"I seek refuge in Allāh from Satan the accursed. By Allāh's Name, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful."

O Allah, bestow blessings upon our master Muḥammad, the opener of what had been closed and the seal of what had preceded, the helper of truth through truth, the guide to Your straight path, and upon his family, the true measure of his worth and his immense station. May Allah be pleased with the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, ṣ.a.w.s. There is no power and no strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Tremendous.

O aspiration (himma) of the Shaykh, draw near to us at this gathering; incline toward us with a glance that shall bring us to triumph.

(Indeed, Allah is not ashamed to strike a similitude — even that of a gnat or what is above it.) This verse was revealed in response to what the Jews said when Allah struck the similitude of the fly, in His saying (And if the fly should rob them of anything, they could not rescue it from it), and the similitude of the spider in Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt, in His saying (like the spider). They said: What did Allah intend by mentioning these lowly things? It is not fitting that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, should strike similitudes with such contemptible things — it was His due to be ashamed of that. So the verse was revealed. This is the occasion of the revelation of this verse: Allah struck a similitude with these contemptible things, and the disbelievers, the hypocrites, and the Jews found it objectionable that a similitude of this kind should be struck concerning the Majestic, Blessed and Exalted. So Allah responded to them, saying (Indeed Allah is not ashamed) — that is, He does not refrain — (to strike) — to make — (a similitude, even that of a gnat or what is above it). Allah is not ashamed to give a similitude by means of the gnat, or by something lesser than it, or by something above it; He does not omit to make clear the wisdom contained therein. (As for those who believe, they know that it) — the similitude — (is the truth), established and situated exactly where it belongs,

(from their Lord). When a similitude of this kind is struck, people fall into two categories: the believers know that the similitude is situated exactly where it belongs; (but as for those who disbelieve, they say, What did Allah intend by this as a similitude?) — that is, by this similitude? He answers: (thereby He leads many) — by this similitude — (astray) from the truth, on account of their disbelief, (and thereby He guides many) of the believers, on account of their affirmation of it, (and thereby He leads astray none but the wicked transgressors).

He is not ashamed to strike a similitude. Shame (istiḥyāʾ) is the constriction a servant feels when doing something for which he would be reproached or blamed, such that he abandons it. This constriction, arising from aversion to being blamed, is impossible in respect of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. We stated to you as a principle that every attribute impossible of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, if you examine it closely, you will find has a beginning and an end: its beginning is impossible in respect of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, while its end is permissible in respect of Him. Shame is the constriction felt before a thing for which one would be blamed or reproached, such that one abandons it; the abandoning is the end-point, and abandonment is indeed permissible of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. Since a person of great standing is restrained from doing a given thing only by shame — for he fears no one, so nothing checks him but shame — and Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is greater than every great one, the term shame has been applied to Him in a figurative sense, the intended meaning being simply abandonment: that is, He does not abandon striking the similitude out of any shame.

The disbelievers who objected to the striking of a similitude with these contemptible things did so out of their obtuseness and the blindness of their hearts. For these contemptible things are among the strangest of what Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has created, and they contain wonders found in nothing else. The gnat, for instance, despite the smallness of its body, possesses every organ found in the elephant, and two wings besides. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, who had the power to create the elephant, also had the power to create the gnat and to fit into it organs and joints equal in number to those of the elephant; nothing is beyond His power. This small creature, the mosquito — when Allah created it weak, and likewise created the fly weak — He placed in it such boldness that it fears no one. When people gather, you find the fly hovering over their eyelids and their eyes, and however vigorously they drive it away, it returns to them, unconcerned; even kings, even tyrants, the mosquito alights upon them without fearing them.

As for the elephant and the lion, Allah created them at the utmost degree of strength and solidity, yet He placed within them such timidity that they do not dare draw near to people; they dwell in the wilderness, and if they hear the sound of a human being, they flee from him. This is among the subtle kindnesses (luṭf) of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: had He placed this boldness and daring found in contemptible creatures within these powerful ones, they would have harmed people, indeed destroyed them within a short time. Had the lion dared approach a human being as the fly and the mosquito dare, all people would have perished. But out of His kindness, Blessed and Exalted, He placed fear in the strong and boldness in the weak, which harms no one. Yet the fly, when it lands on you, spoils your life for you, whether you are in your house or your garden or wherever you may be; and the mosquito is likewise. Given the contemptibility, weakness, and helplessness of these creatures, how then can one dare to defy Allah, Blessed and Exalted, given the severity of His punishment and what is in Hellfire of scorpions and serpents whose harm is unceasing? Everyone who disobeys the command of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, and abandons what He has commanded, is like one who dares this severe punishment, while a mere flea or mosquito or fly is enough to spoil his life and trouble him. Let him know, then, that he cannot bear anything of the punishment of Allah, Blessed and Exalted.

And despite their contemptibility, these things do not prevent the similitude from being exactly fitting: (O mankind, a similitude has been struck, so listen to it: those you call upon besides Allah will never create a fly) — this is of the utmost eloquence. And He struck a similitude for the worship of idols: (their likeness is as the likeness of the spider that takes to itself a house, and truly the frailest of houses is the house of the spider). The striking of similitudes with such things also occurred in the scriptures revealed before the Qurʾān.

Al-Maʾmūn was once upon his pulpit when a fly landed on him; he drove it away, and it landed on him again repeatedly, and however he drove it away he could do nothing to prevent it. So he sent for Abū Hudhayl, a scholar in the city, to ask him what wisdom lay in Allah's creation of these things. Abū Hudhayl said to him: Allah created these things to humble tyrants such as yourself, for when the tyrannical king sits upon his throne, the fly lands upon his excrement and then lands upon him, and he is powerless to keep it away. Al-Maʾmūn said to him: You have spoken truly; it is for this that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created it.

It is said, too, that were it not for the winds and the flies, the world would putrefy — for these foul odors are consumed by the flies, and the winds carry them away so that they dissipate; were it not for that, the world would putrefy and harm its inhabitants. He said, (thereby He leads many astray and thereby He guides many). How can He, Glorified is His Majesty, say that He guides many, when the people of guidance are few in relation to the people of misguidance? The people of misguidance are many and the people of guidance are few; yet despite their fewness, they are many in themselves — not in relation to the people of misguidance, but many in themselves. Or: the people of truth, even if few, are the vast majority in weight, the many, the prevailing ones, and it is by them that the standard is set. But in reality, those who go astray are more numerous than those who are guided, and this is due to the rarity of true faith and to Allah's utter independence of His creation, Blessed and Exalted — had He willed, He would have caused everyone on earth, all together, to believe: (And had your Lord willed, everyone on earth, all together, would have believed). But because of His independence from creation, He made most of the jinn and mankind people of misguidance. (And thereby He leads astray none but the wicked transgressors) —

those who go outside obedience to Him — (those who break the covenant of Allah), that which He entrusted to them in the scriptures concerning belief in Muḥammad, ṣ.a.w.s. Allah's covenant is threefold: the first is that which He took from the progeny of Adam on the day He said, (Am I not your Lord?) and they said, (Yes indeed); the second is that which He took from the prophets, that if they should live to see the Prophet, ṣ.a.w.s., they would believe in him and follow him; and the third is that which He took from the scholars: (You shall make it clear to mankind and not conceal it). This covenant the Jews broke. He described the covenant as broken as though He had made it a rope, for the covenant is called a rope in the speech of the Arabs, and this is why it is permissible to speak of its being broken. (after its solemn confirmation) — after its being made firm — (and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined), namely belief in the Prophet, the bonds of kinship, and other things, (and work corruption in the earth), through acts of disobedience and obstruction of belief — (those are the losers), because of their destiny to the Fire made everlasting upon them.

(How can you disbelieve) — O people of Mecca — (in Allah, when you were) — indeed you were — (dead), mere sperm-drops within the loins, (and He gave you life) — in the wombs, in this world, by breathing the spirit into you — the interrogative here expresses astonishment: how can they disbelieve after all this? Not at all! (Then He shall cause you to die), when your appointed terms come to an end, (then He shall give you life), through resurrection, (then to Him you shall be returned) — you shall be brought back after the resurrection, and He will requite you for your deeds.

And He offered a proof of the resurrection, since they denied it: (It is He who created for you all that is in the earth) — the earth and everything in it — (altogether), that you might benefit from it and take heed. The Truth, Blessed and Exalted, informed us that He created the earth and everything in it for the children of Adam, all of it, so that they might benefit from it and take heed that the Creator who has the power to do this has the power to resurrect them after their death. Here the lām indicates entitlement — that is, it was the children of Adam who came to possess the earth and what is in it — it does not indicate unrestricted permissibility. This is the error into which the Ibāḥiyya fell, a doctrine among the doctrines of the Muʿtazila, who say that Allah created everything in the earth for the children of Adam, so that nothing on the face of the earth is forbidden to us once Allah has created it for us. But this is not what is intended.

(Then He turned) — after creating the earth, He directed His purpose — (to the heaven and levelled them), that is, He made them — (seven heavens, and He has knowledge of all things), knowing everything, in its totality and in its detail. Do you not then take heed that the One who has the power to create this in the first instance, which is far greater than you, has the power to bring you back again? In this verse, (He created for you all that is in the earth, altogether; then He turned to the heaven), it seems that the creation of the heaven came after the creation of the earth, whereas in Sūrat al-Nāziʿāt it is said, (and the earth, after that, He spread out), which seems to indicate that the creation of the earth came after that of the heavens. The reconciliation between the two is that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created the earth first, then created the heavens, and after creating the heavens, He spread out the earth and made it as it is now — so each of the two is, in a sense, both prior and posterior to the other.

And, mention, O Muḥammad, ṣ.a.w.s., (when your Lord said to the angels, Indeed I am placing a vicegerent (khalīfa) on the earth) — one who will succeed Me in carrying out My rulings therein. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, related that He informed the angels that He was placing a vicegerent on earth, and this was Adam. (They said, Will You place therein one who will work corruption therein) — through acts of disobedience — (and shed blood) — spill it through killing, just as the sons of the jinn had done, for they existed before Adam and used to work corruption in the earth and shed blood — will You place a vicegerent like them? (While we glorify You with praise) — engaged in praising You, saying, Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him — (and sanctify You), declaring You exalted above whatever does not befit You. (He said, Indeed I know what you do not know) — of the benefit contained in making Adam a vicegerent, and that among his progeny would be both the obedient and the disobedient, so that justice would become manifest among them. And they had said: our Lord will never create a creature more honored in His sight than us, nor more knowing, since we preceded him and have seen what he has not seen. So Allah, exalted is He, created Adam from the surface of the earth — that is, its face — taking a handful from all its various colors, which was kneaded with different waters, then fashioned him and breathed into him the spirit, so that he became a sentient living being after having been inanimate matter. This is the story of Adam's vicegerency.

Allah said, (Indeed I am placing a vicegerent on the earth) — this is Adam. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, made him His vicegerent in existence, through whom all His rulings and works are carried out — like the seal by which every king safeguards his kingdom. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned that when He created Adam, He created him as a human being; when He spoke of him as a human being, He said, (Indeed I am creating a human being), whereas here, when speaking of him and making him a vicegerent, He said placing, not creating — for in his capacity as vicegerent, he does not belong to the created realm (ʿālam al-khalq) but rather to the realm of command (ʿālam al-amr).

He informed the angels that Adam and his progeny would be Allah's vicegerents on earth, and the angels responded with this reply, (Will You place therein one who will work corruption therein and shed blood?) From where did they know that the progeny of Adam would work corruption in the earth and shed blood? They knew it from the very constitution of Adam's creation. Allah created Adam and placed within him a soul possessed of desire (shahwa) and anger (ghaḍab), and also reason (ʿaql). The human being has three faculties: the faculty of anger, which sheds blood; the faculty of desire, which works corruption in the earth through sins; and the faculty of reason, which sets things right. So the angels looked at Adam and said that these two faculties would inevitably overpower the single remaining faculty, and thus corruption and bloodshed would inevitably occur.

It is also said that they understood that Adam and his progeny would work corruption in the earth from the very word vicegerency (khilāfa) itself, for khilāfa is derived from khilāf, meaning contravention — every vicegerent must inevitably contravene the one before him. Since Adam was to be Allah's vicegerent, they understood that corruption and bloodshed would necessarily proceed from him. Or, they read this in the Preserved Tablet, for it was written there that Adam would be a vicegerent on earth and would have progeny, some of whom would work corruption in the earth and shed blood until Allah filled Hell with them, and some of whom would be obedient, and Allah would fill Paradise with them; they read this in the heavenly books, and this is why they said what they said. Or, they had heard this from Allah, Blessed and Exalted, previously, when He addressed them privately beforehand, and they said to Him: O our God, this Fire is a creation of tremendous power — what will You do with it? He said to them: I shall create a creature and bring forth progeny from his loins; among them will be those who obey Me, and I shall admit them into Paradise, and among them will be those who disobey Me, and I shall admit them into the Fire. Their objection to Adam's vicegerency, then, they understood from these various considerations.

(While we glorify You with praise and sanctify You. He said, Indeed I know what you do not know.) So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, turned away from them, (and He taught Adam the names) — the names of the things named, that is, the names of all created beings — (all of them), down to the large bowl and the small bowl, the small emission of wind and its diminutive, and the ladle. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, taught him everything that He would create: this one's name is horse, and the wisdom in it is such-and-such; this one's name is donkey, and this... down to the large bowl and the small bowl, the large vessel and the small one, and the ladle — Adam came to know every single thing at once, from the beginning of time to its end, while the angels knew nothing of this.

(Then He presented them to the angels and said), in reproach, (Inform Me) — tell Me — (of the names of these), the things named, (if you speak truly) — that is, in claiming that I would not create anyone more knowing than you, or that you are more deserving of the vicegerency than Adam. (They said, Glory be to You!) — declaring You exalted above any objection to You — (we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise), from whose knowledge and wisdom nothing escapes.

(He), exalted is He, (said, Adam, inform them) — the angels — (of their names), the things named. Adam named every single thing by its name and mentioned the wisdom for which it had been created. (And when he had informed them of their names, He), exalted is He, (said to them), in rebuke, (Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you disclose) — what you revealed in your saying, Will You place therein... — (and what you were concealing) — what you were keeping secret, namely your saying that Allah would never create anyone more honored in His sight than you, nor more knowing.

This is the story of Adam with the angels. When Allah created Adam, He taught him these things, which the angels did not know, and so Allah argued against them that Adam deserved the vicegerency because he possessed knowledge which the angels did not possess. This is why the scholars have said that leadership (imāma) is deserved only by the one who possesses knowledge — for Allah, Blessed and Exalted, argued against the angels concerning Adam's vicegerency by means of knowledge. This is the merit of knowledge (ʿilm). Because Adam knew the names of things and the angels did not know them, Allah made him a vicegerent on earth and commanded the angels — as will shortly be related — to prostrate to him in a prostration of greeting. This is proof of the nobility of knowledge: knowledge is the leader, and action follows it. The merit of knowledge is established by the Book, the Sunna, and reason.

As for the Book, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned the merit of knowledge in a number of verses, among them: (It is only those of His servants who possess knowledge that truly fear Allah), and among them: (Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and the angels, and those possessed of knowledge). And Allah mentioned four categories of people whose ranks He raises: the people of Badr — (The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts tremble), this having been revealed concerning the people of Badr, and He said at the end that He raises their ranks, granting them lofty degrees; and He mentioned those who strive (mujāhidūn) — (Allah has preferred those who strive above those who sit back, by a tremendous reward, by degrees); and He raised, Blessed and Exalted, the ranks of the righteous — (and whoever comes to Him as a believer, having done righteous deeds — those shall have the highest ranks); and He raised the ranks of the people of knowledge above all of these categories — (Allah raises those of you who believe, and those who have been given knowledge, in ranks) — placing those possessed of knowledge in the third rank: (Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and the angels, and those possessed of knowledge).

In the Qurʾān there are seven individuals of whom Allah mentions that He taught them knowledge directly from Himself, without intermediary: (He taught Adam the names, all of them), and by this he attained the vicegerency and the prostration of the angels to him; and He, exalted is He, said that He taught al-Khiḍr the knowledge of insight (firāsa): (and We had taught him knowledge from Our presence), and by this he gained a disciple like Moses and Joshua; and He taught Joseph the interpretation of dreams: (My Lord, You have given me of sovereignty and taught me the interpretation of narratives), and by this he attained Zulaykhā and the kingdom; and He taught David the craft of making coats of mail: (and We taught him the making of coats of mail), and by this he attained leadership and kingship; and He taught Solomon the speech of birds: (we have been taught the speech of birds) — and the Teacher was Allah — and by this he attained the kingdom, and Bilqīs, and the Throne; and He taught Jesus the Book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel: (and He will teach him the Book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel), and by this he attained being raised up to heaven and fellowship with the angels; and He taught Muḥammad, ṣ.a.w.s., the sacred law: (and He taught you what you did not know), and by his knowledge he attained the power of intercession.

ʿAlī, may Allah ennoble his countenance, said: Knowledge is superior to wealth in seven respects:
– Wealth is the inheritance of the Pharaohs, while knowledge is the inheritance of the prophets.
– Wealth diminishes through spending, while knowledge does not diminish through spending.
– Wealth is possessed by the disbeliever and the believer alike, while knowledge is possessed only by a believer.
– Wealth requires a guardian and a protector, while knowledge protects its possessor and requires no protector.
– When a person dies, his wealth remains behind, but his knowledge enters the grave together with him and does not leave him.
– Wealth weighs a person down on the Bridge (ṣirāṭ), while knowledge strengthens him to walk upon the Bridge.
– All people are in need of knowledge for the sake of their religion, but they are not in need of the possessor of wealth.

O Kumayl, knowledge is better than wealth: knowledge guards you, while you must guard wealth; knowledge governs, while wealth is governed; wealth is diminished by spending, while knowledge grows through being expended.

Knowledge, then, is superior to wealth. And if Adam, upon him be peace, was taught the names of created things, and was ennobled by that knowledge to the point that he received the prostration and greeting of the angels, then we have been taught the Essence, the Attributes, and the Names — not the names of created things, but rather the Names of Allah, His Attributes, and His exalted Essence. Once we know this, how could we fail to attain the greeting of the angels? Indeed, we attain something beyond that: the greeting of the Lord Himself — (Peace! — a word from a Merciful Lord). And if al-Khiḍr, through the knowledge of insight, attained the companionship of Moses and Joshua, two prophets, then we, having attained the knowledge of ultimate reality (ʿilm al-ḥaqīqa), how could we fail to attain the companionship of Muḥammad, ṣ.a.w.s.? We do attain it: (those are with the ones whom Allah has favored, of the prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs, and the righteous — and excellent are those as companions). Praise be to Allah.

Among the merits of knowledge is that when the student leaves his house for a scholar in pursuit of knowledge, the angels spread their wings for him in honor and veneration; and as long as he continues going to his teacher, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, sends mercy down upon him; and while he is in a gathering of knowledge, the one who understands the knowledge knows what benefit he attains, while the one who understands nothing of what is said still attains blessings — he attains the fact that he is in obedience to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, as long as he remains in the gathering of knowledge, even if he understands nothing; he is thereby restrained from sins and transgressions as long as he remains in that gathering, and he sits in the company of scholars and angels. And if he understands nothing of what is said, his heart is humbled on that account, and so Allah becomes his companion: (I am with those whose hearts are humbled for My sake). This is something of the merit of knowledge.

When Allah wished to alert the angels that Adam was better than them, He gave him of knowledge what they did not possess, and so they acknowledged that Adam was better than them.

And, mention, O Muḥammad, ṣ.a.w.s., (when We said to the angels, Prostrate to Adam) — a prostration of greeting, involving a bow, or as though it were a bow of salutation, not a prostration of worship, which is due to none but Allah, Blessed and Exalted. Or, Adam was made a direction (qibla) for them, just as the Kaʿba was made a direction for us: we prostrate toward it, not to it in reality. In any case, this prostration to other than Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has been abrogated. (So they prostrated, except Iblīs) — he is the father of the jinn, who was among the angels — (he refused), declining to prostrate, (and was proud), saying, I am better than he, (and he became one of the disbelievers). Iblīs used to be called ʿAzāzīl; he was a servant brought near to Allah, having worshiped Allah, Blessed and Exalted, upon every handspan of the face of the earth for a thousand years, and he had been treasurer of Paradise for forty thousand years, and had striven in worship for sixty thousand years — all of this before Adam. When Allah created Adam and commanded the angels to prostrate to him, Iblīs reasoned by analogy (qiyās) despite the presence of the explicit text, saying that he was better than Adam and so would not prostrate to him. He refused, while the angels prostrated.

The prostration was originally a single act, and this was what analogy required and what was fitting, since Allah is One, so the prostration was one. But when the angels had prostrated for half a day — five hundred years — and raised their heads from the prostration, and saw that Iblīs had refused and had not prostrated, they returned to prostration a second time, prostrating a second prostration in gratitude to Allah, Blessed and Exalted, that He had not tried them with what He had tried Iblīs. Thus the prostration became twofold: there was one bowing (rukūʿ) and one prostration (sujūd), because the One worshiped is one, but the second prostration was an act of thanksgiving to Allah, Blessed and Exalted.