FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

We need a favourable climate in order to live in peace and comfort. But we do not have the power to establish and maintain such a climate. Man desires eternal life, but everyone who comes into this world dies at an appointed time. It is beyond our capacity to stave off death. Man is a completely indigent being. But in order to fulfil his many needs he is dependent on an external power. This aspect of man’s life is an extremely serious matter requiring complete deliberation. It is these contradictory aspects of his life that compel him to seriously ponder and discover the truth of this matter so that he can plan and construct his life accordingly. Experience shows man that in this world he is only a ‘taker’ and secondly that there is another Being Who is only a ‘giver’. This relationship obliges man to ponder about the truth behind his existence and then fashion his life based on this reality. He should place himself in the position based on reality and acknowledge the deserving position that he must accord to the ‘giver’. In other words, were man to seriously ponder about himself, he will discover himself to be in the position of a devotee and the other Being in the position of Almighty God. This discovery is the true secret of man’s success. That person who using his intellectual capabilities can discover this truth is truly human. For him are reserved all eternal success. On the other hand, that person who fails to discover this truth will have nothing but eternal loss. That person who discovers this reality will naturally respond in a manner stated in the Quran as, ‘All praise [and thanks] is to God, the Lord of the universe. (1: 1-2) He will thank the one who can satisfy all requirements. This acknowledgement will revolutionize man so that he will develop an extreme form of devotion to God and fear of God. This is the man that is referred to in the Quran as a momin or a ‘believer’. o Were man to seriously ponder about himself, he will discover himself to be in the position of a devotee and the other Being in the position of Almighty God. This discovery is the true secret of man’s success.