The Nature of Our Religion...

A hypothetical:

"I am the Lord thy God. Your lives and provision have been decreed. I want only of you recognition, not that you provide for yourselves. Let Me provide for you, and you worship Me. I have created you for this recognition. There is no way that you "can't" do it, I have built it into the depths of your very being. But there are created many distractions for you that will test your will and improve your strength and insight, so many of you "won't", for now. And it is for that choice that I have given you a free will.

"Knowing me is as simple as leaving your desires. To guide you in my direction I have sent you a revelation through a prophet perfect in character and understanding, yet human, that you be not discouraged. He describes for you that which you should practice and that in which you should trust, and exemplifies in his being the balance between them, the holding of them both in perfect harmony. He describes for you the religion of Surrender, which is the direct way of knowing Me for each one of you. He describes for you your faith. And He shows you the way to outer peace through inner peace. So believe now in Me and follow the way of Surrender I have revealed for you. It will lead you out of the suffering of your mortal illusions and into the true life that I have created for you."

On Self and God Realization

Because Allah is permanent, and this is without question, so is the manifestation of His creation that is beyond the time and space of worldly existence. And we are that manifestation.

But by that I do not mean us as the temporary and transitory manifestation of this life, which is only a moment in which we may discover ourselves and choose to abide in the truth or ignore it and pursue the illusion.

It is not that this temporary and transitory life is meaningless but that it is only a tool, a moment in eternity, by which we may gain knowledge of our transcendent nature. It is by means of this life that we gain our true recognition of God. It is by the very means of this life that we may learn to transcend it and know of and abide in our life forever in a garden not of our own making.

That is why I say often that the purpose of life, death, and everything in between is Self- and God-realization.

- Ali Ansari

Knowing Yourself...

People differ greatly in the amount of anxiety and worry they can stand: some can endure a great deal without being adversely affected, while others soon show signs of strain. You should observe yourself closely, so that you understand your own powers of endurance. By this means you will learn to divest yourself before any harm is done.

-Razi: Kitab al-Muluki