Seadet-i Ebediyye - Endless Bliss Third Fascicle

the things existing as related to one another in one respect. He
sees various things in the world in one respect only; he finds it like
the position of man’s limbs with respect to his mind and soul. A
person who does not understand the meaning of the hadîth-isherîf,
“Allâhu ta’âlâ created Adam in His own sûrat
(appearance),” cannot understand these words of ours. We have
explained this hadîth-i-sherîf to a certain extent at the beginning
of the book Kimyâ-i sa’âdat. It would not be right to explain it any
more. Mind could not comprehend it and it would be
misunderstood.
The third grade of tawhîd suffices for tawakkul. We have
explained this grade of tawhîd at full length in our book entitled
Ihyâ-ul-’ulûm. You can read that. As we have said in the chapter
about shukr (thanks) in the book Kimyâ-i sa’âdat, the sun, moon
and stars, the clouds, the rain and the wind, and all the forces in
nature are under Allâhu ta’âlâ’s will and command. They are like
a pen in the writer’s hand. Nothing moves unless Allâhu ta’âlâ
decrees it to. Then, it is not right to say that the work is done by
the causes. It is like thinking that a director’s decree and
command are from the paper and pencil. It is wrong to think that
man has some authority since he has will and option. For, Allâhu
ta’âlâ, again, gives man option. Man does something with his
power. And this power is dependent upon his option. But
[according to the Ash’arî Madhhab], his option wishes what it is
created for. Since his option is not within his power, likewise his
power, and what he does, is not within his power. For
understanding this better, let us classify men’s actions in three
groups:
1 — Natural [physical] movements, e.g. to sink when stepping
on water.
2 — Involuntary actions, such as breathing.
3 — Optional actions. Talking, walking, etc.
The natural movements are not within man’s power. Like any
object which is heavier than water, man will sink in water. Man’s
sinking in water is independent of his option, exactly as the
stone’s sinking in water is beyond its option.
So are the involuntary actions such as breathing. For, we
cannot help breathing even if we do not want to breathe. The will
to breathe happens automatically. If we thrust a pin at a person’s
eye, he will close his eyes willy-nilly. He cannot help closing his
eye. For, the will to close the eye will happen automatically at that
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