Chapter V: Oneness of God and Trust in God
FREEDOM OF WILL: Now the question of freedom of will comes to you. You may question : How can you say that everything comes from God ? One man supplies you provision according to his wish. He may give it to you or may not give. He may kill you or not kill. How can you not fear him ? The answer is that the weak people commit these mistakes as do the ants. An ant sees the writing by the pen on the paper. It also sees that the front portion of the pen is making the pages black. The ant thinks that the pen is making the white paper black through mistake. It is the mistake of its sight. So is the mistake of one whose breast has not been expanded by the light of God. He does not see the ultimate Cause of all causes who is God. So he sees the writer as the agent of writing. This is extreme foolishness. Those who are experienced in spiritual things and whose inner light has been enkindled understand that God gave every atom of the heavens and earth power of speech with which they speak, and they have got such tongue by which they speak without voice. Those who are unable to hear it do not hear it. I don't mean the open ear with which voice is heard as voice is necessary for open hearing. By hearing I mean such thing which has got no letter or voice or language.
Question : Your explanation is a wonder which can not be grasped by intellect. So please explain it clearly to us.
Answer : Know, O readers, that those who have got spiritual illumination know that every atom within the heavens and earth has got its prayer which is endless and limitless. It is such a word as comes from the ocean of the words of God. God says : Had the seas been ink for praise of my Lord, they would have dried up.' The secrets of the material and spiritual world talk secretly. To disclose those secrets is abominable, rather the breasts of the pious people are like graves of the secrets. Have you seen a trusted courtier of a king disclosing the secrets of the king? Had there been permission to disclose the secrets of everybody, the Prophet would not have said : Had you known what I know you would have laughed little and wept much. He also prohibited to disclose the secrets of Taqdir or fate. He said : When mention is
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made of stars, be silent. When mention is made of fate be silent.
When mention is made of my companions, be silent. The Prophet sometimes disclosed some secrets to Huzaifah. This shows that the spiritually illumined persons do not disclose them for two reasons — impossibility of disclosing secrets and limitlessness of
His praise.
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