which are the subtle matters of the Clear Book. How can a lifeless particle and tiny bee read the subtle, significant matters of the Clear Book, which is in the hand of the All-Glorious One, who opens and closes and gathers up the levels of the heavens as though they were the pages of a notebook? If you crazily suppose the particle possesses an eye capable of reading the fine letters of that book, you can try to refute the particle’s testimony!
Yes, the All-Wise Creator summarizes the principles of the Clear Book in most beautiful form and abbreviated fashion and with a particular pleasure and through a special need, and includes them in beings. If everything acts thus with a particular pleasure out of a particular need, it unknowingly conforms to the principles of the Clear Book. For example, the minute the mosquito with its proboscis comes into the world, it emerges from its house, and without hesitation attacks man’s face; it strikes it with its long staff causing the water of life to spurt out, and it drinks it. It shows the skill of a practised warrior in dodging the blows directed at it. Who taught the tiny, inexperienced, newly-born creature the science of war and art of extracting water? Where did it learn it? I, that is, this unfortunate Said, confess that if I had been in the place of that mosquito with its proboscis, I could only have learnt this art, this warfare of attack and retreat, this extracting of water, only after lengthy instruction and much experience.
Compare with the mosquito animals like the bee, who receives inspiration, the spider, and the nightingale, who weaves his nest like a stocking, then compare plants to these animals in just the same way. Yes, the Absolutely Generous One (May His glory be exalted) has given each living being a memorandum written with the pen of pleasure and ink of need, and with it has deposited in the being the programme of His creative commands and index of its duties. See how the All-Wise One of Glory has written on a receipt the amount concerning the bee’s duties, from the principles of the Clear Book, and placed it in the coffer in the bee’s head. And the key to the coffer is the pleasure particular to the diligent bee. With it, it opens the coffer, reads the programme, understands the command, and acts. It proclaims the meaning of the verse,
And your Sustainer has inspired the bee.(16:68)
If you have listened to the whole of this Eighth Note and understood it completely, through the intuition of belief you will understand one meaning of,
And His mercy embraces all things,(7:156)
and one truth of the verse,
And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise,(17:44)