The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 122
12 122. Essence of Islam-III an imperfect appreciation of them, it would not be altogether free from traces of polytheism till such a one is led by God into Islām by accepting His total obedience. . Whatever a believer receives from God Almighty through God's Messenger is a heavenly gift which is not tainted by his own pride and self-esteem, but whatever a person achieves through his own effort is always affected by some taint of polytheism. That is why Messengers have been sent to teach the true Unity of God, and mankind has not been left dependent upon reason alone so that the Unity of God should remain pure and should not be tainted with human conceit. This is why erring philosophers have never been able to grasp the pure Unity of. God, inasmuch as they are afflicted with pride, arrogance and conceit, and pure Unity demands the negation of the self. Such negation cannot be effected unless a person sincerely believes that it is a Divine gift in which his effort has no part. For instance, one farmer keeps awake throughout the night and irrigates his field with great hardship, while another one sleeps all night and a cloud arises and rain fills his field with water. Would these two be equal in their gratitude to God? Indeed not. He whose field is irrigated without his labour would be more grateful than the other. That is why the Word of God has repeatedly admonished man to be grateful to God, who sends Messengers to teach him the Unity of God. [Haqiqat-ul-Wahi, Rūḥānī Khazā'in, vol. 22, pp. 172-179]. Why do Prophets have Needs like other People?. I wish to explain why Prophets feel the need of things like the help of other people. God Almighty has power to safeguard them against all needs. These needs arise so that they might manifest examples of dedication to God, like that of Abu Bakra, and faith in the existence of God