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The Luzumiyat · Chapter

XLVII explained

The chapter reflects on the nature of human existence as mere utterances of Time, repeated by God for comprehension, suggesting a deterministic and ephemeral view of life.

What happens

The chapter reflects on the nature of human existence as mere utterances of Time, repeated by God for comprehension, suggesting a deterministic and ephemeral view of life.

Themes in this chapter

  • Mortality and Transience

    The chapter portrays humans as fleeting words fallen from Time, emphasizing the transient and ephemeral nature of existence.

  • Fate and Destiny

    The idea that humans are words repeated by God suggests a predetermined, fated role in the cosmic order.

Key passages

  • I heard it whispered in the cryptic streets Where every sage the same dumb shadow meets: “We are but words fallen from the lips of Time Which God, that we might understand, repeats.”

    In the mysterious alleys, where all wise figures encounter the same silent fate, a rumor circulates: we are merely utterances dropped by Time, which God echoes so we can grasp our own meaning.

    This quatrain encapsulates the chapter's core theme of human insignificance and divine repetition.