بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

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

  عيسى عليه السلام -  ‘ÎSÂ (as) – JESUS (Peace be upon him)

NASRÂNIYYAH – CHRISTIANITY-1

‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm’s [Jesus (Peace be upon him)] being fatherless:

“According to the definite nass,  اِنَّ مَثَلَ ع۪يسٰى عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ كَمَثَلِ اٰدَمَۜ 1 while there is the certainty of Hazrat ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm having no father, no importance is given and is not worthy of giving importance to the words of those who attempt to change this firm and fundamental haqiqah, through nonsensical forced interpretations, due to the acceptance of being impossible that the contravention of a law of reproduction. For, there is no law at all to which exceptions and unique laws are not present and from which individuals are exempt. And there is no universal rule which has not been especially endowed through extraordinary individuals.

Since the time of Âdam, there cannot be that no individual’s not being an exception and not being excluded from a law. Firstly, the law of reproduction concerning the beginning has been torn by the origins of the two hundred thousand animal species and brought to an end. That is, their first fathers, quite simply like their Âdam, those two hundred thousand foremost fathers had thorn the law of reproduction. They had not come from a father and mother. The existence had been given to them outside that law. Furthermore, the innumerable individuals of the greater part of the hundred thousand species which we see with our eyes every spring are created outside that law on the face of leaves with the matters that are rotten and fetid. I wonder, how unreasonable is a mind that cannot grasp that an individual being an exception from a law, which at the beginning and even every year is torn and broken by such irregulars, and a mind that clings to forced interpretations of the nass of the Qur'an? You compare!

The things those wretches call natural laws are the laws of Âdâtullah, which are a universal manifestation of the command of Allah and Rabbâni Irâdah, which for certain hikmahs Janâb-i Haqq changes those of His customs. He shows His irâdah and rules over everything and every law. He tears His custom in certain extraordinary individuals. He demonstrates this haqiqah through the decree,  اِنَّ مَثَلَ ع۪يسٰى عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ كَمَثَلِ اٰدَمَۜ 2 The Ninth Flash-Your Fourth Question

 

“For example, لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ The share of understanding from this of the awâm, which is the class of the majority: "Janâb-i Haqq is free from father and children and relative and wife." The share of a class closer to the middle: "It is to deny the ulûhiyyah of ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm and the malâikah and anything which has been born." For although denying something impossible is apparently purposeless, according to balâghat3 , a necessary statement is intended, which gives it purpose4 . Thus, the purpose of denying son and begetter, which are particular to corporality, is to deny the Ulûhiyyah of those who have offspring and begetter and equals; and it is to show that they are not worthy of being Ma’bûd. It is because of this mystery that Surah al-Ikhlas may be beneficial to everyone all the time. The share of understanding of a more advanced class: "Janâb-i Haqq is free from all relations which suggest giving birth and being born. He is absolved from having any shariks, helpers, or fellows. Rather, His relation toward all beings is khallâqiyyah. He creates with the command of "Kun fayakûn"5 , and with His pre-eternal Irâdah and will. He is free from one of each relation like being compelled, being constrained or emanating involuntarily which is contrary to perfection." And the share of understanding of an advanced class: "Janâb-i Haqq is pre-eternal and post-eternal, He is the first and the last. He has in any way any equal, peer, match, or anything similar, resembling, or analogous to Him, neither in His essence, nor in His attributes, nor in His actions. Only, in His acts and shuûn, there may be comparisons expressing similarity.”  The Twenty-Fifth Word/1st Light/Third Ray/Third Reflection

 

“ لَمْ يَلِدْ 6 This conceals the affirmation of the Tawhîd of jalâl, rejecting every sort of shirk. It decisively refutes kufr. That is, one who is subject to change or division, or who reproduces, can surely be neither Ilah, nor Khâliq, nor Qayyûm.

The negation, لَمْ 7 , refutes the idea of offspring, or the kufr of paternity, and rejects them at once. The greater part of man's dhalâlah has arisen from this shirk…

Such that, from time to time humankind faces the offspring of shirk with either ‘Îsâ (‘Alayhissalâm) or ‘Uzayr or the malâikah or the intelligences.

The Fifth:وَلَمْ يُولَدْ 8 an indication to an Everlasting Tawhîd. Thus: one whose existence is not Wajib, uncreated or pre-eternal cannot be Ilah.

That is, surely, one created in time, or born of physical matter, or descended from a progenitor, cannot be the universe's protector.

‘Ibâdah of causes, ‘ibâdah of stars, ‘ibâdah of idols, ‘ibâdah of nature: these are all varieties of shirk and the pitfalls of dhalâlah.” The Words (730)

 

Second Subtle Point

The Second of the Twenty-Second Subtle Point

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَاْلاِنْسَ اِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ مَا اُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا اُرِيدُ اَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ اِنَّ اللّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ9

Since the apparent meaning of this Noble âyah that is explained by many tafsirs does not demonstrate the elevated miraculous expression of the Qur'an,  they have been occupying my mind for a long time. We shall now explain briefly three aspects of their extremely beautiful and exalted meanings, which proceed from the faydh of the Qur'an.

The First: To honour and ennoble His Rasûl, Janâb-i Haqq sometimes attributes certain states to Himself, which may pertain to His Rasûl. Here also, the âyah, "I created you for ‘ibâdah; not to give Me rizq and feed me," in this meaning: "My Rasûl does not want a wage, recompense, or reward, or to be fed in return for his duty of Prophethood and service of the tablîgh of ‘ubûdiyyah" should refer to Ar-Rasûl Al-Akram ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm being given food and rizq. Otherwise, it would be the informing of something self-evidently known, and it is not appropriate to balâghat10 of the Qur'an's miraculousness.

The Second Aspect: Since man is excessively addicted to rizq so he may not find an excuse through supposing the pretext of working for rizq is an obstacle for ‘ubûdiyyah, the noble âyah says that: "You were created for ‘ubûdiyyah. The result of your creation is ‘ubûdiyyah. Working for rizq is a sort of ‘ubûdiyyah, in the point of being a command by Allah. You were not created to procure rizq for your nafs and your families and animals who are my creatures, that rizq which I have undertaken,, so to say you were not created to produce the rizq and feeding that belong to Me. For Ar-Razzâq is Me. I provide the rizq of my ‘abds and to those who are your dependents. So do not abandon ‘ubûdiyyah by making it an excuse!"

If the meaning is not this, it will be a sort of making known something that is already known, for the impossibility of feeding and giving rizq to Janâb-i Haqq is self-evident and known. It is an established rule in ‘Ilm of Balâghat that if the meaning of a word is known and evident, that meaning is not intended, but a meaning necessitated by it and dependent on its intention. For example, if you say to someone: "You are a hâfidh," is a sort of making something known which is already known. That means, the intended meaning is this: "I know that you are a hâfidh." You are informing him because he did not know that you knew.

Thus, as a consequence of this rule, the meaning of the âyah, which is alluded by the prohibition of Janâb-i Haqq being fed and given rizq is this: "You were not created in order to produce rizq for My creatures, which are Mine and whose rizq I have guaranteed. Rather, your fundamental duty is ‘ubûdiyyah. It is also a sort of ‘ibâdah to strive for rizq in accordance with My commands.

The Third Aspect: Since in Surah al-Ikhlas, the apparent meaning of لَمْ يَلِدْ وَ لَمْ يُولَدْ 11   is known and evident, a meaning is intended which is necessitated by the meaning. That is, as Janâb-i Haqq decrees in meaning, in an extremely known and evident manner,  لَمْ يَلِدْ وَ لَمْ يُولَدْ12 : "Those who have a mother and children cannot be Ilahs," and with the intention of negating the ulûhiyyah of Hazrat ‘Îsâ (as), and ‘Uzayr (as), and the malâikah, and stars, and other ma’bûds which are not haqq, and in meaning "pre-eternal and post-eternal," in exactly the same way, in our example too, the âyah, which has the meaning of: "Things which receive rizq and are being fed cannot be Ilah or ma’bûd" and "Ar-Razzâq Zuljalal Who is your Ma’bûd, does not want rizq for Himself and you were not created to feed Him", means the beings, those who are in need of rizq and are fed are not worthy of ma’bûdiyyah.” The Twenty-Eighth Flash

 

“اَنْدَادًا (nidd)13 has the meaning of like, equal, or peer, and anything 'like' Taâ’lâ will be His exact opposite; between them will be contrariety. In this is a subtle hint that the rival or equal is essentially futile. Then the use of the plural indicates the utter ignorance of those mushrikîn, and infers derision of them: "How can you ascribe to Allah, who is without like, hordes of equals and opposites?"

It also infers the rejection of all sorts of shirk; shirk in His essence, in His attributes, and His actions. It intimates too rebuttal of every type of shirk: the pagans (al-wathaniûn), the Sabeans, the Christians (ahl al-tathlîth14 ), and the Naturalists, all of whom believe that causes have an actual effect.” Signs of Miraculousness ( 179 )

 

“Question: How does love for the Prophets and awliyâ remain without benefit?

The Answer: In the same way that the love of ahl al-tathlîth15 for ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm and Ar-Rafida for Hazrat 'Ali Radiallahu-Anhu remain without benefit. If those loves are in the manner that the Qur'an guides, for the sake of Janâb-i Haqq and in the name of the love of Ar-Rahmân, then they have beautiful results both in this world and in the âkhirah….

As for your love for the Prophets and awliyâ: Since al-‘âlam al-barzakh, which seems to be a terrifying place in darkness to the people of ghaflah, appears to you in the form of a resting place, illuminated by the presence of those luminous ones, going to that ‘âlam does not give the feeling of fear and terror, rather it gives an inclination and a feeling of longing; it does not destroy the pleasure of worldly life.

Otherwise, if their love is of the same sort as the people of civilization for the famous ones of mankind, through thinking of those perfect people destroyed and faded with their rotting in that mighty grave called the past, that love will add one more sorrow to their painful life. That is, one would think, "I too will go to a grave, which rots such perfect people", one views the graveyard with a fearful eye.

As for the first point of view, one would think that through leaving the bodily clothes in the past, dwelling in al-‘âlam al-barzakh with perfect comfort, which is the meeting hall in the future, and looks to the graveyard pleasantly and friendly….

The result of love for the Prophets and awliyâ is as the Qur'an explains: Together with benefiting from the shafâ‘ah of the Prophets and awliyâ in barzakh and in the resurrection, is to benefit from the ranks and faydh which are extremely elevated and worthy through that love.

Indeed, according to the mystery of  اَلْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ اَحَبَّ 16   an ordinary man may enter the highest rank by following an exalted rank person whom he loves.” The Thirty-Second Word/Third Stopping Place/The Second Discussion of The Second Point/An Important Question

 

“Also, according to a certain sahîh narration, he said to Imam 'Ali (ra): "As it is on account of Hazrat ‘Îsâ (as), two groups of people perish on account of you. One due to excessive (ifrât) love, the other due to excessive (ifrât) enmity. On account of their love, Christians called Hazrat ‘Îsâ -hâsha!- “the son of Allah”, by transgressing the limits of the Sharî’ah. The Jews, on account of their enmity, extremely transgressed and denied his nubuwwah and virtue. On account of your love, some will also transgress the limits of the Sharî’ah and will perish. لَهُمْ نَبْزٌ يُقَالُ لَهُمُ الرَّافِضِيَّةُ On account of enmity against you, some others will go further, they are the Kharijites and some of the extremist partisans of the Umayyads, who are called Nâsiba." The Nineteenth Letter-Sixth Subtle Sign

 

The miracles of ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm:

“The Names’ being various that has resulted in the universe's variety and the differences in the ‘ibâdah of malâikah, has caused various sorts also among men to a degree although man is the place of manifestation for all Names. The different Sharî’ahs of the Prophets, the different tarîqahs of the awliyâs, and the various outlooks of the Asfiyâ have arisen from this mystery. For example, ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm, together with the other Names, the Name of Qadîr was predominant in him.” The Twenty-Fourth Word-First Branch

 

Also, for example, concerning a miracle of Hazrat ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm: وَاُبْرِئُ اْلاَكْمَهَ وَاْلاَبْرَصَ وَاُحْيِى الْمَوْتَى بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ17 Just as the Qur'an explicitly urges mankind to follow the exalted morals of Hazrat ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm, so too, it allusively leads them to desire the elevated art and Rabbâni medicine in his hand. Thus, this âyah indicates that “Cures can be found for even the most chronic diseases. In which case, O man and O sons of Âdam afflicted by calamities! Don't despair! The cure of every trouble — whatever it is —is possible. Search for it and find it. To give a temporary hue of life to death is even possible!” Janâb-i Haqq says in a ma’nawî manner through the indicative tongue of this âyah: “O man! I gave two gifts to an ‘abd of Mine who abandoned the world for Me. One was the cure for the ma’nawî diseases and the other was the medicine for physical diseases. Thus, dead hearts return to life through the nûr of hidâyah. Sick people even those who are as though dead find health through his breath and medicine. You, too, can find a remedy for every disease of yours in the pharmacy of My hikmah. Work and find it! Indeed, if you seek, you may find.” Thus, this âyah draws the limit of medicine beyond the present progress of man, indicates and urges towards it.

The Twentieth Word-Second Station

If you say “If Allah did not give these illnesses and troubles, we would not need to search for cures and remedies, and humanity would not suffer!”

There are answers in the Risale-i Nur for questions in this meaning. For example:

“Since the hikmah of man's creation and the mystery of his comprehensiveness is to seek refuge his Khâliq every moment, and to entreat and offer hamd and shukr, and since illnesses are the most effective and keen impulsion which drive man to the Court of Allah by the blowing of a whip, and since the sweet ni’mahs which urge man to shukr with perfect fervour and which cause man to truly offer hamd by making him grateful are foremost remedies, cures and good health, the noble salawât

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ بِعَدَدِ كُلِّ دَاءٍ وَدَوَاءٍ وَبَارِكْ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ كَثِيرًا كَثِيرًا18

which is eminently well-known and recited by the followers of Shâfi'î madhab at the end of the tasbîhât of salâh became extremely meaningful and honoured. Sometimes while saying  بِعَدَدِ كُلِّ دَاءٍ وَ دَوَاء19 I feel the globe of the earth in the form of a hospital and the eminently obvious existence of the True Shâfî, Who bestows the remedies for all needs and physical and ma’nawî all troubles, and His universal clemency and sacred and all-embracing rahîmiyyah.” The Second Ray-The First Fruit of the First Station

To understand the matters correctly, we need to look through the point of view which is based on the âkhirah and through the manifestation of Al-Asmâ Al-Husnâ in this world.

 

“It possesses miraculousness and its miraculousness exists. For the absolute majority of people in the Arabian Peninsula at that time were illiterate. Due to this, instead of writing, they were preserving the sources of their pride, historical events and proverbs encouraging good morality by means of poetry and balâghat. Due to the attraction of poetry and balâghat, a meaningful speech was passed from the predecessor to the successors by remaining in memories. As a consequence of this fitrî need, eloquence and balâghat were the most demanded goods in that nation’s ma’nawî trade market. One who was well versed in Arabian philology and balâghat in a tribe was even like its greatest national hero. They took pride in him at most. Thus, the intelligent tribe who ruled the world after Islam with their intelligence was at the most advanced and highest degree amongst the tribes of the world in balâghat, which was highly demanded and the cause of their pride which they were in intense need of.20 Balâghat was so valuable that two tribes would have a great battle with the word of a litterateur, and they would make peace with his word. They had even written in gold, the seven laudatory poems of seven poets called al-Mu'allaqat as-Sab'a amongst them on the walls of the Ka'ba and took pride in them. At such a time when eloquence was most demanded, the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition was revealed. Just as sihr was most demanded at the time of Mûsa ‘Alayhissalâm and it was medicine at the time of ‘Îsâ ‘Alayhissalâm. Their important miracles came with those sorts. Thus, at that time, The Qur'an invited the Arabian litterateurs and poets to reciprocate to one of the shortest of its Surahs. It challenges them with the decree of وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِى رَيْبٍ مِمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَاْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ 21

It also says that: "You shall be cursed if you do not come to îmân, you shall enter to Jahannam." It stimulates them intensely. It smashes their pride in a fearsome manner. It contempts their arrogant minds. It condemns them firstly to eternal extinction and then to eternal extinction in Jahannam, as well as to worldly extinction. It says: "Either contend me, or your life and your property shall perish." The Twenty-Fifth Word/1st Light/1st Ray/1st Aspect

 

The good tidings and news about Muhammad (asm) in the Injil (Bible), Tawrah (Torah) and Zabûr (Psalms):

Just as matters concerning the ghayb, such as death and the appointed time for the end of one's life, remain hidden for many benefits and hikmahs, so qiyâmah, which is the sakârat and death of the world and the death and appointed time for the end of the life of mankind and the animal nation, has been concealed for many benefits. Yes, if the appointed time for the end of one's life was specified — the first half of life in absolute ghaflah and the second half of it in absolute terror due to taking one more step towards the gallow every day to be executed — the beneficial balance of hope and fear full of hikmah would be destroyed. In the same way, if the time of qiyâmah, which is the sakarât and the appointed time for the end of the world's life had been specified, the early and middle ages would not have been affected by the thought of the âkhirah. And the later ages would be in absolute terror; no pleasure or value would remain in the life of the world, nor would obediently ‘ubûdiyyah through the will between hope and fear have any importance or hikmah. Also, if it were specified, some of the haqiqahs of îmân would be evident and everybody would affirm necessarily. The mystery of man's accountability and the hikmah of îmân, which are tied to the will and irâdah, would be negated. Thus, since matters concerning the ghayb remained hidden for numerous benefits such as these, everyone can work both for this world and the âkhirah since he can think every minute about both the appointed time for the end of his life and his being permanent in the world; in the same way, since, in each age, everyone can think that both the continuation of the world and the qiyâmah will occur, amid the transitoriness of the world, he can work for eternal life and for building the world as though he will never die.

Also, if the time of calamities is specified, the man who is afflicted with the calamity would suffer a ma’nawî calamity perhaps ten times greater than the actual calamity by its expectation. Therefore, the time of calamities is concealed and veiled by the hikmah and rahmah of Allah so that he would not suffer the calamity arising from its expectation. And giving news from the ghayb has been prohibited since the majority of the events of the ghayb pertaining to the universe contain such hikmahs. For not being disrespectful and disobedient to the principle لاَ يَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ اِلاَّ اللّٰهُ 22 , even those who, with the permission of Ar-Rabb, give news from the matters concerning the ghayb that the man is not accountable for and are not included among the haqiqahs of îmân, have given veiled and obscure news about those matters only in the form of an indication.

Even the good tidings and news about our Prophet in the Tawrah23, the Injil24 and the Zabûr25 were to some extent veiled and closed that some followers of those books did not believe them and made forced interpretations. However, since the hikmah of the man's accountability necessitates informing the matters included among the creeds of îmân explicitly and repeatedly and making their tablîgh clearly, the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition and its Glorious Interpreter (asm) inform the matters of the âkhirah in detail and the future events of the world in summary.

The Fifth Ray-Introduction-4th Point

  

The phrase وَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِى اْلاِنْجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ اَخْرَجَ شَطْاَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ26 reports of the ghayb in two aspects:

The First: Is the report of the Injil’s giving news about the Sahâbah, which was ghayb for the illiterate prophet.

Yes, in the Injil are âyahs like,  مَعَهُ قَضِيبٌ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ وَاُمَّتُهُ كَذلِك27 describing the attributes of the prophet (asm) who will come in the âkhirzaman. That is, a prophet will come who does not possess the sword like Hazrat ‘Îsâ (as), rather he will possess a sword, and be charged with jihâd, and his Sahâbah too will have swords and be charged with jihâd. He will be the possessor of the Qadib min hadid28 , the chief of ‘âlam. For, in one place in the Injil it says: "I am departing so that the chief of ‘âlam may come." That is, the chief of ‘âlam is coming. That means, it is understood from these two phrases of the Injil that, although in the beginning the Sahâbah will be seen to be few and weak, they will develop and grow like seeds, rise, thicken and strengthen, and at a time they will cause the kâfirs to drown by swallowing their rage, they will subjugate mankind to themselves with their swords and prove that the prophet (asm), who is their chief, is the chief of ‘âlam. It exactly expresses the meaning of the above âyah of Surah al-Fath.” The Seventh Flash-The Seventh

 

If we display the perfections of the morality of Islam and the haqiqahs of îmân with our actions, followers of other religions will certainly enter Islam in communities, rather some of the continents and states of the globe of the earth even will seek refuge in Islam.

The Damascus Sermon (24)

 

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ عَلَى شَمْسِ سَمَاءِ الرِّسَالَةِ وَ قَمَرِ بُرْجِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ اَصْحَابِهِ نُجُومِ الْهِدَايَةِ وَ رْحَمْنَا

 وَ ارْحَمِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ آمِينَ آمِينَ آمِينَ

هَدَينَا اللّٰهُ وَ اِيَّاكُمْ اِلَى الصِّرَاطِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ