The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 100
100 صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ 87 Essence of Islam-III 'Guide us along the path of those on whom Thou hast be- stowed Thy favours. ' It should be remembered that those who are the recipi- ents of the overt and covert bounties of God are not ex- empt from suffering. Indeed they are afflicted with such calamities and torments that would have destroyed alto- gether the faith of another. They are described as the re- cipients of Divine favours because on account of their overwhelming love for God they view calamities also as bounties and derive pleasure from everything that they experience at the hand of the True Beloved, whether of pain or of comfort. Thus this is the second stage of pro- gress towards nearness in which everything that proceeds from the Beloved appears a bounty and is a source of de- light. This condition results from perfect love for and sincere relationship with the Beloved. It is a special gift which has nothing to do with design and planning. It is a pure Divine favour and when it is received the seeker is relieved of all burdens and every pain is perceived as a favour, and elicits no complaint or grievance. This is a condition of revival after death, because in this condition he encounters favours from every direction and is, there- fore, appropriately described as one who is the recipient of favours. This condition is also described as bagā, in- asmuch as in this condition the seeker feels as if he has been revived after death and perceives great cheerful- ness and is relieved of all the constraints of humanness and experiences the nurturing lights of the Divine de- scending upon him as bounties. At this stage, the door 87 Al-Fatihah 1:7 [Publisher]