The Resurrection

After seeing all this, could there remain any doubt that this person—who built this guesthouse by the roadside—possesses enduring and exalted dwellings, inexhaustible and most valuable treasures, and endless, great generosity? Through the generosity seen in this guesthouse, he awakens the appetite of his guests for the gifts he possesses at the center of his sovereignty and stirs their longing for the presents he has prepared for them.

Truly, if you look soberly and attentively at the state of our world, you may understand the following nine principles from this comparison:

The first principle: Like the guesthouse by the roadside, this world does not exist for its own sake, and it is impossible that it could have taken this form by itself. Rather, it has been established by Someone and serves as a wisely arranged guesthouse where groups of creatures continually arrive, stay, and then depart.

The second principle: Those who dwell in this residence, this world, are guests. Their Generous Lord invites them to Dārus-SalāmThe Abode of Peace; one of the names of Paradise..

The third principle: The furnishings and decorations in this world are not meant only for enjoyment. For after giving pleasure for a while, the end of that pleasure often causes pain. They offer a foretaste and awaken your appetite, but never fully satisfy you. For either their life is short, or your life is too short, so true satisfaction cannot be experienced.

This means that these high-value yet short-lived decorations are meant for understanding their value and meaning, for moving us to gratitude, and for awakening our longing for their everlasting originals. Their existence has another exalted purpose beyond merely granting temporary pleasure.^[1]