Man’s Craving for an Object of Worship

Man’s Craving for an Object of Worship

1991 2 February 6 Man’s Craving for an Object of Worship (435) When Russian cosmonaut Andrei Nikolai returned to the earth after his space flight in 1962, he said at a press conference in Moscow on August 21, “when I landed on the earth, I felt like kissing the ground”.

In all of the known universe, there is no place other than the earth where such enormous number of things have been gathered together to meet man’s requirements. When the Russian cosmonaut went into space, he discovered that in its incredible vastness there was nothing for man but astonishment and confusion. There was nothing out there to provide either for his physical or his mental comfort. When, after this experience, he landed on earth, he realized the pricelessness of his own planet, just as a man understands the value of water when he has been parched with thirst for a very long time. The earth with all its favourable circumstances appeared so dear to him that he felt like embracing it in order to express his feelings towards it.

This action is described in the Shariah as turning a thing into deity (ilab). Unable to see his Creator, man makes His creation his Ilah. A momin (true believer) is one who discovers reality by passing beyond appearances, having learned that all that is visible is God’s bequest to mankind. For him, whatever, is present on this earth has been created by the Supreme Being. He sees Creator in His Creation and makes him his all. All his best feelings are then offered to God.

When a man finds God his feelings towards his Creator are similar to those of the Russian cosmonaut on his return to earth, only they are on a far superior plane and of a much greater intensity. The momin is one who, on being touched by the sun’s rays, sees in them the light of God. He should be able to find God in the very fragrance of the flower. He should see in the flowing waters of the rivers and streams the wonderful mercy of God. In the infinitude of space he should see the infiniteness of his Creator.

The difference between a momin and a non-momin is that the latter’s vision stops short at the surface of creation, while a momin’s vision passes straight through creation to its Creator. A non-momin becomes lost in the beauty of creation because he imagines that this beauty is inherent. But the momin sees in the beauty of creation the beauty of its Creator, and surrenders himself totally to God. The non-momin prostrates himself before mere things. The momin casts himself down before their Creator.