FROM MAULANA'S DESK

Use every event in your life as a point of reference! Our world is full of points of reference, provided you have an awakened mind. Every observation and learning can serve as a point of reference to establish contact with God instantly and seek His blessings. By following this method, you will be able to receive divine blessings every moment. For example, when you undergo a hurtful experience in life, you can make it a point of reference and pray to God to save you from the hurtful experience of eternal life. Similarly, when you receive comfort in life, you can make it a point of reference and pray to God for comfort in eternal life. We are living in a world where every moment we are faced with distraction and fail to remember God. How should we overcome this weakness? How should we continue to live in the remembrance of God? This continuity can be maintained only by engaging in intellectual effort on a constant basis. Our mind is like a mobile phone. A mobile phone becomes inactive when its battery gets exhausted and so we need to recharge it. The same is also true for our mind. Our mind also needs to be recharged, again and again. This is the only way to continue to inculcate divine awareness, every day and night. For example, when you are reading this article, you are using your mind, your eyes as well as the external light — sunlight or electric light. All these things were not created by you but are supplied by God Almighty alone. Remember this divine bounty and present your gratefulness to God. This is acknowledgement; and acknowledgement is what makes you a deserving candidate to receive further bounties. This is mentioned in the Quran in these words, Remember the time when your Lord declared, “If you are grateful, I will surely bestow more favours on you; but if you are ungrateful, then know that My punishment is severe indeed.” THE QURAN 14: 7 This is God’s promise to man and God never betrays His promise. o Maulana Wahiduddin Khan editor@thespiritofislam.org