8. FAITH

8. Faith ~ 22 ~ 8. FAITH The essence of faith is ma‘arifah, (realization or discovery of God). When a man consciously seeks out and finds God, and thereby has access to divine realities, which is what constitutes faith. This discovery is no simple matter. God is the Creator and Owner of all things. He will award or punish all, according to their deeds; none is free from his grip. The discovery of such a God shakes to the core of the whole life of man. His thinking is revolutionized, for God becomes the center of all His emotions. With God as the principal focus of his attention, man becomes God’s servant in the fullest sense of the word. He becomes a man whose living and dying is all for God. Such a faith ultimately results in all of man’s behaviour and his dealings taking on the hue of God. When the believer speaks, he is conscious of the fact that God is listening to him. When he walks, he does so with modesty so that his gait may not be displeasing to God. When he deals with people, he