O man! Understand that there is a way to ascend to the throne of divine mercy, and that is, “In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.” If you want to understand the importance of this ascent, look at the beginning of the one hundred and fourteen Suras of the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition, and at the beginnings of all estimable  books,  and  at  the  start  of  all  good  works.  A  clear  proof of the  God- determined grandeur of “In the Name  of God” is that Imam Shafi‘i (May God be pleased with him), one of the very foremost Islamic scholars, said: “In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate is only one  verse,  yet it was revealed one hundred  and fourteen times in the Qur’an.”1

FOURTH MYSTERY

In the face of the manifestation of divine unity within boundless multiplicity, declaring: “You alone do we worship”(1:5) is not sufficient for everyone; the mind wanders.  One’s heart would have to be as broad as the globe to observe the Single One behind the unity in the totality of beings, and to say: “You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help!”(1:5) In consequence, so that the seal of divine oneness should be apparent on all species and realms of beings just as it is shown clearly on individual objects, and that they should call to mind the Single One, it is shown within the stamp of divine mercy. Thus everyone at every level may turn to the Most Pure and Holy One, and saying: “You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help,” address Him directly.

It is in order to express this mighty mystery and clearly point out the seal of

divine oneness that the All-Wise Qur’an suddenly mentions the smallest sphere and most  particular  matter  when  describing  the  vastest  sphere  of  the  universe,  for example, the creation of the heavens and the earth. That is, so that the mind does not wander, nor the heart  drown, and the spirit may find its True Object of Worship directly, while mentioning the creation of the heavens and earth it opens a discussion of man’s creation and voice, and the subtle details of the bounties and wisdom in his features, for example. This truth is demonstrated in miraculous fashion by the verse,

And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and in your colours.”(30:22)

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1   See, al-Shafi’i, al-Umm, i, 208; al-Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur’an, i, 8; al-Ghazzali, al-Mustafa, i, 82; Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Tahqiq fi Ahadith al-Khilaf, i, 345-7; al-Zayla’i, Nasb al-Raya, i, 327.