The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 241
The Holy Prophetsa 241 two bows. He approached close to the chord of Divinity and that of servitude, or even closer than can be imagined. . The two bows can be illustrated as under:. Higher Are;. Eternal Being. Diameter. Lower Arc; Mortal &. Created Beings. The line that divides a circle equally is a chord between two bows. This chord lies between the Benefactor and the beneficiary. At its extreme perfection, which is the ultimate point of all perfections, it resembles the centre of the circle which is the middle point of the chord. This point is the heart of the perfect man and is equally related to the bow of Divinity on one side, and to that of servitude on the other. This is the highest point of the lines that might be drawn from the centre to the circle. Although there are many other points in the chord between the two bows, yet with the exception of the point of the centre, other. Prophets and Messengers and righteous persons can share in those points. The central point represents the perfection which the master of the chord possesses in a high and special and distinctive manner in which no other person can be a sharer with him in the true sense, but by following and obedience one can become a sharer by way of reflection. . The name of this central point is the reality of Muḥammad, which is the source of all verities in the world. In truth, the line of the chord has expanded from this central point and its spirituality is charged in the whole of the