The Seventeenth Flash

Indeed, countless influences draw the human being toward the world: foremost among them are the nafsThe aspect of the soul associated with lower desires and negative traits. and its desires, together with need, emotion, appetite, Satan, the attractions of worldly life, and harmful companions such as yourself. Those who call people toward the eternal Hereafter and everlasting life, by contrast, are few.

If you possess even a little devotion to the Muslim community and are sincere in your concern for them, then support that minority—those who strive for eternal life. If you silence them and lend your support to the majority, you become an accomplice of Satan.

Do you truly imagine that the poverty of the Muslim community arose from religious asceticism, or from laziness brought about by turning away from the world? Your reasoning is mistaken. Do you not see that the people of China, and peoples who lived under European domination—such as the fire-worshippers and Brahmins of India, as well as the peoples of Africa—are far poorer than we are? Do you not realise that, apart from the bare necessities of life, almost nothing remains in the hands of Muslims? Everything else has either been stolen or seized by the unbelieving oppressors of Europe or the hypocrites of Asia.

If you are trying to lead the believers along the path of Western civilisation in order to strengthen public order and security in the country and make governance easier, then know that you are certainly leading them in the wrong direction. For it is far more difficult to control a hundred sinners whose faith has collapsed and whose morals have been corrupted, and to preserve public order among them, than it is to govern thousands of upright people.

On the basis of these principles, Muslims have no need to be urged toward worldly desires and greed. Progress and public order cannot be secured in this way. What they need above all is the proper organisation of working life, a sound division of duties, the establishment of mutual trust, and the preservation of mutual assistance. These needs can be met only by adhering to the commands of their religion, fearing Allah, and remaining steadfast in faith.

The Eighth Note

O lazy human being who does not know the joy and satisfaction found in work and effort! Know that, out of His infinite generosity, Allah has placed the reward for labour within labour itself, and the recompense for effort within effort itself.

It is because of this mystery that living beings—and, from one perspective, even inanimate creatures—carry out with complete devotion and eagerness the duties and responsibilities assigned to their nature by Allah. From bees and mosquitoes to chickens, and even the sun and the moon, all fulfil their appointed tasks with complete willingness. This shows that there is a pleasure inherent in their service. For this reason, they perform it eagerly, without concern for its outcome, since they lack intellect.

Objection: It is understandable that living beings, through the faculties they possess, may experience satisfaction in their work. But how can inanimate creatures experience eagerness and satisfaction when they possess no such awareness?

The Answer: The honour, rank, perfection, beauty, and order found in inanimate creatures do not arise from themselves, but from the Names of Allah manifested upon them. When they fulfil their natural duties, they become mirrors in which the Names of Allah, The Light of All Lights, are reflected. In this way, they themselves are illumined and elevated.