To you who are aspiring to the Truth, seeking Him sincerely, His words are directed. He guides you to realize that: you are created to survive, and your life is eternal. Your earthly existence is a transient phase within an everlasting life. You existed before the earthly phase, and you will continue to be after it comes to an end. You are not mere physical bodies, you are spirits. You have celestial, and not only material existence. You will take off your material existence one day and move to another world that has its own laws. Every activity that man practices here on earth is transferred into an energy that he finds in his company when he moves to the afterlife. He will find good and luminous energy or evil and gloomy energy depending on the way he was while on earth. The coming life is an uninterrupted continuation of this life. Verses of Koran say that when man leaves earthly life, “Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it” (HQ:99: 7, 8). Your whole earthly life is a good chance for you to acquire an eternal life. God has given you His Trust (the divine part in you) to be qualified for gaining eternity. Every moment of this life, every gesture can be adding to your eternal existence if it were helping in making you develop into “better beings” on all levels, and in all aspects of life, infinitely.
An approach to Religion, with no primary realization of the meaning of our life and the role of the earthly existence in helping us gain real life, will never be appropriate. Islamic Teaching as revealed by Prophet Muhammad, reveals the Eternal Law of life to man by revealing a comprehensive system of laws. Part of these laws was revealed to man through his primordial nature, then Revelations came confirming and crystallizing those laws. When man is in harmony with those laws he gains his real self and gains real life.
From the perspective of guiding man to live in harmony with the natural laws, we can understand why all the Islamic aspects of worship are associated with the rotation of the earth around itself, around the sun, and the movement of the moon around the earth. Times of regular prayer in Islam go along the rotation of the earth around itself within the twenty four hours: the dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and night. Fasting month starts with the birth of the crescent announcing a new turn of the moon around the earth within a month. Time of pilgrimage likewise is decided according to the movement of the moon around the earth. Almsgiving time goes along with the movement of the moon around the earth twelve rounds; and because it is done once a year it is also related to the journey of the earth around the sun within twelve months. Along natural phenomena Muslims have sacred feasts that symbolize the correlation between man’s life on earth and the natural laws that govern the whole universe. All aspects of worship in Islam are so rich with symbols and meanings that can be perceived by man if he works his thinking, and consider them deeply. Every aspect of worship in Islam is a very special “message”. When man “decodes” some of its symbols and meanings it reveals to him more and more, infinitely. Decoding the message happens when man is touched by its meaning, experiences it and is transformed by it. Decoding the message does not happen by reading letters and words. Words are mere vehicles that transfer meanings to man when he truly hears and perceives. If the issue were mere reading of words, the whole thing would be over since Scripture was read by everyone. The main issue is how man can be attached to a higher spiritual source and receives spiritual power. With that power, he receives, man is able to remember the meanings of true life (because they are actually imprinted on the texture of his soul but he forgets them when he is devoted to the physical existence). Our gathering is one means of being attached to the higher source. Together we are open to receive more. The closer we are to each other the more we receive. When one of us speaks it means that he is the first to hear, and with him we all hear the words of truth within. Actually the true existence within us is the speaker and the hearer. There is a secret that makes the group more capable of receiving from the higher source than when man is by himself. That is why God commands that we come together when we invoke Him. “And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the Pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.(HQ:3: 103) “The Rope of Allah” is love. Love keeps all hearts attached to each other, willing to commemorate God, seek His face, and listen to His words. The Rope is the faith in the Eternal Law of life, and man’s keenness to seek righteousness in every action while here on earth. If we feel this way Religion will spring from within us, and all the teaching will be a confirmation of what we actually are.
To Sum Up: as much as all aspects of nature are living according to unchangeable natural laws, man’s life is controlled by One Eternal Law. While here on earth man can make use of every moment, every gesture, and every action in gaining a step forward in the path of eternal life. Every action can lead man to develop spiritually, ceaselessly. Because all Revelations reveal that Eternal Law that controls man’s whole existence, they are actually manifestations of One Religion. That one Religion was manifested in Revelations previous to Prophet Muhammad, and with him all the meanings, concepts, and symbols were condensed and regulated. Islamic Teaching as revealed by Prophet Muhammad can supply the whole humanity with all the concepts and guidance that man needs to experience in order to gain eternal life. In other words Islam as revealed by Prophet Muhammad is a comprehensive manifestation of the Primordial Religion: the Eternal Law of life. If we go beyond names and labels we will find but One Primordial Religion. By Primordial Religion we do not mean the outer forms and shapes of worship, we mean the “truths” that were revealed through Prophet Muhammad’s Revelation. Those truths complimented and integrated the truths that were revealed through previous Revelations. All verses in Koran remind us that the main issue of all Revelations is one, and that all prophets carried one message. Koran says: “The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His Messengers." And they say: "We hear, and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."(HQ:2: 285)
We do hope that the world is awaken to realize that there is One Religion, and that humans should not stick to false racial prejudices and insist on ignorance. The world should realize that the shared goal among men is to know God, seek His face, and to gain Truth. The world has to realize that human brethren should talk to each other with open minds, discussing their shared goal: how to be real humans whatever were their nationalities, civilizations, origins, or environment. We do not say whatever their religions are because Religion is One, the Eternal Law of life is One; and it applies to all men here and there.
We call upon (the world) to join together, and be patiently searching for the Truth. "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him;” (HQ:3:54); “And converse ye not with the People of the Book, except by telling them what is better (HQ:29: 46). The better is the Religion of the primordial nature, the Religion of Truth, and the Religion of life. It is the Religion that pulls in whoever attempts to defeat It, because It is the Religion of reasonability, Truth, the ceaseless search for what is better. That Religion is like a stranger now, because we carry the name but the way we are actually does not reflect Its truth. It is the Religion of Life that (alas) we neither appreciate, nor realize, or seek sincerely.
An approach to Religion, with no primary realization of the meaning of our life and the role of the earthly existence in helping us gain real life, will never be appropriate. Islamic Teaching as revealed by Prophet Muhammad, reveals the Eternal Law of life to man by revealing a comprehensive system of laws. Part of these laws was revealed to man through his primordial nature, then Revelations came confirming and crystallizing those laws. When man is in harmony with those laws he gains his real self and gains real life.
From the perspective of guiding man to live in harmony with the natural laws, we can understand why all the Islamic aspects of worship are associated with the rotation of the earth around itself, around the sun, and the movement of the moon around the earth. Times of regular prayer in Islam go along the rotation of the earth around itself within the twenty four hours: the dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and night. Fasting month starts with the birth of the crescent announcing a new turn of the moon around the earth within a month. Time of pilgrimage likewise is decided according to the movement of the moon around the earth. Almsgiving time goes along with the movement of the moon around the earth twelve rounds; and because it is done once a year it is also related to the journey of the earth around the sun within twelve months. Along natural phenomena Muslims have sacred feasts that symbolize the correlation between man’s life on earth and the natural laws that govern the whole universe. All aspects of worship in Islam are so rich with symbols and meanings that can be perceived by man if he works his thinking, and consider them deeply. Every aspect of worship in Islam is a very special “message”. When man “decodes” some of its symbols and meanings it reveals to him more and more, infinitely. Decoding the message happens when man is touched by its meaning, experiences it and is transformed by it. Decoding the message does not happen by reading letters and words. Words are mere vehicles that transfer meanings to man when he truly hears and perceives. If the issue were mere reading of words, the whole thing would be over since Scripture was read by everyone. The main issue is how man can be attached to a higher spiritual source and receives spiritual power. With that power, he receives, man is able to remember the meanings of true life (because they are actually imprinted on the texture of his soul but he forgets them when he is devoted to the physical existence). Our gathering is one means of being attached to the higher source. Together we are open to receive more. The closer we are to each other the more we receive. When one of us speaks it means that he is the first to hear, and with him we all hear the words of truth within. Actually the true existence within us is the speaker and the hearer. There is a secret that makes the group more capable of receiving from the higher source than when man is by himself. That is why God commands that we come together when we invoke Him. “And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the Pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.(HQ:3: 103) “The Rope of Allah” is love. Love keeps all hearts attached to each other, willing to commemorate God, seek His face, and listen to His words. The Rope is the faith in the Eternal Law of life, and man’s keenness to seek righteousness in every action while here on earth. If we feel this way Religion will spring from within us, and all the teaching will be a confirmation of what we actually are.
To Sum Up: as much as all aspects of nature are living according to unchangeable natural laws, man’s life is controlled by One Eternal Law. While here on earth man can make use of every moment, every gesture, and every action in gaining a step forward in the path of eternal life. Every action can lead man to develop spiritually, ceaselessly. Because all Revelations reveal that Eternal Law that controls man’s whole existence, they are actually manifestations of One Religion. That one Religion was manifested in Revelations previous to Prophet Muhammad, and with him all the meanings, concepts, and symbols were condensed and regulated. Islamic Teaching as revealed by Prophet Muhammad can supply the whole humanity with all the concepts and guidance that man needs to experience in order to gain eternal life. In other words Islam as revealed by Prophet Muhammad is a comprehensive manifestation of the Primordial Religion: the Eternal Law of life. If we go beyond names and labels we will find but One Primordial Religion. By Primordial Religion we do not mean the outer forms and shapes of worship, we mean the “truths” that were revealed through Prophet Muhammad’s Revelation. Those truths complimented and integrated the truths that were revealed through previous Revelations. All verses in Koran remind us that the main issue of all Revelations is one, and that all prophets carried one message. Koran says: “The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His Messengers." And they say: "We hear, and we obey, (we seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."(HQ:2: 285)
We do hope that the world is awaken to realize that there is One Religion, and that humans should not stick to false racial prejudices and insist on ignorance. The world should realize that the shared goal among men is to know God, seek His face, and to gain Truth. The world has to realize that human brethren should talk to each other with open minds, discussing their shared goal: how to be real humans whatever were their nationalities, civilizations, origins, or environment. We do not say whatever their religions are because Religion is One, the Eternal Law of life is One; and it applies to all men here and there.
We call upon (the world) to join together, and be patiently searching for the Truth. "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him;” (HQ:3:54); “And converse ye not with the People of the Book, except by telling them what is better (HQ:29: 46). The better is the Religion of the primordial nature, the Religion of Truth, and the Religion of life. It is the Religion that pulls in whoever attempts to defeat It, because It is the Religion of reasonability, Truth, the ceaseless search for what is better. That Religion is like a stranger now, because we carry the name but the way we are actually does not reflect Its truth. It is the Religion of Life that (alas) we neither appreciate, nor realize, or seek sincerely.
