The Cosmic Justice And what Ali Represents of it
The Equivalence in Existence
Ali felt that this great cosmos is cooperating, Vouching, one aspect of that is when the wind rises it moves the twigs powerfully, and when it Rises it plucks out the trees and the elements would arouse for it; and when it falls and flew over the land lightly, the surfaces of water would be intoxicated and things, below them, would quiet he also realized that comprehensive power of existence cultivates straws of plant with a law by which it cultivates grean leaves and plant which flattened over its stem and swayed for the wind. Ibn Abi Talib overthrew the merchants’ theory by a speech he has taken from the soul of existence, as if he is participating by it the cosmos in expressing what is in his conscience!
A man Casts one sight at the outer cosmos and its states: the fixed stars in the immensity of existence, the swimming planets in the horizons of eternity, the rising sun, the casual cloud, the hastening wind, the mountains rising, and the seas brittled by shells or on whose faces the night lain down - all this is enough to be confident that the cosmos has a law, and its conditions have a code as well, both of which lie under the senses and exist with every measure.
One sight a man casts at what surrounds him of close nature and its states: at the summer as its heat increases and its wind falls, the autumn whose forests dispirited and whose winds wail alternately and whose horizons of sky frown, the winter when its atmospheres thunder and disturbed with flashes, and its rains burst forth with waves crowded with waves and whose clouds mingle so that they even conceal, the signs of the earth and the sky, the spring which steetches the world with dewy horizons, rich rivers, cultivation, water and coloured paradises all this is enough for a man to be confiedent that this nature has a law, its conditions have a code as well, both of which lie under the senses and exist with evey measure.
One testing look a man casts at this and that is enough to guide him that these codes and laws are true, firm, and just, its stern logic performs these characteristics. They have alone what justifier the existence of this great cosmos.
Ibn Abi Talib cast that sight at the cosmos, and so realized directly what these codes have of truthfulness, firmness and justice. He was shaked at what he has seen and understood, flew in his blood, ran in his being, and clamoured into him a sense and a thinking; then his lips moved saying: “indeed with right the heavens and earth existed”. If you tried to gather truthfulness, firmness and justice in one word, you would not find a word containing all these except the word ‘the right’ - because of what is unified of its signiticonce with the spirit of these three words.
Ibn Abi Talib realized in his depths that comparison is true originalty and consequently between heaven and earth, which existed with the right, and they stretched with the three inseparable faces, truthfulness, firmness, and justice, and between the state which must be a small picture of this cosmos, existing on firm sound bases. So he lived in his mind and conscience this comparison spontaneously, with no space for a penetrating feeling or a strange thinking; then presently he says:
The greatest of these rights that Allah has made obligatory is the right of the ruler over the ruled and the right of the ruled over the ruler. This is an obligation which Allah has imposed on for each other. He has made it as a dicipline of their harmony. Consequently, the ruled cannot prosper unless the rulers are sound, and the rulers cannot be sound without the ruled’s righteousness. If the ruled render the rights of the ruler and the ruler renders their rights, then justice is practiced among them, signs of justice become clear and the rules took their course freely the continuance of government will be hoped. But if the ruled triumph over the ruler i.e. disobey, or the ruler does injustice to the ruled. Overthere, disagreement appears evry-where signs of injustice appear, the ways of the islamic “sunnah” are forsaken. Then desires are acted on, the islamic rules dispensed with, diseases of spirits become numerous and no annoyance is felt for disregarding a great right, nor in committ-ing a big wrong, there virtuous people are humiliated the vicious persons are honoured, and there Allah’s debts on his servants become very great.
I plea to you to consider this precision of the general large relations. Among the elements of state through Ali’s tongue. Then between the good productive works and stability of these elements on the bases of right; or say of truthfulness, firmness, and justice, the three aspects of the right with which the heavens and the earth existed.
Ali felt that this great cosmos is cooperating, integrating, therefore when the wind intensified it would move the twigs powerfully, and when it startled it would pluck out the trees and the elements would arouse for it; and when it softened and flew over the land lightly, the surfaces of water would be intoxicated and things below them would cooled down.
Ali felt that if the sun cast its light over the earth the marks of the earth would appear to the eyes and minds, and if it clears out, it would put on it a veil of darkness. He felt that plant grows, flourishes, foliates, and may fruit - and it is a thing which differs, in shape and aim, from the rays of day, the body of air, the drop of water, the dust of land; but it does not grow nor foliate except by this ray, this body, this drop, this dust.
He felt also that the water whose “waves were stormy and whose surges leapt one over the other” as he says is but “loaded on dashing wind and breaking typhoons” and that the wind which “Allah blew its motion and spread it wide” is ordered - despite this far source - to raise up deep waters and to intensify the waves of the oceans; pushed it fiercely into the firmament throwing its front position on the rear and the stationary on the flowing till its level was raised”. And one of the decoration of the earth, and joy of hearts are these stars and planets, light of piercing star the shining sun and luminous moon.
Ibn Abi Talib felt from an of that, that this cosmos, which is on the right, is but one whose elements are connected with each other in a cooperating and supporting manner, and that its powers have right imposed for some over some others and they are equivalent in all of its sides, inseparable by force of their existence and continuance.
He realized into his depths that reciprocation is true root and branch between these jointed cooperating elements and human beings who have to be cooperating and equivalent by force of their existence and continuance. They are of this cosmos things; what happens to all of its elements happens to them out of genius of joining forces which Ali sees it to be imposed on them; without which they do not live nor remain. Therefore he enfolds the world of solid nature and that of human being in one rational flash and one tremor of sensation, so as to explore the justice of this cosmos existing on a unity of truthfulness, firmness, and justice, applying this code in which he shares the cosmos in empressing, what is in its conscience saying:
“Then as a part of His rights, He imposed certain rights for certain people on some others. He made them so as to equate with one another. Some of these rights imply other rights. Some of which don’t fall due except with some others.
And also from this source is his great saying, in which he decides that the continuance of any beneficence is conditional on what is Imposed on its holder of a natural duty toward his human brothers, and that failure of carrying out this duty is enough to remove and exterminat them:
“If favours of Allah abound to a person people’s needs towards him also abound. Therefore, he who fulfils for Allah all that is obliged on him in this regard will preserve them in continuance and perpetuity, while he who does not fulfil them will expose them to elimination and extinction.
There is in these two sayings, which express the justice of the univers, and people-being of its creatures what dosen’t need much clarification.
The people’s rights, on Ali’s tongue, equal one another. They are like the rights of water on wind, the plant on water, water on the sun, and the sun on the law of existence. This norm, which impose on man not to be entitled to any right unless he renders others’ rights, is not but the just norm of existence which is founded on this justice.
The reader is to look out this matter soundly, then let him say his view on what he sees. If he did so he would grasp, undoubtedly that this norm, which Ibn Abi Talib has taken it to the roots of cosmic justice, is firm, and does not change itself or be overruled by any irregularities.
The elements of this cosmos do not take but to the amount they give, and some of them do not gain but to the amount which other lose. If the earth took light and warmth from the sun it would give existence the same amount it has taken (out of its age). likewise when it takes from the night a shadow to be covered with. If flower took, from the many elements of the cosmos, what gives it life, growth, and nice fragrance, light and air would take of its colour, the same amount they have given, so that when its formation integrated and reached the peak of its life, the amount it gives of its age grew greater; therefore life and death pull it back and forth until it commits its leaves and stem to death as to earth it swallows whatever it had granted it.
And the sea does not retrieve to its abdomen but what it has given the sky of coluds and the land of rain.
So is the human in his special life. He does not get any pleasure but by losing another he pays, intentionally or not, to compensate for what he has taken. He does not come to life unless it is decided that he will die. Ali says: “He who is the holder of death is the holder of life.”
And about this wise balance of the law of life in its wideness and orbits, its earth and sky, its solid and living creatures, Ibn Abi Talib expresses through this word which gathers soundness of thought, violence of observation, and genius of simplicity: “no benefaction is gotten but by losing another”.
The lookers are to see this saying, so if they did they would be certain that it is the reality which manifest itself through words similar to amathematical basis that could not be deviated from.
As for general life, there is not one concern of man’s that deviation from this basis which Ali bin Abi Talib extracts from the matter of great cosmos. Your right on your society is that this society should evaluate what you give, in quantity and quality, then to take from it the same amount you gave. But if you got less reward than you gave, your lot at that time had gone to someone else, and that one is enjoying of a goodness you are its owner, no doubt, and you are, as a result, compelled and prejui-diced. But if you took more reward than you gave, the other’s lot had gone to you, and that someone else hungers from what you ate, and you are hence compelling and oppressing. The existence of an oppressed and an oppressor in society is a corruption for it and a defect in the standerds of social justice which could not be right unless it entered in a profitable frame of cosmic justice. Wrong cannot be a basis, rather the right is the basis. And “the right cannot be cancelled by anything” in the law of cosmos! It is as such Ibn Abi Talib’s faith.
Looking at the great and bright aspect of cosmic justice did not distract Ali from looking at what is hidden and serious. His concern is that of genius poets, where accurate things represent for them, in form and meaning, what great things represent; they do not distinguish between alarge or a small thing, as they are one in origin and in significance as well.
What attracts on lookers has no more consideration in their minds and hearts than that which is concealed in the hideout and among shadows. Many a look flows sensations in the being of those more than that fountains of speech can. Many a hint by which they realize clear by what they can not see in a thousand declaration!
Many a flower under the wing of a rock may enjoy the greatness of the existence where they do not enjoy of agreat tree Rather many a small thing in their view is grander than a large one, and a little is more than a plenty! I see it adequate to mention in this respect a bit of a long saying I referred regarding the speech about the stance of the holder of great sense and comprehensive thought towards the cosmos whose hidden and apparent things are equal in indicating the grandeur it has, I said:
“As if I see that this nature represents, for the poet, the beauty of freedom to which he longs for as it sends the wind whenever and however it likes. With no cencern whether people resent against it or were satisfied contently! It gush the fountains from the rock when it likes, and from the limp of dust as well, and flows it silently in the plain and throws it from the heights of mountains. It protrude from its chest trees, rocks, peaks and valleys in the way it wants, with no concern that lilies may grow beside thorns or the needles of poison may hang green wood roses with fragrant perfume. It does not restrict itself to a knowledge which scorns dry straws and glorifies green leaves, or ridicule from small vermins looking out from the holes of rocks, so as to glorify the fierceness of strong beasts that pray upon the weak.”
by this sight and feeling Ibn Abi Talib has faced the aspects of the one existence in the two natures: the silent and the living, he felt obviously and deeply alike that the comprehensive power of existence cultivates straws of the plant with a law by which it cultivates the green leaf and plant which flattened over its stem and swayed in the wind. It looks after the small trees of land as it does with vast great trees. As for beast, insects, grasshoppears, and small birds, nature has not worked, in cultivating them, a lesser portion than it has done in cultivating huge beasts and the eagle of sky. Every creature has its place in the wideness of existence, and everything has right in this existence. Thus the lofty mountain did not prevent Ibn Abi Talib from seeing stone and the atom of dust. It did not pass him as was looking at the peacock to pay attention to the humble ant creeping into the hideouts of the land between its ruins and its stones, so that it is, therefore, a grand creation and an ample thing. Ali did not see in the peacock and ant, which the day interests them, a thing exceeding, in the meaning of existence and its value, over what he saw in bats which the night was made day for them and were held by the light which is extending for everything. Yet he was seeing in them some ambiguities of wisdom so much as he sees in the great creatures. This creature, in Ali’s procedure, is sufficient to have breath of life, that is, to be surviving, so that the power of inclusive existence secures for it a basic portion that protects it from the danger of death before its time. The cosmic justice did not establish the living of creatures unless it sets its existence with that which keeps it surviving. This what is meant by the genius of the standard accurate observation of Ali’s in his saying: “For everyone having breath of life is a foodstuff, and for every grain is an eater.”
But if there was an obstacle between the starved and his foodstuff, between the grain and its eater, this prevention is an aggression against the standards of cosmic justice, and a slander against the value of life and meaning of existence. Ali says: “By Allah, even if I am given all the domains of the seven stars in order that I may disobey Allah to the extent of stripping an aunt of a grain of barley I would not do it.”
As for aggression against the standards of cosmic justice, the punishment for it is existent due to the nature of this general justice itself which judges the doer in a manner having no laxity nor severity, but justice and reward.
So was the grand Allawiyah look to the meaning of the one life, in its plenty and scantiness, in its largeness and smallness. The cosmic justice, which adjust the relaitons among creatures, cultivated them in their different states, and fulfilled, among them, mutual works, reciprocal rights, and equal duties, did not distinguish between an aspect of life and another one, did not order a strong one to transgress over a weak one as the strong one has the means of aggression, did not agree for the many to oppress the rights of the few as the many have been granted with features of richness. It, therefore, does not forgive the oppression of the few under the pretext of the interest of the many. He who aggrieves a living being, in Ibn Abi Talib’s procedure, is as though he aggrieved all living beings. And he who kills a self as though he has killed the whole of people. And he who hurts a living being is as if he has hurt all of the living being above the face of the earth. Life is life in (Ali’s) procedure and its respect is the origin over which the branches develop.
In the theories of a lagre number of thinkers and legislators and in the views of most of those who call themselves politi-cians, aggression can be used over the few number of people for the sake of the many. And in their consideration goodness is not measured except by the safety of the many number, then in reaching what they like of prosperity. If a thousand people were killed in an accident of aggression the matter is grave. If two thousands were killed the matter is graver, and so on. But if one man was killed by the same accident the case is easy and the matter is simple. As the many of the notebooks of souls’ merch-ants then would not be dropped. But for tables of multiplication, and processes of addition and division, it is easy to adjust them in one mathematical process.
But Ibn Abi Talib crushes the theories of those merchants, in a saying he takes directly from the spirit of existence in which there is no value for numbers in the meaning of life, rather for life itself:
“By Allah, even if they had wilfully killed only one individual without any faulthe has comitted. It would have been lawful for me to kill the whole of that army.”
Here, it is clear the matter is not “killing the whole army”, rather cementation the idea of respecting life in the minds of the holders of authority, and paying their attentions to the idea that killing one self, willy and intentionally, equals the killing of all creatures.
If we compared Ali bin Abi Talib’s view in this respect with the views of many thinkers who saw that standards of justice do not move except by force and muchness, it would be noticeable for us how they drop while he elevates, how they are coarse and harsh while his horizon extends and the values of life will be higher on his hands. While some of those drum and repeat continually as they have discovered views and theories that permit for the strong one to be proud of his power only, and for the many to expand their expectations with this richness only - in all this there is an aggression against the law of just life - and the will of the able, developing, benevolent humn, we see that Ibn Abi Talib shows what is more sublime of the standard of life itself as it is a fact, and the standard of human will as it is a blessing, and so he says with the simplicity of the great man. “Many a small thing makes up for a lagre one! Then he clarifies in a grander, nicer saying:
“No person, however great his position in the matter of truth is above, to be helped to fulfil the obligations placed on him by Allah. And, no man, however small he may be regarded by others, and however humble he may appear before eyes, is too low to help or to be helped in this matter.”
In these two sayings Ibn Abi Talib shows one of the aspects of cosmic justice that appears when you examine closely, and asserts a truth often hidden from the minds which restrict themselves in a narrow horizon.
Ali states that sparkling, pompos manifestations in terms of existential reality are not but a scantiness out of existence, worthless having no value nor importance; ordinary people, the foolish, the stupid and those who applaude for whatever is glossy, worthless, and meaningless may be dazzled by these manifestations, but this collapse will before long vanish suddenly when the sun of truth appears, and its great light sweeps what the ordinary assumed light, while it is a deception for the eyes, and when the wind of just existence storms with the storm of light straws. There are, out of present history, numerous indications about this confusion in the measures of the individuals and groups, and it is a confusion which involves consequences that hurt civilization life, and man as it has a deviation from the standards of cosmic justice.
If you lived in a period during the middle Ages in Europe, for example, you would see occasionally caravans of people followed by caravans at one of general square in this city or that, so as to acclaim and applaud a creature of people whose clothes are embroidered, whose head folded with emerald and aquamarine and stringed precious stones. And you would see a man walking by himself on the platform, and whose step is furious, whose sight is violent, and he did not pay attention to the concern of those who were applauding and neither did they. They are acclaiming the life of a “great” one, but he is not “great”. Then the sun rose afterwards, so it dominated over the darkness, and showed things in their actual positions. So what do you see then? You see that those people who were applauding and acclaiming - they are, in this position, standing as nothingness - but were applauding for a worthless creature - called Louis the Fourteenth, for example, or for one of the villains called Charles the Fifth, or for an extremely small one called Charles the first, or for others who carry names followed by numbers indicating scantiness. Then what becomes clear afterwards? It becomes clear that the man of the platform whom people did not applaud or acclaim for his life is but a true great person called Mollier, or Milton, or Gallilo. And days elapse, and the holders of names followed by numbers are not but worthlessness. And the walkers on the platform, who have no numbers for their names, for whom no one applaud, are not but all greatness.
Forgetfulness folds up the worthless, and folds up with them those “nothingness” out of those who applaud and acclaim. And those appear on the top of existence, and humanity places them (out of itself) at the stances of suns before darkness. And very few people appear, who understand them and evaluate them in their great prestige. They got warth out of their heat like the land getting warmth of the light of noon, and realized what Ali bin Abi Talib grasped when he said: “Often a small thing is more beneficial than a large one.”
It is the cosmic justice which weighs every being with its great balance and places it in its very position, no cheating nor deception, not flattery! It is the cosmic justice in which no value diminished at it, and no worthlessness rises high!
Ibn Abi Talib did not call this “little” as small except because it was as such in the people’s in sights and their views at that time. He did not call this “little” as much except for the same cause. He knows they are wrong, and what they see as “little” may not be as such. And what they see as large may be light in the measure of the right. As for him, he was feeling the value of life powerfully and evidently, felt its capabilities in all creatures, feeling that the cosmos has a just will in estimating life wherever it was, and in respecting the livings as they are so he utters wise phrases to which we referred. And he uttered many others; so that when overdoers exaggerate and deny that the simple has such a value and such capabilities for development, he faced them saying: “Most of the right is in what you deny”.
There is another truth Ali asserts in this saying: “... no man, however small he may be regarded by others, and however humble he may appear before eyes, is less than offering help or being helped in this matter” that is, every man can benefit his society and benefit as well, whatever his talent is, and however scanty his capabilities are.
And in this insight the man whose chance of talents is scanty there is an illustration in Ali’s mind of a deep believing in the cosmic justice which makes of drops of water a huge sea of granules of sands deserts and wildernesses, and it makes every little lie inside the plenty, and every small depend on the large.
It has an illustration of the nature of benevolent life, which feels pity for its sons, and puts each one in a frame of its blessing; it does not aggrieve him, nor does it treat him severely.
It also has an evidence about this profound sympathy by which Ali was immersing the living beings, so he did not see in them but people who worth to enjoy life to the brim, benefit from its blessing, cooperate and get help.
You can find an image of this Allawiyah insight, which is confident of the justice of cosmos and goodness of life, and believing in man’s capabilities - whoever he was - to become a noble thing as he was, in Jean jack Rousseau’s literature which turns around an axis of confidence in the justice of nature and goodness of life.
As though I saw Ibn Abi Talib specialize those who “are regarded small by others, and appear humble before eyes” with the most portion of his attention the hour he addressed people saying: Allah has not created you vainly”, or the hour he cxcelled in describing his confidence of the benevolent human nature facing people in this compassionate view: “you are empty of evil till you has not gone astray”. That is you all are bene-volent and useful, originally and marginally unless you deviate from the right intentionally.
To ascertain this side of cosmic justice in Ibn Abi Talib’s faith, and I mean the complete equalization in every right and duty between that who has little and that who has much, and the small and the big, he indicates that the centre of this justice but equals (with him) all beings, with no difference between a man and another. Their human nature is one, and their case in the balance of existence is one as well; they are not distinguished except by what they do and what they serve. As to that who performs and serves, then the law of existence itself will repay him. Yet to that who is idle arrogant, and extorter, then this law itself will punish him with what he deserves. Ali says: “no one prevents him from punishing another, not distract Him from another; anger does not keep Him from mercy, and mercy does not prevent Him from punishing.”
In this respect we return with some detail to what we mentioned that Ali bin Abi Talib showed the veil from the existential genius which makes of the nature of things itself a higher judge that gives and deprives, punishes and repays, so creatures bear, due to their nature of formation, the ability to prosecute their selves by their selves, complying with the will of just cosmos.
Ibn Abi Talib sees that existence is equally balanced not a thing of it decreases here except that another thing of it. Increases there instead, and both decrease and increase are equal: no increase except by the (same) amount of decrease, and no decrease except by the (same) amount of increase. It is worth saying that the theory speaking of this balance in the things of existence is but one of the great outcomes which the activity of human thought has reached in its great creeping to discover the secrets of the cosmos, and it is also a starting-point in this field.
It is worth saying as well that a number of previous thinkers could not pay attention to this truth, and that a number denied it, and that a party of those thinkers saw it, realized many of its details believed in it, and called for it. Members of this party themselves differ too in the power of observation and represen-tation, then in the power of expressing at what they witnessed and trusted. Some of them watched this balance in some of the aspects of creatures, so they declared that in a way having some clarification of the truth. Some others saw it in all the aspects of silent cosmos but they did not sense for it tangible outcomes in the stream of existence, did not find for it a corresponding line in the aspects of the living cosmos. Some others witnessed it in the living nature, sensed for it tangible outcomes in the stream of existence, saw of it a corresponding line in the living creatures, and declared it in a clear statement and confident speech. From this party is Ali bin Abi Talib. Rather say he is at the top of this party of the former thinkers because he has been about to prove this theory on a sound accurate course that does not conflict, nor contradict, and no escape for some of it from the other. Rather say he has done that and excelled.
Perhaps Ibn Abi Talib’s position towards what he has witnessed and seen of the aspects of balance in the existence, is more sublime than the positions of his alike thinkers from the practical viewpoint because of what he has insisted on ascer-taining this truth, so as to arrive at the results follow from it in people’s life, as individuals and groups. This reality is entirely in harmony with the centre of the Allawiyah philosophy which is Man.
We have said that Ali sees that existence is balanced, not a thing decreases here of it except another increases there instead, and that this decrease and this increase are equal: no increase is except with the amount of decrease, and no decrease except with the amount of increase. He, in the first place, says, drawing man’s attention to this truth using the most sticking thing to him, that is, by the existence of himself: (He doesn’t receive a day of his age except by deserting another of his appointed own age.
Is there any thought in man’s intellect that is able to refute this truth which shows the counterpoise of existence in a simpler way that one could see out of the state of existence? Then is there a mathematical basis of the bases of geometry and algebra, more sticking to firm truths, more indicative on the absolute reality, and more succinct in revealing the firm and the absolute than this masterpiece by which Ibn Abi Talib portraits the counterpoise of existence through the living creature and his days?
If a speaker says to me that this idea is known, known to people, all people, then about which new truth does bin Abi Talib. Reveals in your claim? I said: the disclosure of hidden truths does not entail keeping silent of overt truths if these were an origin for those, or those an origin for these, or if the general method entails regulating the details alike what is hidden of them or appears. Ali bin Abi Talib, whose views cling to each belief, then all of his beliefs cling in a wonderful intellectual unity, did not utter this known saying “which is known by people, all people”, and did not utter a more outstanding saying with the same meaning, i.e, “The breaths of one are his steps towards his death”, but to return and establish on what he said in a detailed structure so as to prove the theory of equivalence in existnce.
He who said “he doesn’t receive a day of his age except by deserting another of his own age” and “the breaths of one are his steps towards his death”, but mentioned that so as to return to disclose a truth, more distant from people’s minds, and more hidden from their observation, but if flows with the two former sayings: “one doesn’t get abenevolent except by losing another.
I think that you have known what lies in this saying: the power of observation, the ability to reveal, the frankness of thought, and the clarity of statement. And to regulate the sub-stance of this phrase in pictures and forms, which differ externally but unify in meaning and essence, Ali says: “Many a single repase prevent several repases” and that who is wasted by near ones the far ones are offered to him. And “Many a distant one is nearer than a near one” and “Love is an obtained kinship”, and “He who overloaded himself beyond his ability will fail”, and “He who does good deeds will not lose his reward” and “Whatever you earn beyond your basic needs you are ware-housing for others.”
In these phrases, and in many others, there is an obvious summery of the details of the theory of existential balance as Ali bin Abi Talib sees. It despite the difference of its close topics, move in its scope, and its distant aim is around axes, namely the balance of the cosmos: so that on decrease here unless an equaling increase there, and vise versa.
Ibin Abi Talib realized this extential truth powerfully and deeply, experienced it, declared it in each period of his life or each saying of his, whether that was in the direct mood or the indirect one. He does not recognize this aspect of cosmic justice but to recognize another aspect reflecing it in a particular form or say emanates from it outflowingly that is to what we are with respect of speech as nature itself involves criterion, so it rewards and punishes and nothing among the aspects of cosmic justice is more prominent than this aspect in indicating it.
Ali saw that there is no even one thing of the thing of the cosmos has been found for naught, rather its existence has a purpose and as aim. He saw that each one of creatures has a function it performs, and over each one of man’s organs there is a duty on which just cosmos protests, asks about it, and renders an account on it. On the basis of these reality the things of existence are equal due to their existence. As to the small and the big are similar to this measure. Ali says: “Allah holds you responsible for the small before the big things”. And so he says that because the majority of people don’t pay attention to this small thing so he draw their attention to it by bringing it forward over the big thing in its entailing a punishment or a reward, so us to be reassured to the occurrence of the process of equalization between them in minds and hearts.
But if the cosmos protests against man in what it has imposed on his limbs, asks him about them, renders him responsible of small and big things, and reward him for what he has done: whether it was good or evil, it is not necessary, in Ali’s observation, that the process of protest, settling an account, and reward to be carried out outside man’s domain himself. And that this composite process, the one although containing a complex-ity, is carried out always, as Ali sees, within the creature’s limits whatever it was. And as such it is accomplished with regard to man as he is one of the creatures. Ali says: “there is a watcher over you of yourselves; your limbs are watchmen.” The guard is the observer. This observer does not spare any effort in seeing, recording, punishing, and repaying.
And in unique moments of brilliance of the discovering reason and penetrating intellect, bright colours appear to Ibn Abi Talib,s eyes of this one of the aspects of cosmic justice; you could not react towards them but to be surprised at this reason and this intellect. Does not Ibn Abi Talib speak with the language of the scholars of the modern age, as he speaks with the language of this justice itself the hour he states this truth: “Whoever ruins his morals agonizes himself.” Then does not he speak with these two languages alike as he says: “The doubted person is a bout to say ‘take me’” and as he says as well: “keep yourself away from every demerit even though you may be driven to it by a desire, because you earn of what you have humilliated yourself.”
And there are many many masterpieces like these. Some of these masterpieces are: “Man’s death from his sins is more than his death at his appointed time”, and “No Chivalry is with a liar, no cmfort with jealousy, no dignity with revenge, and no rightness with overlooking consultation” and “If a man possesses a good disposition wait its sisters of him.”
Thus Ali Ibn Abi Talib realized that the cosmos is one, just, firm in its unity and justice, making in the nature of creatures themselves the power to account, the ability to punish and reward. And thus he expressed what he realized wonderfully.
But there are other aspects other than these aspects of cosmic justice which Ali examined, checked their forms, and colours. So what are these aspects.
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Author: George Jordac
