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THE DEVOTED SOULS WITH ENTHUSIASM AND COMMONSENSE: Part 2

One should always be spelling the name of God, living with this truth, each and every night

Continuity of the mind is very significant. It is so important that even if we think those around us are journeying down the paths pointed out by the verse, “It is in the remembrance of, and whole-hearted devotion to God, that hearts find rest and contentment,” (ar-Ra’d 13:28) one should never see his or her own spiritual level, or rather another’s level, as sufficient. Believers need to support one another in this pursuit. As the great thinker Bediüzzaman put it, like stones that make up a dome, we need to support one another in order to not fall. Taking this example solely as advice about avoiding disagreements and upholding social unity is a deficient understanding. We need to tackle it from a wider perspective: We should adopt serving religion as the highest ideal of our lives and always support one another at maintaining our spirituality on the path to realizing this noble ideal. Accordingly, when we gather to worship, we should never be unserious. We should make the assembly meaningful by reading and discussing subjects to make us more conscious of God. After such gatherings, we need to question whether we experienced any of the truths expressed in the supplication:

“O God, increase us in knowledge (ilm), faith (iman), certainty (yaqin), reliance on You (tawakkul), surrender to You (taslim), commitment to You (tafwiz), knowledge of You (marifah), love of You (mahabbah), intense love of You (ashq), yearning for reunion with You (ishtiyaq ila liqaik), chastity (iffah), innocence (ismah), perspicacity (fatanah), and wisdom (hikmah).” Even at our gatherings for worldly matters, when we find a chance, we should shift the subject to such topics and try to whisper the beauties of faith into our hearts.

Knowing what happens in our present culture, it is understandable that people are influenced by popular norms. Knowing what happens in our day and following certain matters of actuality is surely acceptable. However, given that there are so many people immersed in these matters, those who devoted themselves to serving the truths of the Qur’an should try to fulfill their spiritual potential, and deepen their faith. For this reason, they should always be spelling the Name of God, and living with this truth each and every night.

In short, we are supposed to do whatever must be done to help people passionately love God Almighty, and to cherish their love for the blessed Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. This love should be so intense that upon hearing his blessed name, the listener should feel a shiver down his spine. Sustaining our enthusiasm for this cause, and keeping our devotional spirit fresh, requires continuous maintenance.

The same principle is true in our physical life. For example, when a certain limb is not used for a long time, the muscles atrophy until they finally become completely useless. The same is true of our heart and spirituality. We cannot overlook the wisdom in the commandments to pray five times a day and to fast during the month of Ramadan. Believers who release their buckets into the fresh fountain of Islam five times a day are washed and purified with what they receive from it. That is, they try to feel Him, sense Him, and know Him five times a day. We are supposed to grasp this essential point in the act of worship, and orient our behavior and our time toward sustaining the Islamic love and enthusiasm.

The seas before us cannot be passed with a ramshackle ship

In order to emphasize the importance of continuous spiritual maintenance, the beloved Prophet’s advice to his Companion Abu Dharr is very important: “Restore your ship, for the sea is deep. Take your provisions perfectly, for the journey is long. Lighten your load, for the ascent is steep. Be sincere in your acts, for the Watchful One sees everything.”

As the distance to be covered is very long, and the sea to pass is very deep, there is no tolerance on the journey for the slightest heedlessness. May God forbid, but in the face of temptation, one can sink like the Titanic to the bottom of the sea. If the ship represents our spiritual life, and our heart’s relation with God Almighty, then we need to restore it with every new dawn. It is not possible to undertake a long journey with a ramshackle ship, a neglected heart, and a faulty mentality.

The wise pieces of advice continue. The noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, advised his Companion to take his provisions perfectly, for the journey would be very long. That long journey begins in this world and ends in the next. The provisions are neither food or drink, nor weapons; they represent a person’s servitude and obedience to God. For example, our Prayers will accompany us in the intermediary realm of the grave, and our fasting will help us pass through the Rayyan gate of Paradise. If these are not taken here, on Earth, as provisions for the afterlife, then a person will face misery there.

There is also the warning about the steep ascent, and the recommendation to lighten one’s load. Accordingly, believers are supposed to avoid immersing themselves in worldliness—to keep the load on their backs light so they can surmount that steep ascent. Finally, we are reminded to be sincere in our actions, for the Watchful One sees us every moment.

Although such preparations are important to our worldly life because they uphold the truth, establish justice, and continue efforts to dignify believers, they are even more important to our eternal life.

God Almighty reveals the following truth in the Qur’an: “If He so wills (for the fulfillment of His purpose in creation), He can put you away and bring a new generation (of humankind in your place)” (Ibrahim 14:19; Fatir 35:16). Here, rather than meaning a new people appearing on the stage of history, we can take the phrase “a new generation” to mean enthusiastic souls devoted to God—ones who did not give in to weariness, who did not take their religion for granted but felt its profundity freshly. In the next verse, it is stated, “That is surely no great matter for God” (Fatir 35:17). “When He decrees a thing, He does but say to it, ‘Be!’ and it is” (al-Baqarah 2:117). Unless they welcome a spiritual revival, those who become weary, who resemble worn-out goods, and who lose their spirit of religious enthusiasm are replaced by a new generation, through the noble lives of the Great Prophets or the activities of the respected expounders of Islamic laws, or the renovations of the great revivers of faith.

If those who experience a revival by showering God with favors become proud of their status as the “new generation,” they risk losing the Divine blessings and support. This support depends on humility and modesty. When we are given a responsibility, we should carry it out in the best way, while still remaining humble by remembering our servitude to our Creator. Only through an active understanding and faith can we survive long journeys, even those that take centuries. With a renewed enthusiasm and devotional spirit, we can walk toward the future.

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THE DEVOTED SOULS WITH ENTHUSIASM AND COMMONSENSE: Part 1

Question: What are the indications of being devoted to serving humanity for the sake of God? What are your suggestions for evoking enthusiasm in new generations and making it last?

First of all, developing a spirit of devotedness depends on people’s having a sound belief in the religion they represent. A spirit of devotedness cannot be evoked without a sound faith, and the formation period for such faith can differ according to individuals. Very short rehabilitations might suffice for some people; they get what they should within forty hours. On the other hand, some others may need forty days, months, or even forty years to make the same progress. Even Junayd al-Baghdadi, a person with a good potential for spiritual progress, expressed that he began to sense and feel certain things after the age of sixty. Surely, this should not be misunderstood as he did not have any spiritual experiences until the age of sixty, which would be obviously disrespectful to that noble soul. But how are we supposed to take that statement? Junayd al-Baghdadi always targeted the horizon of being al-insan al-kamil (the universal man). Sensing certain breezes of that horizon can take time. Or maybe, he wished to draw attention to the difference in potential between people. In short, whatever he intended, we need to be cautious and avoid making off-handed remarks and having negative thoughts about those great guides. Regarding the possibility of speaking ill of them, and invoking Divine wrath, we need to seek refuge in God.

The greatest favor that can be done to today’s generations

Returning back to our essential subject, illuminating the feeling and thought of devotedness in hearts has become more difficult in our time. This is an era where the home does not offer much in terms of metaphysical immensities. Educational institutions do not offer that feeling and thought either. Our streets have become enemies of spirituality. Mosques do not inspire hearts with love and enthusiasm, and establishments to guide people to the horizons of the heart and spirit do not exist… In such a period, making hearts feel the spirit of devotedness depends on certain specific efforts. We must help people resist their body’s influence, and save them from being held captive by their carnal desires. We must orient them toward the level of the heart and spirit, and make the attainment of God’s good pleasure their ultimate purpose in life. Lastly, we must teach them to pray all the time as, “My God, I ask for forgiveness, well-being, and Your good pleasure.” Maintaining this requires very serious effort.

A desire for the world and its temptations is inherent in human nature. Particularly in our time, as worldly goals and ambitions have gained priority, people have been consumed by these worldly issues. For this reason, I think that the best kind of goodness for today’s generation is evoking in their hearts a desire and enthusiasm to live for others. Such love and enthusiasm is a very important principle that belongs to the very essence of Islam. When this feeling is reflected in Prayer, it reveals itself as consciousness of God, and awe; when it comes to glorifying the Name of God, it reveals itself as an urge to be constantly on the move with a spirit of devotedness. No matter what you teach someone whose heart is devoid of such essential love and enthusiasm, you will not see much effort in terms of selflessness and sacrifice.

Being devoid of enthusiasm means death for the heart

First of all, believers need to have a boundless enthusiasm; this makes them restless with suffering to reach this noble ideal. They must feel a throbbing in their temples from the intensity of this suffering, and be exhausted by the strain on their hearts and minds. If a person possesses such an intense enthusiasm, you can temper their feelings with reason and the sensibility of Islam. In other words, you can channel this overflowing enthusiasm toward goodness. For example, you can help them use their love and enthusiasm for maintaining steadfastness and continuity on the righteous path. This enthusiasm is essential; it is not possible to make any permanent and long-term achievement in the spirit solely with reasoning and logic. It is only with this love and enthusiasm that people will have the resolve to spend a lifetime upholding this noble ideal.

As is the case with every laudable virtue, the noble Prophet presents the best example for us, as confirmed by the Qur’an: “Yet, it may be that you (O Muhammad) will torment yourself to death with grief, following after them, if they do not believe in this Message,” (al-Kahf 18:6) and “It may be that you (O Messenger) will torment yourself to death because they refuse to believe” (ash-Shuara 26:3). The meaning of these verses show the level of enthusiasm the Messenger of God possessed. God Almighty tempered his enthusiasm with the commandment “You cannot guide to truth whomever you like, but God guides whomever He wills” (al-Qasas 28:56). Therefore, if anybody overflows with such an Islamic enthusiasm, it can be tempered with the commandments of the Qur’an. We can tell that person to appraise the possible costs of acting impulsively, and to reckon the requirements of time, conjuncture, the feelings of people they address, and how they will probably respond. But if there is no initial enthusiasm, what is there to be tempered? A fully enthusiastic mood like this is necessary in order to maintain continuity and determination. However, reason and commonsense should never be sacrificed to emotion and over-enthusiasm. These can give way to imbalance and extremism. For this reason, while hearts need enthusiasm, reason and commonsense must always supersede emotion, and passion must be channeled constructively.

Sensibility and enthusiasm should support one another

In addition, if there is a noble ideal we pursue, some obstacles on the way should not deter us from our path. As faithful servants, when we come up against an obstacle, we find an alternative way and keep walking from there. If the same thing happens with that path, then we find a new one again. If all the roads become impossible to walk, we continue striving for a lifetime without losing hope and say, “If we cannot, then the next generation will; if they cannot either, then, with the permission and help of God, the generation after them will realize this noble ideal.” If necessary, we will bring down the stars in the sky as if they were playthings. We always try to keep our standards high, with the consideration that making no efforts for progress kills a person spiritually.

On the other hand, we abide by the requirements of reason and commonsense and thus pay attention to making realizable plans. There should never be contradiction between the reason and enthusiasm of a believer. On the contrary, these two must support and feed one another. Many people, despite acting in the name of righteousness, have harmed Muslims because they were guided only by emotion. Others used straightaway logic and thought that they could give good messages through pompous talks, demagogy, and dialectics. Yet they failed to make a lasting influence on others; they just lost energy and failed to carry on.

To find proper balance, we need enthusiasm at full gallop, but also sound principles tested through the essentials of the Qur’an. In fact, all of our attitudes and behaviors must be constantly tested to see whether they are right or wrong from the perspective of the Qur’an and Sunnah. The beloved Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, stated that what Muslims need is to follow his Tradition and that of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. He told his followers to keep a firm hold on these, as if with clenched teeth.[1] Accordingly, another important criterion by which to test our behaviors on a certain issue is the approach of Rightly Guided Caliphs.

As we believe in the righteousness of the cause and ideal we are totally committed to, the path we use to reach that ideal must inspire trust in others’ hearts. This can only be achieved by following the way of the Companions, particularly that of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the way of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

One of the most important means of evoking such an enthusiasm is stimulating a person’s tafakkur (reflection) and deepening their system of thought. The Arabic definition of tafakkur means a person does more than just think; they make serious mental efforts. Therefore, the perspective of tafakkur is acquired when one makes reflecting deeply their habit. Tafakkur does not mean sitting there and brooding over matters, or making superficial and simple connections about things one sees or hears. On the contrary, tafakkur means taking the beginning and end into consideration together; moving one’s reason between the cause and effect like a shuttle and developing wisdom through that thinking; absorbing the consequent inspirations into one’s soul and making these inspirations into a part of their feelings; and even seeking to make more of these inspirations by examining them further. For people to learn fervor and enthusiasm, they must become habituated to serious thinking and reasoning, and they must be able to see right and wrong correctly.

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PERFECTION AND MODESTY

It is stated that the devoted souls who will realize a new revival are supposed be no different than ordinary people. On the other hand, they are continuously encouraged to be the cultured people who represent the best way by personal example. How can we strike the balance between these seemingly conflicting aspects?

Answer: If we evaluate the issue from the perspective of guiding others and conveying the Divine message to them, it is essential to believe that the following two qualities constitute the “must” of this path: targeting perfect standards along with adopting an understanding of nullifying oneself. For being able to convey relevant points to others and making an impact on consciences by God’s grace, it is essential to make an effort to be well-equipped with the knowledge and practices of faith, as well as possessing humility and modesty, and viewing oneself as an ordinary person among other people. Any attempt to guide that is not based on knowledge and actual spiritual depth will not evoke any trust in those being addressed. Word polluted with arrogance and pride will never diffuse into hearts; and even if they do, their effect will never be permanent. Consider the works of a scholar: He highlighted how serious a problem ignorance was. On the other hand, he also emphasized that arrogance has become a widespread disease in our time.

Two-winged spirit of guidance, with knowledge and humility

Let us expound on these two aspects a bit. In order to achieve a thorough representation, a Muslim, first, needs to “read” very well the contemporary age, social structure, contemporary events, and Divine principles operating in the universe, and then interpret them correctly. On the other hand, a Muslim also needs to know religious commandments and what they mean in our age, and thus become a “child of the time.” Otherwise, so many truths will be victimized by their poor representation, and their values will be condemned to seem worthless in the eyes of others. As “everything is, by its nature, essentially dependent on knowledge,” it is very important for Muslims to express their own values well. What we mean by knowledge (ilm) here is not having information about a particular subject as it is commonly used in our day; it is the knowledge based on an evaluation of realities with their internal and external dimensions, which can help us draw a conclusion and deepen in knowledge of God. In fact, it is not possible for a believer to make any individual progress without such knowledge, let alone guide others. Until the moment people are equipped with knowledge, including knowledge of God, they will not be able to refuse their carnal self, and not be able to rid themselves of confusion and instability. Individuals who do not solve the problems of their own heart and mind will have real difficulty conveying the truths of faith to others; unaware, they will probably resort to demagogy and dialectics. Until the moment they overcome the doubts and suspicions in their own mind, they will not be able to avoid faltering at their statements. For this reason, we firstly need to have insight into our own matters, knowing them deeply, with their spirit, essence, background, and basis. After that, we need to feel and sense in our conscience that, with the initial theoretical knowledge we have, we can attain knowledge of God (marifah), then love of God through that knowledge, and then zeal and yearning for God through their totality. If we can truly make these ingrained in ourselves, and behold in our heart and mind a picture of what comes out of our mouth, then we can be saved from having inner conflicts and falling into contradictions. For this reason, those who wish to guide others and share the beauties of their teaching with others must definitely do everything they can to have a profound and multi-dimensional knowledge that will be pleasing to God Almighty. However, mere knowledge does not suffice for conveying the message to others. At the same time one needs to be conscious of the fact that these very important inspirations and gifts are pure blessings and bestowals of God Almighty. As a scholar points out in The Letters, all of these blessings can be compared to a fur coat presented by a king. Their value should not be overlooked. On the other hand, we should never give up the consideration that they do not essentially belong to us. That is, what we need to do is to direct the appreciation to the One who truly deserves it. If we can attain this perspective, we will have started opening the doors of modesty, humbleness, and humility.

Thus we will have realized the truth expressed by Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib: “Live among people as one of them.” And this means combining absolute humility and perfection. Ingraining this feeling and thought in ourselves depends on acknowledging the True Owner of everything we possess, and making our conscience accept the fact that we are nothing. I would like to reiterate one point I previously made. If we were to be asked to put aside what essentially belongs to God and stand before Him with what remains, nothing would be left, I think. For this reason, what befalls on us is constantly being oriented to him in humbleness, modesty, and humility. As a matter of fact, it can be said that these points are related to the wisdoms behind the command to pray five times a day. Standing in awe of God five times a day at Prayer is an expression of submission to Him. As bowing before God is a form of modesty, prostrating oneself before Him is an expression of humbleness; it is a person’s closest state to God Almighty, as related in a hadith. Actually, the time of prostration is the moment when a person is freed from one’s own self and dyed with the hue of manifestations from Him. That is, you reach such a state of “I” during prostration that, this “I” is nothing but a work of His manifestations. Then, closeness to God depends on a person’s nullifying oneself.

The most modest person

As it is stated in the Qur’an: “Assuredly you have in God’s Messenger an excellent example to follow…” (al-Ahzab 33:21), the Messenger of God presented the best example in every respect in all of his attitudes and behaviors. The Prince of both worlds was honored with the Divine address “Had it not been for you, I would not have created the worlds." As his blessed light was the first light that appeared in the realm of existence, he is the most perfect fruit of the tree of existence. In other words, the light of Muhammad is the seed of the tree of universe and the ink of the pen of Divine Power that writes this “book of universe.” And he is the curator in this great exhibition of the universe. In the words of insightful scholars, the blessed Prophet is a person who was gifted with the beginning and end of wisdom, with respect to the knowledge of the Divine. By God’s grace, every kind of problem was solved in the hands of that blessed settler of problems. He is the teacher for everybody to learn how to evaluate the world and its contents with the eye of wisdom. In addition to being such a distinguished person, God’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is at the same time a monument of modesty and humility. When somebody addressed him as “our master,” he expressed his protest for such address—even though it was true. At another case when the following Divine command was revealed, “So wait patiently for your Lord’s judgment, and do not be like the companion of the fish, when he called out choking inwardly (with distress)…” (al-Qalam 68:48), he stated, not assuming superiority, “Do not prefer me over Yunus ibn Matta.” At another time, he told someone who felt overawed before him “Do not be afraid, I am the child of a woman who ate dried meat.” During the construction of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, he carried two bricks on his back while others carried a single brick. While they needed to cook during travel, as all of his Companions contributed to it, he undertook the task of collecting firewood; he always made an effort to not avoid at any kind of responsibility. So the Perfect Guide, under whose blessed feet the stars were like a stairway, combined such opposite virtues in his person, and thus he reached into souls with his most perfect and trustworthy example. Then what befalls believers should be faithfully following the footsteps of that Perfect Guide.

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THE DEVOTED SOULS AND LIFE STANDARDS: Part 2

A bohemian life has no limit

You need to be so steadfast on this issue, so that even if God Almighty makes money shower down from the sky and form a heap before you, you should still say, “No matter how abundantly you come, you cannot find any way into my heart. I know where to use you.” Some saintly figures spent all of the goods God bestowed them without leaving anything for the morrow. A report included in the collection of Imam Bukhari teaches us the attitude to be adopted in the face of worldly means. Accordingly, while the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was about to lead a Prayer at his mosque, he suddenly stopped and rushed to his room. After that, he returned and led the Prayer. When the Prayer was over, he turned to the puzzled congregation and explained that at the moment he was about to start the Prayer, it occurred to him that somebody had given him a present. Since this worldly property could occupy his mind during the Prayer, he told his wife Aisha to give it to someone else so that he could free his heart and stand in God’s presence thus.[9] This perfect lifestyle of God’s Messenger, together with his blessed light and atmosphere, made such an impact on those around him that their attitudes and behaviors were never changed by their opportunities. Bediüzzaman’s treatise “On Frugality” is a very important guideline on this issue. Reading it from time to time will be very helpful in terms of getting used to living contently with frugality. Otherwise, there is no limit to leading a bohemian life. If people indulge themselves in such a life—may God forbid—they spend an entire life controlled by their carnal desires. For this reason, frugality and contentment is an important value for everyone, poor or rich.

Particularly for the believers dedicated to serving faith, thankful contentment has a special significance. It is the duty of those who employ them to provide them with a sufficient payment for a decent living; on the other hand what falls on the devoted souls is to live with frugality and contentment, and to not compare their own lives with their counterparts outside their spiritual sphere. Home and abroad, wherever they are, the volunteers had better become accustomed to living with a modest income, like the scholarship of a student. Other people’s working for very high salaries cannot be an example for those who soar through the horizons of self-sacrifice. They do not care about owning worldly property; they rent an apartment to reside and support their family with what God Almighty grants them. This is the basic discipline of devotion. The desire to be like those who chase money and status is a violation of this discipline. Others may lead a heedless life by eating and lying lazily. This cannot be a criterion for the devoted soul. God Almighty grants some worldly means to some of those who run lawfully on His path, such as the private business they run; that is a different issue. However, those who are paid through the financial means of serving the truth need to be very careful on this issue. Nobody must take anything more than they deserve. When Abu Bakr was given a little more than the sufficient amount to support his family, he put the remaining amount to a pot and willed it to be given to the next caliph after he passed away. When it was brought to Umar ibn al-Khattab, in accordance with the will, he could not hold back his tears and said, “You presented an inimitable example of righteousness and responsibility for those to come after you.” Thus he voiced the greatness of the first caliph. Actually, this is how the devoted souls in our time have to be. If they look at the means and payment others enjoy and hold the mistaken idea, “It seems that these are the real rewards of the job I am doing,” they should know that even if they run breathlessly on that path, this very thought will cause them to consume the blessings meant for the afterlife.

Constant self-criticism

Another point that needs concern on this issue is having in mind the question, “I wonder whether I really deserve this salary I get?” We need to maintain this self-criticism by praying somewhere open to the public, or by eating at an establishment and asking ourselves: “I am consuming the water, using the carpet, and eating the food here, so I wonder whether…” Even if we are in the places that belong to the circle we are devoted to, we need to be suffering with such concerns in our inner world.

Even things gained while fighting for a righteous cause are lawful to take only in certain conditions. According to a hadith related in Sahih al-Bukhari, making personal claim on any possession left from a particular enemy depends on having eliminated him personally. But when a nameless hero was offered a share from the gains of a battle he joined, he rejected the offer since was fighting not to gain benefits but to sacrifice himself. As our way is “serving” for the sake of God, we are supposed to adopt the philosophy of selflessness and lead our lives in dignified contentment. God loves those who sincerely act this way. Attitude and behaviors of such people have an effect on others, and seeing them reminds others of God. There is no need for them to tell so much with words. Their attitudes become an eloquent tongue and an articulate speech. Otherwise, those who cannot maintain this fine state cannot convey any good message even if they start shouting. Even if such people hold others’ attention temporarily, they can never help others make spiritual progress. Maybe some of us find it very difficult to lead such a life. But we mean to attain the difficult. The Qur’anic address to the noble Prophet “…the Hereafter (what comes after) will be better for you than this world (what has gone before)…” (ad-Duha 93:4) is also true for ordinary people like us. God Almighty makes the following warning to those who think otherwise, “…but you (people) love and prefer what is before you (the present, worldly life), and abandon that which is to come later (the Hereafter)” (al-Qiyamah 75:20–21). In one of the letters he wrote to his students, Nursi refers to the same fact by stating that this age made (most) followers of Islam prefer this life over the afterlife, willfully and gladly.[15] That is, he pointed out that the greatest disaster in the contemporary age was that love for this material world gained priority over love for the Hereafter; he commented that this verse refers to our time. From a perspective of Qur’anic exegesis, the original Arabic word in the verse is inflected in simple present tense (mudari); we can infer that this situation is one that continues for a long time. Therefore, it is possible to say that this understanding of preferring this worldly life over the next is likely to continue in the years to come. Probably in criticism of such facts, Muhammad Qutb chose the title Are We Muslims? for one of his books. According to the commentary of the great Imam Abu Hanifa in his Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar, making such a statement in the sense of not really being sure whether one really accepts faith or not is an expression of unbelief. But there is nothing wrong in this one, for it is used in a sense of making self-criticism.

Let alone being Muslim, we can hardly be called human;

Let us make no pretense, we cannot fool anyone.

All the true Muslims I knew are already in their graves.

The real Islam is I guess, nowhere else but in heavens.

It is a reality that this is a diabolical age. We are living in an era of people whose sole concern is to indulge in consumption, to satisfy their appetites, and to lead an indolent life; their notion of Hereafter was destroyed, buried under the ground and huge boulders were heaped on it so that it could not be resurrected. Then, it should never be forgotten that the influence we are to make on others is closely related to the shadow we cast on the ground. If we are really upright, so will be our shadow, and our state will have a relevant effect in the hearts of others.

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THE DEVOTED SOULS AND LIFE STANDARDS: Part 1

Question: Those who work at the establishments based on the philosophy of devotedly serving humanity, sometimes begin to develop expectations of a better payment and life standards, owing to factors like long working hours or having produced high quality work. Could you share with us your considerations on this issue?

Let me first state one thing—that not all people will be on the same level of devotedness, as it is the case with other moral virtues. Even if a certain spiritual guide has an ability to make surprising impact on the hardest hearts, it is not possible for him to bring all of the people he guides to the same level of spiritual progress. As the guide is expected to give the message perfectly, those who are to receive the message need to be capable of receiving the message with their potentials and abilities. Let us say that you run to help a certain man with a water tanker, but he only has a bucket in hand. Even though you empty the contents of the entire tanker, the water will pour out once the bucket is filled.

When the Age of Happiness is viewed from this perspective, it becomes apparent that there were serious “level differences,” even between the Companions of the noble Prophet, the most influential guide, who consisted of, and emanated, blessed light in every way. It is not possible for ordinary people like us to categorize those radiant figures. Despite this, it is definite that few Companions shared the same level with people like Abu Bakr and Umar. We can say that every one of the Companions of the noble Prophet benefited from God’s Beloved one, who was the focal point of Divine manifestations, in-as-much as their personal aptitudes and capacities allowed.

Such a difference of level is also true for the devoted souls in our time. For example, some of them can live of barely enough food for sustenance—sometimes they even starve; but they still do not ask anything from others, and keep their dignity.

However, some of them cannot forebear such sacrifice; they might adopt attitudes and expectations to violate the principle of dignified contentment. Similarly, as some people lead their lives by keeping up a serious consciousness of death, the dominant feeling in others might be a longing for worldly goals and delusion of permanence. I heard a few days ago that an old person—who has one foot in the grave as they say—visited a doctor and asked: “I heard some rumors, is there anything real as the potion of immortality?” In my opinion, delusion of immortality for a person of that age is nothing but seeking disgrace. It is a reality that a wish for an everlasting life, together with the feeling of cherishing worldly goals and endless desires, is inherent in human nature. However, it should not be forgotten that this feeling in human nature is supposed to be directed to the eternal afterlife.

As is the case with devotedness and other qualities, despite spending time with the devoted ones, a person may not quite share the same spirit. Some people always have their eye on higher worldly benefits. For this reason, they do not feel content with the payment, title, and status they have; they expect to have these increased at certain intervals. When they get what they desire, they set about seeking even more. Their lack of thankful contentment causes them to complain all the time. For this reason, it needs to be accepted as a reality that such people can be found even within the sphere of the devoted ones.

Responsibilities must be entrusted to eligible ones

When needs to be done about dealing with this reality? First of all, people in certain positions should discern well the personality and natures of the people they are responsible for; they should consult with as many people as possible. This shared information should serve as a criterion that can assess the levels of individuals who act with commonsense and ascend to higher steps in life. If this can be done, people with worldly ambitions will not be able ascend to certain positions and breach the principle of dignified contentment. In fact, sometimes you need to employ someone in an important position, and cannot find anybody that suits your criteria. The only candidates for the job might possess some weaknesses, such as greed and envy. Then, even though they do not meet your standards of virtue, you may choose the lesser of two evils, and will temporarily entrust that important responsibility to such a person, rather than leaving things undone. But when you find the eligible one to carry out the job, you shift the former to a more suitable position and let the deserving one assume control. Entrusting a duty to someone else while there is an eligible one will be a betrayal to that duty, or a breach of trust.

When somebody asked the noble Prophet about the Last Day, he told him that breach of trust would herald the coming of the Last Day. When the man asked about this breach of trust, the beloved Prophet told him to expect the time of Last Day when responsibility is given to the ineligible. Accordingly, if you entrust some responsibilities to one who is not eligible for them, then it is a kind of “Last Day” for that particular responsibility. If this state becomes general and permanent, then the Last Day can come. It appears that when the appointed hour for the world comes, betraying the trust will have become a grave, worldwide issue.

Having more abundant means and real economy

Another thing that needs to be done about people who never feel satisfied but always have their eye on more worldly benefits is to remind them that self-sacrifice and sufficing with the available means is not a principle only to be followed during hard times; it is necessary to help them attain a character of living with economy and dignified contentment in all conditions.

Gaining access to more abundant means should not change our general discipline. As the noble Prophet stated, even a person making ablutions near a river should avoid wasting water. Accordingly, as it is a waste for such a person to dip one arm in water and wait for two or three minutes; washing the limbs four or five times instead of three is wastefulness as well. A religious teaching that places so much emphasis on frugality also requires the same sensitivity in other matters. That is, if a person near a sea needs to act frugally, then a person in charge of a wealth like the sea should also live frugally, avoid wastefulness, and never change his or her lifestyle. For example, they should keep their habit of eating within the limits brought by Islam and never waste anything. As it is known, he pointed out the fact that unnecessary eating triggers a false appetite. Then instead of sufficing with a single kind of food, having a diverse spread and tasting various dishes will trigger such a false appetite, which is harmful to health. Therefore, no matter how much wealth God Almighty grants, individuals should eat the necessary amount and avoid excess.

Some of the Companions led very austere lives in spite of being very wealthy. For example, Uthman ibn Affan had abundant means to donate three hundred camels and also to provide ten thousand soldiers with equipment. In spite of that, he never changed his life standards. He mostly spent his life on the sands of the Prophet’s Mosque. He would make a little heap of sand and use it as his pillow. He ate the same meal with others. Ali ibn Abi Talib, who also lead his life in the same simplicity, had only one dress to wear. He wore it both in summer and winter. As a matter of fact, he was a caliph who ruled an affluent state in a very extensive region. He and other great personalities followed the way of the blessed Prophet and continued to lead a simple life. These are very important examples for us. If we are to change our lives after gaining access to better means, then—may God forbid—it means that we have stepped into a vicious circle of unending negative change.

[wisdomrays]

HELPLESS ONES IN DIRE NEED AND THE GATE OF MERCY OPENED WIDE: Part 2

Inheritors of the earth

In another verse, God states, “… He Who has made you (O humankind) vicegerents of the earth (to improve it and rule over it according to God’s commandments)…” (an-Naml 27:62). Considering other examples, Prophet David, peace be upon him, succeeded to kill Goliath in the war against the people of Amalica. The Old Testament relates that in those days, David was a young boy who shepherded goats and that he killed the gigantic Goliath by hitting him with a stone he hurled with his sling. Without relating details, the Qur’an states: “... David killed Goliath, and God granted him kingdom and Wisdom, and taught him of that which He willed... ” (al-Baqarah 2:251). At that moment when David turned wholeheartedly to God, a particular favor of God was manifested through the light of belief in Divine unity. Later, God Almighty granted him rule and wisdom. In the same way, while the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was resting at his home before he left for Medina, the polytheists surrounded the house and no sign of hope remained. Then, as it is stated in Ya-Sin 36:9, “And We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and (thus) We have covered them (from all sides), so that they cannot see,” he virtually walked away through a different dimension they could not see. When the polytheists of Mecca finally entered the house, they found Ali ibn Abi Talib instead. God’s Messenger, who was the paramount representative of faith in Divine unity and the illusoriness of causality, was in a state of dire need through which he turned to God in the purest faith; with extraordinary Divine graces and favors, the roads to Medina were cleared. When the Sultan of the Worlds arrived in Medina, roses bloomed all over. The Sultan of Roses initiated a new era of roses, and in a short time, Islam became a prominent balancing factor on the world scale.

You can consider the emergence of the Ottomans within the same perspective. As a consequence of the Crusades, the Seljuks had gradually been pushed to the verge of collapse. As a response to those with faithful hearts suffering in dire need, the Divine Providence paved the way for them to grow into the small princedom of the Ottomans, like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly. Nobody in the region expected a flourishing of that proportion. As a consequence of people’s turning to God in dire need, the Sublime State arrived on the stage, and it served for centuries as a prominent factor in the balance power.

Suffering: The form of prayer most likely to be accepted

Be it on the individual or societal level, a state of dire need is a time when one feels suffering, which is the form of praying most likely to be accepted. Sometimes, there are such periods of suffering that individuals feel they are surrounded on all sides. Their insides are in agony. In such a state, if they do not complain but only petition God Almighty and implore Him, this will be best form of prayer. In these days, when the social situation is obscure, and when the cries of the oppresses sing out from all over the world, if God Almighty is to save believers from this misery and pave the way for becoming the inheritors of the earth, it will only be after they turn wholeheartedly to him in a state of suffering and dire need. Those who do not turn to him with pure faith might breach the trust to be granted them. That trust can only be placed on the shoulders of people who passed through different trials and who experienced suffering in a state of dire need. It is so very difficult to attain blessings obtained in a life of comfort. Folk wisdom voices this truth as “Easy come, easy go.” For example, people usually squander inherited wealth, since they do not appreciate its worth. The believers of our time who wish to be trustworthy and serve humanity for the sake of God must be set on righteousness, as pointed out by the Divine command, “... My righteous servants will inherit the earth” (al-Anbiya 21:105). Conscious of human impotence and poverty, and absolutely dependent on Him, they must implore God Almighty wholeheartedly with a spirit of dire need and sincere faith.

[wisdomrays]

HELPLESS ONES IN DIRE NEED AND THE GATE OF MERCY OPENED WIDE: Part 1

“He Who answers the helpless one in distress when he prays to Him, and removes the affliction from him, and (Who) has made you (O humankind) vicegerents of the earth (to improve it and rule over it according to God’s commandments)? Is there another deity besides God? How little you reflect!” (an-Naml 27:62)

Question: Could you explain the 62nd verse of chapter an-Naml with respect to how it relates to believers’ individual and social lives?

In the earlier verses of this chapter, God Almighty firstly asks: “Is God better or all that they associate as partners (with Him)?” (an-Naml 27:59) and then He places emphasis on the Divine acts in the universe and how they point to the omnipotent Creator: “Or He Who has created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the sky?—We cause to grow with it gardens full of loveliness and delight: It is not in your power to cause their trees to grow. Is there another deity besides God? No, but they are a people who veer away (from truth)” (an-Naml 27:60). Later in verse 62, God Almighty mentions it as another indication of Divine unity that it is nobody other than Him who answers helpless souls who implore to Him in distress. At first look, praying this way and finding a positive response can be seen as a rare case. However, those who examine their lives through the eyes of wisdom can find so many meaningful examples—particularly at times when they were completely helpless, deeply felt that God was the only true power, and wholeheartedly sought refuge in Him. In such situations, the light of belief in His absolute dominion, and the illusoriness of causality, lets them witness manifestations of His particular graces.

We implore Him so often in desperate situations, and He in return holds our hand, removes our trouble and grants us relief. Since we are not good at evaluating our experiences through serious reflection, we usually ignore such favors of Divine providence.

Causality at a dead end and divine providence like a bolt from the blue

Whenever somebody turns sincerely to God, they can feel in their conscience that they received a positive response to their call. However, Divine aid for those in dire need comes in a more manifest fashion. For example, the brothers of Prophet Joseph, peace be upon him, left him to die in the bottom of a well. With respect to the apparent circumstances, there seemed no chance to be saved. However, God Almighty sent a passing caravan as a special blessing, and He took Joseph out of the well through the hands of those in the caravan. Afterwards, they sold him to somebody from the palace and Joseph was treated well in that new home. Later on, he faced a different kind of trouble: The lady of the house tried to seduce him. He gave his willpower its due, and preferred the prison over the palace as a hero of chastity. Thanks to his wholehearted devotion to God, Prophet Joseph received extraordinary Divine favors in the prison as well; he came out of the prison, reunited with his parents, and set a throne upon the hearts of Egypt.

God’s help to Moses, peace be upon him, who was trying to safeguard his people form the army of the Pharaoh, is no different. The Qur’an describes their situation: “When the two hosts came in view of each other, the companions of Moses said: ‘We are certainly overtaken!’ He replied: ‘Certainly not. My Lord is surely with me; He will guide me (to deliverance)’” (ash-Shuara 26:61–62). They seemed completely helpless. There was the Red Sea before them and the Pharaoh with his army behind them. In the words of Tariq ibn Ziyad, the sea before them was like an enemy (blocking their way), and the enemy behind them was (plentiful) like the sea. Right at such a moment, Prophet Moses turned to God in wholehearted devotion and said: “…My Lord is surely with me; He will guide me (to deliverance)” (ash-Shuara 26:62). God Almighty commanded him to strike the sea with his staff. When he did so, the sea split in two, making way for him and his people to pass; they were delivered safe and sound by an extraordinary favor from God.

At a point where no possible way out remains, the heart completely detaches from everything and turns to God, and very often, God Almighty unexpectedly opens a new door. When you understand through the light of faith that He is the Real One Who makes everything happen, then you are blessed with the manifestation of a particular Divine favor in accordance with the particular trouble you face; Bediüzzaman calls this a manifestation of Divine Grace.

[wisdomrays]

HUMAN WEAKNESSES AS A MEANS OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESS

Question: How can we give advice to a person who says, “I have evil characters in my nature such as greed, hostility, and obstinacy and I cannot get rid of them in any way”?

As human beings are created with comprehensive potentials, they are equipped with bodily and spiritual abilities related to both the mundane world and the heavenly one, respectively. Therefore, true human progress and deliverance depends on their using these latent potentials for the purpose they are created for. As members of humanity are honored with the “best pattern of creation” (ahsan al-taqwim), they can come into line with angels as far as they realize their otherworldly and spiritual side thoroughly, and lead their lives within the lawful sphere by giving their willpower its due, and resisting the negative feelings innately placed in human nature for different wisdoms. As Rumi also put it, humans stand at such a point that although carnal feelings and lust exist in their nature, they sometimes make angels envious by the good works they do; but sometimes they make even devils ashamed.

O human! Read yourself correctly!

For this reason, people must first gain sound insight into themselves—their merits and weaknesses—and see certain negative feelings they have as a means for spiritual progress. If they can control those evil feelings and overcome them, and orient them toward goodness, then the seeds of Paradise within will begin to germinate. That Paradisiacal life experienced in the heart will turn the world into a corridor extending into real Paradise. In every part and every moment of such a world, a person can feel Paradise and witness its eternal beauties while in this world. It is also possible to voice this truth as follows: If the positive feelings in human nature are actuated well, they directly serve spiritual progress. As for the seemingly negative seeds, if they are taken under control by vigilance, watchfulness, and conformity to Divine orders, they become a means for different graces of God. In other words, your upright stance against those innate negative feelings will be counted as worship in the sight of God. For example, as the Daily Prayers are a very important form of worship that helps one achieve human perfection, defying carnal desires is no less important a form of worship. God Almighty points out this truth by the decree, “But as for him who lived in awe of his Lord, being conscious of His seeing him, and of the standing before Him (in the Hereafter), and held back his carnal soul from lusts and fancies, surely Paradise will be his (final) refuge” (an-Naziat 79:40–41). To reiterate, seemingly negative feelings can be turned to one’s advantage if taken under control and channeled toward goodness, and become one of the most important means for entering Paradise.

People become truly human by actuating their willpower

God did not create humanity within certain limits as he did animals. In other words, man is not a slave to a set of instincts. God granted willpower to humans and—in terms of the apparent reasons—He attached His blessings on the condition of giving willpower its due. For example, He could say, “When you lift your hand, I make the stars in the sky pour on your head.” In such a case, we would seek no relation between moving of the hand and pouring down of the stars. Similarly, God Almighty grants favors and blessings in consequence of the worship people observe and the difficulties they forebear in the way of God, there is no point in seeking a relation of causality. Then God Almighty accepts the acts of individuals, which they do in compliance with the requirement of apparent causes, virtually as a seed, and He returns those acts to them as eternal blessings in Paradise.

Attacks from the right and left

We can compare the positive feelings in human nature as a person’s right side and the negative feelings as the left side. I guess this can be better understood by Satan’s threat as related in the Qur’an: “Then I will come upon them from before them and from behind them, and from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them thankful” (al-A’raf 7:17). With his malicious joy, Satan is virtually saying: “I can come to them from in front and break down their hopes for the future and burn their bridges on the way to Paradise, and direct them to Hell instead. By coming to them from behind, I can show them the past as a dreadful grave, make them refuse to take a lesson from the example of their fathers and grandfathers… and make them fall for the delusion that life began with them. By approaching them from the right, I can deceive them even while doing acts of goodness and spoil their good deeds by showing off and taking pride in them. When they tell about God and the noble Prophet, or when they begin to write, I make them emphasize their own person and spoil even their good deeds. Finally, I approach them from the left and show forbidden acts as good, I offer them poisonous honey on golden trays and lead them astray.”

In a hadith related to the subject, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, stated that Paradise is surrounded with things unpleasant to the carnal soul, and Hell is surrounded with lusts that are tempting to the carnal soul. Accordingly, what leads one to Paradise is difficult and unpleasant to the carnal soul. Believers will make their way to Paradise by passing them one by one. As for the way to Hell, it is engulfed by carnal feelings and lusts. In this respect, it is most likely for Satan to make one fall by means of indulging in food, drink, sleep, and living to fulfill one’s carnal desires. There are six human and Satanic intrigues: “love of fame and position, fear, greed, racism, egotism, and lastly, fondness for comfort and ease.” It is possible to count more. For example avarice, inability to stomach others, lascivious behavior, ostentation, and conceit are among other weak points through which Satan can find a way to defeat us.

Build up walls around you with prayers

Satan takes advantage of these weaknesses by approaching from the left. As he stated, “Then (I swear) by Your Glory, I will certainly cause them all to rebel and go astray” (as-Sad 38:82). The Pride of Humanity, peace and blessings be upon him, taught us this prayer to combat Satan: “O Allah! Conceal my imperfections and calm all my fears! O Allah! Protect me (against dangers) from in front, from behind, from my right, from my left, and from above, and I seek refuge in Your greatness from being swallowed by the earth beneath me.” He invited us to seek refuge with God against Satan by reciting this prayer night and day. Satan is a professional; he knows such tricks that he toppled many giants far by using them. For example, if one tries to rise up in the night for Tahajjud Prayer, Satan uses various tricks and goading to prevent it. He will not stop even if he fails, and the believer leaves the warm bed in spite of everything. He plays a different trick on the way to ablutions and a different trick during the Prayer. For example, he tries to cause the worshipper to make noise, his aim to let the neighbors hear the noise and appreciate that person, so that the deed can be corrupted when the worshipper takes arrogant pride in his act. Satan has so many different tricks that it is really hard to overcome them; it takes serious determination and willpower along with continuously taking refuge in God’s help and protection. In this respect, what becomes clear is that a single wall will not suffice against Satan’s tricks. We must continuously build new walls through more prayer. One cannot have too many walls. Before he retired to sleep, the Pride of Humanity, peace and blessings be upon him, recited the surahs Al-Mulk, Ya-Sin, As-Sajdah, the Muawwizatayn (Al-Falaq and An-Nas), and the last two verses of the chapter Al-Baqarah. In addition, he sought refuge in God with prayers such as: “O Allah! Truly I have submitted myself to You, turned my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You, relied on You, there is no refuge or security except in You. O Allah! I believe in the Book that You revealed, and in the Prophet that You sent.” He also warned believers by saying, “Do not ever give in to heedlessness, always seek refuge in God against Satan.”

What befalls believers is to see our weaknesses as a part of human nature and to constantly seek refuge in God against them, giving our willpower its due, and to thus make those negative factors into stepping stones for spiritual progress. At the same time, they need to make constant efforts to ascend to the life level of the heart and spirit by following true spiritual guides, and thus continue their journeying accordingly.

[wisdomrays]

PRAYER: Part 2

The fastest accepted prayer

In a hadith related to the subject, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, stated: “The fastest accepted prayer is that which one makes for another in absentia.”

I would like to expound on one point underlined in the question: As the spirit and significant meaning of this issue becomes more common, people can use expressions like, “My brother, pray for us too,” in a lackadaisical fashion. For this reason, the person who asks for prayer must be very sincere in the asking. They are not to be insouciant but serious. While making a demand for prayer, we always need to think, “God willing, he or she prays for me, and God willing, his or her prayers will be accepted,” and believe that God will accept prayers made sincerely in absentia. In this respect, the dominant consideration in our mind had better be thus: “If it were not for righteous believers’ prayers, which will be an invitation for Divine providence and due manifestation of help, I consider myself facing a great danger. God forbid, I am afraid of going astray into misguidance.” With such considerations, it is possible to make a wish for prayers by saying, “My brother, if it is not going to be a burden for you, please, for the sake of God, while you pray for all of your fellow believers, if you can remember, also mention me in your prayers.” A person who asks to be prayed for by someone else needs to be conscious of one’s own impotence, poverty, and weakness, and see the prayer by someone else as a great means for Divine help.

Praying and being faithful

As one person demands to be prayed for with these considerations in mind, the person who is asked to pray should not neglect to pray for the asker as a faithful response. Upon such a demand, they can get up in the night, observe some Prayers—Tahajjud, Salatu’l-Hajah (Prayer of Need) or another—and then open their hands to God for whomever they wish, and then spare at least few minutes for the person who asks for being prayed for. Sparing such precious moments for another friend instead of praying for oneself—asking to be taken to Paradise once instead of five times—is an important form of faithfulness. This actually means, “My God, here I open up to you and seek refuge in Your faithfulness for a fellow believer.” It should not be forgotten that nobody can be as faithful as God Almighty.

In the same way, let us imagine that they bring a list of a hundred names to a man and say, “These are the names of the devoted souls who travel to four corners of the world for serving humanity, who get by with a modest living and do not prove us wrong in our positive opinion of them. We are asking you to pray for them so that they stand upright where they go, their services become fruitful, and so that they do not face any obstacles.” As a necessity of being faithful toward the people who hold such a positive opinion of him, the man must open his hands by taking good advantage of the invaluable hours of the night when God Almighty descends His mercy and graces to the heavens of the world and asks whether anybody prays to Him so that He will accept their prayers. Then he must pray for the names on the list, whether the names are familiar to him or not.

[wisdomrays]

PRAYER: Part 1

Question: It has become a common demand for people to say, “Pray for me.” This demand is often made lackadaisically. Will you share your considerations on how we are supposed to respond to demands for prayer?

Prayer is very important, both in terms of how we servants relate with our Creator, and regarding His treatment toward us, His servants. Above all, praying indicates a consciousness of one’s dependence and relation with God. Raising hands in prayer is an indication of a person’s consciousness of coming into contact with the most exalted authority. God Almighty’s treatment for those who establish such a relation with Him will be different. By accepting this much of an effort from the servant as a means, God treats people benevolently, as becomes His greatness.

A mysterious and pure kind of worship

On the other hand, dua (supplication) is the title for imploring God independently from causes. In this respect, it is a mysterious and pure form of worship. Other worms of worship have an explanation within the sphere of reasons, even if they are spiritual ones. For instance, observing the Daily Prayers and making ablutions have their aspects that are displeasing to the carnal soul. Similarly, fasting or going to Hajj require taking certain pains. Therefore, these pains might lead worshippers thinking they are making demands from God in return for what they did. However, opening one’s hands in prayer and turning to God wholeheartedly with a consciousness of one’s helplessness and poverty (unless there is unceasing Divine help) through the tongue of need is such a mysterious deed of servitude to God that it actually is a very sincere form of prayer. In this respect, dua has a special place among other forms of worship. When we view the life of the Pride of Humanity in this respect, we see that he spent his entire life as a form of prayer and he always implored God Almighty night and day. While going to bed, rising from bed, mounting his ride, attending a military campaign; meeting people, and suffering trouble... he always kept praying and wove every moment of life with it. When we look at his blessed statements on praying, we see that they are so well-placed and are a guide on how to open up to God Almighty. As the noble Prophet, who was a monument of self-possession, knew God best, he was the one who also knew the best way to ask from Him. The excellence of his carefully picked words of prayer, down to their smallest nuances, is compelling. As it is very important to turn to God with appropriate words, we can do this by means of the blessed statements of the noble Prophet. For this reason, even if one says a thousand times at prayer:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ مِنْهُ نَبِيُّكَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا اسْتَعَاذَ مِنْهُ نَبِيُّكَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

“My God, I am asking from you every goodness Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, asked from You; and I seek refuge in You from any evil from which he sought refuge in You!” (because God’s Messenger never asked for anything out of the sphere of God’s good pleasure).

The Noble Prophet’s demand for prayer from his companions

The issue of demand for prayer is also very important for sincere believers. The Prince of both worlds asked so many of his Companions to pray for him. For instance, when he was ill, he made such a demand from his wife, Aisha, to pray for him. Before the Messenger of God passed to the eternal abode, he was virtually made to go through the sufferings his followers would, so that his spiritual rank would rise, the truth of al-Maqam al-Mahmud (the Praised Position) would be realized, his sphere of intercession would grow, and he would become ready to be granted the means and authority to embrace all of his followers. As it is also pointed out in a hadith, the Prophets are the people who suffer most. For this reason, the crown of all Prophets suffered in the iron fist of illness, particularly in his final days. So much so that in order to alleviate the severe ache, he would have his head wrapped tightly. In order to help him with this suffering, the mother of believers, Aisha, held his hand and prayed for him. However, during his final moments, when she wanted to hold his hand again, he withdrew his hand and stated that he wished the highest company of God Almighty. He had understood that God willed to take His Messenger to the realm beyond and he prayed thus.

In another case, when Umar ibn al-Khattab asked permission from him for Umrah, he gave permission and added, “My brother, do not forget us in your prayers.”

In spite of the fact that he led a life under Divine protection in absolute independence from asking anything from anyone else, and that God Almighty accepted all of his prayers, he still asked Umar and other Companions to pray for him; this indicates that the issue is a very serious one that cannot be taken lightly.

[wisdomrays]

THE MOST EXALTED PURPOSE AND THE FEELING OF CURIOSITY: Part 2

Curiosity is the teacher of knowledge

Curiosity is a very important factor in terms of reading this universe like a book of wisdom. In the words, “Curiosity about something leads one to learn about it.” Knowledge (ilm) mentioned here does not refer to the narrow sense of knowledge, as in scientific knowledge. It refers to outward knowing, through theory, and inward knowing, through spiritual experience, which leads to knowing God through heartfelt love, and then to experiencing fervent love and enthusiasm for Him. Therefore, the knowledge referred to in the Divine command, “Say: ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge’” (Ta-Ha 20:114) is not an abstract knowing of phenomena; it is a knowing that yields spiritual insight, that leads to a “culture of the conscience,” results in love of God, and extends to the depths of fervent love and enthusiasm for Him. So curiosity’s being the teacher of knowledge needs to be taken in this sense.

In fact, some worldly people are curious, to a certain extent, about reading the universe like a book. Their curiosity is creditable. However, they view the issue with a materialistic perspective and from the limited frame of the laws of physics. Therefore, they find no prospect for metaphysical considerations. Some of those people may also have a potential for matters of spirituality. Moreover, some of them may have delved deep into immensities of parapsychology. For example, even while materialism was at its peak, communication with spirits and jinn was quite common. Even the famous Victor Hugo presented such weakness. When you study Les Misérables carefully, you can sense this sort of inclination in between the lines. It was not only Victor Hugo; many more who held materialist views sought consolation in such activities. However, most of those people who were engaged in secular sciences took a limited distance because of lacking a spiritual guide or the inefficiency of the religious teaching they followed; they were unable to go further beyond.

In spite of everything, their meticulous study and exploration of phenomena deserves appreciation. As I mentioned at an earlier talk, there are so many people among them who dedicated their lives to studying the life of a single animal species. For example, one of them states that he devoted an entirety of twenty years to studying the life of scorpions. Another one did that for a cobra. All of these are consequences of curiosity. However, as we have mentioned above, they were never able to go beyond the physical reality and open their thoughts to metaphysical considerations. Never able to reach into the realm of the heart and spirit, they failed to wonder at the splendid workings within and be curious about their true Doer and Causer. In addition, it is not possible to witness anything in the physical realm that corresponds to our inherent yearning for eternity or other human immensities. Then all of such human yearnings have their source in another realm, and they serve to orient the individual to another realm. So the scientists and researchers unreceptive to metaphysics were deaf and blind to all such messages. Even though they condemned themselves to a barren path devoid of wisdom and reflection, a believer should avoid it. Thanks to the facts revealed to them about truths of faith, it is always possible for believers to deepen their considerations on humanity, the universe, and phenomena; then they soar toward different horizons of thought by reflection, rumination, and pondering. Naturally, everybody has his or her own capacity of comprehension and knowing. Actually, the three levels of certainty in Sufism—based on knowing, seeing, or direct experience—points to this difference between people. On the other hand, as a believer might read the creational commands by means of science, they must constantly refer to the Qur’an, which is the everlasting translator, lucid interpreter, and articulate proof of the universe; this will enable them to correctly interpret the seemingly vague points in the creational commands, as a requisite to save them from wrong interpretations while studying natural sciences. Thus they will not only understand what the creation tells correctly, but also have deeper knowledge and love for the Unique One all those sciences point to.

[wisdomrays]

THE MOST EXALTED PURPOSE AND THE FEELING OF CURIOSITY: Part 1

Question: In our time, the feeling of curiosity is often directed toward daily news, political polemics, or the lives of celebrities. What is the Divine wisdom behind equipping humanity with this feeling?

The feeling of curiosity is an important factor that triggers a thirst for knowledge and a zeal for exploring other lives. One should use such an important dynamic for the sake of an exalted and noble ideal. What can be the most exalted ideal for a person? I think the most important ideal is to recognize and know the Almighty One, Who brought us into existence from nothing, Who rendered us the most honorable one among all of creation, Who laid this world before us as a corridor to Paradise, Who beautified the universe with manifestations of the Divine Names as an arable field for the Hereafter, Who sent us perfectly dependable guides to let us see beyond the veil and the truth of everything. For this reason, one must prepare for a lifetime of curiosity, using it to seek to know the Divine Essence as best as one can, beyond all forms and measures.

The divine essence is absolutely beyond comprehension

At this point, one statement of God’s Messenger is an important criterion for us: “Reflect on God Almighty’s works of blessings and power! But do not ever attempt to reflect on the Divine Essence, for that issue transcends human conception.” Some people may have sensed and felt certain things related to the Divine Essence, in accordance with the immensity of their conscience and depth of their feelings and senses. However, these truths cannot be generalized for everyone. For this reason, what befalls on believers is to comply with the limit set by the Pride of Humanity, peace and blessings be upon him, and circulate within the sphere of Divine Names and Attributes. The Qur’an also points out this fact: “Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends all eyes” (al-An’am 6:103). The Divine Essence transcends everything and it cannot be comprehended; something that absolutely encompasses everything cannot at the same time be encompassed by cognition. Given that He is the One that encompasses everything; the ones encompassed cannot encompass the One that encompasses. For this reason, people need to be aware of what they can know, to what extent, and how they should know, and then try to learn what they can within the allowed fields.

Gaining knowledge leads to loving Him, and the more seekers love Him, the more they wish to know about Him. He also draws attention to this lofty truth, which is the real purpose of human existence, through the following words: “Belief in God is creation’s highest aim and most sublime result, and humanity’s most exalted rank is knowledge of Him. The most radiant happiness and sweetest bounty for jinn and humanity is love of God contained within knowledge of God. The human spirit’s purest joy and the human heart’s sheerest delight is spiritual ecstasy contained within love of God” Here, in addition to asking for knowledge and love of God, Bediüzzaman refers to spiritual ecstasy or delight as an objective. But if you wish, you can ask for it to be spared for the afterlife, as well. However, it should be known that spiritual delight is not something to be dismissed. Who knows, when spiritual delight is manifested within, you will perhaps ask for more and feel eager to make deeper quests.

If we can know God Almighty in such an immensity of knowledge, I think we will plan our lives accordingly, always try to walk in that direction, and will hardly be able to contain ourselves with the enthusiasm of making others feel what we experienced. I guess a similar immensity and depth of knowing God lay behind the relevant zeal and enthusiasm of the Companions of the noble Prophet and the Apostles of Jesus. They knew God so well, felt and sensed Him very well in their consciences, and thus their faith continued to deepen. As a consequence, this provoked such an enthusiasm in them that they maintained a spiritual vigilance with the consideration of “We should mention about the All-Holy Who manifests Himself all the time.” In addition to faith in God, as believers get to gain insight into other articles of faith and essentials of religion with their true nature, they will begin to feel a deep interest in them. For example, when one feels curious about the worth of the Prince of both worlds in the sight of God, and what the message he brought stands for within humanity, then that person sets about to know the noble Prophet in the way he should be known. Thus knowing more about him evokes further love and respect for him. In time, the journeyer virtually witnesses the blessed Prophet as a guide who shows the way regarding everything. Deepening the essentials of faith and religion helps us better know their beauties, and allows our nature to conform to them. A person who feels all of these in their conscience will not be able to help but say, “My God, we are infinitely indebted to You! It is so glad that You enabled us—in spite of our own narrowness—to recognize and know You and Your Messenger. You have bestowed us the blessing of Islam, which is so crucial for our lives, and which helps us gain proximity to You. My God, thousands of praises and glory be to You! Then like his journeyer through the universe in “The Supreme Sign,” he or she will ask for more and try to dig a bit further into the ground of knowledge of God. If you stand beside a well and set about drawing up water from it, I think the water will come out more as you draw more. As the water of the well gushes forth, it will spur up your enthusiasm to draw more. So you feel excited every time, with an insatiable zeal, and become an “asker for more.”

[wisdomrays]

BENEFITING FROM CONTEMPLATIVE DIALOGUES AND COUNSELS: Part 2

Self-effacement

On the other hand, the speaker needs to be sincere, and the listeners need to be willing to benefit from what is told, so that the advice can be helpful. Since religion is a Divine system decreed by God, it definitely needs to be told with a consciousness of a dynamic relation with Him. Besides, instructors must enter the subject through utter self-effacement, virtually becoming one of the characters being depicted. While telling about a hero such as Hamza or Anas ibn Nadr, they must virtually become that person and leave oneself to the flow of the subject. You can compare this to the Sufi way of becoming totally oriented to, or annihilated (fana) within, a given ideal, and refer to it as becoming “annihilated” in the religious talk. If the instructor tells the subject so deeply he merges with it, his or her crying, smiles, or speaking emotionally depend on the unfolding of the subject. Acquiring this state depends on a person’s believing with heartfelt sincerity in what he or she tells. As for those who listen to this interaction, they should be able to enter into the subject together with the teller. For example, if a battlefield or ascension to spiritual realms is being depicted, the audience must be right there with the teller of the story, insofar as their imagination and conception allow.

Every Prejudice Is a Barrier

It is essential for listeners not to hold negative opinions about the instructor. They must be ready to welcome what is being told. If the words being uttered are not only to reach the ears but also the hearts of listeners, and be successfully processed in different mechanisms of consideration, the listeners have to be free from prejudices.

In addition, in order for a person to properly benefit from a talk, he or she similarly needs to be free from feelings like jealousy and covetousness; they must not make egocentric emphases, and avoid showing off their knowledge about the subjects being told. Even if some of the points being made do not sound totally agreeable, the listener should say, “We can discuss and settle this point after the session,” and listen attentively in spite of all, keeping one’s mind and heart constantly receptive to the message.

If there is a flaw about any of the points we have mentioned, it is inevitable there will be a breakdown of communication between the teller and listener. While listening, if we are including our own grudges, biases, egotism, arrogance, or boastful knowledge, then the emphasis we try to lay on our own person becomes a barrier against benefiting from the other person. Even if individuals in such a mood listened to the great masters such as Imam al-Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, or Bediüzzaman, and even if they had the honor to listen to the blessed Prophet himself, they still could not benefit from the talk. As a matter of fact, so many people like Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl did listen to him without benefiting. Today as well, many of their counterparts listen to the Qur’an and Sunnah, or hear the talks of truthful guides, but they do not benefit from these at all.

Let me express as a final point that just as achievement or authority are elements of being tested, knowledge is also a means of testing, and it causes most people to lose. The thought of “I already know” becomes such a screen that it prevents people from benefiting from a religious instructor. It might also be a factor in distancing that person from the Divine’s teaching completely. God Almighty makes a warning in this respect: “When an affliction befalls human, he calls upon Us (to save him). Then, when We (from sheer grace) have bestowed a favor upon him from Us, he says: ‘I have been given this only by virtue of a certain knowledge that I have.’ No, indeed… Rather, this (favor bestowed on a human) is a trial, but most of them do not know” (az-Zumar 39:49). In fact, any blessing that distances a person from God is nothing but a “misfortune in disguise.” Blessings that arrive as different positions and titles at different universities or administrative units stand for nothing but a curse as far as they cause people to become oblivious of God. The way to be protected from such danger is that, both the listener and the teller must approach the issue solely for the sake of God’s good pleasure and the compass of the heart must always be oriented accordingly. Both the speaker and the audience need to go through a personal process of internal orientation at the very beginning. Fifty times at least, they need to slam a hammer on their carnal soul by not siding with it, by not holding themselves pure to be purified of evil attitudes. If there is such essential preparation and initiation to the issue with sincere intention and inner purity, by God’s grace, spiritual advice and talks will be much more efficient, fruitful, and beneficial.

[wisdomrays]

BENEFITING FROM CONTEMPLATIVE DIALOGUES AND COUNSELS: Part 1

Could you explain the essential principles to be observed in order to benefit from spiritual advice in the best way, with respect to both the speaker and listener?

Nasihah (advice) means living with the idea of doing good to others. The manner of doing good and the relation between the speaker and the listener might show differences according to different persons or societies. Some try to do good to others by counseling, authoring books, preparing brochures, and different other ways as their position and means allow, and thus appeal to their spirit. Spiritual advice is a very important need for everybody, no matter their walk of life. The Qur’an draws attention to this important point with the command, “But remind and warn, for reminding and warning are of benefit to the believers” (adh-Dhariyat 51:55). The act of reminding and warning mentioned in the verse has differing degrees of meaning that refer to faith (iman), Islam, and ihsan, deepening in faith, and inviting someone to comprehend Islam as a whole. The inflection of the original Arabic word (as dhakkara) is noteworthy, for it denotes the significance and continuity of reminding. This form (of taf’il) denotes abundance in quantity. Accordingly, the verse commands continually reminding and giving advice. In other words, do not give up giving advice by saying, “I have said what needs to be told two or three times already, but people keep living in obdurate heedlessness;” instead, keep reminding as a continuous responsibility, for it will definitely be beneficial to believers.

The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, pointed out this truth with his invaluable words of wisdom that religion is sincere counselling and good advice. Giving advice is an essential aspect of practicing religion in individual and societal level. If this duty is not fulfilled, then the religion is destined to fall, sooner or later. As a matter of fact, the blessed life of God’s Messenger was centered on advice. He would sit at his mosque in Medina at certain times of day, and the Companions formed circles around him. Some would ask questions about worship, some about his statements they could not understand, and some would ask about the meaning of certain verses in the Qur’an. He never turned down any of them. In his entire lifetime, he only retreated to a corner away from his wives at one occasion; no other such case is reported during his mission. He would stay among his Companions, explain verses of the Qur’an, answer their questions, and settle their problems. This is how most of the verbal statements in hadith sources were made. As for his exemplary behavior, recorded in hadith sources as “af’al an-Nabawi,” or “acts of the noble Prophet,” they constituted the practical aspect of his tradition. In addition, his keeping silent before practices he witnessed was taken as “approval,” which constituted another aspect of his Sunnah. In other words, the silence he presented served as a criterion about states and behaviors acceptable in religion. In accordance with that, the Companions decided whether something was acceptable. These were the three ways in which he continuously conveyed what needed to be taught.

Talking according to the needs of listeners

If both the speakers and the listeners are sincere, a question-answer format can make a religious talk more efficient. Otherwise, a speaker who does not take listeners’ feelings and needs into consideration may think he delivers great speeches, but the matters he tells will not be of any permanent benefit for them. For this reason, like a teacher who follows a school curriculum by distributing subjects to different weeks and months, and teaches them gradually in a way to suit the level of the students, a religious instructor must convey what he or she will tell within a gradual plan that suits the capacity and knowledge of their audience; this will help them digest and internalize the issues being told. However, only those who can behold the issue with an overall view can present the subjects like that. As for the topics to be told by those who try to save the day, they will fail to make up a harmonious whole, and thus not yield the desired benefit for the listeners.

In this respect, what the society needs should be determined well. For example, if the Daily Prayers are not observed as they should be, the program needs to have the truth and essence of the Prayers at its core. If the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, is not properly known in a way that exemplifies his true worth, then he should be introduced with all of his aspects in order to work heartfelt love for him into souls. In the meantime, it will be wise to give the listeners an opportunity to ask the questions in their mind and thus allow deeper comprehension. Thus, like releasing a bucket into a water-well possessing good potential and bringing it into life by drawing out more and more, the questions they ask will help the speaker to expound on the issue better. The listeners gleaming knowledge from the speaker determines whether a talk is nourishing or not.

[wisdomrays]

BASELESS NEGATIVE OPINIONS AND ENVY: Part 2

Attending the circles of contemplative dialogue on the beloved

The most important and efficient way of ridding oneself from this danger is to renew faith, every day, by forming the circles of talks on the Beloved—even if only with a few people. Diseases of this kind can only be treated with the truths of faith people freshly feel in their consciences all the time. For this reason one should be able to view faith from a different perspective every day, and be able to say, “My God, I did not know you this way, I now see that there was so much that went undiscovered. But now, I feel you with a much different profundity in my conscience,” and thus they awaken to a fresh horizon of faith and knowledge of God.

The belief in resurrection must be approached the same way; the awareness of being called to account on the Day of Judgment must play a determining role on our actions. Attaining eternal bliss in Paradise depends on passing successfully through the grave and the following process of reckoning. If we cannot—may God forbid—then the end will be terribly grim. For this reason, we need to know matters of faith like we know the alphabet and try to feel it anew in our consciences every day with a new hue, pattern, and articulation.

In addition to belief in the Afterlife, belief in the message of the blessed Prophet must also be handled with the same degree of importance, and it should be presented in such a way that people should not be able to help but sigh deeply at the very thought of God’s Messenger. We must believe in the Divine decree and destiny in such a way that even in the face of great misfortunes, we are able to say “Goodness is in what God decrees” or “All praise and thanks are for God for every state, save unbelief and misguidance.” We should be able to say, “There must be some goodness, underlying wisdom in it. So it seems that God is warning us.” As it is very important to concentrate on truths of faith, it is also very important to observe Islamic essentials impeccably, with a sound consciousness of obedience to Divine orders. Grasping the essence of how to obey the orders is more important than the personal judgment of a thousand intellects. Satan used his magnificent intellect and went astray. As for Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, after a temporary lapse, he grasped the essence of obeying the orders, rose back again, and even excelled angels with his incredible progress. In the name of making all of these real, those who have a bit of useful knowledge and are able to talk must become mobilized for such lessons. Everybody must run from one session to another, and orient matters to the Eternally-Sought Beloved. Just as medical precautions are taken against seasonal infections in fall, precautions against spiritual diseases, which are much graver than physical ones, must be taken by developing due plans and projects. Physical diseases might cost a temporary life, at the most. But spiritual ones not only kill the heart in this world but they also ruin an eternal afterlife. In this respect, early intervention is crucial.

On the other hand, I doubt whether those in a position to provide spiritual guidance to others can treat such problems as jealousy and the inability to stand others’ merits successfully; it is God who decides whether to remove any rust or seal on individuals’ hearts. Anyway, what befalls on us is to do our best, in compliance with the Divine decree: “And that human has only that for which he labors, and his labor will be brought forth to be seen” (an-Najm 53:39–40). A true believer should strive to make up for the cracks and fissures that appear in individual and societal life, to cure those who suffer from disease, to lend a hand to those shaken or stumbling, and to remove negative considerations that pollute people’s minds. This is the faithfulness a believer owes to humanity; its opposite will be a grim indication of unfaithfulness, and a loss of one’s humane sensitivity.

[wisdomrays]

BASELESS NEGATIVE OPINIONS AND ENVY: Part 1

Question: Baseless negative opinions and envy are referred to as spiritual diseases. What are the causes of such problems? How can they be treated?

Holding baseless negative opinions about others and envying them are both grave sins. One gives way to another. Someone who views another person through a lens of negative opinion begins to develop hostile feelings toward that person unawares, as a consequence of attaching a bad meaning to everything he or she does. Similarly, somebody can have negative impressions stemming from even the most innocent attitudes and behaviors of a person whom they envy and feel hostility toward. For example, the person they envy can be a man who strives to serve in the path of God; but the envier sees that man as one who tries to show off by proving himself, and thus always attaches a negative meaning to all of his acts. In short, these two sins form a vicious cycle that feed one another. However, believers should seek not a vicious but a righteous cycle. That is, they should always seek righteous conduct so that everything they do paves the way for other good acts. Thus they will be seeking to do another good act as soon as they finish one.

Sparkle and fire

Actually, baseless negative opinions and envy emerge as little deviations at the beginning. However, if one does not give the willpower its proper due and take necessary precautions, those inclinations transform into spiritual diseases over time. In other words, a crack at the center becomes a huge chasm on the periphery. For example, an envious person becomes unable to tolerate even otherworldly acts—like Prayers and pilgrimage—of the person they envy. This envy becomes so grave that this diseased mood transforms into intolerance to the degree of unbelief; this causes them to make wishes hardly compatible with faith such as “I wish he breaks his arm or has a plane crash and thus will not be able to go to pilgrimage.” For this reason, it is essential to take action from the very beginning against such feelings that appear as small seeds in the heart. One cannot let them grow into invitations for much greater sins. It is easier to deal with them at earlier phases. If those symptoms are not removed with repentance and asking forgiveness (tawbah and istighfar) as soon as they make their first appearance, but are allowed to grow, they might darken the entire heart and cause it to be sealed up, as a sign of having lost its ability to believe. Bediüzzaman refers to this fact in “The Second Gleam”: “Sin penetrates to the heart, darkens and hardens it until it extinguishes the light of belief. Each sin has a path that leads to unbelief. Unless that sin is swiftly obliterated by seeking God’s forgiveness, it grows from a worm into a snake that gnaws at the heart.” The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, also referred to this truth. Accordingly, when one commits a sin, a dark dot is placed on his heart. When he gives up, asks forgiveness, and repents, his heart regains its luster. But if he persists at sinning, then the dark dot grows and covers the heart. This is the rust God mentions as “…what they themselves have earned has rusted upon their hearts (and prevents them from perceiving the truth)” (al-Mutaffifin 83:14).

It is understood from the explanation of the noble Prophet that sins do not leave a stain on the physical heart but our spiritual life. Every such stain is an invitation to another. As a germ that settles on your tooth calls other germs for damaging the tooth and gums, the stain on the heart does not like to remain alone. As stains follow one another, they become a manifestation of the truth stated in the Qur’an: “What they themselves have earned has rusted upon their hearts.” After such darkening, it is not possible for a person to see clearly what is right and wrong. For this reason, that person walks on the wrong path by mistaking it as the righteous one.

[wisdomrays]

INVITATION FOR DIVINE PROVIDENCE: Part 2

Given that we manage to eliminate our ego

Even trying to follow the footsteps of the Prophets (in a secondary sense) is too difficult a task for ordinary people like us. But against all odds, believers should always aim for very high horizons regarding their relations with God Almighty and serving on His path. While asking for these high virtues from God, it is necessary to carry out what we must do with sincerity. The efforts made for walking on the path of the Prophets, and other great guides that followed them, can be seen as an invitation for Divine providence. This can be compared to the situation of a person who does not know how to swim but still jumps into the sea and exerts himself there. Those who witness that will naturally say, “Look at that man! It seems he doesn’t know how to swim. Let us save him.” In the same way, such a person trying to walk on the path of the great guides can say, “My God, it is beyond my power to give this path its due, but I have set forth for this sake. I see that all of the Prophets and saints were able to swim in this sea. Even though I cannot swim, I am resolved to follow their example.” Having made this intention, jumping into the sea will be an invitation for Divine providence. God Almighty does not let down those who turn to Him so sincerely and saves them from drowning. Then He opens new horizons before them, making an atom into a sun, and making nothing into everything for those servants of His… given that we eliminate our ego with this consideration, given that we rid ourselves of arrogant claims. As it is known, zero has no value on its own. But if somebody puts a figure near it, then it suddenly gains tenfold in value. For this reason, believers should exert themselves, but they should also stay humble, recognizing their true position, and watching their steps carefully. They should never lay claim to beauties bestowed upon them, and should never forget that they are not the original source but only serve as a conveyor for those blessings to the rest of the world. No beauty bestowed upon us is an essential property of ours. Like bubbles on water that show a reflection of the sun, beauties are sometimes manifested on us and sometimes not; all of them belong to the Creator of all beauties. People with such consciousness can make their efforts truly fruitful. They witness the realization of the command “If you are thankful (for My favors), I will most certainly give you more” (Ibrahim 14:7), and enjoy more and more Divine blessings.