First Allusion

As stated in the Conclusions of the Twenty-Sixth Word, just as, in order to make a precious garment bejewelled and embroidered, a skilful artist employs a poor man in return for a wage he deserves. To display his skill and art, he cuts, lengthens and shortens the garment on the poor man and makes him sit down and stand up; he gives him various positions. So does the poor man have any right to tell the artist, "Why are you tampering with, altering and changing this garment, which makes me beautiful? Why are you disturbing and causing me difficulty by making me stand and sit down?"

In the same way, Sâni’ Zuljalâl takes the essence of every kind of being as a model in order to display the perfections of His art through the embroideries of His names. He clothes each thing, especially living creatures, with a bodily garment jewelled with senses and makes embroideries on it with the pen of Qadar and Qadhâ, and He demonstrates the manifestation of His names. He also gives to each being a perfection, a pleasure, a faydh as a wage worthy of it.

Thus, does anything have any right to say, "You are giving me trouble and disturbing me" to Sâni’ Zuljalâl, Who possesses the mystery of 1 مَالِكُ الْمُلْكِ يَتَصَرَّفُ فِى مُلْكِهِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ ? Hâsha! In no way do beings have any right before Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd, nor can they claim anything; their only right is to fulfil the requirement of the levels of existence He has given them by offering shukr and hamd. Because all the levels of existence that are given have occurred and come into existence, and those levels require a real and effective cause (‘illah). Levels that are not granted are contingencies, and contingencies are both non-existent and infinite. As for things that do not exist, they do not require a real and effective cause (‘illah). There cannot be a real and effective cause (‘illah) for the infinite. For example, minerals cannot say, "Why didn’t we become plants?" They cannot complain. Their right is to offer shukr to their Fâtir for being honoured with mineral existence. Asking why they were not animals, plants cannot complain. Rather, their right is to offer shukr for being honoured with life along with existence. And asking why they were not humans, animals cannot complain. Rather, their right is to offer shukr since they have been given the precious essence of rûh along with life and existence, and so on. Make analogies!

O complaining man! You did not remain in nonexistence; you wore the ni’mah of existence. You tasted life; you did not remain lifeless, nor did you become an animal. You have been honoured with the ni’mah of Islam; you did not remain in dhalalâh. You have experienced the ni’mahs of good health and salâmât, and so on.

O ungrateful one! What right do you have to not offer shukr in return for the levels of existence that are pure ni’mah given to you by Janâb-i Haqq? You deny the ni’mahs (kufr an-ni’mah) and complain about Janâb-i Haqq with bâtil greed because the exalted ni’mahs, which are contingencies and do not exist now, and which you could not reach and do not deserve, have not been bestowed on you. Even lunatics would understand how wrong he would be, how he would fall into such a kufr an-ni’mah, what great foolishness it would be if a man rises to an exalted degree, like climbing to the top of a minaret, reaches a high rank, and on every step receives a great ni’mah, yet does not offer shukr to the one who gave him those ni’mahs and cries discontentedly, by saying, “Why could I not have climbed higher than this minaret?”

O discontented greedy, prodigal wasteful and unjust complaining ghâfil man! Know that certainly contentment is profitable shukr; greed is harmful denial. And frugality is a beautiful and beneficial respect for ni’mahs. As for wastefulness, it is ugly and harmful contempt for ni’mahs. If you have the mind, get accustomed to contentment and work for acceptance. If you cannot endure, say, "O Sabûr!" and seek patience. Accept your lot and do not complain. Realise to whom you are complaining about Who and be silent. If you still want to complain, complain about your nafs to Janâb-i Haqq for the fault lies within it.