So too, think only of God Almighty’s names of All-Merciful and Compassionate. They make happy all the believing fathers and forefathers, relations and friends whom you love and feel sympathy for, in this world by means of all kinds of bounties, and in Paradise by means of all kinds of delights. They cause happiness by showing you in eternal bliss to them, and them in eternal bliss to you. So how deserving of being loved is the name of All-Merciful and the title of All-Compassionate. You can see for yourself just how needy for those two names is the human spirit. And you can understand just how appropriate is the phrase, “Praise be to God for His mercifulness and His compassionateness!”

You are connected to the world and as a result are afflicted by its wretchedness, so if you consider carefully, you may understand just how needy and desirous is your spirit for the name of All-Wise and for the title of Nurturer. For the Owner of those names orders, regulates and sustains with perfect wisdom the world, which is like a sort of house for you, and the creatures within it, which are its familiar furniture and lovable decorations.

And you are altogether connected to other human beings and grieve when they die. So, if you consider carefully, you may understand just how needy is your spirit for the names of Inheritor and Resurrector, and for the titles Eternal, All-Generous, Giver of Life, and Munificent. For the Owner of these names saves human beings at the time of their death from the darkness of non-existence and establishes them in a place far finer than this world.

Thus, since man’s nature is exalted and his disposition comprehensive, he is, by his very nature, needy with thousands of different sorts of needs for the innumerable divine names, each of which has many degrees. Intensified need is longing. Intensified longing is love. And intensified love is passion. As the spirit is perfected, the degrees of love unfold according to the degrees of the names. Furthermore, since the names are the titles and manifestations of the One of Glory, love of them will be transformed into love of the divine essence.

Now, just as an example, we shall explain one of the innumerable degrees of the names of All-Just, All-Wise, Truth, and All-Merciful. If you wish to see the names of All-Merciful and Compassionate, and Truth within wisdom and justice to the utmost extent, consider the following comparison.

Let us suppose there is an army in which there are four hundred different sections. The uniforms that each section prefers are different, the provisions that please them, the weapons they will carry with ease and the medi-