Life in Accordance with Reality

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hat is Islam? Islam means living in accordance with nature, living as one ought, face to face with reality. Man did not create himself: he was created by God. To live in accordance with reality, then, is to acknowledge the greatness of God and show appreciation of His favours. The emotions of love and fear are inherent in man. He wants something on which he can depend and upon which he can focus his efforts. If he lives in accordance with reality, he will focus all his attention on God alone for, besides Him, all things have been created: nothing besides Him has any power.

Adam is the father of all past, present and future men, so life in accordance with reality is one of benevolence to others, as if one were dealing with one’s own brothers and sisters. Everyone has a conscience, which favours justice and despises cruelty and injustice. Life in accordance with reality, then, is one of kindness and justness. Death is bound to come one day. It will deprive everyone of his worldly possessions, so one who lives in accordance with reality will look at the ups and downs of life as transitory and trivial. Everybody, irrespective of worldly status, should be regarded as God’s servant. When one is confronted with a truth one might feel disposed to deny it. But one should realize that one day, everyone will have to accept truth and falsehood for what they are. One should willingly accept today what one will have to accept tomorrow.