The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 421
The Holy Qur'an 421 to produce some other writing or speech which should possess all those qualities of matchlessness. . If a writing or speech fully resembles something which has proceeded from God and is His handiwork, that is to say, it is comprehensive of the external and internal wonders which exist in something that has been fashioned by God, it would be said that that writing or speech is of a rank which cannot be matched by human powers, for if a thing is admittedly matchless and has proceeded from God, then anything else sharing fully its qualities of matchlessness would itself be matchless. For instance, if something is in complete accord with that which is ten yards in length, then it would be established as a certainty that that thing also is ten yards in length. . Rose: a Wonder of Allāh's Creation. Now we shall select out of the creations of God a delicate creation, that is to say, a rose, and we shall set out the external and internal wonders by virtue of which it is admitted that it is beyond human power to create its match. We shall then prove that the wonders and excellences of the Surah Fatihah not only match the wonders of the rose, but also exceed them. The reason why I select this illustration is that on one occasion I saw in a vision that I was holding in my hand the Surah Fātiḥah inscribed on a leaf and it was so beautiful and attractive that it appeared that the paper on which it was inscribed was loaded with soft red roses which were beyond count. . When I recited any verse of the Surah, many of the roses flew upwards emitting an attractive sound. Those roses were very large, delicate, beautiful, fresh, and fragrant; and by their ascending upwards the heart and brain were perfumed, overpowered, and drawn away from the world