Seventh Mystery of Balâghat

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.