In terms of philosophy, there are no three entities when it comes to causing a creation. We do not have the Conferrer of grace ( mufīd ) and the object of grace ( mufād ‘alayh ) and the grace itself ( fayd ). Rather, we only have the Conferrer of Grace and His Grace- which we, due to our limited comprehension or remoteness from the Beloved, consider as an independent entity.
Therefore the ‘creation’ or ‘creatures’ are grace ( fayd ) itself.[^2] Āyatullāh Khumaynī in his Chehel Hadīth (40 Traditions), alluding to the reality that the dependent existents are sheer poverty, says: …و هيچ موجودى را از خود استقلالى نيست و صرف تعلق و ربط و عين فقر و تدلّى به ذات مقدس حقّ على الاطلاق است...
…No being has any independence of its own and everything is sheer dependence, relation, poverty, and attachment to the sacred being of the Absolute Real…[^3] Although such poverty always exists in every being, only one who “realizes the same” through the vision of the heart, after self-purification, can be qualified to be known as poor in this sense.
In his commentary on the Du‘ā’ al-Sabāh , Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī says: وَالْفَقِيْرُ الْحَقيْقِي مَنْ لاَ يَمْلِكُ فِعْلاً وَلاَ صِفَةً وَلاَ وُجُوْداً وَيَشْهَدُ أَنَّ الْمُلْكَ لِلٌّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهّارِ… “And the really poor one is he who does not own any action, attribute, or existence, and witnesses that the kingdom is solely Allāh’s, the All-Paramount.”[^4] The Holy (s) is reported to have said: الفَقْرُ فَخْرِيْ وَبهِ أَفْتَخِرُ.
“The poverty is my pride and I am proud of it.”[^5] Imām al-Sajjād (as) in his supplication of seeking asylum with Allāh says: يَا غَنِىَّ الأَغْنِياءِ: ها نَحْنُ عِبادُكَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ، وَاِنّاَ افْقَرُ الْفُقَراء إِلَيْكَ. “O the Affluent of the affluent ones, here we are, your slaves, before You… and we are the neediest of the needy toward You…”[^6] Therefore this kind of poverty is highly recommended and thus we do not seek emancipation from it in this verse.
Rather, we eagerly ask for it and although it is known as ‘poverty’, no affluence and self-sufficiency can be compared to it. In other words, although near Allāh, the All-Affluent, this state is absolute poverty, it is the state of being ‘All-affluent by Allāh’s permission.’ There is a beautiful allusion in the well-known Du‘ā’ Jawshan al-Kabīr about this. We pray: يَا غِناَئِي عِنْدَ افْتِقَارِي!