FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE 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 PURIFICATION THROUGH ILLNESS A CCORDING to a Hadith in the Sahih al-Bukhari, once, a man fell sick and the Prophet went to visit him. When he got there, the Prophet said: “Don’t worry, God willing, it will be a means of purification.” Now, this does not mean that when someone falls sick, his sins are washed away through some mysterious process and that he is automatically purified. Rather, it is something known that happens with a believer. If you are not sick and your body is in good health, you develop, consciously or otherwise, a feeling of pride and a sense of self-sufficiency. In such a situation, feelings of helplessness are absent and a person can be insensitive. In contrast to this, when a believer falls sick, he discovers his helplessness. It cultivates the virtues of kindness and compassion in him, and he experiences what it means to be a servant of God. In this way, illness serves to distance the believer from other things and takes him closer to God. He turns his attention to God. He begins to remember God. He prays to God and beseeches Him. Sickness becomes a means for him to come near to God.