Question 4: If Allah swt exists in each time and place, and He manifests through all things that exist, how can it be explained that He exists and manifests swt in impurities?
Answer: It must be known that the manifestation of Allah in all things that exist does not mean He is a part of them or that He is in them; rather, It means that no existing creation would exist except by Allah, nor would it appear without the light of Allah, whether this existing thing was the closest or the furthest from Him swt. And there is nothing like Allah.
The fact that the light of the sun exists on the earth does not mean that the sun is actually present on the earth. And the fact that we see things on the earth by the light of the sun does not mean that the light of the sun is settled on the earth. Rather, the sun manifests on the earth in one way or another and it influences within the earth in one way or another, although its light and influence reaches the earth and others. And the fact that the light of the sun would show the impurities for us in order for us to see them with our own eyes, that does not mean that the light of the sun has been made impure by these impurities or that it is effected by touching them.
For further clarification, I say: Existing creations either consist of light which has some darkness in it, or darkness which has some light in it, depending on which is predominant, the light or the darkness. And each existing creation has a fixed rank which does not change, except for the tested creation such as Mankind or Jinn. Each of the two have a choice to become closer to the light by obeying Allah swt until he becomes light which has some darkness in it, each to a different degree, or becoming closer to the darkness by disobeying Allah swt until he becomes darkness which has some light in it, each to a different degree. Humans are unique in that they have the ability to rise in rank within the light until the angels close to Allah swt are not near them [in rank]; so therefore a human can become above the angels. Humans also have the ability to lower in rank within the darkness until Iblis (Allah curse him) and his filthy soldiers are not near them [in rank].
{Surely We created man of the best stature then we reduced him to the lowest of the low.} [1]
It is known that the highest existing creation in the worlds of light is a man who is Muhammad pbuhap, or the first intellect. [2]
And the lowest existing creation in the worlds of darkness is also a man, who is the second. He is the ignorance which has walked away and never returned, as narrated by Ahlul Bayt pbut. [3]
From the previously said: Each disobedience brings a believing man lower. Rather, each turn towards this world, and each negligence toward Allah, makes a man descend in darkness, and touch filth and impurity and the fire of hell. That is why Allah has obligated ablution and ghusl. It is narrated from Ahlul Bayt pbut,
“A believer does not become impure, that even in his ablution a sweep is enough for him.” [4]
An attentive person would understand that this whole world is an impu- rity and whoever pursues it shall also be impure. And Allah has favored the believer, by His generosity swt, that he does not become impure. The Prince of Believers Ali pbuh said,
“This world is an impurity, and the ones who pursue it are dogs.” [5]
He pbuh describes it to be:
“the sweat of a pig in the hand of a leper.” [6]
Do not delude yourself into thinking that Ali pbuh is exaggerating; rather, this is the truth revealed by Allah to his successors.
The Allegories – volume 1
Ahmed Alhasan
[1] The Quran 95:4–5.
[2] Abu Jafar pbuh said, “Oh Jabir, when Allah first created, he created Muhammad pbuhap, and his progeny the guided ” Al-Kafi Vol. 1 page 442. And in another narration in Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 1 page 97, the Prophet pbuhap said, “The first to be created by Allah is the intellect.” And also narrated as, “When Allah (m) created the intellect, He told it, ‘come forth,’ so it came forth, and He then told it, ‘Walk away,’ so it walked away, so He swt said, ‘By My Glory I have not created a creation more favored by Me than you. By you I reward and by you I punish, by you I take and by you I give.”
[3] Sama’a narrated that he was with Abu Abdullah pbuh, and few of his followers were present, and the intellect and ignorance were So he pbuh said, “Know the intellect and its soldiers, and know the ignorance and its soldiers, so that you become guided.” So Sama’a said, “May my soul be in your sacrafice, we only know what you teach us.” Abu Abdullah pbuh said, “Allah swt created intellect from His light, and he is the first creation of Allah swt from the spirituals on the right of the Throne. He swt said to it, ‘Come forth,’ so it came forth, and He then told it, ‘Walk Away,’ so it walked away, so He swt said, ‘I have created you a great creation, and I favored you over all my creation.’ He swt then created the ignorance, from the brine sea, a dark creation. He told it, ‘Walk away,’ so it walked away, and He then told it, ‘Come forth,’ so it did not come forth. He swt said to it, ‘Have you had too much pride?’ so He swt cursed it.” Bihar Al-Anwar Vol. 1 page 110.
[4] Also narrated from Abu Jafar pbuh that he said, “Ablution is but a law of Allah, so that Allah knows who obeys Him and who disobeys, and verily a believer does not become impure by anything, such that a sweep [of water] is enough for him.” Al-Kafi Vol. 3 page 21.
[5] Sharh Al-Akhlaq by Al-Haq Al-Mareshi 32 page 237.
[6] Nahj Al-Balagha 4 page 52, Sermon 236.
First Mahdi : Yamani : Ahmed Alhasan 