The Meccan Revelations

Manuscript volume 14 · Page 183

Konya manuscript

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Arabic

لغيره، وهو سوء أدب مع الله، حيث ما قصد النظر فيه إلا ليدله على حكم الكائنات، ولو استندت إليه، فما طلبه لعينه.

وإن ظن أنه يجول بفكره فيه، ليتخذه دليلا عليه، فهٰذا غلط بين، فإنه لا ينظر فيه، إلا وهو عالم به، فإن نظر فيه بمعنى هل يصح أن يكون دليلا على نفسه، فهٰذا غاية الجهل، فإنه لا شيء أدل من الشيء على نفسه.

فلما رأوا مثل هٰذا النظر، تركوه.

(التفكر امتثالا للأمر)

فإذا تفكر من هذه صفته، كان مثل الذي يشكر الخلق[54] لإحسانهم، فشكرهم عبادة، لأن الله أمر بشكرهم، كذٰلك أمرهم بالتفكر، فيتفكرون فيما أمرهم، أو عين لهم أن يتفكروا فيه، امتثالا لأمره، ويكون ما ينتجه من العلم في حكم التبع، لأن علوم الفكر بكل وجه ما تقوم مقام علوم الذكر والوحي والوهب الإلهي في الرفعة والمكانة.

انتهى الجزء الثاني ومائة، يتلوه في الثالث ومائة؛ الباب السادس والأربعون ومائة في الفتوة.

Notes

[54]

(صححت «بشكر» إلى «يشكر» وفقا للطبعة الأحدث.)

English

for something other than Him. This is poor courtesy toward God, since he intends considering Him only to indicate the ruling of engendered things, even if they depend upon Him. He has not sought Him for His very self.

If he thinks he ranges over Him through thought to take Him as evidence for Himself, this is a manifest error. He considers Him only while knowing Him. If he considers Him in the sense of whether He may validly be evidence for Himself, this is the utmost ignorance: nothing indicates a thing more clearly than itself.

When they see consideration of this kind, they leave it.

(Thinking in Fulfillment of the Command)

When one of this description thinks, he is like one who thanks creatures[54] for their beneficence. Thanking them is worship because God commands thanking them. Likewise He commands them to think, and they think upon what He commands or specifies for them to think upon, fulfilling His command. The knowledge produced is secondary, for in elevation and standing the sciences of thought in no respect take the place of the sciences of remembrance, revelation, and divine bestowal.

End of Part One Hundred and Two. In Part One Hundred and Three follows Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Six, on Spiritual Chivalry.

Notes

[54]

(Bi-shukr was corrected to yashkur, “thanks,” according to the newer edition.)

Translator’s note TN4245-1: The opening “for something other than Him” resumes the sentence ending “he has sought Him” on page 4242, across the intervening wisdom continuation, title, poem, and blank page. No source text has been moved to join them.

Manuscript imageManuscript volume 14 · Page 183

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Cairo source reference

Ibn al-Arabi, The Meccan Revelations — Manuscript volume 14 · Page 183 — https://www.futmak.com/english/konya/pages.php?id=4245&text=both