The Fountain of God’s Unity — Page 42
lower thy voice; verily, the most disagreeable of voices is the voice of the ass. Here, too, it is said that when he is commis- sioned as a prophet, and people will travel from far and wide to meet him; if he then runs and retreats into his house [without meeting them and isolates himself] it will disappoint them immensely. They will say, 'We came to see him, but instead, he has hastily withdrawn into his home. Similarly, if people come to listen to the words [of the prophet] from afar, but instead he speaks to them in a harsh tone or raises his voice; would displease their heart, just as the sound of the ass is the loudest but also the most unpleasant to hear. In this ruku [of the Holy Quran], Luqmanas advises his son that he must first refrain from committing shirk and abandon sins and establish the worship [of God]. Once he abstains from committing sin and starts to perform virtues, he will be counted amongst -42-