The Second Indication

وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِۦ (1)

That is, one’s not assenting to the One, the Singular, necessarily entails accepting the existence of as many gods as there are existent beings.

The Second Indication

A noble lieutenant was referred to in the allegory, and it was said, ‘anyone who is not blind understands through seeing his decorations that this person only acts in accordance with the commands of the king, and that he is His special servant. Now that noble lieutenant is the Most Noble Messenger (ASW).’

Yes; for the like of this ornamented universe, the Holy Artful Maker necessarily requires the like of this Most Noble Messenger, just like the sun necessarily entails its light; for the sun cannot be known unless it spreads lights. In the same way, divinity cannot be known unless messengers are sent.

Is it at all possible that a beauty of the utmost perfection should not wish to manifest itself by means of an indicator, and an introducer?

And is it possible that a perfect work of art of surpassing beauty should not wish to reveal itself by means of a towncrier who attracts the attention of all to [that beauty]?

And is it at all possible that the universal kingdom of universal Lordship should not wish to proclaim its unity and eternal independence and besoughtness within the realms of

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1. There is not a single thing but that it celebrates His praise (Qur’ān: al-Isrā’, 17:44) 

multiplicity and particular beings by means of a messenger possessing these two dimensions [of the observed and the unseen worlds]?

That is, just as this person, with regard to universal servanthood, is the messenger of the spheres of multiplicity to the Divine presence, similarly is he, with regard to his closeness to Allāh and his messengership, an official from the Divine presence unto the spheres of multiplicity.

Is it at all possible that the possessor of such superlative personal beauty should not wish to both behold and demonstrate the attractions of His beauty and the subtleties of His comeliness in many mirrors?

That is, [he realises this] by means of a most beloved messenger. For he is the beloved who endears himself to Him through his servanthood, and acts as a mirror; moreover, he is a messenger who endears Him to His creatures, and who reveals the beauty of His Names.

Is it at all possible that the possessor of treasuries filled with wondrous miracles and marvellous precious things should not will and wish to make his hidden perfections manifest by presenting them to the eyes of creation by means of a jeweller introducer, and a describing exhibitor?

Is it possible that he would make this universe resemble a palace decorated with wondrous, marvellous, intricate arts, for the sake of its being beheld, by way of ornamenting this universe with His works of art which express the perfections of all of His Names, yet would not appoint therein a guiding teacher?

And is it possible that the owner of this universe would not make his messenger reveal the purpose and objective in the continual transformations that this universe undergoes; and these closed, hidden deep mysteries, as well as the riddle of the three difficult questions asked by existent beings, ‘from where [are you coming]?’, ‘to where [are you going]?’ and ‘what is your duty?’

Is it at all possible that the Majestic Artful Maker, who made himself known to conscious beings by means of these beautiful works of art, and who endeared himself to them by means of His precious blessings, would not then let them know by means of a messenger what it is that it pleases Him to see in conscious beings, and what He desires from them?

Is it at all possible that He would create man such that with respect to his intellect, [man] is beguiled by multiplicity, and with respect to innate capacity, prepared for universal servanthood, and yet would not wish to turn the faces [of mankind] away from multiplicity to unity by means of a teacher and guide?

Prophethood involves a very great number of different duties like these; and every single one of them constitutes a conclusive proof that Divinity cannot be without messengership.

Now, who has ever appeared in this world who is more qualified or more embodies the attributes and tasks that we have mentioned than Muḥammad the Arab (‘alayhisṣalātu wassalām)?

Has ever time show us anyone more successful and more suited to the rank of messengership and the task of conveyance [of the message] than him?

No, by no means! He is surely the master of all of the messengers. He is the imām of all of the prophets. He is the leader of all of the spiritual elect. He is the very nearest of all those brought near to Allāh. He is the most perfect of all creatures. He is the king of all guides [to the straight path].

Yes; by the agreement of all of the verificationist scholars, around one thousand of his miracles have been established as having actually occurred, - like the splitting of the moon, and the gushing of water from his fingers.

Apart from the incalculable number of proofs of his prophethood, the like of the Sublimely Glorious Qur’ān, an ocean of spiritual realities and the greatest miracle in forty different ways, is more than enough to manifest sunlike [the reality of] his messengership. Since we have mentioned nearly forty facets of the miraculousness of the Qur’ān in other epistles and especially in ‘The Twenty-Fifth Word’, we will cut this short here.

The Third Indication

Do not let yourself think: ‘What is so important about little man such that this great world be shut down, and a new realm opened up just so that he can be taken to account for his actions?’ For tiny man is of the greatest importance; amongst all existent beings he is the supervisor, the caller to the kingdom of Divinity, and the locus of manifestation of universal servanthood, through the all-embracingness of his innate disposition.

And do not let yourself think the following either: ‘How could man possibly deserve eternal punishment for [what he has done in] a very short lifespan?’ It is because disbelief