The Truth About Salvation — Page 3
3 the same high objectives when compared with Islam’s superior teaching. In Islam the meagre goal of salvation holds no significance. Salvation signifies freedom from agony and torment. Yet human nature yearns not just to be saved from pain, but to also attain comfort and joy. An individual who sits on smooth ground which is free of thorns and nettles feels no discomfort, whereas a person who reclines on a settee is not only safe from discomfort, but also enjoys the pleasures of ease. Similarly, a person who does not suffer from stomach pains, or is not distressed by soreness of the eyes, can be considered to be in a comfortable state. However, it is possible that their health does not allow them to be happy or content. Therefore, as advanced by the teachings of Islam, the absence of suffering is distinct from feeling comfort and pleasure. Since human nature desires comfort, which is different from an absence of suffering, why should people not acquire it? For example, an illiterate person would not feel aggrieved by their inability to read a particular book, but an educated person would not merely be released from suffering because of this, but would derive joy from their reading. Hence, the benefit of reading is the pleasure it brings with it, rather than the divestment of misery. A further example is that of such individuals in