| Al 'Imran: (190) Indeed, in the creation...

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Know that the purpose of this Noble Book is to draw hearts and spirits away from preoccupation with creation toward immersion in the knowledge of the Truth. Since the discussion on establishing rulings and answering the doubts of the opponents has been lengthy, it returns here to illuminate the hearts by mentioning what indicates Tawhid (Oneness of God), Divinity, Majesty, and Glory. Thus, this verse is mentioned.

Ibn 'Umar said: I asked 'A'ishah, "Inform me about the most astonishing thing you saw of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." She wept and prolonged her weeping, then said: "His entire affair was astonishing. He came to me during my night, entered my coverlet until his skin touched mine, then said to me: 'O 'A'ishah, do you permit me tonight to worship my Lord?' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I love your closeness and I love your desire; I have permitted you.' He went to a waterskin in the house, performed ablution without excessive pouring, then stood up to pray. He recited from the Qur'an and began to weep. Then he raised his hands and kept weeping until I saw his tears had soaked the ground. Bilal came to him to announce the dawn prayer and saw him weeping. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, are you weeping when Allah has forgiven you your past and future sins?' He replied: 'O Bilal, should I not be a grateful servant?' Then he said: 'Why should I not weep when Allah has revealed concerning this night: {Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth...}' Then he said: 'Woe to him who reads it and does not reflect upon it.' It is narrated: 'Woe to him who chews it between his jaws and does not contemplate it.'

It is narrated from 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up at night, he would use the siwak (tooth-stick), then look at the sky and say: {Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth...}

It is related that a man among the Children of Israel, after worshipping Allah for thirty years, would be shaded by a cloud. A young man among them worshipped, but the cloud did not shade him. His mother said to him: 'Perhaps a lapse occurred from you during your period of worship.' He said: 'I do not recall anything.' She said: 'Perhaps you looked once at the sky and did not take heed?' He said: 'Yes.' She said: 'Then your failure stems only from that.'

Know that the Almighty mentioned this verse in Surah Al-Baqarah, and He mentioned it here as well. In Al-Baqarah, He concluded this verse with: {Indeed, there are signs for people who reason} (Al-Baqarah: 164), and here He concluded it with: {Indeed, there are signs for those of understanding}. In Al-Baqarah, He mentioned five other types of signs along with these three, making a total of eight types of proofs. Here, He sufficed with mentioning these three types: the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day.

This raises three questions:

The First Question: What is the benefit of repeating the same verse with the identical wording in two Surahs?

The Second Question: Why was it sufficient here to repeat three types of proofs while omitting the remaining five?

The Third Question: Why did He say there ({for people who reason}) and here ({for those of understanding})?

I say, and Allah knows best the secrets of His Book: The core of insight functions like the pupil of the eye. Just as the pupil of the eye cannot focus on two things simultaneously—rather, if the gaze is fixed on one object, it becomes difficult to fix the gaze on another object at that moment—similarly, if a person fixes the focus of his intellect on observing one concept (ma'qul), it becomes impossible for the focus of the intellect to fix upon another concept at that moment.

Based on this, the more the intellect is engaged in turning toward various concepts, the greater its deprivation from fully grasping those contemplations and perceptions. Therefore, the seeker on the path to Allah must, in the beginning, multiply the proofs. Once the heart is illuminated by the light of the knowledge of Allah, his preoccupation with those proofs becomes a veil preventing the heart from being immersed in the knowledge of Allah. Thus, the seeker in the beginning seeks an increase in proofs, but upon the arrival of this light in the heart, he seeks a reduction in proofs, until the darkness generated by the heart's preoccupation with other than Allah is removed, and the manifestation of the lights of the knowledge of Allah is perfected within him.

This is alluded to by His saying: {Take off your sandals; indeed, you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa} (Taha: 12). The two sandals are the premises by which the intellect reaches knowledge. When he reached knowledge, he was commanded to remove them, and it was said to him: You intend to place your feet in the valley of the sanctity of Oneness; therefore, cease preoccupation with the proofs.

Once you know this principle, He mentioned eight types of proofs in Surah Al-Baqarah, and then repeated three types in this Surah, indicating that the knower, after becoming a knower, must reduce his attention to the proofs so that his immersion in the knowledge of the signified (madlul) may be perfected. Thus, the purpose of repeating three types of proofs and omitting the rest is to draw attention to what we have mentioned.

Furthermore, the Almighty exhausted the celestial proofs in this verse and omitted the remaining five proofs, which are the terrestrial proofs. This is because the celestial proofs are more overwhelming and brilliant, the wonders within them are greater, and the heart's transition from them to the greatness and majesty of Allah is stronger.

Then, He concluded that verse with: {for people who reason} and concluded this verse with: {for those of understanding} because reason ('aql) has an outward aspect and a core (lubb). In the beginning stage, it is reason, and in the perfection of the state, it becomes lubb. This also strengthens what we have mentioned. This is what occurred to my mind, and Allah knows best the secrets of His Great, Noble, Wise Word.

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{Those who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly. Exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire - You have disgraced him, and never for the wrongdoers will there be any helpers.}