The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 440
440 Essence of Islam-1 quence of the attribute of Rahmāniyyat. In the same way, the Rahimiyyat of God is manifested when, possessing all faculties, man employs those God-given faculties to ac- complish something and puts forth his strength and effort, then it is the way of the Divine that He does not let his effort go waste and blesses it with good results. It is His Rahīmiyyat which quickens his dead effort. The purpose of the verse is that when beginning the study of the Holy Qur'an, help and blessing should be sought from the Rahmaniyyat and Rahīmiyyat of God Al- mighty Who comprehends all perfect attributes. The object of seeking blessings from Rahmāniyyat is that God, of His Bounty and Beneficence, might provide all those means which are needed before an effort is put forth in following Divine revelation. For instance, the grant of life and leisure and appropriate opportunity, and the possession of faculties and strength, and the preven- tion of anything that might disturb comfort and peace or might prevent the heart from paying full attention, and to be bestowed the needed capacity; all these are achieved through the attribute of Rahmāniyyat. The purpose of seeking blessings through Rahīmiyyat is that the Perfect Being should bless one's efforts with good results, and should safeguard one's hard work against being wasted and should bless it in consequence of the struggle and effort put forth. Thus when beginning the study of the Divine Word, and indeed at the beginning of every great effort, it is a high verity to seek blessings and help from the Rahmaniyyat and Rahīmiyyat of God Almighty. In this way, man learns the reality of the Unity of God, and be- coming certain of his own ignorance and unawareness, stupidity and error, and helplessness and contemptibility, his mind is fixed upon the Greatness and Glory of the