Life of Ahmad — Page 352
THE ESSENCE OF ISLAM as 352 love of the world, one’s desires and one’s own will. THREE STAGES The verse of the Quran: "Yea! whoever surrenders himself entirely to Allah and is a Mu h sin (has such a strong connection with God that he may be said to see Him at the time of worship), has his reward from his Lord, and there is no fear for such nor shall they grieve" (Al-Baqarah 2:113) alludes to the three important stages of perfect goodness: Fan a (self-annihilation), Baq a (regeneration), and Liq a (union with God). The words (2 :113) 'surrenders himself entirely to Allah' clearly teach that all our powers, organs, and whatever belongs to us should be surrendered to God and employed in His service, and this state of man is known as Fan a or death, for when a man surrenders his whole self and all his powers to the will of God and totally resigns himself to His service with a complete extinction of his selfish desires and pleasures, he doubtless brings upon himself a death which the mystics call Fan a. The clause that follows, viz. , 'and he is a Mu h sin ' alludes to the stage of Baq a (regeneration), for when a man is quickened by the love of God and moves simply in obedience to His will, after a perfect and complete annihilation and