FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE
There is a tree beside my house. I call it the 'Spiritual Tree'. I derive spiritual inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing being that was initially a seed possessing the potential of becoming a full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the universe around it and then grows into a tree. The same is true with spirituality, the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an integral part of, the very nature of, every human being. To realize this spirituality, Man must derive spiritual food from the universe around him. A tree converts carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a spiritual personality. —Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
MAN’S HELPLESSNESS
I N his book The Mysterious Universe, the British scientist Sir James Jeans elaborating on man and the universe, writes: ‘It appears that man has strayed into a world which was not made for him.’
But it would be truer to say that:
It appears that man has strayed into a world which was not made by him, and nor is he its controller.
Man’s predicament is very strange. We know ourselves to be living beings. But this existence is a gift. We have not brought ourselves into existence.
We want that we should have a healthy body, which is essential in order to live well. But a healthy body is not in our hands. We need all those many things that form part of what is called the ‘life support system’. We can lead a successful life only with this support system. But it is not in our power to establish this system.
Man must acknowledge that in this world he is only a ‘taker’ and secondly that there
is another Being who is only a ‘giver’.
We need a favourable climate in order to live in peace and comfort. But we do not have the power to establish and maintain such a climate. Man desires eternal life, but everyone who comes into this world dies at an appointed time. It is beyond our capacity to stave off death.
Man is a completely indigent being. But in order to fulfil his many needs he is dependent on an external power. This aspect of man’s life is an extremely serious matter requiring complete deliberation. It is these contradictory aspects of his life that compel him to seriously ponder and discover the truth of this matter so that he can plan and construct his life accordingly.
Experience shows man that in this world he is only a ‘taker’ and secondly that there is another Being Who is only a ‘giver’. This relationship obliges man to ponder about the truth behind his existence and then fashion his life based on this reality. He should place himself in the position based on reality and acknowledge the deserving position that he must accord to the ‘giver’.
In other words, were man to seriously ponder about himself, he will discover himself to be in the position of a devotee and the other Being in the position of Almighty God. This discovery is the true secret of man’s success. That person who using his intellectual capabilities can discover this truth is truly human. For him are reserved all eternal success. On the other hand, that person who fails to discover this truth will have nothing but eternal loss
Were man to seriously ponder about himself, he will discover himself to be in the position of a devotee and
the other Being in the position of Almighty God. This discovery is the true secret of man’s success.
That person who discovers this reality will naturally respond in a manner stated in the Quran as, ‘All praise [and thanks] is to God, the Lord of the universe. (1: 1-2)
He will thank the one who can satisfy all requirements. This acknowledgement will revolutionize man so that he will develop an extreme form of devotion to God and fear of God. This is the man that is referred to in the Quran as a momin or a ‘believer’.
