Bounties of the Gracious God — Page 48
48 Atonement cannot save the self from sinfulness; rather the selves of those who believe in this doctrine greatly incite towards evil. Only such perfect divine cognition as causes the hearts to trem- ble, and only such appearance of the Almighty as inspires awe and fear can stop one from committing sins. After this comes the realm of love which sets up its camp upon the hearts and purifies them from the remaining sins. However, the thing that first enters the abode of egotism and demolishes its edifices and humiliates its nobility is the great fear and awe of the Almighty that over- whelms human faculties and completely shatters them. It causes a rift between a person and his carnal desires, and brings about complete purification. It is impossible for any man to be purified without beholding the Ever-Living and Honourable God and without the kind of certainty that uproots the camps of lies. In this world, shrouded by numerous veils, divine recognition is pos- sible only through signs. Surely it is signs alone that pull a man out of darkness until only the soul is left, and desires become extinct and man attains to a station to which reason does not have access. It is only after such realization and elimination of the veils that a person can enter the heavenly kingdom. In short, salvation from sin is only possible through witness- ing Allah through clear divine manifestations. And this station cannot be obtained by anyone without having beheld signs. Anyone who does not behold the Gracious God in this temporal abode sees nothing indeed. It is better for a person to die rather than living a life of blindness. The world and its adornments are sheer frivolities and sport. The fortunate ones cannot be deceived by them. Rather, such pious souls prefer death of every kind so that they might behold their Lord. Only such people are truly