The Purpose of Creation is Worship

هدف از آفرينش، عبوديت است

مقدمه‌ي اول: (أيحسب الانسان أن يترك سدي) [480] گمان مكن اي انسان كه تو را عبث آورده‌اند و با تو كاري ندارند و مهمل خواهي رفت، خالق تو حكيم است و غني و قادر هرگز كار عبث و لغو نمي‌كند، و تو را به خطابات تكوينيه بعد از عدم، موجود نمود، پس مدتي خاك بوده‌اي، پس نطفه گشته، باز علقه و مضغه و عظام شده‌اي، پس گوشت بر آن پوشيد بعد انسان شده، و عقل به تو تعلق گرفته، قوه‌ي ادراك، و تميز در تو حاصل شده، و همه‌ي اينها به خطابات تكوينيه بود، پس به سن بلوغ رسيدي، خطابات تكليفيه به تو متوجه شود به انواع متعدده، مانند تكليف به اعتقادات حقه و افعال و اقوال حسنه، و به فعل واجبات و مندوبات بدنيه و ماليه، و به ترك صفات خبيثه و افعال و اقوال محرمه و اموال غير محلله، و تكليف تعليم اين احكام به اجتهاد يا تقليد، پس عمل به آنها، و بعد ذلك خطابات ارشاديه نيز به تو متوجه شود از طاعات و استباق به خيرات و طلب وسيله نجات، و يافتن راه به سوي خدا، و اجابت داعي‌الله و توشه گرفتن به سوي خدا، و قرض دادن به خدا، و تقوي از خدا، و جهاد در راه خدا، و مسارعت به سوي مغفرت خدا، و نحو ذلك، كه همه‌ي اينها تأكيد آن تكاليف اصليه هستند، و بعد از همه اين تكاليف و انقضاي زمان مهلت به آن، خطابات تكوينيه به سوي تو متوجه شود كه تخلف از آن ممكن نيست.از آن جمله روح تو مخاطب شود به مفارقت از بدن، و بدن مخاطب شود به افتادن از حركت، و قواي آن، همه ساقط شوند، پس چشمانت تاريك گردد و گوش تو كر شود، و زبانت لال گردد و هر چه در دست داري بيندازي، و همه اينها به محض خطاب الهي متحقق شود، و تو را نمي‌رسد كه اجابت داعي ننمائي، پس از اينها همه،متوجه شود به تو خطاباتي چند از اثر خطابات تكليفيه، و حالت تو نسبت به حالات امتثال و معصيت آن خطابات مختلف باشد. پس اولا خطاب رسد به اجتماع روح با جسدت، پس برخيزي از [ صفحه 177] قبر به سوي حشر و نشر، پس خطاب رسد كه بخوان نامه‌ي اعمال خود را، پس بگيري آن نامه را بدست راست يا چپ و پشت، پس بخواني آن را، و بگوئي: به بينيد كه اين نامه‌ي عمل من است كه همه مشحون از حسنات است، يا بگوئي: كاش به دستم نمي‌دادند نامه را، و نمي‌دانستم كه حساب من چيست.پس بعضي مخاطب شوند به اينكه: اي بندگان مطيع من خوفي بر شما نيست، و هرگز محزون نخواهيد شد.و بعضي مخاطب شوند كه: اي بندگان عاصي جدا شويد از نيكان.باز خطاباتي متوجه به ملائكه‌ي محشر شود نسبت به بعضي: واداريد ايشان را از براي سؤال.و به بعضي كه: بشارت دهيد مؤمنين را به بهشت، و به بعضي كه: بگيريد اين عاصي را، پس او را در غل كشيد. واي به حال او كه نه اهل او به كار او مي‌آيند و نه عشيره‌ي او.و به بعضي اينكه: بگيريد اين عاصي را و به جهنم بيندازيد.و به بعضي اينكه، بگيريد اين را در غل كنيد پس در ميان زنجيري كه هفتاد ذراع است او را مقيد نمائيد [481] ، نمي‌دانم معني اين فقره‌ي شريفه را، شايد معني آن چنين باشد كه آنرا در درون حلقه‌ي زنجير قيد نمايند، نه مانند قيد متعارف كه بزنجير بستن باشد والله يعلم.و به بعضي آنكه: تهنيت گوئيد اين مؤمن را كه: (سلام عليكم طبتم فادخلوها خالدين) [يعني: درود بر شما، پاكيزه شديد، پس براي هميشه وارد بهشت شويد.] [482] .و به بعضي اينكه: بگيريد اين كافر را و بكشيد او رابه وسط جهنم پس بريزيد بالاي سرش عذاب حميم را.و از آن جمله خطابات تعجيزيه است نسبت به تو و غير تو، يعني اظهار عجز و ضعف تو به آن مي‌شود مثل خطاب: (يا معشر الجن و الانس): يعني اي گروه جن و انس اگر [ صفحه 178] مي‌توانيد از اقطار آسمان و زمين فرار نمائيد بكنيد. [483] .و از آن جمله خطابات تهكميه يعني سرزنش مثل: (اصلوها فاصبروا او لا تصبروا): [در آتش بسوزيد، چه شكيبا باشيد چه ناشكيبا] [484] . و: (ذق انك أنت العزيز الكريم): [يعني طعم عذاب را بچش، كه تو عزيز و گرامي بودي] [485] . پس اين خطابات از فروع خطاب تكليفي و ارشاديه است پس خود ملاحظه نما كه داخل مطيعين آن تكاليف هستي يا نه، اگر نيستي پس مهيا باش از براي اين خطابات جان‌گداز.

The Purpose of Creation is Worship

The First Introduction:

«أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنْ يُتْرَكَ سُدًى»

“Does man think that he will be left neglected?” (Surah al-Qiyamah 75:36) [480]

Do not imagine, O human being, that you were created in vain, that no concern is taken regarding you, and that you will be left without purpose. Your Creator is Wise, Self-Sufficient, and Powerful; He never performs a vain or futile act.

He brought you into existence from non-existence through His creative commands. Then for a period you were dust; then you became a drop of fluid; then a clot; then a lump of flesh; then bones. Thereafter He clothed those bones with flesh. Then you became a human being, intellect was attached to you, and the power of perception and discernment was granted to you. All of this occurred through divine creative commands.

Then when you reached the age of maturity, legislative commands became directed toward you in various forms, such as the obligation of holding correct beliefs, performing good actions and uttering good words, carrying out bodily and financial obligations and recommended acts, abandoning evil traits, unlawful actions and speech, and unlawfully acquired wealth.

You were also charged with learning these rulings through ijtihād or taqlīd, and then acting upon them.

After that, advisory commands are also directed toward you: obedience, hastening toward good deeds, seeking the means of salvation, finding the path to Allah, responding to the Caller of Allah, gathering provisions for the journey toward Allah, lending to Allah, having taqwā of Allah, striving in the way of Allah, hastening toward the forgiveness of Allah, and similar matters. All of these are reinforcements of the original obligations.

After all these duties, and after the period of respite granted for them has ended, creative commands will again be directed toward you, commands from which there can be no escape.

Among them is the command addressed to your soul to separate from your body, and the command addressed to your body to cease movement. All of its faculties will fail. Your eyes will become dark, your ears deaf, your tongue mute, and whatever you hold in your hand will fall from it. All of this will occur merely through the divine command, and you will have no power to refuse the Caller.

After all of this, several commands will be directed toward you as consequences of those legislative commands, and your condition will differ according to whether you obeyed or disobeyed them.

First, the command will come for your soul to reunite with your body. Then you will rise from the grave

[ صفحه 177]

for the gathering and resurrection.

Then the command will come:

“Read your book of deeds.”

Then you will receive that record either in your right hand, or in your left hand, or behind your back.

Then you will read it and say:

“Come, read my book! Indeed, it is filled with good deeds.”

Or you will say:

“Would that I had never been given my book, and had never known what my reckoning was.”

Then some will be addressed:

“O My obedient servants, there shall be no fear upon you, nor shall you ever grieve.”

And others will be addressed:

“O disobedient servants, separate yourselves from the righteous.”

Further commands will be directed to the angels of the gathering concerning some people:

“Detain them for questioning.”

And concerning others:

“Give glad tidings to the believers of Paradise.”

And concerning others:

“Seize this sinner and place him in shackles. Woe to him! Neither his family nor his tribe can avail him.”

And concerning others:

“Seize this sinner and cast him into Hell.”

And concerning others:

“Seize him and shackle him, then bind him in a chain seventy cubits long.” [481]

I do not know the exact meaning of this noble phrase. Perhaps it means that he is confined within the loops of the chain itself, rather than merely being bound by it in the ordinary manner. And Allah knows best.

And concerning others:

«سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ»

“Peace be upon you. You have become pure, so enter it to abide therein forever.” (Surah al-Zumar 39:73) [482]

And concerning others:

“Seize this disbeliever and drag him into the midst of Hell, then pour over his head the punishment of scalding water.”

Among these commands are also those of challenge and exposure of helplessness, directed to you and others, meaning commands through which your weakness and inability are made manifest, such as:

«يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ»

“O assembly of jinn and mankind...” (Surah al-Rahman 55:33)

That is, O company of jinn and humans, if

[ صفحه 178]

you are able to escape beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then do so. [483]

Among them are also commands of reproach and mockery, such as:

«اصْلَوْهَا فَاصْبِرُوا أَوْ لَا تَصْبِرُوا»

“Burn therein; whether you are patient or impatient.” (Surah al-Tur 52:16) [484]

And:

«ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْكَرِيمُ»

“Taste! Indeed, you are the mighty, the noble.” (Surah al-Dukhan 44:49) [485]

Thus, these commands are all consequences and branches of the legislative and advisory commands. Therefore, reflect upon yourself and see whether you are among those who obey those commands or not. If you are not, then prepare yourself for these heart-rending commands.