Sermon 155

About the wonderful creation of the bat

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

يذكر فيها بديع خلقة الخفاش

In Praise of Allah

حمد الله وتنزيهه

Praise be to Allah who is such that it is not possible to describe the reality of knowledge about Him, since His greatness has restrained the intellects, and therefore they cannot find the way to approach the extremity of His realm. He is Allah, the True, the Manifester of Truth. He is more True and more Manifest than eyes can see. Intellects cannot comprehend Him by fixing limits for Him since in that case to Him would be attributed shape. Imagination cannot catch Him by fixing quantities for Him for in that case to Him would be attributed body. He created creatures without any example, and without the advice of a counsel, or the assistance of a helper. His creation was completed by His command, and bowed to His obedience. It responded (to Him) and did not defy (Him). It obeyed and did not resist.

ألْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي انْحَسَرَتِ الاَوْصَافُ عَنْ كُنْهِ مَعْرِفَتِهِ، وَرَدَعَتْ عَظَمَتُهُ الْعُقُولَ، فَلَمْ تَجِدْ مَسَاغاً إِلَى بُلُوغِ غَايَةِ مَلَكُوتِهِ!

هَوَ اللهُ الْحَقُّ الْمُبِينُ، أَحَقُّ وَأَبْيَنُ مِمَّا تَرَى الْعُيُونُ، لَمْ تَبْلُغْهُ الْعُقُولُ بِتَحْدِيد فَيَكُونَ مُشَبَّهاً، وَلَمْ تَقَعْ عَلَيْهِ الاْوْهَامُ بِتَقْدِير فَيَكُونَ مُمَثَّلاً . خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ عَلَى غَيْرِ تَمْثِيل، وَلاَ مَشُورَةِ مُشِير، وَلاَ مَعُونَةِ مُعِين، فَتَمَّ خَلْقُهُ بِأَمْرِهِ، وَأَذْعَنَ لِطَاعَتِهِ، فَأَجَابَ وَلَمْ يُدَافِعْ، وَانْقَادَ وَلَمْ يُنَازِعْ.

The Creation of the Bat

خلقة الخفاش

An example of His delicate production, wonderful creation and deep sagacity which He has shown us is found in these bats which keep hidden in the daylight although daylight reveals everything else, and are mobile in the night although the night shuts up every other living being; and how their eyes get dazzled and cannot make use of the light of the sun so as to be guided in their movements and so as to reach their known places through the direction provided by the sun.

وَمِنْ لَطَائِفِ صَنْعَتِهِ، وَعَجَائِبِ خِلْقَتِهِ، مَا أَرَانَا مِنْ غَوَامِضِ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي هذِهِ الْخَفَافِيشِ الَّتِي يَقْبِضُهَا الضِّيَاءُ الْبَاسِطُ لِكُلِّ شَيْء، وَيَبْسُطُهَا الظَّلاَمُ الْقَابِضُ لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ، وَكَيْفَ عَشِيَتْ أَعْيُنُهَا عَنْ أَنْ تَسْتَمِدَّ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ الْمُضِيئَةِ نقُوراً تَهْتَدِي بِهِ فِي مَذَاهِبِهَا، وَتَتَّصِلُ بِعَلاَنِيَةِ بُرْهَانِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى مَعَارِفِهَا.

Allah has prevented them from moving in the brightness of the sun and confined them to their places of hiding instead of going out at the time of its shining. Consequently they keep their eyelids down in the day and treat night as a lamp and go with its help in search of their livelihood. The darkness of night does not obstruct their sight nor does the gloom of darkness prevent them from movement. As soon as the sun removes its veil and the light of morning appears, and the rays of its light enter upon the lizards in their holes, the bats pull down their eyelids on their eyes and live on what they had collected in the darkness of the night.

وَرَدَعَهَا بِتَلاَلُؤِ ضِيَائِهَا عَنِ الْمُضِيِّ فِي سُبُحَاتِ إِشْرَاقِهَا، وَأَكَنَّهَا فِي مَكَامِنِهَا عَنِ الذَّهَابِ فِى بُلَجِ ائْتِلاَقِهَا، فَهِيَ مُسْدَلَةُ الْجُفُونِ بَالنَّهَارِ عَلَى حِدَاقِهَا، وَجَاعِلَةُ اللَّيْلِ سِرَاجاً تَسْتَدِلُّ بِهِ في الْـتِماسِ أَرْزَاقِهَا; فَلاَ يَرُدُّ أَبْصَارَهَا إِسْدَافُ ظُلْمَتِهِ، وَلاَ تَمْتَنِعُ مِنَ الْمُضِيِّ فِيهِ لِغَسَقِ دُجُنَّتِهِ فَإِذَا أَلْقَتِ الشَّمْسُ قِنَاعَهَا، وَبَدَتْ أَوْضَاحُ نَهَارِهَا، وَدَخَلَ مِنْ إِشْرَاقِ نُورِهَا عَلَى الضِّبَابِ فِي وِجَارِهَا، أَطْبَقَتِ الاْجْفَانَ عَلَى مَآقِيهَا وَتَبَلَّغَتْ بِمَا اكْتَسَبَتْهُ مِنَ الْمَعَاشِ فِي ظُلَمِ لَيَالِيهَا.

Glorified is He who has made the night as day for them to seek livelihood and made the day for rest and stay. He has given them wings of flesh with which, at the time of need they rise upwards for flying. They look like the ends of ears without feathers or bones. Of course, you can see the veins quite distinctly. They have two wings which are neither too thin so that they get turned in flying, nor too thick so that they prove heavy. When they fly, their young ones hold on to them and seek refuge with them, getting down when they get down and rising up when they rise. The young does not leave them till its limbs become strong, its wings can support it for rising up, and it begins to recognise its places of living and its interest. Glorified is He who creates everything without any previous sample by someone else.

فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ لَهَا نَهَاراً وَمَعَاشاً، وَجَعَلَ النَّهَارَ لَهَا سَكَناً وَقَرَاراً! وَجَعَلَ لَهَا أَجْنِحَةً مِنْ لَحْمِهَا تَعْرُجُ بِهَا عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ إِلَى الطَّيَرَانِ، كَأَنَّهَا شَظَايَا الاْذَانِ، غَيْرَ ذَوَاتِ رِيش وَلاَ قَصَب، إِلاَّ أَنَّكَ تَرَى مَوَاضِعَ الْعُرُوقِ بَيِّنَةً أَعْلاَماً، لَهَا جَنَاحَانِ لَمَّا يَرِقَّا فَيَنْشَقَّا، وَلَمْ يَغْلُظَا فَيَثْقُلاَ. تَطِيرُ وَوَلَدُهَا لاَصِقٌ بِهَا لاَجِيٌ إِلَيْهَا، يَقَعُ إِذَا وَقَعَتْ، وَيَرْتَفِعُ إِذَا ارْتَفَعَتْ، لاَيُفَارِقُهَا حَتَّى تَشْتَدَّ أَرْكَانُهُ، وَيَحْمِلَهُ لِلنُّهُوضِ جَنَاحُهُ، وَيَعْرِفَ مَذَاهِبَ عَيْشِهِ، وَمَصَالِحَ نَفْسِهِ. فَسُبْحَانَ الْبَارِىءِ لِكُلِّ شَيْء، عَلَى غَيْرِ مِثَال خَلاَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ .

Alternative Sources for Sermon 155

(1) Al-Yamani, al-Taraz, I, 334.