The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 170 · “God knows whatever thing they call upon besides Him”▾

   Context: Applying the Fuṣūṣ Aaron chapter, the Emir reads Q 17:23 as a decree that God is worshipped in every object of worship. Ibn Taymiyya and Salafis say this erases monotheism and idolatry and excuses shirk. Akbarians answer that idols are loci of manifestation, the worshippers' fault being belief in an 'other' and confining God to one form; the Law's condemnation stands.✦AI

   قَالَ تَعَالَى: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ».

   He, exalted is He, has said: “God knows whatever thing they call upon besides Him” (Q 29:42).✦

   In brief✦AI

   The Emir says God speaks in the Qurʾān from two levels. From the level of separation He distinguishes Creator from creatures and assigns acts to servants, as in commands and prohibitions, which presuppose someone other than the commander. From the level of union He ascribes the servant's act to Himself. Reading Q 29:42 from union, he argues that since nothing is other than God, there is nothing to call upon besides Him. Idols, partners, lords, intermediaries and causes are all God. The idolaters' association lies only in believing that something is other than God.

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 377 ↗, Damascus 1966, p. 378 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 358 ↗, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 359 ↗ (archive.org)

   ¶ 3912

2. الْحَقُّ- تَعَالَى-، تَارَةً يُكَلِّمُ عِبَادَهُ مِنْ مَرْتَبَةِ الْفَرْقِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ، وَتَارَةً يُكَلِّمُهُمْ مِنْ مَرْتَبَهِ الْجَمْعِ وَالْقُرْآنِ.

   The Real, exalted is He, at times speaks to His servants from the level of separation and of the Furqān, and at times speaks to them from the level of union and of the Qurʾān.✦

   ¶ 3913

3. فَمِنَ الْأَوَّلِ قَوْلُهُ: «أَفَمَنْ يَخْلُقُ كَمَنْ لاَ يَخْلُقُ» «هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ مِنْ ذٰلِكُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ⁽¹⁾» «فَنِعْمَ ٱلْقَادِرُونَ⁽²⁾» «أَحْسَنُ ٱلْخَالِقِينَ⁽³⁾» «اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ... بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ⁽⁴⁾»... تَفْعَلُونَ تَكْسِبُونَ، أَقِيمُوا ٱلصَّلَاةَ، آتُوا الزَّكَاةَ، لاَ تَقْرَبُوا ٱلْفَوَاحِشَ، لاَ تَقْتُلُوا ٱلنَّفْسَ».

   Of the first kind is His saying: “Is He who creates like one who does not create?” (Q 16:17); “Is there among your partners any who does anything of that?” (Q 30:40); “How excellent are We who determine!” (Q 77:23); “the best of creators” (Q 23:14); “Act, and God will see your work … of what you used to do” (Q 9:105); … “you do”, “you earn”, “Establish the prayer”, “Give the alms” (cf. Q 2:43), “Do not approach indecencies”, “Do not kill the soul” (Q 6:151).✦

   ¶ 3914

4. وَنَحْوُ ذَلِكَ• فَاِنَّ الْآمِرَ النَّاهِيَ لَا يَأْمُرُ نَفْسَهُ وَلَا يَنْهَاهَا،

   and the like; for the one who commands and forbids does not command himself nor forbid himself,✦

   ¶ 3915

5. وَفِي الثَّانِي قَوْلُهُ: «فَلَمْ تَقْتُلُوهُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ قَتَلَهُمْ⁽⁵⁾. يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ⁽⁶⁾، إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللّٰـهَ يَدُ اللّٰـهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ⁽⁷⁾، إِنَّ اللّٰـهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ⁽⁸⁾».

   and of the second kind is His saying: “You did not kill them, but God killed them” (Q 8:17); “God will punish them by your hands” (Q 9:14); “Those who pledge allegiance to you pledge allegiance only to God; the hand of God is above their hands” (Q 48:10); “God knows whatever thing they call upon besides Him” (Q 29:42).✦

   ¶ 3916

6. هُوَ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ، اِذْ لَا غَيْرَ لَهُ ــ تَعَالَى ــ، فَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ،

   It is “other than God”; and since there is no other to Him, exalted is He, you call upon nothing besides Him,✦

   ¶ 3917

7. أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمَٰوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ، لَهُ وُجُوداً وَهُوَ الْغَيْرُ وَالسِّوَى،

   “Do you inform God of what He does not know in the heavens or on the earth” (Q 10:18), [namely of something] having an existence, it being the other and the “besides”?✦

   ¶ 3918

8. فَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِنَ الْأَصْنَامِ، وَالشُّرَكَاءِ، وَالْأَرْبَابِ وَالْوَسَائِطِ وَالْأَسْبَابِ، كُلُّ ذَلِكَ هُوَ اللَّهُ•

   So what you call upon of idols, partners, lords, intermediaries and causes — all of that is God.✦

   ¶ 3919

9. فَمَا دَعَوْتُمْ فِي دُعَائِكُمْ أِيَّاهُمْ اِلاَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ، فِي اعْتِقَادِ غَيْرِيَّةِ شَيْءٍ لَهُ ــ تَعَالَى ــ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ فِي السَّمَاءِ•

   So in your calling upon them you have called upon none but God — “glory be to Him, and exalted is He above what they associate” (Q 10:18) — in believing that something is other than He, exalted is He, on the earth or in heaven.✦

   ¶ 3920

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