The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 98
98 أوليك لهم الا من وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ . 83. Essence of Islam-III. It should be realized that these three grades of progress which are the root of all knowledge and comprehension, and indeed are the essence of faith, are set out in the. Surah Al-Fatihah beautifully and in the most orderly manner. The first stage of progress which is the preliminary step towards nearness to God has been inculcated in the verse: اهدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَه 84. To abandon every kind of misguidance and to turn wholly to God by adopting the straight path is to climb the steep hill which has been described as fanā, inasmuch as to discard at one stroke all familiar ways and habits and to abandon suddenly all personal desires to which one has been subject all one's life and to turn straight towards God, away from all considerations of repute and honour and self-esteem and showing off, deeming everything beside Allah as non-existent, is an enterprise that amounts to death. Such a death is the source of spiritual birth. Until a grain is buried in the earth and gives up its shape, it is impossible for a new grain to come into being. In the same way the body of spiritual birth is created from the death which is fanā. As the ego is defeated and its operation and will and its turning towards creatures are progressively obliterated, so do the limbs of spiritual birth go on being fashioned until, when complete annihilation of self is achieved, he is given the robe of the sec83 'Those who believe and mix not up their belief with injustice; it is they who shall have peace and who are rightly guided. '-Al-An'ām, 6:83 [Publisher] 84 "Guide us in the straight path. '-Al-Fatihah, 1:6 [Publisher]