THE NECESSITY OF PRETREATMENT

Similarly, before taking steps of any social consequence, it is necessary that there be a leader who is respected by the majority. Attempting to take initiatives without a central leadership is like leaping into an abyss. Central leadership is the prerequisite for the success of positive social movement. The need for initial preparation is present in every walk of life, in private affairs as well as in public life. Those who seek to achieve high ideals, but do not wish to go through the tedium of doing extensive groundwork first, are building sandcastles which will not be able to stand the test of time. Their ambitions are no more than flights of fantasy which will never get off the ground in the world of hard realities. The characteristics possessed by cotton and the cloth made from it have been directly invested in them by God. The physical rules governing them are, therefore, universal and invariable, and it is only by accepting them as such that man can take the right steps in order to make the clothes of his choice. In this, God gives us a clear sign as to how we should construct our lives. That is, we cannot jump to the later, more refined stages, without going through all the processes of pretreatment. It is only when the initial conditions have been fulfilled that we can proceed to the next stage to achieve the desired success. One can never satisfactorily reach the destination without passing through and giving due attention to all of the preliminary stages. o Listen to the soul-nourishing articles while on the go. A great companion for study groups and collective reading exercises. Spirit of Islam web version now available with AUDIO feature www.spiritofislam.co.in/spiritnew/