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FOLLOWING THE SUNNA IS
THE SIGN OF LOVING GOD AND BEING LOVED BY HIM
Say: "If ye do love God, Follow me:
God will love you and forgive you your
sins: For God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (3:31)
The Sphere of Divine
Lordship and the sphere of human servanthood
Since there is certainly
an observable beauty of art in the universe, it evidently requires the
Messengership of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. For the beauty of
art in those beautiful creatures and their embellished forms demonstrate that
their Fashioner has a significant will to make beautiful and a strong desire to
adorn. This will and desire show that there is in the Maker a sublime love and
a sacred inclination toward the perfection of the art He displays in His
creatures. This love and inclination require to be most directed toward and
concentrated on man, who is the most enlightened and perfect member of beings.
Man is the conscious fruit of the tree of creation. The fruit is the most
comprehensive and furthest part of a tree. The one with the most comprehensive
view and universal consciousness among the human beings can be a most elevated
and brilliant individual, who will meet with and be addressed by the
All-Beautiful Maker. He will use his universal consciousness and comprehensive
view entirely in the worship of his Maker, the appreciation of His art, and
thankfulness for His bounties.
Here two tablets, two
spheres appear. One is a most magnificent sphere of Lordship and most finely
fashioned, bejeweled tablet of art. The other is a most enlightened and ‘flower-adorned’
sphere of worshipping servanthood and the broadest and most comprehensive
tablet of reflection, appreciation, thankfulness and belief. This second sphere
acts with all its strength in the name of the first sphere.
Thus, it is evident how
closely connected with the Maker is the leader of the second sphere, who serves
the purposes of the Maker’s artistry, and how beloved and esteemed he is in
His eyes.
Is it at all reasonable
that the bounteous Fashioner of these fine creatures Who loves His art and Who
even takes into consideration all the tastes of the mouth, should remain
indifferent towards His most beautiful creature? That creature, through worship
in an outpouring of appreciation and admiration which causes the Divine Throne
and earth to reverberate and in a chant of thanks and exaltation that brings
the land and the sea to ecstasy, is constantly turned towards Him. Should He
not speak to him and want to make him His Messenger to be imitated by others in
his praiseworthy conduct? No! It is not possible that He would not speak to him
and not make him His Messenger.
Surely, the religion
with God is Islam.
Muhammad is the
Messenger of God. Those who are with him...
***
O soul! If you want
endless accomplishments with regard to your afterlife in a short lifespan, and
if you want to see each minute of your life as fruitful as a whole life, walk
on the Prophet’s way. If you want to transform your ordinary daily deeds into
acts of worship and your heedlessness into peace and constant awareness of
always being in the Presence of God, follow the elevated Sunna of the Prophet
Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings). For when you act according to the
rules of the Shari‘a, it gives some sort of peace, and becomes a kind of
worship, which yields many fruits for the Hereafter. For example, at the moment
you utter the phrase, ‘I bought it,’ which the Shari‘a requires you to
utter in a buy-and-sell transaction, that ordinary transaction of yours becomes
an act of worship. Such remembrance of a rule of the Shari‘a reminds you of
Divine Revelation, which, in turn, causes you to think of the Revealer of the
Shari‘a and to turn your attention to Him. This produces some sort of peace.
That means, by acting according to the elevated Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad
(upon him be peace and blessings), one can make one’s transient life produce
eternal fruits to be the means of an eternal life. Therefore, heed the
following Divine decree,
So, believe in God
and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in God and His words,
and follow him so that you may be guided. (7:158)
and try to be a
comprehensive object to be enlightened by each of the Divine Beautiful Names
manifested in the rules of the Shari‘a and the elevated Sunna of the Prophet
Muhammad (upon him be peace and blessings).
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