The Third Luminous Degree of HasbiyyaRefers to the Qur’anic expression Hasbunallāhu wa Ni‘mal-Wakīl, meaning “Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs."

When, under the weight of loneliness, illness, and injustice, I felt that all my ties to this world had been severed, my īmānFaith; belief in the six articles of faith: Allah, His angels, His revealed scriptures, His prophets, the Hereafter, and divine decree (qadar). made me realise that I was destined for everlasting happiness in an eternal realm and an enduring world. Thus, my sighs of sorrow gave way to sighs of joy.

Yet when I reflected upon this cherished goal of my imagination, this longing of my soul, and this ultimate destination towards which my very nature was directed, I understood that its fulfilment was possible only through the infinite power of an All-Powerful One Who knows and records every movement, every moment of stillness, every state, and every deed of all His creatures, whether expressed in word or action; Who takes the small and utterly powerless human race as His friend and addressee, and raises it above all other creatures.

I realised, moreover, that this could only be because He bestows infinite care upon the human being and accords him immeasurable worth.

Reflecting upon these truths, I longed for an explanation that would illuminate my belief in both—the manifestation of such infinite power and the true worth of the seemingly insignificant human being—and thereby bring peace to my heart.

Once again, I turned to the verse

حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكٖيلُAllah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Protector. — The Qur’an 3:173

It said to me:

“Pay attention to the

نَاThe Arabic suffix meaning “us” or “we.”

in

حَسْبُنَاSufficient for us

and listen to those who, together with you, proclaim

حَسْبُنَاSufficient for us

both through their words and through the language of their state.”

Suddenly, I saw that countless birds, tiny creatures such as flies, innumerable animals, boundless multitudes of plants, and countless trees—all, like me, were expressing through the language of their state the meaning of

حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكٖيلُAllah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Protector. — The Qur’an 3:173

From eggs, drops, seeds, and kernels that are similar in substance and closely resemble one another, He brings forth before our very eyes, particularly every spring, hundreds of thousands of species of birds, animals, plants, and trees.

He brings them into existence without error, deficiency, or confusion, in perfect order and precise measure, adorned with beauty, each possessing its own distinctive form.

Through the manifestation of this mighty and majestic Power, by which they are made individually distinct despite their similarities, their interconnectedness, and their being fashioned according to a common pattern, He makes His Unity manifest to us.

I thus understood that no interference or partnership could possibly enter into an act of Divine sovereignty and creation that displays such innumerable wonders.

Whoever wishes, as every believer should, to understand my individual identity and human nature, and whoever longs to attain the state I have attained, should examine the explanation of my individual self—the “I”—contained within the

نَاThe Arabic suffix meaning “us” or “we.”

of

حَسْبُنَاSufficient for us

the “we” in which I too am included.

In this way, they may understand what my seemingly insignificant, weak, and needy existence truly signifies, as does the existence of every believer; what life truly means; what it means to be human; what Islam and īmān-i tahqīqīVerified faith; a firm and deeply rooted belief in Allah based on knowledge, reflection, and personal conviction, rather than mere imitation or unquestioning acceptance. truly are; what it means to know Allah; and how love for Allah arises—and thereby learn the lesson.