FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE The fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, observed: 'I realized God by having failed in my planning.' (Quwwat ul-Quloob) FAILING to accomplish one’s plan is a common experience. Often, one fails to accomplish the plan one had set out for oneself. It serves as a reminder that there is a factor greater than his own self and this power is, no doubt, none other than God Almighty Himself. This may be called a negative reminder. There are also positive reminders of the greatness of God and the number of positive reminders is far greater than negative ones. The rising of the new sun after every dark night is a positive reminder of God Almighty. The realization of God, the Creator of the sun is no doubt, of unbounded magnitude. One’s discovery of God will be an unending journey of divine glimpses. He will realize the greatness of God, on seeing the rains reviving the parched land; when the crops grow again; when the trees continue to supply oxygen; when the physical organs perform their functions every 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 REALIZATION OF GOD