Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

Say: “O My servants who have been immoderate against yourselves, despair not of God's mercy. Surely God forgives the sins altogether.” Know that among God's creatures, perfect honor belongs to two groups: angels and Adamites. This is why He appointed prophets and messengers from among these two groups rather than any others. Their utmost eminence lies in two things: servanthood and love. Sheer servanthood is the attribute of the angels, and servanthood and love are both attributes of the Adamites. He gave the angels sheer servanthood, which is the attribute of creation. Along with servant- hood He gave the Adamites the robe of love, which is the attribute of the Real. Thus He says con- cerning this community, “He loves them, and they love Him” [5:54]. He also gave the Adamites superiority over the angels in servanthood, for He said that servanthood is the angels' attribute, but without ascription to Himself: “Nay, but they are honored servants” [21:26]. He ascribed the Adamites' servanthood to Himself: “O My servants!” Then, according to the requirement of love, He completed His bounty on them. He concealed their defects and disobedient acts with the lights of love and did not tear away their curtain. Do you not see that He decreed slips for them, yet, despite all those slips, He did not remove the name servant from them? Despite mentioning the slips and disobedience, He did not take away the eminence of ascription? He said, “O My servants who have been immoderate against yourselves, despair not of God's mercy.” Then He kept the curtain over them and did not make the sins manifest, instead mentioning them in sum, with the lid on. He concealed them and said, “who have been immoderate.” They were immoder- ate, they were extravagant. But He desired to forgive them, so He did not tear away the curtain, nor did He throw away the name servant. Glory be to Him-how clement He is to His servants! It has been related that Moses said, “'O God, You desire disobedience from the servants, but You hate it.' The servants disobey because of Your desire, but then You hate it and You make the servant Your enemy because of the disobedience.” The Real said, “'O Moses, that is the foundation of My pardon.' That is to lay the foundation of My pardon and generosity.

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

Be penitent toward your Lord and submit to Him before the chastisement comes to you- then you will not be helped. Penitence is of three sorts: one is the penitence of the prophets. He says about Abraham, “Surely Abraham was clement, a sigher, penitent” [11:75]. He says about David, “He sank down, bowing, and was penitent” [38:24]. He says quoting Shuʿayb, “In Him I trust and toward Him I am peni- tent” [11:88]. The mark of the penitence of the prophets is three things: having fear along with the good news of freedom, serving along with the eminence of prophethood, and bearing burdens in the heart along with happiness. Other than the prophets, no one has the capacity for this penitence. Another is the penitence of the recognizers. It is to turn toward God in every state with the whole heart. God says, “None will remember but those who are penitent” [40:13]. The mark of the penitence of the recognizers is three things: being in pain from disobedience, being ashamed of obedience, and being intimate with the Real in seclusion. Rābiʿa ʿAdawiyya reached the point in the state of intimacy where she said, “'Enough for me in this world is remembering You and in the next world seeing You.' O Lord, in this world Your remembrance is enough for me, and in the afterworld Your vision is enough for me.” O chevalier, when someone is intimate with the mystery of the Patron of Blessings, how could he be quenched by seeing the blessings and bliss of paradise? The Pir of the Tariqah said, “O God, how could I be joyful with paradise and houris? If You give me one breath, from that breath I will build a paradise!” By God, the sun has never risen or set unless Your remembrance was linked to my breaths. I never sat with people talking to them unless You were my talk with my companions. O Majestic One! When someone turns his face to Your Presence, all the motes of the world make the dust under his feet the collyrium of their eyes. Whenever someone seeks shelter in the thresh- old of Your exaltedness, all creatures attach themselves to the saddle-straps of his good fortune. From his own state of intimacy a dear one advises, “If you are given access one day to the palace of the yearning, what will you have to do with the grief of passion for this sorcery? If you see one hue from the rose-garden of His talk, all the roses of the garden will be thorns in your eyes.