‘ILLAH AT-TÂMMAH - علة التامة

 

Literally ‘illah is the real, effective and basic cause of the existence of an effect.

As a Sharî’ah term: The order of Allah, which is the real cause for the existence of a law. The underlying cause or element (ratio legislation) on which a new ruling is based by making parallel to an established ruling through qiyas (analogy).

As an Islamic term: The will of Allah, Who is the causer of causes, Who creates the cause and the effect together.

‘Illah at-tâmmah is the real cause that is needed to exist to create a thing, Irâdah and Qoudrah of Allah.

 

Since causes are extremely ordinary and impotent and the effects attributed to them are extremely valuable and full of art, this dismisses causes. The purposes and benefits of effects also eliminate ignorant and lifeless causes being intermediaries and hand them over to a Sâni’, Who is Hakîm.

The Thirty-Third Word/The Twenty-Seventh Window

 

It sometimes happens that in order to dismiss an apparent cause as possessor of the ability to create and to demonstrate how far the cause is from the creation, the âyah points out the aims and fruits of the effects so that it can be understood that the cause is only an apparent veil. For to will and choose the most important aims and fruits full of hikmah is of necessity the work of One Who is infinitely ‘Alîm and Hakîm, but their causes do not possess life and intelligence. By mentioning their aim and result, the âyah shows that, although, to the superficial view, causes appear to be connected and adjacent to their effects, in haqiqah, there is a great distance between them. The distance from the cause to the creation of the effect is so great that the hand of the greatest cause cannot reach the creation of the most insignificant effect. Here, within this long distance between the cause and the effect, the names of Allah each rise like a star. The place of rising of those Names is this ma’nawî distance. Just as, to the superficial view, on the horizon of the mountains, the skirts of the sky appear to be joined to and contiguous with them, although from the horizon of the mountains to the skirts of the sky, there is a vast distance in which the stars rise and which is the dwelling of other things, so the ma’nawî distance between causes and effects is such that it can only be seen through the nûr of the Qur'an and the telescope of îmân. For example,

فَلْيَنْظُرِ اْلاِنْسَانُ اِلَى طَعَامِهِ اَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا اْلاَرْضَ شَقًّا فَاَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا وَ عِنَبًا وَ قَضْبًا وَ زَيْتُونًا وَ نَخْلاً وَ حَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا وَ فَاكِهَةً وَ اَبًّا مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَ لاَنْعَامِكُمْ1

Here, by mentioning miracles of the qoudrah of Allah in a sequence with hikmah, this noble âyah binds causes to effects, and, at its conclusion, with the phrase 2 مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ , it points to an aim that proves that, within the sequence of all the causes and effects, there is a hidden Mutasarrif Who sees and follows that aim, and the causes are His veil.

Yes, with the phrase مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَ لاَنْعَامِكُمْ3, it dismisses all the causes as possessors of the ability to create. It says in a ma’nawî manner, "Rain comes from the sky in order to grow rizq for you and your animals. Since water does not possess the ability to cultivate rizq by pitying you and showing compassion, it means that the rain does not come by itself but is sent. The earth also blooms plants; your rizq comes from there. The earth lacking feelings and intelligence is far beyond the ability to think of your rizq and show compassion to you, so it does not bloom by itself, but Someone opens that door and gives ni’mahs to your hands.

Furthermore, since the plants and trees are far beyond the ability to think of your rizq and to compassionately grow fruits and grains for you, the âyah demonstrates that they are strings and ropes that One Who is Hakîm and Rahîm extends from behind the veil; He attaches His ni’mahs to them and extends them to living beings." Here, from this expression, numerous places where the names of Allah rise, like Rahîm, Razzâq, Mun’im and Karîm are seen. Also, for example,

اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّهَ يُزْجِى سَحَابًا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَهُ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ رُكَامًا فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلاَلِهِ وَ يُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ جِبَالٍ فِيهَا مِنْ بَرَدٍ فَيُصِيبُ بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَ يَصْرِفُهُ عَنْ مَنْ يَشَاءُ يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرْقِهِ يَذْهَبُ بِاْلاَبْصَارِ ٭

يُقَلِّبُ اللّٰهُ الَّيْلَ وَ النَّهَارَ اِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً ِلاُولِى اْلاَبْصَارِ ٭ وَاللّٰهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِى عَلَى بَطْنِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِى عَلَى رِجْلَيْنِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِى عَلَى اَرْبَعٍ يَخْلُقُ اللّٰهُ مَا يَشَاءُ اِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ4

Here, this âyah declares the wondrous control and administration in the formation of clouds and the causing of rainfall, which is one of the most important miracles of rubûbiyyah and the strangest veil of the treasury of rahmah. It is as if the clouds’ components gather at Allah’s command when their parts have been dispersed and hidden in the atmosphere, like soldiers, who have dispersed to rest, gather together at the call of a bugle, and the cloud is formed. Then, like forming an army with small groups, He brings together those pieces of cloud, which are as huge as the moving mountains of the qiyâmah and are in their form, and which possess the qualities of snow and hail regarding their moistness and whiteness, and sends the water of life to living beings from those pieces of cloud. But in this sending, an irâdah and purpose are seen; it comes in accordance with need. It means that it was sent. While the skies are clear and empty, the mountainous pieces do not gather together on their own like a wondrous assembly but were sent by One Who knows living beings. Thus, in this ma’nawî distance, the places where Names like Qadîr, ‘Alîm, Mutasarrif, Mudabbir, Murabbi, Mughîs and Muhyî rise are seen.

 

What deceives those who worship apparent causes is two things coming together or being together, which is called iktiran; they suppose the two things are real and effective causes (‘illah) for each other. Also, since the non-existence of a thing is the real and effective cause of a ni’mah’s being non-existent, they imagine that that thing's existence is also the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the ni’mah’s existence. They offer their shukr and gratitude to that thing and fall into error because a ni’mah’s existence is the result of all the conditions and preliminaries of the ni’mah. In contrast, the ni’mah’s non-existence occurs through the non-existence of only a single condition.

For example, a man who does not open the water canal, which waters a garden, is the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the garden drying up and the non-existence of ni’mahs. But the existence of the garden's ni’mahs is dependent on hundreds of conditions besides the man's service, and the ni’mahs come into existence through the irâdah and qoudrah of Ar-Rabb, which are the real and effective cause (‘illah). Here, understand how clear the error of this fallacy is and know how wrong those who worship causes are!

Yes, iktiran is one thing, and the real and effective cause (‘illah) is another. A ni’mah comes to you. But the intention of a person to bestow it on you is associated with the ni’mah. But it was not the real and effective cause (‘illah). The real and effective cause (‘illah) was the rahmah of Allah. If the man had not intended to give, that ni’mah would not come to you. He would have been the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the ni’mah’s non-existence. But as a consequence of the above rule, the inclination to bestow cannot be the real and effective cause (‘illah) of the ni’mah but can only be one of the hundreds of conditions.

For example, some of those among the Risale-i Nur students (like Husrev and Re'fet) who are honoured with the ni’mahs of Janâb-i Haqq have confused the iktiran and the real and effective cause (‘illah); they were excessively grateful to their ustadh. Whereas, Janâb-i Haqq joined and associated (iktiran) the ni’mah of benefiting from the lessons of the Qur'an, which He gave to them, with the ni’mah of instructing, which He bestowed on their ustadh. They say that if our ustadh had not come here, we would not have received this lesson, so his instruction is the real and effective cause (‘illah) of our benefit. However, I say, "O, my brothers! The ni’mah that Janâb-i Haqq bestowed on you and on me came together. The real and effective cause (‘illah) of both ni’mahs is the rahmah of Allah. Through confusing the iktiran with the real and effective cause (‘illah), I, too, felt much gratitude towards the hundreds of Risale-i Nur students with diamond pens like you. I would say, “If it were not for them, how would a semi-literate and helpless person like me serve?” Then, I understood that after bestowing on you the sacred ni’mah that occurs by means of the pen, He bestowed success on me in this service. He associated (iktiran) one with another; they cannot be the real and effective cause (‘illah) of each other. I do not thank you, but I congratulate you. You too offer du'â for me and congratulate me, rather than being grateful to me."

In this Fourth Matter, how many degrees there are in ghaflah can be understood.

The Seventeenth Flash-13th Note- The Fourth Matter

 

“For it is established through the rule of ‘ilm al-Usûl and Hikmah مَالَمْ يَجِبْ لَمْ يُوجَد that "If a thing is not wâjib, it may not come into existence”. That is, there has to be an ‘illah at-tâmmah; then it may come into existence. The ‘illah at-tâmmah necessarily requires generated by a cause in which a reason exists.” The Twenty-Sixth Word-2nd Topic

‘Illah at-tâmmah is the Irâdah of Allah (‘Azza wa jalla);

“A being may not come into existence unless its existence is wâjib; when Irâdah al-kulliyyah5 and irâdah al-juziyyah6 connect with that thing; its existence becomes wâjib, it then has existence instantaneously.” Signs of Miraculousness-Âyah-7-Eleventh