Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 25
Malfuzat - Volume I 25 diluted with water was burning at night. The oil and water began to quarrel. The water addressed the oil and said: 'You are heavier and dirtier than I, yet despite your thickness you float up above me. For I am a pure and refined substance that is used for cleansing purposes, but I still remain below you. Why is this so?' The oil responded: 'You have not experienced even minutely the degree of difficulty that I have endured. It is for this reason that I have attained this lofty position. There was a time when I was sown in the earth, I remained hidden and was humbled. Then, by the will of God I began to grow, and had not grown much before I was cut down. After great pains, I was then refined. Further still, I was ground in an oil press, whereafter I was transformed into oil and finally set aflame. After all this, was I not to attain a lofty position?' The above-mentioned parable is an example which expounds that the people of God attain lofty ranks only after enduring trial and tribulation. It is an absurd notion to suggest that such and such person simply went to some individual and, without any y effort and purification, became one from among the Truthful. Study the Holy Quran to see that the pleasure of God cannot be attained until trials and difficulties befall you just as in the case of the Prophets. At times, even the Prophets would express a sense of apprehension, as mentioned below: حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُوْلُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوْا مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيْبٌ Until the Messenger and those who believed along with him said: When will come the help of Allah?' Yea, surely the help of Allah is nigh. The servants of Allah have always been subjected to calamity. It was then that Allah accepted them. Two Paths of Progress The Sufis have written that there are two paths for attaining progress. Firstly, the spiritual quest and secondly, spiritual magnetism. The Spiritual Quest The spiritual quest is to embark upon the path of Allah and His Messengers as a result of one's own understanding and sense. For example, Allah the Exalted states: 1 al-Baqarah, 2:215