Our Teaching — Page 17
17 If you do not seek His assistance, and do not make it your rule to seek strength from Him, you will never achieve anything and will die in immense sorrow. Do not wonder why other nations seem to succeed, while they are not even aware of the existence of God who is your Perfect and Mighty Lord. The answer is that they have been subjected to the trial of the world on account of their abandoning God. At times, He opens the doors of the world to a person who forsakes Him and seeks the joys and pleasures of the world and runs after its riches, in order to try him. Such a one is wholly bereft and deprived in respect of religion. In the end, he dies with his mind devoted wholly to the world and is cast into an eternal hell. At other times, the trial of God is such that a person is deprived of this world as well. But this latter kind of trial is not as dangerous as the former, for the one who is subjected to the for- mer is more arrogant. In any case, both these groups are described as those who have incurred the wrath of God. God is the fountainhead of true prosperity. How can people attain true prosperity if they are unaware of the Ever-Living and All-Sustaining God and are ignorant and heedless of Him, and even turn away from Him? Blessed is one who understands this secret and ruined is one who does not. Similarly, do not follow the philosophers of this world and do not be overawed by them, for they only pursue follies. True philosophy is that which God has taught you in His Word. Those who are in love with secular philosophy are in ruin and truly suc- cessful are those who have sought true knowledge and philosophy in the Book of God. Why do you follow the paths of foolishness? Will you teach God that which He does not know? Do you has- ten to follow the blind so that they should guide you? O foolish