The Call to Truth Alone

oh, what divine majesty, what peace of mind, what joy of heart and exaltation to the soul! muhammad's fears dissolved and his dread was dissipated. he was overjoyed with this fresh evidence of his lord's blessing and fell down in worship to god and praise of him. there was no more reason to fear, as khadijah had done, that god was displeased with him, and there was no cause for his dread. god had now taken him under his protection and removed from him every doubt and fear. henceforth there was to be no thought of suicide but only of a life dedicated to calling men unto god and unto god alone. to the almighty god on high shall all men bend their brows. to him shall all that is in heaven and earth prostrate themselves. he alone is the true, and all that they worship besides him is false. to him alone the heart should turn, on him alone the soul should depend, and in him alone the spirit should find its confirmation. the other realm is better for man than this realm. in the other realm, the soul becomes aware of all being as well as the unity of being; and in this unity space and time disappear and the needs and considerations of this realm are forgotten. it is in the other realm that the forenoon with its brilliant and dazzling sun, the night with its widespread darkness, the heavens and the stars, and the earth and the mountains all become one; and the spirit which enters into awareness of this unity is happy and felicitous. that is the life which is the objective of this life. and that is the truth which illuminated with its light the soul of muhammad. when revelation subsided for a while, it was this truth which inspired him anew to solicit and think of his lord and to call men unto him. the calling of men unto god demands the purification of oneself, the shunning of evil, and the bearing with patience all the harm and injury with which the caller may meet. it demands that he illumine the path of true knowledge for the benefit of ignorant mankind, that he never rebuke the inquisitive, and that he never reject the man in need or oppress the orphan. sufficient unto him must be the fact that god had chosen him to convey his message to mankind. let this message then be the permanent subject of his conversation. sufficient unto him must be the fact that god had found him an orphan and given him shelter under the protection of his grandfather, `abd al muttalib, and his uncle, abu talib. sufficient unto him must be the fact that god had found him in want and provided for him through his trustworthiness, and had shown him his favor by granting to him khadijah, the companion of his youth, of his solitude and retreat, of his prophetic mission, and of love and kindness. sufficient unto him must be the fact that god had found him erring and had guided him to the truth through his message. all this must be sufficient unto him. let him now call to the truth and exert himself as heartily as he could. such was the command of god to his prophet whom he had chosen, whom he had not forsaken, and with whom he was not displeased.