الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي بَطَنَ خَفِيَّاتِ الاْمُورِ،
Praise be to Allah Who lies inside all hidden things,
وَدَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ أَعْلاَمُ الظُّهُورِ،
and towards Whom all open things guide.
وَامْتَنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِ الْبَصِيرِ;
He cannot be seen by the eye of an onlooker,
فَلاَ عَيْنُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرَهُ تُنْكِرُهُ،
but the eye which does not see Him cannot deny Him
وَلاَ قَلْبُ مَنْ أَثْبَتَهُ يُبْصِرُهُ،
while the mind that proves His existence cannot perceive Him.
سَبَقَ فِي الْعُلُوِّ فَلاَ شَيءَ أَعْلَى مِنْهُ،
He is so high in sublimity that nothing can be more sublime than He,
وَقَرُبَ فِي الدُّنُوِّ فَلاَ شَيْءَ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُ،
while in nearness, He is so near that no one can be nearer than He.
فَلاَ اسْتِعْلاَؤُهُ بِاعَدَهُ عَنْ شَيْء مِنْ خَلْقِهِ،
But his sublimity does not put Him at a distance from anything of His creation,
وَلاَ قُرْبُهُ سَاوَاهُمْ في المَكَانِ بِهِ،
nor does His nearness bring them on equal level to Him.
لَمْ يُطْلِعِ الْعُقُولَ عَلَى تَحْدِيدِ صِفَتِهِ،
He has not informed (human) wit about the limits of His qualities.
ولَمْ يَحْجُبْهَا عَنْ وَاجِبِ مَعْرِفِتِهِ،
Nevertheless, He has not prevented it from securing essential knowledge of Him.
فَهُوَ الَّذِي تَشْهَدُ لَهُ أَعْلاَمُ الْوُجُودِ،
So he is such that all signs of existence stand witness for Him
عَلَى إِقْرَارِ قَلْبِ ذِي الْجُحُودِ،
till the denying mind also believes in Him.
تَعَالَى اللهُ عَمَّا يَقولُ الْمُشَبِّهُونَ بِهِ وَالْجَاحِدُونَ لَهُ عُلوّاً كَبِيراً!
Allah is sublime beyond what is described by those who liken Him to things or those who deny Him.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 49: Al-Wasiti, ‘Uyun, see al-Majlisi, Bihar, vol.67, 304.
