Living The Quran
From Issue: 529 [Read full issue]
Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)
Chapter 22: Verse 31
Lack of Self-Definition
"Being true in faith to Allah, and never assigning partners to Him: if anyone assigns partners to Allah, he is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far-distant place."
We see how this verse describes the sense of loss and lack of self-definition that afflicts the person in the absence of faith. The human being who lacks faith resembles a heavenly object that has strayed and fallen from its orbit. It is quick to burn up. It is lost and wasted, not knowing where it is headed. Such a person is overpowered by perplexing questions that make his or her mind as if it were about to explode. This person remains in emotional turmoil. The person's heart, likewise, does not come to any sound conclusion, and it takes that person's life right down to Hell.
It is part of our nature to seek out that which is to be venerated, that which is holy. This is why a person who does not acknowledge Allah as the one to be worshipped will find something else to worship.
All people, children and adults – and no matter how healthy, prosperous, or successful they might be – need a few moments away from other people, to commune with their Lord, to feel that Allah sees them, hears them, and will answer them. This is true at times of hardship and times of ease, not only when faced with failure, but even when enjoying the greatest success.
It is a grave error to assume that faith is tied in with fear of the unknown, as critics of religion claim. Rather, faith is tied in with a deep love in the heart, which in its outpouring naturally seeks that which is holy and sublime. In the absence of a willingness to recognize Allah, people might even worship idols like the Arabs used to do before the advent of Islam.
Compiled From:
"Faith is Human Nature – What Does This Really Mean?" - Salman al-Oadah