THE WORD OF GOD

The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad) The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey. YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED What is the essence of the religion of Islam? The realization of God is the essence of the religion of Islam. The realization of God is the beginning as well as the end of religion. The Arabic word for this realization is Marifah. What role does Marifah or God-realization play in a believer’s life? The position of Marifah in God’s religion is that of the seed. Just as a seed grows gradually into a full tree, similarly Marifah shapes the entire personality of a person. Without Marifah, religion is reduced to a spiritless form. With Marifah, religion is like a lush green tree. Without God-realization, religion becomes like a dried-up tree. If religion is the body, Marifah is its spirit. What is the first step in this journey of God-realization? The journey of realization begins with a questing spirit. Seeking is an intellectual journey. Sincerity, positivity and being complex-free are the qualities required on this journey. What experiences will one go through when one realizes God? One who attains Marifah will experience an intellectual and spiritual explosion. He will believe in God through both reason and intuition. It will be as if he is seeing God. He comes emotionally close to God. Is there any other condition for the attainment of the realization of God? Yes, there is another necessary condition for the attainment of realization, and that is supplication (Dua). Realization is a two-way