blessed minute treasuries and boxes, —both altogether and singly— suddenly awaken and stir into motion, and proceed towards the aim of their creation. They cause those who see them as they are in reality to exclaim: “May God bless these a thousand times over! What endless wonders God has willed!”

For example, all seeds, eggs, sperm, and grains have a precise order which springs from knowledge; and the order is within a perfect balance, which arises from skill; and the balance is within a constant reordering, and the reordering is within a constant measuring and balancing; and the measuring and balancing are within a distinguishing and nurturing, each possessing marks intentionally distinguishing it from its fellows; and this distinguishing and nurturing are within an artful decorating and adorning; and this adorning is within the giving of wise, appropriate, perfect forms and members; and this giving of form is together with differences in the flesh and edible parts of those creatures and fruits, for the purpose of generously gratifying the tastes of those desiring sustenance; and this is within miraculous embroideries and adornments which reflect knowledge and are all different; and this is together with pleasing smells and delicious tastes which are all different. Thus, through the unfolding and development of all these forms with perfect orderliness and distinction, and while being different, without fault or error in absolute profusion, and with absolute speed and over an infinite area, and with this wondrous situation continuing throughout the seasons; all those blessed beings, singly and altogether, demonstrate visibly through the above fifteen tongues the marvels of their Craftsman’s skills and His miraculous knowledge, making known as clearly as the sun the One All-Knowing of the Unseen, their Necessarily Existent Maker. It was because of this truly brilliant and extensive testimony of theirs and congratulations of their Maker, that on the night of the Ascension when speaking on behalf of all creatures, Muhammad (PBUH) used the word “blessings” instead of the greeting of peace.

The Third Word is “benedictions” (al-salawat). This sacred word, which was spoken during the supreme Ascension of Muhammad (PBUH), hundreds of millions of believers offer to the Divine Court every day at least ten times in the tashahhud during the obligatory prayers, which are the believers’ ascension. They proclaim it to the universe. Since all the truths of the Ascension have