FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE A S a created being, man is in the complete sense, a helpless creature. However, for the purpose of the test of mankind it appears as if he is in control and possesses the power to direct his life. Man should reach beyond this apparent feeling of control and discover his helplessness. This is a great discovery within which lies all the secrets to his success. The discovery of helplessness is the greatest discovery for any man. This discovery gives him great prospects for remembering and beseeching his Lord. It gives him the opportunity to say: Oh Lord! You have created man as a helpless being. All Power is only with you and all helplessness is in man. In such a situation, You cannot afford to be indifferent towards me. This is against your Glory as the Creator and Sustainer that You can be indifferent towards Your helpless creatures. It is imperative that between You and Your creation there should be a relationship of a Giver towards the deprived. Only such a relationship befits the glory of God the Beneficent the Merciful. This is the type of supplication which is considered in the Hadith as the There is a tree beside my house. I call it the 'Spiritual Tree'. I derive spiritual inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing being that was initially a seed possessing the potential of becoming a full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the universe around it and then grows into a tree. The same is true with spirituality, the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an integral part of, the very nature of, every human being. To realize this spirituality, Man must derive spiritual food from the universe around him. A tree converts carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a spiritual personality. — Maulana Wahiduddin Khan THE DISCOVERY OF OUR HELPLESSNESS