Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 301
29 December 1905 301 Therefore, Allah the Exalted says that the first step is for a person to adopt taqw a. I cannot go into the details of evil deeds at this time. From beginning to end, there is a description of do s and don’t s and Divine commands in the Holy Quran, and there are several hundred branches describing different types of commands. In summary, I say that God Almighty certainly disapproves of creating disorder upon the earth. Allah the Exalted wants to spread oneness in the world, but the person who wishes to hurt his brother commits oppression and breaches trust; he is an enemy of oneness. Until these evil thoughts are removed from the heart, it can never be possible for genuine oneness to spread. Therefore, this step was kept foremost. The Essence of Taqw a What is taqw a ? Protecting oneself from all kinds of evil. Thus, God Almighty says that the first reward for the righteous is to drink a sherbet that contains camphor. Drinking this sherbet makes the heart cold to evil deeds. After that, no motivation and enthusiasm are left in their hearts for evil. The thought does arise in the mind of an individual that what he is doing is not right, even to the point that a thief ’s heart experiences this feeling, but he still goes on to steal with a tenacious heart. However, the condition of the people who are made to drink the sherbet with camphor becomes such that not only does the temptation to sin not arise in their hearts, but their hearts also become disgusted and hateful of evil deeds. All aspects of the temptations to sin are suppressed. This is not possible except through the grace of God Almighty. Therefore, when a person seeks the grace of God Almighty through prayer and resolute determination, striving