The artist paints a picture in three stages: preparatory; stage of action; stage of completion -- past, present, and future.

1. The first stage is the design of the picture; that is predestination. We all begin with this. We are the manifestation of the eternal Sun, and therefore all the attributes of the Creator must be in the creature. Before doing anything do we not plan it? In our mind we have created it. The Creator acted thus, and so do we. We do it with a pen; He does it with nature. His art is nature. The Qur'an says that Allah taught man by the pen of His nature. It is our nature to create and by creating our art in harmony with nature we can prove our skill. The art we produce is according to the nature of ourselves, for we are the creator.