M6:3134 — ز اختران می‌ساخت او مصباح‌ها / وز طبایع قفل با مفتاح‌ها

Translation: He fashioned stars into lamps, And from natures, locks with corresponding keys. Meaning: God created the stars as illuminating lamps and embedded within the various natural elements both mysteries (locks) and their solutions (keys), describing the orderly and secret-filled creation of the cosmos.

This verse describes the creation of the cosmos and its beings, as understood by Mowlana and his contemporaries. Mowlana states that God fashioned stars into lamps and embedded within nature both locks and their corresponding keys. Traditionally, this imagery evokes an instantaneous creation: God forming Adam from clay, breathing intellect and soul into him. However, in our present era, illuminated by scientific advancements, particularly the theory of evolution, we can no longer embrace such a straightforward, sudden depiction.

Indeed, creation was an exceedingly gradual process, unfolding over millions of years. Organs, molecules, and even human intelligence and reason have emerged and evolved incrementally. Therefore, when Mowlana speaks of God "sowing intellect in water and clay," we must interpret it not as an instant, physical act, but as a long-term, designed process. The language of religion, especially concerning creation, is inherently metaphorical and allegorical. Phrases like "Adam from dust" or the "divine breath of the potter" are parables that, for us today, demand re-reading and re-interpretation.

This verse, in essence, sets the stage for understanding humanity's role within this world of locks and keys. This ordered universe, with its celestial lamps and hidden mysteries, forms the backdrop for the manifestation and display of divine attributes. It is then that Mowlana declares: "Adam is the astrolabe of lofty attributes." Thus, the creation of the world, in all its complexity, serves as a grand theater where humanity's boundless potential for unlocking secrets and comprehending the qualities of Truth is revealed.

Key takeaways

• The creation of the world is an order of celestial lamps and inherent mysteries embedded within nature.
• The traditional view of instantaneous creation requires re-interpretation in light of modern evolutionary theory.
• Creation is a gradual, patient, and long-term process, not a sudden event.
• Religious language, particularly concerning creation, is fundamentally metaphorical and should not be taken literally.
• This world of "locks and keys" serves as a stage for the manifestation of divine attributes, with humanity as the key to these mysteries.