…the
contingent world is the source of deficiencies and God is the source of
perfection. The very deficiencies of the contingent world testify to God’s
perfections. For example, when you consider man, you observe that he is weak,
and this very weakness of the creature betokens the power of One Who is Eternal
and Almighty; for were it not for power, weakness could not be imagined. Thus
the weakness of the creature is evidence of the power of God: Without power
there could be no weakness. This weakness makes it evident that there is a
power in the world.
Again,
in the contingent world there is poverty; hence there must be wealth for there
to be poverty in the world. In the contingent world there is ignorance; hence
there must be knowledge for there to be ignorance. If there were no knowledge,
neither could there be ignorance; for ignorance is the non-existence of
knowledge, and if there were no existence, non-existence could not be.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha; ‘Some Answered Questions’ –
2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World Centre)
