The First Station

 

THE FIRST FRUIT

In Divine Unity and the unity it engenders throughout the universe, Divine grace and beauty and the perfection of Lordship become apparent: if there were no unity, that pre-eternal treasury would remain hidden. It is only in the mirror of or through Unity and in the manifestations of the Divine Names which are concentrated in the faces of particulars at the extremities of the tree of creation that one is able to see infinite Divine grace and perfections, limitless beauties and excellences of Divine Lordship, innumerable gifts and bounties of Divine Mercy, and boundless perfection and grace of God’s being the Eternally Besought One.

For example, pure white milk is sent to the aid of a powerless infant from an unexpected place, namely from a source that lies between blood and excrement.2 When this phenomenon is considered from the perspective of Divine Unity, suddenly the undying grace and beauty in the Mercy of the All-Merciful can be seen in all its splendor through God’s wonderful, affectionate sustaining of all infants and His subjugating their mothers to the needs of their offspring. If we do not consider it from the point of view of Divine Unity, then that grace and beauty remain hidden, while the provision of milk is attributed to “natural” causes, to chance or nature, thus robbing it of all its value and, arguably, even of its very nature.

Another example: if recovery from a dreadful disease is considered from the perspective of Divine Unity, through the act of healing all of the afflicted in the huge hospital—the earth—with remedies and medicines taken from the vast pharmacy of the earth, the grace, beauty and excellences of the affection shown by the Absolutely Compassionate One become apparent in a universal and most amazing fashion. If, however, we do not consider the situation from the viewpoint of Divine Unity, that skilful, expert and conscious act of healing will be attributed instead to the properties of lifeless medicines, to blind forces and unconscious nature, thus stripping the art of healing of both its wisdom and its value, and changing its nature completely.

Because of its relevance, I will explain here a point which has occurred to me concerning the invocation in which one calls down God’s blessings and peace upon the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. The followers of the Shafi‘ School of Jurisprudence or Law offer this invocation at the end of the supererogatory glorifications (tasbih) which follow each of the five daily canonical Prayers:

O God! Bestow blessings on our master Muhammad and on the Family of our master Muhammad, to the number of diseases and their cures, and send to him and them Your abundant gifts and favors, and grant them never-ending peace.

 

This invocation is important because the wisdom in the creation of humanity and the comprehensiveness of human nature require that we entreat our Creator at every moment; it requires that we seek refuge with God and offer Him thanks and praise. Since illness is the most effective whip driving human beings to the Divine Court, and since the sweet bounties which prompt them to give thanks and offer praise with true gratitude and enthusiasm are cures, healing, and good health, this invocation for blessings upon the Prophet has received much appreciation and acceptance. Sometimes when I say “to the number of all diseases and their cures,” I see the earth in the form of a hospital and am able to sense the obvious existence of the True Healer—the One Who provides remedies for all physical and spiritual diseases, and answers all needs—and I feel His universal affection and sacred, all-embracing compassion.

Another example: consider someone who, having suffered the terrible spiritual pains of misguidance, has, by dint of belief, received the gift of guidance. If we consider this from the point of view of Divine Unity, we see that an ordinary, impotent mortal has suddenly become an addressee of the Creator and Sovereign of the whole universe, and a worshipper of the All-Worshipped One alone. We see that they have been offered eternal felicity in a vast and most splendid everlasting world. Indeed, all believers will be favored with the same bounty, each according to their degree of belief. The stamp of the eternal Beauty and ceaseless Grace of One Who is All-Munificent and All-Benevolent is seen clearly on this gift of guidance—so much so, in fact, that a single gleam of this Beauty and Grace is enough to make believers love It and to render the elite among them heartsick for It. However, if we do not consider the situation from the perspective of Divine Unity, we become like the imperious and arrogant Mu‘tazilis3 and attribute that Divine gift of belief to ourselves or to certain causes. As a result, that sparkling diamond of the All-Merciful, the true price of which is Paradise, will be reduced to nothing more than a shard of glass which no longer reflects the gleam of sacred grace or beauty.

Thus, as these three examples show, Divine Unity—the fact that God is the sole Creator, Deity, Lord and Sovereign of the whole creation— causes thousands of varieties of Divine Grace and Beauty and the perfection of God’s Lordship to become apparent in even the most particular states of the most particular beings in the furthermost reaches of the sphere of multiplicity, which is the realm of external existence.

It is because the Divine Beauty, Grace and Perfection are seen by the heart and perceived and experienced by the spirit in Divine Unity that all saints and pure scholars have derived the sweetest of pleasures and the most enjoyable form of spiritual sustenance from the repeated recitation of the words, “There is no deity but God”—a statement which, more than any other, proclaims the truth of Divine Unity. It is also because Divine Grandeur and Majesty, and the absolute sovereignty of Divine Lordship can be fully perceived in this proclamation of Divine Unity that God’s noblest Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, declared: “Of all the words uttered by me and the Prophets who came before me, the best are ‘There is no deity but God.’ ”4

While a small bounty, gift or particle of sustenance, such as a fruit, a flower, or a light, is a tiny mirror in itself, when it is attributed to the One, Single Creator and Lord of the universe, it suddenly joins its fellows and stands shoulder to shoulder with them. In so doing, it becomes part of a large mirror formed of the family to which it belongs and displays some aspect of the Divine Grace and Beauty manifested on its species. Through its short-lived, transient beauty, it points to a Beauty that is everlasting and undying. In accordance with the words of Mawlana Jalalu’d-Din ar-Rumi5 (in his Mathnawi):

Those illusions are but traps for saints, whereas in reality

They are the reflections of those with radiant faces in the garden of God.

 

it becomes a mirror held up to Divine Beauty and Grace. However, if we do not attribute it to Divine Beauty, each particular fruit remains on its own, displaying neither sacred beauty nor elevated perfection. Seen in this way, even the particular gleam within it is extinguished, thus turning what is in reality a diamond into nothing more than glass.

Furthermore, God’s Unity—the fact that He is the sole Creator, Deity, Lord and Sovereign of the universe—causes living beings, which are the fruits of the tree of creation, to have a personality that is characterized by their belonging to the Divine; it bestows on them an individuality that bears the stamp of Divine Lordship and a face that reflects Divine Mercifulness, Which comprises the seven key Attributes of God.6 Again, each living being displays in concentrated form the manifestations of the Divine Names, and has an identity established by the One Who is addressed by the words You alone do We worship and from You alone do we seek help (1:5). However, if we do not consider each living being from the perspective of Divine Unity, then its true personality, individuality, face and identity recede from view and eventually become invisible.

Also, it is clear from our understanding of these living beings that their Maker sees them, knows them, hears them, and does with them as He wills. In other words, the creation and make-up of living beings indicate—especially in the sight of a believer—the One Who has power and will, the One Who hears, sees, and knows. It is especially behind the creation and makeup of humankind that the existence of that One is observed through belief and the mystery of Divine Unity. This is because the manifestation of Divine Attributes, such as Knowledge, Power, Life, Hearing, and Sight, shows itself in humankind more than in any other created beings. Human beings indicate the Divine Attributes through the samples of those Attributes which are manifested in their beings. For example, the fact that a person has eyes shows that the One Who bestows eyes sees both the eyes and what the eyes (will) see or perceive, and then He bestows them. Indeed, an optician who advises you to wear certain glasses knows what kind of glasses you need before prescribing them. Similarly, the One Who gives humans ears surely hears what those ears (will) hear, and then He makes them and bestows them upon His creation. You can draw similar comparisons for other Attributes of the Creator and the human faculties which indicate them.

Also, human beings bear the impresses and manifestations of the Divine Names: through these, people bear witness to the existence of the Names and their manifestations. Again, through the innate weakness, impotence, poverty, and ignorance of the human being, people act as a mirror in a completely different way. That is to say, through our innate weakness and poverty, we bear witness to the Power, Knowledge, Will, as well as the other Attributes of Perfection of the One Who has mercy on our impotence and comes to our aid. Thus, it is because on account of Divine Unity a thousand and one Divine Names are concentrated and can be detected clearly in the tiny missives that are called living beings, which exist in the furthermost reaches of the sphere of multiplicity, the All-Wise Maker extensively multiplies the copies of living beings. He multiplies much more extensively the copies of the species of smaller living beings in particular, and broadcasts them everywhere.

What follows is an account of a personal experience which impelled me to the truth of this First Fruit:

On account of overwhelming feelings of pity, tenderness, and compassion, I found myself exceedingly touched by the plight of living beings, and among these, the plight of intelligent beings and humankind itself, in particular, the oppressed and disaster-stricken. I cried out from the very depths of my heart and soul: “These uniform ‘laws’ which prevail over the world cannot lend an ear to the woes of these powerless wretches; similarly, those deaf elements which pervade the world do not hear them either. Is there no one who will take pity on them and help them out of their wretched state?” My heart was also crying out with all its strength: “These fine creatures, these valuable assets, these grateful and imploring friends—do they have no owner, no master, no true friend who will be their protector and take care of their business?”

The satisfying answer which came, and which was enough to calm the cries of my spirit and exclamations of my heart, was this: Thanks to the Qur’an and the light of belief, I realized that due to the Divine Unity, the All-Merciful, All-Compassionate Being of Majesty has, outside the sphere of those universal laws, particular favors and special assistance which He directs toward those lovable creatures of His who weep and suffer under the pressure of His universal laws. Through His particular Lordship, He owns, controls, protects, and maintains each and every being in the universe: He Himself directs everything personally and listens to the problems of each being. He is the true Owner, Master, and Protector of everything. As I came to understand this, my seemingly endless despair gave way to limitless joy. In my view, by virtue of being inextricably connected to and completely owned by such an All-Majestic Master, the value and significance of every living being increased a thousand-fold.

Everyone takes pride in the honor, fame, and rank of their master, and in so doing acquires a kind of dignity. Given this, it is clear that through the strengthening of this relation (of beings to their Creator and Owner) owing to the light of belief, a mere ant was able to defeat the Pharaoh. Furthermore, it was able to feel the pride of a thousand heedless Pharaohs, all of whom imagined themselves to be independent and in charge of their own fates, left to their own devices, and who took pride—which was extinguished at the door of the grave—in their forefathers and their dominion over the land of Egypt. Similarly, in the face of the arrogant pride of Nimrod, which changed into torment and shame during his pangs of death, a single fly was able to display the dignity of its relationship with its Owner and Master, thus reducing the pride of Nimrod to nothing.

The verse: Surely associating partners with God is a tremendous wrong (31:13) confirms that associating partners with God is an awful and egregious transgression. Associating partners with God is such a heinous crime that it transgresses the rights of all creatures and impugns their honor and dignity. Indeed, it is a crime that only Hell can cleanse.

Said Nursi

2 In 16:66, the Qur’an says: And surely in the cattle (feeding on the pastures of the revived earth), there is a lesson for you: We give you from that which is within their bodies, (marvelously distinguished from) between the waste and blood, milk that is pure and palatable to those who drink. This verse describes the process of the production of milk in remarkable detail: the part-digestion of what is ingested as food, the absorption of it, and then a second process and refinement in the glands. Milk is a pleasant source of nutrition for living beings, yet it is a secretion, like other secretions, and it is non-essential for the life of the mother. Despite being a secretion produced from between the dung in the bowels and the blood in the veins, it is one of the most vital and useful foods for living beings. The narration of the process of its production in the Qur’an fourteen centuries ago is one of the countless proofs of its Divine origin. (Tr.)

3 The Mu‘tazilis or al-Mu‘tazila: The school of the Muslim “rationalists” which accorded creative effect to human will and agency, concluding that it is human beings who create their actions. In addition, this school denies God Almighty attributes, claiming that God is absolutely obliged to reward those who believe and do good deeds, and punish those who disbelieve. (Tr.)

4 At-Tirmidhi, Sunan, “Da‘awat” 123; Imam al-Malik, al-Muwatta‘, “al-Qur’an” 32. (Tr.)

5 Jalalu’d-Din ar-Rumi, Mawlana (Mevlana/Rumi) (1207–1273): One of the most renowned figures of Islamic Sufism. He was the founder of the Mawlawi (Mevlevi) Order of the whirling dervishes, and famous for his Mathnawi, an epic of religious life in six volumes. For Western readers, Rumi is a powerful voice among the poets of Sufism. (Tr.)

6 They are Life, Knowledge, Hearing, Sight, Power, Will, and Speech. (Tr.)