THE FLASHES

The Thirteenth Flash

It is well known that when something excellent is corrupted, it becomes more corrupt than something lowly when that becomes corrupt. For example, if milk and yoghurt spoil, they may still be edible. But if butter spoils, it becomes inedible, and may even become like poison. In the same way, if the human being—the most honoured, indeed the highest, of creatures—becomes corrupt, he becomes more corrupt than a corrupted animal. Like insects that take pleasure in the smell of rotting substances, and like snakes that take delight in biting and poisoning, such people take pleasure and pride in evils and vile morals within the swamp of misguidance. They take delight in the harms and crimes within the darkness of wrongdoing, and thus almost enter into the very nature of Satan. Indeed, the existence of human devils is a decisive proof for the existence of devils from among the jinn.

Secondly, all the decisive proofs in The Twenty-Ninth Word that establish the existence of spirits and angels also establish the existence of devils. We refer this aspect to that Word.

Thirdly, just as the existence of angels, who are like representatives and overseers of the laws governing good affairs in the universe, is established by the consensus of all religions, so too the existence of wicked and satanic spirits, who are the representatives and direct agents of evil affairs and the means through which the laws in those affairs operate, is certain from the standpoint of wisdom and truth. Indeed, the existence of a conscious veil in evil affairs is even more necessary.

For, as was stated at the beginning of The Twenty-Second Word, since not everyone can see the true beauty of everything, outward means have been made into veils so that, because of the apparent evil and deficiency in things, people should not object to Khāliq-i Dhul-Jalāl, accuse His mercy, criticize His wisdom, or make unjust complaints. Thus objection, criticism, and complaint are directed toward those veils and do not turn toward Khāliq-i Karīm and Hakīm-i Mutlaq.

For example, just as illnesses have been made a veil for the appointed hour of death so that those at the point of death should not feel resentment toward Azrāīl (as), so too Azrāīl (as) has been made a veil over the taking of souls, so that complaints arising from those states which are imagined to be merciless should not be directed toward Allah. In the same way, and with even greater certainty, Divine wisdom has required the existence of Satan, so that the objections and criticisms arising from evils and wrongs should not be directed toward Khāliq-i Dhul-Jalāl.

Fourthly, just as the human being is a small world, so too the world is a great human being. This small human being is an index and summary of that great human being. The greater originals of the examples found in the human being must necessarily exist in the greater human being. For example, just as the existence of the faculty of memory in the human being is a decisive proof for the existence of the Lawh-i Mahfūz in the universe, so too everyone may perceive, both by feeling and intuition, that within the human being there is, in one corner of the heart, an instrument for whispering called the satanic lummah; that there is a satanic tongue which speaks through the suggestions of the quwwa-i wāhimah; and that this quwwa-i wāhimah, when corrupted, comes to function as a small devil, acting against its owner’s choice and contrary to his desire. This is a decisive proof for the existence of great devils in the world.

And since this satanic lummah and this quwwa-i wāhimah are like an ear and a tongue, they cause one to sense the existence of an external wicked being who whispers into the former and makes the latter speak.