The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 10 · Fire out of the green tree

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 43, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 55, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 56 (archive.org)

   قَالَ تَعَالَى: «الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ الْأَخْضَرِ نَاراً»

   He, exalted is He, said: "He who made for you fire out of the green tree" (Q 36:80).✦

   ¶ 924

2. هَذَا تَوْقِيفٌ عَلَى كَمَالِ قُدْرَتِـهِ وَبَدِيعِ حِكْمَتِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ ـ تَعَـالَى ـ يُخْرِجُ الْأَشْيَاءَ مِنْ أَضْدَادِهَا، وَيُخْفِي الْأُمُورَ فِي أَنْدَادِهَا، حَتَّى لَا يُعَرِّجَ مُعَرِّجٌ؛ اِلَاّ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَتَوَجَّهَ مُتَوَجِّهٌ؛ اِلَاّ اِلَيْهِ،

   This is a pointing out of the perfection of His power and the marvel of His wisdom: that He, exalted is He, brings forth things from their opposites and hides matters within their likes, so that no one who turns aside should turn aside except to Him, and no one who turns towards should turn except towards Him.✦

   ¶ 925

3. فَاِنَّهُ أَخْرَجَ النَّارَ الْحَارَّةَ الْيَابِسَةَ، مِنَ الْخُضْرَةِ الْبَارِدَةِ الرَّطْبَةِ،

   For He brought forth fire, which is hot and dry, from greenness, which is cold and moist.✦

   ¶ 926

4. وَلِذَا قِيلَ فِي مَعْنَى اسْمِهِ اللَّطِيفِ: اِنَّهُ الَّذِي يُخْفِي الْأَشْيَاءَ فِي أَضْدَادِهَا،

   That is why it has been said, concerning the meaning of His name the Subtle, that He is the One who hides things within their opposites.✦

   ¶ 927

5. وَلَمَّا أَخْفَى لِيُوسُفَ الْمُلْكَ فِي الرِّقِّ؛ قَالَ: «إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ»

   And when He had hidden kingship for Joseph within slavery, [Joseph] said: "Truly my Lord is subtle in what He wills" (Q 12:100).✦

   ¶ 928

6. نَبَّهَ بِهَذَا عِبَادَهُ حَتَّى لَايَقِفُوا مَعَ ظَوَاهِرِ الْأَشْيَاءِ وَمَا تُعْطِيهِ طَبَائِعُهَا وَصُوَرُهَا، وَحَتَّى لَايَقِفُوا مَعَ عِلْمٍ وَلَا عَمَلٍ وَلَا حَالٍ،

   By this He alerted His servants, so that they would not halt at the outward aspects of things and at what their natures and forms yield, and so that they would not halt at any knowledge, act or state.✦

   ¶ 929

7. فَاِنَّ هَذِهِ كُلَّهَا كَسَائِرِ الْأَكْوَانِ، يَجِبُ عَدَمُ الْوُثُوقِ بِهَا، وَالِاعْتِمَادِ عَلَيْهَا،

   For all of these are like the rest of the engendered things: one must not trust them or rely on them.✦

   ¶ 930

8. فَاِنَّ الْحَقَّ ـ تَعَالَى ـ قَدْ يُخْرِجُ مِنْهَا ضِدَّ مَا تُعْطِيهِ صُوَرُهَا عَادَةً،

   For the Real, exalted is He, may bring forth from them the opposite of what their forms usually yield.✦

   ¶ 931

9. وَحَتَّى يَعْرِفُوا انْفِرَادَهُ ـ تَعَـالَى ـ بِالْخَلْقِ وَالتَّدْبِـيرِ، وَاَنَّ فِعْلَهُ ـ تَعَالَى ـ لَايَتَوَقَّفُ عَلَى الْأَسْبَابِ الْعَادِيَّةِ وَلَا الْعَقْلِيَّةِ،

   And so that they would know that He, exalted is He, is alone in creating and governing, and that His act, exalted is He, does not depend on customary causes or on rational ones.✦

   ¶ 932

10. وَاِنَّمَا يَفْعَلُ مَعَ الْأَسْبَابِ اِذَا أَرَادَ لِحِكْمَتِهِ وَيَفْعَلُ مَعَ فَقْدِهَا اِذَا أَرَادَ لِقُدْرَتِهِ،

    Rather, He acts together with causes when He wills, by His wisdom, and He acts in their absence when He wills, by His power.✦

    ¶ 933

11. فَهُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ، يُخْرِجُ الْخَيْرَ مِمَّا صُورَتُهُ شَّرٌّ، مِمَّا صُورَتُهُ خَيْرٌ، كَمَا هُوَ مُشَاهَدٌ لَكُمْ،

    He is the Doer of whatever He wills. He brings forth good from what has the form of evil, from what has the form of good, as you behold.✦

    ¶ 934

12. فَكَمْ أَخْرَجَ مِنَّةً مِنْ مِحْنَةٍ، وَمِحْنَةً مِنْ مِنَّةٍ، لَا اِلَٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ الْوَاسِعُ الْحَكِيمُ.

    How often has He brought forth a favour from a trial, and a trial from a favour! There is no god but He, the All-Embracing, the Wise.✦

    ¶ 935

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