Living The Quran
From Issue: 682 [Read full issue]
Awakening
Saba (Sheba) - Chapter 34: Verse 46 (partial)
"Say, I exhort you to one thing, that you rise up to God."
Rising up to God is awakening from the slumber of heedlessness and rising from the difficulty of indifference. It is the first thing that enlightens the heart of the servant of God with life.
Awakening consists of three things:
The first is the glance of the heart at the grace and despairing at counting it or knowing its limits, of devoting oneself to knowing its favour, knowing how careless one is with respect to it.
The second is to examine the transgression, realizing the danger it involves, preparing oneself to setting it right, ridding oneself of its noose and asking to be saved by cleansing it.
The third is being alert in recognising the increase and decrease in God's privileges, to avoid wasting them and pay attention not to hold them back, so that what has been missed can be set right and what has remained can flourish.
As to how to recognize the grace, it becomes clear with three things: the light of the mind, the source of the lightning of the favour and absorption of the lesson from those who are afflicted with adversity.
As to the examination of the misdeed, it is validated by three things: glorifying the True One, knowing oneself and, believing in the threat.
As to discerning the increase and decrease in privileges, it goes by three things: listening to Science, complying with the requirement of piety and keeping company with the righteous.
Attaining all of this is by giving up acquired habits.
Compiled From:
"Stations of the Wayfarers" - Abdullah Al-Ansari, pp. 42-44