DRAWING LESSONS
Food for the Soul
WHEN a person grows deep in his discovery of truth and becomes strong in faith, he takes life seriously. One aspect of this seriousness that comes from faith is what can be called ‘drawing lessons’. The Quran has many verses which call man towards contemplation, to derive spirituality from material events and to learn the right lessons from history. There are similar references in the corpus of hadith—for instance, the Prophet once said, “My silence should be for contemplation, and my vision keen observation.” (Musnad al-Shahab al-Qazai)
Faith or the realization of Truth results from drawing lessons from various experiences and observations. What is the discovery of faith? It is the discovery of the Creator after reflecting on creation. You discover the invisible world through the visible world. Through the signs of God scattered all over the visible world, you discover the inner realities of life. You develop the capacity of discernment and insight, along with external vision.
Faith or the realization of Truth results from drawing lessons from various experiences and observations.
Contemplation and reflection are an integral and continuous part of the life of a person of deep faith in God. This way of thinking leads one to constantly think of and remember God. Every single day one discovers things that help one's faith to increase and become stronger. While other people see only the exterior form of things, such a person discovers their inner realities.
There is no need for seclusion or for being in any sort of special place in order to engage in contemplation and reflection. These processes are constantly happening in the mind of a person of faith, and they do not stop even in the midst of the hurry-burry of the world.
Drawing lessons from things and events is a sort of spiritual sustenance for a person of deep faith. Physical food is a means for building such a person’s bodily strength, while learning lessons from one's surroundings is the spiritual food. Without physical food the body cannot be healthy. In the same way, without intellectual food, spiritual development is not possible.