Spirituality   
A Matter of Faith
by Naira Yaqoob

Life with Allah has endless hope;
Life without Allah has hopeless end.

Religion is a very sensitive subject and its truths are not to be verified but believed. Religion. Faith. Worship. No human existence is complete without these. No human language can possibly be adequate for the expression of the humblest spiritual thought. It can never be adequate enough to praise Almighty for the incredible creation and thank Him for our entire existence. It can never be adequate for explaining to those who have deprived their lives of these blessings as to what they imply and how they work wonders. We may come from different religious backgrounds, but that should allow us to be tolerant toward others and respect the good things in them all.

To quote Jane Goodal – Reason for Hope:

‘Thinking back over my life, it seems to me that there are different ways of looking out and trying to understand the world around us. There's a very clear scientific window. And it does enable us to understand an awful lot about what's out there. There's another window, it's the window through which the wise men, the holy men, the masters, of the different and great religions look as they try to understand the meaning in the world. My own preference is the window of the mystic. ‘

Science definitely helps us to understand the happenings of this world and their causes as well; but to an extent. The ultimate and absolute cause of the causes or rather the very beginning of the happenings has not been explained. It is extremely unfortunate that though we all seem to believe in God, but tend to forget His mercy and blessings upon us; tend to forget our duty towards Him. Accept it or not, the fact remains that religion is the very need of the day; the panacea of all evils and the filling substance of our spiritual vacuum. It seems very obvious that when men are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it? We need God and not the other way round. We need him for our sustenance, survival, peace and eternal happiness. This makes us to seek Him.

‘Man in himself is weak; he must seek God’s grace;
Without it he can do nothing; with it he can do all.’
– Yusuf Abdullah

People think that religion is hard to grasp and follow. But then what is easy in life? Good and right things are never easy to grasp and follow. In times of difficulties, our spirits are tested. With every difficulty and grief there is a relief and happiness that follows. In this context I remember reading: ‘In times of difficulties, don’t ever say Hey God! I have a big problem. Say, Hey Problem! I have big God.’ These hardships strengthen us for the life ahead and make us appreciate the simplicity of nature and life. And when we are sincerely into it, there can be no feeling of deprivation or sacrifice. There is nothing unreasonable in religion. It is just that our minds do not possess the understanding to comprehend the teachings of our religion. People who implement these never fear tomorrow because they have a security in terms of faith in God. The security that God is there…and nothing else matters! This enables them to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Faith is to believe what we do not see,
and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

Hence, affirm your faith in God. Such belief and affirmation is power. That arms you to face anything, even the unexpected.

Another related and important aspect is prayer. Faith without prayer is hollow. And prayer without faith is a delusion, a formality that must miss its mark. As remarked by Mahatma Gandhi (The Book of Positive Quotations by John Cook):

‘Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.’

Through this potent tool, man can attain a state of highest and humblest reverence and worship wherein a person adores God.

It was stated by Ayn Rand in The Fountainhead:

‘There is a stage of worship,
which makes the worshipper himself an object of reverence.’

This is a state, which was attained by the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed (PBUH); a state, which is difficult to achieve by any other human being on earth. Knowing about his life and belief, we realize how petty and hollow our lives are. In him is the proof of an ideal man, a heroic being. And we are his followers- by name and not by deeds. Are we able to justify our existence upon the earth that held him? Are we able to justify being among his people? We can only pray and hope for pardon.

Don't pray to escape trouble.
Don't pray to be comfortable in your emotions.
Pray to do the will of God in every situation.
Nothing else is worth praying for.
– Samuel M. Shoemaker

People, society, and cultural ethos are responsible for any injustice, distress, and dissatisfaction prevailing in modern society; a society where religious sanctions and morals are fast disintegrating or vanishing. Most of the ills, worries, and problems of the modern society and the world at large are attributable to the non-implementation of religious and moral principles and guidelines. It is now that we realize the importance of religion, faith and worship. Remember, at the end of it all, it is only GOD and I.

‘Prayer is light; charity is a proof; patience is illumination;
and the Qur’an is an argument for or against you.
Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul,
either freeing it or bringing about its ruin.’
-Mohammed (PBUH)  

October 8, 2006  

Image under license with Gettyimages.com

Top | Spirituality

The Week of October 8, 2006          
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India's Leadership Crisis : Impact on Defense and Politics by Gaurang Bhatt, MD 
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Parliament Attack: The Clemency Chaos by Nagesh Padmanaban 
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Dengue Et Al: A Billion Terrorists Strike by Col. Rahul K. Bhonsle
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Dal: A Lake or a Polluted Pond? by Naira Yaqoob
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