Manuscript volume 5 · Page 37

العقلاء على زعمهم، وحاشى العاقل أن يكون بمثل هذه الصفة.

(الفيض الإلهي وشهادة أحد العقلاء)

وقد أدركنا ممن كان على حالهم قليلا، وكانوا أعرف الناس بمقدار الرسل، ومن أعظمهم تبعا لسنن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وأشدهم محافظة على سننه، عارفين بما ينبغي لجلال الحق من التعظيم، عالمين بما خص الله عباده من النبيين وأتباعهم من الأولياء من العلم بالله من جهة الفيض الإلهي الاختصاصي الخارج عن التعلم المعتاد من الدرس والاجتهاد ما لا يقدر العقل من حيث فكره أن يصل إليه.

ولقد سمعت واحدا من أكابرهم، وقد رأى مما فتح الله به علي من العلم به سبحانه من غير نظر ولا قراءة بل من خلوة خلوت بها مع الله ولم أكن من أهل الطلب، فقال: «الحمد لله الذي أنا في زمان رأيت فيه من آتاه الله رحمة من عنده وعلمه من لدنه علما».

فالله ﴿يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ من يَشاءُ والله ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ﴾، والله ﴿يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ وهُوَ يَهْدِي السَّبِيلَ﴾ [الأحزاب: ٤].

الباب السابع والستون في معرفة لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله وهو الايمان

people of sound reason, as they claim to be. Far be it from a person of sound reason to have such a description.

(Divine Effusion and the Testimony of One of the People of Sound Reason)

We met a few people in the state of the former sages. They knew the worth of the messengers better than anyone, were among those who most closely followed the practices of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and were most diligent in observing his practices. They knew what exaltation befits the majesty of the Real. They knew that God has singled out certain servants, the prophets and their followers among the friends of God, for knowledge of God through a particular divine effusion outside ordinary learning by study and effort, to which the intellect cannot reach through its thinking.

I heard one of their great men say, after he saw how God, glory be to Him, had opened up to me some knowledge of Him without inquiry or reading, through a retreat in which I was alone with God, even though I was not one of those who pursue learning, “Praise be to God that I live in an age in which I have seen one whom God has given mercy from Himself and taught knowledge from His own presence.”

For God “singles out for His mercy whomever He wills, and God is the possessor of tremendous bounty,” and God “speaks the truth, and He guides the way” [al-Ahzab 33:4].

Chapter 67: On Knowing “There Is No God but God, and Muhammad Is the Messenger of God,” Which Is Faith