The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 431
Heaven and Hell 431. This property of ginger, that it strengthens bodily heat and improves the digestion, and its Arabic name that has been used in the verse is adopted as an indication that it so strengthens a weak person and generates such heat in him as enables him to scale the heights. The purpose of these two verses which refer to camphor and ginger is to indicate that when a person moves away from passion towards virtue, his poisonous tendencies are suppressed and begin to decline as camphor suppresses poisonous matters. That is why it is found useful in cases of cholera and typhoid fever. When poisonous matters are suppressed and a weak health is gained, the next stage is that the patient is strengthened with a drink tempered with ginger. This drink is a manifestation of the beauty of God. Almighty which constitutes a nourishment for the soul. . When a person is strengthened by this manifestation he is able to ascend great heights and to perform such surprisingly hard tasks in the cause of God Almighty as cannot be performed unless the heart is inspired by the heat of love. To illustrate these two conditions God Almighty has here employed two Arabic words, one camphor which connotes suppression and the other ginger which connotes ascending the heights. These are two conditions that are encountered by the seekers in their. Then the verses proceed that: progress. انا اعتدنا للغفِرِينَ سَلْسِلاً واغللا وسَعِيرًا 201. For those who are disinclined to accept the truth God has prepared chains and collars and a blazing fire. . The meaning of the verse is that those who do not seek. God Almighty with a true heart suffer a reaction. They 201. Al-Dahr, 76:5 [Publisher]