While in religion the world is condemned, how can it be the means for the
manifestations of all divine perfections?
The world has three facets.
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The first facet is concerned
with the Names of Almighty God. It shows their inscriptions and functions
as mirrors to them. This facet is the collection of the innumerable ‘letters’
of the Eternally Besought-of-All. Therefore it is extremely beautiful and
worthy of love, not of dislike.
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The second facet of the
world is related to the Hereafter. It is the field to sow for the Hereafter,
the tillage of Paradise. It is the flower-bed of Divine Mercy. Like the first
one, this facet too, is beautiful, and worthy of love, not condemnation.
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The third facet is a veil
of heedlessness and a plaything which concerns the fancies and desires of
man. This facet is ugly because it is mortal, painful and deceptive. It is
this facet of the world which the Traditions condemn and the people of truth
dislike.
The Wise Qur’an praises
the creation and attaches importance to it on account of its first two facets.
The Companions sought after these two facets, as have the other saints.
Four groups of people condemn
the world and deplore it.
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The first group are those
having knowledge of God. Since the world builds a barrier before the knowledge,
love and worship of Almighty God, they condemn the world.
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The second group are those
who aim solely at the life of the Hereafter. Either because worldly affairs
and occupations prevent them from striving for the Hereafter seriously or
because their firm belief and conviction show them the world to be very ugly
in comparison with the beauties and perfections of Paradise, they abhor the
world. Just as a man, however handsome, is ugly when compared with the Prophet
Joseph, upon him be peace, so too, all the beauties and charms of the world
mean nothing in comparison with the beauties of Paradise.
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The third group condemn
the world because they are unable to ‘conquer’ it. This condemnations arises
from the love of the world, not from dislike of it.
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The fourth group condemn
the world because when they seize something of the world, it slips out of
their grasp. They become angry and in order to console themselves, say: the
world is ugly. This kind of condemnation, too, arises from love of the world.
Whereas the agreeable condemnation is that which comes from the love of the
Hereafter and knowledge of God.
For the sake of the Master
of the Messengers, may Almighty God include us among the first two groups. Amen.
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