The Seventh Ray
The Supreme Sign
An important reminder
NOT EVERYONE MAY BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE MATTERS discussed in this significant treatise, but nobody will remain without his or her own share. It is not possible for one who enters a huge orchard to reach and pick up all the fruit therein, but the amount that falls within their grasp will be enough for them. After all, the garden does not exist for that person alone: those who have arms long enough to reach can also have a share of the fruit.
The following five factors make this treatise somewhat difficult to understand:
THE FIRST: I have written down my own observations according to my own understanding and, in the first instance, for myself. I have not written them according to the understanding and perspectives of others, as is the case with other works.
THE SECOND: Since Divine Unity is explicated in the most comprehensive form as based on the manifestation of God’s Greatest Name or the relevant Names of God in their most comprehensive manifestation, and since the matters discussed are extremely broad, intensely profound, and sometimes rather long, not everyone will be able to comprehend them all at once.
THE THIRD: Since each matter comprises a great and extensive truth, a single sentence will sometimes extend over an entire page or two, in order not to fragment the truth in question into parts. Similarly, a single proof may sometimes require many preliminaries or premises.
THE FOURTH: Since most of the matters explained here have numerous proofs, the discussion sometimes becomes prolonged, with as many as ten or twenty proofs being grouped together as a single proof. Given that this is the case, limited capacities may not be able to understand the whole of it.
THE FIFTH: The lights of this treatise came to me as a blessing of Ramadan. However, since it was written hastily at a time when I was distracted in a number of respects and when my body was racked by several illnesses, I had to be content with a first draft alone. Moreover, a number of Arabic parts were included. For example, The First Station, which was written entirely in Arabic, was later removed and made into a separate treatise.
Despite the defects and difficulties arising from these five factors, this treatise is important. And it is because of its importance that it has been named “The Supreme Sign” and “The Staff of Moses.” This treatise of the Supreme Sign is a true exposition of a supreme verse, namely 17:44: The seven heavens and the earth, and whoever is therein, glorify Him. There is nothing but it glorifies Him with His praise.
This treatise, which constitutes The Seventh Ray, consists of an Introduction and two Stations. The Introduction explains four important matters; The First Station is the Arabic part of the exposition of the supreme verse in question, while The Second Station consists of the translation or meaning of that exposition, together with the accompanying proofs.
The Introduction has become longer than it should be due to the ample explanations it contains. However, there may be a need for it to be thus, and some may even regard it as being too short, despite its length.
Said Nursi