Characteristics of the Praise of the Earth and Inanimate...

Characteristics of the Praise of the Earth and Inanimate Objects About this section of the hadith , where perception and awareness is characterized for the earth as well as inanimate objects, and also Qur’anic verses and other hadith s which have similar subject matter, great scholars have presented three points of view: The first point of view: A number of scholars believe that these expressions are metaphorical and the intention is not their literal meaning and they mention allegorical interpretations for every instance correspondent with it.

Perhaps the majority of exegetes have chosen this method in their interpretations of this type of verse and hadith . The second point of view: The gnostics and mystical philosophers, like Sadr al-Muta’allihin[^1] and their students believe that these existents truly have perception and awareness and glorify Allah and have fear of Allah, but we are unable to comprehend this reality.

These are the real meanings which they deduce from the Qur’anic verses and hadith s and assert that the trees, earth, stones and… have awareness and glorify Allah: تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَإِنْ مِن شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ وَلَكِنْ لاَ تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ... “The seven heavens glorify Him, and the earth [too], and whoever is in them.

There is not a thing but celebrates His praise, but you do not understand their glorification…” [^2] In the exegesis of the aforementioned verse, ‘Allamah Tabataba’i says, “This verse proves the glorification of material particles of the cosmos—that they glorify Allah and that they exempt Him from having any partners. Glorification means establishing the transcendence of Allah through speech. Speech is essentially the unveiling of one’s inner intentions through signs and indicators.

Because man has not found an existential way to express his intent, he is compelled to make use of words, which are sounds that have been established to signify various meanings and thus make intentions known. From then onwards, this method of explaining and understanding has become standard. In addition, man makes use of hand and head signals and sometimes writes or posts signs. In short, that which unveils intentions is speech.

The result of one’s endeavors to convey their intentions is that person’s speech, even though that inner intention is not in the form of sounds and words.

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