2:116 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

{ وَقَالُوا } أي: اليهود والنصارى والمشركون, وكل من قال ذلك: { اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا } فنسبوه إلى ما لا يليق بجلاله, وأساءوا كل الإساءة, وظلموا أنفسهم. وهو - تعالى - صابر على ذلك منهم, قد حلم عليهم, وعافاهم, ورزقهم مع تنقصهم إياه. { سُبْحَانَهُ } أي: تنزه وتقدس عن كل ما وصفه به المشركون والظالمون مما لا يليق بجلاله، فسبحان من له الكمال المطلق, من جميع الوجوه, الذي لا يعتريه نقص بوجه من الوجوه. ومع رده لقولهم, أقام الحجة والبرهان على تنزيهه عن ذلك فقال: { بَلْ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ } أي: جميعهم ملكه وعبيده, يتصرف فيهم تصرف المالك بالمماليك, وهم قانتون له مسخرون تحت تدبيره، فإذا كانوا كلهم عبيده, مفتقرين إليه, وهو غني عنهم, فكيف يكون منهم أحد, يكون له ولدا, والولد لا بد أن يكون من جنس والده, لأنه جزء منه. والله تعالى المالك القاهر, وأنتم المملوكون المقهورون, وهو الغني وأنتم الفقراء، فكيف مع هذا, يكون له ولد؟ هذا من أبطل الباطل وأسمجه. والقنوت نوعان: قنوت عام: وهو قنوت الخلق كلهم, تحت تدبير الخالق، وخاص: وهو قنوت العبادة. فالنوع الأول كما في هذه الآية، والنوع الثاني: كما في قوله تعالى: { وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ }

اشتملت هذه الآية الكريمة والتي تليها على الرد على النصارى عليهم لعائن الله وكذا من أشبههم من اليهود ومن مشركي العرب ممن جعل الملائكة بنات الله فأكذب الله جميعهم في دعواهم وقولهم إن لله ولدا فقال تعالى " سبحانه" أي تعالى وتقدس وتنزه عن ذلك علوا كبيرا "بل له ما في السموات والأرض" أي ليس الأمر كما افتروا وإنما له ملك السموات والأرض ومن فيهن وهو المتصرف فيهم وهو خالقهم ورازقهم ومقدرهم ومسخرهم ومسيرهم ومصرفهم كما يشاء. والجميع عبيد له وملك له فكيف يكون له ولد منهم والولد إنما يكون متولدا من شيئين متناسبين وهو تبارك وتعالى ليس له نظير ولا مشارك في عظمته وكبريائه ولا صاحبة له فكيف يكون له ولد؟ كما قال تعالى "بديع السموات والأرض أنى يكون له ولد ولم تكن له صاحبة وخلق كل شيء وهو بكل شيء عليم" وقال تعالى وقالوا "اتخذ الرحمن ولدا لقد جئتم شيئا إدا تكاد السموات يتفطرن منه وتنشق الأرض وتخر الجبال هدا أن دعوا للرحمن ولدا وما ينبغي للرحمن أن يتخذ ولدا إن كل من في السموات والأرض إلا آتي الرحمن عبدا لقد أحصاهم وعدهم عدا وكلهم آتيه يوم القيامة فردا" وقال تعالى "قل هو الله أحد الله الصمد لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد" فقرر تعالى في هذه الآيات الكريمة أنه السيد العظيم الذي لا نظير له ولا شبيه له وأن جميع الأشياء غيره مخلوقة له مربوبة فكيف يكون له منها ولد؟ ولهذا قال البخاري في تفسير هذه الآية من البقرة: أخبرنا أبو اليمان أخبرنا شعيب عن عبدالله بن أبي الحسين حدثنا نافع بن جبير هو ابن مطعم عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "قال الله تعالى كذبني ابن آدم ولم يكن له ذلك وشتمني ولم يكن له ذلك فأما تكذيبه إياي فيزعم أني لا أقدر أن أعيده كما كان وأما شتمه إياي فقوله إن لي ولدا فسبحاني أن اتخذ صاحبة أو ولدا" انفرد به البخاري من هذا الوجه. وقال ابن مردويه حدثنا أحمد بن كامل أخبرنا محمد بن إسماعيل الترمذي أخبرنا محمد بن إسحق بن محمد القروي أخبرنا مالك عن أبي الزناد عن الأعرج عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "يقول الله تعالى كذبني ابن آدم وما ينبغي له أن يكذبني وشتمني وما ينبغي له أن يشتمني فأما تكذيبه إياي فقوله لن يعيدني كما بدأني وليس أول الخلق بأهون علي من إعادته وأما شتمه إياي فقوله: اتخذ الله ولدا. وأنا الله الأحد الصمد "لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد" وفي الصحيحين عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال "لا أحد أصبر على أذى سمعه من الله إنهم يجعلون له ولدا وهو يرزقهم ويعافيهم" وقوله "كل له قانتون" قال ابن أبي حاتم أخبرنا أبو سعيد الأشج أخبرنا أساط عن مطرف عن عطية عن ابن عباس قال "قانتين" مصلين وقال عكرمة وأبو مالك "كل له قانتون" مقرّون له بالعبودية. وقال سعيد بن جبير: كل له قانتون يقول الإخلاص وقال الربيع بن أنس: يقول كل له قانتون أي قائم يوم القيامة وقال السدي كل له قانتون أي مطيعون يوم القيامة وقال خصيف عن مجاهد كل له قانتون قال مطيعون كن إنسانا فكان وقال كن حمارا فكان. وقال ابن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد كل له قانتون مطيعون قال طاعة الكافر في سجود ظله وهو كاره وهذا القول عن مجاهد وهو اختيار ابن جرير يجمع الأقوال كلها وهو أن القنوت والطاعة والاستكانة إلى الله وهو شرعي وقد روي كما قال تعالى "ولله يسجد من في السموات ومن في الأرض طوعا وكرها وظلالهم بالغدو والآصال" وقد روي حديث فيه بيان القنوت في القرآن ما هو المراد به كما قال ابن أبي حاتم: أخبرنا يوسف بن عبدالأعلى حدثنا ابن وهب أخبرني عمرو بن الحارث أن دراجا أبا السمح حدثه عن أبي الهيثم عن أبي سعيد الخدري عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "كل حرف من القرآن يذكر فيه القنوت فهو الطاعة" وكذا رواه الإمام أحمد عن حسن بن موسى عن ابن لهيعة عن دراج بإسناده مثله ولكن في هذا الإسناد ضعف لا يعتمد عليه ورفع هذا الحديث منكر وقد يكون من كلام الصحابي أو من دونه والله أعلم وكثيرا ما يأتي بهذا الإسناد تفاسير فيها نكارة فلا يغتر بها فإن السند ضعيف والله أعلم.

Refuting the Claim that Allah has begotten a Son

This and the following Ayat refute the Christians, may Allah curse them, and their like among the Jews and the Arab idolators, who claimed that the angels are Allah's daughters. Allah refuted all of them in their claim that He had begotten a son. Allah said,

سُبْحَـنَهُ

(Glory is to Him.)

meaning, He is holier and more perfect than such claim;

بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth,) meaning, the truth is not as the disbelievers claimed, rather, Allah's is the kingdom of the heavens and earth and whatever and whoever is in, on and between them. Allah is the Supreme Authority in the heavens and earth, and He is the Creator, Provider and Sustainer Who decides all the affairs of the creation as He wills. All creatures are Allah's servants and are owned by Him. Therefore, how could one of them be His son The son of any being is born out of two comparable beings. Allah has no equal or rival sharing His grace and greatness, so how can He have a son when He has no wife Allah said,

بَدِيعُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَّهُ صَـحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ وهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife He created all things and He is the Knower of everything) (6:101).

وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَداً - لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئاً إِدّاً - تَكَادُ السَّمَـوَتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الاٌّرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدّاً - أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَـنِ وَلَداً - وَمَا يَنبَغِى لِلرَّحْمَـنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَداً - إِن كُلُّ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ آتِى الرَّحْمَـنِ عَبْداً - لَّقَدْ أَحْصَـهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدّاً - وَكُلُّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فَرْداً

(And they say: "The Most Gracious (Allah) has begotten a son (offspring or children)." Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins. That they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Gracious (Allah). But it is not suitable for (the majesty of) the Most Gracious (Allah) that He should beget a son (or offspring or children). There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)) (19:88-95), and,

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ

(Say: "He is Allah (the) One, Allah the Samad (the Self- Sufficent, upon whom all depend), He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him.") (112).

In these Ayat, Allah stated that He is the Supreme Master Whom there is no equal or rival, everything and everyone was created by Him, so how can He have a son from among them This is why, in the Tafsir of this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Prophet said,

«قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: كَذّبَنِي ابْنُ آدَمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذلِكَ، وَشَتَمَنِي وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذلِكَ، فَأَمَّا تَكْذِيبُهُ إِيَّايَ فَيَزْعُمُ أَنِّي لَا أَقْدِرُ أَنْ أُعِيدَهُ كَمَا كَانَ، وَأَمَّا شَتْمُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ لِي وَلَدًا فَسُبْحَانِي أَنْ أَتَّخِذَ صَاحِبَةً أَوْ وَلَدًا»

(Allah said, `The son of Adam has denied Me, and that is not his right. He has insulted Me, and that is not his right. As for the denial of Me, he claimed that I am unable to bring him back as he used to be (resurrect him). As for his insulting Me, he claimed that I have a son. All praise is due to Me, it is unbefitting that I should have a wife or a son.')

This Hadith was recorded by Al-Bukhari.

It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ: إِنَّهُمْ يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم»

(No one is more patient when hearing an insult than Allah. They attribute a son to Him, yet He still gives them sustanence and health.)

Everything is within Allah's Grasp

Allah said,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

(all are Qanitun to Him).

Ibn Abi Hatim said that Abu Sa`id Al-Ashaj informed them that Asbat informed them from Mutarrif, from `Atiyah, from Ibn `Abbas who said that,

قَـنِتِينَ

(Qantin) (2:238) means, they pray to Him. `Ikrimah and Abu Malik also said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

(and all are Qanitun to Him.) means, bound to Him in servitude to Him. Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Qanitun is sincerity. Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

(all are Qanitun to Him.) means, "Standing up - before Him - on the Day of Resurrection." Also, As-Suddi said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

(and all are Qanitun to Him.) means, "Obedient on the Day of Resurrection." Khasif said that Mujahid said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

(and all are Qanitun to Him. ) means, "Obedient. He says, `Be a human' and he becomes a human." He also said, "(Allah says,) `Be a donkey' and it becomes a donkey." Also, Ibn Abi Najih said that Mujahid said that,

كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

(and all are Qanitun to Him.) means, obedient. Mujahid also said, "The obedience of the disbeliever occurs when his shadow prostrates, while he hates that." Mujahid's statement, which Ibn Jarir preferred, combines all the meanings, and that is that Qunut means obedience and submission to Allah. There are two categories of Qunut: legislated and destined, for Allah said,

وَللَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلَـلُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالاٌّصَالِ

(And unto Allah (alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the (late) afternoons) (13:15).

The Meaning of Badi`

Allah said,

بَدِيعُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ

(The Badi` (Originator) of the heavens and the earth.) which means, He created them when nothing resembling them existed. Mujahid and As-Suddi said that this is the linguistic meaning, for all new matters are called Bid`ah. Muslim recorded the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,

«فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَة»

(...every innovation (in religion) is a Bid`ah.)

There are two types of Bid`ah, religious, as mentioned in the Hadith:

«فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَة»

(...every innovation is a Bid`ah and every Bid`ah is heresy.)

And there is a linguistic Bid`ah, such as the statement of the Leader of the faithful `Umar bin Al-Khattab when he gathered the Muslims to pray the Tarawih prayer in congregation (which was also an earlier practice of the Prophet ) and said, "What a good Bid`ah this is."

Ibn Jarir said, "Thus the meaning of the Ayat (2:116-117) becomes, `Allah is far more glorious than to have had a son, for He is the Owner of everything that is in the heavens and earth. All testify to His Oneness and to their submissiveness to Him. He is their Creator and Maker. Without created precedence, He shaped the creatures in their current shapes. Allah also bears witness to His servants that Jesus, who some claimed to be Allah's son, is among those who testify to His Oneness. Allah stated that He created the heavens and earth out of nothing and without precedent. Likewise, He created Jesus, the Messiah, with His power and without a father." This explanation from Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy upon him, is very good and correct.

Allah said,

وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ

(When He decrees a matter, He only says to it : "Be! ـ and it is.) thus, demonstrating His perfectly complete ability and tremendous authority; if He decides a matter, He merely orders it to, `Be' and it comes into existence. Similarly, Allah said,

إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيْئاً أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be! ـ and it is.) (36:82),

إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَىْءٍ إِذَآ أَرَدْنَاهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ

(Verily, Our Word unto a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: "Be! ـ and it is.) (16:40) and,

وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ

(And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye) (54:50)

So Allah informed us that He created Jesus by merely saying, "Be!" and he was, as Allah willed:

إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(Verily, the likeness of `Isa (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be! ـ and he was) (3:59).

And they the Jews and the Christians and those that claim that the angels are God’s daughters say read wa-qālū or simply qālū ‘God has taken to Himself a son’; God says Glory be to Him! as a way of exalting Himself above this; Nay to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth as possessions creatures and servants and this sovereignty contradicts having a child and is expressed by the particle mā ‘all that’ in order to include all creation that is not rational; all obey His will submitting to that which is required from each one of them here the emphasis is on rational beings.

As the Holy Qur'an reports in some other verses, some of the Jews called the Prophet Uzayr (علیہ السلام) (Ezra) the son of God, as did the Christians in the case of Sayyidna ` Isa (Jesus علیہ السلام)~ and most of them still do, while the mushrikin مشرکین of Makkah considered the angels to be the daughters of God. These two verses show the absurdity of such assertions. For, even on rational grounds, it is totally impossible that God should have offspring. Were it at all possible, the situation would necessarily involve either of the two alternative characteristics -- the offspring would belong either to the same genus as the father does, or to a different genus. If it belongs to a different genus, that obviously is a defect, while God should in order to be God, be free of all defects -- as reason itself requires, and as Verse 116 affirms. If the offspring belongs to the same genus, that too is a contradiction in terms, for God has no equal and no existent can belong to the same genus as He does. Let us explain what we mean. God alone is the Necessary Being (Al-Dhat al-Wajib الذات الواجب ), and hence necessarily carries within Himself the Attributes of Perfection which are peculiar to Him alone and which cannot exist in any one other than God. Now, if we deny a necessary attribute to a certain being, we automatically deny the existence of that being. So, no one other than God can be a necessary being. Insofar as "necessity" is in itself the essence of the Ultimate Reality, or an inalienable quality of the Ultimate Reality, anyone other than God cannot share the Reality with Him. Hence, it would be a plain and simple contradiction in terms of claim that anyone other than God can belong to the same genus.

Having refuted the false claims of the Jews, the Christians and the mushrikin, the two verses proceed to demonstrate how and why the Attributes of Perfection are peculiar to Allah Himself and Him alone. Firstly, all that exists in heaven or earth belongs to Allah. Secondly, everything is also subservient to Him -- in the sense that no one can interfere with His omnipotence (for example, with His power to create a.nd to destroy), even if some men may be lax in obeying the injunctions of the Shari'ah. Thirdly, He is the Creator and the Inventor of the skies and of the earth. Fourthly, His power of creation is so mighty that when He wishes to do something (for example, wishes to create something), He does not need any instruments or helpers -- all that He does is to say, "Be", and the thing becomes what He wishes it to be. These four qualities are not to be found in anyone other than Allah. In fact, even those who attributed offspring to Him, believed in this truth. Thus, their claims to the contrary stand finally refuted.

The two verses give rise to certain other important considerations.

(1) If Allah has chosen to assign certain tasks to certain angels (for example, sending down rain or bringing to the creatures their nourishment), or has chosen to employ causes, materials or physical forces in order to produce certain effects, He has done so in His wisdom. So, it is neither permissible nor proper that men should look upon these angels or causes or physical forces as being effective agents in themselves, and turn to them for help in their need.

(2) The commentator al-Baydawi has remarked that, Allah being the First Cause of the things, the earlier Shari'ahs had allowed the use of the title "Father" for Him, but that the ignorant misunderstood and distorted the sense of "Fatherhood" so badly that to entertain such a belief or to apply this title to Allah has now been declared to be an act of infidelity (Kufr). As this practice ` can lead to all kinds of doctrinal disorders, it is no longer permissible to employ this particular word or a similar expression with reference to Allah.31

31. As for creation taking place through the Divine Command, "Be", we would like to add a note, following the example of Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) in his "Bayan a1-Qur'an", for the benefit of those who happen to be interested in Western philosophy, or in Christian theology, or, worst of all, in the writings of the Orientalists and their translations of Sufi texts.

Let us begin by saying that it is a mystery -- and we are using the word "mystery", not in the debased and the modern sense, but in the original meaning of the term which implies that certain realities are altogether beyond the reach of human understanding, and that certain other realities cannot and must not, even when partially or wholly understood, be given out to those who have no aptitude for receiving them, and that with regard to them it is advisable "to keep one's lips closed." In these matters, when and what one chooses to reveal is ultimately not the question of liberalism or democratism or egalitarianism, but that of "spiritual etiquette." Having repeated the warning given by Maulana Thanavi himself, we shall do no more than explaining what "Bayan al-Qur'an" says on the subject.

Regarding this particular mystery, there is a difference of approach between the two groups of the Mutakallimin متکلمین (the masters of al-1lm al-Kalam العلم الکلام or dialectical theology). According to the Asha'ri group, "Be, and it comes to be" (Kun fa Yakun کن فیکون ) is a metaphorical or allegorical expression. That is to say, the phrase does not signify that Allah actually addressed an existent and commanded it "to be", but it is an allegorical illustration of His omnipotence, suggesting that there is no interval between an act of will on His part and its realization. The commentator al-Baydawi has adopted this view. But, according to the Maturidi group, the phrase literally means what it says. This approach to the subject, however, produces a difficult problem. A command is given only to an existent. If a thing does not exist at all, how can Allah address it? On the other hand, if a thing does already exist, it is superfluous to command it "to be." The problem can easily be resolved if we keep two considerations in mind. Firstly, this command does not belong to the order of Tashri': (تشریع : legislation) which requires the addressee to exist in actual fact and to possess understanding; it belongs to the order of Takwin :(تکوین : creation) which is concerned with giving existence to non-existents.

This explanation, in its turn, brings us into the thick of a controversy that has muddled a great deal of Western philosophy and theology. We refer to the question of "creation arising out of nothingness" (Ex Nihilo), and the second of our two considerations will clarify it. It is usual enough to place "existence" Wujud وجود ) in opposition to "nothingness or non-existence" (عدم ` adam ). But it has also been said that non-existence does not exist. For, Allah is omniscient, and Divine Knowledge comprehends everything that has been, or is, or will be, so that what does not yet exist according to our reckoning does already exist in Divine Knowledge. To use a different expression, everything past, present or future has its "pure" and "subtle" counterpart in Divine Knowledge. If Western terminology should be more easily comprehensible to some of our readers, we can call these Prototypes, Numbers, or Essences, or Ideas or Archetypes, but each time we will have to give a more refined and a higher signification to these terms than Pythagoras or Plato ever did. The Sufis, however, call them "Al-A` yan al-Thabitah." With the help of this explanation we can see that when Allah wishes to create a thing,

He commands its Essence, which already exists in His Knowledge, "to be", and it "comes to be" --that is to say, comes to be actualised in the world. Thus, "creation" does not arise out of "nothingness." Before a thing comes to exist as an "actuality" in the world, it already exists as a "potentiality" in Divine Knowledge. It is this "potentiality" to which the Divine Command "Be" is addressed. Hence, it is equally true to say that Essences do not exist, and to say that Essences do exist. The first statement pertains to the knowledge of the creatures, and the second to the Divine Knowledge.

At the end, we shall again insist that no good can come out of unnecessarily meddling with such delicate questions, especially if the purpose is no more than to seek a new sensation.

They say, “God has taken a son.” Glory be to Him! Rather, to Him belongs what is in the heavens and the earth; all are devoted to Him. He is pure, without fault, incomparable, the one Lord-one in forbearance, one in loyalty, one in love. If the servant does harm, He does not cut off from him, for He is one in forbearance. If the servant inclines toward another, He does not so incline, because He is one in loyalty. If the servant breaks the covenant, He does not break it, because He is one in love. He is one in Essence, one in attributes, rid of causes, incomparable with obsequiousness, praised by all expressions, fitting for all allusions, the creator of time and the hours, the determiner of instants and moments. His artisanry has no defect, His determining no contrivance, His descrip- tion no likeness. He is a determiner who has always been. Powerful, Knowing, Alive, Desiring, Hearing, Seeing, clothed in majesty, Hallowed beyond having an equal, transcending opinion and talk. * O Essence of perfection lacking nothing! The effusion of generosity comes from Your hand alone. He is a lord without associate or partner, a king without equal or need. His promise is no lie, His name is no metaphor. The door of withholding is shut and the door of His munificence open. He is a forgiver of sins, a caresser of the faulty. He knows without cause, He is able without artifice. He is alone without paucity, spreader of the creed, outside of number, artisan without toil, self- standing until the Endless, hallowed beyond envy. His name is Subtle, Self-Standing, and Self- Sufficient; He begets not, nor was He begotten, and equal to Him is none [112:2-4]. So much are You face-to-face in my heart, so much hidden from my eyes, that your describer cannot describe You- in Your attributes You are as You are. A renowned Lord, caring for His servants-ears are open to His name, hearts imprisoned by His message, tawḤīd-voicers fallen into His snare, yearners drunk with the love from His cup. He is the lovingly kind such that no one in the universe is like Him in loving kindness. The disobedient and destitute have hope in Him, and the poor are happy in the subsistence of His majesty.