Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 153
153 power, for the subsistence of their children, and not to leave their dependents unsupported, and to make provision for their honourable living; and on the other, incidentally, has hinted by means of this Hadith, that employment of overt means, in this behalf, does not in any way militate against the sense and spirit of trust in God. One should, therefore, first take all the necessary measures so far as it lies in one’s power and is permitted by one’s resources, and then leave the result to God. No doubt, as I have stated above, it is a very difficult stand, for man is prone to over-incline to one side on account of his weakness; he either becomes so much devoted to overt means as to make them his god or in utter defiance of these, he pins all his hope on God, so much so that he believes that, notwithstanding his complete rejection of the material means that God has made, He will nevertheless descend from the High Heavens to personally handle all his affairs. The truth, however, is that both these stands are untenable and contrary to the spirit of Islamic teaching. The true philosophy which the virtuous in every age have followed lies in the observance of the maxim: “Tether thy camel first and then leave her to the care of God. ”