The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 412
412. Essence of Islam-1 can boast of himself, but these are the only people who can pass safely through the narrow door of experience. . Such good qualities as are manifested by other people are shown artificially by hiding their deficiencies and their diseases. They display a false culture and their reality is exposed on the occasion of every little test. They import artificiality and make believe in the exercise of moral qualities in order to maintain good order in their way of life; if they were to follow on all occasions their inner deficiencies, their way of life would be upset. Though they carry a seed of good qualities according to their natural capacity, it is suppressed under the thorns of the desires of their ego. It is not manifested purely for the sake of God and is mixed up with selfish desires and cannot attain to perfection. . This seed develops into perfection purely for the sake of. God only in those people who are devoted wholly to God and whose souls are filled by God with His own pure qualities, as they are empty of everything beside God. He makes those high qualities as dear to their hearts as they are dear to Him. Through their devotion, they acquire such a high rank of adorning themselves with Divine qualities that they become an instrument in the hands of. God through which He manifests His own qualities. . Finding them hungry and thirsty, He gives them to drink of pure water from His special spring in which no creature, in its own right, is His partner. . Another great bounty that is bestowed on the perfect followers of the Holy Qur'an is the state of complete submission to God. Despite their own excellences, they keep an eye on their deficiencies and, in the presence of the greatness of God Almighty, pass all their time in