God is not ashamed to strike a similitude even of a gnat or anything above it. For God most high being ashamed would mean the relinquishment tark [of His free agency]. When He describes Himself as being ashamed of something it means He does not do that and when it is said “He is not ashamed” it means He does not mind doing that. Creation in relation to the existence of the Real is in actuality less than a speck of dust in the air habāÌ fī hawāÌ because this is the perishing of one limited thing in another. Therefore the two-the throne and the gnat-are the same in His power. The creation of the throne is not too troublesome or difficult for Him and the creation of the gnat is not too insignificant or easy for him. He سبحانه is too holy to be attached to difficulty or ease. Since the matter can be described in this way He is not ashamed to strike a similitude of the gnat just as He is not ashamed to strike a similitude of the throne and what is below it. It is said that one aspect of the similitude of the gnat is the fact that when it is hungry it becomes strong and flies but once it is satiated it splits open and dies. Similarly Surely mankind goes too far for he thinks himself self-sufficient [96:6-7]. It is said that or anything above it means a [larger] flying insect dhubāb. [Here] one aspect of the allusion is the insolence of the fly in that it keeps returning no matter how much it is driven away. If that [quality] were to be in the lion no human being would be safe from him. But when He created power in the lion He created in him an aversion to humankind. When He created insolence in the fly He created weakness in him calling attention through this to the perfection of His wisdom and the effective- ness of His power. as for the believers they know it is the truth from their Lord; but as for the disbelievers they say “What did God desire by this as a similitudeḍ” As for those for whose eyes of inner consciousness have been opened they do not look to others or to traces or effects āthār unless it is to take heed iʿtibār or to increase the effectiveness of the faculty of insight ibtiṣār.
