Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 95
95 Malfuzat – Volume IV they are able to acutely sense that punishment. If one does not reform this dis - turbed state, there is a risk that all of one’s spiritual faculties may slowly but surely become useless and ineffectual, which is the beginning of a severe punishment. Now, it is very clearly understandable that no punishment comes from beyond, rather it comes forth from within. I do not deny that punishment is an act of God. Without a doubt, it is God Who gives punishment, but in the same man - ner that when someone consumes poison, Allah causes them to perish. Hence, the action of God follows the action of man. It is to this very point that Allah the Lord of Glory alludes in the following words: 1 ِ ٍة َ ْد ِ � ى ْ َف َ ا ْلْا َى ٰل َ ِع ُ َع ِ ُل َ ْط َـ َّت َِْتِْي ْل ُ ا ٍة َ ْد َ ُق ُْوْ َم ْلْ ِ ا ُهلل ُرُ ا َا َّن Meaning, the punishment of God is the fire kindled by God and its flame rises from the heart of man. This expounds in explicit terms that the actual seed of punishment is one’s own inner impurity, which takes on the form of punishment from God. The Truth About the Bounties of Paradise Similarly, the actual source of the pleasure of paradise is one’s own deeds. If an individual does not forsake the religion of human nature, if they do not stray from the centre of equilibrium, and if—being fully aligned with the demands of man’s servitude to God and divinity—they partake of God’s light, they may be likened to the healthy limb that has not shifted from its proper place and contin - ues to function in the manner that God has created it, feeling no pain, but only pleasure. Allah the Exalted states in the Holy Quran: 2 ُ َر ٰ ِه ْ َّن َ ا اْلْ َا ِه ِ َت َْحْ َّت ْ ُن ِ َم ِْْي َر ْ َج َ َّت ٍ ِت ٰ ْن َ ْج ْ ُم ُ ِه َ ْل َ َن َ ا ِِٰت ْح ِ ُل ٰ ْلَص ا ا ْو ُِلُ َم َ ِع َوَ ُْوْا ْن َٰاَم َ ُن ْ ُي ِ ِّذ َ ْل ِ ا َر ِ ْش َ ْب َوَ Meaning, give glad tidings to those who believe and do good works that for them are Gardens beneath which flow streams. In this verse Allah the Exalted has lik - ened faith to a garden and good deeds to streams. The relationship that exists between a flowing stream and a tree is the same that exists between good deeds and faith. Just as it is impossible for a garden to be verdant and fruitful with - out water, no faith can be beneficial and effective unless accompanied by good deeds. So what is paradise? It is made by vistas of faith and deeds personified. As 1 al-Humazah , 104:7-8 2 al-Baqarah , 2:26 p. 368