Translation of a Nahj al-Balagha sermon: In this speech, Imam Ali mentions the creation of heaven and earth and the creation of man.

The Inability of Humans to Understand the Essence of God

Praise be to God, the One whom orators are unable to praise, accountants are unable to count His blessings, and strivers are unable to fulfill His rights.

He is the One whose essence is not understood by deep thoughts, and the hand of the divers in the sea of knowledge will not reach Him.

He is the Lord who has no limits to His attributes, and no complete definition can be found. There is no specific time or end that can be determined for God.

He created the creatures with His power, and with His mercy He set the winds in motion, and by means of the mountains He turned the anxiety and shaking of the earth into peace.

This inability of humans to understand the essence of God is one of the most important principles of Islam. Based on this principle, human beings, with their limited intellectual and experiential abilities, cannot fully understand the essence of God. This inability is not only a source of shame for humans, but rather a sign of the greatness and glory of God.

God Almighty says in the Quran:

"And they cannot encompass Him with knowledge." (Quran 20:110)

This verse explicitly states that humans cannot fully comprehend God.

However, humans can still gain a relative knowledge of God through the recognition of His signs and evidences in the world. This knowledge is based on faith and reason.

Faith is a heartfelt belief in the existence of God and His attributes. Reason is also a tool that can help humans to understand God.

By using faith and reason, humans can come to the belief that God is a One, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, wise, merciful, and just being.

Explanation

The passage begins by praising God for His greatness and incomprehensibility. It then goes on to describe the limitations of human knowledge and understanding.

The passage states that even the most eloquent orators are unable to adequately praise God. Similarly, even the most skilled accountants are unable to count His blessings. And even the most dedicated strivers are unable to fulfill His rights.

The passage then goes on to say that God's essence is beyond the comprehension of human thoughts. Even the most profound thinkers cannot understand Him. And even the most learned scholars cannot grasp His true nature.

The passage also states that God's attributes have no limits. He is beyond all human definitions and descriptions.

Finally, the passage says that God has no beginning or end. He is eternal and everlasting.

The passage concludes by describing some of God's creations. It says that He created the universe with His power. He also set the winds in motion and created the mountains to stabilize the earth.

The passage is a reminder of the greatness and incomprehensibility of God. It is also a call for humans to humble themselves before Him and to worship Him with reverence.

#Imam Ali 

#Nahj al-Balagha 

# creation of heaven 

# creation of earth

# creation of man