And he is displaying such wonders that they leave no doubt that he is his special envoy. Look carefully, it is not only the creatures on this peninsula that are listening to what he says; he is making the whole country hear in wondrous fashion. For near and far everyone is trying to hear the speech here. It is not only humans that are listening, animals are listening too. Look, even the mountains are listening to the commands he brought so that they are stirring in their places, and the trees, too, move to the place that he indicates. He brings forth water from wherever he wishes. He even makes his fingers like a Spring of Kawthar, and gives to drink from them. Look, at his sign, an important lamp1 in the dome of this palace splits into two. That means this country together with all its beings recognizes that he is an official and envoy. They heed and obey him, as though knowing that he is the most eminent and true interpreter of an unseen displayer of miracles, and the herald of his dominicality, the discloser of his talisman, and a trustworthy envoy delivering his commands. All those with intelligence around him declare: “Yes, that is right!” about everything he says, and affirm it. Indeed, through submitting to his signs and commands, the mountains and trees in this country and the huge light2 that illuminates it, say: “Yes, yes, everything you say is true!”
My foolish friend! Could there be any contradiction or deception concerning the miracle-displaying king about whom this most luminous, magnificent, and serious being, who bears a thousand decorations particular to the king’s own treasury, is speaking with all his strength, confirmed by all the country’s notables, and concerning the king’s attributes which he mentions, and the commands which he relays? If there is anything contrary to the truth in these things, it will be necessary to deny this palace, these lamps, this community, both their reality and their existence. If you can, raise any objections against these; but you will see that they will be smashed by the power of the proof, and flung back at you.
TWELFTH PROOF
Come, my brother, who has come to his senses a little! I shall show you a further proof of the strength of all the eleven preceding proofs. See this luminous Decree,3 which descends from above and which everyone looks
The important lamp is the moon, which split into two halves at his indication. That is, as Mawlana Jami said: “With the pen of his finger, that unlettered one who knew no writing, wrote an alif on the page of the skies and made one forty, two fifties.” That is, before it split, the moon resembled mミm, the value of which is forty; and after splitting it became two crescents, and resembled two nu\ns, the value of which is fifty.
The huge light is the sun; when it reappeared from the East on the earth’s revolving backwards, Imam ‘Ali (May God be pleased with him), who had been unable to perform the prayers since the Prophet (PBUH) was sleeping in his arms, due to this miracle, was able to perform the prayers on time. (See, Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 240; Suyuti, al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, ii, 342.)
The luminous Decree refers to the Qur’an, and the seal on it, to its miraculousness.