Outward, Inward

Outward, Inward

1993 4-5 April-May 13 Outward, Inward (260) Man exists on two levels, the outward and the inward. Likewise, his activities fall into two categories, one originating from deep, inner states and convictions, and the other from external compulsions. Broadly speaking, man’s activities are, therefore, governed by external compulsions or internal convictions.

If the activities of the present day Muslims are examined in the light of this division they will mostly fall into that of external compulsions. Their activities may appear to be different in nature from one another, and their utterances too may appear to be different, but when you examine them from the angle of reality and not appearance, all would appear to belong to the same category. In one respect or the other, they all spring from external compulsions.

A movement having its roots in external compulsion, no matter how lofty the claim, can never be Islamic in nature. Such a movement would be materialistic, and would have nothing to do with religion based on God-worship. An Islamic movement is one, which is based purely on inner states and convictions, the result of a great transformation of man’s personality.

Such a movement is brought about by those who have experienced the realization of God, and whose speech is silence, living as they do in the company of unseen angels. Their tears testify to the storm raging inside, for they have discovered the secret of communicating with God, through silence. For them the seen realities of this world lose all significance and the unseen realities of the next world appear as clear as the mountain tops.