A Dwarf in the Universe

A Dwarf in the Universe

1988 4 April 9 A Dwarf in the Universe (243) God in His wisdom has given us minds with which to observe and reason. Therefore, when we view ourselves in the context of the vastness of the universe, we at once realize how small a part we play in it. With God’s universe extending itself before us in all its grandeur, we cannot but be imbued with an all-pervading sense of humility – the greatest quality that a man can have.

On April 8, 1984 the first Indian spaceman, squadron leader Rakesh Sharma, was privileged to view the universe from space itself – an impression more awesome than ever we could have from the earth’s surface. An interview with him, while he was actually in space, was relayed from the mission control centre in Moscow and telecast live on the Indian National TV Network. Here is a significant excerpt:

Interviewer: How do you pass your time when there is no work?

Sharma: I just peep through the window and watch the timeless space.

Interviewer: Don’t you feel like a tiny human being up there, dwarfed by the endless space?

Sharma: Certainly, its mind-boggling.

Humility of this sort is the greatest virtue that a man can have, while the worst streak in a man’s character is unbridled arrogance. Humility is a characteristic which develops through coming to terms with reality over and over again, whereas arrogance springs from shallow thinking and from constantly turning a blind eye to what one’s actual role in the universe is.

A good deed is of no value if it makes one proud

1988 4 April 9 A good deed is of no value if it makes one proud (29) Ibn Ataullah As Sikandari wrote in his book, Al-Hikam: “A sin which makes one meek and humble is better than a good deed which makes one proud and arrogant.”