And above all...

And above all, they are concepts imagined and concocted by human minds, which are themselves prisoners of material boundaries, because all that which can be considered in the realms of human thought is characterized by limitations, and the reach and judgement of the intellect is likewise constrained and man’s knowledge despite his many advances is quite inadequate, while God is Infinite and Absolute.

However, even as we acknowledge our inability and powerlessness to gain a perfect understanding and deep and expansive gnosis of the limitless Being, nevertheless we are able to achieve a degree of proximity and a relative understanding of His Exalted station and tawhid .

Even when man’s intellect and thought are not yet fully developed to his highest potential, he is still able to use his wondrous power of contemplation – which is a bounty derived from the command of that same limitless Source, which He has placed in our souls so that we might seek a way to Him and to try to understand Him – and to use logic and rational proofs and acquire some understanding of that Eternal Being, in proportion to the extent of our individual insight and intellect.

In this way, we may fully realize the existence of that constant Reality, Whose will is mirrored throughout the breadth of existence and creation, behind everything that we observe. One of the most intricate verses of the Qur’an is the verse of light ( ayat al-nur ), which exegetes, mystics and philosophers have all discussed, and about which they have offered opinions according to their respective inclinations.

Undoubtedly, the most satisfying method of explaining unfamiliar phenomena is by the use of allegory, metaphor and simile; in truth this style of introduction and familiarization with truths, comprises of two important and basic aspects: the first is that the beauty and subtlety latent in the metaphor makes the heart of the listener incline to the object being described, and second, the intricate secrets and mysteries of the object may become better known to the listener through the aid of the metaphor and allegory that is employed.

The verse above also falls under the category of allegory, however, only to the extent of the reach of the intellective faculty of man, and the insignificant knowledge that he possesses and on the other hand, attempting to introduce the boundless and sacred existence of God.