How Can We Gain a Sound Understanding of God’s Grandeur?

When we are able to journey through the horizons and within ourselves, attain a deeper understanding of them, and learn the alphabet and read the book of existence, only then have we taken our first step towards knowing the majesty of God Most High.

Husayn ibn Zayd al-Hashimi relates from Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) that he said:

Zaynab the Perfumer, whose eyes were crossed, came to sell perfume to the women and daughters of the Messenger of God (PBUH). While she was with them, the Messenger of God (PBUH) came in. He said to her, “Whenever you come to us, our homes are filled with fragrance.”

Zaynab replied, “Messenger of God, your homes are more fragrant with your own scent.” He said to her:

“When you sell something, sell it honestly and do not adulterate it by mixing in something else. This is better for the purity of your wealth and for its lasting.”

She said, “Messenger of God, this time I have not come to sell anything. I have come to ask you about the majesty of God, Mighty and Exalted.”

He said, “Great is His majesty. I shall now tell you something of His greatness.” Then he continued:

“Truly, this earth and all that rests upon it, compared with the earth beneath it, are like a small ring lying in a vast, empty wilderness. The two together, with all that is upon them, compared with what lies beneath them, are likewise like a ring lying in a vast, empty wilderness. The same is true of the third, until one reaches the seventh earth: each, compared with the next, is like a ring lying in a vast, empty wilderness.” He recited this verse: ‘…God, who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them…’ (Surah al-Talaq, 65:12).

“The seven earths, with all that is upon them, compared with the rooster on whose back they rest, are like a ring lying in a vast, empty wilderness. The rooster has two wings, one in the east and one in the west, and its feet reach down to the utmost depths. The seven earths, the rooster, and all that is within and upon them, compared with the rock, are like a ring lying in a vast, empty wilderness. The rock, with all that is within and upon it, compared with the fish, is like a ring lying in a vast, empty wilderness. The seven earths, the rooster, the rock, and the fish, with all that is within and upon them, compared with the dark sea, are like a ring lying in a vast, empty wilderness. The seven earths, the rooster, the rock, the fish (the celestial forms of the rooster, rock and fish that constitute worlds), and the dark sea, compared with the flowing air, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness. The seven earths, the rooster, the rock, the fish, the dark sea, and the air, compared with the thara, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness.”

Then he recited this verse: ‘To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth and whatever lies beneath the thara’ (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:6). Human knowledge and awareness come to an end at the thara. The seven earths, the rooster, the rock, the fish, the dark sea, the air, and the thara, compared with the first heaven, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness.

“All of these, together with that heaven and all that is upon it and within it, compared with the heaven above it, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness. These two heavens and all that is within and upon them, compared with the heaven above them, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness. These three heavens and all that is within and upon them, compared with the fourth heaven, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness, and so on until one reaches the seventh heaven.

“These seven heavens, with all that is within and upon them, compared with a sea hidden from the people of the earth, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness. All seven heavens and the hidden sea, compared with the mountains of hail, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness.” He recited this verse: ‘And He sends down hail from the sky, from mountains therein…’ (Surah al-Nur, 24:43).

“These seven heavens, the hidden sea, and the mountains of hail, compared with the air in which hearts wander bewildered, are like a ring in a vast, empty sea. These seven heavens, the vast sea, the mountains of hail, and the air, compared with the veils of light, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness. These seven heavens, the hidden sea, the mountains of hail, the air, and the veils of light, compared with the Kursi, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness.” Then he recited this verse: ‘His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not weary Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great’ (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:255).

“These seven heavens, the hidden sea, the mountains of hail, the air, the veils of light, and the Kursi, compared with the Throne, are like a ring in a vast, empty wilderness.” Then he recited this verse:

‘The Most Compassionate is established upon the Throne.’ (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:5)

Al-Rawḍa min al-Kāfī / translated by Rasuli Mahallati, vol. 1, p. 224

In a report transmitted from him by al-Hasan, the veils of light are mentioned before the air in which hearts lose their way.

عن أبی عبد الله ع قال: جاءت زینب العطاره الحولاء إلى نساء النبی ص و بناته و کانت تبیع منهن العطر فجاء النبی ص و هی عندهن فقال إذا أتیتنا طابت بیوتنا فقالت بیوتک بریحک أطیب یا رسول الله قال إذا بعت فأحسنی و لا تغشی فإنه أتقى و أبقى للمال فقالت یا رسول الله ما أتیت بشی‏ء من بیعی و إنما أتیت أسألک عن عظمه الله عز و جل فقال جل جلال الله سأحدثک عن بعض ذلک ثم قال إن هذه الأرض بمن علیها عند التی تحتها کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی «2» و هاتان بمن فیهما و من علیهما عند التی تحتها کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی و الثالثه حتى انتهى إلى السابعه و تلا هذه الآیه خلق‏ سبع سماوات و من الأرض مثلهن «1» و السبع الأرضین بمن فیهن و من علیهن على ظهر الدیک کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی و الدیک له جناحان جناح فی المشرق و جناح فی المغرب و رجلاه فی التخوم و السبع و الدیک بمن فیه و من علیه على الصخره کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی و الصخره بمن فیها و من علیها على ظهر الحوت کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی و السبع و الدیک و الصخره و الحوت بمن فیه و من علیه على البحر المظلم کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی و السبع و الدیک و الصخره و الحوت و البحر المظلم على الهواء الذاهب کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی و السبع و الدیک و الصخره و الحوت و البحر المظلم و الهواء على الثرى کحلقه ملقاه فی فلاه قی ثم تلا هذه الآیه- له ما فی السماوات و ما فی الأرض و ما بینهما و ما تحت الثرى‏ «2» ثم انقطع الخبر عند الثرى و السبع و الدیک و الصخره و الحوت و البحر المظلم و الهواء و الثرى بمن فیه و من علیه عند السماء الأولى کحلقه فی فلاه قی و هذا کله و سماء الدنیا بمن علیها و من فیها عند التی فوقها کحلقه فی فلاه قی و هاتان السماءان و من فیهما و من علیهما عند التی فوقهما کحلقه فی فلاه قی و هذه الثلاث بمن فیهن و من علیهن عند الرابعه کحلقه فی فلاه قی حتى انتهى إلى السابعه و هن و من فیهن و من علیهن عند البحر المکفوف عن أهل الأرض کحلقه فی فلاه قی و هذه السبع و البحر المکفوف عند جبال البرد کحلقه فی فلاه قی و تلا هذه الآیه- و ینزل من السماء من جبال فیها من برد «3» و هذه السبع و البحر المکفوف و جبال البرد عند الهواء الذی تحار فیه القلوب کحلقه فی فلاه قی و هذه السبع و البحر المکفوف و جبال البرد و الهواء عند حجب النور کحلقه فی فلاه قی و هذه السبع و البحر المکفوف و جبال البرد و الهواء و حجب النور عند الکرسی کحلقه فی فلاه قی ثم تلا هذه الآیه- وسع کرسیه السماوات و الأرض و لا یؤده حفظهما و هو العلی العظیم «4» و هذه السبع و البحر المکفوف و جبال البرد و الهواء و حجب النور و الکرسی عند العرش کحلقه فی فلاه قی و تلا هذه الآیه- الرحمن‏ على العرش استوى‏ «1» [و فی روایه الحسن‏] «2»