A245
Surah: 002 - Ayah: 245
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2:245
Qabd (Seizing) and Bast (Expanding): this supreme secret is extremely astonishing that God always enfolds and unfolds the universe of Intellect and this Divine act has neither a beginning nor an end. This supreme secret is concealed in the veil of riza (sustenance provision). The wisdom- filled part of the verse is: “And God seizes in His first and expands” (2:245). Thus here Qabd and Bast are two names of the Universal Intellect.
The Sustainer of the world is the True Lord and the Absolute Sovereign. He can spread as well as seize (2:245) the soul of permission (idhn) and healing in anything of the world of prayers and medicines. For, the power of seizing and spreading of the universe and all its small and big things are in His Hand (39:67, 21:104), and it is He Who gives a kingdom to whom He wills, and takes it away from whom He pleases (3:26). Thus in order to enrich and improve his profession with the blessings of Islam, it is extremely necessary for every Muslim physician and religious doctor to have, not only verbal conviction of Heavenly help, but he should also attain the success, guidance, help and support of God, the Exalted, through complete piety, knowledge and good deeds, so that by the grace of God, he may attain success and honour in both the worlds.
Q19 Is it true that whenever Allah enfolds the universe He does so in the personal world, and whenever He unfolds it He does so from the personal world?
A19 Yes, it is absolutely true, as God says in verse (2:245): “And, indeed, Allah seizes (yaqbizu) [the universe in His fist] and expands (yabsutu) [it].” Here qabz (seizing) and basÌ (expansion) are the two names of the Universal Intellect, whose mazhar is the Imam of the time, who in reality is the personal world.
O my azizan! As you know, al-qaabiz and al-baasit are among the blessed names of God, which mean the Master of the law of enfolding and unfolding, as mentioned in verse (2:245): "And Allah enfolds (the universe) in His fist and unfolds it as well." The secondary meanings of this verse are also correct, but the sublime reality and profound wisdom demand our best effort for the highest meanings, so that this struggle in addition to solving problems, may also make the grandeur and eminence of the Wise Qur'an clear to the people of the world.
He in His kingdom always acts to enfold and unfold (2:245). That is, by enfolding the world of multiplicity in His hand. He makes the world of unity and then by unfolding the world of unity, makes the world of multiplicity, while they at the same time also remain in their respective places. If we then say that the world of unity or the subtle world is Monoreality , God willing, this would not be untrue.
Spiritual science, in fact, consists of many spiritual discoveries. One of them is the law of enfolding (inqibaz) and unfolding (inbisat) which always continues in the universe. As we have discussed earlier, this is the Divine act. Allah is al-qabiz (the Enfolder) and al-basit (the Unfolder) and these two attributes are explained in verse (2:245): "And Allah seizes (the universe) in His fist and then extends it and you shall be returned to Him."
According to verse (2:245) Allah is both an Enfolder (al-qabiz) and Unfolder (al-basit). That is to say that, He, the Omnipotent enfolds and unfolds the universe whenever He wills. This is the miracle of the inner observation in the sacred Sanctuary, the example of which is the pearl of Intellect and the hidden Book.
God, may He be exalted, has gathered all external examples and internal examples in the pearl of Intellect and the hidden Book. God, the One/Unifier, the Subduer unfolds the personal world in the universe and enfolds the universe in the personal world. Thus, He creates the universal paradise, which is the junction of this world and the next world and in doing so there are countless wisdoms.
This verse has been referred 11 times.