حمد الله وتنزيهه
In Praise of Allah
ألْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي انْحَسَرَتِ الاَوْصَافُ عَنْ كُنْهِ مَعْرِفَتِهِ،
Praise be to Allah who is such that it is not possible to describe the reality of knowledge about Him,
وَرَدَعَتْ عَظَمَتُهُ الْعُقُولَ،
since His greatness has restrained the intellects,
فَلَمْ تَجِدْ مَسَاغاً إِلَى بُلُوغِ غَايَةِ مَلَكُوتِهِ!
and therefore they cannot find the way to approach the extremity of His realm.
هَوَ اللهُ الْحَقُّ الْمُبِينُ،
He is Allah, the True, the Manifester of Truth.
أَحَقُّ وَأَبْيَنُ مِمَّا تَرَى الْعُيُونُ،
He is more True and more Manifest than eyes can see.
لَمْ تَبْلُغْهُ الْعُقُولُ بِتَحْدِيد فَيَكُونَ مُشَبَّهاً،
Intellects cannot comprehend Him by fixing limits for Him since in that case to Him would be attributed shape.
وَلَمْ تَقَعْ عَلَيْهِ الاْوْهَامُ بِتَقْدِير فَيَكُونَ مُمَثَّلاً .
Imagination cannot catch Him by fixing quantities for Him for in that case to Him would be attributed body.
خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ عَلَى غَيْرِ تَمْثِيل،
He created creatures without any example,
وَلاَ مَشُورَةِ مُشِير،
and without the advice of a counsel,
وَلاَ مَعُونَةِ مُعِين،
or the assistance of a helper.
فَتَمَّ خَلْقُهُ بِأَمْرِهِ،
His creation was completed by His command,
وَأَذْعَنَ لِطَاعَتِهِ،
and bowed to His obedience.
فَأَجَابَ وَلَمْ يُدَافِعْ،
It responded (to Him) and did not defy (Him).
وَانْقَادَ وَلَمْ يُنَازِعْ.
It obeyed and did not resist.
خلقة الخفاش
The Creation of the Bat
وَمِنْ لَطَائِفِ صَنْعَتِهِ،
An example of His delicate production,
وَعَجَائِبِ خِلْقَتِهِ،
wonderful creation
مَا أَرَانَا مِنْ غَوَامِضِ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي هذِهِ الْخَفَافِيشِ
and deep sagacity which He has shown us is found in these bats
الَّتِي يَقْبِضُهَا الضِّيَاءُ الْبَاسِطُ لِكُلِّ شَيْء،
which keep hidden in the daylight although daylight reveals everything else,
وَيَبْسُطُهَا الظَّلاَمُ الْقَابِضُ لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ،
and are mobile in the night although the night shuts up every other living being;
وَكَيْفَ عَشِيَتْ أَعْيُنُهَا عَنْ أَنْ تَسْتَمِدَّ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ الْمُضِيئَةِ نقُوراً
and how their eyes get dazzled and cannot make use of the light of the sun
تَهْتَدِي بِهِ فِي مَذَاهِبِهَا،
so as to be guided in their movements
وَتَتَّصِلُ بِعَلاَنِيَةِ بُرْهَانِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى مَعَارِفِهَا.
and so as to reach their known places through the direction provided by the sun.
وَرَدَعَهَا بِتَلاَلُؤِ ضِيَائِهَا عَنِ الْمُضِيِّ فِي سُبُحَاتِ إِشْرَاقِهَا،
Allah has prevented them from moving in the brightness of the sun
وَأَكَنَّهَا فِي مَكَامِنِهَا عَنِ الذَّهَابِ فِى بُلَجِ ائْتِلاَقِهَا،
and confined them to their places of hiding instead of going out at the time of its shining.
فَهِيَ مُسْدَلَةُ الْجُفُونِ بَالنَّهَارِ عَلَى حِدَاقِهَا،
Consequently they keep their eyelids down in the day
وَجَاعِلَةُ اللَّيْلِ سِرَاجاً تَسْتَدِلُّ بِهِ في الْـتِماسِ أَرْزَاقِهَا;
and treat night as a lamp and go with its help in search of their livelihood.
فَلاَ يَرُدُّ أَبْصَارَهَا إِسْدَافُ ظُلْمَتِهِ،
The darkness of night does not obstruct their sight
وَلاَ تَمْتَنِعُ مِنَ الْمُضِيِّ فِيهِ لِغَسَقِ دُجُنَّتِهِ
nor does the gloom of darkness prevent them from movement.
فَإِذَا أَلْقَتِ الشَّمْسُ قِنَاعَهَا،
As soon as the sun removes its veil
وَبَدَتْ أَوْضَاحُ نَهَارِهَا،
and the light of morning appears,
وَدَخَلَ مِنْ إِشْرَاقِ نُورِهَا عَلَى الضِّبَابِ فِي وِجَارِهَا،
and the rays of its light enter upon the lizards in their holes,
أَطْبَقَتِ الاْجْفَانَ عَلَى مَآقِيهَا
the bats pull down their eyelids on their eyes
وَتَبَلَّغَتْ بِمَا اكْتَسَبَتْهُ مِنَ الْمَعَاشِ فِي ظُلَمِ لَيَالِيهَا.
and live on what they had collected in the darkness of the night.
فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ لَهَا نَهَاراً وَمَعَاشاً،
Glorified is He who has made the night as day for them to seek livelihood
وَجَعَلَ النَّهَارَ لَهَا سَكَناً وَقَرَاراً!
and made the day for rest and stay.
وَجَعَلَ لَهَا أَجْنِحَةً مِنْ لَحْمِهَا
He has given them wings of flesh with which,
تَعْرُجُ بِهَا عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ إِلَى الطَّيَرَانِ،
at the time of need they rise upwards for flying.
كَأَنَّهَا شَظَايَا الاْذَانِ،
They look like the ends of ears
غَيْرَ ذَوَاتِ رِيش وَلاَ قَصَب،
without feathers or bones. Of course,
إِلاَّ أَنَّكَ تَرَى مَوَاضِعَ الْعُرُوقِ بَيِّنَةً أَعْلاَماً،
you can see the veins quite distinctly.
لَهَا جَنَاحَانِ لَمَّا يَرِقَّا فَيَنْشَقَّا،
They have two wings which are neither too thin so that they get turned in flying,
وَلَمْ يَغْلُظَا فَيَثْقُلاَ.
nor too thick so that they prove heavy.
تَطِيرُ وَوَلَدُهَا لاَصِقٌ بِهَا لاَجِيٌ إِلَيْهَا،
When they fly, their young ones hold on to them and seek refuge with them,
يَقَعُ إِذَا وَقَعَتْ،
getting down when they get down
وَيَرْتَفِعُ إِذَا ارْتَفَعَتْ،
and rising up when they rise.
لاَيُفَارِقُهَا حَتَّى تَشْتَدَّ أَرْكَانُهُ،
The young does not leave them till its limbs become strong,
وَيَحْمِلَهُ لِلنُّهُوضِ جَنَاحُهُ،
its wings can support it for rising up,
وَيَعْرِفَ مَذَاهِبَ عَيْشِهِ،
and it begins to recognise its places of living
وَمَصَالِحَ نَفْسِهِ.
and its interest.
فَسُبْحَانَ الْبَارِىءِ لِكُلِّ شَيْء،
Glorified is He who creates everything
عَلَى غَيْرِ مِثَال خَلاَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ .
without any previous sample by someone else.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 155: Al-Yamani, al-Taraz, I, 334.
