Reflecting on God's Names

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وَقَدْ تَجَلَّى اللَّهُ فِيهِ لِعِبَادِهِ وَصِفَاتِهِ

And God has manifested Himself in it to His servants and His attributes.

فَتَارَةً يَتَجَلَّى فِي جِلْبَابِ الْهِيبَةِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ وَالْجَلَالِ

Sometimes He manifests in the cloak of awe, grandeur, and majesty.

فَتَخْضَعُ الْأَعْنَاقُ وَتَنْكَسِرُ النُّفُوسُ وَتَخْشَعُ الْأَصْوَاتُ وَيَذُوبُ الْكِبْرُ كَمَا يَذُوبُ الْمِلْحُ فِي الْمَاءِ

So necks are humbled, souls are broken, voices become subdued, and arrogance melts like salt in water.

وَتَارَةً يَتَجَلَّى فِي صِفَاتِ الْجَمَالِ وَالْكَمَالِ وَهُوَ كَمَالُ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَجَمَالُ الصِّفَاتِ وَجَمَالُ الْأَفْعَالِ الدَّالِّ عَلَى كَمَالِ الذَّاتِ

And at times He manifests in attributes of beauty and perfection, which are the perfection of names, beauty of attributes, and beauty of actions indicating the perfection of the essence.

فَيَسْتَنْفِدُ حُبَّهُ مِن قَلْبِ الْعَبْدِ قُوَّةَ الْحُبِّ كُلَّهَا بِحُبِّ مَا عَرَفَهُ مِن صِفَاتِ جَمَالِهِ وَنُعُوتِ كَمَالِهِ فَيُصْبِحُ فُؤَادُ عَبْدِهِ فَارِغًا إِلَّا مِن مَحَبَّتِهِ

So His love consumes all the strength of love in the heart of the servant due to the love of what he knows of His beauty and the descriptions of His perfection. Thus, the servant's heart becomes empty except for His love.

وَإِذَا تَجَلَّى بِصِفَاتِ الرَّحْمَةِ وَالْبِرِّ وَاللُّطْفِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ انْبَعَثَتْ قُوَّةُ الرَّجَاءِ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ

And when He manifests with attributes of mercy, benevolence, kindness, and excellence, the strength of hope is kindled within the servant.

وانبسط أمله وَقَوي طمعه وَسَار إِلَى ربه وحادى الرَّجَاء يَحْدُو ركاب سيره،

His hope expanded, his ambition strengthened, and he journeyed to his Lord, with hope guiding the path of his journey.

وَإِذَا تَجَلَّى بِصِفَاتِ الْعَدْلِ وَالِانْتِقَامِ انْقَمَعَتِ النَّفْسُ الْأَمَّارَةُ وَبَطَلَتْ قُوَاهَا مِنَ الشَّهْوَةِ وَالْغَضَبِ

And when He manifests with attributes of justice and retribution, the commanding self is restrained, and its forces of desire and anger are nullified…

وَجِمَاعُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ يَتَعَرَّفُ إِلَى الْعَبْدِ بِصِفَاتِ إِلَٰهِيتِهِ تَارَةً وَبِصِفَاتِ رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ تَارَةً

And in summary, He, the Exalted, reveals Himself to the servant with divine attributes at one time and with lordship attributes at another…

فَيُوجِبُ لَهُ شُهُودُ صِفَاتِ الْإِلَٰهِيةِ الْمَحَبَّةَ الْخَاصَّةَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِهِ

Thus, witnessing divine attributes obliges him to have special love and longing to meet Him…

وَيُوجِبُ لَهُ شُهُودُ صِفَاتِ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ التَّوَكُّلَ عَلَيْهِ وَالِافْتِقَارَ إِلَيْهِ

And witnessing attributes of lordship obliges him to rely on Him and feel needy of Him…

وَيَصِيرُ هُوَ وَحْدَهُ هَمَّهُ دُونَ مَا سِوَاهُ

And He alone becomes his concern, to the exclusion of all else.