THE FIFTEEN ARGUMENTS FOR DIVINE KNOWLEDGE MENTIONED ABOVE

 

We will now indicate a very brief meaning of that which is mentioned above under the title of Proofs of Divine Knowledge. Originally in Arabic, it is a comprehensive proof of the all-encompassing Knowledge and consists of fifteen arguments. We will give a brief explanation of them.

 

The first of the fifteen arguments: a precise, measured orderliness and balanced arrangement

That is, the measured orderliness and balanced arrangement observed in all creatures testify to an all-encompassing Knowledge. In everything— from the totality of the universe, which is like a well-built, well-organized palace, with the solar system and the atmosphere around us, the element of the air, the atoms of which display an amazing order in the broadcasting of words and sounds, and with the earth, where every spring hundreds of thousands of different species are raised with perfect order and regularity, down to the organs, the bodily systems, the cells and atoms of all living beings— there is a perfectly balanced orderliness and arrangement which can only be the work of a profound, comprehensive, and infallible knowledge. This testifies to an all-encompassing Knowledge in an extremely clear and decisive manner.

 

The second argument: an orderly measure and appropriate balance

In all the creatures in the universe, in everything, be it particular or universal, from the celestial bodies of space to the red and white corpuscles in the blood, there is a most orderly measure and appropriate balance or harmony. This testifies self-evidently and decisively to an all-encompassing Knowledge. We see, for instance, that the organs, members, and bodily systems of a fly or human being, even the cells of the body and the red and white corpuscles in the blood, are positioned in such a way that they are in complete harmony with one another, with a balance and measure so fine that it is in no way possible that one who lacks infinite knowledge could have given them these positions.

The existence of so perfect a balance and so regular and unfailing a measure in all animate and inanimate creatures, from the minute particles to the planets of the solar system, most brilliantly testifies to an all-encompassing Knowledge. This means that all the proofs of Knowledge are also proofs of the Existence of the All-Knowing One. Since it is impossible that there should be an attribute without the thing it qualifies, all the proofs of Knowledge form a powerful and most conclusive proof of the necessary Existence of the Eternal All-Knowing.

 

The third argument: all-inclusive, purposeful wisdom

In all the creativity and activity in the universe, and in all the changes, in the restoring to life, in the employing of beings in duties and their being discharged from them, in all individual creatures and species there are functions, benefits and purposes which are so deliberate that there is no room for chance. We see that one who does not possess all-encompassing knowledge could in no way claim to be their creator or maker. For example, although it is only a piece of flesh, the tongue, which is one of about a hundred members of the body of a human individual, himself or herself only one of innumerable animate creatures, is the means for hundreds of instances of wisdom, results, fruits, and uses through its basic duties. Its duty of tasting foods consists in recognizing all the different flavors and informing the body and the stomach of them and in being an exacting inspector of the kitchens of Divine Mercy. Its duty of speech lies in its being an accurate interpreter and telephone exchange for the heart, spirit, and mind in the function of speech. With these two basic duties, the tongue testifies most brilliantly and decisively to an all-encompassing knowledge.

If through its purposes and fruits a single tongue provides such evidence, innumerable languages and living and non-living beings testify to an infinite Knowledge with the clarity and certainty of the noonday sun. They announce that there is nothing at all outside the bounds of the Knowledge of the One All Knowing of the Unseen, and outside His Wisdom and Will.

 

The fourth argument: all-embracing, particular favors

The favors and instances of compassion and protection bestowed on all living creatures in the world of conscious beings, on every species and individual, particularly and appropriately, point self-evidently to an all-encompassing Knowledge and provide innumerable testimonies to the necessary Existence of an All-Knowing Gracious One, Who knows those who receive the favors and their needs.

[NOTE: The explanation of the words of the Arabic piece, which is the essence of my regular invocation and which I call The Summary of Summaries, indicates the truths which the Risale-i Nur—which has its source in the Qur’an—has taken from the gleams of Qur’anic verses and particularly the proofs for Knowledge, Will, and Power. The scholarly proofs, which the Arabic words indicate, are expounded intensely. This means that each of these scholarly proofs explains an indication and a fine point made by numerous Qur’anic verses.]

To return to our main topic, we see clearly that there is an All-Knowing and All-Compassionate One, Who knows us and all other beings with spirits, and, in knowing them, protects them compassionately. He also knows all their needs and pleas, and knowing these, comes to their aid with His favors. One of numberless examples: the favors bestowed on human beings generally or particularly, and which come in the form of provision, medicines, and the minerals that one needs, point most clearly to an all-encompassing Knowledge and provide testimonies to the existence of an All-Merciful and All-Compassionate One to the number of foods, medicines, and minerals provided. Wise and purposive works, such as the feeding of humans, and particularly of the weak and infants, the conveying of the nutrients needed for each cell and organ of the body from the kitchen of the stomach, and the fact that mountains are like pharmacies and stores for all the minerals that are necessary for humanity—all of these are possible only through an all-encompassing Knowledge. Aimless chance, blind force, deaf nature, lifeless, unconscious causes, and the simple, pervasive elements could in no way have a part in maintaining, administering, preserving, or organizing the universe, all of which reflect knowledge, percipience, wisdom, compassion, and grace. Apparent “natural” causes are employed merely within the bounds of the Knowledge and Wisdom of the absolutely All-Knowing One, at His command and with His permission, as a veil to cover the dignity of Divine Power.

 

The fifth and sixth arguments: well-ordering or organizing decrees and fruitful determining

All things, particularly plants, trees, animals, and humans, are given forms so wise, well-ordered, well-measured, and proportioned thanks to the principles of Divine Decree and Destiny, which are two sorts of eternal Knowledge, that they are full of art, cut out with skilful artistry, sewn in a way entirely appropriate to the stature of each, and fitted perfectly. These point individually and collectively to an infinite Knowledge and testify in countless ways to an All-Knowing Maker.

Out of innumerable examples, consider a single tree and a human individual. We see that this fruit-bearing tree and that human being, with many members or limbs, have been delimited both outwardly and inwardly by unseen compasses and a subtle pen of Knowledge, and that each of their members has been given perfectly ordered fitting forms in order that they may yield the required fruits and results and perform the duties required by the purpose of their creation. Accordingly, since this could be possible only through an infinite Knowledge, they testify—to the number of plants and animals—to the necessary Existence and limitless Knowledge of a Maker and Giver of form, an All-Knowing Determiner, Who knows the interrelationships of all things and keeps them in view, and knows how to wisely define, individually and collectively, each and all of the trees and human beings with their outsides and insides through the compasses and pen of the decree and determining of His eternal Knowledge.

 

The seventh and eighth arguments: the appointed final ends and fixed, regular provision

Due to important instances of wisdom, the appointed final ends or hours of death and the amount of the provision that a living being will consume throughout its life are kept hidden and appear to be unspecified. However, the final end of the life of every living being is determined in the notebook of eternal Divine Decree and Destiny: it can be neither brought forward nor delayed. Similarly, there are numerous proofs which show that the provision of every living being is also appointed and determined, being inscribed on the tablets of Decree and Destiny. For example, it is through the wise law of the All-Knowing Preserver that a huge tree dies and leaves its seed behind, which is in one sense its spirit, to continue its duties in its place. Likewise, milk, the sustenance of infants and young, begins to be produced from between blood and excrement in the intestines and flows forth from breasts into their mouths, pure and clean. This rejects decisively the interference of chance and shows clearly that such a phenomenon occurs through the compassionate law of an All-Knowing and All-Compassionate Provider. These two small examples can, in comparison, be applied to all living creatures and beings with spirits.

This means that in reality both the appointed hour of death is specified and determined and that the provision of each living being has been determined and recorded in the notebook of Destiny. But for most important instances of wisdom, both the appointed hour and provision are kept behind the veil of the Unseen and appear to be unknown, unspecified, and apparently bound to chance. For if the appointed hour of death had been as clear to people as the rising and setting of the sun, the first half of life would be spent in absolute heedlessness and would be lost by not working for the Hereafter, while the second half would pass in terrible terror, with people feeling that every day they were taking another step toward the gallows of death, causing the calamity of their demise to increase a hundredfold. For this and other reasons the calamities that are to be visited on people and the final destruction of the world, which is its appointed hour of death, have mercifully been left unknown behind the veil of the Unseen.

As for provision, since after life it is the greatest treasury of bounties, the richest mine of thanks and praise and the most comprehensive source of worship, prayer, and entreaty, it has apparently been left vague and appears to be bound to chance. For in this way the door of seeking provision through the intercession of continuously seeking refuge at the Divine Court, through petitioning and entreating, and praise and thanks, is not closed. If, indeed, provision had been clearly specified, its nature would have been changed completely. The doors of thankful, grateful petitions and prayers, indeed of humble worship, would have been closed.

The ninth and tenth arguments: skillful precision and faultlessness, and pleasing, ornate care and attention

That is, in every being, particularly in all the beautiful creatures that display the manifestations of an eternal Beauty and Grace on the earth in spring, including particularly the flowers, fruits, small birds, and flies, and in particular the shining flying insects—in their creation, forms, and organs, one can see such miraculous skill and precision, such wonderful art, faultlessness, and excellence, and so many sorts of shapes and tiny mechanisms which show their Maker’s miraculous proficiency that they cannot but decisively indicate a truly comprehensive Knowledge, and—let there be no mistake in the expression—an extremely skilful Faculty of Knowledge, testifying that it is impossible for random chance or unconscious, confused causes to have a part in them. The phrase, “pleasing, ornate care and attention” means that these fine creatures are adorned in a way so pleasing, ornamented in a way so sweet, and possessed of a beauty of art so attractive that it is obvious that their Maker works through infinite Knowledge. He knows the best way in everything, and wills to display to conscious beings the beauty of perfect craftsmanship and the perfection of that beauty. He creates and shapes the most insignificant flower and tiniest fly with the greatest care, skill, and art, and imbues them with the greatest importance. This attentive adorning and beautification self-evidently indicate a limitless and all-encompassing Knowledge; they testify in countless ways to the necessary Existence of an All-Knowing and All-Beautiful Maker.

 

The eleventh argument, which in fact comprises five universal arguments:

The absolutely perfect order, balance, measure, and distinction with absolute ease; and the creation of things with firmness and precision despite their absolute abundance, and with absolute balance and measurement despite absolute speed, and with perfect beauty and art despite their infinite extent, and with complete congruence despite the infinite distances, and with complete distinction despite the fact that they are all intermingled.

This argument is a better form of the proof which appears at the end of the Arabic piece above, but because of severe illness, only five or six of the proofs it contains will be indicated briefly.

FIRSTLY: We see throughout the earth that amazing living mechanisms are made, some instantaneously and some in a minute or two, in an orderly and measured fashion with each being different from its fellows; this is done with the greatest ease, arising from a perfect Knowledge and Skill. This indicates an infinite Knowledge and testifies to the perfection of that Knowledge proportionately to the ease resulting from the skillful knowledge in art.

SECONDLY: Perfect and utterly artistic inventions that exist in the greatest profusion and multitude without the least confusion point to a limitless Knowledge within an infinite Power, and testify in countless ways to One Who is absolutely Knowing and Powerful.

THIRDLY: Inventions that possess perfect balance and measure, despite the absolute speed with which they are created, point to a limitless knowledge and testify in countless ways to an absolutely Knowledgeable and an absolutely Powerful One.

FOURTHLY: The making of innumerable living beings on the broad face of the earth with the greatest skill, adornment, and beauty of art, despite their wide extent, indicates an all-encompassing Knowledge Which confuses nothing, Which sees all things together, and for Which nothing is an obstacle to anything else. Also, those living beings testify individually and collectively that they are the artifacts of One Who is All-Knowing of all things, an absolutely Powerful One.

FIFTHLY: The coming into being of the members of a species which are far from each other, with one in the east, one in the west, one in the north, and one in the south, in the same way, and in resemblance with one another but with distinct individuality. This can only be only through the infinite Power of One Who is absolutely Knowing and absolutely Powerful, Who governs the entire universe and, through His infinite Knowledge, encompasses all beings together with all their states, thus indicating an all-encompassing Knowledge and testifying to One All-Knowing of the Unseen.

SIXTHLY: A great multitude of living mechanisms are created in confusing circumstances and dark places. For example, seeds are made to germinate and grow under the ground, without confusion, despite their similarity and all being mixed up together, in a miraculous fashion, without neglecting any single one of any sort, together with all their distinguishing features. This indicates, as clearly as the sun, eternal Knowledge and testifies as clearly as daylight to the creativity and Lordship of One Who is absolutely Powerful and absolutely Knowing. A more detailed exposition of this may be found in the Risale-i Nur, and so here we cut a long story short.

Said Nursi