FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE S OME people have not, in their hearts, bowed to God. Their outward prostration is mere pretence. In the next world, they will be asked to bow down before the Lord but they will not be able to do so. (QURAN, 68: 42) Prostration is not just a ritual and time-bound physical action; it is to surrender oneself to sublime reality. It is to make oneself follow truth in one’s entire life. This verse of the Quran does not just refer to prostration in a limited sense; it indicates a truth which pertains to the whole of one’s life. In this world, people—both at individual and collective level—do not in their hearts bow to the reality; they do not adopt the path of truth. Yet, in their outward demeanor they pretend to be on the side of truth; they speak words which make it seem they are in the right and not harming or exploiting others. But such deceit is possible only here, in this world of trial. In the next world, everything will change. Fake notes can be passed on the streets, 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 WHEN TRUTH IS REVEALED