And the difference of night and day, and the provision that God sends down from heaven whereby He brings the earth to life after its death, and the turning about of the winds, are signs for a people who use intelligence. He reminds the creatures of His blessings in creating water, wind, and rain and thereby making ready their daily provision. Then He says, “are signs for a people who use intelligence.” An in- telligent person is someone who ponders and reflects upon the signs. From the first sign [45:3], he will understand His power, and the requisite of power is fear, so he will fear His harshness and forcefulness. From the second sign [45:4], he will understand His gentleness, and the requisite of gentleness is hope, so his heart will attach itself to His generosity. From the third sign he will recognize His blessings, so he will undertake to give gratitude for them. First is the station of the fearful, second the station of the hopeful, and third the station of the grateful. In the station of gratitude, much unveiling and veiling occurs. When the Exalted Lord says, “the difference of night and day,” He is alluding to unveiling and veiling. Bright day is the likeness of unveiling, and dark night is the mark of the veil. The servant passes back and forth between these two states. In the state of unveiling he sees only the Beneficent. He does not become happy in blessings, nor does he become sorrowful in tribulation. He is so busy contemplating the Be- neficent that he does not attend to the blessings nor to the grief and tribulation. In this meaning they have sung, “If I distinguish between Your doing good or bad, I will be busy with the distinction, not You.” In the time of the veil, the contemplation of the Beneficent conceals itself from him. He turns all of his attention to blessings and tribulation. Hence in blessings he beats the drum of happiness, and in tribulation he carries the burden of grief. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Pain and remedy, grief and happiness, poverty and wealth-these are all attributes of the wayfarers in the way stations of the road. When a man reaches the goal, he has no station or way station, no moment or state, no spirit or heart.” Make not your home in body or spirit, for that is low and this is high. Take a step outside of both-be not here and be not there. [DS 51] O God, sometimes I take joy in pain and make do with its increase, hoping that when I melt in this pain, I will overthrow both pain and comfort.
