The Twenty-Fourth Letter

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. God does what He wishes, and decrees what He wills.

Q u e s t i o n : How can the solicitous nurturing, the purposeful and beneficial planning,  the  loving  kindness  of  the  names  of  All-Compassionate,  All-Wise,  and Loving, which are among the greatest of the divine names, be reconciled with death and  non-existence,  decline  and  separation,  and  disaster  and  hardship,  which  are awesome and terrible? Very well, man goes to eternal happiness so we can tolerate his passing down the road of death, but how about the delicate species of trees and plants, and the lovely flowers, which are all living creatures, and the animal species, which are worthy of existence, lovers of life, and desire permanent life? What compassion and kindness are there in their continuously without exception being annihilated, in their being swiftly despatched to non-existence without being allowed to so much as open their eyes, in their being made to toil without so much as taking a breath, in their being changed by calamities with not one of them being left in peace, in their being killed without exception, in their dying with not one of them remaining, in their departing with none of them being gratified – what wisdom and purpose, what favour and mercy, are there in this?

T h e  A n s w e r : Through five ‘Signs,’ which show the necessitating cause and reason, and five ‘Indications,’ which point out the aims and benefits, we shall try to look from afar at the mighty truth that solves this question, and is extremely broad, profound, and elevated.