786

From respect to LOVE

 (abridged and English edited from  Rising Sun 1985)

Today  as I was praying an important point appeared in the mirror of my heart,   a subject that needs to be addressed.  What is the position of each person towards the rest of humanity and the rest of creation in general? 

            Each person,  each being is by nature self -centred though constantly interacting with others in their surroundings.     Everybody divides their fellow beings into categories -  those having more in common with themselves  and others more in opposition.   As a follower of a certain religion you must ask yourself what your attitude will be towards  members of other religions.  As a man, what kind of attitude do you have towards women or as a woman towards men?    As an elderly person towards the young or as a youth towards the elderly?    As a wealthy person toward the poor or as a poor man towards the wealthy?  As a literate person towards the illiterate?   What is your attitude as a human being towards animals, plants, inanimate objects, everything in existence?  

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, gave guidance to mankind in this matter when he said;  “My Lord has taught me to show respect to all, to maintain a high level of good manners.”

We need to know what those best manners are and how they help us to show  proper respect  to all creatures.  

        Allah’s creatures,  most especially mankind, are not  factory productions, mass produced and cut out of the same mould.  Each person has their own unique form, characteristics and capabilities  – you can’t find two exactly identical  people  - even identical twins may differ in  character.  Everyone carries something distinct, and we must observe  these varying  and distinguishing  marks  so as to receive  Divine Wisdom and marvel at the Power of our Lord, -  … .

           What is the great secret within mankind  that you must discover to fulfil  your potential?   It is to understand that you are a manifestation of one of our Lord’s Endless Divine Attributes.  Each person manifests a distinct attribute.   No matter how many billions of people appear and disappear from this earth each one manifests a unique aspect of the Divine Reality.  Each Divine Attribute is distinct and, when fully unveiled, equally Divine.    Our Lord does no look at our outward  forms but is always mindful of the states of our hearts,   because  the heart of each person is a throne from among the endless thrones of Allah Almighty.     In your real heart,  your ‘Heart of hearts’  there is a throne, and the Almighty appears on that throne through a distinct attribute that manifests in you,  and nowhere else  in creation. 

 Therefore  you must respect everyone in existence  because  in reality that respect is the respect to the your Lord  within that person.

…

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, an Islamic Saint known throughout East and West   was once crossing a marketplace  when a priest passed by and bowed his head in respect.  Mevlana returned this gesture bowing even lower from the waist.  The people asked him; “How is it that you bowed in front of that priest (who represents a religion that failed to recognize the Holy Prophet of Islam)?”  …

Then Mevlana answered them on a level that accorded with their understanding. “ That priest was humbling himself in front  of us, but  Islam represents the completion of every goodness found in Christianity, therefore if he is humble we must strive to be even more humble.” 

This explanation is true, but on a deeper level Mevlana’s action may be understood as respect to the real personality, the Divine Personality of that priest.  – It is only He Almighty  who dresses His servants in differing outward forms.  Mevlana realised that it was their Lord who dressed him as a Sheikh and dressed that man as a Priest;  and if Allah wills He can cause them to change roles, in the blink of an eye.  What is beneath all these clothes but the throne of Allah in a unique personality manifestation?

Another example

In the Holy Quran it is related that, when Allah Almighty created Adam He ordered all the Angels to prostrate in front of him.  Do you think Allah Almighty was ordering them to worship other than Himself?   Almost all the Angels were able to see that Divine Manifestation in Adam,   and by prostrating in front of Adam they bowed down to their Lord.    But also in attendance was Satan who was veiled by envy and said;  “What is he that I should worship him;  I worship God alone. ”   Satan could not  see what was inside of Adam -   all the Holy Names of Allah that were to be manifested by all of his descendants.  …. .   If we can remember  the presence of this Divine secret  in people’s hearts and look past their outward forms and actions, we may learn from everything and everyone and increase in wisdom.    Only with this vision can we aspire to an open heartedness that will cause good actions to appear from people, for a ray of their Divine essence to shine through and encourage the veils of their egos to be lifted. 

Respect of the Divine Nature in man leads to (a closeness) between people which opens the way to Love: and all Love belongs to our Lord. 

….

            Although we respect the essences of people, we don’t accept their bad actions, but fire upon them the same way that a surgeon removes a tumour from a patient and leaves healthy tissue inside of him;  he knows how to distinguish healthy tissue from cancerous tissue and removes only what is dangerous …

 If you have a precious diamond and  it falls into the toilet are you going to flush is down with the dirties?   Would anyone suggest such a thing?  Perhaps some proud or weak stomached people might call for a servant to do it, but no one in their right mind would flush it away.  After you retrieve the diamond you are going to wash it thoroughly with soap and water, perhaps dip it in rose oil and then return it to your finger. Then no one is thinking that the diamond is dirty.  Diamonds do not absorb the qualities of what they fall into -  souls are the same.

            … This is the common ground (between all religions) ;   - aspire to a deeper understanding that will open your eyes to the presence of the One in all things, that will revel to you the respectability of all creatures, especially human beings, and enable you  to desist from hating evildoers, even while opposing their plots.  This view will distance us from such a strong identity with national or religious labels that evoke fervour or enmity, …  and draw  us closer to the realization that our Lord has honoured us all equally through the universal presence of  their Divine Essence in our hearts.   From that vantage point we will see that our Lord has given us through that Essence wonderful, and unique characteristics, made each and every one of us a manifestation of their Divine Attributes, of Himself.

            ….  

 The Prophet Muhammad upon whom be peace, was endowed with the widest understanding of the significance of the Holy Verse

“We have honoured all of the children of Adam”

 the understanding of the presence of the One in the many.

Mevlana Jalaluddin  Rumi was given the distinction of declaring these realities most openly to all Nations, inviting all people unconditionally through an open door saying

Come, come whoever you may be, come again,

And be you non-believer, Magian, or idolater, come again.

Ours is not a Dergah of despair!

Though you may have broken your repentance a hundred times, come again.