Malfuzat – Volume X — Page 408
Malfuzat - English translation of Urdu Volume 10 408 Now, both these matters are so difficult that all sins, crimes, and acts of disobedience on the one hand, and the principles of all virtues on the other, are encompassed within them. It is easy for everyone to say that he can safeguard himself against sin with his own strength, but man cannot disconnect himself from his own nature. Human nature is not like the skirt of a garment that can be cut off if it becomes soiled. One’s nature is a part of his being from birth. It is ingrained in human nature that he is afraid of and eschews only those things that he is convinced will harm him or kill him. No one would have seen anyone use strychnine [a bitter and highly poisonous compound] while knowing it is strychnine, or pick up a snake knowing full well that it is a snake, or enter a village heedlessly where the plague is wreaking havoc. What is the reason for this avoidance and caution? It is only that he is convinced that these things are fatal. The Secret of Avoiding Sin Thus, man can attain salvation from the disease of sin and transgression only when he becomes convinced that they pose a greater threat of harm and peril to him than a robber or a snake, and when the majesty, grandeur, and might of God remains in the forefront of his mind at all times. It is quite possible for man to discard his greed, avarice, and desires. For example, if a person suffering from diabetes is told by his physician that he must stop the use of sugar completely, it is seen that, in order to save his life, he does not even go near sweet things. So, this is also the case of spiritual greed and avarice, and selfish passions. If the grandeur of God and His glory are firmly established in a man’s heart, he will consider disobedience of God to be worse