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Acts that Develops Man’s
Reason
By: Sayyid Jan Ali Kazmi
To strengthen the willpower means to perform acts, which help to mature
the human wisdom and reason, and which result in the dominance of man’s
wisdom and reason over his actions.
There are four different powers and forces in a human being. The first
among these is the power of imagination. When this power dominates the
thought process of man then he might fear even his own shadow, or might
even fear a dead body though it is completely harmless and cannot hurt
any one in any way. It is due to the domination (control) of the power
if the imaginations that people fear such things as a corpse (dead
body).
The second force in a man is the force of anger, wrath or violence and
when this power overtakes a man then he might even commit the murder of
his near and dear ones in rage and anger. Thus it is very important to
make the willpower strong or else a man can even become a murderer and
kill his friend, his wife or even his own children in anger. These are
people who lack a strong sense of determination and they make no effort
to strengthen their willpower and determination.
The Most Precious Possession - Willpower
The most precious thing that a man possesses is the willpower of man.
People who are unable to strengthen their willpower are considered to be
very weak and degraded people. Thus if mans willpower is weak the power
of anger can easily take control over the human wisdom and reason.
Next is the power of sexual desire in a man and when this force
dominates the human reason then it can turn him into a wild beast and as
a result he can attack somebody and commit crimes like rape for the sake
of temporary pleasures and satisfaction. And to hide this sin he commits
even greater crimes and kills some body that is innocent. Thus when the
will power will be strong which means that the reason and wisdom would
be in control of these forces only then can a man attain excellence and
a perfect control over his actions.
Some times one of these three forces is greatly roused (stir up), for
example when the force of lust and desire is roused then the reason
becomes weak. When the force of passion and violence and the force of
intuition (reasoning) are stirred then logic and reason are no longer in
control of human actions.
At present it is very important that a man should contemplate and
meditate on how to dominate these three forces through self-control and
strong will power.
This meditation is of different types, as it has been mentioned earlier
that a man should ruminate (think over) and ponder over the cause of the
creation of man and the universe etc. But the type of meditation and
rumination, which is required to control and suppress these three types
of forces, is that of death and the end of man.
No Denial to Death
Death is a reality, which no man can deny, but there are very few people
who ponder over the inevitable reality of death or who make any
preparations for death. When we are certain that we are to die then why
are we not prepared for it? When it is certainly that we are going to be
questioned then it is useless to try to run away from it.
It is impossible for man to escape death. With the passage of time the
various parts of our body get old and fade away, and the eyes the tongue
cease to function after a hundred years or so and life itself become a
burden for man, and he himself desires that he might die. This means
that with this body a man cannot live in this world forever, and the
soul requires another body which would be permanent and everlasting.
Thus death is a sort of a journey which has to be undertaken, then why
is man hesitant (cautious) to thinking about this journey? Because every
living thing is to face death, it is a reality, which cannot be denied.
The life of a man begins from a mother’s womb and from that very moment
the life of a man is uncertain and insecure. When a mother conceives a
child, no one can rightly predict (foresee) whether the child would be
born safe and healthy. It is possible that the child might die in the
mother’s womb or the mother might also die. Moreover, even if the child
is born no one can say with certainty that the child would live for two
years or three years. It is possible that he might die in the first year
of his life, but even if the child reaches two years of age by the will
of God, no one can be sure that the child would study till the primary
class or the secondary. And even if the child reaches the primary class
no one can be certain whether the child would grow old enough to reach O
Levels and A level, it is possible that the child might die before all
this in an accident etc. If admitted that the child is able to complete
his education even then no one can be certain if he would live long
enough to get married and if he would bear children, because it is
possible that he might die before all this.
This proves that the beginning of a man is uncertain and dubious
(doubtful), because there is always the possibility of death hovering
over life and likewise the end of a man is also vague (unclear) and
uncertain, this means that death can come at any time. But if a man
remembers his death then his will power can be strengthened. The
question is how is this possible?
Remember Death
This is possible because if a man would remember his death then he would
not dare to hurt somebody through the force and power of passion and
aggression (hostility).
This is because he would remember that he is to die one day, and his
body would be buried under tons of dust and sand. Then man would think
twice before committing any sin, and fearing that after death he would
be questioned and punished for every evil deed and sin.
Hence through the remembrance (memory) of death a man can very easily
strengthen his willpower by making his reason and logic gain control
over his passionate and violent forces. If a man is certain that he is
to die today then would he dare to attack some woman, would he injure
someone or would he not ask for the forgiveness of his sins? Thinking
that if he hurts somebody then as
a result of this act he can be punished in the grave and this punishment
can be in the form of fire or snakes and scorpions. Thus through the
remembrance of death a man can control his force of passion and wrath
(rage).
In the same manner the force of whim and doubt can be controlled through
the remembrance of death. Remembering that death is a reality (true) and
one-day he has to reach the grave, and he should not fear death and if
he does not get rid of his imagination (thoughts) and whim then this
fear of death can become a means to his punishment in the grave. Thus
through the remembrance of death a man can spend a successful life and
make the will power strong and resolute.
Death is not complete Destruction
A man should ponder and think over the reality of death. Death is not
total extinction (destruction) but it is conversely, a way of getting
rid of mortality (death). The human body has a temporary existence and
after a span (duration) of hundred or more years the various body parts
cease to function properly. The reality of man is not the human body; it
is rather the human soul. The human body is like a vehicle, which can
run and function satisfactorily only till all its parts are working
well. However, when the vehicle gets old and worn out, we buy a new one
and replace it for the old one. In the same manner the human soul leaves
the human body when the body parts like the heart, the lungs and the
liver ceases to function properly. Thus in the process of death the soul
leaves the body and the soul requires another body and another dress to
wear. In this respect death means changing the dress worn by the soul
and a changing the mortal body.
Till a man is alive in this world his attention remain diverted to other
human beings and he keeps observing other people, their houses, car etc.
and there are very few lucky people whose who care to take interest
their own- selves. Now the question is that what is actually the reality
of death?
According to a philosopher “Death means to break all the human bonds
with strangers and getting acquainted (familiar) with ones own self”
Until death approaches man, he does not pay any heed to himself and his
own being as to whom he is and where did he came from? Or why did he
come into this world? What is the purpose of his life? Who created him?
How does he correspond (keep contact) with his Lord, and how does he
show his indebtedness (thanks) to his Lord for all that He has graced
him with?
Most of the people come to realize the reality of their life when they
reach the last stage of their life, when death is visible and all
medication and cure have disappointed them. It is for this reason that
God states in His Holy books that “O man I have created life and death
so that you may perform good deeds”
Death is a Blessing
Death is in fact a great blessing of God. In the absence of death man
would have become a great oppressor and tyrant. It is death, which
attracts man towards his own person and forces him to think about
himself. Thus a definition of death is that it is an act of breaking all
the connections and bonds (ties) with strangers (people we know in the
world) and getting acquainted (familiar) with oneself, our own person
and our own reality.
Although if this attention and interest is developed in man after his
death during the interval between death and resurrection, which is
called the transit between grave and resurrection Then it is of no use
at all, since man is helpless there because life is granted only once to
man. The life of the world is a sort of preparation for the after world
to make it successful and prosperous.
The life of the world is not more that one hundred years, but the life
of the hereafter is eternal and everlasting, it cannot be narrowed to
figures and numbers, because it is eternal and is to last forever and
ever, it is a life where death would not exist at all.
But man is such a fool who wastes away the pleasures of his eternal life
for the temporary and trivial pleasures of a life, which are no more
than sixty or seventy years. If once a man fills his mortal life with
punishment then this is exactly what he is to receive in the hereafter
also. Because what ever we sow in this world we will reap in the
hereafter. If we sow (plant) the seeds of good deeds in the world then
we would enjoy eternal pleasures in the Heaven. If we sow the seed of
sin and oppression in the world then its punishment is the fire of hell.
Thus a man should work hard and endeavour to avoid those acts, which
would have an everlasting effect, he should not live a life of ignorance
and try to remember his death all the time to save him from the acts of
oppression, indecency (unsuitability), lust and injustice in the world.
Waking up the Next Morning
Every night before sleeping a man should remember his death and ask for
forgiveness for his sins thinking that it is quiet possible that he
would not be able to rise again. In this process of sleep there is
guidance and instruction for man, sleep is called the sister of death.
At midnight if we visit the graveyards or the big cities we would find a
similar stillness (motionless) and quietness in both the places. Sleep
is similar to death, there are many people who die in their sleep they
may die of a heart attack, or an earthquake, or a poisonous animal might
bite them. Thus when a man goes to bed he should remember his death and
repent on his sins and seek forgiveness. Similarly when he wakes up from
his sleep he should bow his head before God in adoration (respect) and
remember his death again.
God had roused him from sleep without any harm to his life but it is
equally possible that this might be the last day of his life and he
should thus avail (reward) this opportunity and seek forgiveness of his
sins and repent his evil deeds.
In the same manner if possible a man should visit the graveyard daily
and meditate for some time on his plight when he himself would be buried
under tons of mud and sand, a place where there would be not a single
beam of light and no air to breath. It is true that the remembrance of
death teach us the lessons of purity, abstemiousness and humanity. Only
those people dare to commit sin, which are forgetful of their death.
How to Kill the Desires?
It is for this reason that Prophet David (pbuh) was sent a revelation
from God, that he should go and visit a certain person in the jungle and
learn a lesson from his life. When Prophet David (pbuh) started to
recite verses from the holy book which was revealed to Prophet David),
the man came out of his cave to Prophet David (pbuh) and sent peace upon
the Prophet. When the man came close to Prophet David (pbuh) he asked to
instruct him how a man can kill the desire of the world from his heart,
because it is the world which attracts a man towards sin and become the
cause of man’s ruin. The man asked Prophet David (pbuh) to follow him to
his cave because the answer to the question would be better given there.
When Prophet David (pbuh) entered the cave he saw the skeleton of a
devoured (demolish) corpse placed on a huge stone and on the stone were
engraved (carved) these words:
“I am king Arvah, God gave me a life of thousand years, I conquered
(dominated) a thousand of cities, I had immense wealth, I married
thousand women. But O people do not be deceived by the life of the
world, because the thousand years of my life passed away like a dream
and an illusion (fantasy). My reality is what you see before you. Today
the scorpions of the grave are my companions”
The pious man said that, whenever I am attracted towards the worldly
activities. I come to this corpse and beseech my Bad soul not to make me
an enemy of God, not to indulge my mind and body in the temporary
pleasures of the world, and not to label me as an inhabitant of the
hell. Moreover in this way my willpower is weakened
Thus remembrance of death is a very good practice. If it is not possible
to visit the graveyard daily then once in a week a man should go and
meditate over his plight in the grave. You know what a corpse passes
through in the grave, how the eyes burst out the stomach and other parts
of the body rot (decay) away and are wasted, and this beautiful and
fragile (delicate) body is dissolved and rotten in the earth. There is a
great instruction for man in this plight of man in the grave, that if we
do not have mercy on others in the world then God will exempt us of His
mercy in the grave. It is for this reason that God State:
“O man if you wish that I should have mercy on you on the Day of
Judgment then you should have mercy on my people”
It is for this reason that God states in His Holy books, “O man if you
wish that I should forgive you on the Day of Judgment then forgive my
people in the world.”
These are the golden principles through the practice of which a man’s
grave can be illuminated.
Control devilish Forces
It would be possible for man to strengthen his willpower and resolve
when the Godly forces in a man take full control over the devilish
forces. For this a man will have to continuously resist the assaults of
these devilish forces, and if a man succeeds in this then his willpower
is satisfactorily strengthened.
To be able to resist the devilish forces, it is important that a man
should be able to identify and distinguish between the satanic and the
Godly forces. Every man has an instinctive and natural sense of the good
and the bad in him and he is able to differentiate between good and bad
without any great study and research. For example oppression is an evil
practice and every man detests oppression, similarly to devour (consume)
the rights of the other person is an evil practice and even a dishonest
man does not wish that his right should be violated, in the same manner
every one knows that it is wrong to be unkind and ungrateful to ones
benefactor (sponsor) and patron (supporter).
Thus it is important that a man should have some information and
knowledge about the acts which God disapproves of and the acts which God
appreciates. God dislikes oppression and all sins whether big or small,
any acts which are against nature and which has no benefit either in the
world or the here after is disliked by God. Similarly to torture oneself
by intoxication or drugs is an act, which God dislikes and disapproves.
A man should also have some knowledge about what is sin.
In the next volume we will give you a detailed list of the acts which
God likes and which God dislikes. Furthermore we will also relate the
various ways of highest level as to how a man can make his will power
strong. For the beginners the methods which have been related in this
volume are sufficient enough if they are regularly practiced. However,
still a detailed and deep study is needed to understand the true
mechanics of making the will power strong which will be provided in the
next volume. |