Yet no faith will
The greater part of mankind
Have, however ardently
Thou dost desire it.
And no reward dost thou ask
Of them for this: it is
No less than a Message
For all Creatures
S.12 A. 103-104
These words relate to the time of Joseph, when the word of God was often mediated with other deities, other ideologies. People heard the word of God, but tried to fit it into their existing beliefs as comfortably as possible. The second aspect of this verse is for the messenger to understand the value of the message, and not to confuse his act of conveyance with the gift of the word. Both points are very important to me personally, being relatively new to my faith.
I take this counsel not as a messenger, but as one who is trying to receive the word of God. First, I must make sure that I am not mediating myself; no not mixing in idols per se, but in danger of injecting my own vain intellect, my stubborn adherence to self-serving theories, selfish paradigms. I also know that I could never completely surrender my intellect, and that I am not required to do so to be a good Muslim. I must submit to the word of God, then balance the things from heaven, from earth, and from my mind. There is a harmony to be found here, a state of sentient grace to pursue.
I am not without inspiration however, I have long admired Islamic poetry and philosophy from Rumi to Saadi to Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, and I have found no need for intellectual compromise when reading them. Today, I read them with much more pleasure, much more indebtedness, for I am no longer trying to separate wheat from chaff, no longer trying to extract truth or beauty from their spiritual heritage, I am seeing and feeling God's architecture in every sonnet, every phrase, every aphorism. I am not without inspiration.
Finally, I am struggling with the gift of His word, and to understand how I deal with its beauty. Yes it has touched my heart, and yes it is healing it, but am I to be beautiful, a shining testament to His glory? Even contemplating it smacks of vanity and hubris to me, for there is to be no reward for sharing this message, either though my profession or my projection. I am struggling to make sense here, struggling to separate that last bit of my frailty, that difference between embracing my faith honestly and purely, and any fragments of my pretentious arrogance. I am anxious to see my reflection then, when my heart is pure, and my actions follow.
:)
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