RENAISSANCE FEBRUARY 2021

Faith & Beliefs 32 Monthly Renaissance February 2021 nature and character along with independence, due to which, if they so desire, they can fall into the lowest regions of Hell despite having the ability for reform. The second difference is that man’s abilities and strengths are bottomless. He has to cover a long path to progress. His path is not merely a mile or so like that of animals that he would begin his journey and reach his destination. With this stretch of his path and with his independent thought, it is but natural that he should fall and get up, drown and rise to the surface repeatedly. The third difference is that with his independence and destination that is far off, he has also been placed within trials. He has been offered the world as wealth; after life as being useless; goodness as difficult; the forbidden as delicious and plentiful and ḥ al ā l as tasteless and scarce; the fruit of truth as being deferred and the result of falsehood as readily available; reality as hidden and whims and lies as beautiful and grand. This is so that he is tested to see whether he runs toward goodness or toward evil; whether he moves toward the real but concealed signs in his nature or toward the false but attractive desires of his nature. Indeed, this test is extremely difficult, but his voice of conscience is also not weak. It develops the ability to peak into every darkness and guides him through signs. However many veils of feelings man places over himself; he does see and hear these signs, even though he disobeys them while listening to their calls and develops excuses for himself against their reasoning. This is the reality that has been explained in the verses of S ū rah Qiy ā mah. وَ ﻵَﻹۤ * ﻗۡﺴﻢ * ﺑﺎﻟﻨَﻔۡﺲ ﻟﻠَﻮ َﻣَﺔ . ) ٢:٧٥ ( And I do call to witness the self-reproaching soul. (75:2) b ﺑَﻞْ ﻳ * ﺮﻳْﺪ * ﻵْﻹﻧْﺴَﺎن * ﻟﻴَﻔْﺠ * ﺮَ َﻣَﺎﻣَﻪ . ) ٥:٧٥ ( But man wishes to do wrong [even] in the time in front of him. (75:5) ٌ َة 4ۡ َﻔۡﺴﻪٖ ﺑَﺼ zLٰMَ ﺑَﻞ ﻵۡﻹﻧۡﺴَﺎن * ﻋ b ﻣَﻌَﺎذﻳْﺮَه ٰ½ْ وَﻟَﻮْ َﻟ . )٧٥ :١٤ ۔ ١٥( Nay, man will be evidence against himself, Even though he were to put up his excuses. (75:14-15)