The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 19
Islam <mark>the</mark> True and Living Faith 19 devotes all his faculties to that cause. In o<mark>the</mark>r words, he belongs entirely to <mark>God</mark> Almighty both doctrinally and in practice. . Doctrinal belonging means that one should esteem <mark>one's</mark> being as something which has been created for <mark>the</mark> recognition of <mark>God</mark> Almighty and His obedience and <mark>the</mark> seeking of His love and pleasure. . Practical belonging means to do all <mark>the</mark> good that is related to every one of <mark>one's</mark> faculties with such eagerness and attention as if one beholds <mark>the</mark> countenance of <mark>the</mark>. True Beloved in <mark>the</mark> mirror of <mark>one's</mark> obedience. [Ā'ina-e-Kamālāt-e-<mark>Islām</mark>, Rūḥānī Khazā'in, Vol. 5, pp. 57-58]. <mark>The</mark> <mark>reality</mark> of <mark>Islām</mark> is to <mark>present</mark> <mark>one's</mark> <mark>neck</mark> to <mark>God</mark> <mark>like</mark> <mark>the</mark> <mark>sacrificial</mark> <mark>lamb</mark>; to give up <mark>one's</mark> own designs and to be devoted to <mark>the</mark> designs of <mark>God</mark> and His pleasure; to lose oneself in <mark>God</mark> and to impose a type of death upon oneself; to be dyed in <mark>the</mark> personal love of <mark>God</mark> and to obey Him entirely for <mark>the</mark> sake of that love; to obtain eyes that see only through Him, and to obtain ears that hear only through Him, and to develop a heart that should be wholly devoted to Him, and to obtain a tongue which would speak only at His command. This is a stage where all search ends; human faculties complete <mark>the</mark>ir functions and man's ego dies completely. <mark>The</mark>reupon Divine mercy confers a new life upon <mark>the</mark> seeker through His living words and His shining light. He is honoured with <mark>the</mark> delightful converse of <mark>God</mark>. A fine light, which is not discoverable by reason and is not recognizable by <mark>the</mark> eyes, approaches close to his heart, as is said by <mark>God</mark>: 12 و نَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ 12. Qaf, 50:17 [Publisher]