Part 2 out of 3
بحار الانوار الجامعة لدرر أخبار الائمة الاطهار
Bihar Al-Anwaar – The summary of the pearls of the Ahadeeth of the Pure Imams-asws
تأليف العلامة فخر الامة المولى الشيخ محمد باقر المجلسيى
Author – The Allama, the pride of the community, the Mullah, the Sheikh Muhammad Baqir Al Majlisi
كتاب التوحيد
THE BOOK OF TAWHEED (ONENESS)
باب 5 الخبر المروي عن المفضل بن عمر في التوحيد المشتهر بالإهليلجة
CHAPTER 5 – THE HADEETH REPORTED FROM AL-MUFAZZAL BIN UMAR REGARDING THE TAWHEED, WELL KNOWN AS ‘Al-AHLEYLAJAT’ (A HERB)
1- حَدَّثَنِي مُحْرِزُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ النَّحْوِيُّ بِدِمَشْقَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي مُسْهِرٍ بِالرَّمْلَةِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: كَتَبَ الْمُفَضَّلُ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْجُعْفِيُّ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقِ ع يُعْلِمُهُ أَنَّ أَقْوَاماً ظَهَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْمِلَّةِ يَجْحَدُونَ الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ وَ يُجَادِلُونَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَ يَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ قَوْلَهُمْ وَ يَحْتَجَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فِيمَا ادَّعَوْا بِحَسَبِ مَا احْتَجَّ بِهِ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ فَكَتَبَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع
It was narrated to me by Mahraz Bin Saeed Al Nahwy at Damascus, from Muhammad Bin Abu Mas’har at Ramalla, from his father, from his grandfather who said,
‘Al-Mufazzal Bin Umar Al-Ju’fy wrote to Abu Abdullah Ja’far-asws Bin Muhammad Al-Sadiq-asws to let him-asws know that certain groups have appeared from the people of this nation rejecting the Lordship (of Allah-azwj), and they are arguing upon that, and asked him-asws to rebut their words upon them, and argue against them regarding what they are claiming with sufficient of what he can argue with upon others. So, Abu Abdullah-asws wrote:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ أَمَّا بَعْدُ وَفَّقَنَا اللَّهُ وَ إِيَّاكَ لِطَاعَتِهِ وَ أَوْجَبَ لَنَا بِذَلِكَ رِضْوَانَهُ بِرَحْمَتِهِ وَصَلَ كِتَابُكَ تَذْكُرُ فِيهِ مَا ظَهَرَ فِي مِلَّتِنَا وَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَوْمٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْإِلْحَادِ بِالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عِدَّتُهُمْ وَ اشْتَدَّتْ خُصُومَتُهُمْ وَ تَسْأَلُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ لِلرَّدِّ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ النَّقْضِ لِمَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ كِتَاباً عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا رَدَدْتُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ وَ الِاخْتِلَافِ
‘In the Name of Allah-azwj the Beneficent, the Merciful. After this, may Allah-azwj Harmonise us-asws and you to His-azwj obedience, and Obligate for us with that, His-azwj Pleasure with His-azwj Mercy. And your letter arrived mentioning in it what has appeared in our nation, and that is from a people from the people of atheism with the Lordship. Their number have become more and their debates have intensified, and you asked that I-asws make the rebuttal against them and the break of what is in their hand, a letter upon an approximation for what can be rebutted upon other than from the people of innovation and the differing.
وَ نَحْنُ نَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى النِّعَمِ السَّابِغَةِ وَ الْحُجَجِ الْبَالِغَةِ وَ الْبَلَاءِ الْمَحْمُودِ عِنْدَ الْخَاصَّةِ وَ الْعَامَّةِ فَكَانَ مِنْ نِعَمِهِ الْعِظَامِ وَ آلَائِهِ الْجِسَامِ الَّتِي أَنْعَمَ بِهَا تَقْرِيرُهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ بِرُبُوبِيَّتِهِ وَ أَخْذُهُ مِيثَاقَهُمْ بِمَعْرِفَتِهِ وَ إِنْزَالُهُ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَاباً فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ مِنْ أَمْرَاضِ الْخَوَاطِرِ وَ مُشْتَبِهَاتِ الْأُمُورِ وَ لَمْ يَدَعْ لَهُمْ وَ لَا لِشَيْءٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ حَاجَةً إِلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُ وَ اسْتَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ وَ كانَ اللَّهُ غَنِيًّا حَمِيداً
And we-asws praise Allah-azwj upon the abundant Bounties, and the conclusive Argument, and the praise-worthy affliction with the special ones (Shias) and the general (non-Shias). It was from His-azwj great Bounties and His-azwj enormous Favours which He-azwj has Favoured with. Their hearts accepted His-azwj Lordship, and He-azwj Took their Covenant with His-azwj recognition, and Sent down upon them a Book wherein is a healing for what is in the chests, from diseases of the minds and suspicious matters, and He-azwj did not call them, nor to anything from His-azwj creation, for a need to anyone besides Him-azwj, and He-azwj is needless from them, and Allah-azwj was always Needless, Praiseworthy.
وَ لَعَمْرِي مَا أُتِيَ الْجُهَّالُ مِنْ قِبَلِ رَبِّهِمْ وَ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَرَوْنَ الدَّلَالاتِ الْوَاضِحَاتِ وَ الْعَلَامَاتِ الْبَيِّنَاتِ فِي خَلْقِهِمْ وَ مَا يُعَايِنُونَ فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ الصُّنْعَ الْعَجِيبَ الْمُتْقَنَ الدَّالَّ عَلَى الصَّانِعِ
And, by my-asws life, what have these ignoramuses come with of their Lord-azwj and they are seeing the clear evidences and the manifest signs in their own creations, and what they are witnessing in the kingdoms of the skies and the earth, and the wondrous perfect works evidencing upon the Maker.
وَ لَكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ فَتَحُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَبْوَابَ الْمَعَاصِي وَ سَهَّلُوا لَهَا سَبِيلَ الشَّهَوَاتِ فَغَلَبَتِ الْأَهْوَاءُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَ اسْتَحْوَذَ الشَّيْطَانُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ كَذَلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلى قُلُوبِ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
But, they are a people who have opened upon themselves the doors of disobedience, and eased for it the way of the desires. Thus, the desires overcame upon their hearts and the satan-la engaged upon them due to their own injustices. And like that, Allah-azwj Seals upon the hearts of the transgressors.
وَ الْعَجَبُ مِنْ مَخْلُوقٍ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَخْفَى عَلَى عِبَادِهِ وَ هُوَ يَرَى أَثَرَ الصُّنْعِ فِي نَفْسِهِ بِتَرْكِيبٍ يَبْهَرُ عَقْلَهُ وَ تَأْلِيفٍ يُبْطِلُ حُجَّتَهُ
And the wonder from a Created being claiming that Allah-azwj is hidden from His-azwj servants, and he sees the making within himself with the manner which dazes (surprises) his intellect, and a composition invalidating his arguments.
وَ لَعَمْرِي لَوْ تَفَكَّرُوا فِي هَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ الْعِظَامِ لَعَايَنُوا مِنْ أَمْرِ التَّرْكِيبِ الْبَيِّنِ وَ لُطْفِ التَّدْبِيرِ الظَّاهِرِ وَ وُجُودِ الْأَشْيَاءِ مَخْلُوقَةً بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ ثُمَّ تَحَوُّلِهَا مِنْ طَبِيعَةٍ إِلَى طَبِيعَةٍ وَ صَنِيعَةٍ بَعْدَ صَنِيعَةٍ مَا يَدُلُّهُمْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الصَّانِعِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَخْلُو شَيْءٌ مِنْهَا مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِيهِ أَثَرُ تَدْبِيرٍ وَ تَرْكِيبٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ لَهُ خَالِقاً مُدَبِّراً وَ تَأْلِيفٌ بِتَدْبِيرٍ يَهْدِي إِلَى وَاحِدٍ حَكِيمٍ
And, by my-asws life! If they were to think regarding matters of the bones, they would witness from the matter of the clear synthesis, and the subtle apparent arrangements, and existence of the things created after they had not existed. Then He-azwj Transformed these from a nature to a nature, and a making after a making, what would evidence them upon the Maker, for there is nothing empty from it, for there happening to be in it effects of an arrangement and a formation evidencing upon that there is a Creator for it, a Manager, and a compositing with an arrangement guiding to a Wise One-azwj.
وَ قَدْ وَافَانِي كِتَابُكَ وَ رَسَمْتُ لَكَ كِتَاباً كُنْتُ نَازَعْتُ فِيهِ بَعْضَ أَهْلِ الْأَدْيَانِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْإِنْكَارِ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَحْضُرُنِي طَبِيبٌ مِنْ بِلَادِ الْهِنْدِ وَ كَانَ لَا يَزَالُ يُنَازِعُنِي فِي رَأْيِهِ وَ يُجَادِلُنِي عَلَى ضَلَالَتِهِ
And your letter came to me-asws and I-asws have outlined for you a letter, which I-asws had contested in it one of the people of the religion from the people of denial, and that is that a physician from a city of India had presented to me, and he would not cease to contend with me-asws regarding his opinion, and arguing against me-asws based upon his ignorance.
فَبَيْنَا هُوَ يَوْماً يَدُقُّ إِهْلِيلَجَةً لِيَخْلِطَهَا دَوَاءً احْتَجْتُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَدْوِيَتِهِ إِذْ عَرَضَ لَهُ شَيْءٌ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَزَلْ يُنَازِعُنِي فِيهِ
One day, while he was powdering a herb (Ahleylajat) mixing a cure, I-asws argued to him from (the angle of) his medicine, when something presented to him from his speech which he had not ceased to contend with me-asws with regards to it.
مِنِ ادِّعَائِهِ أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا لَمْ تَزَلْ وَ لَا تَزَالُ شَجَرَةٌ تَنْبُتُ وَ أُخْرَى تَسْقُطُ نَفْسٌ تُولَدُ وَ أُخْرَى تَتْلَفُ وَ زَعَمَ أَنَّ انْتِحَالِي الْمَعْرِفَةَ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى دَعْوَى لَا بَيِّنَةَ لِي عَلَيْهَا وَ لَا حُجَّةَ لِي فِيهَا وَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ أَمْرٌ أَخَذَهُ الْآخِرُ عَنِ الْأَوَّلِ وَ الْأَصْغَرُ عَنِ الْأَكْبَرِ وَ أَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ الْمُخْتَلِفَةَ وَ الْمُؤْتَلِفَةَ وَ الْبَاطِنَةَ وَ الظَّاهِرَةَ
From his claim is that the world did not cease to be nor would it cease, (like a) tree growing and another one falling, a soul is born and another one is destroyed, and he claimed that I-asws am claiming the recognition of Allah-azwj the Exalted, a claim having not proof for me-asws upon it, nor is there any argument for me-asws regarding it, and that, that is a matter I-asws have taken it as a latter one from the first, and the young from the old, and that the things are different, combined, and esoteric, and exoteric.
إِنَّمَا تُعْرَفُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ الْخَمْسِ نَظَرِ الْعَيْنِ وَ سَمْعِ الْأُذُنِ وَ شَمِّ الْأَنْفِ وَ ذَوْقِ الْفَمِ وَ لَمْسِ الْجَوَارِحِ ثُمَّ قَادَ مَنْطِقُهُ عَلَى الْأَصْلِ الَّذِي وَضَعَهُ فَقَالَ لَمْ يَقَعْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ حَوَاسِّي عَلَى خَالِقٍ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى قَلْبِي إِنْكَاراً لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى
But rather, these are recognised by the five senses – looking by the eyes, hearing by the ears, and smelling by the nose, and taste by the mouth, and touch by the limbs. Then he guided his talk upon the origin which he placed, so he said, ‘Nothing has occurred from my senses upon a Creator leading to my heart’, denying Allah-azwj the Exalted.
ثُمَّ قَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي بِمَ تَحْتَجُّ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي تَصِفُ قُدْرَتَهُ وَ رُبُوبِيَّتَهُ وَ إِنَّمَا يَعْرِفُ الْقَلْبُ الْأَشْيَاءَ كُلَّهَا بِالدَّلَالاتِ الْخَمْسِ الَّتِي وَصَفْتُ لَكَ
Then he said, ‘Inform me! By what do you-asws argue regarding the recognition of your-asws Lord-azwj which you-asws describe as being His-azwj Power and His-azwj Lordship, and rather the heart recognises the things, all of them by the evidence of the five (senses) which I described to you?’
قُلْتُ بِالْعَقْلِ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِي وَ الدَّلِيلِ الَّذِي أَحْتَجُّ بِهِ فِي مَعْرِفَتِهِ قَالَ فَأَنَّى يَكُونُ مَا تَقُولُ وَ أَنْتَ تَعْرِفُ أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ لَا يَعْرِفُ شَيْئاً بِغَيْرِ الْحَوَاسِّ الْخَمْسِ فَهَلْ عَايَنْتَ رَبَّكَ بِبَصَرٍ أَوْ سَمِعْتَ صَوْتَهُ بِأُذُنٍ أَوْ شَمِمْتَهُ بِنَسِيمٍ أَوْ ذُقْتَهُ بِفَمٍ أَوْ مَسِسْتَهُ بِيَدٍ فَأَدَّى ذَلِكَ الْمَعْرِفَةَ إِلَى قَلْبِكَ
I-asws said: ‘With the intellect which is in my-asws heart, and the evidence which I-asws argue with in my-asws understanding’. He said, ‘How can it happen, what you-asws are saying, and you-asws know that the heart does not recognise things without the five senses? Can you-asws witness your-asws Lord-azwj with sight, or hear His-azwj Voice with ears, or smell a gentle breeze, or taste Him-azwj with mouth, or touch by hand, so where it that recognition to your-asws heart?’
قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِذْ أَنْكَرْتَ اللَّهَ وَ جَحَدْتَهُ لِأَنَّكَ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّكَ لَا تُحِسُّهُ بِحَوَاسِّكَ الَّتِي تَعْرِفُ بِهَا الْأَشْيَاءَ وَ أَقْرَرْتُ أَنَا بِهِ هَلْ بُدٌّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَحَدُنَا صَادِقاً وَ الْآخَرُ كَاذِباً قَالَ لَا
I-asws said: ‘What is your view, when you denied Allah-azwj and rejected Him-azwj because you claim that you cannot feel him by your senses by which you recognise the things, and I-asws accept that I-asws am with it, it is not inevitable that one of us would happen to be true and the other one a liar?’ He said, ‘No’.
قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ الْقَوْلُ قَوْلَكَ فَهَلْ يُخَافُ عَلَيَّ شَيْءٌ مِمَّا أُخَوِّفُكَ بِهِ مِنْ عِقَابِ اللَّهِ قَالَ لَا
I-asws said, ‘What is your view if the (conclusive) word was your word, would there be any fear upon me from what I-asws frighten you with from the Punishment of Allah-azwj?’ He said, ‘No’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ كَمَا أَقُولُ وَ الْحَقُّ فِي يَدِي أَ لَسْتُ قَدْ أَخَذْتُ فِيمَا كُنْتُ أُحَاذِرُ مِنْ عِقَابِ الْخَالِقِ بِالثِّقَةِ وَ أَنَّكَ قَدْ وَقَعْتَ بِجُحُودِكَ وَ إِنْكَارِكَ فِي الْهَلَكَةِ قَالَ بَلَى
I said, ‘What is your view if it was just as I-asws am saying, and the Truth is in my-asws hands, wouldn’t you have taken regarding what I-asws am warning of the Punishment of the Creator with firmness, and you have fallen, due to your rejection and your denial, into the destruction?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ فَأَيُّنَا أَوْلَى بِالْحَزْمِ وَ أَقْرَبُ مِنَ النَّجَاةِ قَالَ أَنْتَ إِلَّا أَنَّكَ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ عَلَى ادِّعَاءٍ وَ شُبْهَةٍ وَ أَنَا عَلَى يَقِينٍ وَ ثِقَةٍ لِأَنِّي لَا أَرَى حَوَاسِّيَ الْخَمْسَ أَدْرَكَتْهُ وَ مَا لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ حَوَاسِّي فَلَيْسَ عِنْدِي بِمَوْجُودٍ
I said, ‘Which one of us is foremost with the firmness and closer to the salvation?’ He said, ‘You-asws are, except that you-asws, from your-asws matter, are upon a claim and doubt, while I am upon certainty and assurance because I cannot see my five senses realising Him-azwj, and whatever my senses do not realise, so as far as I am concerned, he isn’t with an existence’.
قُلْتُ إِنَّهُ لَمَّا عَجَزَتْ حَوَاسُّكَ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِ اللَّهِ أَنْكَرْتَهُ وَ أَنَا لَمَّا عَجَزَتْ حَوَاسِّي عَنْ إِدْرَاكِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى صَدَّقْتُ بِهِ
I-asws said: ‘It is such that when your senses are frustrated from realising Allah-azwj, you deny Him-azwj, and I-asws, when my-asws senses are frustrated from realising Allah-azwj the Exalted, I-asws (actually) ratify Him-azwj’.
قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ لِأَنَّ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ جَرَى فِيهِ أَثَرُ تَرْكِيبٍ لَجِسْمٌ أَوْ وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ بَصَرٌ لَلَوْنٌ فَمَا أَدْرَكَتْهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَ نَالَتْهُ الْحَوَاسُّ فَهُوَ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُشْبِهُ الْخَلْقَ وَ أَنَّ هَذَا الْخَلْقَ يَنْتَقِلُ بِتَغْيِيرٍ وَ زَوَالٍ وَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ أَشْبَهَ التَّغْيِيرَ وَ الزَّوَالَ فَهُوَ مِثْلُهُ وَ لَيْسَ الْمَخْلُوقُ كَالْخَالِقِ وَ لَا الْمُحْدَثُ كَالْمُحْدِثِ
He said, ‘And how is that?’ I-asws said: ‘Because all things in which there is an effect, flows upon a synthesis of a body, or a sight falls upon the colour, so whatever the sights realise and the senses attain, then it is other than Allah-azwj, Glorious is He-azwj, because the creation does not resemble Him-azwj; and that this creation transforms with change and decline, and everything thing resembling it, changing and declining, so it is similar to it, and the creation is not like the Creator, nor is the caused like the Causer.
متن قَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَقَوْلٌ وَ لَكِنِّي لَمُنْكِرٌ مَا لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ حَوَاسِّي فَتُؤَدِّيَهُ إِلَى قَلْبِي فَلَمَّا اعْتَصَمَ بِهَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةِ وَ لَزِمَ هَذِهِ الْحُجَّةَ
He said, ‘This is to say, but I am a denier of whatever my senses do not realise and lead it to my heart. For what shall I adhere with these words and necessitate this argument?’
قُلْتُ أَمَّا إِذَا أَبَيْتَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَعْتَصِمَ بِالْجَهَالَةِ وَ تَجْعَلَ الْمُحَاجَزَةَ حُجَّةً فَقَدْ دَخَلْتَ فِي مِثْلِ مَا عِبْتَ وَ امْتَثَلْتَ مَا كَرِهْتَ حَيْثُ قُلْتَ إِنِّي اخْتَرْتُ الدَّعْوَى لِنَفْسِي لِأَنَّ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ حَوَاسِّي عِنْدِي بِلَا شَيْءٍ
I-asws said: ‘But, when you are refusing only to adhere with the ignorance, and you are making the confusion to be an argument, so you have entered into the like of what you refuse, and compiled with what you disliked where you said, ‘I choose the medicines for myself because everything which my senses do not realise, with me it is nothing’’.
قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ لِأَنَّكَ نَقَمْتَ عَلَيَّ الِادِّعَاءَ وَ دَخَلْتَ فِيهِ فَادَّعَيْتَ أَمْراً لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ خُبْراً وَ لَمْ تَقُلْهُ عِلْماً فَكَيْفَ اسْتَجَزْتَ لِنَفْسِكَ الدَّعْوَى فِي إِنْكَارِكَ اللَّهَ وَ دَفْعِكَ أَعْلَامَ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ الْحُجَّةَ الْوَاضِحَةَ وَ عِبْتَهَا عَلَيَّ
He said, ‘And how is that?’ I said, ‘Because you committed upon the claim (that there is no Creator) and entered into it, and claimed a matter no news has come with it and no knowledge has transmitted it, so how can you make for yourself the claim in your denial of Allah-azwj, and your pushing away the signs of the Prophet-hood and the clear arguments, and refuse these upon me-asws?
أَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ أَحَطْتَ بِالْجِهَاتِ كُلِّهَا وَ بَلَغْتَ مُنْتَهَاهَا قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ فَهَلْ رَقِيتَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الَّتِي تَرَى أَوِ انْحَدَرْتَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ السُّفْلَى فَجُلْتَ فِي أَقْطَارِهَا أَوْ هَلْ خُضْتَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْبُحُورِ وَ اخْتَرَقْتَ نَوَاحِيَ الْهَوَاءِ فِيمَا فَوْقَ السَّمَاءِ وَ تَحْتَهَا إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَ مَا أَسْفَلَ مِنْهَا فَوَجَدْتَ ذَلِكَ خَلَاءً مِنْ مُدَبِّرٍ حَكِيمٍ عَالِمٍ بَصِيرٍ قَالَ لَا
Tell me, have you encompassed with all the areas and reached their end points?’ He said, ‘No’. I-asws said: ‘Have you risen to the sky which you see? Or descended to the lower ground and been to its horizons? Or have you dived into the depths of the oceans and pierced the areas of the atmosphere in what is a void in the sky and below it to the earth, and what is lower than that, and found that to be empty from an Arranger, Wise, Knower, Seer?’ He said, ‘No’.
قُلْتُ فَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ الَّذِي أَنْكَرَهُ قَلْبُكَ هُوَ فِي بَعْضِ مَا لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ حَوَاسُّكَ وَ لَمْ يُحِطْ بِهِ عِلْمُكَ قَالَ لَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ فِي بَعْضِ مَا ذَكَرْتَ مُدَبِّراً وَ مَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْءٌ
I-asws said: ‘So what would make you know that perhaps that which your heart is denying, He-azwj is in a place which your senses have not realised, and your knowledge has not covered?’ He said, ‘I don’t know, maybe in some of what you-asws mentioned, there is an Arranger, and I don’t know maybe there isn’t anything in any of that!’
قُلْتُ أَمَّا إِذْ خَرَجْتَ مِنْ حَدِّ الْإِنْكَارِ إِلَى مَنْزِلَةِ الشَّكِّ فَإِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ تَخْرُجَ إِلَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ قَالَ فَإِنَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ الشَّكُّ لِسُؤَالِكَ إِيَّايَ عَمَّا لَمْ يُحِطْ بِهِ عِلْمِي وَ لَكِنْ مِنْ أَيْنَ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيَّ الْيَقِينُ بِمَا لَمْ تُدْرِكْهُ حَوَاسِّي قُلْتُ مِنْ قِبَلِ إِهْلِيلَجَتِكَ هَذِهِ
I-asws said: ‘But, since you came out from a limit of the denial to a status of doubt, then I-asws hope that you will come out to the recognition’. He said, ‘But rather, the doubt entered upon me due to your-asws questioning me of what my knowledge has not covered, but from where will the certainty enter upon me with what my senses do not realise?’ I-asws said: ‘From the direction of this herb of yours’.
قَالَ ذَاكَ إِذاً أَثْبَتُ لِلْحُجَّةِ لِأَنَّهَا مِنْ آدَابِ الطِّبِّ الَّذِي أُذْعِنُ بِمَعْرِفَتِهِ قُلْتُ إِنَّمَا أَرَدْتُ أَنْ آتِيَكَ بِهِ مِنْ قِبَلِهَا لِأَنَّهَا أَقْرَبُ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِلَيْكَ وَ لَوْ كَانَ شَيْءٌ أَقْرَبَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْهَا لَأَتَيْتُكَ مِنْ قِبَلِهِ لِأَنَّ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ أَثَرَ تَرْكِيبٍ وَ حِكْمَةٍ وَ شَاهِداً يَدُلُّ عَلَى الصَّنْعَةِ الدَّالَّةِ عَلَى مَنْ صَنَعَهَا وَ لَمْ تَكُنْ شَيْئاً وَ يُهْلِكُهُا حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ شَيْئاً
He said, ‘That is when the argument is proven, because it is from the ethics of medicine which makes me bow to its recognition’. I-asws said: ‘But rather, I-asws intended to come to you with it from its direction, because it is the closest of the things to you, and it there was anything closer to you than it, I-asws would have come to you (with an argument) from its direction, because in every things with effect, there is synthesis and wisdom, and evidences pointing upon the Making pointing upon the One-azwj Who Made it and nothing existed, and He-azwj would be Destroying it until nothing exists’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ تَرَى هَذِهِ إِهْلِيلَجَةً قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ أَ فَتَرَى غَيْبَ مَا فِي جَوْفِهَا قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ أَ فَتَشْهَدُ أَنَّهَا مُشْتَمِلَةٌ عَلَى نَوَاةٍ وَ لَا تَرَاهَا قَالَ مَا يُدْرِينِي لَعَلَّ لَيْسَ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ قُلْتُ أَ فَتَرَى أَنَّ خَلْفَ هَذَا الْقِشْرِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ غَائِبٌ لَمْ تَرَهُ مِنْ لَحْمٍ أَوْ ذِي لَوْنٍ قَالَ مَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ مَا ثَمَّ غَيْرُ ذِي لَوْنٍ وَ لَا لَحْمٍ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me, do you see this herb?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘Do you see the hidden of what is inside it?’ He said, ‘No’. I-asws said: ‘And you are testifying that it contains a kernel and you have not seen it?’ He said, ‘What would let me know, perhaps there is nothing in it’. I-asws said: ‘Do you see that behind this crust of these herbs, is an unseen, you did not see from a flesh or with colour?’ He said, ‘I do not know, perhaps it is without colour and no flesh’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَتُقِرُّ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ الَّتِي تُسَمِّيهَا النَّاسُ بِالْهِنْدِ مَوْجُودَةٌ لِاجْتِمَاعِ أَهْلِ الِاخْتِلَافِ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ عَلَى ذِكْرِهَا قَالَ مَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ مَا اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بَاطِلٌ قُلْتُ أَ فَتُقِرُّ أَنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ فِي أَرْضٍ تَنْبُتُ قَالَ تِلْكَ الْأَرْضُ وَ هَذِهِ وَاحِدَةٌ وَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُهَا قُلْتُ أَ فَمَا تَشْهَدُ بِحُضُورِ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ عَلَى وُجُودِ مَا غَابَ مِنْ أَشْبَاهِهَا قَالَ مَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الدُّنْيَا إِهْلِيلَجَةٌ غَيْرُهَا
I-asws said: ‘Do you accept that these herbs which the people of India have named it so, exists? There is unity of the people of differing from the communities upon its mention’. He said, ‘I don’t know, perhaps what they have gathered upon, that is false’. I said, ‘Do you accept that the herb grows on a (particular) land?’ He said, ‘That land and these are one, and I have seen these’. I-asws said: ‘Do you not attest with the presence of these herbs upon an existence what is hidden from its like?’ He said, ‘I don’t know, perhaps there isn’t any of this herb in the world apart from it’.
فَلَمَّا اعْتَصَمَ بِالْجَهَالَةِ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ أَ تُقِرُّ أَنَّهَا خَرَجَتْ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أَوْ تَقُولُ إِنَّهَا هَكَذَا وُجِدَتْ قَالَ لَا بَلْ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ خَرَجَتْ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ أَدْرَكَتْ حَوَاسُّكَ الْخَمْسُ مَا غَابَ عَنْكَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الشَّجَرَةِ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ فَمَا أَرَاكَ إِلَّا قَدْ أَقْرَرْتَ بِوُجُودِ شَجَرَةٍ لَمْ تُدْرِكْهَا حَوَاسُّكَ قَالَ أَجَلْ وَ لَكِنِّي أَقُولُ إِنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ وَ الْأَشْيَاءَ الْمُخْتَلِفَةَ شَيْءٌ لَمْ تَزَلْ تُدْرَكُ فَهَلْ عِنْدَكَ فِي هَذَا شَيْءٌ تَرُدُّ بِهِ قَوْلِي
So, when he held firmly with the ignorance, I-asws said: ‘Tell me about these herbs, do you accept it comes out from a tree, or are you saying it is found like this?’ He said, ‘No, but it comes out from a tree’. I-asws said: ‘Did your five senses realise what is hidden from you, from that tree?’ He said, ‘No’. I-asws said: ‘You have not seen and you have accepted the existence of a tree which your senses did not realise’. He said, ‘Yes, but I am saying that the herb and the different things are one thing, have not ceased to be realised. Is there with you-asws regarding this, anything to rebut my-asws word?’
قُلْتُ نَعَمْ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ هَلْ كُنْتَ عَايَنْتَ شَجَرَتَهَا وَ عَرَفْتَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَكُونَ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ فِيهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ كُنْتَ تُعَايِنُ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ أَ فَمَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ كُنْتَ عَايَنْتَ الشَّجَرَةَ وَ لَيْسَ فِيهَا الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ ثُمَّ عُدْتَ إِلَيْهَا فَوَجَدْتَ فِيهَا الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ أَ فَمَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ حَدَثَ فِيهَا مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ
I-asws said: ‘Yes. Tell me about these herbs. Did you see its tree and recognised it before the existence of these herbs in it?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘Had you seen these herbs?’ He said, ‘No’. I-asws said: ‘So what do you know, when you saw the tree and there weren’t any herbs in it, then you returned to and found the herbs in it, did you not know that it has occurred therein what did not exist (before)?’
قَالَ مَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أُنْكِرَ ذَلِكَ وَ لَكِنِّي أَقُولُ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ فِيهَا مُتَفَرِّقَةً قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ رَأَيْتَ تِلْكَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ الَّتِي تَنْبُتُ مِنْهَا شَجَرَةُ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُغْرَسَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ يَحْتَمِلُ عَقْلُكَ أَنَّ الشَّجَرَةَ الَّتِي تَبْلُغُ أَصْلُهَا وَ عُرُوقُهَا وَ فُرُوعُهَا وَ لِحَاؤُهَا وَ كُلُّ ثَمَرَةٍ جُنِيَتْ وَ وَرَقَةٍ سَقَطَتْ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ رِطْلٍ كَانَتْ كَامِنَةً فِي هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ
He said, ‘I am not able to deny that, but I am saying, ‘These were separate in it’. I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws, have you seen those herbs which grows from it a tree of this herb, before it is sown?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I said, ‘Does your intellect tolerate that the tree, of which its roots, and its leaves, and its branches, and its bark, and every fruit reaches maturity, and the leaves fall down, a thousand (upon) thousand Ratls (unit of measurement), was latent in these herbs?’
قَالَ مَا يَحْتَمِلُ هَذَا الْعَقْلُ وَ لَا يَقْبَلُهُ الْقَلْبُ قُلْتُ أَقْرَرْتَ أَنَّهَا حَدَثَتْ فِي الشَّجَرَةِ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لَكِنِّي لَا أَعْرِفُ أَنَّهَا مَصْنُوعَةٌ فَهَلْ تَقْدِرُ أَنْ تُقَرِّرَنِي بِذَلِكَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ أَ رَأَيْتَ أَنِّي إِنْ أَرَيْتُكَ تَدْبِيراً أَ تُقِرُّ أَنَّ لَهُ مُدَبِّراً وَ تَصْوِيراً أَنَّ لَهُ مُصَوِّراً قَالَ لَا بُدَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ
He said, ‘This, the intellect cannot bear, and the heart does not accept it’. I-asws said: ‘Do you accept that these have occurred in the tree?’ He said, ‘Yes, but I do not that it is made. Are you-asws able to resolve me to that?’ I-asws said: ‘Do you see, if I-asws show you an arrangement, will you accept that there is an Arranger for it, and a picture, that there is an artist for it?’ He said, ‘It is inevitable from that’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ لَحْمٌ رَكِبَ عَلَى عَظْمٍ فَوُضِعَ فِي جَوْفٍ مُتَّصِلٍ بِغُصْنٍ مُرَكَّبٍ عَلَى سَاقٍ يَقُومُ عَلَى أَصْلٍ فَيَقْوَى بِعُرُوقٍ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا عَلَى جِرْمٍ مُتَّصِلٍ بَعْضٌ بِبَعْضٍ قَالَ بَلَى
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that these herbs are flesh set upon a bone, and are placed in the inside of connected branches, built up upon a trunk standing upon a root, and is strengthened by veins from beneath it, upon a body interconnected with each other?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ مُصَوَّرَةٌ بِتَقْدِيرٍ وَ تَخْطِيطٍ وَ تَأْلِيفٍ وَ تَرْكِيبٍ وَ تَفْصِيلٍ مُتَدَاخِلٍ بِتَأْلِيفِ شَيْءٍ فِي بَعْضِ شَيْءٍ بِهِ طَبَقٌ بَعْدَ طَبَقٍ وَ جِسْمٌ عَلَى جِسْمٍ وَ لَوْنٌ مَعَ لَوْنٍ أَبْيَضُ فِي صُفْرَةٍ وَ لَيِّنٌ عَلَى شَدِيدٍ فِي طَبَائِعَ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ وَ طَرَائِقَ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ وَ أَجْزَاءٍ مُؤْتَلِفَةٍ مَعَ لِحَاءٍ تَسْقِيهَا وَ عُرُوقٍ يَجْرِي فِيهَا الْمَاءُ وَ وَرَقٍ يَسْتُرُهَا وَ تَقِيهَا مِنَ الشَّمْسِ أَنْ تُحْرِقَهَا وَ مِنَ الْبَرْدِ أَنْ يُهْلِكَهُا وَ الرِّيحِ أَنْ تَذْبِلَهَا
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that these herbs are illustrated with a determination, and a planning, and composition, and a synthesis, and detail included in a composition of a thing in part of a thing, with it is a layer after a layer, and a body upon a body, and a colour with a colour, white into yellow, and soft upon a hard, different in nature, and in different ways part combined with a bark to quench it, and veins with water flowing in them, and leaves veiling it and saving it from the sun that it might burn it, and from the cold that it would destroy it, and the wind that it might shrivel it?’
قَالَ أَ فَلَيْسَ لَوْ كَانَ الْوَرَقُ مُطَبِّقاً عَلَيْهَا كَانَ خَيْراً لَهَا قُلْتُ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ تَقْدِيراً لَوْ كَانَ كَمَا تَقُولُ لَمْ يَصِلْ إِلَيْهَا رِيحٌ يَرُوحُهَا وَ لَا بَرْدٌ يُشَدِّدُهَا وَ لَعَفِنَتْ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ وَ لَوْ لَمْ يَصِلْ إِلَيْهَا حَرُّ الشَّمْسِ لَمَا نَضِجَتْ وَ لَكِنْ شَمْسٌ مَرَّةً وَ رِيحٌ مَرَّةً وَ بَرْدٌ مَرَّةً قَدَّرَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ بِقُوَّةٍ لَطِيفَةٍ وَ دَبَّرَهُ بِحِكْمَةٍ بَالِغَةٍ
He said, ‘Isn’t it so if the leaves were layered upon it, it would have been better for it?’ I-asws said: ‘Allah-azwj is the Best Determiner. If it was as you are saying, a wind would not arrive to it to aerate it, nor any cold to strengthen it, and it would decompose at that. And if the heat of the sun does not arrive to it, it would not mature. But there is sun at times, and wind at times, and cold at times. Allah-azwj Determined that with Subtle Strength and Arranged it with His-azwj conclusive Wisdom’.
قَالَ حَسْبِي مِنَ التَّصْوِيرِ فَسِّرْ لِيَ التَّدْبِيرَ الَّذِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّكَ تَرَيَنَّهُ قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَعْقِدَ إِذْ هِيَ فِي قِمَعِهَا مَاءً بِغَيْرِ نَوَاةٍ وَ لَا لَحْمٍ وَ لَا قِشْرٍ وَ لَا لَوْنٍ وَ لَا طَعْمٍ وَ لَا شِدَّةٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ
He said, ‘I have sufficed with the illustration. Interpret for me the arrangement which you-asws claim you-asws are seeing’. I-asws said: ‘Do you see the herb, before it solidifies, when it is in its cupule as water, without a kernel, nor having any flesh, nor a crust, nor any colour, nor taste, nor strength?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ لَوْ لَمْ يَرْفُقِ الْخَالِقُ ذَلِكَ الْمَاءَ الضَّعِيفَ الَّذِي هُوَ مِثْلُ الْخَرْدَلَةِ فِي الْقِلَّةِ وَ الذِّلَّةِ وَ لَمْ يُقَوِّهِ بِقُوَّتِهِ وَ يُصَوِّرْهُ بِحِكْمَتِهِ وَ يُقَدِّرْهُ بِقُدْرَتِهِ هَلْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ الْمَاءُ يَزِيدُ عَلَى أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي قِمَعِهِ غَيْرَ مَجْمُوعٍ بِجِسْمٍ وَ قِمَعٍ وَ تَفْصِيلٍ فَإِنْ زَادَ زَادَ مَاءً مُتَرَاكِباً غَيْرَ مُصَوَّرٍ وَ لَا مُخَطَّطٍ وَ لَا مُدَبَّرٍ بِزِيَادَةِ أَجْزَاءٍ وَ لَا تَأْلِيفِ أَطْبَاقٍ
I-asws said: ‘Do you see, if the Creator had not been Kind to that weak water which it like the mustard in scarcity and solitude, and did not Strengthen it with His-azwj Strength, and Form it with His-azwj Wisdom, and Determine it with His-azwj measurement, would that water have increased upon it being happen to be in its cupule, without any combination with a body, and deactivated, and disjointed? So, if it does increase, the water would (also) increase as a composite, without an illustration nor any planning, nor any management with the increase of the parts nor any composition of layerings’.
قَالَ قَدْ أَرَيْتَنِي مِنْ تَصْوِيرِ شَجَرَتِهَا وَ تَأْلِيفِ خِلْقَتِهَا وَ حَمْلِ ثَمَرَتِهَا وَ زِيَادَةِ أَجْزَائِهَا وَ تَفْصِيلِ تَرْكِيبِهَا أَوْضَحَ الدَّلَالاتِ وَ أَظْهَرَ الْبَيِّنَةِ عَلَى مَعْرِفَةِ الصَّانِعِ وَ لَقَدْ صَدَقْتَ بِأَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ مَصْنُوعَةٌ وَ لَكِنِّي لَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ وَ الْأَشْيَاءَ صَنَعَتْ أَنْفُسَهَا قُلْتُ
He said, ‘You-asws have indeed shown me, from the illustration of its tree, and composition of its structure, and bearing of its fruits, and increase of its parts, and details of its synthesis as being clear evidences, and manifest proof upon recognising the Maker, and you-asws have spoken the truth and the things are made, but, I do not know, perhaps the herb and the things made themselves?’
أَ وَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ خَالِقَ الْأَشْيَاءِ وَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ حَكِيمٌ عَالِمٌ بِمَا عَايَنْتَ مِنْ قُوَّةِ تَدْبِيرِهِ قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ فَهَلْ يَنْبَغِي لِلَّذِي هُوَ كَذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ حَدَثاً قَالَ لَا
I-asws said: ‘Or, don’t you know that the Creator of the things and the herb is Wise, Knower with what you witness from the strength of His-azwj Arrangement?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘Is it befitting that which is like that would just happen to occur?’ He said, ‘No’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَلَسْتَ قَدْ رَأَيْتَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ حِينَ حَدَثَتْ وَ عَايَنْتَهَا بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ شَيْئاً ثُمَّ هَلَكَ كَأَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ شَيْئاً قَالَ بَلَى وَ إِنَّمَا أَعْطَيْتُكَ أَنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ حَدَثَتْ وَ لَمْ أُعْطِكَ أَنَّ الصَّانِعَ لَا يَكُونُ حَادِثاً لَا يَخْلُقُ نَفْسَهُ
I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it so that you have seen the herb when it occurred and witnessed it after it did not exist as a thing, then it is destroyed as if it is not a thing?’ He said, ‘Yes, and rather I give you-asws, that the herb occurred and do not give you-asws that the Maker did not exist as an accident, nor Created Himself-azwj’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَمْ تُعْطِنِي أَنَّ الْحَكِيمَ الْخَالِقَ لَا يَكُونُ حَدَثاً وَ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ حَدَثَتْ فَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتَنِي أَنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ مَصْنُوعَةٌ فَهُوَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ صَانِعُ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ وَ إِنْ رَجَعْتَ إِلَى أَنْ تَقُولَ إِنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ صَنَعَتْ نَفْسَهَا وَ دَبَّرَتْ خَلْقَهَا فَمَا زِدْتَ أَنْ أَقْرَرْتَ بِمَا أَنْكَرْتَ وَ وَصَفْتَ صَانِعاً مُدَبِّراً أَصَبْتَ صِفَتَهُ وَ لَكِنَّكَ لَمْ تَعْرِفْهُ فَسَمَّيْتَهُ بِغَيْرِ اسْمِهِ قَالَ كَيْفَ ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘Do you not give me-asws that the Wise Creator cannot not exist accidentally, and you claim that the herb occurred? So, you have given me-asws that the herb is made, and He-azwj, Mighty and Majestic is the Maker of the herb; and if you retract and you say, ‘The herb made itself and managed its own creation, so you have not increased in accepting with what you denied, and you described a Maker, an Arranger, you got His-azwj Attributes correct, but you did not recognise Him-azwj, so you named Him-azwj without His-azwj Name’. He said, ‘How is that?’
قُلْتُ لِأَنَّكَ أَقْرَرْتَ بِوُجُودِ حَكِيمٍ لَطِيفٍ مُدَبِّرٍ فَلَمَّا سَأَلْتُكَ مَنْ هُوَ قُلْتَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ قَدْ أَقْرَرْتَ بِاللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَ لَكِنَّكَ سَمَّيْتَهُ بِغَيْرِ اسْمِهِ وَ لَوْ عَقَلْتَ وَ فَكَّرْتَ لَعَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ أَنْقَصُ قُوَّةً مِنْ أَنْ تَخْلُقَ نَفْسَهَا وَ أَضْعَفُ حِيلَةً مِنْ أَنْ تُدَبِّرَ خَلْقَهَا قَالَ هَلْ عِنْدَكَ غَيْرُ هَذَا
I-asws said: ‘Because you accepted the existence of a Wise Subtle Arranger, so when I-asws asked you, ‘Who is He-azwj?’ You said, ‘The herb’. You have accepted Allah-azwj the Glorious, but you named Him-azwj with other than His-azwj Name, and had you used your intellect and thought, you would have known that the herb is of a strength deficient from making itself, and or a means weaker that to manage its own creation’. He said, ‘Is there with you-asws (an argument), apart from this?’
قُلْتُ نَعَمْ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ الَّتِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهَا صَنَعَتْ نَفْسَهَا وَ دَبَّرَتْ أَمْرَهَا كَيْفَ صَنَعَتْ نَفْسَهَا صَغِيرَةَ الْخِلْقَةِ صَغِيرَةَ الْقُدْرَةِ نَاقِصَةَ الْقُوَّةِ لَا تَمْتَنِعُ أَنْ تُكْسَرَ وَ تُعْصَرَ وَ تُؤْكَلَ وَ كَيْفَ صَنَعَتْ نَفْسَهَا مَفْضُولَةً مَأْكُولَةً مُرَّةً قَبِيحَةَ الْمَنْظَرِ لَا بَهَاءَ لَهَا وَ لَا مَاءَ قَالَ لِأَنَّهَا لَمْ تَقْوَ إِلَّا عَلَى مَا صَنَعَتْ نَفْسَهَا أَوْ لَمْ تَصْنَعْ إِلَّا مَا هَوِيَتْ
I-asws said: ‘Yes. Tell me-asws about this herb which you claim it made itself and manages its own affair, how come it made itself as a small creature of small measurement, of deficient strength, not being able to prevent from being broken, and crushed, and eaten? And how come it made itself as (full of) rubbish, once eaten, is of an ugly scene, there being neither any glory for it nor water? He said, ‘Because it is not strong except upon what it made itself to be, or did you-asws not make except what you love to?’
قُلْتُ أَمَّا إِذْ أَبَيْتَ إِلَّا التَّمَادِيَ فِي الْبَاطِلِ فَأَعْلِمْنِي مَتَى خَلَقَتْ نَفْسَهَا وَ دَبَّرَتْ خَلْقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَكُونَ أَوْ بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَتْ فَإِنْ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ خَلَقَتْ نَفْسَهَا بَعْدَ مَا كَانَتْ فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَمِنْ أَبْيَنِ الْمُحَالِ كَيْفَ تَكُونُ مَوْجُودَةً مَصْنُوعَةً ثُمَّ تَصْنَعُ نَفْسَهَا مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَيَصِيرُ كَلَامُكَ إِلَى أَنَّهَا مَصْنُوعَةٌ مَرَّتَيْنِ
I-asws said: ‘But, when you refused except being adamant in the falsehood, then tell me-asws, when did it create itself and managed its creation, before it existed or after it had existed? If you claim that the herb created itself after it had already existed, then this is from the most obvious impossibilities. How did it happen to be existing, made, then made itself at another time? Thus, your speech would come to that it is made twice.
وَ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ إِنَّهَا خَلَقَتْ نَفْسَهَا وَ دَبَّرَتْ خَلْقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَكُونَ إِنَّ هَذَا مِنْ أَوْضَحِ الْبَاطِلِ وَ أَبْيَنِ الْكَذِبِ لِأَنَّهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَكُونَ لَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ فَكَيْفَ يَخْلُقُ لَا شَيْءَ شَيْئاً وَ كَيْفَ تَعِيبُ قَوْلِي إِنَّ شَيْئاً يَصْنَعُ لَا شَيْئاً وَ لَا تَعِيبُ قَوْلَكَ إِنَّ لَا شَيْءَ يَصْنَعُ لَا شَيْئاً فَانْظُرْ أَيُّ الْقَوْلَيْنِ أَوْلَى بِالْحَقِّ قَالَ قَوْلُكَ
And if you said, ‘It created itself and managed its own creation before it existed, that this is from the clear falsehood, and most open of the lies, because before it existed, it wasn’t anything, then how can a nothing created a thing? And how can my-asws word be faulted, that a thing makes nothing, and your word not be faulted that a nothing can make a nothing? Look, which of the two words is foremost with the Truth’. He said, ‘Your-asws word’.
قُلْتُ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنْهُ قَالَ قَدْ قَبِلْتُهُ وَ اسْتَبَانَ لِي حَقُّهُ وَ صِدْقُهُ بِأَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ الْمُخْتَلِفَةَ وَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ لَمْ يَصْنَعْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ وَ لَمْ يُدَبِّرْنَ خَلْقَهُنَّ وَ لَكِنَّهُ تَعْرِضُ لِي أَنَّ الشَّجَرَةَ هِيَ الَّتِي صَنَعَتِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ لِأَنَّهَا خَرَجَتْ مِنْهَا قُلْتُ فَمَنْ صَنَعَ الشَّجَرَةَ قَالَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ الْأُخْرَى
I-asws said: ‘So what prevents you from it?’ He said, ‘I have accepted and it has been clarified to me, its reality and its truth, that the different things and the herb did not make themselves, and do not manage their own creations, but an objection for me is that the tree, it is the one who made the herb, because it came out from it’. I-asws said: ‘So, who made the tree?’ He said, ‘The herb, another one!’
قُلْتُ اجْعَلْ لِكَلَامِكَ غَايَةً أَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهَا فَإِمَّا أَنْ تَقُولَ هُوَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ فَيُقْبَلُ مِنْكَ وَ إِمَّا أَنْ تَقُولَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ فَنَسْأَلُكَ قَالَ سَلْ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ هَلْ تَنْبُتُ مِنْهَا الشَّجَرَةُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ مَا مَاتَتْ وَ بَلِيَتْ وَ بَادَتْ قَالَ لَا
I-asws said: ‘Make for your speech a goal to end up to. If you are saying, ‘It is Allah-azwj the Glorious’, it would be accepted from you, and if you are saying, ‘The herb’, then we-asws have to question you’. He said, ‘Ask’. I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws about the herb, did the tree grow from it after it had died, and perished, and destroyed?’ He said, ‘No’.
قُلْتُ إِنَّ الشَّجَرَةَ بَقِيَتْ بَعْدَ هَلَاكِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ مِائَةَ سَنَةٍ فَمَنْ كَانَ يَحْمِيهَا وَ يَزِيدُ فِيهَا وَ يُدَبِّرُ خَلْقَهَا وَ يُرَبِّيهَا وَ يُنْبِتُ وَرَقَهَا مَا لَكَ بُدٌّ مِنْ أَنْ تَقُولَ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهَا وَ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ وَ هِيَ حَيَّةٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَهْلِكَ وَ تُبْلَى وَ تَصِيرَ تُرَاباً وَ قَدْ رَبَّتِ الشَّجَرَةَ وَ هِيَ مَيْتَةٌ إِنَّ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ مُخْتَلِفٌ
I-asws said: ‘The tree remains after the destruction of the herb, for a hundred years, so Who was the One-azwj Safeguarding it, and Increasing in it, and Managing its creation and Nourishing it, and Growing its leaves? There is no escape for you that you should be saying, ‘He-azwj is the One-azwj Who Created it. And if you say, ‘The herb, and it was alive before it was destroyed, and perished and became dust, and the tree had been nourished, and it is dead, then this word is different’.
قَالَ لَا أَقُولُ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ أَ فَتُقِرُّ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ أَمْ قَدْ بَقِيَ فِي نَفْسِكَ شَيْءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِنِّي مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى حَدِّ وُقُوفٍ مَا أَتَخَلَّصُ إِلَى أَمْرٍ يَنْفُذُ لِي فِيهِ الْأَمْرُ
He said, ‘I am not saying that’. I-asws said: ‘Do you accept that Allah-azwj Created the creation, or does there remain in your self anything from that?’ He said, ‘I am from that, upon a limit of stopping, finishing to a matter in which the command is implemented for me’.
قُلْتُ أَمَّا إِذْ أَبَيْتَ إِلَّا الْجَهَالَةَ وَ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ لَا يُدْرَكُ إِلَّا بِالْحَوَاسِّ فَإِنِّي أُخْبِرُكَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِلْحَوَاسِّ دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ وَ لَا فِيهَا مَعْرِفَةٌ إِلَّا بِالْقَلْبِ فَإِنَّهُ دَلِيلُهَا وَ مُعَرِّفُهَا الْأَشْيَاءَ الَّتِي تَدَّعِي أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ لَا يَعْرِفُهَا إِلَّا بِهَا
I-asws said: ‘But, then you are refusing only for the ignorance and claiming that the things cannot be realise except by the senses, and I-asws informed you that it isn’t for the senses an evidence upon the things, nor is there any recognition in it except by the heart, for it is its pointer and its understanding of the things which you claim that the heart cannot recognise these except by it (five senses)’.
فَقَالَ أَمَّا إِذْ نَطَقْتَ بِهَذَا فَمَا أَقْبَلُ مِنْكَ إِلَّا بِالتَّخْلِيصِ وَ التَّفَحُّصِ مِنْهُ بِإِيضَاحٍ وَ بَيَانٍ وَ حُجَّةٍ وَ بُرْهَانٍ
He said, ‘But, when you-asws speak with this, I do not accept from you-asws except with the clearance and the investigation from it, with clarification, and explanation, and an argument, and a proof’.
قُلْتُ فَأَوَّلُ مَا أَبْدَأُ بِهِ أَنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ رُبَّمَا ذَهَبَ الْحَوَاسُّ أَوْ بَعْضُهَا وَ دَبَّرَ الْقَلْبُ الْأَشْيَاءَ الَّتِي فِيهَا الْمَضَرَّةُ وَ الْمَنْفَعَةُ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الْعَلَانِيَةِ وَ الْخَفِيَّةِ فَأَمَرَ بِهَا وَ نَهَى فَنَفَذَ فِيهَا أَمْرُهُ وَ صَحَّ فِيهَا قَضَاؤُهُ
I-asws said: ‘The first of what I-asws begin with is, you know that sometimes the senses go (don’t work), or some of them, and the heart manages the things which in it is the harm and the benefit, from the announced matters and the hidden, so it enjoins with it and forbid, and its orders are implemented in these and its judgments is deemed as correct’.
قَالَ إِنَّكَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذَا قَوْلًا يُشْبِهُ الْحُجَّةَ وَ لَكِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ تُوضِحَهُ لِي غَيْرَ هَذَا الْإِيضَاحِ
He said, ‘You are saying regarding this, a word resembling the proof, but I would love it if you-asws clarify for me other than this clarification’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ يَبْقَى بَعْدَ ذَهَابِ الْحَوَاسِّ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لَكِنْ يَبْقَى بِغَيْرِ دَلِيلٍ عَلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ الَّتِي تَدُلُّ عَلَيْهَا الْحَوَاسُّ قُلْتُ أَ فَلَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الطِّفْلَ تَضَعُهُ أُمُّهُ مُضْغَةً لَيْسَ تَدُلُّهُ الْحَوَاسُّ عَلَى شَيْءٍ يُسْمَعُ وَ لَا يُبْصَرُ وَ لَا يُذَاقُ وَ لَا يُلْمَسُ وَ لَا يُشَمُّ قَالَ بَلَى
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that the heart remains after the departure of the senses?’ He said, ‘Yes, but it remains without evidence upon the things which the senses point upon’. I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that the child, his mother places him (gives birth) as a lump, the senses do not point him upon anything he hears, nor sees, nor tastes, not touches, nor smells?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ فَأَيَّةُ الْحَوَاسِّ دَلَّتْهُ عَلَى طَلَبِ اللَّبَنِ إِذَا جَاعَ وَ الضَّحِكِ بَعْدَ الْبُكَاءِ إِذَا رَوِيَ مِنَ اللَّبَنِ وَ أَيُّ حَوَاسِّ سِبَاعِ الطَّيْرِ وَ لَاقِطِ الْحَبِّ مِنْهَا دَلَّهَا عَلَى أَنْ تُلْقِيَ بَيْنَ أَفْرَاخِهَا اللَّحْمَ وَ الْحَبَّ فَتَهْوَى سِبَاعُهَا إِلَى اللَّحْمِ وَ الْآخَرُونَ إِلَى الْحَبِّ
I-asws said: ‘So, which sense points it upon seeking the milk when hungry, and the laughing after the crying when quenched from the milk? And which sense of the predator birds picking the seed from it points it upon casting between its chick, the flesh and the seed, so its predators incline towards the flesh, and the others to the seed?
وَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ فِرَاخِ طَيْرِ الْمَاءِ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ فِرَاخَ طَيْرِ الْمَاءِ إِذَا طُرِحَتْ فِيهِ سَبَحَتْ وَ إِذَا طُرِحَتْ فِيهِ فِرَاخُ طَيْرِ الْبَرِّ غَرِقَتْ وَ الْحَوَاسُّ وَاحِدَةٌ فَكَيْفَ انْتَفَعَ بِالْحَوَاسِّ طَيْرُ الْمَاءِ وَ أَعَانَتْهُ عَلَى السِّبَاحَةِ وَ لَمْ تَنْتَفِعْ طَيْرُ الْبَرِّ فِي الْمَاءِ بِحَوَاسِّهَا
And tell me-asws about the chicks of the water birds. Don’t you know that a chick of the water bird, when it drops in it, it swims, and when a chick of the land bird drops in it, it drowns, and the senses are the same. The how did the water bird benefits with the senses upon the swimming, and the land bird did not benefit in the water with its senses?
وَ مَا بَالُ طَيْرِ الْبَرِّ إِذَا غَمَسْتَهَا فِي الْمَاءِ سَاعَةً مَاتَتْ وَ إِذَا أَمْسَكْتَ طَيْرَ الْمَاءِ عَنِ الْمَاءِ سَاعَةً مَاتَتْ فَلَا أَرَى الْحَوَاسَّ فِي هَذَا إِلَّا مُنْكَسِراً عَلَيْكَ وَ لَا يَنْبَغِي ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ إِلَّا مِنْ مُدَبِّرٍ حَكِيمٍ جَعَلَ لِلْمَاءِ خَلْقاً وَ لِلْبَرِّ خَلْقاً
And what is the matter with the land bird, when it is submerged in the water for a while, it dies, and when the water bird is withheld from the water for a while, it dies? So, I-asws do not see the senses in this except as broken upon you, and that is not befitting to happen except from a Wise Arranger Making a creature for the water and a creature for the land.
أَمْ أَخْبِرْنِي مَا بَالُ الذَّرَّةِ الَّتِي لَا تُعَايِنُ الْمَاءَ قَطُّ تُطْرَحُ فِي الْمَاءِ فَتَسْبَحُ وَ تَلْقَى الْإِنْسَانَ ابْنَ خَمْسِينَ سَنَةً مِنْ أَقْوَى الرِّجَالِ وَ أَعْقَلِهِمْ لَمْ يَتَعَلَّمِ السِّبَاحَةَ فَيَغْرَقُ كَيْفَ لَمْ يَدُلَّهُ عَقْلُهُ وَ لُبُّهُ وَ تَجَارِبُهُ وَ بَصَرُهُ بِالْأَشْيَاءِ مَعَ اجْتِمَاعِ حَوَاسِّهِ وَ صِحَّتِهَا أَنْ يُدْرِكَ ذَلِكَ بِحَوَاسِّهِ كَمَا أَدْرَكَتْهُ الذَّرَّةُ إِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ
Or, tell me, what is the matter that the ant which has not seen the water at all, when it drops in the water, it swims, and the fifty years old human being from the strongest of the men and their most intellectual not knowing the swimming, is thrown (in the water), and he drowns? How come his intellect, and his mind, and his experience, and his insight did not point him upon the things with the collection of his senses and his health, that he should realise that by his senses just as the ant realised it, if it was so that rather it would be realised by the senses?
أَ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ الَّذِي هُوَ مَعْدِنُ الْعَقْلِ فِي الصَّبِيِّ الَّذِي وَصَفْتُ وَ غَيْرِهِ مِمَّا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ الْحَيَوَانِ هُوَ الَّذِي يُهَيِّجُ الصَّبِيَّ إِلَى طَلَبِ الرَّضَاعِ وَ الطَّيْرَ اللَّاقِطَ عَلَى لَقْطِ الْحَبِّ وَ السِّبَاعَ عَلَى ابْتِلَاعِ اللَّحْمِ قَالَ لَسْتُ أَجِدُ الْقَلْبَ يَعْلَمُ شَيْئاً إِلَّا بِالْحَوَاسِّ
Is it not befitting for you that you know, that the heart is the one which is a mine of the intellect in the child which I-asws described, and others from what you heard, from the animal, it is which urges the child to seek the breastfeeding, and the picking bird upon picking the seas, and the predator (bird) upon swallowing the meat?’ He said, ‘I didn’t find the heart to know anything except by the senses!’
قُلْتُ أَمَّا إِذْ أَبَيْتَ إِلَّا النُّزُوعَ إِلَى الْحَوَاسِّ فَإِنَّا لَنَقْبَلُ نُزُوعَكَ إِلَيْهَا بَعْدَ رَفْضِكَ لَهَا وَ نُجِيبُكَ فِي الْحَوَاسِّ حَتَّى يَتَقَرَّرَ عِنْدَكَ أَنَّهَا لَا تَعْرِفُ مِنْ سَائِرِ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِلَّا الظَّاهِرَ مِمَّا هُوَ دُونَ الرَّبِّ الْأَعْلَى سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى فَأَمَّا مَا يَخْفَى وَ لَا يَظْهَرُ فَلَيْسَتْ تَعْرِفُهُ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ خَالِقَ الْحَوَاسِّ جَعَلَ لَهَا قَلْباً احْتَجَّ بِهِ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ وَ جَعَلَ لِلْحَوَاسِّ الدَّلَالاتِ عَلَى الظَّاهِرِ الَّذِي يُسْتَدَلُّ بِهَا عَلَى الْخَالِقِ سُبْحَانَهُ
I said, ‘But, when you refuse except for the tendency to the senses, so we-asws accept your tendency to it after your rejection of it, and we-asws answer you regarding the senses until it is accepted with you that these do not recognise from the rest of the things except the apparent from what it besides the Lord-azwj, the Exalted, Glorious is He-azwj and Exalted; as for what is hidden and not apparent, they don’t recognise it, and that is because the Creator of the senses Made a heart to be for these, arguing by it upon the servants, and Made for the senses, the evidences upon the apparent by which he is pointed with upon the Creator, Glorious is He-azwj.
فَنَظَرَتِ الْعَيْنُ إِلَى خَلْقٍ مُتَّصِلٍ بَعْضُهُ بِبَعْضٍ فَدَلَّتِ الْقَلْبَ عَلَى مَا عَايَنَتْ وَ تَفَكَّرَ الْقَلْبُ حِينَ دَلَّتْهُ الْعَيْنُ عَلَى مَا عَايَنَتْ مِنْ مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاءِ وَ ارْتِفَاعِهَا فِي الْهَوَاءِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ يُرَى وَ لَا دَعَائِمَ تُمْسِكُهَا لَا تُؤَخَّرُ مَرَّةً فَتَنْكَشِطَ وَ لَا تُقَدَّمُ أُخْرَى فَتَزُولَ وَ لَا تَهْبِطُ مَرَّةً فَتَدْنُوَ وَ لَا تَرْتَفِعُ أُخْرَى فَتَنْأَى لَا تَتَغَيَّرُ لِطُولِ الْأَمَدِ وَ لَا تَخْلُقُ لِاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيَالِي وَ الْأَيَّامِ وَ لَا تَتَدَاعَى مِنْهَا نَاحِيَةٌ وَ لَا يَنْهَارُ مِنْهَا طَرَفٌ
The eye looks at creatures connected with each other, so it points to the heart upon what it sees, and the heart thinks where the eye is pointing it to upon what it has seen from the kingdoms of the skies and its rising into the air without any support to be seen, nor any pillars withholding it, neither delaying it once and it would break up, nor brought forward another time and it would decline, nor does it come down once so it would be nearer, nor rise up another time and be remote, nor does the length of the pillar change nor a new one created for the interchange of the nights and days, nor does an area of it fall apart, nor does a side from it break off.
مَعَ مَا عَايَنَتْ مِنَ النُّجُومِ الْجَارِيَةِ السَّبْعَةِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ بِمَسِيرِهَا لِدَوَرَانِ الْفَلَكِ وَ تَنَقُّلِهَا فِي الْبُرُوجِ يَوْماً بَعْدَ يَوْمٍ وَ شَهْراً بَعْدَ شَهْرٍ وَ سَنَةً بَعْدَ سَنَةٍ مِنْهَا السَّرِيعُ وَ مِنْهَا الْبَطِيءُ وَ مِنْهَا الْمُعْتَدِلُ السَّيْرِ ثُمَّ رُجُوعُهَا وَ اسْتِقَامَتُهَا وَ أَخْذُهَا عَرْضاً وَ طُولًا وَ خُنُوسُهَا عِنْدَ الشَّمْسِ وَ هِيَ مُشْرِقَةٌ وَ ظُهُورُهَا إِذَا غَرَبَتْ
And with what is witnessed from the seven different stars flowing in their courses for the rotation of the orbit, and its turning in the constellation day after day, and month after month, and year after year. From these are the fast ones, and from these are the slow ones, and from these are the moderate ones of the travel. Then, their returning and their standing, and their taking width-wise and lengthwise, and their dimming at the sun while it is bright, and their appearing when it sets.
وَ جَرَى الشَّمْسُ وَ الْقَمَرُ فِي الْبُرُوجِ دَائِبَيْنِ لَا يَتَغَيَّرَانِ فِي أَزْمِنَتِهِمَا وَ أَوْقَاتِهِمَا يَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ مَنْ يَعْرِفُ بِحِسَابٍ مَوْضُوعٍ وَ أَمْرٍ مَعْلُومٍ بِحِكْمَةٍ يَعْرِفُ ذَوُو الْأَلْبَابِ أَنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ مِنْ حِكْمَةِ الْإِنْسِ وَ لَا تَفْتِيشِ الْأَوْهَامِ وَ لَا تَقْلِيبِ التَّفَكُّرِ
And the sun and the moon flow in the constellations consistently, not changing in their periods and their timings. One who recognises that recognises by a calculation of place and a known matter. By wisdom do the ones of understanding recognise that it isn’t from a wisdom of the human beings, nor inspections of imaginations, nor reflections of the thoughts.
فَعَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ حِينَ دَلَّتْهُ الْعَيْنُ عَلَى مَا عَايَنَتْ أَنَّ لِذَلِكَ الْخَلْقِ وَ التَّدْبِيرِ وَ الْأَمْرِ الْعَجِيبِ صَانِعاً يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ الْمُنْطَبِقَةَ أَنْ تَهْوِيَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَ أَنَّ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ وَ النُّجُومَ فِيهَا خَالِقُ السَّمَاءِ
The heart recognises where the eye points it upon what it sees, that for that is the creation, and the arrangement, and the wondrous matter of a Maker Withholding the sky, the applied principles that it inclines to the earth and that the One-azwj Who Made the sun and the stars in it, is the Creator of the sky.
ثُمَّ نَظَرَتِ الْعَيْنُ إِلَى مَا اسْتَقَلَّهَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فَدَلَّتِ الْقَلْبَ عَلَى مَا عَايَنَتْ فَعَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ بِعَقْلِهِ أَنَّ مُمْسِكَ الْأَرْضِ الْمُمْتَدَّةِ أَنْ تَزُولَ أَوْ تَهْوِيَ فِي الْهَوَاءِ وَ هُوَ يَرَى الرِّيشَةَ يُرْمَى بِهَا فَتَسْقُطُ مَكَانَهَا وَ هِيَ فِي الْخِفَّةِ عَلَى مَا هِيَ عَلَيْهِ هُوَ الَّذِي يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ الَّتِي فَوْقَهَا وَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ لَخَسَفَتْ بِمَا عَلَيْهَا مِنْ ثِقْلِهَا وَ ثِقْلِ الْجِبَالِ وَ الْأَنَامِ وَ الْأَشْجَارِ وَ الْبُحُورِ وَ الرِّمَالِ فَعَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ بِدَلَالَةِ الْعَيْنِ أَنَّ مُدَبِّرَ الْأَرْضِ هُوَ مُدَبِّرُ السَّمَاءِ
Then the eye looks at what is faintest from the earth, and it points the heart upon what it sees, so the heart recognises by its intellect that it is withheld from the earth deliberately from either declining, or inclining in the air – and he sees the feather thrown with, and it falls from its place and it is in lightness upon what it is upon – He-azwj is the One-azwj Who Withholds the sky which is above it, and it is so that had it not been for that, it would submerge with whatever is upon it from its weight and the weight of the mountains, and the animals, and the trees, and the seas, and the sands. So, the heart recognises by the evidencing of the eyes that the Manager of the earth, He-azwj is the Manager of the sky.
ثُمَّ سَمِعَتِ الْأُذُنُ صَوْتَ الرِّيَاحِ الشَّدِيدَةِ الْعَاصِفَةِ وَ اللَّيِّنَةِ الطَّيِّبَةِ وَ عَايَنَتِ الْعَيْنُ مَا يُقْلَعُ مِنْ عِظَامِ الشَّجَرِ وَ يُهْدَمُ مِنْ وَثِيقِ الْبُنْيَانِ وَ تُسْفِي مِنْ ثِقَالِ الرِّمَالِ تُخَلِّي مِنْهَا نَاحِيَةً وَ تَصُبُّهَا فِي أُخْرَى بِلَا سَائِقٍ تُبْصِرُهُ الْعَيْنُ وَ لَا تَسْمَعُهُ الْأُذُنُ وَ لَا يُدْرَكُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ لَيْسَتْ مُجَسَّدَةً تُلْمَسُ وَ لَا مَحْدُودَةً تُعَايَنُ
Then, the ears hear the sound of the stormy wind and the good (gentle) wind, and the eyes saw what fell off from the branches of the tree, and the demolishment of the solid structure, and the scattering of the weight of the sand emptying one area and filling up another, without there being a driver sighted by the eye, nor heard by the ears, nor realised by anything from the senses, and it isn’t embodied to be touched, nor limited to be seen.
فَلَمْ تَزِدِ الْعَيْنُ وَ الْأُذُنُ وَ سَائِرُ الْحَوَاسِّ عَلَى أَنْ دَلَّتِ الْقَلْبَ أَنَّ لَهَا صَانِعاً وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ يُفَكِّرُ بِالْعَقْلِ الَّذِي فِيهِ فَيَعْرِفُ أَنَّ الرِّيحَ لَمْ تَتَحَرَّكْ مِنْ تِلْقَائِهَا وَ أَنَّهَا لَوْ كَانَتْ هِيَ الْمُتَحَرِّكَةَ لَمْ تَكْفُفْ عَنِ التَّحَرُّكِ وَ لَمْ تَهْدِمْ طَائِفَةً وَ تُعْفِي أُخْرَى وَ لَمْ تَقْلَعْ شَجَرَةً وَ تَدَعُ أُخْرَى إِلَى جَنْبِهَا وَ لَمْ تَصُبَّ أَرْضاً وَ تَنْصَرِفُ عَنْ أُخْرَى
So, why don’t the ears and the eyes and the rest of the senses increase upon pointing the heart to that there is a Maker for it? And that is because the heart thinks with the intellect which is in it, so, he understands that the wind does not move from its own self, and it, if it was moving would not stop from the movement, and would not demolish an area and fill another, and not uproot a tree and leave another to its side, and would not hit a land and turn away from another.
فَلَمَّا تَفَكَّرَ الْقَلْبُ فِي أَمْرِ الرِّيحِ عَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهَا مُحَرِّكاً هُوَ الَّذِي يَسُوقُهَا حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ وَ يُسَكِّنُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ وَ يُصِيبُ بِهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَ يَصْرِفُهَا عَمَّنْ يَشَاءُ
When the heart thinks regarding the matter of the wind, it knows that for it there is a Mover. He-azwj is the One-azwj Driving it to wherever He-azwj so Desires, and Settles it when He-azwj so Desires, and Hits with it one He-azwj so Desires, and Turns it away from one He-azwj so Desires.
فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ الْقَلْبُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَجَدَهَا مُتَّصِلَةً بِالسَّمَاءِ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْآيَاتِ فَعَرَفَ أَنَّ الْمُدَبِّرَ الْقَادِرَ عَلَى أَنْ يُمْسِكَ الْأَرْضَ وَ السَّمَاءَ هُوَ خَالِقُ الرِّيحِ وَ مُحَرِّكُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ وَ مُمْسِكُهَا كَيْفَ شَاءَ وَ مُسَلِّطُهَا عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ
When the heart looks at that, finds it connected with the sky, and whatever is therein from the signs, and recognises that the Able upon Withholding the earth and the sky, He-azwj is the Creator of the wind and Moving it wherever He-azwj so Desires, and Withholding it however He-azwj so Desires, and Make it overcome upon one He-azwj so Desires to.
وَ كَذَلِكَ دَلَّتِ الْعَيْنُ وَ الْأُذُنُ الْقَلْبَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الزَّلْزَلَةِ وَ عَرَفَ ذَلِكَ بِغَيْرِهِمَا مِنْ حَوَاسِّهِ حِينَ حَرَّكَتْهُ فَلَمَّا دَلَّ الْحَوَاسُّ عَلَى تَحْرِيكِ هَذَا الْخَلْقِ الْعَظِيمِ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فِي غِلَظِهَا وَ ثِقْلِهَا وَ طُولِهَا وَ عَرْضِهَا وَ مَا عَلَيْهَا مِنْ ثِقْلِ الْجِبَالِ وَ الْمِيَاهِ وَ الْأَنَامِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ
And similar to that, the eyes and the ears point upon these earthquakes, and recognises with other than these two from his senses when it moves. When the senses point upon the movement of this great creation from the earth is its denseness and its weight, and its length and its breadth, and what is upon it from the weight of the mountain and its water, and the animals and other than that.
وَ إِنَّمَا تَتَحَرَّكُ فِي نَاحِيَةٍ وَ لَمْ تَتَحَرَّكْ فِي نَاحِيَةٍ أُخْرَى وَ هِيَ مُلْتَحِمَةٌ جَسَداً وَاحِداً وَ خَلْقاً مُتَّصِلًا بِلَا فَصْلٍ وَ لَا وَصْلٍ تَهْدِمُ نَاحِيَةً وَ تَخْسِفُ بِهَا وَ تُسَلِّمُ أُخْرَى فَعِنْدَهَا عَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ أَنَّ مُحَرِّكَ مَا حُرِّكَ مِنْهَا هُوَ مُمْسِكُ مَا أُمْسِكَ مِنْهَا وَ هُوَ مُحَرِّكُ الرِّيحِ وَ مُمْسِكُهَا وَ هُوَ مُدَبِّرُ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَوْ كَانَتْ هِيَ الْمُزَلْزِلَةَ لِنَفْسِهَا لَمَا تَزَلْزَلَتْ وَ لَمَا تَحَرَّكَتْ وَ لَكِنَّهُ الَّذِي دَبَّرَهَا وَ خَلَقَهَا حَرَّكَ مِنْهَا مَا شَاءَ
And rather, it moves in an area and does not move in another area, and it is bound as one body, and a creation connected without any distance nor a connection. It demolishes an area and submerges with it, and another is safe. During it, the heart recognises that the Mover Who moved these He-azwj is the Withholder of what is withheld from it, and He-azwj is the Mover of the wind and its Withholder, and He-azwj is the Manager of the sky and the earth and whatever is between the two, and that the earth, if it tremors by itself, it would not have tremored and not moved, but it is the One-azwj Who Manages it, Moves from it whatever He-azwj so Desires.
ثُمَّ نَظَرَتِ الْعَيْنُ إِلَى الْعَظِيمِ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ مِنَ السَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الدُّخَانِ لَا جَسَدَ لَهُ يُلْمَسُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَ الْجِبَالِ يَتَخَلَّلُ الشَّجَرَةَ فَلَا يُحَرِّكُ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً وَ لَا يَهْصِرُ مِنْهَا غُصْناً وَ لَا يَعْلَقُ مِنْهَا بِشَيْءٍ يَعْتَرِضُ الرُّكْبَانُ فَيَحُولُ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ مِنْ ظُلْمَتِهِ وَ كَثَافَتِهِ وَ يَحْتَمِلُ مِنْ ثِقْلِ الْمَاءِ وَ كَثْرَتِهِ مَا لَا يُقْدَرُ عَلَى صِفَتِهِ
Then the eyes look at the magnificent signs from the clouds, subdued between the sky and the earth, being at the status of the smoke, there being no body for it to be touched by anything from the earth and the mountains. It penetrates the tree but does not move anything from these, nor does it sway any branch from these, nor does it attach with anything from it. It exposes the pods and some of them turnover from the others being cleaned of its dirt, and it carries the weight of the water and its volume what is not able upon describing it.
مَعَ مَا فِيهِ مِنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ الصَّادِعَةِ وَ الْبُرُوقِ اللَّامِعَةِ وَ الرَّعْدِ وَ الثَّلْجِ وَ الْبَرَدِ وَ الْجَلِيدِ مَا لَا تَبْلُغُ الْأَوْهَامُ صِفَتَهُ وَ لَا تَهْتَدِي الْقُلُوبُ إِلَى كُنْهِ عَجَائِبِهِ فَيَخْرُجُ مُسْتَقِلًّا فِي الْهَوَاءِ يَجْتَمِعُ بَعْدَ تَفَرُّقِهِ وَ يَلْتَحِمُ بَعْدَ تَزَايُلِهِ تُفَرِّقُهُ الرِّيَاحُ مِنَ الْجِهَاتِ كُلِّهَا إِلَى حَيْثُ تَسُوقُهُ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ رَبِّهَا
Along with that is what there is in it from the furious lightning, and the glowing brilliance, and the thunder, and the snow, and the cold, and the ice what the imaginations cannot reach its description, nor can the hearts be guided to the essence of its wonders. So, these (clouds) go independently in the air and gather after their separation, and stick together after their dispersal. The wind separates it from all the direction to wherever its ushers it by the Permission of Allah-azwj, its Lord-azwj.
يَسْفُلُ مَرَّةً وَ يَعْلُو أُخْرَى مُتَمَسِّكٌ بِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ الْكَثِيرِ الَّذِي إِذَا أَزْجَاهُ صَارَتْ مِنْهُ الْبُحُورُ يَمُرُّ عَلَى الْأَرَاضِي الْكَثِيرَةِ وَ الْبُلْدَانِ الْمُتَنَائِيَةِ لَا تَنْقُصُ مِنْهُ نُقْطَةٌ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ إِلَى مَا لَا يُحْصَى مِنَ الْفَرَاسِخِ فَيُرْسِلَ مَا فِيهِ قَطْرَةً بَعْدَ قَطْرَةٍ وَ سَيْلًا بَعْدَ سَيْلٍ مُتَتَابِعٌ عَلَى رِسْلِهِ حَتَّى يَنْقَعَ الْبِرَكُ وَ تَمْتَلِئَ الْفِجَاجُ
It goes lower at times and higher at another, being attached with what is in it from the abundant water which, when it drives it, the vapour comes from it, passing upon a lot of lands, and the spread-out cities, not being deficient from it by a dot, until it ends up to what cannot be counted from the Farsakhs, and it sends whatever is in it, drop after drop, and a torrent after torrent, consecutive upon its sending until it cleans the ponds and fills up the ravines.
وَ تَعْتَلِيَ الْأَوْدِيَةُ بِالسُّيُولِ كَأَمْثَالِ الْجِبَالِ غَاصَّةً بِسُيُولِهَا مُصَمَّخَةَ الْآذَانِ لِدَوِيِّهَا وَ هَدِيرِهَا فَتُحْيَا بِهَا الْأَرْضُ الْمَيْتَةُ فَتُصْبِحُ مُخْضَرَّةً بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَتْ مُغْبَرَّةً وَ مُعْشِبَةً بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَتْ مُجْدِبَةً قَدْ كُسِيَتْ أَلْوَاناً مِنْ نَبَاتٍ عُشْبٍ نَاضِرَةٍ زَاهِرَةٍ مُزَيَّنَةٍ مَعَاشاً لِلنَّاسِ وَ الْأَنْعَامِ فَإِذَا أَفْرَغَ الْغَمَامُ مَاءَهُ أَقْلَعَ وَ تَفَرَّقَ وَ ذَهَبَ حَيْثُ لَا يُعَايَنُ وَ لَا يُدْرَى أَيْنَ تَوَارَى
And the valleys swell up due to the torrents like the mountains filled by its torrents, deafening the ears by its loudness and its roar. The dead land is revived by it, and it becomes green after having been dusty, and productive and having been infertile, being painted with the colours of fresh vegetation, blossoms, adorned, for life of the people, and animals. So, when the cloud frees up its water, it takes off, and disperses and goes away where it cannot be seen nor known where it is hiding.
فَأَدَّتِ الْعَيْنُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى الْقَلْبِ فَعَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ السَّحَابَ لَوْ كَانَ بِغَيْرِ مُدَبِّرٍ وَ كَانَ مَا وَصَفْتُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهِ مَا احْتَمَلَ نِصْفَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الثِّقْلِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ هُوَ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُهُ لِمَا احْتَمَلَهُ أَلْفَيْ فَرْسَخٍ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ وَ لَأَرْسَلَهُ فِيمَا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ لَمَا أَرْسَلَهُ قَطْرَةً بَعْدَ قَطْرَةٍ بَلْ كَانَ يُرْسِلُهُ إِرْسَالًا فَكَانَ يَهْدِمُ الْبُنْيَانَ وَ يُفْسِدُ النَّبَاتَ وَ لَمَا جَازَ إِلَى بَلَدٍ وَ تَرَكَ آخَرَ دُونَهُ
The eye leads that to the heart and the heart recognises that, if that cloud had been without a Manager, and had existed, what we described, from itself, would not have carried even half of that from the weight of the water, and even if it was the one sending it to where it would be carried, a thousand Farsakhs or more, and it would send it to where it was nearer than that, and would not send a drop after drop, but it would send a sending which would demolish the buildings, and spoil the vegetation, and would not exceed to a city and leave another one besides it.
فَعَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ بِأَعْلَامِ الْمُنِيرَةِ الْوَاضِحَةِ أَنَّ مُدَبِّرَ الْأُمُورِ وَاحِدٌ وَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ اثْنَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً لَكَانَ فِي طُولِ هَذِهِ الْأَزْمِنَةِ وَ الْأَبَدِ وَ الدَّهْرِ اخْتِلَافٌ فِي التَّدْبِيرِ وَ تَنَاقُضٌ فِي الْأُمُورِ وَ لَتَأَخَّرَ بَعْضٌ وَ تَقَدَّمَ بَعْضٌ وَ لَكَانَ تَسَفَّلَ بَعْضُ مَا قَدْ عَلَا وَ لَعَلَا بَعْضُ مَا قَدْ سَفَلَ وَ لَطَلَعَ شَيْءٌ وَ غَابَ فَتَأَخَّرَ عَنْ وَقْتِهِ أَوْ تَقَدَّمَ مَا قَبْلَهُ
The heart recognises that with the radiant clear signs that the Manager of the affairs is One, and if there had been two, or three, there would have been during the length of these eras and the perpetual times, differing’s in the arrangements and the contradictions in the affairs, and some would be delays and some brought forward. Some of what had been higher, would be lower, and raise some of what had been lower, and something would emerge and disappear and be delayed from its time, or preceded what is before it.
فَعَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ مُدَبِّرَ الْأَشْيَاءِ مَا غَابَ مِنْهَا وَ مَا ظَهَرَ هُوَ اللَّهُ الْأَوَّلُ خَالِقُ السَّمَاءِ وَ مُمْسِكُهَا وَ فَارِشُ الْأَرْضِ وَ دَاحِيهَا وَ صَانِعُ مَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا عَدَدْنَا وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَمْ يُحْصَ
The heart recognises by that, that the Manager of the things, whatever is hidden from these and apparent, He-azwj is Allah-azwj, the First, Creator of the sky and its Withholder, and Furnisher of the earth and is Spreader, and Maker of what is between that, from what we-asws counted, and other than that from what we-asws did not count.
وَ كَذَلِكَ عَايَنَتِ الْعَيْنُ اخْتِلَافَ اللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ دَائِبَيْنِ جَدِيدَيْنِ لَا يَبْلَيَانِ فِي طُولِ كَرِّهِمَا وَ لَا يَتَغَيَّرَانِ لِكَثْرَةِ اخْتِلَافِهِمَا وَ لَا يَنْقُصَانِ عَنْ حَالِهِمَا النَّهَارُ فِي نُورِهِ وَ ضِيَائِهِ وَ اللَّيْلُ فِي سَوَادِهِ وَ ظُلْمَتِهِ
And similar to that, the eye witnesses the interchange of the night and the day, both constantly pursuing their courses, not wearing out during the length of their work, nor changing due to the frequency of their interchange, nor there being any reduction of their states – the day regarding its radiance and its illumination, and the night regarding its blackness and its darkness.
يَلِجُ أَحَدُهَمَا فِي الْآخَرِ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا إِلَى غَايَةٍ مَحْدُودَةٍ مَعْرُوفَةٍ فِي الطُّولِ وَ الْقِصَرِ عَلَى مَرْتَبَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَ مَجْرًى وَاحِدٍ مَعَ سُكُونِ مَنْ يَسْكُنُ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَ انْتِشَارِ مَنْ يَنْتَشِرُ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَ انْتِشَارِ مَنْ يَنْتَشِرُ فِي النَّهَارِ وَ سُكُونِ مَنْ يَسْكُنُ فِي النَّهَارِ
One of them penetrates into the other until each one of them ends up a peak of its well-known limit, regarding the length and the shortness upon one order and one flow, with resting the one who rests during the, and the dispersal of the one who disperses during the night, and dispersal of the one which disperses during the day, and resting of the one who rests during the day.
ثُمَّ الْحَرُّ وَ الْبَرْدُ وَ حُلُولُ أَحَدِهِمَا بِعَقِبِ الْآخَرِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْحَرُّ بَرْداً وَ الْبَرُّ حَرّاً فِي وَقْتِهِ وَ إِبَّانِهِ فَكُلُّ هَذَا مِمَّا يَسْتَدِلُّ بِهِ الْقَلْبُ عَلَى الرَّبِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى فَعَرَفَ الْقَلْبُ بِعَقْلِهِ أَنَّ مُدَبِّرَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ هُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ الَّذِي لَمْ يَزَلْ وَ لَا يَزَالُ
Then, the heat and the cold, and the advents follow up, one on the heels of another until the heat becomes cold, and the cold (becomes) heat during its time and its season. All this is from what the heart is evidence upon the Lord-azwj, Glorious and Exalted, and the heart knows by its intellect that the One-azwj Who Arranged these things, He-azwj is the One, the Mighty, the Wise Who neither declines not will be declining.
وَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرَضِينَ آلِهَةٌ مَعَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ لَذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلهٍ بِما خَلَقَ وَ لَعَلا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلى بَعْضٍ وَ لَفَسَدَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ
And it is so, if there was in the skies and the earths (another) god along with Him-azwj, the Glorious, each god would with whatever he created, and raise some of them upon the other, and each one of the two would spoil matters upon his counterpart.
وَ كَذَلِكَ سَمِعَتِ الْأُذُنُ مَا أَنْزَلَ الْمُدَبِّرُ مِنَ الْكُتُبِ تَصْدِيقاً لِمَا أَدْرَكَتْهُ الْقُلُوبُ بِعُقُولِهَا وَ تَوْفِيقِ اللَّهِ إِيَّاهَا وَ مَا قَالَهُ مَنْ عَرَفَهُ كُنْهَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ بِلَا وَلَدٍ وَ لَا صَاحِبَةٍ وَ لَا شَرِيكٍ فَأَدَّتِ الْأُذُنُ مَا سَمِعَتْ مِنَ اللِّسَانِ بِمَقَالَةِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ إِلَى الْقَلْبِ
And similar to that, the ears hear what the Arranger has Sent down from the Books in ratification of what the hearts realise with their intellects, and Allah-azwj Inclining it, and what he said, the one who recognised His-azwj Essence, recognised Him-azwj as being without a son or a female companion or an associate. The ear leads with what it hears from the tongue with the words of the Prophets-as, to the heart.
فَقَالَ قَدْ أَتَيْتَنِي مِنْ أَبْوَابٍ لَطِيفَةٍ بِمَا لَمْ يَأْتِنِي بِهِ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُكَ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا يَمْنَعُنِي مِنْ تَرْكِ مَا فِي يَدِي إِلَّا الْإِيضَاحُ وَ الْحُجَّةُ الْقَوِيَّةُ بِمَا وَصَفْتَ لِي وَ فَسَّرْتَ
He said, ‘You-asws have given me from the subtle doors with what no one has given me apart from you-asws, except that nothing is preventing me from leaving what is in my hands (atheism) except the clarification, and the strong argument with what you-asws described to me and interpreted’.
قُلْتُ أَمَّا إِذَا حَجَبْتَ عَنِ الْجَوَابِ وَ اخْتَلَفَ مِنْكَ الْمَقَالُ فَسَيَأْتِيكَ مِنَ الدَّلَالَةِ مِنْ قِبَلِ نَفْسِكَ خَاصَّةً مَا يَسْتَبِينُ لَكَ أَنَّ الْحَوَاسَّ لَا تَعْرِفُ شَيْئاً إِلَّا بِالْقَلْبِ فَهَلْ رَأَيْتَ فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنَّكَ تَأْكُلُ وَ تَشْرَبُ حَتَّى وَصَلَتْ لَذَّةُ ذَلِكَ إِلَى قَلْبِكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ
I-asws said: ‘But, when you are veiled from the answer, and there is a differing from you of the words, so I-asws shall give you from the evidence, from the direction of your own self in particular, what would explain to you that the senses do not recognise anything except through the heart.
قُلْتُ فَهَلْ رَأَيْتَ أَنَّكَ تَضْحَكُ وَ تَبْكِي وَ تَجُولُ فِي الْبُلْدَانِ الَّتِي لَمْ تَرَهَا وَ الَّتِي قَدْ رَأَيْتَهَا حَتَّى تَعْلَمَ مَعَالِمَ مَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ مَا لَا أُحْصِي
Have you seen in the dream that you are eating and drinking until the taste of that arrives to your heart?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘Have you seen that you are laughing and crying and wandering in the cities which you had not seen and which you had seen, until you know the landmarks of what you saw from these?’ He said, ‘Yes, what I cannot even count’.
قُلْتُ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ أَحَداً مِنْ أَقَارِبِكَ مِنْ أَخٍ أَوْ أَبٍ أَوْ ذِي رَحِمٍ قَدْ مَاتَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَعْلَمَهُ وَ تَعْرِفَهُ كَمَعْرِفَتِكَ إِيَّاهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ قَالَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الْكَثِيرِ قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي أَيُّ حَوَاسِّكَ أَدْرَكَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءَ فِي مَنَامِكَ حَتَّى دَلَّتْ قَلْبَكَ عَلَى مُعَايَنَةِ الْمَوْتَى وَ كَلَامِهِمْ وَ أَكْلِ طَعَامِهِمْ وَ الْجَوَلَانِ فِي الْبُلْدَانِ وَ الضَّحِكِ وَ الْبُكَاءِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘Have you seen anyone from your relatives, from a brother, or father, or near relatives who had died before that until you knew him and recognised him like your recognising him before he had died?’ He said, ‘More than the more’. I-asws said: ‘Tell me, which of your sense realise these things in your dream until it points your heart upon witnesses the deceased and their speeches, and eating their foods, and the wandering in the cities, and the laughing and the crying, and other than that?’
قَالَ مَا أَقْدِرُ أَنْ أَقُولَ لَكَ أَيُّ حَوَاسِّي أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ أَوْ شَيْئاً مِنْهُ وَ كَيْفَ تُدْرِكُ وَ هِيَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَيِّتِ لَا تَسْمَعُ وَ لَا تُبْصِرُ
He said, ‘I am not able to say to you which of my senses realises that, or anything from it, and how can it realise and it is as the status of the dead, neither hearing nor seeing?’
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي حَيْثُ اسْتَيْقَظْتَ أَ لَسْتَ قَدْ ذَكَرْتَ الَّذِي رَأَيْتَ فِي مَنَامِكَ تَحْفَظُهُ وَ تَقُصُّهُ بَعْدَ يَقَظَتِكَ عَلَى إِخْوَانِكَ لَا تَنْسَى مِنْهُ حَرْفاً قَالَ إِنَّهُ كَمَا تَقُولُ وَ رُبَّمَا رَأَيْتُ الشَّيْءَ فِي مَنَامِي ثُمَّ لَا أُمْسِي حَتَّى أَرَاهُ فِي يَقَظَتِي كَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ فِي مَنَامِي
I-asws said: ‘Tell me, when you wake up, don’t you remember which you saw in your dream, memorising it and your examining it after your waking up, upon your brother, not forgetting it a bit?’ He said, ‘It is just as you-asws are saying, and sometimes I see the thing in my dream, then I don’t come to the evening until I see it in my wakefulness just as I had seen it in my dream’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي أَيُّ حَوَاسِّكَ قَرَّرَتْ عِلْمَ ذَلِكَ فِي قَلْبِكَ حَتَّى ذَكَرْتَهُ بَعْدَ مَا اسْتَيْقَظْتَ قَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ مَا دَخَلَتْ فِيهِ الْحَوَاسُّ قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ حَيْثُ بَطَلَتِ الْحَوَاسُّ فِي هَذَا أَنَّ الَّذِي عَايَنَ تِلْكَ الْأَشْيَاءَ وَ حَفِظَهَا فِي مَنَامِكَ قَلْبُكَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ الْعَقْلَ الَّذِي احْتَجَّ بِهِ عَلَى
I-asws said, ‘Tell me-asws, which of your senses decide the knowledge of that in your heart until you mention it after having woken up?’ He said, ‘This is the matter the senses don’t enter into’. I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it befitting for you that you know where the senses are invalidated in this, that which witnessed those things in your dream and memorised these, is your heart in which Allah-azwj has Made the intellect to be, by which He-azwj Argues the servants with?’
الْعِبَادِ قَالَ إِنَّ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ فِي مَنَامِي لَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ إِنَّمَا هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ السَّرَابِ الَّذِي يُعَايِنُهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ لَا يَشُكُّ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ مَاءٌ فَإِذَا انْتَهَى إِلَى مَكَانِهِ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئاً فَمَا رَأَيْتُ فِي مَنَامِي فَبِهَذِهِ الْمَنْزِلَةِ
He said, ‘Surely, that which I saw in my dream isn’t anything. But rather, it is at the status of the mirage which a person sees it and looks at it, not doubting in it that it is indeed water. But, when he ends to its place, he does not find anything. Therefore, what I saw in my dream is with this status!’
قُلْتُ كَيْفَ شَبَّهْتَ السَّرَابَ بِمَا رَأَيْتَ فِي مَنَامِكَ مِنْ أَكْلِكَ الطَّعَامَ الْحُلْوَ وَ الْحَامِضَ وَ مَا رَأَيْتَ مِنَ الْفَرَحِ وَ الْحَزَنِ قَالَ لِأَنَّ السَّرَابَ حَيْثُ انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِ صَارَ لَا شَيْءَ وَ كَذَلِكَ صَارَ مَا رَأَيْتُ فِي مَنَامِي حِينَ انْتَبَهْتُ
I-asws said: ‘How can you resemble the mirage with what you see in your dream from your eating the sweet and sour food, and what you see from the happiness and the grief?’ He said, ‘Because the mirage, when you end up in its place, becomes nothing, and similar to that is what becomes what I see in my dream, when I take notice!’
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي إِنْ أَتَيْتُكَ بِأَمْرٍ وَجَدْتَ لَذَّتَهُ فِي مَنَامِكَ وَ خَفَقَ لِذَلِكَ قَلْبُكَ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ عَلَى مَا وَصَفْتُ لَكَ قَالَ بَلَى
I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws, if I-asws come to you with a matter and you find it’s pleasure in your dream, and your heart pulsates for that, don’t you know that the matter is upon what I-asws described to you?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ احْتَلَمْتَ قَطُّ حَتَّى قَضَيْتَ فِي امْرَأَةٍ نَهْمَتَكَ عَرَفْتَهَا أَمْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْهَا قَالَ بَلَى مَا لَا أُحْصِيهِ قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ وَجَدْتَ لِذَلِكَ لَذَّةً عَلَى قَدْرِ لَذَّتِكَ فِي يَقَظَتِكَ فَتَنْتَبِهَ وَ قَدْ أَنْزَلْتَ الشَّهْوَةَ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ مِنْكَ بِقَدْرِ مَا تَخْرُجُ مِنْكَ فِي الْيَقَظَةِ هَذَا كَسْرٌ لِحُجَّتِكَ فِي السَّرَابِ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws, have you ever dreamt of a woman at all until you fulfil your desires, whether you know her or not know her?’ He said, ‘Yes, more than I can count’. I-asws said: ‘Didn’t you find the pleasure of that upon a measurement of your pleasure in your wakefulness, and you noticed that the desire had descended to the extent that there has come out from you, a measurement of what tends to come out from you during the wakefulness? This is a breaking of your argument regarding the mirage’.
قَالَ مَا يَرَى الْمُحْتَلِمُ فِي مَنَامِهِ شَيْئاً إِلَّا مَا كَانَتْ حَوَاسُّهُ دَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْيَقَظَةِ
He said, ‘The dreamer does not see in his dream anything except what his senses had pointed upon him in his wakefulness’.
قُلْتُ مَا زِدْتَ عَلَى أَنْ قَوَّيْتَ مَقَالَتِي وَ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ يَعْقِلُ الْأَشْيَاءَ وَ يَعْرِفُهَا بَعْدَ ذَهَابِ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ مَوْتِهَا فَكَيْفَ أَنْكَرْتَ أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ يَعْرِفُ الْأَشْيَاءَ وَ هُوَ يَقْظَانُ مُجْتَمِعَةً لَهُ حَوَاسُّهُ وَ مَا الَّذِي عَرَّفَهُ إِيَّاهَا بَعْدَ مَوْتِ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ هُوَ لَا يَسْمَعُ وَ لَا يُبْصِرُ
I-asws said: ‘You have not increased upon the strength of my-asws words, and you claim that the heart understand the things and recognises them after the going away of the senses and their deaths, then how can you deny that the heart understand the things and it is awake, its senses having been gathered to it, and what is that which makes it recognise, after the death of the senses, and it (heart) can neither hear nor see?
وَ لَكُنْتَ حَقِيقاً أَنْ لَا تُنْكِرَ لَهُ الْمَعْرِفَةَ وَ حَوَاسُّهُ حَيَّةٌ مُجْتَمِعَةٌ إِذَا أَقْرَرْتَ أَنَّهُ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الِامْرَأَةِ بَعْدَ ذَهَابِ حَوَاسِّهِ حَتَّى نَكَحَهَا وَ أَصَابَ لَذَّتَهُ مِنْهَا فَيَنْبَغِي لِمَنْ يَعْقِلُ حَيْثُ وَصَفَ الْقَلْبَ بِمَا وَصَفَهُ بِهِ مِنْ مَعْرِفَتِهِ بِالْأَشْيَاءِ وَ الْحَوَاسُّ ذَاهِبَةٌ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ أَنَّ الْقَلْبَ مُدَبِّرُ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ مَالِكُهَا وَ رَائِسُهَا وَ الْقَاضِي عَلَيْهَا
But the reality is that, you cannot deny there being for it, the recognition, and its senses being alive, gathered, when you accept that he looks at the woman after the going away of his senses until he copulates with her and attains its pleasure from it. Therefore, it is befitting for one to understand where the heart is described with what I-asws have described with it, from its recognition of the things, and the senses are gone, that he recognises that the heart is a manager of the senses and its owner and its ruler, and the decider upon it.
فَإِنَّهُ مَا جَهِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَمَا يَجْهَلُ أَنَّ الْيَدَ لَا تَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْعَيْنِ أَنْ تَقْلَعَهَا وَ لَا عَلَى اللِّسَانِ أَنْ تَقْطَعَهُ وَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ يَقْدِرُ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْحَوَاسِّ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْجَسَدِ شَيْئاً بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ الْقَلْبِ وَ دَلَالَتِهِ وَ تَدْبِيرِهِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى جَعَلَ الْقَلْبَ مُدَبِّراً لِلْجَسَدِ
It is so, whatever the human being may be ignorant of a thing, he is not ignorant of the fact that the hand is not able upon (function of) the eye if it is uprooted, nor upon the (function) of the tongue if it is cut off, and it is that it isn’t able upon anything from the (functions of) the senses that it should do anything with anything from the body without the permission of the heart and its evidence and its management, because Allah-azwj Blessed and Exalted Made the heart to be a manager of the body.
بِهِ يَسْمَعُ وَ بِهِ يُبْصِرُ وَ هُوَ الْقَاضِي وَ الْأَمِيرُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا يَتَقَدَّمُ الْجَسَدُ إِنْ هُوَ تَأَخَّرَ وَ لَا يَتَأَخَّرُ إِنْ هُوَ تَقَدَّمَ وَ بِهِ سَمِعَتِ الْحَوَاسُّ وَ أَبْصَرَتْ إِنْ أَمَرَهَا ائْتَمَرَتْ وَ إِنْ نَهَاهَا انْتَهَتْ وَ بِهِ يَنْزِلُ الْفَرَحُ وَ الْحَزَنُ وَ بِهِ يَنْزِلُ الْأَلَمُ إِنْ فَسَدَ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْحَوَاسِّ بَقِيَ عَلَى حَالِهِ وَ إِنْ فَسَدَ الْقَلْبُ ذَهَبَ جَمِيعاً حَتَّى لَا يَسْمَعُ وَ لَا يُبْصِرُ
By it, he hears, and by it he sees, and it is the judge and the commander upon him. The body cannot go forward if it delays it, nor can he delay if it precedes, and by it the senses hear and see. It orders, they obey, and if it forbids, they refrain. And by it descend the happiness and the grief, and by it descends the pain. If something from the senses is spoilt, it (heart) would remain upon its state, but if the heart spoils, they all go away until he can neither hear nor see’.
قَالَ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَظُنُّكَ لَا تَتَخَلَّصُ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَ قَدْ جِئْتَ بِشَيْءٍ لَا أَقْدِرُ عَلَى رَدِّهِ قُلْتُ وَ أَنَا أُعْطِيكَ تَصَادِيقَ مَا أَنْبَأْتُكَ بِهِ وَ مَا رَأَيْتَ فِي مَنَامِكَ فِي مَجْلِسِكَ السَّاعَةَ قَالَ افْعَلْ فَإِنِّي قَدْ تَحَيَّرْتُ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ
He said, ‘I had thought that you-asws will not finish from these questions, and you-asws come with something I am not able upon refuting it’. I-asws said: ‘And I-asws shall give you its verification, what I-asws informed you with and what you seen in your dream, in this sitting of yours, now’. He said, ‘Do so, for I am confused in these questions’.
قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ تُحَدِّثُ نَفْسَكَ مِنْ تِجَارَةٍ أَوْ صِنَاعَةٍ أَوْ بِنَاءٍ أَوْ تَقْدِيرِ شَيْءٍ وَ تَأْمُرُ بِهِ إِذَا أَحْكَمْتَ تَقْدِيرَهُ فِي ظَنِّكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ أَشْرَكْتَ قَلْبَكَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْفِكْرِ شَيْئاً مِنْ حَوَاسِّكَ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ أَ فَلَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الَّذِي أَخْبَرَكَ بِهِ قَلْبُكَ حَقٌّ قَالَ الْيَقِينُ هُوَ فَزِدْنِي مَا يُذْهِبُ الشَّكَّ عَنِّي وَ يُزِيلُ الشُّبَهَ مِنْ قَلْبِي
I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws, do you discuss with yourself regarding a business, or a manufacture, or a building, or a determination of anything, and you go ahead with it when its determination orders you in your thoughts?’ (He said), ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘So, does your heart participate in that thought, anything from your senses?’ He said, ‘No’. I-asws said: ‘So, don’t you know that, that which informed your heart has with, is true?’ He said, ‘It is the certainty, but increase for me what would drive the doubt away from me and the suspicious would decline from my heart’.
– أَقُولُ ذَكَرَ السَّيِّدُ ابْنُ طَاوُسٍ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ رُوحَهُ فِي كِتَابِ النُّجُومِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةِ جُمْلَةً لَيْسَتْ فِيمَا عِنْدَنَا مِنَ النُّسَخِ فَلْنَذْكُرْهَا
I (Majlisi) say, ‘The Seyyid Ibn Tawous, may Allah Sanctify his soul, said in the book ‘Al Nujoum’, a summary from this correspondence there isn’t any copy among what is witih us, so let us mention it: –
قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ يَعْرِفُ أَهْلُ بِلَادِكَ عِلْمَ النُّجُومِ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَغَافِلٌ عَنْ عِلْمِ أَهْلِ بِلَادِي بِالنُّجُومِ قُلْتُ وَ مَا بَلَغَ مِنْ عِلْمِهِمْ بِهَا فَقَالَ إِنَّا نُخْبِرُكَ عَنْ عِلْمِهِمْ بِخَصْلَتَيْنِ تَكْتَفِي بِهِمَا عَمَّا سِوَاهُمَا قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي وَ لَا تُخْبِرْنِي إِلَّا بِحَقٍّ قَالَ بِدِينِي لَا أُخْبِرُكَ إِلَّا بِحَقٍّ وَ بِمَا عَايَنْتُ قُلْتُ هَاتِ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me, do the people of your city know the knowledge of the stars (astrology)?’ He said, ‘You-asws are ignorant about the knowledge of the people of my city about the stars!’ I-asws said: ‘And what have they reached (learnt) by their knowledge with it?’ He said, ‘We can tell you-asws about their knowledge being with two qualities, sufficing with these two from what is besides these’. I-asws said: ‘Tell me, and do not tell me except with truthfulness’. He said, ‘By my religion! I will not tell you except with truthfulness and with what I have witnessed’. I-asws said: ‘Give’.
قَالَ أَمَّا إِحْدَى الْخَصْلَتَيْنِ فَإِنَّ مُلُوكَ الْهِنْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُونَ إِلَّا الْخِصْيَانَ قُلْتُ وَ لِمَ ذَاكَ قَالَ لِأَنَّ لِكُلِّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مُنَجِّماً حَاسِباً فَإِذَا أَصْبَحَ أَتَى بَابَ الْمَلِكِ فَقَاسَ الشَّمْسَ وَ حَسَبَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا يَحْدُثُ فِي يَوْمِهِ ذَلِكَ وَ مَا حَدَثَ فِي لَيْلَتِهِ الَّتِي كَانَ فِيهَا فَإِنْ كَانَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ نِسَائِهِ قَارَفَتْ شَيْئاً يَكْرَهُهُ أَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ فُلَانٌ قَارَفَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا مَعَ فُلَانَةَ وَ يَحْدُثُ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ كَذَا وَ كَذَا
He said, ‘As for one of the two qualities, the kings of India are not taking except for the eunuchs’. I-asws said: ‘And why is that?’ He said, ‘Because for every man from them there is an astrologer calculating. When its morning, he comes to the door of the king and measures the sun and calculates, and informs him with what is to occur during that day of his, and had occurred during his night in which he was. And if a woman from his womenfolk had done something he dislikes, he (astrologer) tells him (king) and says, ‘So and so did such and such with so and so woman, and in this day, such and such would occur’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْخَصْلَةِ الْأُخْرَى قَالَ قَوْمٌ بِالْهِنْدِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْخَنَّاقِينَ عِنْدَكُمْ يَقْتُلُونَ النَّاسَ بِلَا سِلَاحٍ وَ لَا خَنْقٍ وَ يَأْخُذُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ قُلْتُ وَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ هَذَا قَالَ يَخْرُجُونَ مَعَ الرِّفْقَةِ وَ التُّجَّارِ بِقَدْرِ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الرَّجَّالَةِ فَيَمْشُونَ مَعَهُمْ أَيَّاماً لَيْسَ مَعَهُمْ سِلَاحٌ وَ يُحَدِّثُونَ الرِّجَالَ وَ يَحْسُبُونَ حِسَابَ كُلِّ رَجُلٍ مِنَ التُّجَّارِ فَإِذَا عَرَفَ أَجْمَعُهُمْ مَوْضِعَ النَّفْسِ مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ وَكَزَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ صَاحِبَهُ الَّذِي حَسَبَ بِهِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ فَيَقَعُ جَمِيعُ التُّجَّارِ مَوْتَى
I-asws said: ‘Tell me about the other quality’. He said, ‘There are a people in India at the status of the thieves. In their presence, the people get killed without weapons or strangulation, and they are taking their wealth’. I-asws said: ‘And how does this happen?’ He said, ‘They are going out with the friends and the traders of the same number, and they are walking with them for days, there not being any weapons with them, and the men are discussing and they are calculating a calculation of every man from the traders. So, when they recognise for all of them a place of the soul from his companion, each one of them nudges his companion who has been calculated with regarding that place, and the entirety of the traders fall down dead!’
قُلْتُ إِنَّ هَذَا أَرْفَعُ مِنَ الْبَابِ الْأَوَّلِ إِنْ كَانَ مَا تَقُولُ حَقّاً قَالَ أَحْلِفُ لَكَ بِدِينِي أَنَّهُ حَقٌّ وَ لَرُبَّمَا رَأَيْتُ بِبِلَادِ الْهِنْدِ قَدْ أُخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ وَ أُمِرَ بِقَتْلِهِ قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي كَيْفَ كَانَ هَذَا حَتَّى اطَّلَعُوا عَلَيْهِ قَالَ بِحِسَابِ النُّجُومِ
I-asws said: ‘This is higher than the first subject, if what you are saying was true!’ He said, ‘I swear an oath to you-asws with my religion, it is true, and sometimes I see in a city of India, some of them having been seized and ordered with him being killed’. I-asws said: ‘Tell me, how was this until they were notified upon it?’ He said, ‘By the calculation of the stars’.
قُلْتُ فَمَا سَمِعْتُ كَهَذَا عِلْماً قَطُّ وَ مَا أَشُكُّ أَنَّ وَاضِعَهُ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَنْ وَضَعَ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ الدَّقِيقَ الَّذِي لَا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ وَ لَا بِالْعُقُولِ وَ لَا بِالْفِكْرِ قَالَ حِسَابُ النُّجُومِ وَضَعَتْهُ الْحُكَمَاءُ وَ تَوَارَثَهُ النَّاسُ
I said, ‘I-asws have not heard of a knowledge like this at all, and I-asws doubt that the Wise, the Knower has Placed it. Tell me, who placed this knowledge of the obscure matter which can neither be realised by the senses nor by the intellects nor by the thinking?’ He said, ‘Calculations of the stars, the wise ones placed it and the people inherited it’.
قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ يَعْلَمُ أَهْلُ بِلَادِكَ عِلْمَ النُّجُومِ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَغَافِلٌ عَنْ عِلْمِ أَهْلِ بِلَادِي بِالنُّجُومِ فَلَيْسَ أَحَدٌ أَعْلَمَ بِذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي كَيْفَ وَقَعَ عِلْمُهُمْ بِالنُّجُومِ وَ هِيَ مِمَّا لَا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ وَ لَا بِالْفِكْرِ
I-asws said: ‘Do the people of your city know the knowledge of the stars?’ He said, ‘You-asws ignorant about the knowledge of the people of my city, for there isn’t anyone who is more knowing with that, than them’. I-asws said: ‘Tell me, how did their knowledge of the stars occur, and it is from what can neither be realised by the senses nor by the thoughts?’
قَالَ حِسَابٌ وَضَعَتْهُ الْحُكَمَاءُ وَ تَوَارَثَتْهُ النَّاسُ فَإِذَا سَأَلْتَ الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ قَاسَ الشَّمْسَ وَ نَظَرَ فِي مَنَازِلِ الشَّمْسِ وَ الْقَمَرِ وَ مَا لِلطَّالِعِ مِنَ النُّحُوسِ وَ مَا لِلْبَاطِنِ مِنَ السُّعُودِ ثُمَّ يَحْسُبُ وَ لَا يُخْطِئُ وَ يُحْمَلُ إِلَيْهِ الْمَوْلُودُ فَيَحْسُبُ لَهُ وَ يُخْبِرُ بِكُلِّ عَلَامَةٍ فِيهِ بِغَيْرِ مُعَايَنَةٍ وَ مَا هُوَ مُصِيبُهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ يَمُوتُ
He said, ‘A calculation, the wise ones placed it, and the people inherited it. So, when a man from them is asked about something, he measures the sun and looks into the stages of the sun and the moon, and what is noticed from the misfortunes, and what is hidden from the good fortune, then he calculates and does not err, and he is carried to it to the new born and he calculates for it and inform with all sings in him without being witnessed, and what is going to hit him up to the day it dies’.
قُلْتُ كَيْفَ دَخَلَ الْحِسَابُ فِي مَوَالِيدِ النَّاسِ قَالَ لِأَنَّ جَمِيعَ النَّاسِ إِنَّمَا يُولَدُونَ بِهَذِهِ النُّجُومِ وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَسْتَقِمْ هَذَا الْحِسَابُ فَمِنْ ثَمَّ لَا يُخْطِئُ إِذَا عَلِمَ السَّاعَةَ وَ الْيَوْمَ وَ الشَّهْرَ وَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي يُولَدُ فِيهَا الْمَوْلُودُ
I-asws said: ‘How can the calculation enter into the births of the people?’ He said, ‘Because the entirety of the people, rather are giving birth by these stars, and had it not been that, these calculations would not stand. Thus, from them he does not err, when he knows the time, and the day, and the month, and the year in which the new-born is to be born’.
قُلْتُ لَقَدْ تَوَصَّفْتَ عِلْماً عَجِيباً لَيْسَ فِي عِلْمِ الدُّنْيَا أَدَقُّ مِنْهُ وَ لَا أَعْظَمُ إِنْ كَانَ حَقّاً كَمَا ذَكَرْتَ يُعْرَفُ بِهِ الْمَوْلُودُ الصَّبِيُّ وَ مَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْعَلَامَاتِ وَ مُنْتَهَى أَجَلِهِ وَ مَا يُصِيبُهُ فِي حَيَاتِهِ أَ وَ لَيْسَ هَذَا حِسَاباً تُولَدُ بِهِ جَمِيعُ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا مَنْ كَانَ مِنَ النَّاسِ قَالَ لَا أَشُكُّ فِيهِ
I-asws said: ‘You have described a strange knowledge. There isn’t any knowledge of the world more accurate than it, nor greater, if it were true as you have mentioned. By it are recognise the birth of the child and whatever is in him from the signs, and the end point of his term, and what would be hitting him during his lifetime. Or, isn’t this a calculation by which are born the entirety of the inhabitants of the world, ones who are from the people?’ He said, ‘There is no doubt in it’.
قُلْتُ فَتَعَالَ نَنْظُرْ بِعُقُولِنَا كَيْفَ عَلِمَ النَّاسُ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ وَ هَلْ يَسْتَقِيمُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِبَعْضِ النَّاسِ إِذَا كَانَ جَمِيعُ النَّاسِ يُولَدُونَ بِهَذِهِ النُّجُومِ وَ كَيْفَ عَرَفَهَا بِسُعُودِهَا وَ نُحُوسِهَا وَ سَاعَاتِهَا وَ أَوْقَاتِهَا وَ دَقَائِقِهَا وَ دَرَجَاتِهَا وَ بَطِيئِهَا وَ سَرِيعِهَا وَ مَوَاضِعِهَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ مَوَاضِعِهَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ وَ دَلَالَتِهَا عَلَى غَامِضِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ الَّتِي وَصَفْتَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَ مَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ
I-asws said: ‘Come, let us consider with our intellects how the people know this knowledge, and is it correct that it happens for some of the people, when the entirety of the people are being born by these stars, and can its fortunes and misfortune be recognised, and its times, and its timings, and its minutes, and its levels, and its slowness, and its quickness, and its places from the sky, and its places beneath the earth, and its evidences upon these mysterious things which you described being in the sky, and what is below the earth.
فَقَدْ عَرَفْتَ أَنَّ بَعْضَ هَذِهِ الْبُرُوجِ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَ بَعْضَهَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ وَ كَذَلِكَ النُّجُومُ السَّبْعَةُ مِنْهَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مِنْهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ فَمَا يَقْبَلُ عَقْلِي أَنَّ مَخْلُوقاً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ قَدَرَ عَلَى هَذَا قَالَ وَ مَا أَنْكَرْتَ مِنْ هَذَا
I-asws have understood that some of these constellations are in the sky, and some of these are beneath the earth, and like that are the seven stars. From these are beneath the earth and from these are in the sky, therefore my-asws intellect does not accept that a creature from the inhabitants of the earth would be able upon this’. He said, ‘And what do you-asws deny from this?’
قُلْتُ إِنَّكَ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ جَمِيعَ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ إِنَّمَا يَتَوَالَدُونَ بِهَذِهِ النُّجُومِ فَأَرَى الْحَكِيمَ الَّذِي وَضَعَ هَذَا الْحِسَابَ بِزَعْمِكَ مِنْ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا وَ لَا شَكَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقاً أَنَّهُ وُلِدَ بِبَعْضِ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ وَ السَّاعَاتِ وَ الْحِسَابِ الَّذِي كَانَ قَبْلَهُ إِلَّا أَنْ تَزْعُمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْحَكِيمَ لَمْ يُولَدْ بِهَذِهِ النُّجُومِ كَمَا وُلِدَ سَائِرُ النَّاسِ قَالَ وَ هَلْ هَذَا الْحَكِيمُ إِلَّا كَسَائِرِ النَّاسِ
I-asws said: ‘You claimed that the entirety of the people of the earth are rather being born by these stars, and I-asws see the wise one who placed this calculation, by your allegation, from one of the people of the world, and there is no doubt that if you were truthful, that he would have been born by some of these stars, and the time, and the calculation which was before him (being born), unless if you are claiming that, that wise one was not born by these stars just as the rest of the people are being born’. He said, ‘And is this wise on except like the rest of the people?’
قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَدُلَّكَ عَقْلُكَ عَلَى أَنَّهَا قَدْ خُلِقْتَ قَبْلَ هَذَا الْحَكِيمِ الَّذِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهُ وَضَعَ هَذَا الْحِسَابَ وَ قَدْ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهُ وُلِدَ بِبَعْضِ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ قَالَ بَلَى
I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it befitting that your intellect should point you upon that it (calculation) has been created before this wise one who, you claim that he is the one who placed this calculation, and you have claimed that he was born by these stars?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ اهْتَدَى لِوَضْعِ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ وَ هَلْ هَذَا الْعِلْمُ إِلَّا مِنْ مُعَلِّمٍ كَانَ قَبْلَهُمَا وَ هُوَ الَّذِي أَسَّسَ هَذَا الْحِسَابَ الَّذِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهُ أَسَاسُ الْمَوْلُودِ وَ الْأَسَاسُ أَقْدَمُ مِنَ الْمَوْلُودِ وَ الْحَكِيمُ الَّذِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهُ وَضَعَ هَذَا إِنَّمَا يَتْبَعُ أَمْرَ مُعَلِّمٍ هُوَ أَقْدَمُ مِنْهُ وَ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُ مَوْلُوداً بِبَعْضِ هَذَا النُّجُومِ وَ هُوَ الَّذِي أَسَّسَ هَذِهِ الْبُرُوجَ الَّتِي وُلِدَ بِهَا غَيْرُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ
I-asws said: ‘Then how was he guided to place these stars? And is this knowledge except from a teacher who was before them, and he is the one who established this calculation which you claim, it establishes the birth, and the principles (of the calculation) are more ancient than the birth. And the wise on you claim that he placed this, is rather a follower of an instruction of a teacher who is more ancient than him, and he is the one whose was created by some of these stars, and he is the one who established these constellations by which others from the people who are born by it.
فَوَاضِعُ الْأَسَاسِ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ أَقْدَمَ مِنْهَا هَبْ أَنَّ هَذَا الْحَكِيمَ عُمِّرَ مُذْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا عَشَرَةَ أَضْعَافٍ هَلْ كَانَ نَظَرُهُ فِي هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ إِلَّا كَنَظَرِكَ إِلَيْهَا مُعَلَّقَةً فِي السَّمَاءِ أَ وَ تَرَاهُ كَانَ قَادِراً عَلَى الدُّنُوِّ مِنْهَا وَ هِيَ فِي السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ مَنَازِلَهَا وَ مَجَارِيَهَا نُحُوسَهَا وَ سُعُودَهَا وَ دَقَائِقَهَا وَ بِأَيَّتِهَا تَكْسِفُ الشَّمْسُ وَ الْقَمَرُ وَ بِأَيَّتِهَا يُولَدُ كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ وَ أَيُّهَا السَّعْدُ وَ أَيُّهَا النَّحْسُ وَ أَيُّهَا الْبَطِيءُ وَ أَيُّهَا السَّرِيعُ
So, the placer of the principles, it is befitting that he happens to be more ancient than these (principles). Supposing that this wise one has lived since the world existed, a multiple of ten, would his looking into these stars be except like your looking at these, hanging in the sky, or you see it as having been determined so, upon the nearness from it, and it is in the sky until one recognises its stages and its flows, its bad luck and its good luck, and its minutes, and which of these doe the sun and moon eclipse, and by which of these does every new-born get born, and which of it is the fortunate, and which of it is the unfortunate, and which of it is the slow, and which of it is the fast one.
ثُمَّ يَعْرِفَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ سُعُودَ سَاعَاتِ النَّهَارِ وَ نُحُوسَهَا وَ أَيُّهَا السَّعْدُ وَ أَيُّهَا النَّحْسُ وَ كَمْ سَاعَةٍ يَمْكُثُ كُلُّ نَجْمٍ مِنْهَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ وَ فِي أَيِّ سَاعَةٍ تَغِيبُ وَ أَيِّ سَاعَةٍ تَطْلُعُ وَ كَمْ سَاعَةً يَمْكُثُ طَالِعاً وَ فِي أَيِّ سَاعَةٍ تَغِيبُ
Then you would recognise, after that, the fortunes of a time of the day and its inauspiciousness, and which of it is the fortunate and which of it is the unfortunate, and how many hours would every start from it remain beneath the earth, and in which time it would set, and which time would it emerge, and how much it would remain emerged, and in which time it would disappear.
وَ كَمِ اسْتَقَامَ لِرَجُلٍ حَكِيمٍ كَمَا زَعَمْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا أَنْ يَعْلَمَ عِلْمَ السَّمَاءِ مِمَّا لَا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ وَ لَا يَقَعُ عَلَيْهِ الْفِكْرُ وَ لَا يَخْطُرُ عَلَى الْأَوْهَامِ وَ كَيْفَ اهْتَدَى أَنْ يَقِيسَ الشَّمْسَ حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ فِي أَيِّ بُرْجٍ وَ فِي أَيِّ بُرْجٍ الْقَمَرُ وَ فِي أَيِّ بُرْجٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ هَذِهِ السَّبْعَةُ السُّعُودُ وَ النُّحُوسُ وَ مَا الطَّالِعُ مِنْهَا وَ مَا الْبَاطِنُ
And how much would it stand for a wise man from the people of the world, as you claim, that he knows the knowledge of the sky from what he has not realised with the senses, and did his thought fall upon it, nor did he imagine in his mind, and how would he be guided to measure the sun until he understands in which constellation it is, and in which constellation is the moon, and in which constellation from the sky are there seven (stars), the fortunate and the unfortunate, and what is noticeable from these and what is hidden?
وَ هِيَ مُعَلَّقَةٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَ هُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ لَا يَرَاهَا إِذَا تَوَارَتْ بِضَوْءِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَزْعُمَ أَنَّ هَذَا الْحَكِيمَ الَّذِي وَضَعَ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ قَدْ رَقِيَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَ أَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْعَالِمَ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى هَذَا الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا بِمَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ لِأَنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ مِنْ عِلْمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ
And it is hanging in the sky, and he is from the people of the earth, not having seen it when it is covered by the light of the sun, except if you claim that this is the wise one who placed this knowledge had arisen to the sky, and I-asws testify that this scholar is not able upon this knowledge except with ones in the sky, because this isn’t from the knowledge of the people of the world’.
قَالَ مَا بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ أَحَداً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ رَقِيَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ قُلْتُ فَلَعَلَّ هَذَا الْحَكِيمَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ وَ لَمْ يَبْلُغْكَ قَالَ وَ لَوْ بَلَغَنِي مَا كُنْتُ مُصَدِّقاً
He said, ‘It has not reached me that anyone from the people of the earth has ever arisen to the sky’. I-asws said: ‘Perhaps this wise one did do that and it (news of that) did not reach you?’ He said, ‘And if it had reached me, I would not have ratified it’.
قُلْتُ فَأَنَا أَقُولُ قَوْلَكَ هَبْهُ رَقِيَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ هَلْ كَانَ لَهُ بُدٌّ مِنْ أَنْ يَجْرِيَ مَعَ كُلِّ بُرْجٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبُرُوجِ وَ نَجْمٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ إِلَى حَيْثُ يَغِيبُ ثُمَّ يَعُودَ إِلَى الْآخَرِ حَتَّى يَفْعَلَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ عَلَى آخِرِهَا فَإِنَّ مِنْهَا مَا يَقْطَعُ السَّمَاءَ فِي ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً وَ مِنْهَا مَا يَقْطَعُ دُونَ ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘And I-asws (also) speak your words. Supposing he had arisen to the sky, would it have been inevitable for him that he flows with every constellation from these constellations, and a star from these stars from where he would be notified to where it sets, then he would return to another, until he does the like of that, to the extent that he comes to the last of it? For, from these is what cuts across the sky in thirty years, and from these is what cuts across less than that.
وَ هَلْ كَانَ لَهُ بُدٌّ مِنْ أَنْ يَجُولَ فِي أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ مَطَالِعَ السُّعُودِ مِنْهَا وَ النُّحُوسِ وَ الْبَطِيءَ وَ السَّرِيعَ حَتَّى يُحْصِيَ ذَلِكَ أَوْ هَبْهُ قَدَرَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِمَّا فِي السَّمَاءِ هَلْ كَانَ يَسْتَقِيمُ لَهُ حِسَابُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى يُحْكِمَ حِسَابَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ مَا تَحْتَهَا وَ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ ذَلِكَ مِثْلَ مَا قَدْ عَايَنَ فِي السَّمَاءِ
And would it not be a must for him that he wanders in the horizons of the sky until he recognises the notification of the fortunate from these and the unfortunate, and the slow and the fast, until he counts that? Or, supposing he is able upon that until he is free from what is in the sky, would a calculation be correct for him, of what is in the sky until he relates the calculation of what is in the earth, and what it needs, and that he recognises that like what he had seen in the sky?
لِأَنَّ مَجَارِيَهَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَجَارِيهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى إِحْكَامِ حِسَابِهَا وَ دَقَائِقِهَا وَ سَاعَاتِهَا إِلَّا بِمَعْرِفَةِ مَا غَابَ عَنْهُ تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ مِنْهَا لِأَنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَعْرِفَ أَيَّ سَاعَةٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ يَطْلُعُ طَالِعُهَا وَ كَمْ يَمْكُثُ تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ وَ أَيَّةَ سَاعَةٍ مِنَ النَّهَارِ يَغِيبُ غَائِبُهَا لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُعَايِنُهَا وَ لَا مَا طَلَعَ مِنْهَا وَ لَا مَا غَابَ
Because its flowing beneath the earth is upon other than its flowing in the sky, he would not be able upon relating its calculation and its minutes, and its hours, except by recognising what is hidden from him beneath the earth, from these, because it is befitting that he recognises which time of the night does its emergence emerge, and how long does it remain beneath the earth, and which time of the day does its setting set, because he has not seen it, nor what emerges from these and what sets.
وَ لَا بُدَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَالِمُ بِهَا وَاحِداً وَ إِلَّا لَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ بِالْحِسَابِ أَ لَا تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْحَكِيمَ قَدْ دَخَلَ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرَضِينَ وَ الْبِحَارِ فَسَارَ مَعَ النُّجُومِ وَ الشَّمْسِ وَ الْقَمَرِ فِي مَجَارِيهَا عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا سَارَ فِي السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى عَلِمَ الْغَيْبَ مِنْهَا وَ عَلِمَ مَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا عَايَنَ مِنْهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
And it is inevitable that the world happens to be one with it, or else he would not benefit with the calculation, unless you claim that, that wise one has entered into the darkness of the firmaments, and the oceans, and travelled along with the stars, and the sun, and the moon in its flows upon a measurement of he had travelled in the sky, until he knows the hidden from these, and knows what is beneath the earth upon a measurement of what he had seen from these in the sky’.
قَالَ وَ هَلْ أَرَيْتَنِي أَجَبْتُكَ إِلَى أَنَّ أَحَداً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ رَقِيَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَ قَدَرَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى أَقُولَ إِنَّهُ دَخَلَ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرَضِينَ وَ الْبُحُورِ
He said, ‘And do you-asws see me answering you to (say) that someone from the people of the earth had arisen to the sky and was able upon that, until I say he had entered into the darkness of the firmaments and the oceans?’
قُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ وَقَعَ هَذَا الْعِلْمُ الَّذِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ الْحُكَمَاءَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَضَعُوهُ وَ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كُلَّهُمْ مَوْلُودُونَ بِهِ وَ كَيْفَ عَرَفُوا ذَلِكَ الْحِسَابَ وَ هُوَ أَقْدَمُ مِنْهُمْ
I-asws said: ‘Then how did this knowledge occur, which you claim that the wise ones from the people had placed it, and that the people, all of them are being born by it, and how did they understand that calculation, and it is more ancient than them?’’
أقول: في نسخة السيد ابن طاووس هنها زيادة:
I (Majlisi) am saying, ‘In the copy of Al-Seyyid Ibn Tawoos, there is more over here’.
قَالَ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ قُلْتُ لَكَ إِنَّ الْبُرُوجَ لَمْ تَزَلْ وَ هِيَ الَّتِي خَلَقَتْ أَنْفُسَهَا عَلَى هَذَا الْحِسَابِ مَا الَّذِي تَرُدُّ عَلَيَ قُلْتُ أَسْأَلُكَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ بَعْضُهَا سَعْداً وَ بَعْضُهَا نَحْساً وَ بَعْضُهَا مُضِيئاً وَ بَعْضُهَا مُظْلِماً وَ بَعْضُهَا صَغِيراً وَ بَعْضُهَا كَبِيراً
He said, ‘What is your-asws view, if I were to say to you-asws, ‘The constellation does not decline, and it is which created itself upon this calculation, that which you-asws are refuting upon me?’ I-asws said: ‘I-asws ask you, how did some of them happen to be fortunate, and some of these unfortunate, and some of these illuminative, and some of these dark, and some of these small, and some of these large?’
قَالَ كَذَلِكَ أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَكُونَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ النَّاسِ فَإِنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ جَمِيلٌ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ قَبِيحٌ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ قَصِيرٌ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ طَوِيلٌ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ أَبْيَضُ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ أَسْوَدُ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ صَالِحٌ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ طَالِحٌ
He said, ‘Like that, it wanted to become at the status of the people, for some of them are beautiful, and some of them ugly, and some of them short, and some of them long, and some of them white, and some of them black, and some of them righteous, and some of them wicked’.
قُلْتُ فَالْعَجَبُ مِنْكَ إِنِّي أُرَاوِدُكَ مُنْذُ الْيَوْمِ عَلَى أَنْ تُقِرَّ بِصَانِعٍ فَلَمْ تُجِبْنِي إِلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى كَانَ الْآنَ أَقْرَرْتَ بِأَنَّ الْقِرَدَةَ وَ الْخَنَازِيرَ خَلَقْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ قَالَ لَقَدْ بَهَتَّنِي بِمَا لَمْ يَسْمَعِ النَّاسُ مِنِّي قُلْتُ أَ فَمُنْكِرٌ أَنْتَ لِذَلِكَ قَالَ أَشَدَّ إِنْكَارٍ
I-asws said: ‘It is strange from you! I-asws have been propositioning you since today upon that you should accept there being a Maker, but you did not answer me to that, until now you accept that the monkeys and the pigs created themselves!’ He said, ‘You have accused me with what the people have not heard from me!’ I-asws said: ‘So are you a denier of that?’ He said, ‘(With the) strongest of denial’.
قُلْتُ فَمَنْ خَلَقَ الْقِرَدَةَ وَ الْخَنَازِيرَ إِنْ كَانَ النَّاسُ وَ النُّجُومُ خَلَقْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ فَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ أَنْ تَقُولَ إِنَّهُنَّ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ أَوْ خَلَقْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ أَ فَتَقُولُ إِنَّهَا مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ قَالَ لَا
I-asws said: ‘Who created the monkeys and the pigs, if it was so that the people and the stars created themselves? There is no escape from you saying, ‘These are from the creation of the people, or they created themselves’. So, are you saying that these are from the creation of the people?’ He said, ‘No’.
قُلْتُ فَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهَا خَالِقٌ أَوْ هِيَ خَلَقَتْ أَنْفُسَهَا فَإِنْ قُلْتَ إِنَّهَا مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ أَقْرَرْتَ أَنَّ لَهَا خَالِقاً فَإِنْ قُلْتَ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهَا خَالِقٌ فَقَدْ صَدَقْتَ وَ مَا أَعْرَفَنَا بِهِ وَ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ إِنَّهُنَّ خَلَقْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ فَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتَنِي فَوْقَ مَا طَلَبْتُ مِنْكَ مِنَ الْإِقْرَارِ بِصَانِعٍ
I-asws said: ‘Then it is inevitable that there happens to be a Creator for these, or these are creator of their own selves. If you were to say these are from the creation of the people, you would be accepting that there is a Creator for these; and if you were to say that it is inevitable that there happens to be a Creator for these, then would have spoken the truth, and what we-asws recognise with it; and if you were to say they created themselves, then you have given me above what I-asws sought from you, from the acceptance of there being a Maker’.
ثُمَّ قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بَعْضُهُنَّ قَبْلَ بَعْضٍ خَلَقْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ أَمْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي يَوْمٍ وَاحِدٍ فَإِنْ قُلْتَ بَعْضُهُنَّ قَبْلَ بَعْضٍ فَأَخْبِرْنِي السَّمَاوَاتُ وَ مَا فِيهِنَّ وَ النُّجُومُ قَبْلَ الْأَرْضِ وَ الْإِنْسِ وَ الذَّرِّ خُلِقْنَ أَمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَإِنْ قُلْتَ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ قَبْلُ أَ فَلَا تَرَى قَوْلَكَ إِنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ لَمْ تَزَلْ قَدْ بَطَلَ حَيْثُ كَانَتِ السَّمَاءُ بَعْدَ الْأَرْضِ
Then I-asws said: ‘Tell me, were some of them created before others, of was that in one day? If you say some of them were before others, then tell me (about) the skies and whatever is within them, and the stars were before the earth and the human being, and the particles were created or after that? If you say that the earth was before, do you not see your word that the things do not decline, has been invalidated where the sky was after the earth?’
قَالَ بَلَى وَ لَكِنْ أَقُولُ مَعاً جَمِيعاً خُلِقْنَ قُلْتُ أَ فَلَا تَرَى أَنَّكَ قَدْ أَقْرَرْتَ أَنَّهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ شَيْئاً قَبْلَ أَنْ خُلِقْنَ وَ قَدْ أَذْهَبْتَ حُجَّتَكَ فِي الْأَزَلِيَّةِ
He said, ‘Yes, but I am saying, ‘They were created altogether’. I-asws said: ‘Do you not see that you have accepted that these did not happen to be anything before their creation, and your argument regarding the eternality has gone?’
قَالَ إِنِّي لَعَلَى حَدِّ وُقُوفٍ مَا أَدْرِي مَا أُجِيبُكَ فِيهِ لِأَنِّي أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الصَّانِعَ إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ صَانِعاً لِصِنَاعَتِهِ وَ الصِّنَاعَةُ غَيْرُ الصَّانِعِ وَ الصَّانِعُ غَيْرُ الصِّنَاعَةِ لِأَنَّهُ يُقَالُ لِلرَّجُلِ الْبَانِي لِصِنَاعَتِهِ الْبَنَّاءُ وَ الْبِنَاءُ غَيْرُ الْبَانِي وَ الْبَانِي غَيْرُ الْبِنَاءِ وَ كَذَلِكَ الْحَارِثُ غَيْرُ الْحَرْثِ وَ الْحَرْثُ غَيْرُ الْحَارِثِ
He said, ‘Perhaps I am at a limit of pausing, not knowing what I should answer you-asws with regards to it, because I know that the maker has rather been names as a maker due to his making, and the made is other than the maker, and the maker is other than the made, because it is said for the man, ‘He is the builder of his making the building’, and the building is other than the builder, and the builder is other than the building, and similar to that, the farmer is other than the farm, and the farm is other than the farmer’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِكَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ خَلَقُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَبِكَمَالِهِمْ خَلَقُوهَا أَرْوَاحَهُمْ وَ أَجْسَادَهُمْ وَ صُوَرَهُمْ وَ أَنْفَاسَهُمْ أَمْ خَلَقَ بَعْضَ ذَلِكَ غَيْرُهُمْ قَالَ بِكَمَالِهِمْ لَمْ يَخْلُقْ ذَلِكَ وَ لَا شَيْئاً مِنْهُمْ غَيْرُهُمْ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me about your words, ‘The people are creating themselves’, are they creating themselves with completeness, their souls, and their bodies, and their faces, and their selves, or did other create part of that?’ He said, ‘With their completeness, and there is nothing from them of others’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي الْحَيَاةُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمِ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ أَ وَ تَشُكُّ أَنَّهُ لَا شَيْءَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ وَ لَا أَبْغَضُ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me, is the life more beloved to them or the death?’ He said, ‘Or, are you-asws doubting that there is a thing more beloved to them than the life, and more hateful to them than the death?’
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَنْ خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ أَنْفُسَهُمُ الَّتِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهُمْ خَلَقُوهَا فَإِنَّكَ لَا تُنْكِرُ أَنَّ الْمَوْتَ غَيْرُ الْحَيَاةِ وَ أَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَذْهَبُ بِالْحَيَاةِ فَإِنْ قُلْتَ إِنَّ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ غَيْرُهُمْ فَإِنَّ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْحَيَاةَ وَ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ هُمُ الَّذِينَ خَلَقُوا الْمَوْتَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّ هَذَا لَمُحَالٌ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَ كَيْفَ خَلَقُوا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ إِنْ كَانُوا كَمَا زَعَمْتَ خَلَقُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ
I-asws said: ‘Inform me, who created the death which extracts their souls which you claim they created? For, you cannot deny that the death is other than the life, and it is the one, which goes away with the life. If you say, ‘The one who created the death is other than them’, then the one who created the death, he is the one who created the life; and if you say, They, are the ones who created the death for themselves’, that this is an impossibility from the word! And how come they created for themselves what they dislike, if they had, as you allege, created themselves?
هَذَا مَا يُسْتَنْكَرُ مِنْ ضَلَالِكَ إِنْ تَزْعُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ قَدَرُوا عَلَى خَلْقِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِكَمَالِهِمْ وَ أَنَّ الْحَيَاةَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ وَ خَلَقُوا مَا يَكْرَهُونَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ
This is what you will be denying from your straying if you claim that the people are able upon creating themselves with their completeness, and that the life is more beloved to them than the death, and they created what they are disliking for themselves!’
قَالَ مَا أَجِدُ وَاحِداً مِنَ الْقَوْلَيْنِ يَنْقَادُ لِي وَ لَقَدْ قَطَعْتَهُ عَلَيَّ قَبْلَ الْغَايَةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُ أُرِيدُهَا قُلْتُ دَعْنِي فَإِنَّ مِنَ الدُّخُولِ فِي أَبْوَابِ الْجَهَالاتِ مَا لَا يَنْقَادُ مِنَ الْكَلَامِ وَ إِنَّمَا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ مُعَلِّمِ هَذَا الْحِسَابِ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ عِلْمَ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ الْمُعَلَّقَةِ فِي السَّمَاءِ
He said, ‘I do not find one of the two words guiding for me, and it has been cut off upon me before the peak which I had wanted’. I-asws said: ‘Leave me-asws, for, from the entering into doors of the ignorance is what does not guide from the speech, and rather I-asws ask you about the teacher of this calculation which the people of the earth know, the knowledge of these stars hanging in the sky’’.
” اقول: رجعنا إلى ما في النسخ المشهورة:
I (Majlisi) am saying, ‘We return to what is in the well-known copy’.
قَالَ مَا أَجِدُ يَسْتَقِيمُ أَنْ أَقُولَ إِنَّ أَحَداً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ وَضَعَ عِلْمَ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ الْمُعَلَّقَةِ فِي السَّمَاءِ قُلْتُ فَلَا بُدَّ لَكَ أَنْ تَقُولَ إِنَّمَا عَلَّمَهُ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ بِأَمْرِ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مُدَبِّرُهُمَا قَالَ إِنْ قُلْتُ هَذَا فَقَدْ أَقْرَرْتُ لَكَ بِإِلَهِكَ الَّذِي تَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ
He said, ‘I do not find any correctness if I say, ‘One of the people of the earth placed the knowledge of these stars hanging in the sky’. I-asws said: ‘Then there is no escape for you that you should be saying, ‘But rather a Wise Knower Knows the affairs of the sky and the earth and their arrangement’. He said, ‘If I say this, then I have accepted to you-asws with your God Who you-asws claim is in the sky’.
قُلْتُ أَمَّا أَنَّكَ فَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتَنِي أَنَّ حِسَابَ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ حَقٌّ وَ أَنَّ جَمِيعَ النَّاسِ وُلِدُوا بِهَا قَالَ الشَّكُّ فِي غَيْرِ هَذَا قُلْتُ وَ كَذَلِكَ أَعْطَيْتَنِي أَنَّ أَحَداً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى أَنْ يَغِيبَ مَعَ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ وَ الشَّمْسِ وَ الْقَمَرِ فِي الْمَغْرِبِ حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ مَجَارِيَهَا وَ يَطْلُعَ مَعَهَا إِلَى الْمَشْرِقِ قَالَ الطُّلُوعُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ دُونَ هَذَا
I-asws said: ‘But you gave me that the calculation of these stars is true, and that the entirety of the people, are being born by it’. He said, ‘The doubt is in other than this’. I-asws said: ‘And similar to that, you gave me that one from the people of the earth is not able upon he disappears to be with these stars, and the sun, and the moon in the west until he recognises their flows, and emerges with these to the east’. He said, ‘The emergence to the sky is besides this’.
قُلْتُ فَلَا أَرَاكَ تَجِدُ بُدّاً مِنْ أَنْ تَزْعُمَ أَنَّ الْمُعَلِّمَ لِهَذَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ لَئِنْ قُلْتُ أَنْ لَيْسَ لِهَذَا الْحِسَابِ مُعَلِّمٌ لَقَدْ قُلْتُ إِذاً غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَ لَئِنْ زَعَمْتُ أَنَّ أَحَداً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ عَلَّمَ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَ مَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ لَقَدْ أَبْطَلْتُ لِأَنَّ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى عِلْمِ مَا وَصَفْتُ لَكَ مِنْ حَالِ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ وَ الْبُرُوجِ بِالْمُعَايَنَةِ وَ الدُّنُوِّ مِنْهَا فَلَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِأَنَّ عِلْمَ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا لَا يَكُونُ عِنْدَنَا إِلَّا بِالْحَوَاسِّ
I-asws said: ‘But, I-asws do not see you having any escape from claiming that the teacher of these (calculations) is from the sky’. He said, ‘If I were to say that there isn’t a teacher of these calculations, then I would have said other than the truth; and if I claim that one of the people of the earth knows what is in the sky and what is beneath the earth, then I would have been invalidated, because the people of the earth are not able upon know what I described to you-asws, from the states of these stars, and the constellation with the preview and being nearness from it. They are not able upon it because the knowledge of the people of the world cannot happen to be with us except through the senses.
وَ مَا يُدْرَكُ عِلْمُ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ الَّتِي وَصَفْتُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ لِأَنَّهَا مُعَلَّقَةٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَ مَا زَادَتِ الْحَوَاسُّ عَلَى النَّظَرِ إِلَيْهَا حَيْثُ تَطْلُعُ وَ حَيْثُ تَغِيبُ فَأَمَّا حِسَابُهَا وَ دَقَائِقُهَا وَ نُحُوسُهَا وَ سُعُودُهَا وَ بَطِيئُهَا وَ سَرِيعُهَا وَ خُنُوسُهَا وَ رُجُوعُهَا فَأَنَّى تُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ أَوْ يُهْتَدَى إِلَيْهَا بِالْقِيَاسِ
And what would make you-asws realise the knowledge of these stars which you-asws described with the senses, because these are hanging in the sky, and the senses do not go beyond the looking towards it, where it emerges and where it disappears. As for its calculation, and its minutes, and its inauspiciousness, and its fortunes, and its slowness, and its quickness, and its going and its coming back, so I realise by the senses or am guided to it by the measurement?’
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي لَوْ كُنْتَ مُتَعَلِّماً مُسْتَوْصِفاً لِهَذَا الْحِسَابِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تَسْتَوْصِفَهُ وَ تَتَعَلَّمَهُ أَمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ قَالَ مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ إِذْ كَانَتِ النُّجُومُ مُعَلَّقَةً فِيهَا حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا أَهْلُ الْأَرْضِ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me, if you were a learner of the description of these calculation from the people of the earth, would it be beloved to you that it be described to you and you learn it, or from the people of the sky?’ He said, ‘From the people of the sky, and the stars were hanging therein where the people of the earth do not know’.
قُلْتُ فَافْهَمْ وَ أَدِقَّ النَّظَرَ وَ نَاصِحْ نَفْسَكَ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ حَيْثُ كَانَ جَمِيعُ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا إِنَّمَا يُولَدُونَ بِهَذِهِ النُّجُومِ عَلَى مَا وَصَفْتَ فِي النُّحُوسِ وَ السُّعُودِ أَنَّهُنَّ كُنَّ قَبْلَ النَّاسِ قَالَ مَا أَمْتَنِعُ أَنْ أَقُولَ هَذَا
I-asws said: ‘Then, understand, and go in depth of the consideration, and advise yourself. Don’t you know that where the entirety of the people of the word were being born by these stars, upon what you described regarding the misfortune, and the fortune, these existed before the people?’ He said, ‘I am not saying no, that I should be saying this’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّ قَوْلَكَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَزَالُوا وَ لَا يَزَالُونَ قَدِ انْكَسَرَ عَلَيْكَ حَيْثُ كَانَتِ النُّجُومُ قَبْلَ النَّاسِ فَالنَّاسُ حَدَثٌ بَعْدَهَا وَ لَئِنْ كَانَتِ النُّجُومُ خُلِقَتْ قَبْلَ النَّاسِ مَا تَجِدُ بُدّاً مِنْ أَنْ تَزْعُمَ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ خُلِقَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَالَ وَ لِمَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ خُلِقَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ
I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it befitting for you that you learn that your words, ‘The people do not cease to be and will not cease to be’, has been broken upon you, where the stars are before the people, and the people occurred after these? And if the stars have been created before the people, you will not find an escape from claiming that the earth was created before them’. He said, ‘And why should I claim that the earth was created before them?’
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنِ الْأَرْضُ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِخَلْقِهِ فِرَاشاً وَ مِهَاداً مَا اسْتَقَامَ النَّاسُ وَ لَا غَيْرُهُمْ مِنَ الْأَنَامِ وَ لَا قَدَرُوا أَنْ يَكُونُوا فِي الْهَوَاءِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمْ أَجْنِحَةٌ قَالَ وَ مَا ذَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُمُ الْأَجْنِحَةُ إِذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُمْ مَعِيشَةٌ
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that if the earth did not Make the earth for His-azwj creatures as a bed and a cradle, the people would not be standing nor others from the animals, nor would they be able to exist in the air except if there happened to be wings for them?’ He said, ‘And what would the wings avail them when there did not happen to be a life for them?’
قُلْتُ فَفِي شَكٍّ أَنْتَ مِنْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ حَدَثٌ بَعْدَ الْأَرْضِ وَ الْبُرُوجِ قَالَ لَا وَ لَكِنْ عَلَى الْيَقِينِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ آتِيكَ أَيْضاً بِمَا تُبْصِرُهُ قَالَ ذَلِكَ أَنْفَى لِلشَّكِّ عَنِّي
I-asws said: ‘Are you still in doubt that the people occurred after the earth and the constellations?’ He said, ‘No, but upon the certainty from that’. I-asws said: ‘I-asws shall give you as well, that what you will see’. He said, ‘That would be a negation of the doubt from me’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الَّذِي تَدُورُ عَلَيْهِ هَذِهِ النُّجُومُ وَ الشَّمْسُ وَ الْقَمَرُ هَذَا الْفَلَكُ قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ قَدْ كَانَ أَسَاساً لِهَذِهِ النُّجُومِ قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ فَمَا أَرَى هَذِهِ النُّجُومَ الَّتِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهَا مَوَالِيدُ النَّاسِ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ وُضِعَتْ بَعْدَ هَذَا الْفَلَكِ لِأَنَّهُ بِهِ تَدُورُ الْبُرُوجُ وَ تَسْفُلُ مَرَّةً وَ تَصْعَدُ أُخْرَى
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that upon which these stars, and the sun, and the moon circle, this is the orbit?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘So, haven’t there been any principles for these stars?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘But, I-asws do not see these stars, which you claim are births of the people, except and these have been placed after this orbit, because by it rotate the constellations, and descend at a time and ascend at another time’.
قَالَ قَدْ جِئْتَ بِأَمْرٍ وَاضِحٍ لَا يُشْكِلُ عَلَى ذِي عَقْلٍ أَنَّ الْفَلَكَ الَّذِي تَدُورُ بِهِ النُّجُومُ هُوَ أَسَاسُهَا الَّذِي وُضِعَ لَهَا لِأَنَّهَا إِنَّمَا جَرَتْ بِهِ
He said, ‘You-asws have come with a clear matter, there is no doubt upon the one with intellect that the orbit by which circle the starts, it is its foundation which is placed for it, because, it rather flows by it’.
قُلْتُ أَقْرَرْتَ أَنَّ خَالِقَ النُّجُومِ الَّتِي يُولَدُ بِهَا النَّاسُ سُعُودُهُمْ وَ نُحُوسُهُمْ هُوَ خَالِقُ الْأَرْضِ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ خَلَقَهَا لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَرْءٌ قَالَ مَا أَجِدُ بُدّاً مِنْ إِجَابَتِكَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ يَدُلَّكَ عَقْلُكَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى خَلْقِ السَّمَاءِ إِلَّا الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ وَ الذَّرْءَ وَ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ وَ النُّجُومَ وَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ لَا السَّمَاءُ وَ مَا فِيهَا لَهَلَكَ ذَرْءُ الْأَرْضِ
I said, ‘Do you accept that the Creator of the stars, by which the people are born, making them fortunate and unfortunate, He-azwj is the Creator of the earth, because if He-azwj had not Created it, it would not have been a particle?’ He said, ‘I do not find an escape from answering you to that’. I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it befitting for you that your intellect should point you upon, no one is able upon creating the sky except the One-azwj Who Created the earth, and the particle, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and it is so that had it not been for the sky and whatever is in it, the particles of the earth would be destroyed’.
قَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ الْخَالِقَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَكٍّ لِأَنَّكَ قَدْ أَتَيْتَنِي بِحُجَّةٍ ظَهَرَتْ لِعَقْلِي وَ انْقَطَعَتْ بِهَا حُجَّتِي وَ مَا أَرَى يَسْتَقِيمُ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَاضِعُ هَذَا الْحِسَابِ وَ مُعَلِّمُ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ وَاحِداً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ لِأَنَّهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَ لَا مَعَ ذَلِكَ يَعْرِفُ مَا تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ مِنْهَا إِلَّا مُعَلِّمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ مِنْهَا
He said, ‘I testify that the Creator is one, from without a doubt, because you-asws have come to me with an argument appearing to my intellect, and cut off my arguments with it, and I do not see any correctness that the places of this calculation and teacher of these stars is one from the people of the earth, because these are in the sky, and along with that, he does not know what is beneath the earth from these except a teacher what is in the sky from these.
وَ لَكِنْ لَسْتُ أَدْرِي كَيْفَ سَقَطَ أَهْلُ الْأَرْضِ عَلَى هَذَا الْعِلْمِ الَّذِي هُوَ فِي السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى اتَّفَقَ حِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى مَا رَأَيْتَ مِنَ الدِّقَّةِ وَ الصَّوَابِ فَإِنِّي لَوْ لَمْ أَعْرِفْ مِنْ هَذَا الْحِسَابِ مَا أَعْرِفُهُ لَأَنْكَرْتُهُ وَ لَأَخْبَرْتُكَ أَنَّهُ بَاطِلٌ فِي بَدْءِ الْأَمْرِ فَكَانَ أَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ
But, I don’t know how the people of the earth fell upon this knowledge which it in the sky, until their calculations harmonised upon what you see from the precision and the correctness, for I, if I do not know from this calculation what I do know, I would deny it, and inform you-asws that it is false, in the beginning of the matter, so that would have been easier upon me’.
قُلْتُ فَأَعْطِنِي مَوْثِقاً إِنْ أَنَا أَعْطَيْتُكَ مِنْ قِبَلِ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ الَّتِي فِي يَدِكَ وَ مَا تَدَّعِي مِنَ الطِّبِّ الَّذِي هُوَ صِنَاعَتُكَ وَ صِنَاعَةُ آبَائِكَ حَتَّى يَتَّصِلَ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ وَ مَا يُشْبِهُهَا مِنَ الْأَدْوِيَةِ بِالسَّمَاءِ لَتُذْعِنَنَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَ لَتُنْصِفَنَّ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ لَكَ
I-asws said: ‘Give me-asws an authentication that I-asws gave you from the direction of this herb which is in your hands, and what you claim from the medicine, it is your manufacture, and a manufacture of your forefathers until the herb (Al-Ahleylijat) and what resembles it from the medicines are connected with the sky, yielding with the truth, and to cleanse from yourself’. He said, ‘That is for you’.
قُلْتُ هَلْ كَانَ النَّاسُ عَلَى حَالٍ وَ هُمْ لَا يَعْرِفُونَ الطِّبَّ وَ مَنَافِعَهُ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ وَ أَشْبَاهِهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ اهْتَدَوْا لَهُ قَالَ بِالتَّجْرِبَةِ وَ طُولِ الْمُقَايَسَةِ قُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ خَطَرَ عَلَى أَوْهَامِهِمْ حَتَّى هَمُّوا بِتَجْرِبَتِهِ وَ كَيْفَ ظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ مَصْلَحَةٌ لِلْأَجْسَادِ وَ هُمْ لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الْمَضَرَّةَ أَوْ كَيْفَ عَزَمُوا عَلَى طَلَبِ مَا لَا يَعْرِفُونَ مِمَّا لَا تَدُلُّهُمْ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوَاسُّ قَالَ بِالتَّجَارِبِ
I-asws said: ‘Were the people upon a state and they were not knowing the medication and its benefits from this herb and its like?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘Then, from where were they guided to it?’ He said, ‘By the experimentation and prolonged comparison’. I-asws said: ‘Then how did it occur upon their imaginations until they thought of experimenting with it? And how did they guess it is a correction for the bodies and they were not seeing in it except for the harm? Or how did they determine upon seeking what they were not knowing, from what the senses did not point them upon it?’ He said, ‘By the experimentation’.
قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ وَاضِعِ هَذَا الطِّبِّ وَ وَاصِفِ هَذِهِ الْعَقَاقِيرِ الْمُتَفَرِّقَةِ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ هَلْ كَانَ بُدٌّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ الَّذِي وَضَعَ ذَلِكَ وَ دَلَّ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْعَقَاقِيرِ رجل حكيم [رَجُلًا حَكِيماً] مِنْ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانِ قَالَ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ كَذَلِكَ وَ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَجُلًا حَكِيماً وَضَعَ ذَلِكَ وَ جَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ الْحُكَمَاءُ فَنَظَرُوا فِي ذَلِكَ وَ فَكَّرُوا فِيهِ بِعُقُولِهِمْ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me about the placing of this medicine and description of these medications sporadic between the east and the west, was it inevitable that the one who placed that would happen to have pointed upon these medications, be a wise man from one of the people of these cities?’ He said, ‘Inevitable it happened like that, and that a wise man happened to place that, and the wise ones gathered upon it and they considered regarding that and they thought with regards to it by their intellects’.
قُلْتُ كَأَنَّكَ تُرِيدُ الْإِنْصَافَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ وَ الْوَفَاءَ بِمَا أُعْطِيتَ مِنْ مِيثَاقِكَ فَأَعْلِمْنِي كَيْفَ عَرَفَ الْحَكِيمُ ذَلِكَ وَ هَبْهُ قَدْ عَرَفَ بِمَا فِي بِلَادِهِ مِنَ الدَّوَاءِ وَ الزَّعْفَرَانِ الَّذِي بِأَرْضِ فَارِسَ أَ تَرَاهُ اتَّبَعَ جَمِيعَ نَبَاتِ الْأَرْضِ فَذَاقَهُ شَجَرَةً شَجَرَةً حَتَّى ظَهَرَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘It is as if you want the fairness from yourself, and the loyalty with what I-asws have you from your agreement. Let me-asws know, how did the physician know that? And supposing he had known with what is in his city, from the cure, and the saffron which is in the land of Persia, do you see him pursuing the vegetation of the land and try out tree after tree until he became acquainted with the entirety of that?
وَ هَلْ يَدُلُّكَ عَقْلُكَ عَلَى أَنَّ رِجَالًا حُكَمَاءَ قَدَرُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَتَّبِعُوا جَمِيعَ بِلَادِ فَارِسَ وَ نَبَاتِهَا شَجَرَةً شَجَرَةً حَتَّى عَرَفُوا ذَلِكَ بِحَوَاسِّهِمْ وَ ظَهَرُوا عَلَى تِلْكَ الشَّجَرَةِ الَّتِي يَكُونُ فِيهَا خِلْطُ بَعْضِ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ الَّتِي لَمْ تُدْرِكْ حَوَاسُّهُمْ شَيْئاً مِنْهَا
And, does your intellect point you upon that wise men are able upon pursuing the entirety of the cities of Persia and its vegetation, tree after tree, until they recognise that with their senses, and be acquainted with that particular tree in which happens to be some ingredient for these medicines which their senses did not detect anything from these?
وَ هَبْهُ أَصَابَ تِلْكَ الشَّجَرَةَ بَعْدَ بَحْثِهِ عَنْهَا وَ تَتَبُّعِهِ جَمِيعَ شَجَرِ فَارِسَ وَ نَبَاتِهَا كَيْفَ عَرَفَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَكُونُ دَوَاءٌ حَتَّى يَضُمَّ إِلَيْهِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَ مِنَ الْهِنْدِ وَ الْمَصْطَكَى مِنَ الرُّومِ وَ الْمِسْكَ مِنَ التُّبَّتِ وَ الدَّارْصِينِيَّ مِنَ الصِّينِ وَ خُصَى بِيدَسْتَرَ مِنَ التُّرْكِ وَ الْأَفْيُونَ مِنْ مِصْرَ وَ الصَّبِرَ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ وَ الْبُورَقَ مِنْ إرمنية [إِرْمِينِيَّةَ] وَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَخْلَاطِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ الَّتِي تَكُونُ فِي أَطْرَافِ الْأَرْضِ
And supposing they hit that very tree after searching for it and pursuing the entirety of the trees of Persia and its vegetation, recognise that it does not happen to be a cure until the Al-Ahleylajat herb from India is pressed to it, and the mastic from Rome, and the Musk from Tibet, and Al-Darsiny from China, and Khasy Beydastar from Turkey, and the opium from Egypt, and the aloe from Yemen, and borax from Armenia, and other than that from the ingredients of the medicines which happen to be in the regions of the earth?
وَ كَيْفَ عَرَفَ أَنَّ بَعْضَ تِلْكَ الْأَدْوِيَةِ وَ هِيَ عَقَاقِيرُ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ يَكُونُ الْمَنْفَعَةُ بِاجْتِمَاعِهَا وَ لَا يَكُونُ مَنْفَعَتُهَا فِي الْحَالاتِ بِغَيْرِ اجْتِمَاعٍ أَمْ كَيْفَ اهْتَدَى لِمَنَابِتِ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ وَ هِيَ أَلْوَانٌ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ وَ عَقَاقِيرُ مُتَبَايِنَةٌ فِي بُلْدَانٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ
And how did they know that those cures, and it is different medications, happen to be beneficial by its collection, and cannot happen to be beneficial in the states without a gathering? Of, how were they guided to adapt to these drugs, and these are different types and medicines growing in scattered cities?
فَمِنْهَا عُرُوقٌ وَ مِنْهَا لِحَاءٌ وَ مِنْهَا وَرَقٌ وَ مِنْهَا ثَمَرٌ وَ مِنْهَا عَصِيرٌ وَ مِنْهَا مَائِعٌ وَ مِنْهَا صَمْغٌ وَ مِنْهَا دُهْنٌ وَ مِنْهَا مَا يُعْصَرُ وَ يُطْبَخُ وَ مِنْهَا مَا يُعْصَرُ وَ لَا يُطْبَخُ مِمَّا سُمِّيَ بِلُغَاتٍ شَتَّى لَا يُصْلَحُ بَعْضُهَا إِلَّا بِبَعْضٍ وَ لَا يَصِيرُ دَوَاءً إِلَّا بِاجْتِمَاعِهَا وَ مِنْهَا مَرَائِرُ السِّبَاعِ وَ الدَّوَابِّ الْبَرِّيَّةِ وَ الْبَحْرِيَّةِ
From these are roots, and from these are crusts, and from these are leaves, and from these are fruits, and from these are juices, and from these are waters, and from these are gums, and from these are oils. And, from these are what can be squeezed and cooked, and from these are what can neither be squeezed nor cooked, from what have been named in various languages. Some of these are not correct except with some, nor can the cure come to be, except by their gathering. And, from these are sediments of the predators and the animals of the land and the sea.
وَ أَهْلُ هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانِ مَعَ ذَلِكَ مُتَعَادُونَ مُخْتَلِفُونَ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ بِاللُّغَاتِ مُتَغَالِبُونَ بِالْمُنَاصَبَةِ وَ مُتَحَارِبُونَ بِالْقَتْلِ وَ السَّبْيِ أَ فَتَرَى ذَلِكَ الْحَكِيمَ تَتَبَّعَ هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانَ حَتَّى عَرَفَ كُلَّ لُغَةٍ وَ طَافَ كُلَّ وَجْهٍ وَ تَتَبَّعَ هَذِهِ الْعَقَاقِيرَ مَشْرِقاً وَ مَغْرِباً آمِناً صَحِيحاً لَا يَخَافُ وَ لَا يَمْرَضُ سَلِيماً لَا يَعْطَبُ حَيّاً لَا يَمُوتُ هَادِياً لَا يَضِلُّ قَاصِداً لَا يَجُورُ حَافِظاً لَا يَنْسَى نَشِيطاً لَا يَمَلُّ حَتَّى عَرَفَ وَقْتَ أَزْمِنَتِهَا وَ مَوَاضِعَ مَنَابِتِهَا مَعَ اخْتِلَاطِهَا وَ اخْتِلَافِ صِفَاتِهَا وَ تَبَايُنِ أَلْوَانِهَا وَ تَفَرُّقِ أَسْمَائِهَا ثُمَّ وَضَعَ مِثَالَهَا عَلَى شِبْهِهَا وَ صِفَتِهَا ثُمَّ وَصَفَ كُلَّ شَجَرَةٍ بِنَبَاتِهَا وَ وَرَقِهَا وَ ثَمَرِهَا وَ رِيحِهَا وَ طَعْمِهَا
And the people of these cities, along with that, are strangers, different, separated by the languages, overwhelmed with the hostilities, warring with the killing and the capture of prisoners. Do you see that wise one pursuing these cities until he know every language and circle every surface, and pursue these medicines, east (and) west, safely, healthy, not fearing nor becoming sick, sound, intact, living not dying, being guided not straying, intending, not exceeding, memorising, not forgetting, active, not being weary, until he knows a time of his stumbling, and places of their origins along with its mixing and different description, and diversity of colour and different names of theirs then, he places its like upon the resemblance of its description, then described every tree growing, and its leaves, and its fruits, and its smell, and its tastes?
أَمْ هَلْ كَانَ لِهَذَا الْحَكِيمِ بُدٌّ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَّبِعَ جَمِيعَ أَشْجَارِ الدُّنْيَا وَ بُقُولِهَا وَ عُرُوقِهَا شَجَرَةً شَجَرَةً وَ وَرَقَةً وَرَقَةً شَيْئاً شَيْئاً فَهَبْهُ وَقَعَ عَلَى الشَّجَرَةِ الَّتِي أَرَادَ فَكَيْفَ دَلَّتْهُ حَوَاسُّهُ عَلَى أَنَّهَا تُصْلِحُ لِدَوَاءٍ وَ الشَّجَرُ مُخْتَلِفٌ مِنْهُ الْحُلْوُ وَ الْحَامِضُ وَ الْمُرُّ وَ الْمَالِحُ
Or was there for this physician any escape from pursuing the entirety of the trees of the world, and its vegetables, and its roots, tree after tree, and leaf after leaf, a thing after a thing? Supposing he falls upon the tree, which he intends, then how would his senses point him upon that it is correct for the medicine, and the different tree from it is the sweet, and the sour, and the bitter, and the salty.
وَ إِنْ قُلْتَ يَسْتَوْصِفُ فِي هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانِ وَ يَعْمَلُ بِالسُّؤَالِ فَأَنَّى يَسْأَلُ عَمَّا لَمْ يُعَايِنْ وَ لَمْ يُدْرِكْهُ بِحَوَاسِّهِ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَهْتَدِي إِلَى مَنْ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ تِلْكَ الشَّجَرَةِ وَ هُوَ يُكَلِّمُهُ بِغَيْرِ لِسَانِهِ وَ بِغَيْرِ لُغَتِهِ وَ الْأَشْيَاءُ كَثِيرَةٌ فَهَبْهُ فَعَلَ كَيْفَ عَرَفَ مَنَافِعَهَا وَ مَضَارَّهَا وَ تَسْكِينَهَا وَ تَهْيِيجَهَا وَ بَارِدَهَا وَ حَارَّهَا وَ حُلْوَهَا وَ مَرَارَتَهَا وَ حَرَافَتَهَا وَ لَيِّنَهَا وَ شَدِيدَهَا
And if you say, ‘These were described in these cities and he worked by the asking’, then I-asws ask why he did not witness it and did not realise it by his senses? Or, how was he guided to the one who asked him about that very tree, and he was speaking to him with another tongue, and another language, and the things are numerous? Supposing he does, how would he know its benefits and its harms, and its calmness and its irritation, and its coldness and its warmth, and its sweetness and its bitterness and its acridity, and its softness and its harshness?
فَلَئِنْ قُلْتَ بِالظَّنِّ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَا يُدْرَكُ وَ لَا يُعْرَفُ بِالطَّبَائِعِ وَ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ بِالتَّجْرِبَةِ وَ الشُّرْبِ لَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَمُوتَ فِي أَوَّلِ مَا شَرِبَ وَ جَرَّبَ تِلْكَ الْأَدْوِيَةَ بِجَهَالَتِهِ بِهَا وَ قِلَّةِ مَعْرِفَتِهِ بِمَنَافِعِهَا وَ مَضَارِّهَا وَ أَكْثَرُهَا السَّمُّ الْقَاتِلُ
If you were to say, ‘By the guesswork’, and that would be from what can neither be realised nor known with the nature and the senses. And if you were to say, ‘By the experimentation and the drinking, then it would have been befitting for him that he dies in the first of what he drank and tried those medicines due to his ignorance with these, and the scarcity of his understanding it of its benefits and its harms, and most of these are killer poisons.
وَ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ بَلْ طَافَ فِي كُلِّ بَلَدٍ وَ أَقَامَ فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ يَتَعَلَّمُ لُغَاتِهِمْ وَ يُجَرِّبُ بِهِمْ أَدْوِيَتَهُمْ تُقْتَلُ الْأَوَّلَ فَالْأَوَّلَ مِنْهُمْ مَا كَانَ لِتَبْلُغَ مَعْرِفَتُهُ الدَّوَاءَ الْوَاحِدَ إِلَّا بَعْدَ قَتْلِ قَوْمٍ كَثِيرٍ فَمَا كَانَ أَهْلُ تِلْكَ الْبُلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ قُتِلَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ قُتِلَ بِتَجْرِبَتِهِ بِالَّذِينَ يَنْقَادُونَهُ بِالْقَتْلِ وَ لَا يَدْعُونَهُ أَنْ يُجَاوِرَهُمْ
And if you were to say, ‘But, he circled in every city, and stood among every community to learn their languages and experimentation their medicines with them, he would be the first one killed, and the first of them who would have delivered the recognition of the one medicine, would be only after killing a lot of people. So, the people of that city whom he killed the ones he killed, would be those who would be holding him (responsible), and would they be inviting him to be their neighbour?
وَ هَبْهُ تَرَكُوهُ وَ سَلَّمُوا لِأَمْرِهِ وَ لَمْ يَنْهَوْهُ كَيْفَ قَوِيَ عَلَى خَلْطِهَا وَ عَرَفَ قَدْرَهَا وَ وَزْنَهَا وَ أَخَذَ مَثَاقِيلَهَا وَ قَرَطَ قَرَارِيطَهَا وَ هَبْهُ تَتَبَّعَ هَذَا كُلَّهُ وَ أَكْثَرُهُ سَمٌّ قَاتِلٌ إِنْ زِيدَ عَلَى قَدْرِهَا قَتَلَ وَ إِنْ نَقَصَ عَنْ قَدْرِهَا بَطَلَ وَ هَبْهُ تَتَبَّعَ هَذَا كُلَّهُ وَ جَالَ مَشَارِقَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مَغَارِبَهَا وَ طَالَ عُمُرُهُ فِيهَا تَتَّبَعَهُ شَجَرَةً شَجَرَةً وَ بُقْعَةً بُقْعَةً كَيْفَ كَانَ لَهُ تَتَبُّعُ مَا لَمْ يَدْخُلْ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَرَارَةِ الطَّيْرِ وَ السِّبَاعِ وَ دَوَابِّ الْبَحْرِ
And supposing they leave him, and submit to his instructions, and do not forbid him, how strong would he be upon its mixture, and know its measurement and its weight, and takes its proportions, and drops of its drops? And supposing he pursues all of this, and most of it is killer poison, that if he increases upon its measurement, it would kill, and if he reduces from its measurement, it would be invalidated. And, supposing he pursues all of this and wanders the east of the earth and its west, and his life is prolonged during it, pursuing tree after tree, and a spot after a spot, how would it have been for him to pursue what, there had not entered into it the droppings of the birds, and the wild animals, and the creatures of the sea?
هَلْ كَانَ بُدٌّ حَيْثُ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْحَكِيمَ تَتَبَّعَ عَقَاقِيرَ الدُّنْيَا شَجَرَةً شَجَرَةً وَ ثَمَرَةً ثَمَرَةً حَتَّى جَمَعَهَا كُلَّهَا فَمِنْهَا مَا لَا يُصْلَحُ وَ لَا يَكُونُ دَوَاءً إِلَّا بِالْمَرَارِ هَلْ كَانَ بُدٌّ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَّبِعَ جَمِيعَ طَيْرِ الدُّنْيَا وَ سِبَاعِهَا وَ دَوَابِّهَا دَابَّةً دَابَّةً وَ طَائِراً طَائِراً يَقْتُلُهَا وَ يُجَرِّبُ مَرَارَتَهَا كَمَا بَحَثَ عَنْ تِلْكَ الْعَقَاقِيرِ عَلَى مَا زَعَمْتَ بِالتَّجَارِبِ
Was it inevitable when you claim that, that physician pursued medicines of the world, tree after tree, fruit after fruit, until he gathered all of these and from these is what is not correct nor can it be a cure except with the droppings? Was it inevitable from him pursuing the entirety of the birds of the world and its wild animals, and its livestock, animal after animal, and a bird after a bird, killing these and experimenting their droppings, just as his searching about those medicines upon what you claimed, with the experimentation?
وَ لَوْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ فَكَيْفَ بَقِيَتِ الدَّوَابُّ وَ تَنَاسَلَتْ وَ لَيْسَتْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِذَا قُطِعَتْ شَجَرَةٌ نَبَتَتْ أُخْرَى وَ هَبْهُ أَتَى عَلَى طَيْرِ الدُّنْيَا كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ بِمَا فِي الْبَحْرِ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ الَّتِي كَانَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَتَّبِعَهَا بَحْراً بَحْراً وَ دَابَّةً دَابَّةً حَتَّى أَحَاطَ بِهِ كَمَا أَحَاطَ بِجَمِيعِ عَقَاقِيرِ الدُّنْيَا الَّتِي بَحَثَ عَنْهَا حَتَّى عَرَفَهَا وَ طَلَبَ ذَلِكَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْمَاءِ
And had it been that, then would come the insects remained and procreated, and these aren’t at the status of the tree, when a tree is cut, another one grows? And supposing, he came to a bird of the world, how would he deal with what is in the sea, from the creatures which would be befitting that he pursues it, ocean after ocean, until he covers it just as he had covered the entirety of the medicines of the world which he searched about until he knew it, and sought that in the depths of the water?
فَإِنَّكَ مَهْمَا جَهِلْتَ شَيْئاً مِنْ هَذَا فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَجْهَلُ أَنَّ دَوَابَّ الْبَحْرِ كُلَّهَا تَحْتَ الْمَاءِ فَهَلْ يَدُلُّ الْعَقْلُ وَ الْحَوَاسُّ عَلَى أَنَّ هَذَا يُدْرَكُ بِالْبَحْثِ وَ التَّجَارِبِ
So, you, whatever you may be ignorant of a thing from this, but you are not ignorant of the fact that the creatures of the sea, all of them are under the water, the does the intellect and the senses point upon that this can be realised by the searching and the experimentation?’
قَالَ لَقَدْ ضَيَّقْتَ عَلَيَّ الْمَذَاهِبَ فَمَا أَدْرِي مَا أُجِيبُكَ بِهِ قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي آتِيكَ بِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا هُوَ أَوْضَحُ وَ أَبْيَنُ مِمَّا اقْتَصَصْتُ عَلَيْكَ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْعَقَاقِيرَ الَّتِي مِنْهَا الْأَدْوِيَةُ وَ الْمَرَارَ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ وَ السِّبَاعِ لَا يَكُونُ دَوَاءً إِلَّا بَعْدَ الِاجْتِمَاعِ قَالَ هُوَ كَذَلِكَ
He said, ‘You-asws have constricted the doctrine upon me, and I do not know what to answer you-asws with’. I-asws said: ‘I-asws shall come to you with other than that from what is clearer and more explanatory from what I-asws related to you. Don’t you know that these medicines, those from which are the cures, and the droppings from the birds, and the predators, cannot happen to be a cure except after the combination?’ He said, ‘It is like that’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي كَيْفَ حَوَاسُّ هَذَا الْحَكِيمِ وَضَعَتْ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةَ مَثَاقِيلَهَا وَ قَرَارِيطَهَا فَإِنَّكَ مِنْ أَعْلَمِ النَّاسِ بِذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ صِنَاعَتَكَ الطِّبُّ وَ أَنْتَ تُدْخِلُ فِي الدَّوَاءِ الْوَاحِدِ مِنَ اللَّوْنِ الْوَاحِدِ زِنَةَ أَرْبَعِمِائَةِ مِثْقَالٍ وَ مِنَ الْآخَرِ مَثَاقِيلَ وَ قَرَارِيطَ فَمَا فَوْقَ ذَلِكَ وَ دُونَهُ حَتَّى يَجِيءَ بِقَدْرِ وَاحِدٍ مَعْلُومٍ إِذَا سَقَيْتَ مِنْهُ صَاحِبَ الْبِطْنَةِ بِمِقْدَارٍ عَقَدَ بَطْنَهُ وَ إِنْ سَقَيْتَ صَاحِبَ الْقُولَنْجِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ اسْتَطْلَقَ بَطْنُهُ وَ أَلَانَ فَكَيْفَ أَدْرَكَتْ حَوَاسُّهُ عَلَى هَذَا
I said, ‘Tell me, how did the senses of this physician place these cures, its weights and its drops? And you are the most knowledgeable of the people with that because of your manufacturing the medicines, and you enter into the one cure, from the one colour, a weight of four hundred weight, and from another weight and drops, what is above that and below, until it becomes one known measurement. When a person with bellyache drinks a measurement, it tightens his stomach, and if one with colitis drinks from that that, it releases his abdomen. So, how did his senses realise upon this?
أَمْ كَيْفَ عَرَفَتْ حَوَاسُّهُ أَنَّ الَّذِي يُسْقَى لِوَجَعِ الرَّأْسِ لَا يَنْحَدِرُ إِلَى الرِّجْلَيْنِ وَ الِانْحِدَارُ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الصُّعُودِ وَ الَّذِي يُسْقَى لِوَجَعِ الْقَدَمَيْنِ لَا يَصْعَدُ إِلَى الرَّأْسِ وَ هُوَ إِلَى الرَّأْسِ عِنْدَ السُّلُوكِ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُ وَ كَذَلِكَ كُلُّ دَوَاءٍ يُسْقَى صَاحِبَهُ لِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ لَا يَأْخُذُ إِلَّا طَرِيقَهُ فِي الْعُرُوقِ الَّتِي تُسْقَى لَهُ وَ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَصِيرُ إِلَى الْمَعِدَةِ وَ مِنْهَا يَتَفَرَّقُ
Or, how did his senses recognise that which he makes to drink for pain of the head would not rolled down to the two legs, and the rolling down is easier upon it from the ascending? And, that which is for the foot pain would not ascend to the head, and it is closer to the head in its travelling than it (the feet)?’ And, similar to that, every medicine a patient drinks for every organ, cannot be taken except in its way, in the veins which it is drunk for, and all that comes to the stomach, and from it, it disperses?
أَمْ كَيْفَ لَا يَسْفُلُ مِنْهُ مَا صَعِدَ وَ لَا يَصْعَدُ مِنْهُ مَا انْحَدَرَ أَمْ كَيْفَ عَرَفَتِ الْحَوَاسُّ هَذَا حَتَّى عَلِمَ أَنَّ الَّذِي يَنْبَغِي لِلْأُذُنِ لَا يَنْفَعُ الْعَيْنَ وَ مَا يَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ الْعَيْنُ لَا يُغْنِي مِنْ وَجَعِ الْأُذُنِ وَ كَذَلِكَ جَمِيعُ الْأَعْضَاءِ يَصِيرُ كُلُّ دَاءٍ مِنْهَا إِلَى ذَلِكَ الدَّوَاءِ الَّذِي يَنْبَغِي لَهُ بِعَيْنِهِ
Or, why doesn’t it go lower, what had ascended, nor ascend from it what had rolled down? Or how did the senses recognise this until he knew that, that which is befitting for the ear cannot benefit the eyes, and what the eyes benefit with cannot avail from the ear ache. And similar to that are the entirety of the body parts, every disease from that come to that medication which is befitting for it exactly?
فَكَيْفَ أَدْرَكَتِ الْعُقُولُ وَ الْحِكْمَةُ وَ الْحَوَاسُّ هَذَا وَ هُوَ غَائِبٌ فِي الْجَوْفِ وَ الْعُرُوقُ فِي اللَّحْمِ وَ فَوْقَهُ الْجِلْدُ لَا يُدْرَكُ بِسَمْعٍ وَ لَا بِبَصَرٍ وَ لَا بِشَمٍّ وَ لَا بِلَمْسٍ وَ لَا بِذَوْقٍ
The how can the intellects and the wisdom and the senses realise this, and it is hidden in the inside, and the veins are in the flesh, and above it is the skin, neither being realised by the hearing, nor with a sight, nor by smell, nor by touch, nor by taste?’
قَالَ لَقَدْ جِئْتَ بِمَا أَعْرِفُهُ إِلَّا أَنَّنَا نَقُولُ إِنَّ الْحَكِيمَ الَّذِي وَضَعَ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةَ وَ أَخْلَاطَهَا كَانَ إِذَا سَقَى أَحَداً شَيْئاً مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ فَمَاتَ شَقَّ بَطْنَهُ وَ تَتَبَّعَ عُرُوقَهُ وَ نَظَرَ مَجَارِيَ تِلْكَ الْأَدْوِيَةِ وَ أَتَى الْمَوَاضِعَ الَّتِي تِلْكَ الْأَدْوِيَةُ فِيهَا
He said, ‘You-asws have come with what I do recognise, except I am saying that the physician who placed these medicines and their genuineness, was, whenever he made anyone drink anything from these medications, and he died, so he split his belly and pursued his veins and looked at the flow of that medication, and came to the place which those medications were in’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الدَّوَاءَ كُلَّهُ إِذَا وَقَعَ فِي الْعُرُوقِ اخْتَلَطَ بِالدَّمِ فَصَارَ شَيْئاً وَاحِداً قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ أَ مَا تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ إِذَا خَرَجَتْ نَفْسُهُ بَرَدَ دَمُهُ وَ جَمَدَ قَالَ بَلَى
I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws, don’t you know that all of the medicines, when they fall in the veins, get mixed with the blood, and becomes one thing?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘But, do you know that the human being, when his souls exits, his blood becomes cold and solidifies?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ عَرَفَ ذَلِكَ الْحَكِيمُ دَوَاءَهُ الَّذِي سَقَاهُ لِلْمَرِيضِ بَعْدَ مَا صَارَ غَلِيظاً عَبِيطاً لَيْسَ بِأَمْشَاجٍ يُسْتَدَلُّ عَلَيْهِ بِلَوْنٍ فِيهِ غَيْرِ لَوْنِ الدَّمِ قَالَ لَقَدْ حَمَلْتَنِي عَلَى مَطِيَّةٍ صَعْبَةٍ مَا حُمِلْتُ عَلَى مِثْلِهَا قَطُّ وَ لَقَدْ جِئْتَ بِأَشْيَاءَ لَا أَقْدِرُ عَلَى رَدِّهَا
I-asws said: ‘And how did that physician know his medicines which he made the patient drink, after it had become thick, unwitnessed with being a mixture to point upon a colour in it, apart from the colour of the blood?’ He said, ‘You-asws have carried me upon a difficult rid, no one had carried upon the like of it at all, and you-asws have come with things I am not able upon refuting it’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمَ الْعِبَادُ مَا وَصَفْتَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ الَّتِي فِيهَا الْمَنَافِعُ لَهُمْ حَتَّى خَلَطُوهَا وَ تَتَبَّعُوا عَقَاقِيرَهَا فِي هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانِ الْمُتَفَرِّقَةِ وَ عَرَفُوا مَوَاضِعَهَا وَ مَعَادِنَهَا فِي الْأَمَاكِنِ الْمُتَبَايِنَةِ وَ مَا يَصْلُحُ مِنْ عُرُوقِهَا وَ زِنَتَهَا مِنْ مَثَاقِيلِهَا وَ قَرَارِيطِهَا وَ مَا يَدْخُلُهَا مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ وَ مِرَارِ السِّبَاعِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me, from where did the servants know what is described from these medicines wherein is the benefit for them until they mixed these and pursued its ingredients in these scattered cities, and they recognise its places and its mines in a combination of the places, and what is correct from its roots, and its weight, from its compounds and its drops, from it has entered into these from the (dust of the) rocks, and droppings of the wild animals, and other than that?’
قَالَ قَدْ أَعْيَيْتُ عَنْ إِجَابَتِكَ لِغُمُوضِ مَسَائِلِكَ وَ إِلْجَائِكَ إِيَّايَ إِلَى أَمْرٍ لَا يُدْرَكُ عِلْمُهُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ وَ لَا بِالتَّشْبِيهِ وَ الْقِيَاسِ وَ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَضَعَ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةَ وَاضِعٌ لِأَنَّهَا لَمْ تَضَعْ هِيَ أَنْفُسَهَا وَ لَا اجْتَمَعَتْ حَتَّى جَمَعَهَا غَيْرُهَا بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ إِيَّاهَا فَأَخْبِرْنِي كَيْفَ عَلِمَ الْعِبَادُ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةَ الَّتِي فِيهَا الْمَنَافِعُ حَتَّى خَلَطُوهَا وَ طَلَبُوا عَقَاقِيرَهَا فِي هَذِهِ الْبُلْدَانِ الْمُتَفَرِّقَةِ
He said, ‘I am tired of answering you-asws due to the subtlety of your-asws questions, and your-asws coming talking me to a matter, the knowledge of which cannot be realised by the senses, nor by the resemblances and the comparisons, and it is inevitable that the placing of these medicines be placed, because these did not place themselves, nor were these gathered until somebody else gathered these after recognising it, therefore, tell me, how did the servants know these medicines in which are the benefits until they mixed these and sought its ingredients in these scattered cities?’
قُلْتُ إِنِّي ضَارِبٌ لَكَ مَثَلًا وَ نَاصِبٌ لَكَ دَلِيلًا تَعْرِفُ بِهِ وَاضِعَ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةِ وَ الدَّالَّ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْعَقَاقِيرِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ وَ بَانِيَ الْجَسَدِ وَ وَاضِعَ الْعُرُوقِ الَّتِي يَأْخُذُ فِيهَا الدَّوَاءُ إِلَى الدَّاءِ قَالَ فَإِنْ قُلْتَ ذَلِكَ لَمْ أَجِدْ بُدّاً مِنَ الِانْقِيَادِ إِلَى ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘I-asws shall strike an example for you, and establish evidence for you to recognise by it, the placement of these medicines and the pointing upon these different ingredients, and the building of the body and identifying the veins in which the medicine is taken to the disease’. He said, ‘If you-asws were to say that, I would not find an escape from yielding to that’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَنْشَأَ حَدِيقَةً عَظِيمَةً وَ بَنَى عَلَيْهَا حَائِطاً وَثِيقاً ثُمَّ غَرَسَ فِيهَا الْأَشْجَارَ وَ الْأَثْمَارَ وَ الرَّيَاحِينَ وَ الْبُقُولَ وَ تَعَاهَدَ سَقْيَهَا وَ تَرْبِيَتَهَا وَ وَقَاهَا مَا يَضُرُّهَا حَتَّى لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ مَوْضِعُ كُلِّ صِنْفٍ مِنْهَا فَإِذَا أَدْرَكَتْ أَشْجَارُهَا وَ أَيْنَعَتْ أَثْمَارُهَا وَ اهْتَزَّتْ بُقُولُهَا دَفَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me about a man who grows a great garden, and builds a solid wall upon it. Then, he plants therein the trees, and the fruits, and the basils, and the vegetables, and takes on to water it and nourish it, and save it from whatever harms it, until it is not hidden upon him a place of every type from these. When the trees mature and he sees its fruits and its vegetables swing, he goes to it.
فَسَأَلْتَهُ أَنْ يُطْعِمَكَ لَوْناً مِنَ الثِّمَارِ وَ الْبُقُولِ سَمَّيْتَهُ لَهُ أَ تَرَاهُ كَانَ قَادِراً عَلَى أَنْ يَنْطَلِقَ قَاصِداً مُسْتَمِرّاً لَا يَرْجِعُ وَ لَا يَهْوِي إِلَى شَيْءٍ يَمُرُّ بِهِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ وَ الْبُقُولِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ الشَّجَرَةَ الَّتِي سَأَلْتَهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكَ بِثَمَرِهَا وَ الْبَقْلَةَ الَّتِي طَلَبْتَهَا حَيْثُ كَانَتْ مِنْ أَدْنَى الْحَدِيقَةِ أَوْ أَقْصَاهَا فَيَأْتِيَكَ بِهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ
So you ask him that feed you a type from the fruit and the vegetable you name it for him. Do you see him as being able upon going and aiming straight nor returning, nor inclining to anything else he passes by with from the tree and the vegetable, until he comes to the very tree which you asked him to give its fruit to you, and the vegetable which you sought, wherever it may be, from the near part of the garden or its outskirt, so he comes to you with it?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ قَالَ لَكَ صَاحِبُ الْحَدِيقَةِ حَيْثُ سَأَلْتَهُ الثَّمَرَةَ ادْخُلِ الْحَدِيقَةَ فَخُذْ حَاجَتَكَ فَإِنِّي لَا أَقْدِرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ هَلْ كُنْتَ تَقْدِرُ أَنْ تَنْطَلِقَ قَاصِداً لَا تَأْخُذُ يَمِيناً وَ لَا شِمَالًا حَتَّى تَنْتَهِيَ إِلَى الشَّجَرَةِ فَتَجْتَنِيَ مِنْهَا قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ أَقْدِرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَ لَا عِلْمَ لِي فِي أَيِّ مَوَاضِعِ الْحَدِيقَةِ هِيَ
I-asws said: ‘What is your view if the owner of the garden were to say to you, when you asked him for the fruit, ‘Enter the garden, take your need for I am not able upon that’. Would you be able to go ahead, neither taking to the right nor left, until you end up to the tree, and get from it?’ He said, ‘And how can I be able upon that and there is no knowledge for me in which place of the garden it is?’
قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ لَمْ تَكُنْ لِتُصِيبَهَا دُونَ أَنْ تَهْجُمَ عَلَيْهَا بِتَعَسُّفٍ وَ جَوَلَانٍ فِي جَمِيعِ الْحَدِيقَةِ حَتَّى تَسْتَدِلَّ عَلَيْهَا بِبَعْضِ حَوَاسِّكَ بَعْدَ مَا تَتَصَفَّحُ فِيهَا مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ شَجَرَةً شَجَرَةً وَ ثَمَرَةً ثَمَرَةً حَتَّى تَسْقُطَ عَلَى الشَّجَرَةِ الَّتِي تَطْلُبُ بِبَعْضِ حَوَاسِّكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَهَا وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَرَهَا انْصَرَفْتَ
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know you will not happen to attain it besides attacking upon these arbitrarily and wandering in the entirety of the garden until you are pointed upon it by one of your senses, after you have browsed therein from the tree, a tree after a tree, and a fruit after a fruit, until you descend upon the tree which you sought with one of your senses to come to it, and if you did not see it you would leave?’
قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ أَقْدِرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَ لَمْ أُعَايِنْ مَغْرِسَهَا حَيْثُ غُرِسَتْ وَ لَا مَنْبِتَهَا حَيْثُ نَبَتَتْ وَ لَا ثَمَرَتَهَا حَيْثُ طَلَعَتْ
He said, ‘And how can I be able upon that and I did not witness its planting when it was planted, nor its growth where it grew, nor its fruit where it emerged’.
قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ يَدُلَّكَ عَقْلُكَ حَيْثُ عَجَزَتْ حَوَاسُّكَ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الَّذِي غَرَسَ هَذَا الْبُسْتَانَ الْعَظِيمَ فِيمَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ غَرَسَ فِيهِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْجَارَ وَ الْبُقُولَ هُوَ الَّذِي دَلَّ الْحَكِيمَ الَّذِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّهُ وَضَعَ الطِّبَّ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْعَقَاقِيرِ وَ مَوَاضِعِهَا فِي الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ
I-asws said: ‘Then it is befitting for you that your intellect points you where your senses are frustrated from realising that, the One-azwj Who Planted this great garden (the world), in what is between the east and the west, and Planted therein these trees, and the vegetables, He-azwj is the One Who Pointed the physician, whom you claimed that he placed the medicine, upon those ingredients and their places in the east and the west.
وَ كَذَلِكَ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ تَسْتَدِلَّ بِعَقْلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي سَمَّاهَا وَ سَمَّى بَلْدَتَهَا وَ عَرَفَ مَوَاضِعَهَا كَمَعْرِفَةِ صَاحِبِ الْحَدِيقَةِ الَّذِي سَأَلْتَهُ الثَّمَرَةَ وَ كَذَلِكَ لَا يَسْتَقِيمُ وَ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ الْغَارِسُ وَ الدَّالُّ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّا الدَّالَّ عَلَى مَنَافِعِهَا وَ مَضَارِّهَا وَ قَرَارِيطِهَا وَ مَثَاقِيلِهَا قَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَكَمَا تَقُولُ
And, similar to that it is befitting for you that you are pointed with your intellect upon that He-azwj is the One Who Named it and Named its city, and Knows its place like the recognition of the owner of the garden whom you asked for the fruit. And, similar to that, it is not correct nor befitting that the Planted and the pointed upon these happens to be (anyone else) except the Pointer upon its benefits and its harm, and its drops and its weight’. He said, ‘This is just as you-asws are saying’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ كَانَ خَالِقُ الْجَسَدِ وَ مَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْعَصَبِ وَ اللَّحْمِ وَ الْأَمْعَاءِ وَ الْعُرُوقِ الَّتِي يَأْخُذُ فِيهَا الْأَدْوِيَةُ إِلَى الرَّأْسِ وَ إِلَى الْقَدَمَيْنِ وَ إِلَى مَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ غَيْرَ خَالِقِ الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ غَارِسِ الْعَقَاقِيرِ هَلْ كَانَ يَعْرِفُ زِنَتَهَا وَ مَثَاقِيلَهَا وَ قَرَارِيطَهَا وَ مَا يَصْلُحُ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ مِنْهَا وَ مَا كَانَ يَأْخُذُ فِي كُلِّ عِرْقٍ
I-asws said: ‘Do you see, if the creator of the body and whatever is in it from the nerves, and the flesh, and the intestines, and the veins in which the medicines are taken, to the head and to the feet and to what is besides that, is other than the creation of the garden and the plants of its medicines. Would he know its weights, and its measurement, and its drops, and what is correct of every disease from these, and what was taken in every vein?’
قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ يَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ أَوْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ وَ هَذَا لَا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَعْرِفَ هَذَا إِلَّا الَّذِي غَرَسَ الْحَدِيقَةَ وَ عَرَفَ كُلَّ شَجَرَةٍ وَ بَقْلَةٍ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْمَنَافِعِ وَ الْمَضَارِّ
He said, ‘And how would he know that or be able upon it, and this cannot be realised by the senses. It is not befitting to recognise this except by the one who planted the garden and knows every tree and vegetable, and what therein is for the benefit and the harm.
قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ الْخَالِقُ وَاحِداً لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ اثْنَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَا خَالِقُ الدَّوَاءِ وَ الْآخَرُ خَالِقُ الْجَسَدِ وَ الدَّاءِ لَمْ يَهْتَدِ غَارِسُ الْعَقَاقِيرِ لِإِيصَالِ دَوَائِهِ إِلَى الدَّاءِ الَّذِي بِالْجَسَدِ مِمَّا لَا عِلْمَ لَهُ بِهِ وَ لَا اهْتَدَى خَالِقُ الْجَسَدِ إِلَى عِلْمِ مَا يُصْلِحُ ذَلِكَ الدَّاءَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْعَقَاقِيرِ
I-asws said: ‘So, isn’t it like that befitting that the creator happens to be one? Because, if there had been two, one of the two being a creator of the medicine and the other creator of the body, and the disease would not guide the planter of the medicine to send his medicine to the disease which is in the body, from what there is no knowledge for him, with it, nor would the creator of the body be guided to the knowledge of what is correct for that disease from those medicines.
فَلَمَّا كَانَ خَالِقُ الدَّاءِ وَ الدَّوَاءِ وَاحِداً أَمْضَى الدَّوَاءَ فِي الْعُرُوقِ الَّتِي بَرَأَ وَ صَوَّرَ إِلَى الدَّاءِ الَّذِي عَرَفَ وَ وَضَعَ فَعَلِمَ مِزَاجَهَا مِنْ حَرِّهَا وَ بَرْدِهَا وَ لَيِّنِهَا وَ شَدِيدِهَا وَ مَا يَدْخُلُ فِي كُلِّ دَوَاءٍ مِنْهُ مِنَ الْقَرَارِيطِ وَ الْمَثَاقِيلِ وَ مَا يَصْعَدُ إِلَى الرَّأْسِ مِنْهَا وَ مَا يَهْبِطُ إِلَى الْقَدَمَيْنِ مِنْهَا وَ مَا يَتَفَرَّقُ مِنْهُ فِيمَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ
So, when the creator of the disease and the medicine was one, he would send the medicine which would cure in the veins to the disease he would picture, and he would know its tendency from its heat and its coldness, and its softness and its harshness, and what enters into every medicine from it, from the drops and the particles, and what ascends to the head and what falls to the feet from these, and what is separate from it in what is besides that’.
قَالَ لَا أَشُكُّ فِي هَذَا لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ خَالِقُ الْجَسَدِ غَيْرَ خَالِقِ الْعَقَاقِيرِ لَمْ يَهْتَدِ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمَا إِلَى مَا وَصَفْتَ
He said, ‘There is no doubt in this, because if the creator of the body was other than the creation of the medicinal ingredients, one from the two would not be guided to what you-asws described’.
قُلْتُ فَإِنَّ الَّذِي دَلَّ الْحَكِيمَ الَّذِي وَصَفْتَ أَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ خَلَطَ هَذِهِ الْأَدْوِيَةَ وَ دَلَّ عَلَى عَقَاقِيرِهَا الْمُتَفَرِّقَةِ فِيمَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ وَضَعَ هَذَا الطِّبَّ عَلَى مَا وَصَفْتُ لَكَ هُوَ صَاحِبُ الْحَدِيقَةِ فِيمَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَ هُوَ بَانِي الْجَسَدِ وَ هُوَ دَلَّ الْحَكِيمَ بِوَحْيٍ مِنْهُ عَلَى صِفَةِ كُلِّ شَجَرَةٍ وَ بَلَدِهَا وَ مَا يَصْلُحُ مِنْهَا مِنَ الْعُرُوقِ وَ الثِّمَارِ وَ الدُّهْنِ وَ الْوَرَقِ وَ الْخَشَبِ وَ اللِّحَاءِ
I-asws said: ‘The One-azwj Who Pointed the physician, whom you described that he was the first one to mix these medicines and point upon its ingredients scattered in what is between the east and the west, and placed this medicine upon what was described to you, He-azwj is the Owner of the garden in what is between the east and the west, and He-azwj is the builder of the body, and He-azwj Pointed the physician by a Revelation from Him-azwj upon the attributes of every tree in its city, and what is correct from these from the roots, and the fruits, and the oils, and the leaves, and the timber, and the crusts.
وَ كَذَلِكَ دَلَّهُ عَلَى أَوْزَانِهَا مِنْ مَثَاقِيلِهَا وَ قَرَارِيطِهَا وَ مَا يَصْلُحُ لِكُلِّ دَاءٍ مِنْهَا وَ كَذَلِكَ هُوَ خَالِقُ السِّبَاعِ وَ الطَّيْرِ وَ الدَّوَابِّ الَّتِي فِي مِرَارِهَا الْمَنَافِعُ مِمَّا يَدْخُلُ فِي تِلْكَ الْأَدْوِيَةِ فَإِنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ غَيْرَ خَالِقِهَا لَمْ يَدْرِ مَا يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ مِنْ مِرَارِهَا وَ مَا يَضُرُّ وَ مَا يَدْخُلُ مِنْهَا فِي الْعَقَاقِيرِ
And similar to that, He-azwj Pointed upon its weights from its measurements and its drops, and what is correct for every disease from these. And similar to that, He-azwj is the Creators of the wild animals, and the birds, and the livestock which in their droppings is the benefits from what enters into those medicines, for if He-azwj was not its creator, He-azwj would not know what benefits with it from its droppings, and what is harmful, and what enters from these in the ingredients.
فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْخَالِقُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى وَاحِداً دَلَّ عَلَى مَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَنَافِعِ مِنْهَا فَسَمَّاهُ بِاسْمِهِ حَتَّى عُرِفَ وَ تُرِكَ مَا لَا مَنْفَعَةَ فِيهِ مِنْهَا فَمِنْ ثَمَّ عَلِمَ الْحَكِيمُ أَيُّ السِّبَاعِ وَ الدَّوَابِّ وَ الطَّيْرِ فِيهِ الْمَنَافِعُ وَ أَيُّهَا لَا مَنْفَعَةَ فِيهِ وَ لَوْ لَا أَنَّ خَالِقَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ دَلَّهُ عَلَيْهَا مَا اهْتَدَى بِهَا قَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَكَمَا تَقُولُ وَ قَدْ بَطَلَتِ الْحَوَاسُّ وَ التَّجَارِبُ عِنْدَ هَذِهِ الصِّفَاتِ
So, when the Creator, Glorious is He-azwj and Exalted is One, Pointing upon what is therein from the benefit from it, and Names it with His-azwj Name until it is known and neglected what there is no benefit in it, from these. Thus, from then is the knowledge of the physician, i.e. the wild animals, and the livestock, and the birds in which is the benefit, and which of these there is no benefit in it. And if the Creator of these things had not Pointed him upon it, he would not have been guided with these’. He said, ‘This is just as you-asws are saying, and has invalidated the senses and the experimentation at these attributes.
قُلْتُ أَمَّا إِذَا صَحَّتْ نَفْسُكَ فَتَعَالَ نَنْظُرْ بِعُقُولِنَا وَ نَسْتَدِلَّ بِحَوَاسِّنَا هَلْ كَانَ يَسْتَقِيمُ لِخَالِقِ هَذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ غَارِسِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْجَارِ وَ خَالِقِ هَذِهِ الدَّوَابِّ وَ الطَّيْرِ وَ النَّاسِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءَ لِمَنَافِعِهِمْ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ هَذَا الْخَلْقَ وَ يَغْرِسَ هَذَا الْغَرْسَ فِي أَرْضِ غَيْرِهِ مِمَّا إِذَا شَاءَ مَنَعَهُ ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘But, when your self is healthy, come, we shall consider with our intellects and be pointed by our senses, was it correct for the Creator of these gardens and Planter of these trees, and Creator of these animals and bird and the people who created these things for their benefits, that He-azwj Creates this creation and Plants this plantation in a land of others from what whenever he desires can be forbidden that?’
قَالَ مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَكُونَ الْأَرْضُ الَّتِي خُلِقَتْ فِيهَا الْحَدِيقَةُ الْعَظِيمَةُ وَ غُرِسَتْ فِيهِ الْأَشْجَارُ إِلَّا لِخَالِقِ هَذَا الْخَلْقِ وَ مِلْكَ يَدِهِ
He said, ‘It is not befitting that the land I which is created the great garden and the trees are planted therein should happen to be for anyone except the Creator of this creation and the kingdom be in His-azwj Hands’.
قُلْتُ فَقَدْ أَرَى الْأَرْضَ أَيْضاً لِصَاحِبِ الْحَدِيقَةِ لِاتِّصَالِ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ بَعْضِهَا بِبَعْضٍ قَالَ مَا فِي هَذَا شَكٌّ
I-asws said: ‘I-asws see the earth as well-being for the Owner of the garden, due to the connection of these things to each other’. He said, ‘There is no doubt in this.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي وَ نَاصِحْ نَفْسَكَ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةَ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْخِلْقَةِ الْعَظِيمَةِ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ وَ الدَّوَابِّ وَ الطَّيْرِ وَ الشَّجَرِ وَ الْعَقَاقِيرِ وَ الثِّمَارِ وَ غَيْرِهَا لَا يُصْلِحُهَا إِلَّا شُرْبُهَا وَ رَيُّهَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ الَّذِي لَا حَيَاةَ لِشَيْءٍ إِلَّا بِهِ قَالَ بَلَى
I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws, and advise yourself, don’t you know that this garden and whatever is therein from the great creation, from the human beings, and the animals, and the birds, and the trees, and the medicinal herbs, and the fruits and other such, are not healthy unless they are watered and irrigated from the water which there is no life for anything except by it?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَتَرَى الْحَدِيقَةَ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الذَّرْءِ خَالِقُهَا وَاحِدٌ وَ خَالِقَ الْمَاءِ غَيْرَهُ يَحْبِسُهُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةِ إِذَا شَاءَ وَ يُرْسِلُهُ إِذَا شَاءَ فَيُفْسِدُ عَلَى خَالِقِ الْحَدِيقَةِ
I-asws said: ‘Do you view that the garden and whatever is therein from the particles, their Creator is one, and the creator of the water is someone else, withholding it from this garden whenever he so desires to and sending it whenever he so desires to, and spoils it upon the creator of the garden?’
قَالَ مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ خَالِقُ هَذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ ذَارِئُ هَذَا الذَّرْءِ الْكَثِيرِ وَ غَارِسُ هَذِهِ الْأَشْجَارِ إِلَّا الْمُدَبِّرَ الْأَوَّلَ وَ مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ الْمَاءُ لِغَيْرِهِ وَ إِنَّ الْيَقِينَ عِنْدِي لَهُوَ إِنَّ الَّذِي يُجْرِي هَذِهِ الْمِيَاهَ مِنْ أَرْضِهِ وَ جِبَالِهِ لَغَارِسُ هَذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْخَلِيقَةِ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ الْمَاءُ لِغَيْرِ صَاحِبِ الْحَدِيقَةِ لَهَلَكَ الْحَدِيقَةُ وَ مَا فِيهَا وَ لَكِنَّهُ خَالِقُ الْمَاءِ قَبْلَ الْغَرْسِ وَ الذَّرْءِ وَ بِهِ اسْتَقَامَتِ الْأَشْيَاءُ وَ صَلَحَتْ
He said, ‘It is not befitting that the Creator of this garden and the particles, these numerous particles, and Planter of these threes happen to be anyone except the First Manager, and it is not befitting that, those waters be for someone else, and that the certainty in with me that He-azwj is the One Who Flows these waters from His-azwj, and His-azwj mountains to cultivate this garden and whatever is in it from the creation, because if the water had been for someone other than the owner of the garden, the garden and whatever is in it would be destroyed, but the Creator of the water is before the plants and particles, and by it the things stand and are correct’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِهَذِهِ الْمِيَاهِ الْمُنْفَجِرَةِ فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ مَغِيضٌ لِمَا يَفْضُلُ مِنْ شُرْبِهَا يَحْبِسُهُ عَنِ الْحَدِيقَةِ أَنْ يَفِيضَ عَلَيْهَا أَ لَيْسَ كَانَ يَهْلِكُ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْخَلْقِ عَلَى حَسَبِ مَا كَانُوا يَهْلِكُونَ لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا مَاءٌ قَالَ بَلَى وَ لَكِنِّي لَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ هَذَا الْبَحْرَ لَيْسَ لَهُ حَابِسٌ وَ أَنَّهُ شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ
I-asws said: ‘What is your view if there did not happen to be for these gushing waters in the garden, gathering to what is excess, from drinking it, one who withholds it from the garden, that it spills to it, wouldn’t that be destructive to what is therein from the creatures upon a reckoning of what the garden would be destroyed, if there was no water for it?’ He said, ‘Yes, but I do not know, perhaps this ocean, there is no withholder for it, and it is a thing which would not cease to be’.
قُلْتُ أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتَنِي أَنَّهُ لَوْ لَا الْبَحْرُ وَ مَغِيضُ الْمِيَاهِ إِلَيْهِ لَهَلَكَتِ الْحَدِيقَةُ قَالَ أَجَلْ
I-asws said: ‘But, you have given me-asws that if it had not been for the ocean and the gathering of the waters to it, the garden would be destroyed’. He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُخْبِرُكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ بِمَا تَسْتَيْقِنُ بِأَنَّ خَالِقَ الْبَحْرِ هُوَ خَالِقُ الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْخَلِيقَةِ وَ أَنَّهُ جَعَلَهُ مَغِيضاً لِمِيَاهِ الْحَدِيقَةِ مَعَ مَا جَعَلَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَنَافِعِ لِلنَّاسِ قَالَ فَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى يَقِينٍ كَمَا جَعَلْتَنِي مِنْ غَيْرِهِ
I-asws said: ‘Then I shall inform you about that with what you will be certain with, that the Creator of the oceans, He-azwj is the Creator of the garden and whatever is therein from the creation, and He-azwj Made it a gathering of its waters of the garden, along with what He-azwj Made in it the benefits for the people’. He said, ‘Make me to be upon a certainty from that just as you-asws made me certain from other (arguments)’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ فُضُولَ مَاءِ الدُّنْيَا يَصِيرُ فِي الْبَحْرِ قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ فَهَلْ رَأَيْتَهُ زَائِداً قَطُّ فِي كَثْرَةِ الْمَاءِ وَ تَتَابُعِ الْأَمْطَارِ عَلَى الْحَدِّ الَّذِي لَمْ يَزَلْ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ هَلْ رَأَيْتَهُ نَاقِصاً فِي قِلَّةِ الْمِيَاهِ وَ شِدَّةِ الْحَرِّ وَ شِدَّةِ الْقَحْطِ قَالَ لَا
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that the extra water of the world comes to be in the ocean?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘So have you seen it increasing at all in the abundance of the water, and the rains continue upon the limit not ceasing upon it? Or have you seen, there being a deficiency and the scarcity of the water, and the intense heat and severe drought?’ He said, ‘No’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَدُلَّكَ عَقْلُكَ عَلَى أَنَّ خَالِقَهُ وَ خَالِقَ الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْخَلِيقَةِ وَاحِدٌ وَ أَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي وَضَعَ لَهُ حَدّاً لَا يُجَاوِزُهُ لِكَثْرَةِ الْمَاءِ وَ لَا لِقِلَّتِهِ وَ أَنَّ مِمَّا يُسْتَدَلُّ عَلَى مَا أَقُولُ أَنَّهُ يَقْبَلُ بِالْأَمْوَاجِ أَمْثَالَ الْجِبَالِ يُشْرِفُ عَلَى السَّهْلِ وَ الْجَبَلِ
I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it befitting that your intellect points you upon that its Creator and the Creator of the garden and whatever is therein from the creation, is One, and He-azwj is the One-azwj Who Placed a limit for it not been exceed by the abundance of the water, nor due to is scarcity, and from what it evidences upon that it faces the waves like the mountains coming to the coast and the mountain.
فَلَوْ لَمْ تُقْبَضْ أَمْوَاجُهُ وَ لَمْ تُحْبَسْ فِي الْمَوَاضِعِ الَّتِي أُمِرَتْ بِالاحْتِبَاسِ فِيهَا لَأَطْبَقَتْ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا انْتَهَتْ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْمَوَاضِعِ الَّتِي لَمْ تَزَلْ تَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهَا ذَلَّتْ أَمْوَاجُهُ وَ خَضَعَ إِشْرَافُهُ
If its waves do not get seized and not be withheld in the places which have been Commanded with the withholding therein, these would pile up upon the world until when they end up to those places which they do not cease ending up to it, its waves get humbled and be under its dominion’.
قَالَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَكَمَا وَصَفْتَ وَ لَقَدْ عَايَنْتُ مِنْهُ كُلَّ الَّذِي ذَكَرْتَ وَ لَقَدْ أَتَيْتَنِي بِبُرْهَانٍ وَ دَلَالاتٍ وَ مَا أَقْدِرُ عَلَى إِنْكَارِهَا وَ لَا جُحُودِهَا لِبَيَانِهَا
He said, ‘That is just as you-asws describe, and I have witnessed from it all which you-asws mentioned, and you-asws have come to me with proof and evidence I am not able upon denying it, nor reject it due to its explanation’.
قُلْتُ وَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ سَآتِيكَ بِهِ مِمَّا تَعْرِفُ اتِّصَالَ الْخَلْقِ بَعْضِهِ بِبَعْضٍ وَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُدَبِّرٍ حَكِيمٍ عَالِمٍ قَدِيرٍ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ عَامَّةَ الْحَدِيقَةِ لَيْسَ شُرْبُهَا مِنَ الْأَنْهَارِ وَ الْعُيُونِ وَ أَنَّ أَعْظَمَ مَا يَنْبُتُ فِيهَا مِنَ الْعَقَاقِيرِ وَ الْبُقُولِ الَّتِي فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ مَعَاشِ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ وَ الْوَحْشِ وَ الطَّيْرِ مِنَ الْبَرَارِي الَّتِي لَا عُيُونَ لَهَا وَ لَا أَنْهَارَ إِنَّمَا يَسْقِيهِ السَّحَابُ قَالَ بَلَى
I-asws said: ‘And, apart from that, I-asws shall come to you with what you do recognise, the connection of the creatures with each other, and that, that is from a Wise Arranger, Knower, Able. Don’t you know that that most of the garden, its watering is not from the rivers and the springs, and that the greater part of what grows therein, from the medicinal herbs, and the vegetables which are in the garden, and the life of what is therein from the livestock, and the wild animals, and the birds from the lands which there are no springs for it nor rivers, but rather the clouds water it?’ He said, ‘Yes’.
قُلْتُ أَ فَلَيْسَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَدُلَّكَ عَقْلُكَ وَ مَا أَدْرَكْتَ بِالْحَوَاسِّ الَّتِي زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ لَا تُعْرَفُ إِلَّا بِهَا أَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ السَّحَابُ الَّذِي يَحْتَمِلُ مِنَ الْمِيَاهِ إِلَى الْبُلْدَانِ وَ الْمَوَاضِعِ الَّتِي لَا تَنَالُهَا مَاءُ الْعُيُونِ وَ الْأَنْهَارِ وَ فِيهَا الْعَقَاقِيرُ وَ الْبُقُولُ وَ الشَّجَرُ وَ الْأَنْعَامُ لِغَيْرِ صَاحِبِ الْحَدِيقَةِ لَأَمْسَكَهُ عَنِ الْحَدِيقَةِ إِذَا شَاءَ
I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it befitting that you be pointed by your intellect, and what you realise by the senses which you claim that the things cannot be recognised except by these, it is so that if the cloud which carry from the waters to the cities and the places which do not get waters of the springs and the rivers, and therein are the medicinal herbs, and the vegetables, and the tree, and the animals, should be for other than the owner of the garden to withhold it from the garden whenever he so desires to?
وَ لَكَانَ خَالِقُ الْحَدِيقَةِ مِنْ بَقَاءِ خَلِيقَتِهِ الَّتِي ذَرَأَ وَ بَرَأَ عَلَى غَرُورٍ وَ وَجَلٍ خَائِفاً عَلَى خَلِيقَتِهِ أَنْ يَحْبِسَ صَاحِبُ الْمَطَرِ الْمَاءَ الَّذِي لَا حَيَاةَ لِلْخَلِيقَةِ إِلَّا بِهِ
But, the creator of the garden, upon the survival of his creation which is particles and land, upon deception and worry, would be fearful upon his creation that the owner of the rain cloud would withhold the water which there is no life for the creation except by it?’
قَالَ إِنَّ الَّذِي جِئْتَ بِهِ لَوَاضِحٌ مُتَّصِلٌ بَعْضُهُ بِبَعْضٍ وَ مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ هَذِهِ الْحَدِيقَةَ وَ هَذِهِ الْأَرْضَ وَ جَعَلَ فِيهَا الْخَلِيقَةَ وَ خَلَقَ لَهَا هَذَا الْمَغِيضَ وَ أَنْبَتَ فِيهَا هَذِهِ الثِّمَارَ الْمُخْتَلِفَةَ إِلَّا خَالِقَ السَّمَاءِ وَ السَّحَابِ يُرْسِلُ مِنْهَا مَا شَاءَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَسْقِيَ الْحَدِيقَةَ وَ يُحْيِيَ مَا فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ مِنَ الْخَلِيقَةِ وَ الْأَشْجَارِ وَ الدَّوَابِّ وَ الْبُقُولِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا أَنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنِي بِحُجَّةٍ أَزْدَادُ بِهَا يَقِيناً وَ أَخْرُجُ بِهَا مِنَ الشَّكِّ
He said, ‘That which you have come with is clearly there is a connection with each other, and it is not befitting that the One-azwj Who Created this garden and this earth, and Made the creation therein and Created this gathering of water for it, and Grew these different fruits in it, should happen to be anyone except the Creator of the sky and the clouds, Sending from these whatever He-azwj so Desires from the water, whenever He-azwj so Desires, to water the garden and revive whatever is in the garden from the creation and the trees and the animals and the vegetables, and other than that, except that I would love it if you-asws could come to me with an argument increasing the conviction with it, and throw out the doubt with it’.
قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي آتِيكَ بِهَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قِبَلِ إِهْلِيلَجَتِكَ وَ اتِّصَالِهَا بِالْحَدِيقَةِ وَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ الْمُتَّصِلَةِ بِأَسْبَابِ السَّمَاءِ لِتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ بِتَدْبِيرِ عَلِيمٍ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ تَأْتِينِي بِمَا يُذْهِبُ عَنِّي الشَّكَّ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةِ
I-asws said: ‘I-asws will come to you with it, if Allah-azwj so Desires from the direction of the Al-Ahleylajat herb with the garden, and whatever is therein from the things connected with the cause of the sky, for you to know that, that is an arrangement of a Knower, Wise’. He said, ‘And how would you-asws come to me with what would drive the doubt away from me, from the direction of the herb?’
قُلْتُ فِيمَا أُرِيكَ فِيهَا مِنْ إِتْقَانِ الصُّنْعِ وَ أَثَرِ التَّرْكِيبِ الْمُؤَلَّفِ وَ اتِّصَالِ مَا بَيْنَ عُرُوقِهَا إِلَى فُرُوعِهَا وَ احْتِيَاجِ بَعْضِ ذَلِكَ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى يَتَّصِلَ بِالسَّمَاءِ قَالَ إِنْ أَرَيْتَنِي ذَلِكَ لَمْ أَشُكَّ
I-asws said: ‘Among what I-asws will show you therein from the master of the making, and traces of the composition of the Composer, and connection of what is between its roots to its branches, and the requirement of some of that to some until it connects with the sky’. He said, ‘If you-asws show me that, I would not doubt’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةَ نَابِتَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ أَنَّ عُرُوقَهَا مُؤَلَّفَةٌ إِلَى أَصْلٍ وَ أَنَّ الْأَصْلَ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِسَاقٍ مُتَّصِلٍ بِالْغُصُونِ وَ الْغُصُونُ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بِالْفُرُوعِ وَ الْفُرُوعُ مَنْظُومَةٌ بِالْأَكْمَامِ وَ الْوَرَقِ وَ مَلْبَسُ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ الْوَرَقُ وَ يَتَّصِلُ جَمِيعُهُ بِظِلٍّ يَقِيهِ حَرَّ الزَّمَانِ وَ بَرْدَهُ
I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that the her grows in the land and that its roots are combined to an origin, and that the origin is attached with the trunk connected with the branches, and the branches are connected with the twigs, and the twigs are synthesized with the sleeves (pods) and the leaves, and all of that are clothed upon the leaf, and the entirety of it is connected with a shade saving it from the heat of the time and its cold?’
قَالَ أَمَّا الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ فَقَدْ تَبَيَّنَ لِيَ اتِّصَالُ لِحَائِهَا وَ مَا بَيْنَ عُرُوقِهَا وَ بَيْنَ وَرَقِهَا وَ مَنْبِتِهَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ فَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ خَالِقَهَا وَاحِدٌ لَا يَشْرَكُهُ فِي خَلْقِهَا غَيْرُهُ لِإِتْقَانِ الصُّنْعِ وَ اتِّصَالِ الْخَلْقِ وَ ائْتِلَافِ التَّدْبِيرِ وَ إِحْكَامِ التَّقْدِيرِ
He said, ‘As for the herb, so it has been clarified for me, connection of its bark and what is between its leaves, and between its leaves and its growth from the ground, so I testify that its Creator is One, there being no associate in His-azwj creation apart from Him-azwj of the mastery of the Making and the connectivity of the creation and the arrangement of its composition and the preciseness of the measurement’.
قُلْتُ إِنْ أَرَيْتُكَ التَّدْبِيرَ مُؤْتَلِفاً بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ الْإِتْقَانَ مُعْتَدِلًا بِالصَّنْعَةِ مُحْتَاجاً بَعْضُهُ إِلَى بَعْضٍ مُتَّصِلًا بِالْأَرْضِ الَّتِي خَرَجَتْ مِنْهُ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ فِي الْحَالاتِ كُلِّهَا أَ تُقِرُّ بِخَالِقِ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِذَنْ لَا أَشُكَّ فِي الْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ
I-asws said: ‘If I-asws show you the arrangement of the composition being with the Wisdom and the accuracy, moderate with the making, a part being needy to the other, connected with the earth from which the Al-Ahleylajat herb came out from, in all its states, will you accept there being a Creator for that?’ He said, ‘Then there would be no doubt in the Oneness’.
قُلْتُ فَافْهَمْ وَ افْقَهْ مَا أَصِفُ لَكَ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بِإِهْلِيلَجَتِكَ وَ إِهْلِيلَجَتَكَ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بِالتُّرَابِ وَ التُّرَابَ مُتَّصِلٌ بِالْحَرِّ وَ الْبَرْدِ وَ الْحَرَّ وَ الْبَرْدَ مُتَّصِلَانِ بِالْهَوَاءِ وَ الْهَوَاءَ مُتَّصِلٌ بِالرِّيحِ وَ الرِّيحَ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بِالسَّحَابِ وَ السَّحَابَ مُتَّصِلٌ بِالْمَطَرِ وَ الْمَطَرَ مُتَّصِلٌ بِالْأَزْمِنَةِ وَ الْأَزْمِنَةَ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بِالشَّمْسِ وَ الْقَمَرِ وَ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ مُتَّصِلَتَانِ بِدَوَرَانِ الْفَلَكِ وَ الْفَلَكَ مُتَّصِلٌ بِمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ صَنْعَةً ظَاهِرَةً وَ حِكْمَةً بَالِغَةً وَ تَأْلِيفَ مُتْقِنٍ وَ تَدْبِيرَ مُحْكِمٍ
I-asws said: ‘Then understand and harmonise with what I-asws describe to you. Don’t you know that the earth is connected with the herb, and the herb is connected with the soil, and the soil is connected with the heat and the cold, and the heat and the cold are connected with the air, and the air is connected with the wind, and the wind is connected with the cloud, and the cloud is connected with the rain, and the rain is connected with the natural disaster, and the natural disasters are connected with the sun and the moon, and the sun and the moon are connected with the rotations of the orbit, and the orbit is connected with what is between the sky and the earth, an apparent Making, and conclusive Wisdom, and precise composition, and wise arrangement;
مُتَّصِلٌ كُلُّ هَذَا مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ لَا يَقُومُ بَعْضُهُ إِلَّا بِبَعْضٍ وَ لَا يَتَأَخَّرُ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمَا عَنْ وَقْتِهِ وَ لَوْ تَأَخَّرَ عَنْ وَقْتِهِ لَهَلَكَ جَمِيعُ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْأَنَامِ وَ النَّبَاتَاتِ
All this what is between the sky and the earth are connected. Part of it cannot stand except with part, nor can one of the two be delayed from its time, and if it were delayed from its time, it would destroy the entirety of the ones on the earth from the animals and the vegetation?
قَالَ إِنَّ هَذِهِ لَهِيَ الْعَلَامَاتُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَ الدَّلَالاتُ الْوَاضِحَاتُ الَّتِي يَجْرِي مَعَهَا أَثَرُ التَّدْبِيرِ بِإِتْقَانِ الْخَلْقِ وَ التَّأْلِيفِ مَعَ إِتْقَانِ الصُّنْعِ لَكِنِّي لَسْتُ أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ مَا تَرَكْتَ غَيْرُ مُتَّصِلٍ بِمَا ذَكَرْتَ قُلْتُ وَ مَا تَرَكْتُ قَالَ النَّاسَ
He said, ‘These are the clear signs, and the clear evidence which flow together with the impact of the arrangement by the precise creation and composition, along with accurate making. But, I don’t know perhaps what you-asws left out is not connected with what you-asws mentioned. I-asws said: ‘And what is left out?’ He said, ‘The people’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَسْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا كُلَّهُ مُتَّصِلٌ بِالنَّاسِ سَخَّرَهُ لَهَا الْمُدَبِّرُ الَّذِي أَعْلَمْتُكَ أَنَّهُ إِنْ تَأَخَّرَ شَيْءٌ مِمَّا عَدَّدْتُ عَلَيْكَ هَلَكَتِ الْخَلِيقَةُ وَ بَادَ جَمِيعُ مَا فِي الْحَدِيقَةِ وَ ذَهَبَتِ الْإِهْلِيلَجَةُ الَّتِي تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ فِيهَا مَنَافِعَ النَّاسِ
I-asws said, ‘Don’t you know that all of this is connected with the people, the Manager having Subdued it which I-asws taught you that if something from what I numbered upon you is delayed upon you, the creation would be destroyed, and annihilate the entirety of what is in the garden, and the herb Al-Ahleyjat which you claim that in it are benefits for the people?’
قَالَ فَهَلْ تَقْدِرُ أَنْ تُفَسِّرَ لِي هَذَا الْبَابَ عَلَى مَا لَخَّصْتَ لِي غَيْرَهُ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ أُبَيِّنُ لَكَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ قِبَلِ إِهْلِيلَجَتِكَ حَتَّى تَشْهَدَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ مُسَخَّرٌ لِبَنِي آدَمَ قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ ذَلِكَ
He said, ‘Are you-asws able to explain for me this subject, upon what you-asws summarised others for me?’ I-asws said: ‘Yes, I-asws will explain that to you from the direction of the Ahleylajat herb, until you testify that, all it has been Subdues for the children of Adam-as’. He said, ‘And how is that?’
قُلْتُ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاءَ سَقْفاً مَرْفُوعاً وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ اغْتَمَّ خَلْقُهُ لِقُرْبِهَا وَ أَحْرَقَتْهُمُ الشَّمْسُ لِدُنُوِّهَا وَ خَلَقَ لَهُمْ شُهُباً وَ نُجُوماً يُهْتَدَى بِهَا فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ لِمَنَافِعِ النَّاسِ وَ نُجُوماً يُعْرَفُ بِهَا أَصْلُ الْحِسَابِ
I-asws said: ‘Allah-azwj Created the sky as a raised ceiling, and had it not been that, it would distress His-azwj creation due to its nearness, and the sun would burn them due to its closeness. And He-azwj Created start for them to be guided by in the darkness of the land and the sea for the benefit of the people, and the original calculation is understood by the stars.
فِيهَا الدَّلَالاتُ عَلَى إِبْطَالِ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ وُجُودِ مُعَلِّمِهَا الَّذِي عَلَّمَهَا عِبَادَهُ مِمَّا لَا يُدْرَكُ عِلْمُهَا بِالْعُقُولِ فَضْلًا عَنِ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ لَا يَقَعُ عَلَيْهَا الْأَوْهَامُ وَ لَا يَبْلُغُهَا الْعُقُولُ إِلَّا بِهِ لِأَنَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الَّذِي دَبَّرَهَا وَ جَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجاً وَ قَمَراً مُنِيراً يَسْبَحَانِ فِي فَلَكٍ يَدُورُ بِهِمَا دَائِبَيْنِ يُطْلِعُهُمَا تَارَةً وَ يُؤْفِلُهُمَا أُخْرَى
Therein are evidences upon the invalidation of the senses, and the existence of a Teacher who Taught His-azwj servants, from what its knowledge could not be realised by the intellects preferred upon the sensory perceptions, nor can the imaginations occur upon these, nor can the intellects reach except by it, because He-azwj is the Mighty, the Compeller Who Arranged it and Made lamps there and a radiant moon, swimming in orbits rotating continuously with these two, seeing them at times and following them at other times.
فَبَنَى عَلَيْهِ الْأَيَّامَ وَ الشُّهُورَ وَ السِّنِينَ الَّتِي هِيَ مِنْ سَبَبِ الشِّتَاءِ وَ الصَّيْفِ وَ الرَّبِيعِ وَ الْخَرِيفِ أَزْمِنَةً مُخْتَلِفَةَ الْأَعْمَالِ أَصْلُهَا اخْتِلَافُ اللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ اللَّذَيْنِ لَوْ كَانَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمَا سَرْمَداً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ لَمَا قَامَتْ لَهُمْ مَعَايِشُ أَبَداً
Thus, the days and the months and the years were built upon it, which it is from a cause of the winter, and the summer, and the spring, and the autumn, different seasons of the work, its origin being the interchange of the night and the day, those, if one of them were to be continuous upon the servant, the life would not stand for them, ever.
فَجَعَلَ مُدَبِّرُ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ وَ خَالِقُهَا النَّهَارَ مُبْصِراً وَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَناً وَ أَهْبَطَ فِيهِمَا الْحَرَّ وَ الْبَرْدَ مُتَبَايِنَيْنِ لَوْ دَامَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمَا بِغَيْرِ صَاحِبِهِ مَا نَبَتَتْ شَجَرَةٌ وَ لَا طَلَعَتْ ثَمَرَةٌ وَ لَهَلَكَتِ الْخَلِيقَةُ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ مُتَّصِلٌ بِالرِّيحِ الْمُصَرَّفَةِ فِي الْجِهَاتِ الْأَرْبَعِ
The Manager Made these things, and Created the day as visible, and the night as tranquil, and among these two, He-azwj Sent down the heat and the cold following each other. If one of the two were continuous without its counterpart, neither would a tree grow nor would a fruit emerge, and the creation would be destroyed, because that is connected with the winds dispersing in the four directions.
بَارِدَةً تُبَرِّدُ أَنْفَاسَهُمْ وَ حَارَّةً تَلْقَحُ أَجْسَادَهُمْ وَ تَدْفَعُ الْأَذَى عَنْ أَبْدَانِهِمْ وَ مَعَايِشِهِمْ وَ رُطُوبَةً تُرَطِّبُ طَبَائِعَهُمْ وَ يُبُوسَةً تُنَشِّفُ رُطُوبَاتِهِمْ وَ بِهَا يَأْتَلِفُ الْمُفْتَرِقُ وَ بِهَا يَتَفَرَّقُ الْغَمَامُ الْمُطَبِّقُ حَتَّى يَنْبَسِطَ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ مُدَبِّرُهُ
The cold cools their breaths, and the heat inoculates their bodies and repels the harm from their bodies and their lives; and the wetness moisturises their nature, and dryness dries up their wetness, and by it the separate (clouds) gather, and by it the layered clouds separate until they spread out in the sky however its Manager so Desires.
فَ يَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفاً فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلالِهِ بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ لِمَعَاشٍ مَفْهُومٍ وَ أَرْزَاقٍ مَقْسُومَةٍ وَ آجَالٍ مَكْتُوبَةٍ وَ لَوِ احْتُبِسَ عَنْ أَزْمِنَتِهِ وَ وَقْتِهِ هَلَكَتِ الْخَلِيقَةُ وَ يَبِسَتِ الْحَدِيقَةُ
So, He-azwj Made is as fragments, and you see the drizzle coming out from its midst in a known measure to an understandable life, and Distributed sustenance, and Decreed terms. And if it is withheld from its season and its time, the creation would be destroyed and the garden would dry up.
فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ الْمَطَرَ فِي أَيَّامِهِ وَ وَقْتِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي خَلَقَهَا لِبَنِي آدَمَ وَ جَعَلَهَا فَرْشاً وَ مِهَاداً وَ حَبَسَهَا أَنْ تَزُولَ بِهِمْ وَ جَعَلَ الْجِبَالَ لَهَا أَوْتَاداً وَ جَعَلَ فِيهَا يَنَابِيعَ تَجْرِي فِي الْأَرْضِ بِمَا تَنْبُتُ فِيهَا لَا تَقُومُ الْحَدِيقَةُ وَ الْخَلِيقَةُ إِلَّا بِهَا وَ لَا يُصْلِحُونَ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا مَعَ الْبِحَارِ الَّتِي يَرْكَبُونَهَا
Allah-azwj Sends down the rain to the earth during its days and its time, which He-azwj Created for the children of Adam-as, and Made it (earth) as a bed and a cradle, and Withheld it from declining with them, and Made the mountain as pegs for it, and Made springs therein flowing in the ground with whatever grows in it. The garden and the creatures cannot stand except by it, nor are they correct except upon it, along with the ocean, which they are riding to.
وَ يَسْتَخْرِجُونَ مِنْهَا حِلْيَةً يَلْبَسُونَهَا وَ لَحْماً طَرِيّاً وَ غَيْرَهُ يَأْكُلُونَهُ فَعُلِمَ أَنَّ إِلَهَ الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ وَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَاحِدٌ حَيٌّ قَيُّومٌ مُدَبِّرٌ حَكِيمٌ وَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ غَيْرَهُ لَاخْتَلَفَتِ الْأَشْيَاءُ
And they are extracting ornaments from these and are wearing it, and fresh meat and other such they are eating. Therefore, know that the God of the land, and the sea, and the sky, and the earth, and whatever is between these, is One, Living, Eternal, Wise Arranger; and had there been someone else the things would have clashed.
وَ كَذَلِكَ السَّمَاءُ نَظِيرُ الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ اللَّهُ مِنْهَا حَبًّا وَ عِنَباً وَ قَضْباً وَ زَيْتُوناً وَ نَخْلًا وَ حَدائِقَ غُلْباً وَ فاكِهَةً وَ أَبًّا بِتَدْبِيرٍ مُؤَلَّفٍ مُبَيَّنٍ بِتَصْوِيرِ الزَّهْرَةِ وَ الثَّمَرَةِ حَيَاةً لِبَنِي آدَمَ وَ مَعَاشاً يَقُومُ بِهِ أَجْسَادُهُمْ وَ تَعِيشُ بِهَا أَنْعَامُهُمُ الَّتِي جَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِي أَصْوافِها وَ أَوْبارِها وَ أَشْعارِها أَثاثاً وَ مَتاعاً إِلى حِينٍ وَ الِانْتِفَاعِ بِهَا وَ الْبَلَاغِ عَلَى ظُهُورِهَا مَعَاشاً لَهُمْ لَا يَحْيَوْنَ إِلَّا بِهِ وَ صَلَاحاً لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا عَلَيْهِ
And, similar to that, the sky is a match of the earth from which Allah-azwj Brings forth the grains, and the grapes, and reeds, and the olives, and palm trees, and overwhelmed gardens, and fruits, and grass by an arrangement clearly synthesised, by a formulation of the blossom and the fruits, being life for the children of Adam-as, and a life their bodies can be standing with, and their livestock can live by, which Allah-azwj Made furnishings to be in their wool, and their fur, and their hair, and a provision up to a time, and the benefitting with these and reaching (distances) upon their backs being a livelihood for them, not living except by it, and the goodness, they are not standing except upon it.
وَ كَذَلِكَ مَا جَهِلْتَ مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ فَلَا تَجْهَلْ أَنَّ جَمِيعَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ شَيْئَانِ شَيْءٌ يُولَدُ وَ شَيْءٌ يَنْبُتُ أَحَدُهُمَا آكِلٌ وَ الْآخَرُ مَأْكُولٌ وَ مِمَّا يَدُلُّكَ عَقْلُكَ أَنَّهُ خَالِقُهُمْ مَا تَرَى مِنْ خَلْقِ الْإِنْسَانِ وَ تَهْيِئَةِ جَسَدِهِ لِشَهْوَةِ الطَّعَامِ وَ الْمَعِدَةِ لِتَطْحَنَ الْمَأْكُولَ وَ مَجَارِي الْعُرُوقِ لِصَفْوَةِ الطَّعَامِ وَ هَيَّأَ لَهَا الْأَمْعَاءَ وَ لَوْ كَانَ خَالِقُ الْمَأْكُولِ غَيْرَهُ لَمَا خَلَقَ الْأَجْسَادَ مُشْتَهِيَةً لِلْمَأْكُولِ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ قُدْرَةٌ عَلَيْهِ
And similar to that, whatever you are ignorant of from the things, you are not ignorant of the fact that the entirety of what is in the earth are two (types of) things – A thing born, and a thing grown, one of them eats and the other one is eaten. And, from what your intellect points you is He-azwj is their Creator. What you see from the creation of the human being and the preparedness of his body for desiring the food, and the stomach to grind the meals, and the flowing of the veins to clean the food, and prepared the intestines for it. And if the creator of the eaten (foods) was someone else, He-azwj would not have Created the bodies desirous of the eaten (foods), and there isn’t any power for him upon it’.
قَالَ لَقَدْ وَصَفْتَ صِفَةً أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا مِنْ مُدَبِّرٍ حَكِيمٍ لَطِيفٍ قَدِيرٍ عَلِيمٍ قَدْ آمَنْتُ وَ صَدَّقْتُ أَنَّ الْخَالِقَ وَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ وَ بِحَمْدِهِ غَيْرَ أَنِّي أَشُكُّ فِي هَذِهِ السَّمَائِمِ الْقَاتِلَةِ أَنْ يَكُونَ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهَا لِأَنَّهَا ضَارَّةٌ غَيْرُ نَافِعَةٍ
He said, ‘You-asws have described an attribute, I know it is from a Wise Arranger, Subtle, Able upon them. I have believed and ratified that the Creator is One, Glorious is He-azwj, and with His-azwj Praise, apart from that I doubt in these killer poisons, that it would happen to be Him-azwj Who Created these, because they are harmful, without a benefit’.
قُلْتُ أَ لَيْسَ قَدْ صَارَ عِنْدَكَ أَنَّهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ لِأَنَّ الْخَلْقَ عَبِيدُهُ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَخْلُقَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ قُلْتُ سَأُبَصِّرُكَ مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئاً تَعْرِفُهُ وَ لَا أُنَبِّئُكَ إِلَّا مِنْ قِبَلِ إِهْلِيلَجَتِكَ هَذِهِ وَ عِلْمِكَ بِالطِّبِّ قَالَ هَاتِ
I-asws said: ‘Hasn’t it come with you that it is from other than a creation of Allah-azwj?’ He said, ‘Yes, because the Creator of His-azwj servants would not happen to be a creator of what harms them’. I-asws said: ‘I-asws shall make you see from this, a thing you would recognise, and I-asws will not inform you except from the direction of this Ahleylajat herb, and your knowledge of the medicine’. He said, ‘Give’.
قُلْتُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ شَيْئاً مِنَ النَّبْتِ لَيْسَ فِيهِ مَضَرَّةٌ لِلْخَلْقِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ مَا هُوَ قَالَ هَذِهِ الْأَطْعِمَةُ قُلْتُ أَ لَيْسَ هَذَا الطَّعَامُ الَّذِي وَصَفْتَ يُغَيِّرُ أَلْوَانَهُمْ وَ يُهَيِّجُ أَوْجَاعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَكُونَ مِنْهَا الْجُذَامُ وَ الْبَرَصُ وَ السِّلَالُ وَ الْمَاءُ الْأَصْفَرُ وَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْأَوْجَاعِ قَالَ هُوَ كَذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘Do you know of anything from the vegetation, there isn’t any harm for the people?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘What is it?’ He said, ‘This food’. I-asws said: ‘Isn’t this the food which you described as being with other types, and irritates their pains to the extent that there happens from it, the leprosy, and the vitiligo, and the tuberculosis, and the yellow water, and other than that from the pains?’ He said, ‘And is it like that?’
قُلْتُ أَمَّا هَذَا الْبَابُ فَقَدِ انْكَسَرَ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ أَجَلْ قُلْتُ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ شَيْئاً مِنَ النَّبْتِ لَيْسَ فِيهِ مَنْفَعَةٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ أَ لَيْسَ يُدْخَلُ فِي الْأَدْوِيَةِ الَّتِي يُدْفَعُ بِهَا الْأَوْجَاعُ مِنَ الْجُذَامِ وَ الْبَرَصِ وَ السِّلَالِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ وَ يَدْفَعُ الدَّاءَ وَ يُذْهِبُ السُّقْمَ مِمَّا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ لِطُولِ مُعَالَجَتِكَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘But, this subject has been broken upon it’. He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘Do you know anything from the vegetation, there isn’t any benefit in it?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I-asws said: ‘Isn’t it (poison) included in the medicines by which you repel the pains, from the leprosy, and the vitiligo, and the tuberculosis, and other than that, and repel the diseases, and drive away the illnesses from what you are more knowing with due to the prolonged treatment of yours’. He said, ‘It is like that’.
قُلْتُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي أَيُّ الْأَدْوِيَةِ عِنْدَكُمْ أَعْظَمُ فِي السَّمَائِمِ الْقَاتِلَةِ أَ لَيْسَ التِّرْيَاقُ قَالَ نَعَمْ هُوَ رَأْسُهَا وَ أَوَّلُ مَا يُفْرَغُ إِلَيْهِ عِنْدَ نَهْشِ الْحَيَّاتِ وَ لَسْعِ الْهَوَامِّ وَ شُرْبِ السَّمَائِمِ قُلْتُ أَ لَيْسَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ لِلْأَدْوِيَةِ الْمُرْتَفِعَةِ وَ الْأَدْوِيَةِ الْمُحْرِقَةِ فِي أَخْلَاطِ التِّرْيَاقِ إِلَّا أَنْ تُطْبَخَ بِالْأَفَاعِي الْقَاتِلَةِ
I-asws said: ‘Tell me-asws, which of the medications is the greatest with you regarding the killer poisons? Isn’t it the antidote Al-Taryaq?’ He said, ‘Yes, it is its head, and the first of what would be applied to it at the bite of the snake, and the sting of the vermin, and the drinking of the poison’. I-asws said: ‘Don’t you know that it is a must for the high medications, and the inflammatory medicines in in mixing the antidote, except that it be made with the killer snakes?’
قَالَ نَعَمْ هُوَ كَذَلِكَ وَ لَا يَكُونُ التِّرْيَاقُ الْمُنْتَفَعَ بِهِ الدَّافِعَ لِلسَّمَائِمِ الْقَاتِلَةِ إِلَّا بِذَلِكَ وَ لَقَدِ انْكَسَرَ عَلَيَّ هَذَا الْبَابُ فَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَ أَنَّهُ خَالِقُ السَّمَائِمِ الْقَاتِلَةِ وَ الْهَوَامِّ الْعَادِيَةِ وَ جَمِيعِ النَّبْتِ وَ الْأَشْجَارِ وَ غَارِسُهَا وَ مُنْبِتُهَا وَ بَارِئُ الْأَجْسَادِ وَ سَائِقُ الرِّيَاحِ وَ مُسَخِّرُ السَّحَابِ
He said, ‘Yes, it is like that, and the antidote cannot happen to be benefitted with, the repeller of the killer poisons, except with that, and you-asws have broken this subject upon me. I testify that there is no god except Allah-azwj Alone, there being no associates for Him-azwj, and He-azwj is the Creator of the killer poisons and the regular vermins, and the entirety and the trees, and its Planter and its Gower, and Fashioner of the bodies, and Usherer of the winds, and Subduer of the clouds.
وَ أَنَّهُ خَالِقُ الْأَدْوَاءِ الَّتِي تُهَيِّجُ بِالْإِنْسَانِ كَالسَّمَائِمِ الْقَاتِلَةِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي أَعْضَائِهِ وَ عِظَامِهِ وَ مُسْتَقَرِّ الْأَدْوَاءِ وَ مَا يُصْلِحُهَا مِنَ الدَّوَاءِ الْعَارِفُ بِالرُّوحِ وَ مَجْرَى الدَّمِ وَ أَقْسَامِهِ فِي الْعُرُوقِ وَ اتِّصَالِهِ بِالْعَصَبِ وَ الْأَعْضَاءِ وَ الْعَصَبِ وَ الْجَسَدِ وَ أَنَّهُ عَارِفٌ بِمَا يُصْلِحُهُ مِنَ الْحَرِّ وَ الْبَرْدِ عَالِمٌ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ بِمَا فِيهِ وَ
And He-azwj is the Creator of the medicines which agitate the human being like the killer poisons which flow in his body parts and his bones, and the diseases and what would correct it from the medicine. The knowledge of the souls and the flow of the blood and its distribution in the beings and their connection with the nerves and the body parts, and the nerves and the body. And He-azwj Knows of what is correct from the heat and the cold, a Knower of every organ inside him.
أَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي وَضَعَ هَذِهِ النُّجُومَ وَ حِسَابَهَا وَ الْعَالِمُ بِهَا وَ الدَّالُّ عَلَى نُحُوسِهَا وَ سُعُودِهَا وَ مَا يَكُونُ مِنَ الْمَوَالِيدِ وَ أَنَّ التَّدْبِيرَ وَاحِدٌ لَمْ يَخْتَلِفْ مُتَّصِلٌ فِيمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مَا فِيهَا فَبَيِّنْ لِي كَيْفَ قُلْتَ هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَ الْآخِرُ وَ هُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ وَ أَشْبَاهَ ذَلِكَ
And He-azwj is the One-azwj Who Placed these stars and their calculations and the Know of these, and the Pointer upon its inauspiciousness and its fortunes, and what is to happen from the births; and that the Arrangement is one, and does not differ in connection regarding what is between the sky and the earth and whatever is in it. Explain to me how I should say, He-azwj, is the First, and the Last, and He-azwj is the Subtle, the Informed, and the likes of that?’
قُلْتُ هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ بِلَا كَيْفٍ وَ هُوَ الْآخِرُ بِلَا نِهَايَةٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِثْلٌ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ وَ الْأَشْيَاءَ لَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَ لَا كَيْفٍ بِلَا عِلَاجٍ وَ لَا مُعَانَاةٍ وَ لَا فِكْرٍ وَ لَا كَيْفٍ كَمَا أَنَّهُ لَا كَيْفَ لَهُ وَ إِنَّمَا الْكَيْفُ بِكَيْفِيَّةِ الْمَخْلُوقِ لِأَنَّهُ الْأَوَّلُ لَا بَدْءَ لَهُ وَ لَا شِبْهَ وَ لَا مِثْلَ وَ لَا ضِدَّ وَ لَا نِدَّ لَا يُدْرَكُ بِبَصَرٍ وَ لَا يُحَسُّ بِلَمْسٍ وَ لَا يُعْرَفُ إِلَّا بِخَلْقِهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَالَ فَصِفْ لِي قُوَّتَهُ
I-asws said: ‘He-azwj is the First without ‘how’, and He-azwj is the Last without an endpoint. There isn’t an example for Him-azwj. He-azwj Created the things, not from anything, nor how without a treatment or suffering, nor a thought, nor a how, just as there is no ‘how’ for Him-azwj. But rather, the how is with the qualitative state of the creature because He-azwj the First, there being no escape for it, nor a resemblance, nor an example, nor an opposite, nor an adversary. He-azwj cannot be realised by sight, nor felt by a touch, nor recognised except through His-azwj creation, Blessed, and Exalted’. He said, ‘Describe His-azwj Strength to me’.
قُلْتُ إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ رَبُّنَا جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ قَوِيّاً لِلْخَلْقِ الْعَظِيمِ الْقَوِيِّ الَّذِي خَلَقَ مِثْلَ الْأَرْضِ وَ مَا عَلَيْهَا مِنْ جِبَالِهَا وَ بِحَارِهَا وَ رِمَالِهَا وَ أَشْجَارِهَا وَ مَا عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْخَلْقِ الْمُتَحَرِّكِ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ وَ مِنَ الْحَيَوَانِ وَ تَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَ السَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ الْمُثَقَّلِ بِالْمَاءِ الْكَثِيرِ وَ الشَّمْسِ وَ الْقَمَرِ وَ عِظَمِهِمَا وَ عِظَمِ نُورِهِمَا الَّذِي لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ بُلُوغاً وَ لَا مُنْتَهًى
I-asws said: ‘But rather our Lord-azwj, Majestic is His-azwj Majesty, has been Named as ‘The Strong’, due to the strong magnificent creation which He-azwj Created, like the earth and what is upon it from its mountains, and its oceans, and its deserts, and its trees, and what is upon it from the moving creatures from the human beings and from the animals, and the dispersal of the winds, and the subservient clouds weighed down by the abundant water, and the sun, and the moon, and greater than these two and creating than their luminosities which neither can the eyes see its reach nor its end point;
وَ النُّجُومِ الْجَارِيَةِ وَ دَوَرَانِ الْفَلَكِ وَ غِلَظِ السَّمَاءِ وَ عِظَمِ الْخَلْقِ الْعَظِيمِ وَ السَّمَاءِ الْمُسَقَّفَةِ فَوْقَنَا رَاكِدَةً فِي الْهَوَاءِ وَ مَا دُونَهَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ الْمَبْسُوطَةِ وَ مَا عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْخَلْقِ الثَّقِيلِ وَ هِيَ رَاكِدَةٌ لَا تَتَحَرَّكُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ رُبَّمَا حُرِّكَ فِيهَا نَاحِيَةٌ وَ النَّاحِيَةُ الْأُخْرَى ثَابِتَةٌ وَ رُبَّمَا خَسَفَ مِنْهَا نَاحِيَةٌ وَ النَّاحِيَةُ الْأُخْرَى قَائِمَةٌ
And the hot stars, and rotations of the orbit, and the thick sky, and greatness of the great creation, and the sky roofed above us stagnant in the air, and what is below it from the spread-out earth, and what is upon it from the heavy creatures, and it is still, not moving, apart from that sometimes an area in it would move, and the other area would be firs, and sometimes an area from it would submerge, and another area would be standing.
يُرِينَا قُدْرَتَهُ وَ يَدُلُّنَا بِفِعْلِهِ عَلَى مَعْرِفَتِهِ فَلِهَذَا سُمِّيَ قَوِيّاً لَا لِقُوَّةِ الْبَطْشِ الْمَعْرُوفَةِ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ وَ لَوْ كَانَتْ قُوَّتُهُ تُشْبِهُ قُوَّةَ الْخَلْقِ لَوَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ التَّشْبِيهُ وَ كَانَ مُحْتَمِلًا لِلزِّيَادَةِ وَ مَا احْتَمَلَ الزِّيَادَةَ كَانَ نَاقِصاً وَ مَا كَانَ نَاقِصاً لَمْ يَكُنْ تَامّاً وَ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ تَامّاً كَانَ عَاجِزاً ضَعِيفاً
He-azwj Shows us His-azwj Power and Points us by His-azwj Deed upon recognising Him-azwj. Thus, for this, He-azwj is Named as ‘Strong’ due to the strength of the force, well known from the creatures. And if His-azwj Strength had resembled the strength of the creatures, the resemblance would occur upon Him-azwj, and He-azwj would be enduring for the increase, and whatever endured for the increase, would be deficient, and whatever was deficient, cannot happen to be complete, and what cannot happen to be complete would be unable, weak.
وَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَا يُشَبَّهُ بِشَيْءٍ وَ إِنَّمَا قُلْنَا إِنَّهُ قَوِيٌّ لِلْخَلْقِ الْقَوِيِّ وَ كَذَلِكَ قَوْلُنَا الْعَظِيمُ وَ الْكَبِيرُ وَ لَا يُشَبَّهُ بِهَذِهِ الْأَسْمَاءِ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَالَ أَ فَرَأَيْتَ قَوْلَهُ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ عَالِمٌ
And Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic cannot be resembled with anything, and rather we-asws say: ‘He-azwj is Strong due to the creating the strong’, and similar to that is our-asws word: ‘The Magnificent, the Great, and he cannot be resembled with these Names of Allah-azwj Blessed and Exalted’. He said, ‘What is your-asws view of His-azwj Words: “Hearing, Seeing, Knowing”?’
قُلْتُ إِنَّمَا يُسَمَّى تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى بِهَذِهِ الْأَسْمَاءِ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ مِمَّا لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ مِنْ شَخْصٍ صَغِيرٍ أَوْ كَبِيرٍ أَوْ دَقِيقٍ أَوْ جَلِيلٍ وَ لَا نَصِفُهُ بَصِيراً بِلَحْظِ عَيْنٍ كَالْمَخْلُوقِ
I-asws said: ‘But rather, the Blessed and Exalted has been Named with these Names because He-azwj is such, nothing is hidden from Him-azwj, from what the sights cannot realise, from a small person or bid, or thin, or majestic; and we-asws do not described Him-azwj as Seeing by an eye as the creatures do.
وَ إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ سَمِيعاً لِأَنَّهُ ما يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوى ثَلاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رابِعُهُمْ وَ لا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سادِسُهُمْ وَ لا أَدْنى مِنْ ذلِكَ وَ لا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ ما كانُوا يَسْمَعُ النَّجْوَى وَ دَبِيبَ النَّمْلِ عَلَى الصَّفَا وَ خَفَقَانَ الطَّيْرِ فِي الْهَوَاءِ
And rather, He-azwj is Named as ‘Hearing’ because there does not happen a secret counsel of three, except He-azwj is the fourth of them, nor five except He-azwj is their sixth, nor lower than that nor more, except He-azwj is with them wherever they may be, hearing the private conversations, and the footsteps of the an upon a rock, and the bird beating its wings in the air.
لَا تَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ خَافِيَةٌ وَ لَا شَيْءٌ مِمَّا أَدْرَكَتْهُ الْأَسْمَاعُ وَ الْأَبْصَارُ وَ مَا لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَسْمَاعُ وَ الْأَبْصَارُ مَا جَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ مَا دَقَّ وَ مَا صَغُرَ وَ مَا كَبُرَ وَ لَمْ نَقُلْ سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً كَالسَّمْعِ الْمَعْقُولِ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ
A hidden thing in not hidden from Him-azwj, nor anything from what is realised by the hearing and the sight, and what the hearing and the sight do not realise, whatever is majestic from that and whatever is thing, and what is small and what is large. And we-asws do not say, ‘Hearing, Seeing’, like the hearing as being understood from the creatures.
وَ كَذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ عَلِيماً لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَجْهَلُ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ لَا تَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ خَافِيَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لَا فِي السَّمَاءِ عَلِمَ مَا يَكُونُ وَ مَا لَا يَكُونُ وَ مَا لَوْ كَانَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ
And similar to that, but rather He-azwj is Named as ‘Knower’ because He-azwj is not ignorant of anything from the things. A hidden matter is not hidden from Him-azwj, neither in the earth nor in the sky. He-azwj Knows what will be happening and what will not be happening, and what, if it did come into existence, how would it happen to be.
وَ لَمْ نَصِفْ عَلِيماً بِمَعْنَى غَرِيزَةٍ يَعْلَمُ بِهَا كَمَا أَنَّ لِلْخَلْقِ غَرِيزَةً يَعْلَمُونَ بِهَا فَهَذَا مَا أَرَادَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ عَلِيمٌ فَعَزَّ مَنْ جَلَّ عَنِ الصِّفَاتِ وَ مَنْ نَزَّهَ نَفْسَهُ عَنْ أَفْعَالِ خَلْقِهِ فَهَذَا هُوَ الْمَعْنَى وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ مَا فَصَّلَ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ فَسُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ
And we-asws do not describe ‘Knower’ with a meaning of instinct He-azwj Knows with, just as there is an instinct for the creatures they are knowing by. So, this is what is meant from His-azwj Word, ‘Knower’. Mighty is the One-azwj more Majestic than the attributes, and One-azwj Who is far above from the deeds of His-azwj creatures. Thus this, it is the meaning, and had it not been that, there would have been no distance between Him-azwj and His-azwj creature. Glorious is He-azwj, and Holy are His-azwj Names’.
قَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَكَمَا تَقُولُ وَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ إِنَّمَا غَرَضِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَ عَنْ رَدِّ الْجَوَابِ فِيهِ عِنْدَ مُصَرِّفٍ يَسْنَحُ عَنِّي فَأَخْبِرْنِي لَعَلِّي أُحْكِمُهُ فَيَكُونَ الْحُجَّةُ قَدِ انْشَرَحَتْ لِلْمُتَعَنِّتِ الْمُخَالِفِ أَوِ السَّائِلِ الْمُرْتَابِ أَوِ الطَّالِبِ الْمُرْتَادِ مَعَ مَا فِيهِ لِأَهْلِ الْمُوَافَقَةِ مِنَ الِازْدِيَادِ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِهِ لَطِيفٌ وَ قَدْ عَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ لِلْفِعْلِ وَ لَكِنْ قَدْ رَجَوْتُ أَنْ تَشْرَحَ لِي ذَلِكَ بِوَصْفِكَ
He said, ‘This is as you-asws are saying, and I have learned that my purpose is that I ask about the responding answer with regards to it, as its occurrence in my mind from me. Tell me, perhaps I take Him-azwj as a Judge, and the argument has happened to have been expounded for the intransigent (stubborn) adversary, or the suspicious questioner, or the habitual seeker, along with what is in it for the compatible people from the abundance. Tell me about His-azwj Word: ‘Subtle’, and I have understood that it is for the deed, but I request that you-asws will expound that for me with your-asws description’.
قُلْتُ إِنَّمَا سَمَّيْنَاهُ لَطِيفاً لِلْخَلْقِ اللَّطِيفِ وَ لِعِلْمِهِ بِالشَّيْءِ اللَّطِيفِ مِمَّا خَلَقَ مِنَ الْبَعُوضِ وَ الذَّرَّةِ وَ مِمَّا هُوَ أَصْغَرُ مِنْهُمَا لَا يَكَادُ تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَ الْعُقُولُ لِصِغَرِ خَلْقِهِ مِنْ عَيْنِهِ وَ سَمْعِهِ وَ صُورَتِهِ لَا يُعْرَفُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ لِصِغَرِهِ الذَّكَرُ مِنَ الْأُنْثَى وَ لَا الْحَدِيثُ الْمَوْلُودُ مِنَ الْقَدِيمِ الْوَالِدِ
I-asws said: ‘But rather, we-asws Name Him-azwj as ‘Subtle’ for the subtle creation, and due to His-azwj Knowledge with the subtle thing from what He-azwj Created, from the mosquito and the small ant, and from what is small than them, which almost the sights and the intellects cannot realise, due to the smallness of its creation, from its eyes, and its hearing, and its face, nor can the male and the female be known from that due to its smallness, nor the event of the birth from the ancient parent.
فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَا لُطْفَ ذَلِكَ فِي صِغَرِهِ وَ مَوْضِعَ الْعَقْلِ فِيهِ وَ الشَّهْوَةَ لِلسِّفَادِ وَ الْهَرَبَ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ وَ الْحَدَبَ عَلَى نَسْلِهِ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ وَ مَعْرِفَةَ بَعْضِهَا بَعْضاً وَ مَا كَانَ مِنْهَا فِي لُجَجِ الْبِحَارِ وَ أَعْنَانِ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْمَفَاوِزِ وَ الْقِفَارِ وَ مَا هُوَ مَعَنَا فِي مَنْزِلِنَا وَ يَفْهَمُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضاً مِنْ مَنْطِقِهِمْ وَ مَا يَفْهَمُ مِنْ أَوْلَادِهَا وَ نَقْلَهَا الطَّعَامَ إِلَيْهَا وَ الْمَاءَ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّ خَالِقَهَا لَطِيفٌ وَ أَنَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِخَلْقِ اللَّطِيفِ كَمَا سَمَّيْنَاهُ قَوِيّاً بِخَلْقِ الْقَوِيِّ
When we see that subtleness in its smallness, and the desire for the spoiling, and the fleeing from the death, and the activity upon its offspring from its children, and their recognising each other, and what was from it in the fear of the oceans, and the areas of the sky, and the prairies and the wilderness, and what is with us in our houses, and their understanding each other from their talking, and what it understands from its children, and its transferring the food and the water to it, we-asws know that its Creator is Subtle, and He-azwj is Subtle by the subtleness of the creation, just as we-asws Name Him-azwj as Strong by the strong creation’.
قَالَ إِنَّ الَّذِي جِئْتَ بِهِ لَوَاضِحٌ فَكَيْفَ جَازَ لِلْخَلْقِ أَنْ يَتَسَمَّوْا بِأَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى
He said, ‘That which you-asws have come with, is clear. But, how is it allowed for the people that they be named with the Names of Allah-azwj the Exalted?’
قُلْتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَ تَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ أَبَاحَ لِلنَّاسِ الْأَسْمَاءَ وَ وَهَبَهَا لَهُمْ وَ قَدْ قَالَ الْقَائِلُ مِنَ النَّاسِ لِلْوَاحِدِ وَاحِدٌ وَ يَقُولُ لِلَّهِ وَاحِدٌ وَ يَقُولُ قَوِيٌّ وَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَوِيٌّ وَ يَقُولُ صَانِعٌ وَ اللَّهُ صَانِعٌ وَ يَقُولُ رَازِقٌ وَ اللَّهُ رَازِقٌ وَ يَقُولُ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ وَ اللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ
I-asws said: ‘Allah-azwj, Majestic is His-azwj Extollation, and Holy are His-azwj Names, Allowed the names for the people and Gifted it to them; and the speaker from the people says for the one, ‘One’, and he is saying for Allah-azwj, ‘One’, and he is saying, ‘Strong, and Allah-azwj the Exalted is Strong’, and he is saying, ‘maker’, and Allah-azwj is a Maker, and he is saying, ‘Sustainer, and Allah-azwj is a Sustainer, and he is saying, ‘Seeing, and Allah-azwj is Hearing, Seeing’, and what resembles that.
فَمَنْ قَالَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ وَاحِدٌ فَهَذَا لَهُ اسْمٌ وَ لَهُ شَبِيهٌ وَ اللَّهُ وَاحِدٌ وَ هُوَ لَهُ اسْمٌ وَ لَا شَيْءَ لَهُ شَبِيهٌ وَ لَيْسَ الْمَعْنَى وَاحِداً
The one who says for the human being, ‘One’, then this is a name for him, and for him there is a resemblance, and Allah-azwj is One, and it is a Name for Him-azwj and there is nothing resembling to Him-azwj, and the meaning isn’t one.
وَ أَمَّا الْأَسْمَاءُ فَهِيَ دَلَالَتُنَا عَلَى الْمُسَمَّى لِأَنَّا قَدْ نَرَى الْإِنْسَانَ وَاحِداً وَ إِنَّمَا نُخْبِرُ وَاحِداً إِذَا كَانَ مُفْرَداً فَعُلِمَ أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ فِي نَفْسِهِ لَيْسَ بِوَاحِدٍ فِي الْمَعْنَى لِأَنَّ أَعْضَاءَهُ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ وَ أَجْزَاءَهُ لَيْسَتْ سَوَاءً وَ لَحْمَهُ غَيْرُ دَمِهِ وَ عَظْمَهُ غَيْرُ عَصَبِهِ وَ شَعْرَهُ غَيْرُ ظُفُرِهِ وَ سَوَادَهُ غَيْرُ بَيَاضِهِ
And, as for the names, so these point us upon the named, because we have seen the human being as one, and rather we are informed of one when he was an individual. Know, that the human being in himself isn’t with oneness in the meaning, because his body parts are different, and his parts aren’t same, and his flesh is other than his blood, and his bone is other than his nerve, and his hair is other than his nail, and his blackness is other than his whiteness.
وَ كَذَلِكَ سَائِرُ الْخَلْقِ وَ الْإِنْسَانُ وَاحِدٌ فِي الِاسْمِ وَ لَيْسَ بِوَاحِدٍ فِي الِاسْمِ وَ الْمَعْنَى وَ الْخَلْقِ فَإِذَا قِيلَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الَّذِي لَا وَاحِدَ غَيْرُهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَا اخْتِلَافَ فِيهِ وَ هُوَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى سَمِيعٌ وَ بَصِيرٌ وَ قَوِيٌّ وَ عَزِيزٌ وَ حَكِيمٌ وَ عَلِيمٌ فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
And similar to that are the rest of the creatures, and the human being is one in the name, and he isn’t with oneness in the name and the meaning and the creation. Thus, when it is said to Allah-azwj, so He-azwj is the One, there being no one apart from Him-azwj, because there is no difference in Him-azwj, and He-azwj is Blessed and Exalted, Hearing and Seeing, and Strong and Mighty, and Wise and Knowing. Exalted is Allah-azwj, best of the creators’.
قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِهِ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ وَ عَنْ رِضَاهُ وَ مَحَبَّتِهِ وَ غَضَبِهِ وَ سَخَطِهِ
He said, ‘Tell me about His-azwj Words, ‘Kind, Merciful’, and about His-azwj Pleasure, and His-azwj Wrath, and His-azwj Indignation’.
قُلْتُ إِنَّ الرَّحْمَةَ وَ مَا يَحْدُثُ لَنَا مِنْهَا شَفَقَةٌ وَ مِنْهَا جُودٌ وَ إِنَّ رَحْمَةَ اللَّهِ ثَوَابُهُ لِخَلْقِهِ وَ الرَّحْمَةَ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ شَيْئَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا يَحْدُثُ فِي الْقَلْبِ الرَّأْفَةُ وَ الرِّقَّةُ لِمَا يُرَى بِالْمَرْحُومِ مِنَ الضُّرِّ وَ الْحَاجَةِ وَ ضُرُوبِ الْبَلَاءِ وَ الْآخَرُ مَا يَحْدُثُ مِنَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ الرَّأْفَةِ وَ اللُّطْفِ عَلَى الْمَرْحُومِ وَ الرَّحْمَةُ مِنَّا مَا نَزَلَ بِهِ
I-asws said: ‘The Mercy and what occurs for us from it, is compassion, and from it is benevolence, and that the Mercy of Allah-azwj is His-azwj Rewarding His-azwj creatures. And the mercy from the servants are two things – one of them occurs in the heart, is the compassion and the tenderness when he sees the deprived as being with the harm, and the need, and a variety of the afflictions; and the other is what occurs from us from after the compassion, and kindness upon the deprived, and the mercy from is what descends with it.
وَ قَدْ يَقُولُ الْقَائِلُ انْظُرْ إِلَى رَحْمَةِ فُلَانٍ وَ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ الْفِعْلَ الَّذِي حَدَثَ عَنِ الرِّقَّةِ الَّتِي فِي قَلْبِ فُلَانٍ وَ إِنَّمَا يُضَافُ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْ فَعْلِ مَا حَدَثَ عَنَّا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ وَ أَمَّا الْمَعْنَى الَّذِي هُوَ فِي الْقَلْبِ فَهُوَ مَنْفِيٌّ عَنِ اللَّهِ كَمَا وَصَفَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَهُوَ رَحِيمٌ لَا رَحْمَةَ رِقَّةٍ
And the speaker has said, ‘look at the mercy of so and so’. But rather, he is intending the deed which occurred from the compassion which is in the heart of so and so. And rather, it is additional to Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic from a deed that occurs from us regarding these things. And as for the meaning that is in the heart, so it is disallowed about Allah-azwj, just as He-azwj Described about Himself. He-azwj is Merciful, not mercy and tenderness.
وَ أَمَّا الْغَضَبُ فَهُوَ مِنَّا إِذَا غَضِبْنَا تَغَيَّرَتْ طَبَائِعُنَا وَ تَرْتَعِدُ أَحْيَاناً مَفَاصِلُنَا وَ حَالَتْ أَلْوَانُنَا ثُمَّ نَجِيءُ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ بِالْعُقُوبَاتِ فَسُمِّيَ غَضَباً فَهَذَا كَلَامُ النَّاسِ الْمَعْرُوفُ وَ الْغَضَبُ شَيْئَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا فِي الْقَلْبِ وَ أَمَّا الْمَعْنَى الَّذِي هُوَ فِي الْقَلْبِ فَهُوَ مَنْفِيٌّ عَنِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَ كَذَلِكَ رِضَاهُ وَ سَخَطُهُ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ عَلَى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ لَا شَبِيهَ لَهُ وَ لَا مِثْلَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ
As for the Wrath, so it is from us when we are angered, our nature changes and sometimes our joints tremble, and our colour changes, then we come, from after that, with the punishment. It is named anger. This is a well-known speech of the people. And the anger is two things – one of them is in the heart, and as for the meaning of that which is in the heart, it is not allowed about Allah-azwj, Majestic is His-azwj Majesty. And like that is His-azwj Pleasure, and His-azwj Indignation, and His-azwj Mercy, being upon these attributes. The Mighty and Majestic, there is no resemblance to Him-azwj, nor an example, nor do I-asws have anything from the things’.
قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ إِرَادَتِهِ قُلْتُ إِنَّ الْإِرَادَةَ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ الضَّمِيرُ وَ مَا يَبْدُو بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْفِعْلِ وَ أَمَّا مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَالْإِرَادَةُ لِلْفِعْلِ إِحْدَاثُهُ إِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ بِلَا تَعَبٍ وَ لَا كَيْفٍ
He said, ‘Tell me about His-azwj Will’. I-asws said: ‘The intention from the servants is the conscience, and what commences after that from the deed. And, as from Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic, so the Will is the deed, its occurrence. But rather, He-azwj is Saying to it: “Be!”, and it comes into being, without any tiredness nor ‘how’’.
قَالَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ حَسْبُكَ فَهَذِهِ كَافِيَةٌ لِمَنْ عَقَلَ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ الَّذِي هَدَانَا مِنَ الضَّلَالِ وَ عَصَمَنَا مِنْ أَنْ نُشَبِّهَهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَ أَنْ نَشُكَّ فِي عَظَمَتِهِ وَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَ لَطِيفِ صُنْعِهِ وَ جَبَرُوتِهِ جَلَّ عَنِ الْأَشْبَاهِ وَ الْأَضْدَادِ وَ تَكَبَّرَ عَنِ الشُّرَكَاءِ وَ الْأَنْدَادِ
He said, ‘You-asws have reached your-asws conclusion, and this is sufficient for one who uses intellect. And the Praise is for Allah-azwj, Lord-azwj of the world, Who Guided us from the straying, and Protected us from us resembling him with anything from His-azwj creation, and from doubting in His-azwj Magnificence, and His-azwj Power, and the subtleness of His-azwj Making and His-azwj Mightiness, Majestic from His-azwj resemblances and the adversaries, and Greater from the associates and the rivals’’.[1]
[1] Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 3, The book of Tawheed, Ch 5 H 1