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they by reason thereof avail to do what they will, why then doth He not come between them and that which they desire of error and turn them to the truth?’ (A.) ‘This is of the greatness of His mercy and the excellence of His wisdom; for, even as aforetime He showed wrath to Iblis and had no mercy on him, so He showed Adam mercy, by means[1] of repentance, and accepted of him, after He had been wroth with him.’ (Q.) ‘He is indeed the very Truth, for He it is who requiteth every one according to his works, and there is no Creator but God, to whom belongeth power over all things. But tell me, hath He created that which He loveth and that which He loveth not or only that which He loveth?’ (A.) ‘He created all things, but favours only that which He loveth.’ (Q.) ‘What hast thou to say of two things, one whereof is pleasing to God and earns reward for him who practises it?’ (A.) ‘Expound to me these two things and make me to apprehend them, that I may speak concerning them.’ (Q.) ‘They are good and evil, the two things innate in the body and the soul.’ (A.) ‘O wise youth, I see that thou knowest good and evil to be of the works that the soul and the body do [in conjunction]. Good is named good, because in it is the favour of God, and evil evil, for that in it is His wrath. Indeed, it behoveth thee to know God and to please Him by the practice of good, for that He hath commanded us to this and forbidden us to do evil.’ (Q.) ‘I see these two things, that is, good and evil, to be wrought only by the five senses known in the body of man, to wit, the seat of taste, whence proceed speech, hearing, sight, smell and touch. Tell me whether these five senses were created for good altogether or for evil.’ (A.) ‘Hear, O man, the exposition of that whereof thou askest and lay it up in thy memory and notify thy heart thereof, for it is a manifest proof.
- ↑ Or, perhaps, “on account.”
