Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 125
125 or for their own self. Sincerity and honesty is what holds value in the estimation of God Almighty— never let this fade from your hearts. Affectation and pretence can be of no use before God. The Means to Attain an Understanding of Allah Almighty Now one may inquire as to the manner in which one can reach this state and ask what means the Holy Quran has set forth in this regard. The response is that God Almighty has put forth two principles in this connection. Firstly, there is prayer. Indeed, it is true: 1 خُلِقَ الْاِنْسَانُ ضَعِيْفًا Man has been created weak. Man is a weak creature. He can do nothing without the grace and mercy of Allah the Exalted. His very existence, and the means for his nourishment and suste- nance are based entirely on the grace of Allah Almighty. Foolish is the one who prides himself on his own intellect or wisdom, or on his wealth and property, for all the aforementioned are a gift from Allah the Exalted. Where did man bring these from? Now, for prayer to be effective it is necessary for man to fully ac- cept and be cognisant of his own weakness and infirmity. The more an individual reflects over their own weakness, the more they will find themselves in need of the support of Allah Almighty, and this will produce a fervour within them to supplicate. When a person is grappling with a calamity, or feels grief or difficulty, they will cry out and call for help so that someone will come to their aid. In the same manner, if a person reflects over their own weaknesses and lapses, and feels in need of the support of Allah Almighty at every moment, then their soul falls and wails at the threshold of divinity with immense vigour, grief and restlessness, and cries out: ‘O Lord! O Lord!’ If you contemplate, you shall see that in the very first chapter of the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted has taught us to supplicate: 2 َ الضَّآلِّيْن الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ لَا اِهْدِنَا Guide us in the right path — the path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred 1 an-Nisa, 4:29 2 al-Fatihah, 1:6-7