FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

There is a tree beside my house. I call it the 'Spiritual Tree'. I derive spiritual inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing being that was initially a seed possessing the potential of becoming a full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the universe around it and then grows into a tree. The same is true with spirituality, the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an integral part of, the very nature of every human being. To realize this spirituality, man must derive spiritual food from the universe around him. A tree converts carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a spiritual personality. —Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

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THE REALITY OF TAZKIYA

AS stated in the first chapter of the Quran, one of the duties of the Prophet vis-a-vis his contemporaries was “to teach them the scripture and wisdom, and purify them.” (2: 129). In other words, teach them tazkiya.

It is necessary for every believer to purify himself. Without purification, that calibre of personality, referred to in the Quran a God-oriented personality, (3: 79). cannot be developed. The truth is that purification alone can lead man to Heaven. (20: 76)

Tazkiya literally means growth, one example of which can be seen in the tree. A tree is the result of the growth of a seed. When a seed finds a favourable environment, it starts growing until it becomes a green, verdant tree. The same is true of the purification of man. In this sense tazkiya also confers intellectual development.

God has created man with great potential and this potential of the human personality is actualized by tazkiya. In this sense it would be right to call it the building of the human personality on a divine foundation. When a person accepts faith he has, in fact started the journey of tazkiya. Gradually, he becomes a purified soul, or an intellectually and spiritually developed personality. This is the man who will gain entrance into the eternal Paradise of the Hereafter.

There is nothing mysterious about tazkiya. It is not at all related to any mysterious inspiration from some supposedly saintly person. Tazkiya is not an abstract concept. It is a known reality. It is the result of a struggle on the part of the individual. It can be attained, through contemplation. This entails pondering over or thinking about oneself and the universe, and receiving intellectual sustenance for God realization. This is the process which results in a purified personality.