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In the Name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate, Who manifests Himself through everything, the revelation of a clear knowing to whomsoever He wishes, peace be upon you, my son. This praise belongs to Allah Who manifests Himself on the head of a pin to whom He wishes, so that one testifies that He is not, and another testifies that there is none other than He. But the witnessing in the denying of Him is not rejected, and the witnessing in the affirming of Him is not praised.

Al Hallaj#8

DivinityTheologyFaithKnowledgeRevelationTestimonyWill

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About this quote

What does it mean?
God manifests through everything and grants knowledge to whom He wills, while witnessing through denial or affirmation is treated differently.
In plain terms
God appears everywhere and gives knowledge as He chooses; denying Him is not rejected but affirming Him is not praised.
What can you take from it?
Understand that divine manifestation is universal but knowledge is granted selectively.

Where it applies

  • religious teaching
  • spiritual instruction
  • theological reflection

Putting it to work

  • study revelation
  • reflect on divine will
  • consider testimony

Questions to consider

  • How is divine knowledge granted?
  • What is the value of denying the divine?

Another view

The claim that witnessing in denial is not rejected may be specific to a particular theological view.

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