Furthermore, if with regard to unity, the elements necessary for life are given to a tree’s fruits, relying on one centre, one law, and one root, thousands of fruits are as easy as a single fruit. If, on the other hand, each fruit is bound to a different centre and all their vital necessities are sent to them separately, each fruit will give rise to as many difficulties as the whole tree. For the elements necessary for the life of the whole tree will be necessary for each fruit.
Thus, like these two comparisons, “And God’s is the highest similitude,”(16:60) because the universe’s Maker is the Single One of Unity, He acts with unity (vahdet), and because He acts with unity all things are as easy as one thing. Moreover, He is able to make a single thing as valuable as all things as regards its art. And creating innumerable individuals in a most valuable form, He demonstrates absolute liberality through the tongue of the limitless abundance and endless profusion of beings, and He manifests boundless generosity and infinite creativity.
The Manifestation of Oneness, which is the third source: that is, since the All-Glorious Maker is not physical or corporeal, time and space cannot restrict Him, creation and place cannot obtrude on His presence and witnessing, means and mass cannot veil His actions. There is no fragmentation or division in His regarding and acting towards creation. One thing cannot be an obstacle to another. He performs innumerable acts as though they were a single act. For this reason, in the same way that, as far as its meaning is concerned, a huge tree can be encapsulated in a seed, a world also can be contained within a single individual, and the whole world can be encompassed by the Hand of Power.
We have explained this mystery in others of the Words like this: the sun is to an extent unrestricted with regard to its luminosity, so its image is reflected in every burnished and shining object. If thousands and millions of mirrors are exposed to its light, the manifestation of its likeness will be found in each one of them without being divided. If the capacities of the mirrors are such, the sun will be able to demonstrate its effects in them in all their magnitude. One thing will not be an obstacle to another. Thousands of things will enter thousands of places with the ease of one thing entering one place. Each place will display the sun’s manifestation as much as thousands of places display it.
Thus, “And God’s is the highest similitude,”(16:60) the manifestation of the universe’s All-Glorious Maker is such, with all His attributes which are light and with all His names which are luminous, that through the mystery of the regard of oneness, although He is not in any place, He is all-present and all-seeing in all places. There is no division in His regarding and acting