The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 159
158 Ā'ĪNA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLĀM―DĀFI‘UL-WASĀWIS verse also points to this vastness of his knowledge as Allah, glorified be His eminence, says: 1 Part Number 5— وَعَلَّبَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًاه - Meaning that: God Almighty granted you knowledge that you could not have attained on your own, and through divine grace, His blessings have been bestowed upon you in the greatest measure. In other words, you surpassed all others in the knowledge of divine realities, myster- ies, and spiritual wisdom, and Allah has adorned you most abundantly with the fragrance of His divine understanding. Thus, God Almighty has appointed knowledge and understanding as the means of attaining the true essence of Islam. His There are other means for attaining the essence of Islam—like fast- ing, Prayer, supplication, and carrying out all the commandments of Allah-which exceed six hundred in number; however, knowledge of the greatness of God, the Oneness of His Being, and cognizance of ways and attributes of glory and beauty of the Lord, the Maker, hallowed be His name, is the means of all means and everything else depends upon it. For, how can one who has a heedless heart and is utterly bereft of the cognition of God gain the ability to observe the Fast, perform Prayer, make supplication, or occupy himself with the doing of good works and charity? All these righteous actions are prompted by cognition of the Divine and all these other means are in reality born from it and are like its sons and daughters. The beginning of this knowledge stems from the reflection of God's Raḥmāniyat [Divine Graciousness] and is not the result of any action He guides] يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ. or prayer but is a gift of pure grace whom He wills and He adjudges astray whom He wills]. But then this cognition grows further through righteous deeds and the perfection of faith, until finally, taking the form of ilham [divine revelation] and the 1. Surah an-Nisa', 4:114 [Publisher]