God for the perfection of their rank in rational division. He brought them into existence as a favor, for existential and cognitive perfection to appear. This originates as a favor from Him, yet He turned away from mentioning it and ascribed the world’s existence to His loving to be known, so that the perfection of existence and knowledge would sense no trace of reminding it of favor, exactly as mentioned in the Qurʾan.
When the Real descends with His servants to this extent in noble character traits, spiritual chivalry, the servant has a greater claim to assume this character. Spiritual chivalry is in truth manifesting blessings and favors while concealing the assertion and reminder of favor. As He said, “Do not invalidate your charities through reminders of favor and injury” [al-Baqarah 2:264], assuming a divine character, for He, glory be to Him, gave us existence and knowledge of Him in charity without reminding us of this favor.
As for His saying, “Rather, God bestows favor upon you,” it means that, were favor to be asserted, that assertion would belong to God. When they asserted favor toward him, may God bless him and grant him peace, through Islam, God said, “They count their embracing Islam as a favor to you” [al-Hujurat 49:17]. God said to Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, “Say: Do not count your Islam as a favor to me.”
Then He preferred Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, over Himself, glory be to Him, so as not to give him a description toward which He had directed the tongue of blame. He told him to say to them, “Rather, God bestows favor upon you by guiding you to faith.”
Had He willed, He could have said, “Rather, I count it a favor toward you that God guided you through me to the faith He granted you in His oneness, making you felicitous through it,”
