THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

The Five Pillars of Islam ~ 93 ~ forth green shoots as the blessed rain falls from the heavens. His whole inner being becomes radiant as if bathed in a divine light. His discovery of God is raised to an infinitely higher plane of illumination by his discovery of God’s Prophet. The Prophet is neither an angel nor any other kind of supernatural being, having been born into this world of a human mother, just like any of his fellow-men. What truly distinguishes him from the rest of mankind is his having been chosen by God as His messenger. In the Prophet, God saw a man in whom the fires of human nature burnt bright, and in whom there was no contradiction of thought, word and deed. In the forty years before he attained prophethood, he had never once betrayed a trust. He was strictly honest in his dealings, true to his word, and deeply compassionate towards the human beings all around him. Most important of all, he had a profound desire for the truth, which went far and beyond all craving for profit. In Mohammad, son of Abdullah, (peace and God’s blessings be upon him) God found a pure soul, untarnished by self-interest, and totally