Patience comes in three stages: first, one learns not to follow the baser self; second, one learns to content oneself with one's fate; finally, one surrenders oneself to the Master's will and discovers within love and compassion, the greatest of all achievements.
-Al-Ghazzali, "Ibya Ulum Id-Din"
Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Chosen People of God...
Once the Prophet was asked, "Who are the chosen people of God?"
He replied, "The truthful and the pure-hearted."
"O Prophet of Allah," they said, "truthful we understand, but who are the pure-hearted?"
"Those who neither fall into sin, nor transgress, who neither deceive nor bear malice. Such are the pure of heart."
-Hadith reported by Abd'Allah bin Amr
For all to see, Rasulullah's (SAW) words are so clear. God's chosen are not based on whether one calls oneself a Muslim, Jew, or Christian. To be God's chosen one must go beyond the superficiality of names and titles and look to the essence of the matter. We must focus on substance, not appearances -- for Allah knows all both within and without and it is only what lies inside our hearts and how we live our lives (the manifestation of that which lies within) that matters.
He replied, "The truthful and the pure-hearted."
"O Prophet of Allah," they said, "truthful we understand, but who are the pure-hearted?"
"Those who neither fall into sin, nor transgress, who neither deceive nor bear malice. Such are the pure of heart."
-Hadith reported by Abd'Allah bin Amr
For all to see, Rasulullah's (SAW) words are so clear. God's chosen are not based on whether one calls oneself a Muslim, Jew, or Christian. To be God's chosen one must go beyond the superficiality of names and titles and look to the essence of the matter. We must focus on substance, not appearances -- for Allah knows all both within and without and it is only what lies inside our hearts and how we live our lives (the manifestation of that which lies within) that matters.
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