وَمِنۡ خُطۡبَةٍ [في بعض النسخ: كَلَامٍ] لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his sermons
وَفِيهِ جُمۡلَةٌ مِنۡ صِفَاتِ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَالۡعِلۡمِ الۡإِلَهِيِ
About Allāh’s Greatness and Sublimity
الۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي بَطَنَ خَفِيَّاتِ الۡأَمُوُرِ، وَدَلَّتۡ عَلَيۡهِ أَعۡلَامُ الظُّهُورِ، وَامۡتَنَعَ عَلَى عَيۡنِ الۡبَصِيرِ؛ فَلَا عَيۡنُ مَنۡ لَمۡ يَرَهُ تُنۡكِرُهُ، وَلَا قَلۡبُ مَنۡ أَثۡبَتَهُ يُبۡصِرُهُ.
Praise be to Allāh Who lies inside all hidden things, and towards Whom all open things guide. He cannot be seen by the eye of an onlooker, but the eye which does not see Him cannot deny Him while the mind that proves His existence cannot perceive Him.
سَبَقَ فِي الۡعُلُوِّ فَلَا شَيءَ أَعۡلَى مِنۡهُ، وَقَرُبَ فِي الدُّنُوِّ فَلَا شَيۡءَ أَقۡرَبُ مِنۡهُ، فَلَا اسۡتِعۡلَاؤُهُ بِاعَدَهُ عَنۡ شَيۡءٍ مِنۡ خَلۡقِهِ، وَلَا قُرۡبُهُ سَاوَاهُمۡ فِي الۡمَكَانِ بِهِ، لَمۡ يُطۡلِعِ الۡعُقُولَ عَلَى تَحۡدِيدِ صِفَتِهِ، ولَمۡ يَحۡجُبۡهَا عَنۡ وَاجِبِ مَعۡرِفِتِهِ، فَهُوَ الَّذِي تَشۡهَدُ لَهُ أَعۡلَامُ الۡوُجُودِ، عَلَى إِقۡرَارِ قَلۡبِ ذِي الۡجُحُودِ، تَعَالَى اللهُ عَمَّا يَقولُ [في بعض النسخ: يَقولُهُ] الۡمُشَبِّهُونَ بِهِ وَالۡجَاحِدُونَ لَهُ عُلُوّاً كَبِيراً!
He is so high in sublimity that nothing can be more sublime than He, while in nearness, He is so near that no one can be nearer than He. But his sublimity does not put Him at a distance from anything of His creation, nor does His nearness bring them on equal level to Him. He has not informed (human) wit about the limits of His qualities. Neveretheless, He has not prevented it from securing essential knowledge of Him. So He is such that all signs of existence stand witness for Him till the denying mind also believes in Him. Allāh is sublime beyond what is described by those who liken Him to things or those who deny Him.
