Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 127
127 that already exists or that may be vouchsafed from time to time in further exposition of it. The co-relation is necessary between revelation and man’s response to it. That man may be able to see, it is necessary that the eye should respond adequately to light. A blind man or a man whose eyes are diseased is unable to see or to see clearly. Equally, a man with perfect eyesight is unable to see or to see clearly in the dark. Revelation is to reason and intellect what light is to the eye. If one is closed or the other is shut out, no vision is possible. Thus revelation is a continuous experience, and must remain so. All God’s attributes are eternal. God has through the ages spoken and revealed Himself in myriad ways to His servants and creatures, and will ever continue to do so. This attribute of His, like all His other attributes, will never fall into disuse. If this means of direct communion between man and his Maker were to be withdrawn, all spiritual life would wither. Spiritual life is constantly renewed and invigorated through the experience of revelation, direct or indirect, in various forms. If this vitalizing and refreshing process were to cease, mankind would be left without active spiritual experience, and faith would be reduced from a living reality to mere speculative reasoning. Reason by itself may or may not lead a person to affirm that there must be God; it