an effect from another aspect. He therefore claims resistance and that he is within a protected preserve that cannot be violated. Here the ruling of compelling power appears within the dominion.
When the mighty one feels the compulsion, he considers where he has been assailed. It becomes apparent to him that this came only from his ignorance of his own essence: he is composed of realities that receive effects and realities that do not. If he is intelligent, he hastens to respond so as to obtain praise for that haste. Resistance remains within the realm of possibility for the outsider who does not witness these realities.
If he magnifies himself, compulsion rules over him and acts upon him within his choice. This is the greatest and densest of veils. Whoever witnesses compulsion within choice knows that the chooser is compelled in his choice. Compelling power has no ruling greater than this.
(The Compulsion of Beneficence, Desire, and Modesty)
Whoever enters this Presence and has it as his state becomes so great in beneficence toward the world that the whole world is acted upon by him—indeed, the whole of existence is acted upon by him, by the choice of the one acted upon. Yet this occurs through a compulsion that not everyone perceives. It is the compulsion of beneficence and humility[9]. Among creatures—indeed, among existents—one of two things calls the recipient to submit to him: desire or modesty.
When the desirous one sees beneficence bestowed initially without being deserved, it makes him hope for more of it if he brings something that may be accompanied by beneficence. The soul does this only so that the beneficence may be “a fitting recompense” [al-Nabaʾ 78:26], for it dislikes being placed under an obligation of favor, given that souls were created
Notes
[9]
(The author explains this compulsion through the recipient’s submission out of desire or modesty, distinguishing it in the following paragraph from outward domination.)
