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In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Whoever has been given the Wisdom, certainly has been given much good. (2:269)
First fundamental: Differences between the Qur'anic wisdom and human
philosophy: A religious, skillful, and renowned ruler wanted to make a copy
of the Qur'an as beautifully as required by its sacred meanings and miraculous
wording in order to adorn its wonderful words in a worthy fashion. So, he wrote
it in a truly wonderful fashion with all kinds of precious jewels. To point out
the variety of its truths, he wrote some of its letters in diamonds and
emeralds, others in pearls and agate, brilliants and coral, and gold and silver.
He adorned and decorated it in such a way that everyone was full of admiration
and astonishment. That Qur'an became a most precious artwork for the people of
truth, for its outer beauty indicated its brilliant inner beauty and striking
adornment.
The ruler showed this Qur'an to a foreign [non‑Muslim] philosopher and a
Muslim scholar. Seeking to test and reward them, he told each one to write about
it. The two men complied. The philosopher discussed the letters' shapes,
decorations, and interrelationships, and the jewels' properties and methods of
use. He said nothing of its meaning, for he saw only an ornamented object and
was unaware that it was an invaluable book with depths of meaning. As he was
well‑informed about engineering and chemistry, could describe things, and knew a
great deal about jewelry but nothing about Arabic, he wrote his book
accordingly. But the truth‑loving Muslim scholar, understanding that it was the
Clear Book (the Wise Qur'an), ignored its outward ornamentation and the letters'
decorations and described the sacred truths and secret lights behind the veil of
decorations, for they are far more valuable and worthy of respect, more useful
and comprehensive.
Both men presented their books to the ruler, who began with the
·philosopher's book. Seeing that he had worked very hard, the ruler nevertheless
refused his book and expelled him from his presence. Why? Because he had written
nothing of the bejeweled Qur'an's true wisdom, understood none of its meanings,
and showed his disrespect for it by thinking that this source of truths consists
of meaningless decoration. Looking through second book, and seeing that the
truth‑loving scholar had written a very beautiful and useful interpretation, a
wise and illuminating composition, he congratulated him. It was pure wisdom, and
its author was a true scholar, a genuine sage. As a reward, the scholar was
given 10 gold coins from the ruler's inexhaustible treasury for each letter of
his book.
The meaning is as follows: The embellished Qur'an is this artistically
fashioned universe; the ruler is the Eternal Sovereign. The first man represents
the line of philosophy and philosophers; the second man represents the way of
the Qur'an and its students. Indeed, the wise Qur'an is the most exalted
expounder and a most eloquent translator of this universe (a macro‑Qur'an). It
is the Criterion that instructs jinn and humanity in the signs of
creation—Divine laws regarding creation and the universe's operation—inscribed
by the Pen of Power on the sheets of the universe and pages of time. It looks
upon creatures, each a meaningful letter, as bearing the meaning of another (on
account of their Maker) and says: "How beautifully they have been made, how
meaningfully they point to the Maker's beauty and grace." Thus it shows the
universe's real beauty.
Philosophy, focused on the design and decorations of creation's "letters,"
has lost its way. While it ought to look upon this macro‑book's letters as
bearing the meaning of another (on account of God), it looks upon them as
signifying themselves (on account of themselves) and says: "How beautiful they
are," not "How beautifully they have been made." Thus philosophers insult
creation and cause it to complain. In truth, materialistic philosophy is a
falsehood having no truth, an insult to creation.
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The Mysteries of the Qur'an 
