Conclusion

Conclusion

The foregoing twelve realities support one another, complete and strengthen one another, and each reaches their conclusion through their unification with one another. What imagining then can pierce through these twelve decisive walls, like unto steel, nay diamond, so as to shake the true faith in the Resurrection that is an impenetrable fortress? ? مَا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ اِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ

(1)

This noble verse conveys that for the Divine power, the creation of all human beings as well as their resurrection is as easy as the creation and resurrection of a single human being.

Yes; it is so. Indeed, in the ‘Point’ epistle, I wrote in detail on the reality expressed by this verse. Still, we will here point to an encapsulation of what is written there, using certain examples. If you wish, refer to that ‘Point’.

وَلِلّٰهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلٰي (Allāh’s is the highest similitude); there is comparisons are incontestable: were it the case that the sun’s manifestation of its own light took place through its own will, it would be as easy for it to manifest it upon the limitless number of transparent objects as it would be to manifest it upon a single atom, with the same ease, by the secret of luminosity. By the secret of transparency, the little pupil of a transparent atom is just as able to receive the reflection of the sun as the vast surface of the sea.

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1. The creation and resurrection of all of you is as that of a single soul. (Qur’ān: al-Luqmān, 31:28) 

Just as a child is able to turn about and move a model ship with his hands, so too is he able, by the secret of order, to turn about and move a huge warship. By the secret of obedience, a commander can move a vast army with the same command with which he moves a single soldier.

Let us imagine, suspended in the sky, a precise balance so sensitive and large that it is able to sense, by the secret of balance, [the weight of] two walnuts placed in its weighing pans just as it is able to accommodate and weigh two suns. The power that causes one of the walnuts to be lifted up and the other to descend is the same power that would, were there to be two suns, cause one of them to be lifted up to the sky, and the other to descend to the surface of the earth.

By the secrets of luminosity, transparency, order, obedience and balance, the largest of these familiar, imperfect, transient possible beings are equivalent to the smallest. Countless, multifarious things appear in a way equivalent to that of a single thing. Limitedness and abundance, vastness and smallness are all equivalent when faced with the Absolutely Omnipotent, by the secret of the luminous manifestations of the limitless and surpassingly perfect power of His essence; the transparency of the metaphysical natures of things, the ordering of wisdom, the perfect obedience of all things to His existentiating commands, and the balance of possibility, which is the equipoise of possible beings with respect to their actual existence or nonexistence.

He likewise can, with a single shout, resurrect all men as if He were merely resurrecting a single man.

Then one has the fact that the degree of strength or weakness of the qualities in a thing becomes manifest by means of the intermeshing of opposites within that thing. For example, the intensity of heat becomes manifest through the intermeshing of cold. The degrees of beauty become manifest through the intermeshing of ugliness, and different levels of light become manifest through the intermeshing of darkness. Yet if something is essential rather than accidental, its opposite cannot intermesh with it; for this would entail the union of opposites, which is impossible. There are then no gradations in things which are original and essential. Since the power of the Absolutely Omnipotent is essential to Him, and not accidental like in possible beings, and since it is absolutely perfect, it follows that it is impossible for powerlessness, which is the opposite of power, to enter into His essence. For the Majestic Truth, thus, is the creation of spring as easy as the creation of a single flower, and the revivification and resurrection of all men as easy as the revivification of a single man.

Yet if they are to be ascribed to causes, the creation of a single flower becomes as difficult as the creation of the [entire] spring.

All of the illustrations and realities that we have expounded and clarified from the beginning of the question of the Resurrection are from the spiritual emanation of the Noble Qur’ān. They are all a preparation for the nafs to be able to submit, and for the heart to be able to accept. Yet the true teaching is that of the Qur’ān, for the Qur’ān is the teaching, and it alone gives teaching by right. Let us then listen, for فَلِلّٰهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ (1)

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1. Allāh’s is the conclusive proof (Qur’ān: al-An'ām, 6:149) 

فَانْظُرْ اِلٰٓي اٰثَارِ رَحْمَتِ اللّٰهِ كَيْفَ يُحْيِي الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَٓا اِنَّ ذٰلِكَ لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتٰي وَهُوَ عَلٰي كُلِّ شَئٍ قَد۪يرٌ

Look then to the effects of Allāh’s Mercy, how He brings the earth to life after its death. That certainly is the Raiser of the dead, and He is capable of doing all things (1)

قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَم۪يمٌ * قُلْ يُحْي۪يهَا الَّذ۪ٓي اَنْشَاَهَٓا اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَل۪يمٌ

He said ‘Who will bring back to life decaying bones?’ Say: The one who brought them into existence in the first place will bring them to life again; He knows all, about every creation (2)

يَآ اَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ اِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَئٌ عَظ۪يمٌ * يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّٓا اَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَي النَّاسَ سُكَارٰي وَمَاهُمْ بِسُكَارٰي وَلٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللّٰهِ شَد۪يدٌ

O mankind, fear your Lord! Surely the earthquake of the Hour is a thing fearsome; on the day you behold it, every suckling woman shall think no more of the child she has suckled, and every pregnant woman shall abort what she is carrying, and you shall see mankind drunk - yet they will not be drunk, but it is that the chastisement of Allāh is terrible (3)

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1. Qur’ān: al-Rūm, 30:50

2. Qur’ān: al-Yā-sīn, 36:78-79

3. Qur’ān: al-Hajj, 22:1-2 

اَللّٰهُ لَٓا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ اِلٰي يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا رَيْبَ ف۪يهِ وَ مَنْ اَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ حَد۪يثاً

Allāh. None is there worthy of worship but Him, and He will gather you together unto the Day of Resurrection of which there is no doubt - and who is more truthful in speech than Allāh? (1)

اِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَف۪ي نَع۪يمٍ * وَاِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَف۪ي جَح۪يمٍ

Surely are the righteous in beatitude * And surely are the ungodly in a furnace (2)

اِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا * وَاَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ اَثْقَالَهَا * وَ قَالَ الْأِنْسَانُ مَالَهَا * يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ اَخْبَارَهَا *

بِاَنَّ رَبَّكَ اَوْحٰي لَهَا * يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ اَشْتَاتًا لِيُرَوْا اَعْمَالَهُمْ * فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ *

وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ

When earth is shaken with its final shaking * and earth throws up its burdens * and man says ‘what is wrong with it?’ * upon that day shall it tell its tidings * for your Lord will inspire it * to be shown their actions men shall come out that day in scatterings * and whoever has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it then * and whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it then (3)

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1. Qur’ān: al-Nisā, 4:88

2. Qur’ān: al-Infiṭar, 82:13-14

3. Qur’ān: al-Zalzala, 99:1-8 

اَلْقَارِعَةُ * مَا الْقَارِعَةُ * وَمَآ اَدْرٰيكَ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ * يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ *

وَ تَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنْفُوشِ * فَاَمَّا مَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَاز۪ينُهُ * فَهُوَ ف۪ي ع۪يشَةٍ رَاضِيَةٍ *

وَ اَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَاز۪ينُهُ * فَاُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ * وَمَٓا اَدْرٰيكَ مَاهِيَهْ * نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ

The crashing blow! * What then is the crashing blow? * What will edify you as to what that crashing blow is? * The day that mankind shall be as scattered moths * and the mountains shall be as tufts of wool * he then whose actions are heavy in the Balance * shall come into a life of contentment * but he whose actions are light in the Balance * his mother shall be the Pit * what then will edify you as to what she is? * Blazing fire (1)

وَلِلّٰهِ غَيْبُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَآ اَمْرُ السَّاعَةِ اِلَّا كَلَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ اَوْ هُوَ اَقْرَبُ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰي كُلِّ شَئٍ قَد۪يرٌ

To Allāh belongs that in the heavens and in the earth such as is unseen *

And the matter of the Hour is as the twinkling of an eye, or yet nearer.

Surely Allāh has power over everything (2)

Let us then listen to the like of these verses of the Qur’ān that make all clear, and let us say ‘We believe, and we have assented to the truth.’

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1. Qur’ān: al-Qāri‘ah, 101:1-11

2. Qur’ān: al-Naḥl, 16:77 

اٰمَنْتُ بِاللّٰهِ وَ مَلٰٓئِكَتِه۪ وَ كُتُبِه۪ وَ رُسُلِه۪ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْأٰخِرِ وَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِه۪ وَ شَرِّه۪ مِنَ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰي وَ الْبَعْثُ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ حَقٌّ وَ اَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ وَ النَّارَ حَقٌّ وَاَنَّ الشَّفَاعَةَ حَقٌّ وَاَنَّ مُنْكَرًا وَ نَك۪يرًا حَقٌّ وَاَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَٓا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ

I believe in Allāh, His angels, scriptures, messengers, the Last Day, that destiny is from Allāh (Exalted is He), both that which is favourable and that which is unfavourable. Resurrection after death is real. Paradise is real. Hell is real. The intercession is real. Munkar and Nakīr are real. Allāh resurrects the dead from their graves. I bear witness that there is no god but Allāh, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is the messenger of Allāh.

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰٓي اَلْطَفِ وَ اَشْرَفِ وَ اَكْمَلِ وَ اَجْمَلِ ثَمَرَاتِ طُوبَٓاءِ رَحْمَتِكَ الَّذ۪ٓي اَرْسَلْتَهُ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَم۪ينَ وَوَس۪يلَةً لِوُصُولِنَٓا اِلٰٓي اَزْيَنِ وَ اَحْسَنِ وَ اَجْلٰي وَ اَعْلٰي ثَمَرَاتِ تِلْكَ الطُّوبَٓاءِ الْمُتَدَلِّيَةِ عَلٰي دَارِ الْأٰخِرَةِ اَيِ الْجَنَّةِ

O Allāh! Send blessings upon the finest, the most honoured and the most perfect fruits of the Ṭūbā tree of your mercy, the one who You sent as a mercy to all of the worlds, and as a means of our arrival at the most ornamented, beautiful and manifest of the fruits of that Ṭūbā, overhanging the realm of the Hereafter in Paradise.

اَللّٰهُمَّ اَجِرْنَا وَ اَجِرْ وَالِدَيْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ وَ اَدْخِلْنَا وَ اَدْخِلْ وَالِدَيْنَا الْجَنَّةَ مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ بِجَاهِ نَبِيِّكَ الْمُخْتَارِ، اٰم۪ينَ

O Allāh! Save us and save this world from the Fire, and enter us and enter this world into Paradise alongside the righteous, by the great rank of your Chosen Prophet. Amīn.

O brother, who has read this epistle with justness and reflection! Do not say ‘Why have I not immediately fully understood this Tenth Word?’ - do not become frustrated if you have not wholly understood it. For a great genius of philosophy like Ibn Sinā said ‘the intellect cannot go down the road of [inquiry about] the Resurrection.’ Likewise, all of the ulama of Islam have agreed that knowledge of the Resurrection is only arrived at by acceptance of tradition, that all of the proofs for it are based on traditions, and that it cannot be arrived at by the intellect. Therefore so profound, lofty a way [of attaining this proof] could not possibly immediately become a public intellectual path. It is incumbent upon us to thank a thousand times the Compassionate Creator for His beneficence in enabling us to embark upon this most profound, high road with such ease, through His mercy and by means of the spiritual effusion of the Wise Qur’ān, in this age in which emulation has been broken, and acceptance has been corrupted - for this way suffices to save our faith. We must thus be content with whatever we have understood of it, and work to increase our understanding by repeatedly reading it with care.

One of the secrets behind the intellect’s not being able to treat of the question of the Resurrection is the fact of

the Supreme Resurrection’s being one of the manifestations of the Supreme Name. It is for this reason that through beholding and demonstrating the sublime, manifest Divine actions that constitute manifestations of the Supreme Name, and by way of the manifestation of the supreme degree of each name, the Greatest Resurrection is easily demonstrated, conclusively understood and believed with certainty, just as is the season of spring. Through the spiritual emanation of the Qur’ān is all beheld and manifested in this way in this ‘Tenth Word’. For if the intellect attempts to treat of this question independently and by using only its constricted, simplistic laws, it remains powerless [to understand it], and is forced to have true faith by emulation.