Life Supreme — Page 4
LIFE SUPREME 7 1. DEVELOPING MORAL VIRTUES. Those of you who have visited Edinburgh in Scotland may have observed a massive monument standing beside Princess Street about a hundred yards from Waverly station. This monument was erected in honour and memory of Sir Walter Scott who was a renowned. Scottish author and historian of the last century. Whenever I see or visualize this monument I am reminded of his dying words to his sonin-law as he lay on his death bed. He said: "I have but a minute to speak to you. My dear, be a good man; be virtuous, be religious-be a good man. Nothing else will give you any comfort when you come to lie here. ". Although Sir Walter Scott had earned literary fame and had won the admiration of millions of his readers, he realised during the last moments of his life that the most worth-while avocation in life was the acquisition of virtue. He understood a great Islamic truth contained in the Holy Quran:. I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me. (51:57). Worship of God in this verse does not refer only to formal prayer. . Its meaning is that we should manifest the attributes of God in all our thoughts, words and deeds. We should glorify Him through the demonstration of moral virtues. This is the purpose of our existence and consequently we should focus our attention on this ideal with earnest devotion. Day by day we should strive to shed virtuous light on every thought we think, in every word we speak or write, in every action we undertake and even in every expression on our face. The following prayer should be a source of inspiration to us:. O Allah, diffuse light into my heart and ears;. Diffuse light on my eyes and on my tongue;. Diffuse light on my right and on my left;. Diffuse light above me and under me;. Engulf me in Thy light. . The Holy Quran declares elsewhere that the culmination of virtue should be our foremost aim in life in as much as it elevates us to an