THE SECOND SIGN AND PROOF WHICH LEADS TO THE CONCLUSION THAT “HE HAS NO PARTNERS”

This second sign is the fact that throughout the universe, from atoms to stars, there is a faultless, perfect order, a flawless, most beautiful coherence and congruity, and an unblemished, irreproachable balance and justice in all things. A perfect order, coherence, and balance can be possible only through unity. If numerous hands interfere in a work, they cause nothing but confusion.

Come now and see the magnificence of this order: it has made the universe into such a flawless, wonderful palace that each of its stones is as full of artistry as the palace itself; it has made it into such a magnificent city that its limitless goods and boundless bounties and provisions are provided at exactly the right time from places one would not expect, from behind the veil of the Unseen, in a most perfect order. This order has made the universe into such a meaningful and miraculous book that each of its letters has as much meaning as a hundred lines, each of its lines as much meaning as a hundred pages, each of its pages as much meaning as a hundred chapters, and each of its chapters as much meaning as a hundred books. Furthermore, all of its letters, words, lines, pages and chapters refer to one another and are inextricably interconnected.

Now come and look at the perfect decoration and arrangement that is observable within this wonderful order: it has made this vast universe into a perfectly clean city or a beautiful palace which is continuously and carefully cleaned and polished; it has made it into a maiden of the utmost beauty, dressed in layer upon layer of ornate garments, or a rosebud wrapped in numerous delicately embellished petals.

Now come and look at the perfect balance and justice within this order and cleanliness: microscopic organisms which can be seen only through a powerful microscope and stars a thousand times larger than the earth are all weighed on the scales of this balance and are given exactly what they require for their existence, without anything missing or lacking. These miniscule creatures and these vast celestial bodies are equal in the sight of the balance and justice, despite the fact that the largest of the objects in the heavens would, if they were to lose their balance even for a second, destroy the general equilibrium and bring destruction to the world.

Now come and see the extraordinarily attractive beauty within the order, cleanliness, and balance: it has made the universe into a fabulous festival, a rich and remarkably decorated exhibition, a springtime bursting with freshly opened flowers. It has made the vast spring into a beautiful vase of blooms and it has given each spring the form of a marvelous flower with hundreds of thousands of embellishments, which opens every season on the face of the earth. It also has beautified every flower with extremely varied decorations. Through the fine manifestations of the All-Beautiful Names of God, Which have the utmost beauty and loveliness, all the species of beings in the universe, together with each of their individual members, have, in accordance with their innate capacities, been favored with such beauty that Imam al-Ghazzali12  was moved to remark: “There cannot be a universe more beautiful than the present one.” Thus, this all-encompassing, captivating beauty, this all-encompassing, extraordinary cleanliness, this all-pervasive, supremely sensitive balance, this comprehensive order and coherence, miraculous in all of its aspects, provide proofs and indications of Divine Unity that are brighter than the light of the noonday sun.

Said Nursi

12 Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazzali (d. 1111): A major theologian, jurist, and sage who was considered to be a reviver (of Islam’s purity and vitality) during his time. Known in Europe as Al-gazel, he was the architect of the later development of Islam. He wrote many books, the most famous being Ihyau ‘Ulumi’d-Din (“Reviving the Religious Sciences”). (Tr.)