How Moses, on whom be peace, besought the Lord, saying, “You didst create creatures and destroy them,” and how the answer came.
Moses said, “O Lord of the Reckoning,
You didst create the form: how didst You
destroy it again?”
You have
made the
form, male and female, that gives unto the spirit increase
(of joy); and
then
You do ruin it: why?”
God said, “I know that
this question of yours is
not from disbelief and heedlessness and
idle fancy;
Else I should
have corrected and chastised you: I
should have afflicted
you on account of this
question.
3005. But (I know
that) you wishest to discover in My
actions the wisdom and
hidden meaning of (phenomenal) duration,
That you mayst acquaint the vulgar therewith and by this means make every raw (ignorant)
person to become cooked.
You have become a questioner on purpose
to disclose (this matter)
to the vulgar, albeit
you art acquainted with it;
For this questioning is the half of knowledge,
and
this ability (to
ask questions) does not belong
to every outsider.”
Both question
and answer arise from
knowledge, just as the
thorn and the rose from
earth and water.
3010. Both perdition and
salvation arise from
knowledge, just as bitter
and sweet (fruit) from
moisture.
This hatred and love arise
from acquaintance, and
from wholesome food (arise both) sickness and (bodily)
powers.
That Kalím
(Moses) became (like)
an ignorant enquirer in order
that he might make the ignorant acquainted with this mystery.
Let us too feign
ourselves to be ignorant thereof and elicit the answer
to it (to the question) as (if
we were) strangers
(seeking information).
(Similarly) the ass-sellers
became rivals to one
another in
order that they
might open the way to
the contract (of sale).
3015. Then God spake unto him, saying,
“O you who possessest the most excellent
(understanding), since you have asked (the question),
come, hear the answer.
O Moses, sow some seed in the
earth, that you yourself mayst render justice to this
(question).” When Moses had sown and the
seed-corn was complete
(in growth) and its ears had
gained
beauty and symmetry,
He took the sickle and was
cutting that (crop); then
a voice from
the Unseen reached
his ear, Crying,
“Why do you sow and tend some seed-corn
and (now) art cutting
it when it has
attained to perfection?”
3020. He replied,
“O Lord, I destroy and lay it low
because straw is
here and (also)
grain. The grain is not suitable
(to
be stored) in
the
straw-barn; the straw
likewise is bad (for putting) in the corn-barn.
It is not wisdom to
mix these twain: it (wisdom)
makes necessary the separation (of them) in
winnowing.”
He (God) said, “From
whom didst you gain this knowledge, so that
by means of the
knowledge
you didst construct a threshing-floor?”
He replied, “Thou,
O God, gavest me discernment.” He (God) said, “Then how
should I not have discernment?”
3025. Amongst the created
beings are pure
spirits; there are
(also) spirits dark and muddy.
These shells are not in one grade:
in one (of
them) is the pearl
and in another the (worthless) bead.
It is necessary to make
manifest (the
difference between) this
good and evil, just
as
(it is necessary) to
make
manifest (distinguish) the wheat from
the
straw.
(The creation of) these
creatures of the world is for the purpose of
manifestation, to the end that the
treasure of (Divine) providences may
not remain hidden.
He (God) said, “I was a hidden treasure”:
hearken! Do not let
your (spiritual) substance be lost:
become manifest!
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