To conclude the brief exploration of the world view of Islam, we should observe the actual mode of life enjoyed by persons who see creation through prophetic eyes. They are primarily persons of peace--the peace which springs from intimately knowing the Divine Unity as mercifully all-inclusive.
"When they encounter empty talk or derision, they ignore it with quiet dignity...responding humbly even to foolish or aggressive words with the dignified salutation: Peace be unto you." (25:63-76)
These persons of love never experience themselves as isolated individuals who must defend any personal, cultural or religious self-interest. They sense coursing through their limbs and organs at every moment only the one Divine Action.
"Those whose entire lives intimately face the Source of Life never grow weary of being channels for Divine Power and are never too proud to serve as humble instruments of Divine Mercy, even in the smallest details of daily life." (21:19-25)
The only real motivation for leading this peaceful, harmonious, and helpful way of life, this life of prayer revealed to humanity through all the prophets, is to encounter Allah intimately and completely.
"Please encourage those who aspire to Islam to be gentle and selfless, to turn whole heartedly toward the Source of Being, and to call out to Allah Most Merciful every morning and evening, longing only to gaze directly into the Face of Love." (18:27-31)
In the disappearance of all sense of separation, which is the life of true prayer, the human being becomes a conscious expression of the very Divine Love which is adored as the all-encompassing, all-constituting Reality.
The fruit of this mystical union is the most sensitive and beautiful ethical life, which is not the response to an ethical imperative but the spontaneous expression of spiritual awakening, the constant affirmation of the one Reality with every thought and with every breath. Koranic revelation is not a conventional, abstract piety which worships an isolated Supreme Being, but the loving affirmation of all lives within the one Divine Life.
"The deep human response for which Allah Most Merciful calls is the commitment to justice that transforms daily life into continual acts of kindness and generosity toward all persons, regarding them as one intimate family...Compassionately warn your people that they are turning away from the Source of Love by performing actions insensitive to the dignity of any being, and that only constant remembrance of the Source of Being can develop true sensitivity." (16:89-91)
The persons whose eyes of wisdom have been opened by the light of revelation to see Allah constantly are moved to share with others whatever abundance they have received from the Source of Creation. These mature persons never assume any particular outcome of a situation because they accept whatever happens as a deepening of their faith and understanding, and hence they are never aggressive in any sense.
"These are My authentic lovers and friend, whose very lives are lived as praise and prayer, whose every act is compassionately to share whatever earthly or heavenly abundance the Ultimate Source has provided for them...who regard all events without exception as generous gifts and teachings from the Source of Wisdom." (8:2-4)
This transformed mode of living is truly human, not superhuman. It provides the basis for the moral laws of culture, although not itself motivated by questions of legality or morality, but rather by the instinctive truthfulness of the entire being of the person who experiences Allah as supremely close to all lives.
"Allah Most High is the Living Truth, and you should always witness to the truth on every level, even when your personal interests or those of your family and friends must be sacrificed. Whether rich or poor, all persons must receive equal justice, for Allah Most Merciful is equally present to all." (4:131-135)
This mode of experiencing, or directly living, the Divine Love on earth is not primarily ethical or rational, but mystical. From this supremely loving perspective, which is really the perspective of Paradise, the world appears in an astonishing light, far beyond any utopian vision, for utopias are mere human speculation, not revealed truth.
"The man or woman who lives life completely turned toward the Source of Love, affirming Love with every breath, will encounter Paradise everywhere and will begin to understand the justice rendered to all beings by Allah Most High, justice so perfect that no soul is wronged by even so much as the point of a date stone." (4:116-125)
The life of constant, devoted service to fellow beings, which is the way of life revealed universally through all the prophets, is not a program of social action but a form of meditation on the Divine Love. This holy way of life consists of spontaneous acts of generosity that are inspired by a constant inner awareness of the Divine Generosity.
The verses of the Holy Koran are the Words of Allah, not the secular philosophy of social reform. Yet truly dedicated service to society can and must be fruitfully undertaken with prophetic vision.
"These humble servants, moved purely by love for the Source of Love, present food and other provisions to the poor, the orphans, the prisoners. 'We bring these gifts to you spontaneously, longing only to gaze into the Face of Love. You need never offer us any return, nor need you to be grateful to us. We have been inspired to give through our constant contemplation of the universal Mercy of Allah.' " (76:2-22)
There is a mystical revolution of consciousness contained in this act of supreme worship, this selfless giving of our whole being to Allah through the loving service of fellow human beings. The poor, orphans, and prisoners--and most human beings exist under these abject conditions, either in a literal or a figurative sense--are indeed the secret bearers of the Divine Essence.
By offering humanity love, the truly awakened servants of Allah are worshipping the Source of Love and gazing intimately into the Face of Love. Humanity's spiritual recognition of its own oneness with Divine Reality is the goal of the prophetic way.
"This mission is the progressive awakening of humanity to its essential perfection initiated through the transcendental Adam, before whom even the angels bowed with their whole being...the secret essence of the human soul is the encompassing Awareness and complete Wisdom of Allah." (12:1-6)
The Koranic description of true mystics, persons who have authentically experienced union with Allah, is expressed in terms of becoming channels of the Divine Mercy. Unhesitating generosity is the function of spiritual maturity. Every human soul is capable of growing into such maturity.
The prophets are not presenting a mystical doctrine open to only a handful of specially motivated or specially qualified individuals. this call to compassion and union is the universal invitation of Allah, and entirely transcending both the external forms of religion and the doctrinal disputes among religions.
"Those who make a display of piety but have not committed their whole lives to compassionate action are like those who perform daily prayers as habit or as convention, without true awe, humility, and longing. Since their religion remains mere pretence, the vessel of their being has not been filled with active kindness by the Source of Love." (107:1-7)
This life of total compassion is not a grim responsibility difficult to bear, nor is it a proud sense of duty which makes a person feel immensely important to society. This life of the Divine Love on earth, which is the perfect knowledge of unity, is primarily an expression of true spiritual joy, arising spontaneously from affirming Allah with every cell of our body, with every strand of our awareness.
Spiritual joy is not a secret teaching, but the experience of Divine Love transmitted through the authentic prophets. The Holy Koran reveals the ultimate and perhaps the only question which Allah puts to the soul.
"My dear humanity, at the dawning of the eternal Day, souls will be asked whether they have experienced only self-centered pleasure or whether they know the nature of true spiritual joy. Consider deeply what your response will be." (102:1-8)
"When they encounter empty talk or derision, they ignore it with quiet dignity...responding humbly even to foolish or aggressive words with the dignified salutation: Peace be unto you." (25:63-76)
These persons of love never experience themselves as isolated individuals who must defend any personal, cultural or religious self-interest. They sense coursing through their limbs and organs at every moment only the one Divine Action.
"Those whose entire lives intimately face the Source of Life never grow weary of being channels for Divine Power and are never too proud to serve as humble instruments of Divine Mercy, even in the smallest details of daily life." (21:19-25)
The only real motivation for leading this peaceful, harmonious, and helpful way of life, this life of prayer revealed to humanity through all the prophets, is to encounter Allah intimately and completely.
"Please encourage those who aspire to Islam to be gentle and selfless, to turn whole heartedly toward the Source of Being, and to call out to Allah Most Merciful every morning and evening, longing only to gaze directly into the Face of Love." (18:27-31)
In the disappearance of all sense of separation, which is the life of true prayer, the human being becomes a conscious expression of the very Divine Love which is adored as the all-encompassing, all-constituting Reality.
The fruit of this mystical union is the most sensitive and beautiful ethical life, which is not the response to an ethical imperative but the spontaneous expression of spiritual awakening, the constant affirmation of the one Reality with every thought and with every breath. Koranic revelation is not a conventional, abstract piety which worships an isolated Supreme Being, but the loving affirmation of all lives within the one Divine Life.
"The deep human response for which Allah Most Merciful calls is the commitment to justice that transforms daily life into continual acts of kindness and generosity toward all persons, regarding them as one intimate family...Compassionately warn your people that they are turning away from the Source of Love by performing actions insensitive to the dignity of any being, and that only constant remembrance of the Source of Being can develop true sensitivity." (16:89-91)
The persons whose eyes of wisdom have been opened by the light of revelation to see Allah constantly are moved to share with others whatever abundance they have received from the Source of Creation. These mature persons never assume any particular outcome of a situation because they accept whatever happens as a deepening of their faith and understanding, and hence they are never aggressive in any sense.
"These are My authentic lovers and friend, whose very lives are lived as praise and prayer, whose every act is compassionately to share whatever earthly or heavenly abundance the Ultimate Source has provided for them...who regard all events without exception as generous gifts and teachings from the Source of Wisdom." (8:2-4)
This transformed mode of living is truly human, not superhuman. It provides the basis for the moral laws of culture, although not itself motivated by questions of legality or morality, but rather by the instinctive truthfulness of the entire being of the person who experiences Allah as supremely close to all lives.
"Allah Most High is the Living Truth, and you should always witness to the truth on every level, even when your personal interests or those of your family and friends must be sacrificed. Whether rich or poor, all persons must receive equal justice, for Allah Most Merciful is equally present to all." (4:131-135)
This mode of experiencing, or directly living, the Divine Love on earth is not primarily ethical or rational, but mystical. From this supremely loving perspective, which is really the perspective of Paradise, the world appears in an astonishing light, far beyond any utopian vision, for utopias are mere human speculation, not revealed truth.
"The man or woman who lives life completely turned toward the Source of Love, affirming Love with every breath, will encounter Paradise everywhere and will begin to understand the justice rendered to all beings by Allah Most High, justice so perfect that no soul is wronged by even so much as the point of a date stone." (4:116-125)
The life of constant, devoted service to fellow beings, which is the way of life revealed universally through all the prophets, is not a program of social action but a form of meditation on the Divine Love. This holy way of life consists of spontaneous acts of generosity that are inspired by a constant inner awareness of the Divine Generosity.
The verses of the Holy Koran are the Words of Allah, not the secular philosophy of social reform. Yet truly dedicated service to society can and must be fruitfully undertaken with prophetic vision.
"These humble servants, moved purely by love for the Source of Love, present food and other provisions to the poor, the orphans, the prisoners. 'We bring these gifts to you spontaneously, longing only to gaze into the Face of Love. You need never offer us any return, nor need you to be grateful to us. We have been inspired to give through our constant contemplation of the universal Mercy of Allah.' " (76:2-22)
There is a mystical revolution of consciousness contained in this act of supreme worship, this selfless giving of our whole being to Allah through the loving service of fellow human beings. The poor, orphans, and prisoners--and most human beings exist under these abject conditions, either in a literal or a figurative sense--are indeed the secret bearers of the Divine Essence.
By offering humanity love, the truly awakened servants of Allah are worshipping the Source of Love and gazing intimately into the Face of Love. Humanity's spiritual recognition of its own oneness with Divine Reality is the goal of the prophetic way.
"This mission is the progressive awakening of humanity to its essential perfection initiated through the transcendental Adam, before whom even the angels bowed with their whole being...the secret essence of the human soul is the encompassing Awareness and complete Wisdom of Allah." (12:1-6)
The Koranic description of true mystics, persons who have authentically experienced union with Allah, is expressed in terms of becoming channels of the Divine Mercy. Unhesitating generosity is the function of spiritual maturity. Every human soul is capable of growing into such maturity.
The prophets are not presenting a mystical doctrine open to only a handful of specially motivated or specially qualified individuals. this call to compassion and union is the universal invitation of Allah, and entirely transcending both the external forms of religion and the doctrinal disputes among religions.
"Those who make a display of piety but have not committed their whole lives to compassionate action are like those who perform daily prayers as habit or as convention, without true awe, humility, and longing. Since their religion remains mere pretence, the vessel of their being has not been filled with active kindness by the Source of Love." (107:1-7)
This life of total compassion is not a grim responsibility difficult to bear, nor is it a proud sense of duty which makes a person feel immensely important to society. This life of the Divine Love on earth, which is the perfect knowledge of unity, is primarily an expression of true spiritual joy, arising spontaneously from affirming Allah with every cell of our body, with every strand of our awareness.
Spiritual joy is not a secret teaching, but the experience of Divine Love transmitted through the authentic prophets. The Holy Koran reveals the ultimate and perhaps the only question which Allah puts to the soul.
"My dear humanity, at the dawning of the eternal Day, souls will be asked whether they have experienced only self-centered pleasure or whether they know the nature of true spiritual joy. Consider deeply what your response will be." (102:1-8)
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