Treasure of Knowledge Part II - The Secrets of Nature
The Secrets of Nature
Tags: universe, law of nature, human nature
The literal meaning of this topic is not hidden from the people of wisdom. Secrets mean hidden realities and nature means creation and the course of creation. Thus “The secrets of nature” is such an important and essential topic that understanding its fundamentals not only helps to a great extent in the recognition of the Qur'an and religion, it also divulges the concealed secrets of the laws of nature and creation. The Qur'an and Islam are exactly identical to the Divine law and nature, which is an infinite mercy of Almighty God. He, the magnificent, the merciful, has made His beloved book and the true religion correspond with the exigencies of the universe, its existents and the human nature itself, so that the external world (afaq), the internal world (anfus), the heavenly book and Islam may continue to explain one another.
There is no doubt that only God knows the countless secrets of nature and after Him those who are well-grounded in knowledge (rasikhun fi'l-`ilm, 3:7). These are the true Prophet (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) and the Imams (May peace be through them) and it is only through them that the true mu'mins acquire the blessing of knowledge and wisdom.
1. The wise Qur'an says: “God's nature is that according to which He created [all] human beings” (30:30). Thus there is only one way of creation and a single nature in God's kingdom. All humankind is created according to that unique nature and there will be no change in this law in the future.
2. It is said in a hadith: “All children are born according to nature (and Islam is the religion of nature) and the parents (at times) make them Jew, Christian or Magi”.
3. After the explanation of the above-mentioned verse and hadith there cannot remain any doubt that Islam is the only religion that can fulfil all the exigencies of the law of nature at all times. Islam is not contrary to the ever changing states of the world and time, because it has to live and last forever.
4. A belief and world view which is against the law of nature ultimately perishes because the contradiction and conflict of anything with the Divine law becomes the cause of its destruction.
5. The cause of the destruction of all those nations of the world which are effaced from the page of existence was that they did not understand the secrets of the law of nature and they did not act according to the exigencies of time and space and thus they all perished due to this violation of the law of nature.
6. Since it is a fact that every human child is born according to the religion of nature i.e., Islam it must also be accepted that the way small children usually ask different and spontaneous questions is due to the impetus of the law of nature. This shows that according to the religion of nature (i.e., Islam) asking questions is one of the fundamental needs.
7. Since it is an established fact that the yearning to acquire essential knowledge about the world and religion is a part of human nature, which should be described as a Divine grace, it is also necessary that an appropriate Divine source be present and available among people who can answer all the questions satisfactorily. Otherwise, if the world of humanity had the ability to only pose questions but the source to answer were not available (God forbid), there would be a huge deficiency in God's guidance and mercy.
8. The verse of the wise Qur'an in which is mentioned: “The [law of] nature of God is that according to which He created [all] human beings” (30:30), means that a human being is the best and wisdom-filled model of the law of nature according to which the creation of the universe and its existents has taken place. It means that the spiritual and physical creation of a human being is the perfect example of God's nature.
9. The above-mentioned Divine guidance indicates that human beings should duly understand the condition and reality of their external and internal [states] so that they may understand the objectives of nature's secrets and that all this is within their own persons.
10. Had the precious treasures of nature's secrets not been hidden in a human being's own person, God would not have designated human existence to be the compendium and model of all natures (fitraton) and He would not have emphatically commanded human beings to look within themselves to attain recognition (ma`rifat).
11. As mentioned above, according to the law of nature, the question precedes the answer, which means that seeking comes first and then that which is sought. Hence, it means that although the treasures of knowledge, wisdom and nature's secrets are hidden in human beings, their attainment is utterly impossible without the guidance of the True Guide.
12. Since it is established that a human being is the best practical model of the law of nature, one should also know that the physical and spiritual creation and completion of human beings does not happen suddenly, rather it happens gradually. Thus, it is correct to say that the true religion does not reach the peak of perfection in a single day rather it does it gradually, whether the religious progress pertains to an individual or a whole nation.
13. In the light of the above-mentioned verse and hadith, the reality is clearly evident that every infant is born according to the Islamic disposition, regardless of which prophet's time it is born in. Thus three more realities become evident. Firstly, the religion of nature i.e., Islam exists from the very time the human race begins and all the prophets invited [human beings] to it. Secondly, Islam is the same from beginning till end, but its physical forms remained diverse in different times. Thirdly, there is no inertia and impediment in Islam; rather it is the fountainhead of gradual teaching (tadriji hidayat) and evolutionary activity (irtiqa'i fa``aliyyat).
14. One of the requirements of the way the wise Qur'an invites to ponder and reflect on human nature is that we should attain the experience of personal recognition in order to know the natural states of the people of the past and future, because this is the only recommended means of observing the wonders of nature.
15. This verse, in which the key wisdom of Divine nature is encompassed, mentions the nature of Prophets, Imams (awliya') and all people together. Numerous realities become clear in its light, one fundamental truth of which is the pre-eternal and post-eternal unity of human souls.
16. The teaching of this sacred verse assures that the way of nature on which God has created the human being is the most exalted and wisdom-filled and all other methods pale in comparison.
17. After understanding the profound realities of this universal (kulliyyah), the intellect agrees that, in fact, Hazrat Adam (May peace be through him) and Hazrat `Isa (May peace be through him) were also born according to this common nature.
18. The verse of nature (30:30) alludes that those who have attained the rank of recognition of God's light meticulously observe the secrets of nature which are hidden in the heavens, earth, minerals, vegetables and animals through the eye of insight or the heart's eye.
19. Pir Nasir-i Khusraw(q) has said that this universe is like a tree and we, the humans, are its fruits. It means that [the four] elements (`anasir) are created through the influence of the heavens. The three kingdoms of nature (mawalid-i thalathah) are created through the blending of elements. The human personality comes into existence through the dissolving of the three kingdoms of nature (mawalid) and the vegetative and animal souls are formed in it. By purifying these two souls, the human soul and then the intellect come into existence and this is God's perpetual nature.
20. This wisdom-filled teaching of the wise Qur'an shows that God's nature is specific only to the human being. It means that all powers and capabilities which are possible according to the exigencies of the perfect power and all-embracing mercy of the Lord of the worlds are placed in human nature.
21. The way to become aware of nature's secrets, every wise person should duly observe the realities and recognitions of the external and internal worlds through the inner eye in the world of individual recognition, because it is the sole centre of the secrets of creation of all spiritual and physical existents and creatures.
At the end of this concise explanation, I am compelled to confess that I have not been able to mention anything regarding the secrets of nature except a few allusions.
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