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Sermon185
About the Oneness of Allah. This sermon contains principles of knowledge which no other
sermoncontains

HewhoassignstoHim(different)conditionsdoesnotbelieveinHisoneness,nordoeshewho
likens Him grasp His reality. He who illustrates Him does not signify Him. He who points at
HimandimaginesHimdoesnotmeanHim.Everythingthatisknownthroughitselfhasbeen
created,andeverythingthatexistsbyvirtueofotherthingsistheeffect(ofacause).Heworks
butnotwiththehelpofinstruments.Hefixesmeasuresbutnotwiththeactivityofthinking.He
isrichbutnotbyacquisition.

TimesdonotkeepcompanywithHim,andimplementsdonothelpHim.HisBeingprecedes
times. His Existence precedes nonexistence and His eternity precedes beginning. By His
creatingthesensesitisknownthatHehasnosenses.Bythecontrariesinvariousmattersitis
known that He has no contrary, and by the similarity between things it is known that there is
nothingsimilartoHim.Hehasmadelightthecontraryofdarkness,brightnessthatofgloom,
drynessthatofmoistureandheatthatofcold.Heproducesaffectionamonginimicalthings.

Hefusestogetherdiversethings,bringsnearremotethingsandseparatesthingswhicharejoined
together. He is not confined by limits, nor counted by numbers. Material parts can surround
things of their own kind, and organs can point out things similar to themselves. The word(1)
"mundhu"(i.e.since)disprovestheireternity,theword"qad"(thatdenotesnearnessoftimeof
occurrence), disproves their being from ever and the word "lawla" (if it were not) keep them
remotefromperfection.

ThroughthemtheCreatormanifestsHimselftotheintelligence,andthroughthemHeisguarded
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fromthesightoftheeyes.

StillnessandmotiondonotoccurinHim,andhowcanthatthingoccurinHimwhichHehas
Himselfmadetooccur,andhowcanathingreverttoHimwhichHefirstcreated,andhowcana
thingappearinHimwhichHefirstbroughttoappearance.Ifithadnotbeenso,HisSelfwould
havebecomesubjecttodiversity,HisBeingwouldhavebecomedivisible(intoparts),andHis
realitywouldhavebeenpreventedfrombeingdeemedEternal.IftherewasafronttoHimthere
wouldhavebeenarearalsoforHim.HewouldneedcompletingonlyifshortagebefellHim.In
that case signs of the created would appear in Him, and He would become a sign (leading to
other objects) instead of signs leading to Him. Through the might of His abstention (from
affectedness)Heisfarabovebeingaffectedbythingswhicheffectothers.

Heisthatwhichdoesnotchangeorvanish.TheprocessofsettingdoesnotbehoveHim.Hehas
not begotten any one lest He be regarded as having been born. He has not been begotten
otherwiseHewouldbecontainedwithinlimits.HeistooHightohavesons.Heistoopurified
tocontactwomen.ImaginationcannotreachHimsoastoassignHimquantity.Understanding
cannot think of Him so as to give him shape. Senses do not perceive Him so as to feel Him.
HandscannottouchHimsoastorubagainstHim.Hedoesnotchangeintoanycondition.He
does not pass from one state to another. Nights and days do not turn Him old. Light and
darknessdonotalterHim.

ItcannotbesaidthatHehasalimitorextremity,orendorterminationnordothingscontrol
HimsoastoraiseHimorlowerHim,nordoesanythingcarryHimsoastobendHimorkeep
Himerect.Heisnotinsidethingsnoroutsidethem.Heconveysnews,butnotwiththetongueor
voice.Helistens,butnotwiththeholesoftheearsortheorgansofhearing.Hesays,butdoes
not utter words. He remembers, but does not memorise. He determines, but not by exercising
Hismind.Helovesandapproveswithoutanysentimentality(ofheart).Hehatesandfeelsangry
withoutanypainstaking.WhenHeintendstocreatesomeoneHesays"Be"andthereheis,but
notthroughavoicethatstrikes(theears)isthatcallheard.HisspeechisanactofHiscreation.
Hislikeneverexistedbeforethis.Ifhadbeeneternalitwouldhavebeenthesecondgod.
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ItcannotbesaidthatHecameintobeingafterHehadnotbeeninexistencebecauseinthatcase
the attributes of the created things would be assigned to Him and there would remain no
difference between them and Him, and He would have no distinction over them. Thus, the
Creatorandthecreatedwouldbecomeequalandtheinitiatorandtheinitiatedwouldbeonthe
samelevel.Hecreated(thewholeof)creationwithoutanyexamplemadebysomeoneelse,and
HedidnotsecuretheassistanceofanyoneoutofHiscreationforcreatingit.

Hecreatedtheearthandsuspendeditwithoutbeingbusy,retaineditwithoutsupport,madeit
stand without legs, raised it without pillars, protected it against bendings and curvings and
defendeditagainstcrumblingandsplitting(intoparts).Hefixedmountainsonitlikestumps,
solidifieditsrocks,causeditsstreamstoflowandopenedwideitsvalleys.WhateverHemade
didnotsufferfromanyflow,andwhateverHestrengtheneddidnotshowanyweakness.

HemanifestsHimselfovertheearthwithHisauthorityandgreatness.Heisawareofitsinside
throughhisknowledgeandunderstanding.Hehaspowerovereverythingintheearthbyvirtue
ofHissublimityanddignity.NothingfromtheearththathemayaskfordefiesHim,nordoesit
opposeHimsoastooverpowerHim.NoswiftfootedcreaturecanrunawayfromHimsoasto
surpass Him. He is not needy towards any possessing person so that he should feed Him. All
things bow to Him and are humble before His greatness. They cannot flee away from His
authority to someone else in order to escape His benefit or His harm. There is no parallel for
HimwhomaymatchHimandnoonelikeHimsoastoequalHim.

Hewilldestroytheearthafteritsexistence,tillallthatexistsonitwillbecomenonexistent.But
theextinctionoftheworldafteritscreationisnostrangerthanitsfirstformationandinvention.
Howcoulditbe?Evenifalltheanimalsoftheearth,whetherbirdsorbeasts,stabledcattleor
pasturingones,ofdifferentoriginsandspecies,dullpeopleandsagaciousmenalljointlytry
tocreate(even)amosquitotheyarenotabletobringitintobeinganddonotunderstandwhatis
the way to its creation. Their wits are bewildered and wandering. Their powers fall short and
fail, and return disappointed and tired, knowing that they are defeated and admitting their
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inabilitytoproduceit,alsorealisingthattheyaretooweak(even)todestroyit.

Surely,aftertheextinctionoftheworld,AllahtheGlorifiedwillremainalonewithnothingelse
beside Him. He will be, after its extinction, as He was before its production: without time or
placeormomentorperiod.Atthismoment,periodandtimewillnotexist,andyearsandhours
will disappear. There will be nothing except Allah, the One, the Allpowerful. To Him is the
returnofallmatters.Itsinitialcreationwasnotinitspowerandthepreventionofitsextinction
was(also)notinitspower.Ifithadthepowertopreventit,itwouldhaveexistedforever.When
He made anything of the world, the making of it did not cause Him any difficulty, and the
creationofanythingwhichHecreatedandformeddidnotfatigueHim.Hedidnotcreateitto
heightenHisauthoritynorforfearoflossorharm,nortoseekitshelpagainstanoverwhelming
foe, nor to guard against any avenging opponent with its help, nor for the extension of His
domain by its help, nor for boasting (over largeness of His possession) against a partner, nor
becauseHefeltlonelyanddesiredtoseekitscompany.

ThenafteritscreationHewilldestroyit,butnotbecauseanyworryhasovercomeHiminits
upkeep and administration, nor for any pleasure that will accrue to Him, nor for the
cumbrousnessofanythingoverHim.ThelengthofitslifedoesnotwearyHimsoastoinduce
Himtoitsquickdestruction.ButAllah,theGlorified,hasmaintaineditwithHiskindness,kept
itintactwithHiscommandandperfecteditwithHispower.Thenafteritsdestruction,Hewill
resuscitateit,butnotforanyneedofHisowntowardsit,nortoseektheassistanceofanyofits
things against it, nor to change over from the condition of loneliness to that of company, nor
fromtheconditionofignoranceandblindnesstothatofknowledgeandsearch,norfrompaucity
andneedtowardsneedlessnessandplenty,norfromdisgraceandlowlinesstowardshonourand
prestige.

1Themeaningisthatthesenseforwhichthewords"mundhu","qad"and"lawla"havebeenformedisopposed
totheattributesof"Ever","Eternal"and"Perfect".Therefore,theirapplicationtoanythingwouldprovethatthey
havecomeintoexistencefromnonexistenceandareimperfect.Forexample,"mundhu"isusedtodenotetimeas
is"qadwujidamundukadha"(thisthingisfoundsincesoandso).Hereatimelimithasbeenstated,andanything
forwhichalimitoftimecanbedescribedcannotexistfromeverorforever.Theword"qad"shows(indicatingthe
presentperfecttense)theimmediatepast.Thissensealsocanapplytoathingwhichislimitedintime.Theword
"lawla"isusedtodenotethenegationofsomethinginanotherthing,as"maahsanahuwaakmalahulawlaannahu
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kadha"(howhandsomeandperfectitwouldbeifitweresoandso).Therefore,thethingforwhichthiswordis
usedwouldbeinneedofothersinhandsomenessandperfection,andwouldremaindeficientbyitself.

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