Until now we’ve been examining reality from a religious perspective…

Now let us look at it from another angle, from the perspective of existence itself, getting to know itself.

We know scientifically that the world wasn’t always like this. Our planet the Earth, the Sun and our solar system were not always in this state, they gradually evolved to this form. Just as a child is born, grows, ages and dies… The primary principle of the universe is that things are born, they grow, multiply, and die, or ‘transform.’

This applies to everything! Since everything is subject to the same law it is evident that all beings come into existence from a non-existent state, they grow, multiply and eventually return to the non-existent- state from whence they came.  

This also applies at the universal level. The universe came into existence, or was ‘created’ from a non-existent state so that the essential meaning of this universe, which is existence (life) may observe itself. 

Observing the meanings is synonymous to the ‘creation of the universe’. The observation of the meanings of the names in the greater sense, is what started the creation of the universe.

The entire universe is nothing other than the meanings of the divine names… and they are being observed inside its being, not from outside itself!

Due to this, the universe is the existence of the One in and through which His divine names become manifest.

However, the divine names do not have an end, neither does the universe… The universe has a relative end but in respect of its activity it is eternal as it depends on the divine names and the names are eternal!

Every action that transpires in this universe is a transformation of meaning into action. Everything that exists within this universe is a projection, a manifestation of the meanings of the divine names. And hence a sacred locus for the projection of the existence of Allah and His attributes.

To manifest His meanings Allah created the universe, and to observe it, He created Adam!

This observation can’t take place at the level of the Absolute Essence or the Attributes and hence the creation of the worlds becomes necessary. So, what is the observation about?

To understand the observation of Allah take yourself as an example. When you look at something you see an object, a person, a thing. Can this be the case for Allah?

When you look at the world do you see separate entities? 

The eyes send certain signals to the brain and this bioelectrical message is converted by the brain to produce an image. The brain perceives the meanings and converts it into an image to aid its understanding of it.

But is there really an image in the brain?

The brain only perceives and cognizes. Imagery is only a supporting factor. 

Do you not see? To see is to perceive and understand! To have the insight to comprehend that thing, what it is, how it is and why it is the way it is…

The observation of Allah is to perceive with His knowledge the meanings that are inherent within Him. It is Allah enveloping his meanings with His knowledge. 

So, do the worlds actually and physically exist or are they merely assumed to exist? 

We said every single form and being that exists in this world derives its existence from a divine meaning. These are meanings that Allah observes within Himself, not ‘assumes’ but observes!

However, for these meanings to manifest as actions they go through the process of ‘creation’ which brings together a composition of meanings and projects them as activity. This projection is the illusion that we ‘assume’ into existence. Despite this, even the illusion of existence belongs to the meaning of that composition. Hence, illusion pertains to the ‘servant’.

At the divine level, it is Allah observing his Absolute Essence and Attributes, which is the result of the qualities we mentioned above.

We can’t talk about illusion regarding Allah. Even though it was used in the past to reference Allah’s observation of His meanings, it was only used for the purpose of simplification, to make its comprehension easier. In the real sense, it is unacceptable to relate illusion to Allah. 

Allah did not ‘accept’ or ‘assume’ the world exists, He ‘created’ the world and brought it into existence. 

The meanings with which the universe was created were already implicitly inherent within It and became manifest at the observable level.

Creation is thus the transformation of meanings from the ethereal level to the material level. 

But were the names created, do they really exist?

In respect of their ‘name’ they were created! But in respect of the ‘named’ it belongs to itself and were not created. Meanings were implicitly and inherently existent. But their names were created, as names were formed later.

To summarize, the universe and everything within it is created, as they appear at the dimension of acts, everything before the dimension of acts isn’t created. 

The angelic dimensions are included in the level of acts, as they are also the manifestations of the divine forces.

The dimension of names comprises the original meanings of the activity, beings and forms at the levels of acts. That is, the meanings observed and perceived by the Absolute One with His knowledge. None of these meanings are created because the One isn’t created. 

The fact that you were created will never change. For you can never leave the level of acts. Just as you exist at the level of acts now a million years or a billion later you will still be at the level of acts. 

The level of acts may be the material domain today or the radial level tomorrow, but it will always be the dimension of acts.

Only in respect to the meanings within your essence that pertains to Allah you are not created. You are created in respect to the dimension of acts alone.

So, if you can be aware of both and give both their due right, then you can attain eternal bliss. 

Otherwise if one aspect veils the other aspect of yourself, you will eventually and most definitely be led astray from the reality.