Ninth phrase:

In His hand is all good means that all good deeds are in His Book and all benevolence is in His Treasury. Given this, those who desire good must seek it from Him, and those who desire what is best must entreat Him. To demonstrate this truth, we present the following instance of Divine Knowledge:

The Maker Who creates and exerts authority in this universe, as observed through His acts, has an All-Encompassing Knowledge inherent to His Essence. Just as this All-Encompassing Knowledge is indispensable to that Being—as the sun cannot be thought of without its light—it is essential to all things because it envelopes their being. Just as objects on Earth’s surface see the sun, nothing can be hidden from the light of that Knowledge, Which encompasses and penetrates all things.

If that solid sun, those unconscious X-rays, and whatever else which is a source of light, as well as helpless humanity, can see and penetrate whatever faces them, despite being contingent, defective, and accidental, how can anything be hidden from the light of that necessarily all-encompassing and essential Eternal Knowledge? Countless signs point to this truth, as seen below:

All wisdom witnessed in all beings points to that Knowledge, for He Who acts out of kindness and graciousness does so because He knows. All well-ordered creatures, each of which has a precise balance, a balanced and measured form, and a perfect order, point to that All-Encompassing Knowledge, for order requires knowledge. All graces and adornments show knowledge. The artist who works according to a strict measure and balance relies on a powerful knowledge. Each creature’s precise proportions, its shape determined according to its purpose and benefits, and its fruitful conditions and compositions indicate that they are made according to the principles of Divine Decree and the compasses of Divine Determination. They all demonstrate His All-Encompassing Knowledge.

Only one with an all-encompassing knowledge can give each thing a unique yet well-ordered form appropriate to and relevant for its life and existence. Only one with an all-encompassing knowledge can meet all living creatures’ needs in a suitable way, at the appropriate time, and from unexpected places. Only the One Who knows each thing’s needs can meet them.

As each creature will die, its ignorance of when this will occur shows that death depends on a law of determination and displays an all-encompassing knowledge. Although it does not appear so at first sight, everything—particularly plants—will die at an appointed time. These things’ seeds and offspring are preserved to continue their duties or functions, to be the means of transformation into new lives. This also demonstrates an all-encompassing knowledge.

Each being is gratified by Mercy, Which encompasses all beings, for the One Who feeds sentient creatures’ offspring with milk and sustains Earth’s vegetation with water and rain must know the needs of all infants and vegetation. This points to a comprehensive knowledge. The care seen in making all creatures, as well as their artistic design and skillful adornment, displays an all-encompassing knowledge, for only such knowledge can choose an orderly, adorned, artistic, and purposeful state from countless possible states.

The perfect ease in creating and originating things points to perfect knowledge, for ease and facility of achievement are directly proportional to the degree of knowledge and skill. The more one knows about something, the more easily one accomplishes it. We can see how all things, each a miracle of art, are created quickly and miraculously with astonishing ease and facility.

In addition, thousands of other true signs show that the One Who controls the universe has an all-encompassing knowledge. He knows all things’ qualities and functions, and then acts. Since the universe’s Owner has such knowledge, He sees us and our actions and rewards and punishes us accordingly. He deals—and will deal—with us according to the requirements of His Wisdom and Mercy. So be sensible! Think carefully of this Being Who knows and watches you. Realize these truths and pull yourself together.

A possible objection: If you say that Knowledge alone is not sufficient, for Will is also necessary, I reply: All creatures bear witness to Divine All-Encompassing Knowledge, and point to the universal Will of the One with that Knowledge.

A universal Will is demonstrated in many ways: Each creature, especially sentient beings, hesitates among many possibilities and yet receives a most well-ordered and specific identity through one probability determined from many, and through a certain way leading to one result out of many fruitless ways. This well-ordered identity, measure, and form are given according to a most sensitive scale and subtle organization, and are cut from solid elements flowing randomly in endless possibilities and fruitless ways. This shows that they are the works of a universal Will, for choice happens only through designation, preference, purpose and will, specification, deliberate intention and desire. Specifying requires one who specifies, and preference requires one who prefers. Only the Will specifies and prefers.

For example, a person resembles a machine composed of hundreds of systems and components, although he or she is created from a drop of water. A bird and a tree, both of which have hundreds of parts, are created from a simple egg and a simple seed, respectively. Such things testify to Power and Knowledge and indicate their Maker’s Universal Will, with which He specifies each being’s members, parts, and unique shape.

In short, just as the resemblance and correspondence between an animal’s major bodily parts with respect to their basic aspects  and results indicate their Maker’s Oneness, their unique identities and faces prove that their Maker of Unity has Will and absolute freedom in His acts. He does only what He wills to do, acts independently of the universe, and has an absolute, universal Will. Thus each creature, or each function of each creature, testifies to Divine Knowledge and Will. Given this, those who deny Divine Destiny, who claim that Divine Knowledge does not comprehend all particulars or that the existence of some creatures is due to natural cause and effect, are seriously mistaken and deluded. Their denial is a lie of infinite dimensions. So, consider how mistaken and contrary to the truth it is to say “naturally” of any event, for all occur through Divine Will. Rather, say: “If God wills.”