The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 254
254. Essence of Islam II. To stretch forth one's neck for slaughter willingly and cheerfully demands perfect love and devotion, and perfect love calls for perfect understanding. The word. Islām indicates that for true sacrifice perfect understanding and perfect love are needed and nothing else. This is indicated by Allāh the Exalted in the verse: 88 لن ينال اللهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَ لكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنْكُمْ 3. This means that the sacrificial meat you offer cannot reach Me, nor can its blood. On the contrary, the only sacrifice that reaches Me is that you shall fear Me, and be righteous for My sake. [Lecture Lāhore, Rūḥānī Khazā'in, vol. 20, pp. 150-152]. Faith Without Understanding is Not. Enough for Salvation. It may be asked that if the blood of Jesus cannot purify from sin, as indeed it cannot, then is there any way of being purified from sin, for a sinful life is worse that death. My answer to this question, which I set forth with full force from my personal experience, is that from the time that man was created up to today there has been only one means of escaping sin and disobedience. That means is that through convincing arguments and shining signs a person should arrive at the understanding which truly makes God manifest, and through which one realizes that God's wrath is a consuming fire, and which proves through a manifestation of Divine beauty that every perfect delight is in God. In other words, through such understanding all veils are lifted from glory and beauty. This is the only way by which passions are restrained and man experiences inner change. On hearing 88 Al-Hajj, 22:38 [Publisher]