Purpose of Short Lives and Unhatched Eggs Reconciling Abundance and Wisdom Manifest in the Universe
The purposes and results of beings are not restricted to this world and to the human perspective…Rather, there are numerous purposes for the existence of everything, and numerous results flow from their existence.
One can roughly categorize these numerous purposes into three categories, as follows: The first and the most exalted purpose of existence pertains to the Creator. Each being exists so as to present itself to the gaze of the Pre-Eternal Witness. That is, each existent presents itself to its Creator, who made it in such an artistic and wonderful way. As if in a royal parade, all the things that show up in the flow of existence present themselves to the Eternal Sovereign’s gaze. To live for a fleeting second is enough to attain that glance of the Creator. For example, delicate creatures that vanish swiftly attain to this exalted purpose. Indeed, even just the potential for existence and intent to glorify the Creator is enough for this purpose. Thus, for instance, so many seeds, each a work of art, that never come to flourish into life also attain this purpose. None of these creatures, who exist for so short or only exist as seeds and eggs, are created in vain or without purpose…To reiterate, the first purpose of all things is to proclaim, by means of their life and/or existence, the miracles of power and the traces of artistry of the Maker and display them to the gaze of the Glorious Monarch. This exalted purpose is attained, regardless of how long they exist and in what stage of life they exist.
The second purpose of all existence and the result of all beings pertains to conscious creation. Everything is like a truth-displaying message, an artistic poem, or a wise word of the Glorious Maker, offered to the gaze of angels and jinn, of humans and animals, and desiring to be read by them. Each existent is thus an object for the contemplation and instruction of every conscious being that looks upon it.
The third purpose of all existence and result of all beings pertains to the thing itself, and consists of such minor consequences as the experience of pleasure and joy, and living with some degree of permanence and comfort. (Now, see how small is that purpose in relation to the other purposes of existence…)
In the light of this multiplicity of purposes we can now explain the ultimate compatibility between divine wisdom and economy on the one hand, and divine generosity on the other. That is, we see in the universe signs of incredible wisdom and shortest paths to results and also incredible diversity and abundance. At first sight, the infinite wisdom and infinite generosity witnessed by the universe seem to be contradictory…In reality, there is no contradiction, because things have numerous purposes of their existence. In the individual purposes of things, liberality and generosity predominate, and the Name of Most Generous [al-Jawād] is manifested. Indeed, from the point of view of individual purpose, fruits and grains are innumerable, and they demonstrate infinite generosity. But in universal purposes, wisdom predominates, and the name of All-Wise [al-Hakīm] is manifested…Thus creation both manifests wisdom and splendour of its Maker…
[1] Excerpted and adapted from Said Nursi’s Words, 10th Word, “Sixth Truth.”
