1. THE TRIAL OF MAN

1. THE TRIAL OF MAN ~ 13 ~ A man who says, “I am ready to throw myself at the feet of my Lord, but I will not bow to Adam”, has become the brother of Satan; his self-prostration has no value in the eyes of God, because it is negated by the pride he displays in refusing to bow to Adam. One who allows pride to be the governing factor in his life will find indeed, that none of his actions are acceptable to God. The story of the first man, which was enacted in the very presence of God, is now being re-enacted over and over again in everyday life, but now, the difference is that God has placed a veil between Himself and mankind so that He shall remain unseen. We do not see God right there before us, but we do have the Holy Book which He bequeathed to mankind – the Qur’an – and we also have the sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. We have, moreover, the voice of our own consciences, which tells us every day that we must, in our dealings with others, acknowledge their rights in word and deed. It is as if we heard the exhortation of God: ‘Fulfill the obligation you have to this, your fellow man.’ God tells us to bow