FROM ESCAPE TO AWAKENING

sincerity is to comply with what the other had said, and surrender without the need to feel superior. For this purpose, one should, first and foremost, abandon the feelings of his ego which cause arrogance, and refrain from stubbornly defending himself. Only then can he hope to act in compliance with the spirit of the Quran and behave sincerely. The most efficient antidote against the ambition to be superior and to be in the right, stemming from arrogance, is to “surrender to the mind of true believers without supporting one’s self”. “The sole remedy for this disease is to accuse your own soul before others raise these charges, and always to take the side of your fellow, not your own soul. The rule of truth and equity established by the scholars of the art of debate is this: “Whoever desires, in debate on any subject, that his own word should turn out to be true, whoever is happy that he turns out to be right and his adversary to be wrong and mistaken such a person has acted unjustly.” Not only that, such a person loses, for when he emerges the victor in such a debate, he has not learned anything previously unknown to him, and his probable pride will cause him loss. But if his adversary turns out to be right, he will have learned something previously unknown to him and thereby gained something without any loss, as well as being saved from pride. In other words, one fair in his dealings and enamoured of the truth will subject the desire of his own soul to the demands of the truth. If he sees his adversary to be right, he will accept it willingly and support it happily.” Considering one’s successes to be achieved merely by virtue of one’s self stems from arrogance and destroys sincerity. However, God is the One Who has bestowed upon humankind their mind and ability. As stated in the following verse, man knows nothing except what God has taught him: They said, ‘Glory be to You; we have no knowledge except whatever You have taught us. You are the All Knowing, the All Wise.’ (2: 32) Considering one’s successes to be achieved merely by virtue of one’s self stems from arrogance and destroys sincerity. However, God is the One Who has bestowed upon humankind their mind and ability.