It is evident that those who do not share the values we have inherited from the past, or who do not draw upon the same sources as we do, are unlikely to understand our afflictions. What is more, they probably find the way we generally behave puzzling. For there exists a discrepancy between perspectives: those who view the present and the future solely through a materialistic lens and who engage with life only in terms of its physical aspects cannot experience anything beyond the fleeting and superficial pleasures of the body. According to this same distorted perspective, anything not connected to the material or physical realm is deemed insignificant. Neither the past nor the future holds any meaning. The past and the future are merely refuges in which those who have lost the present can take shelter. What such people consider essential is the present; they see the rest as being a waste of time. Truly, these people, imprisoned within such a narrow perspective, are not likely to understand such statements as, “Were you to know what I know, you would seldom laugh, and often weep” [1]. Nonetheless, the Sultan of the Words, the Prophet who uttered this hadith, knew well what he was crying over, just as those mature spirits, satisfied only with faith, divine knowledge and love, and equipped with their armament for eternity, also understand why they weep and what they seek. There are many reasons for such people to cry.

Alongside questions of faith and finding peace—a concern shared by all—and the danger of being engulfed in disbelief, there exists a multitude of issues that demand resolution: social, economic, political, and cultural. There are injustices that lie at the root of society’s unrest. There are rights that must be reconsidered and reestablished in light of human values and the principles of fairness and conscience. There are our hopes and ideals oriented in eternity, and opposing these stand obstacles to democratic rights, along with the propaganda of power. In many matters, emotions still dominate reason, and orders are given in accordance with the recklessness of power. In many parts of the world, human mistakes and shortcomings are still swept away with blood and tears. Masses are forced to Paradise, or roughly pushed toward Hell, their willpower and opinions disregarded. New camps are being formed every day, each team fighting for their worldview or what they believe to be true; every ideology is depicting a lifestyle befitting their principles. Furthermore, people are forced to fit into this narrow portrait and to live accordingly. Throughout the world, in hundreds of places, the consciousness of individuals are still being crushed, the will of the community is still being ignored, and the eyes of the conscience are being blinded.

By contrast, the shortest way to relieve people’s pains and to rid them of personal and social repression is to cease interfering with their consciences and to show them how to exist with their own awareness and will. Indeed, it is only when the mechanism of the conscience remains alive, and when willpower and awareness are respected within society, that people can remain truly human and be directed toward human values. Individuals can only be regarded as true citizens when they exist with their own conscience and willpower, thus growing mature enough to help others spiritually. Otherwise, society is inescapably inflicted with various social, political, administrative, and economic problems. A community that is made up of inadequate, inconsistent or patched together pieces cannot be called a nation. Likewise, a mass that appears to be a nation, yet which has deteriorated beyond recovery cannot promise a bright future. If we want salvation as a whole society, it is essential that each and every individual be alert and motivated. The star of our society’s good fortune  will rise in a surprisingly comforting manner if we join together, shoulder to shoulder, with our palms raised to the sky, pleading for the salvation of others.

The essence of the fundamentals that lead us to this desired level lies in being fully aware of the faith with all its peculiar depths, in enduring pain and effort in our worship, in upholding morality in all our actions, in achieving spiritual, conscious, and emotional renewal, and in measuring everything by the righteousness of the heart. Enlightened with these, we will transcend the limits of individuality, make demands in accordance with these principles, and be aware of the things that we demand as well. By taking one step further, we will be able to connect everything to eternity and measure all things by the highest standards. Thus, sharing in all the advantages of humanity, we will be able to voice once again our eligibility to be “in the most perfect form and nature” [2] as the humans we are. I believe that those blessed ones who understand this pivotal point will not only attempt to lead others to the straight path but will also guarantee their own future.

I feel obliged to restate that individual efforts toward enlightenment, if not directed toward serving the community, are destined to yield no lasting fruit. Moreover, without such a shared orientation, the values once destroyed in hearts, in society, and in the collective conscience cannot be revived. Just as plans and projects for individual salvation that are independent of the salvation of others are nothing more than an illusion, so, too, the thought of achieving success as a whole by paralyzing the individual awakening is a fantasy.

In this light, we believe that while each person has their own will and responsibility, it is only by joining hands, uniting our consciences and willpower, that we can solve all problems through collective effort. With this kind of attitude, we hope to retain, and even to increase, the fruitfulness of our individual lives while presenting to others the elixir of life, and, therefore steadily augmenting our material and spiritual value. To us, the more altruistic a plan or an attempt is, and the more often it is directed toward the good of others, the more consistent and promising it is. This is true because what keeps a person alive is the goal of lifting others up. The converse of this is that it is self-centered ambition that kills or paralyzes human beings. Those who waste their lives in pursuit of such ambitions are sooner or later corrupted, although they are not necessarily involved in dirty politics. Those who sustain their own lives by inspiring the awakening of others walk securely, offering the elixir of life in places where others are blown about like leaves. Such are the people destined for true contentment in this marathon that spans both this world and the next.

The camaraderie of the politician who seems to have accepted the existence and right to life of others just because they serve his or her personal interests can never be trusted, nor can anyone be safe when such politicians are antagonized. What such people think of all the time is their own personal interests. This is why they flatter and even submit themselves to the whims of other people. Such people crush, if need be, those they can afford to, and those whom they need are ceaselessly plotted against. When in power, these tyrants are ruthless; yet, when weak, they begin to cringe and fawn. Because they are consistently insincere, they are mostly beaten by their own tricks, preparing their own evil and wicked end. They make themselves believe that they are tricking and deceiving everybody, and that they are doing the right thing. These poor politicians, however, have placed themselves in a strange position, destroying their reputations for the sake of their careers. Such a deceptive intelligence, witnessed in some people, is a very serious disorder and is an incurable psychological illness. People of this kind are good for nothing and do not provide any service to others, but they might obtain some advantage with cunning behavior and relations with others. Nevertheless, this neither earns them a good reputation nor advances their career, and they ultimately resort to servility and sycophancy.

On the other hand, what lies at the root of the behavior of people of service is a long period of preparation and spiritual struggle, followed by an appeal to mercy grounded in the conscience and directed toward the pursuit of truth. This appeal almost always lies beyond individual responsibility, transcending the limits of the awareness of social responsibility with a depth of sincerity, and is a task fitting to a person of heart. People of heart are the leaders in each and every charitable act, reflecting their own style in their works, and they are open and honest in all their deeds. No matter how relentless and merciless the circumstances may be, such people are determined not to be diverted from their routes and, relying on their own foundations, they do not become disturbed. With their inner and outer feelings, they are programmed to “see” and “hear” the Truth, to know and to be with the Truth. They are people of this world and the next, and each of their contact with others becomes a worldliness allowing a point of observation of the zeniths of the Hereafter. Moreover, the life that such people lead, with all its variants, is clear and boundless enough for them to enjoy a glimpse of the quiet of an otherworldly harbor. Indeed, these purest of pure hearts have already achieved the blissful result that others can only dream of reaching after millions and millions of years of toil. They are considered to have reached the company of God and to have sat down with the dwellers of the highest rank, knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder, proving that such people are the eternal winners. Always sincere and profound, these people of heart constantly seek grand projects and summits. They think of mercy, speak of mercy, and seek ways to express themselves through mercy. They endeavor so heartily in the name of conducting everyone, without discrimination, to the infinite bliss that they sacrifice the pleasures of the future world and spiritual power, not to mention materialistic interests and desire for position. They display in their spiritual position and in their relationships with others a spiritual attitude that reflects the fact that they are in the presence of the Supreme Power. And where others die, they realize successive revitalizations.

Over and above the maxim “Desire not for others what you do not desire for yourself,” such people ceaselessly work harder for others so that others will benefit from what these people of heart have already found useful. With the boundlessness of the horizon of such people, they are able to revive the feeling of mercy even in the hearts of tyrants. At the same time, they believe that being with the oppressed is the same as being with God, and thus support them.

Living for others is the most important factor that determines the behavior of such heroes. Their greatest worry is their quest for eligibility for such missions, whereas their most prevalent characteristic is that their utmost ambition is their search for God’s pleasure. Delighted as they strive to enlighten others, they feel no pain, nor do they undergo any shock. They consider their achievements that as a manifestation of God’s support, and bow in modesty, nullifying themselves again and again, every day. In addition to all this, they tremble at the idea that their emotions are bound to interfere with the works that they have caused to come into existence, and groan; “You are all I need.”

For ages we have waited impatiently for such blessed hands to transform what can be depicted as “the devastated lands, ruined homes, and remote deserts” into a new realm. And we are determined to wait for many more years with faith, desire, and resoluteness. May the expectation of these pure, compassionate hearts for this Infinite Mercy, not go unanswered.

Notes

• Bukhari, Kusuf, 2; Muslim, Kusuf, 1; Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 9; Ibn Maja, Zuhd, 19.
• We have indeed created man in the most perfect form and nature. (at-Tin 95:4)