Gems of Qur'anic Knowledge and Wisdom - Part 1

Part 1

God says in surah-yi Ra`d: "And to Allah prostrate all those who are in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows also in the mornings and the evenings. Say: 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth?' Say: 'Allah'. Say: 'Then have you taken unto you others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power to profit or hurt themselves?' Say: 'Are the blind and the seeing equal, or are the shadows and the light equal? Or have they ascribed to Allah associates who created as He created, so that creation is all alike to them?' Say: 'Allah is the Creator of everything, and He is the One, the Omnipotent'." (13:15-16).

And (among creatures) all those who are in the heavens and the earth, prostrate only to Allah, willingly or unwillingly. Such a prostration of the universe to God can be in several meanings. For example, the universe is a Great Human (insan-i kabir) or an archangel (`azim firishtah). This is a reality too, that during the spiritual resurrection al-Wahid al-Qahhar (the One/Unifier, the Subduer) creates a Pearl by enfolding the whole universe in the blessed hand and that Pearl prostrates to God. The Omnipotent [then] unfolds that Pearl to make the universe, and it obeys Him as prostration also means obedience.

As I said that this world in its integrity is the Great Human as well as an archangel. It is an ocean of souls as well as the universal paradise. By virtue of its particles it is also the world of particles (`alam-i dharr). Allah is fa``alu'l-lima yurid (85:16), i.e., He does whatever He wants.

Monday 17 January 2005

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