Mohammad: The Prophet of Revolution Vol

soul from which these words emanated was itself in the state that they describe; through words that state of spiritual perfection was communicated to others. Before he received the word of God, this world—with all its shortcomings and limitations—appeared meaningless to the Prophet. But now that God had revealed to him that besides this world there was another perfect and eternal world, which was the real abode of man, life and the universe took on new meaning. He now found a level on which his soul could subsist, a life in which he could involve himself, heart and soul. The Prophet now found a real world into which he could put his heart and soul, a target for all his hopes and aspirations, a goal for all his life’s endeavours. This is what is meant by the world being a planting-ground for the hereafter. One who realizes this fact lives a life oriented towards the hereafter—a life in which all efforts are aimed at achieving success in the next, eternal world; a life in which real value is attached—not to this ephemeral world—but to the life beyond death. One becomes aware that this world is not the final destination; it is only a road towards the destination, a starting-point of preparation for the future life. Just as every action of a person of the world is performed with worldly interests in mind, so every action of God’s faithful servant is focused on the hereafter. His reactions to every situation in life reflect this attitude of looking at every matter in perspective of the life after death, and of how it will affect his interests in the next world. Whether it be an occasion of happiness or sorrow, success or failure, domination or depression, praise or condemnation, love or anger—in every state he is guided by thoughts of hereafter, until finally these thoughts become a part of his unconscious mind. He does not cease to be a mortal, but his mind comes to function only on matters related to the world of immortality, making him almost forget his interest in worldly matters. This reality is discovered not merely on an intellectual level. When it takes root, it transforms one completely, and raises one’s level of existence. The Prophet of Islam provides us with a superlative example of this way of life. The greatest lesson furnished by his life is that, unless one changes one’s plane of existence, one cannot change one’s plane of actions. When the Prophet Mohammad discovered the reality of the world hereafter it came to dominate his whole life. He himself became most desirous of the heaven of which he gave tidings to others, and he himself was most fearful of the hell of which he warned others.