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Ghazali_Letters_To_Statemen, page : 108
walking along a piece of paper beholds that a line is caused by a pen. It can see neither
the heart of the writer where the idea of writing has taken place, nor the writer's hand
which is the real mover of the pen. In this example human nature is a pen, the angels
are the fingers holding the pen and Allah the Almighty, to whom all the angels bow in
obedience, is like the hand and the possessor of it. It was the pen of Allah which at His
command wrote down the simple nature of things and in the twinkling of an eye
intelligence, souls, elements and nature, as well as the heavens and stars became into
being. These then took up the task and obeyed the second mandate by writing down
the compound bodies and straightway the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms
sprang into existence. These are the scribble of Allah and the words they write are the
compound bodies of nature. Since man is finite he cannot see the Infinite or His work.
He can only see the pen, but it is not the pen that writes but the holder of it. Man does
not fully understand that His Knowledge, Will and Power comprehend and pervade the
whole range of natural causes and effect. He fails to observe that cause as well as
effect yield and are subservient to His Will and attribute every event to the action of
some natural law.
"The hearts of believers lie between the two fingers of the Merciful."
the heart of the writer where the idea of writing has taken place, nor the writer's hand
which is the real mover of the pen. In this example human nature is a pen, the angels
are the fingers holding the pen and Allah the Almighty, to whom all the angels bow in
obedience, is like the hand and the possessor of it. It was the pen of Allah which at His
command wrote down the simple nature of things and in the twinkling of an eye
intelligence, souls, elements and nature, as well as the heavens and stars became into
being. These then took up the task and obeyed the second mandate by writing down
the compound bodies and straightway the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms
sprang into existence. These are the scribble of Allah and the words they write are the
compound bodies of nature. Since man is finite he cannot see the Infinite or His work.
He can only see the pen, but it is not the pen that writes but the holder of it. Man does
not fully understand that His Knowledge, Will and Power comprehend and pervade the
whole range of natural causes and effect. He fails to observe that cause as well as
effect yield and are subservient to His Will and attribute every event to the action of
some natural law.
"The hearts of believers lie between the two fingers of the Merciful."