ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) يحمد الله فيها ويثني على رسوله ويصف خلقاً من الحيوان

Praise of Allāh and His wonderful creatures

[حمد اللّه تعالى :] الْحَمْدُ لله الَّذِي لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الشَّوَاهِدُ، وَلاَ تَحْوِيهِ الْمَشَاهِدُ، وَلاَ تَرَاهُ النَّوَاظِرُ، وَلاَ تَحْجُبُهُ السَّوَاتِرُ، الدَّالِّ عَلَى قِدَمِهِ بِحُدُوثِ خَلْقِهِ، وَبِحُدُوثِ خَلْقِهِ عَلَى وجُودِهِ، وَبِاشْتِبَاهِهِمْ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ شَبَهَ لَهُ، الَّذِي صَدَقَ فِي مِيعَادِهِ، وَارْتَفَعَ عَنْ ظُلْمِ عِبَادِه، وَقَامَ بِالْقِسطِ فِي خَلْقِهِ، وَعَدَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي حُكْمِهِ، مُسْتَشْهِدٌ بِحُدُوثِ الاْشْيَاءِ عَلَى أَزَلِيَّتِهِ، وَبِمَا وَسَمَهَا بِهِ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ عَلَى قُدْرَتِهِ، وَبِمَا اضْطَرَّهَا إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْفَنَاءِ عَلَى دَوَامِهِ،

Praise be to Allāh. He is such that senses cannot perceive Him, place cannot contain Him, eyes cannot see Him and veils cannot cover Him. He proves His eternity by the coming into existence of His creation, and (also) by originating His creation (He proves) His existence, and by their (mutual) similarity He proves that there is nothing similar to Him. He is true in His promise. He is too high to be unjust to His creatures. He stands by equity among His creation and practices justice over them in His commands. He provides evidence through the creation of things of His being from ever, through their marks of incapability of His power, and through their powerlessness against death of His eternity.

وَاحِدٌ لاَ بِعَدَد، وَدَائِمٌ لاَ بِأَمَد، وَقَائِمٌ لاَ بَعَمَد، تَتَلَقَّاهُ الاْذْهَانُ لاَ بِمُشَاعَرَة، وَتَشْهَدُ لَهُ الْمَرَائِي لاَ بِمُحَاضَرَة، لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ الاَْوْهَامُ، بَلْ تَجَلَّى لَهَا بِهَا، وَبِهَا امْتَنَعَ مِنهَا، وَإِلَيْهَا حَاكَمَهَا، لَيْسَ بِذِي كِبَر امْتَدَّتْ بِهِ النِّهَايَاتُ فَكَبَّرَتْهُ تَجْسِيماً، وَلاَ بِذِي عِظَم تَنَاهَتْ بِهِ الْغَايَاتُ فَعَظَّمَتْهُ تَجْسِيداً بَلْ كَبُرَ شَأْناً، وَعَظُمَ سُلْطَاناً.

He is One, but not by counting. He is everlasting without any limit. He is existent without any support. Minds admit of Him without (any activity of the) senses. Things which can be seen stand witness to Him without confronting Him. Imagination cannot encompass Him. He manifests Himself to the imagination with his help for the imagination, and refuses to be imagined by the imagination. He has made imagination the arbiter (in this matter). He is not big in the sense that volume is vast and so His body is also big. Nor is He great in the sense that His limits should extend to the utmost and so His frame be extensive. But He is big in position and great in authority.

[الرسول الأعظم :] وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ الصَّفِيُّ، وَأَمِينُهُ الرَّضِيُّ (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) أَرْسَلَهُ بِوُجُوبِ الْحُجَجِ، وَظُهُورِ الْفَلَجِ، وَإِيضَاحِ الْمَنْهَجِ، فَبَلَّغُ الرِّسَالَةَ صَادِعاً بِهَا، وَحَمَلَ عَلَى الْـمَحَجَّةِ دالاًّ عَلَيْهَا، وَأَقَامَ أَعْلاَمَ الاْهْتِدَاءِ وَمَنَارَ الضِّيَاءِ، وَجَعَلَ أَمْرَاسَ الاْسْلاَمِ مَتِينَةً، وَعُرَا الاْيمَانِ وَثِيقَةً.

[About the Holy Prophet :] I stand witness that Muḥammad is His slave, His chosen Prophet and His responsible trustee — may Allāh bless him and his descendants. Allāh sent him with undeniable proofs, a clear success and open paths. So he conveyed the message declaring the truth with it. He led the people on the (correct) highway, established signs of guidance and minarets of light, and made Islam's ropes strong and its knots firm.

[منها في صفة خلق أصناف من الحيوان :] وَلَوْ فَكَّروا فِي عَظِيمِ الْقُدْرَةِ، وَجَسِيمِ النِّعْمَةِ، لَرَجَعُوا إِلَى الطَّرِيقِ، وَخَافُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ، وَلكِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ عَلِيلَةٌ، وَالاَبْصَارَ مَدْخُولَةٌ! ألاَ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى صَغِيرِ مَا خَلَقَ اللهُ، كَيْفَ أَحْكَمَ خَلْقَهُ، وَأَتْقَنَ تَرْكِيبَهُ، وَفَلَقَ لَهُ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ، وَسَوَّى لَهُ الْعَظْمَ وَالْبَشَرَ!.

[A part of the same sermon About the creation of animal species :] Had they pondered over the greatness of His power and the vastness of His bounty they would have returned to the right path and feared the punishment of the Fire; but hearts are sick and eyes are impure. Do they not see the small things He has created, how He strengthened their system and opened for them hearing and sight and made for them bones and skins?

[في خلق النمل :] انْظُرُوا إِلَى الَّنمْلَةِ فِي صِغَرِ جُثَّتِهَا، وَلَطَافَةِ هَيْئَتِهَا، لاَ تَكَادُ تُنَالُ بِلَحْظِ الْبَصَرِ، وَلاَ بِمُسْتَدْرَكِ الْفِكَرِ، كَيْفَ دَبَّتْ عَلَى أَرْضِهَا، وَصَبَتْ عَلَى رِزْقِهَا، تَنْقُلُ الْحَبَّةَ إِلَى جُحْرِهَا، وَتُعِدُّهَا فِي مُسْتَقَرِّهَا. تَجْمَعُ فِي حَرِّهَا لِبَرْدِهَا، وَفِي وُرُودِهَا لِصَدَرِهَا، مَكْفُولٌ بِرِزْقِهَا، مَرْزُوقَةٌ بِوِفْقِهَا، لاَ يُغْفِلُهَا الْمَنَّانُ، وَلاَ يَحْرِمُهَا الدَّيَّانُ، وَلَوْ فِي الصَّفَا الْيَابِسِ، وَالْحَجَرِ الْجَامِسِ!

Look at the ant with its small body and delicate form. It can hardly be seen in the corner of the eye, nor by the perception of the imagination — how it moves on the earth and leaps at its livelihood. It carries the grain to its hole and deposits it in its place of stay. It collects during the summer for its winter, and during strength for the period of its weakness. Its livelihood is guaranteed, and it is fed according to fitness. Allāh, the Kind, does not forget it and (Allāh the Giver) does not deprive it, even though it may be in dry stone or fixed rocks.

وَلَوْ فَكَّرْتَ فِي مَجَارِي أُكْلِهَا، وَفِي عُلْوهَا وَسُفْلِهَا، وَمَا فِي الجَوْفِ مِنْ شَرَاسِيفِ بَطْنِهَا، وَمَا فِي الرَّأسِ مِنْ عَيْنِهَا وَأُذُنِهَا، لَقَضَيْتَ مِنْ خَلْقِهَا عَجَباً، وَلَقِيتَ مِنْ وَصْفِهَا تَعَباً! فَتَعَالَى الَّذِي أَقَامَهَا عَلَى قَوَائِمِهَا، وَبَنَاهَا عَلَى دَعَائِمِهَا! لَمْ يَشْرَكْهُ فِي فِطْرَتِهَا فَاطِرٌ، وَلَمْ يُعِنْهُ عَلَى خَلْقِهَا قَادِرٌ. وَلَوْ ضَرَبْتَ فِي مَذَاهِبِ فِكْرِكَ لِتَبْلُغَ غَايَاتِهِ، مَا دَلَّتْكَ الدَّلاَلَةُ إِلاَّ عَلَى أَنَّ فَاطِرَ الَّنمْلَةِ هُوَ فَاطِرُ النَّخْلَةِ، لِدَقِيقِ تَفْصِيلِ كُلِّ شَيْء، وَغَامِضِ اخْتِلاَفِ كُلِّ حَيّ، وَمَا الْجَلِيلُ وَاللَّطِيفُ، وَالثَّقِيلُ والخَفِيفُ، وَالْقَوِيُّ وَالضَّعِيفُ، فِي خَلْقِهِ إِلاَّ سَوَاءٌ.

If you have thought about its digestive tracts in its high and low parts, the carapace of its belly, and its eyes and its ears in its head you would be amazed at its creation and you would feel difficulty in describing it. Exalted is He who made it stand on its legs and erected it on its pillars (of limbs). No other originator took part with Him in its origination and no one having power assisted Him in its creation. If you tread on the paths of your imagination and reach its extremity it will not lead you anywhere except that the Originator of the ant is the same as He who is the Originator of the date-palm, because everything has (the same) delicacy and detail, and every living being has little difference. In His creation, the big, the delicate, the heavy, the light, the strong, the weak are all equal. [1]

[خلقة السماء و الكون :] وَكَذلِكَ السَّماءُ وَالْهَوَاءُ، وَالرِّيَاحُ وَالْمَاءُ. فَانْظُرْ إِلَى الشَّمْسِ وَالْقَمَرِ، وَالنَّبَاتِ وَالشَّجَرِ، وَالْمَاءِ وَالْحَجَرِ، وَاخْتِلاَفِ هذَا اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ، وَتَفَجُّرِ هذِهِ الْبِحَارِ، وَكَثْرَةِ هذِهِ الْجِبَالِ، وَطُولِ هذِهِ الْقِلاَلِ، وَتَفَرُّقِ هذِهِ اللُّغَاتِ، وَالاْلْسُنِ الْـمُخْتَلِفَاتِ. فَالوَيْلُ لِمَنْ جَحَدَ الْمُقَدِّرَ، وَأَنْكَرَ الْمُدَبِّرَ! زَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمْ كَالنَّبَاتِ مَا لَهُمْ زَارعٌ، وَلاَ لاِخْتِلاَفِ صُوَرِهِمْ صَانِعٌ، وَلَمْ يَلْجَأُوا إِلَى حُجَّة فِيَما ادَّعَوا، وَلاَ تَحْقِيق لِمَا أَوْعَوْا، وَهَلْ يَكُونُ بِنَاءٌ مِنْ غَيْرِ بَان، أَوْ جِنَايَةٌ مِن غَيْرِ جَان؟!

[The Creation of the Universe :] So is the sky, the air, the winds and the water. Therefore, you look at the sun, moon, vegetation, plants, water, stone, the difference of this night and day, the springing of the streams, the large number of the mountains, the height of their peaks, the diversity of languages and the variety of tongues. Then woe be to him who disbelieves in the Ordainer and denies the Ruler. They believe that they are like grass for which there is no cultivator nor any maker for their diverse shapes. They have not relied on any argument for what they assert, nor on any research for what they have heard. Can there be any construction without a constructor, or any offense without an offender.

[خلقة الجرادة :] وَإِنْ شِئْتَ قُلْتَ فِي الْجَرَادَةِ، إِذْ خَلَقَ لَهَا عَيْنَيْنِ حَمْرَ اوَيْنِ، وَأَسْرَجَ لَهَا حَدَقَتَيْنِ قَمْرَاوَيْنِ، وَجَعَلَ لَهَا السَّمْعَ الْخَفِيَّ، وَفَتَحَ لَهَا الْفَمَ السَّوِيَّ، وَجَعَلَ لَهَا الْحِسَّ الْقَوِيَّ، وَنَابَيْنِ بِهِمَا تَقْرِضُ، وَمِنْجَلَيْنِ بِهِمَا تَقْبِضُ، يَرْهَبُهَا الزُّرَّاعُ فِي زَرْعِهمْ، وَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ذَبَّهَا، وَلَوْ أَجْلَبُوا بِجَمْعِهِم، حَتَّى تَرِدَ الْحَرْثَ فِي نَزَوَاتِهَا، وَتَقْضِي مِنْهُ شَهَوَاتِهَا، وَخَلْقُهَا كُلُّهُ لاَ يُكَوِّنُ إِصْبَعاً مُسْتَدِقَّةً.

[The wonderful creation of the locust :] If you wish you can tell about the locust (as well). Allāh gave it two red eyes, lighted for them two moon — like pupils, made for it small ears, opened for it a suitable mouth and gave it keen sense, gave it two teeth to cut with and two sickle-like feet to grip with. The farmers are afraid of it in the matter of crops since they cannot drive it away even though they may join together. The locust attacks the fields and satisfies its desires (of hunger) from them although its body is not equal to a thin finger.

فَتَبَارَكَ اللهُ الَّذِي يَسْجُدُ لَهُ ﴿مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا﴾، وَيُعَفِّرُ لَهُ خَدّاً وَوَجْهاً، وَيُلْقِي بِالْطَّاعَةِ إلَيْهِ سِلْماً وَضَعْفاً، وَيُعْطِي الْقِيَادَ رَهْبَةً وَخَوْفاً! فَالطَّيْرُ مُسَخَّرَةٌ لاِمْرِهِ، أَحْصَى عَدَدَ الرِّيشِ مِنْهَا وَالنَّفَسَ، وَأَرْسَى قَوَائِمَهَا عَلَى النَّدَى وَالْيَبَسِ، قَدَّرَ أَقْوَاتَهَا، وَأَحْصَى أَجْنَاسَهَا، فَهذَا غُرابٌ وَهذَا عُقَابٌ، وَهذَا حَمَامٌ وَهذَا نَعَامٌ، دَعَا كُلَّ طَائِر بَاسْمِهِ، وَكَفَلَ لَهُ بِرِزْقِهِ. وَأَنْشَأَ ﴿السَّحَابَ الثِّقَالَ﴾، فَأَهْطَلَ دِيَمَهَا، وَعَدَّدَ قِسَمَهَا، فَبَلَّ الاْرْضَ بَعْدَ جُفُوفِهَا، وَأَخْرَجَ نَبْتَهَا بَعْدَ جُدُوبِهَا.

[About the Glory of Allāh :] Glorified is Allāh before Whom every one in the skies or the earth bows in prostration willingly or unwillingly, submits to Him by placing his cheeks and face (in the dust), drops before Him (in obedience) peacefully and humbly, and hands over to Him full control in fear and apprehension. The birds are bound by His commands. He knows the number of their feathers and their breaths. He has made their feet to stand on water and on land. He has ordained their livelihoods. He knows their species: this is the crow, this is the eagle, this is the pigeon and this is the ostrich. He called out every bird with its name (while creating it) and provided it with its livelihood. He created heavy clouds and produced from them heavy rain and spread it on various lands. He drenched the earth after its dryness and grew vegetation from it after its barranness.

[Louange à Dieu :] Louange à Dieu que nul sens ne peut percevoir, ni scène contenir, ni regard voir, ni voile celer; qui manifeste Son éternité par Sa création récente qui implique Son existence antérieure, et qui n’a pas de semblable. Dieu est véridique dans Son avènement. Il est trop élevé pour faire préjudice à Ses adorateurs qu’il gère en toute justice. La contingence des choses atteste Son éternité. Leur incapacité dénote Sa puissance, leur anéantissement prouve Sa subsistance en Soi pour toujours.

Il est un en dehors de la notion du nombre, perpétuel et sans fin, se maintenant sans colonnes. Il est conçu par les facultés non sensitives et les paysages attestent Sa présence non vue...

[L’Envoyé du Dieu :] J’atteste que Mouhammad est Son serviteur, son Messager préféré ainsi que son confident élu, fidèle et loyal. Dieu l’envoya avec des preuves contraignantes pour élever le phare de la religion et montrer le droit chemin. Il a alors fait parvenir le message à haute voix, indiqué le grand chemin, hissé les bannières de la bonne direction et les signes lumineux qui indiquent la route dans le désert. Il a fortifié les câbles de l’Islam et les ganses de la foi.

[Description de quelques créatures animales :] Si les hommes raisonnaient sur la grande puissance de Dieu et sur la grandeur de Sa grâce, ils retourneraient au chemin, craignant la souffrance de la brûlure. Mais les cœurs sont malades et la vue intérieure est bloquée! Ne voient-ils pas ses créatures infiniment petites? Il les a parfaitement créées, parfait leurs compositions avec les facultés de l’ouïe et de la vue, en plus des os et de la peau!

Observez la fourmi dans la petitesse de sa taille et le raffinement de sa forme. Elle est à peine visible et perceptible par les facultés perceptives, Regardez comment elle rampe et s’active à la recherche de sa nourriture! Elle transporte les grains à sa loge, les déposant à l’endroit indiqué. Elle rassemble ses provisions durant la saison chaude et les emmagasine pour les jours de froid, en allant et venant continuellement. Sa subsistance est assurée selon ses propres goûts. Le bienfaiteur ne la perd pas de vue et lui procure de quoi vivre même sur les roches solides et les pierres lisses.

Si tu réfléchissais sur ses entrailles et ce qu’elles contiennent d’organes minuscules, sur sa tête où se trouvent ses yeux et ses oreilles, tu serais émer- veillé par sa création, et tu trouverais une grande difficulté pour la décrire! Qu’il soit glorifié Celui qui l’a dressée sur ses pattes et maintenue dans sa position! Nul associé n’a aidé le puissant Créateur dans la création de la merveilleuse fourmi. Par extrapolation, tu déduis que Celui qui a créé la fourmi a créé aussi le palmier. Partout tu trouves la même perfection dans les détails qui différencient les créatures les unes des autres. Les unes sont grandioses, d’autres délicates, lourdes, légères, fortes ou faibles, mais ont toutes le même Créateur.

[Création du ciel et de l’univers :] Dieu créa aussi le ciel, l’air, les vents et l’eau. Contemple le soleil et la lune, les plantes et les arbres, l’eau et les roches, la différence entre cette nuit et le jour, le jaillissement de ces mers, la pluralité de ces montagnes, la longueur de ces sommets, la dispersion de ces langues! Malheur à celui qui renie la puissance du Créateur et la bienveillance de Sa providence! Les athées ont prétendu être comme des plantes qui poussent d’elles-mêmes, comme des images qui ont été peintes sans peintre. Leur prétention ne repose sur aucun argument. Y a-t-il une construction sans constructeur ou un meurtre sans meurtrier?!

[Création de la sauterelle :] Si tu préfères, contemple la sauterelle. Dieu lui fit deux yeux rougeâtres et une paire de prunelles lumineuses. Il lui donna une ouïe cachée, une bouche normale, la munit d’une forte sensibilité, avec deux mandibules tranchantes et deux pattes saisissantes comme deux faucilles. Les cultivateurs ont peur qu’elle avale leurs plantes. Ils sont incapables. même réunis, de l’éloigner de leurs cultures qu’elle attaque pour manger à sa guise. Pourtant, sa taille ne dépasse pas celle de l’auriculaire!

Qu’il soit béni Celui «Auquel se prosterne, bon gré mal gré, tous ceux qui sont dans les deux et sur la terre» (AI-Ra’ad, 15). Ceux-ci inclinent devant Lui leurs joues et leurs visages, proclament leur soumission et leur faiblesse et se laissent diriger par respect et par crainte. Les oiseaux Lui sont assujettis; Il a recensé leurs plumes et leurs battements de cœur, leur a fourni des pattes aquatiques et terrestres, a prédéterminé leur nourriture et a dénombré leurs genres: ceux des corbeaux, des faucons, des pigeons et des autruches. Il nomme chaque oiseau par son nom et lui assure sa pitance. Il a créé les «nuages lourds» dont II fît tomber leurs eaux qu’il distribue équitablement, en abreuvant la terre aride et en y faisant pousser la végétation.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #185