs are approved and created for their existence?

You would be told that relative haqiqahs are the ties and bonds between the universe. The order of the universe is also woven with the threads of those haqiqahs. The species in the universe displaying unity, while they are various, and their displaying varying individualities are also the rays reflected from those haqiqahs. Relative haqiqahs are thousands of times more numerous than essential haqiqahs, for if a person’s essential haqiqahs were sevenfold, his relative haqiqahs would be seven hundred. Therefore, a lesser sharr can be forgiven and approved even for the sake of the greater khayr. For to abandon the greater khayr because it has some lesser sharr is a greater sharr. And, in the view of hikmah, if the lesser sharr encounters the greater sharr, the lesser sharr becomes a khayr concerning its results; it is also an established principle in the matters of zakat and jihâd. As is well-known,  اِنَّمَا تُعْرَفُ اْلاَشْيَۤاءُ بِاَضْدَادِهَا2 which means that the existence of a thing's opposite causes the emergence and existence of its relative haqiqahs. For example, if there was no ugliness and it did not permeate beauty, the existence of beauty with its infinite degrees would not emerge.

Signs of Miraculousness-63

 

“Yes, on earth opposites have come together, the people of sharr have mixed with the people of khayr and the disputes have started between them. Due to this reason, conflict and suffering have emerged. And from them, examination and competition have been established as an obligation. And from them, progress and decline have occurred.

The hikmah of this haqiqah is this: Man is a fruit of which is the final part of the tree of creation. It is well-known that the fruit of something is its most distant, most comprehensive, most delicate and most important part. Therefore, since man who is the fruit of ‘âlam is most comprehensive, most wonderful, most impotent, most weak and most subtle miracle of Qoudrah, the earth which is his cradle and dwelling-place is the heart and centre of the whole universe in regards to meaning and art, despite being physically small and insignificant in relation to the samâwât; it is the exposition and exhibition-place of all the miracles of art; and the display and point of focus of all the manifestations of the Ilahî Names; the place of assembly and reflection of unending Rabbânî activity; the means and market of boundless Ilahî Khallâqiyyah, especially generously creation in the infinite small species of plants and animals; the place, in a small measure, of samples of the works of art within the eminently vast ‘âlams of the âkhirah; the speedily operating workshop of eternal textiles; the fast-changing place of imitation of everlasting panoramas; the narrow, temporary field and the place of tarbiyyah rapidly raising the seeds for never-ending gardens.

Thus, it is because of this ma’nawî greatness of the earth, {Despite its small size, the globe of the earth may be equal to the samâwât, for it may be said that "a constant fountain is greater than a lake with no inlet." The crop which has been transferred to another place by scaling with a measure and have all passed through the measure and entered in it and exited from it and the measure itself can be in balance with an object as the size of a mountain which apparently seems to be thousands of times larger than the measure. It is exactly in the same way: The globe of the earth; Janâb-i Haqq has created it as a place for exhibiting His art, a place of congregation for His creating, an arena for His hikmah, a place of manifestation for His Qoudrah, a garden for His Rahmah, a field for His Jannah, the measure for uncountable universes and ‘âlams of creatures, and as a fountain which will flow to the seas of the past and al-‘âlam al-ghayb. Consider the numerous shirts of the earth, and all those renewed ‘âlams in which He changes every year, of those that have been woven layer upon layer in hundreds of thousands of different forms in layers by the creations of art to which He pours into al-‘âlam al-ghayb by filling them and emptying into the past. That is, suppose all the past is to be present. Then compare it with the samâwât monotonous and plain to a degree. You will see that: even if the earth does not weigh more than the samâwât, it does not weigh less, either. Thus, you may understand the mystery of, 3 رَبُّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَ اْلاَرْضِ.} and its importance in regards to art, that Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm holds equivalent the earth -which, in comparison with the samâwât is a tiny fruit of a huge tree- with the whole samâwât. It places it in one pan of a pair of scales and the whole of the samâwât in the other. It repeatedly says, رَبُّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَ اْلاَرْضِ4 Furthermore, the speedy change and constant transformation of the earth, which arise from the hikmahs mentioned above, require its inhabitants becoming the places of manifestation of change in accordance with it. And, since this finite earth is the place of manifestation for infinite miracles of Qoudrah, unlike other animate beings, no fıtrî limit or creational restriction have been placed on the powers (Quwwa) of man and jinn, who are the most important inhabitants of it. As a result of this, they have manifested infinite progress and infinite decline. A great arena of examination has opened, from the prophets and the awliyâ to the nimrods and the shaytans.” The Fifteenth Word-Third Step

 

“Now understand that Jannah and Jahannam are two fruits which point to eternity from the tree of creation, and are the two results of the chain of the universe. They are two storage tanks into which the universe is poured, and two pools for it as it flows into eternity. Yes, the universe will be convulsed and shaken up with a violent motion, and Jannah and Jahannam will appear and will fill up.

An Elucidation of This: When Allah (jalla jalâluhu) willed the creation of an ‘âlam for examination and trial, for numerous instances of hikmah too fine [to be apprehended by] the mind, He willed the change and transformation of this ‘âlam for [many] hikmahs. He combined khayr and sharr, and mixed in harm with benefit, and included ugliness in beauty. He joined to Jahannam and sent them assistance from it. And He dispatched virtues and perfections to be manifested in Jannah.

Furthermore, when He willed trial and competition in [the world of] human beings and [for there to be] differences and change among them, he mixed in the people of sharr with the people of good. Then when the period of testing closes and His Irâdah (commands) that they should be eternal, He will make the people of sharr manifest the âyah: وَ امْتَازُوا الْيَوْمَ اَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ5 While the good will be honoured and graced with the address: فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ 6 When the two categories are separated out, then the universe will be purified, and harmful matters and the sharr will be withdrawn from the beneficial and the khayr and perfected, and they will collect on one side.

In Short: If you study the universe carefully, you will encounter two basic elements, two long crawling stems, that when collected together and made eternal, will become Jahannam and Jannah.” Signs of Miraculousness ( 212 - 213 )

 

 

An Allusive Subtle Point

If this universe is paid attention to, it will be seen that within it are two elements that have spread everywhere and become rooted. Khayr and sharr, beauty and ugliness, benefit and harm, perfection and defect, light and dark, hidâyah and dhalâlah, nûr and fire, îmân and kufr, obedience and rebellion and fear and love with their marks and fruits opposites clash with one another in this universe. It becomes a place of manifestation for change and transformation constantly. Its wheels turn like the workshop of the crops of another ‘âlam. Certainly, the branches and results which are opposite of those two elements will go to eternity; they will become concentrated and separate from one another. At that time they will manifest in the form of Jannah and Jahannam. Since al-‘âlam al-baqâ will be made out of this transient ‘âlam, its fundamental elements will certainly go to eternity and permanence.

Yes, Jannah and Jahannam are the two fruits of the branch of the tree of creation, which stretches, inclines and goes towards eternity; they are the two results of the chain of the universe; the two storehouses of this flood of shuûn; the two pools of beings, which flow and surge towards eternity; and two places of the manifestation for favour (lutuf) and wrath (qahr). When the hand of qoudrah shakes up the universe with a violent motion, those two pools will fill up with the appropriate matters.

The secret of this Allusive Subtle Point is as follows:

Through the requirement of eternal ‘inâyah and pre-eternal hikmah, Pre-Eternal Hakîm created this world to be a place of trial, an arena of examination, a mirror to His Asmâ Al-Husnâ, and a page for the pen of His Qadar and Qoudrah. Now, trial and examination are the cause of growth and development. And growth and development cause the disposition to unfold. And this unfolding causes the abilities to become apparent. And this apparentness of the abilities causes the relative haqiqahs to become evident. And the relative haqiqahs’ becoming evident cause the embroideries of the manifestations of As-Sâni’ Zuljalâl's Asmâ Al-Husnâ to be displayed, and the universe to be transformed into a letter of As-Samad. It is through this mystery of examination and the mystery of man's accountability through the obligations placed on him by Allah that the diamond-like essences of elevated rûhs purify and separate from the coal-like matter of base rûhs.

Thus, since Pre-Eternal Hakîm willed ‘âlam in this form for mysteries such as these, and for other most subtle and elevated hikmahs which we do not know, He also willed the change and transformation of this ‘âlam for those hikmahs. He mixed together opposites for change and transformation by hikmah and brought them face to face. He made the universe subject to the law of change and transformation and the principle of transition and perfection through combining harm with benefit, inserting sharr with khayr, and bringing together ugliness and beauty, kneading them together like a dough.

When the time had come that this assembly of examination closed. The time of trial finished. Al-Asmâ Al-Husnâ carried out their decree. The pen of qadar written its letters completely. Qoudrah completed the embroideries of its art. Beings fulfilled their duties. Creatures accomplished their service. Everything stated its meaning. The world cultivated the seedlings of the âkhirah. The earth displayed and exhibited all the miracles of qoudrah and all the wonders of As-Sâni’ Who is Qadîr. This transient ‘âlam attached the tablets which form eternal panoramas to the string of time. The eternal hikmah and pre-eternal ‘inâyah of That Sâni’ Zuljalâl required haqiqahs like the results of that examination, the results of that trial, the haqiqahs of those Asmâ Al-Husnâ's manifestations, the haqiqahs of the letters of the pen of qadar, the originals of those sample-like embroideries of His art, the aims and benefits of those duties of creations, the wages of service of creatures, the haqiqahs of the meanings that the book of the universe’s words stated, the sprouting of the seeds of disposition, the opening of a Supreme Court of Judgement, the display of the mithâlî panoramas taken from this world, the rending of the veil of apparent causes, and the surrendering of everything directly to its Khâliq Zuljalâl. And for the eternal hikmah and pre-eternal ‘inâyah of That Sâni’ Zuljalâl required above haqiqahs, they demanded the purification of those opposites and to separate out the causes of transformation and the matters of conflict in order to deliver the universe from the tiresome transformation and transience, the change and perishment. Certainly, He will corrupt the qiyâmah and purify considering these results.

Thus, as a result of this purification, Jahannam will take an eternal and dreadful form, and its nations will manifest the threat: وَامْتَازُوا الْيَوْمَ اَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ7   While Jannah will take an eternal and majestic form, and its people and companions will manifest the address of: سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ 8 As is proved in the Second Question of the First Station of the Twenty-Eighth Word, through His perfect qoudrah, the Pre-Eternal Hakîm will give the inhabitants of these two houses eternal and permanent bodies that they will not be subject to dissolution, transformation, old age or extinction. For there will be no cause of transformation, which causes extinction.” The Twenty-Ninth Word/Second Aim/3th Matter

 

“Question: Why is it that the people of hidâyah, who are Hizb Allah9 , are so often defeated by the people of dhalâlah, who are Hizb ash-shaytan10 , despite Fakhr al-‘Âlam11 ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm being at their head and their receiving so much Ilahî ‘inâyah and rahmah and assistance of Subhân? What was the reason for the munâfiqs of Medina insisting on dhalâlah and their not embracing hidâyah, despite being close to the brilliant sun-like nubuwwah and messengerhood of the Khatam al-Anbiya12 , effective ma’nawî guidance by the mean of the miraculousness of Qur’an like a great elixir and with the contiguity of the Qur'anic haqiqahs, which are more captivating than the universal laws of attraction?

The Answer: It is necessary to explain a profound principle in order to solve the two parts of this awesome question. It is like this:

Al-Khâliq Zuljalâl of the universe has two sorts of Names, those pertaining to His Jalâl and those pertaining to His Jamâl. Since these Names require to demonstrate their decrees through different manifestations, Al-Khâliq Zuljalâl blended together opposites in the universe. Bringing them face to face, he gave them transgressive and defensive positions, in the form of a sort of beneficial contest with hikmah. Through making the opposites transgress one another's bound, He brought conflict and change into being, and made the universe subject to the law of change and transformation and the principles of progress and advancement. In humankind, the comprehensive fruit of the tree of creation, he made that law of contest in even stranger form, and opening the door to jihâd, which would be the means of all human progress, He gave Hizb ash-shaytan certain faculties with which to be able to challenge Hizb Allah.

It is because of this subtle mystery that the prophets were often defeated before the people of dhalâlah. And the people of dhalâlah, who are extremely weak and impotent, temporarily triumph over the people of haqq, who are extremely strong in a ma’nawî manner, and struggle against them.”  The 13th Flash-9th Indication

 

“If you were to ask: Why is the universe subject to change and time and [so] will be destroyed, then at the day of qiyâmah will be made eternal, fixed and unchanging?

You would be told: Since pre-eternal hikmah and ‘inâyah necessitated trial and examination, and the development of potentialities and unfolding of abilities, and the disclosure of the relative haqiqahs, which in the âkhirah will be real haqiqahs, and the existence of relative degrees and many instances of hikmah the human mind is powerless to perceive; As-Sâni’ (Jalla Jalâluhu) made the natures and dispositions of things different, and combined harmful things with useful ones, and interspersed sharrs among khayr, and He brought together ugly things and beautiful. The Hand of Qoudrah kneaded together opposites and the universe became subject to the law of changing, alternation, variation, and perfecting (al-takâmul).

Thus, Irâdah of As-Sâni’ (Jalla Jalâluhu) willed through His ‘inâyah that when the arena of examination is closed, and the time of trial finished, and the harvest-time has come, He will purify the various opposites to make them eternal, and separate out the causes of change, and distinguish the matters of difference. Then Jahannam will be formed with its solid body, receiving the address of 13 وَامْتَازُوا And Jannah will be manifested with its eternal, stable body and foundations. [This will be] in accordance with [the rule] "relations are essential for order," [That is, there is no contrariety between the elements and parts forming Jannah and Jahannam; there are only relations and bonds between them] and order is the cause of continuity.

Moreover, through His perfect Qoudrah, Taâ’lâ will give the dwellers of those two eternal abodes stable existences that will not be subject to dissolution or change, for change here, which leads to extinction, arises from the relative differences between what is formed and what dissolves. But the relative stability there will permit change that will not lead to dissolution.” Signs of Miraculousness ( 215 )