Al-Jalīl - The Sublime One
Al-Jalīl is the one who is characterized by the qualities of sublimity. The qualities of sublimity include wealth, dominion, holiness, knowledge, power and other attributes that we have mentioned. The one who combines all of them (in his person) is the absolute Al-Jalīl. If one is characterised by (only) some of them, his sublimity is commensurate with his attainment of these qualities. The absolute Al-Jalīl is God Most High alone. It may be said that Al-Kabīr is traceable to the perfection of the essence, Al-Jalīl to the perfection of the attributes and Al-ʿAẓīm to the perfection of the essence and the attributes, and all of this is in relation to that which is apprehended by mental perception. The one (described) in this manner engulfs mental perception and is not engulfed by it.
Furthermore, when the attributes of sublimity are related to the mental perception which apprehends it, it is called beauty, and the one who is characterised by it is termed beautiful. The name Al-Jamīl originally was coined for the visible (whatever it may be) that is discerned by the sight and is such as to harmonize and agree with sight. Then it was transferred to the inner form which is perceived by the powers of mental perception, and thus one speaks of conduct as being good and beautiful, and one says that one’s character is beautiful. That (beauty) is perceived by the powers of mental perception and not by (physical) sight. (Indeed), inner forms, if they are perfect and proportionate, and combine all the perfections suitable to them as they ought to do and in such a manner as they should be (combined), are beautiful in relation to the inner powers of perception which comprehend them and are so suitable for them that when one gazes upon them the observer experiences greater joy, delight and emotion than are experienced by the one who through his external sight gazes upon beautiful forms. Therefore the absolutely and authentically beautiful one is God Most High alone, for all the beauty, perfection, splendour and loveliness in this world are from the lights of His essence and the traces of His attributes.
The one among men who is termed Al-Jalīl al-Jamīl is the one whose inner attributes are good, (those attributes) in which discerning hearts take pleasure. As for the beauty of the visible forms, (this is something which is) of little and descending value.
