16
So if you are asked, “By what means have you come to know your Lord?” then answer, “Through His signs and His creations.” ⦗5⦘
(5) You have said: “Allah is my Lord,” or, “My Lord is Allah, the One who has nurtured me with His favors.” What evidence proves that Allah is truly your Lord, the One who raised you by His blessings? The shaykh offers proofs drawn from both revelation and reason, as will be detailed. Therefore, if someone asks, “How did you come to know your Lord?”—for whoever makes a claim must back it with evidence—
“And claims that are not supported
By proofs leave their authors mere pretenders.”
Every claimant must present evidence for what he asserts; otherwise his claim is unsound. You have declared, “My Lord is Allah, who nurtured me and all realms with His favors.” What is the proof? Say: the proof lies in His ayat (signs) and in His created beings. Ayat is the plural of ayah, which in Arabic means a sign or indication, as in the Prophet’s saying, “The sign of the hypocrite is three,” meaning his distinguishing mark. Thus, “by His ayat” refers to the signs and indications that point to Him, exalted is He. All of these created things that you observe …
فإذا قيل لك بما عرفت ربك؟ فقل: بآياته ومخلوقاته [٥]
[٥] أنت قلت: الله ربي، أو ربي الله الذي رباني بنعمه، ما هو الدليل على أن الله ربك الذي رباك بنعمه؟ جاء الشيخ بأدلة من الوحي ومن العقل كما سيأتي، فإذا قيل لك: بم عرفت ربك؟ لأن من ادعى شيئا فلا بد أن يقيم الدليل على دعواه:
والدعاوى إذا لم يقيموا ... عليها بينات أهلها أدعياء
لا بد لكل مدع أن يقيم الدليل على دعواه، وإلا كانت دعواه غير صحيحة، أنت قلت: ربي الله الذي رباني، وربى جميع العالمين بنعمه، ما الدليل؟ فقل: الدليل آياته ومخلوقاته. الآيات: جمع آية، والآية لغة: العلامة على الشيء، والدلالة على الشيء، كما قال ﷺ: " «آية المنافق ثلاث» " أي: علامته.
قوله: بآياته: أي العلامات والدلالات الدالة عليه ﷾. فجميع هذه الكائنات التي ترونها كلها