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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Mercy of Qur'an and the Advent of Zaman - Commentary On Four Suras Supplement 2 43 And (as for) these parables, We set them forth for men, and none understand them but the learned. The further one moves along the path, the greater are the afflic­tions that come from the outside. It is the sunna (way) of Allah. The purpose of afflictions is to make man dependent only on Allah and to thereby increase his knowledge. In a sense, Allah is the most jealous.

He does not want man, even occasionally, to think that he is benefitting or depending upon anybody else. Yet the courtesy is to thank one who is the vehicle of help, knowing that at any moment he may become his enemy. This is the state of the arif (one who knows Allah). This is the true inner meaning of one's din. All the outer practices are a preparation for inner sight. When the inner sight is correctly set, the outer practices become the reflection of correctness.

If the inner is right then the outer is right. If the outer is right then the inner is right. "And these parables . . . none understand them but the learned." They seek to see Allah behind everything. Whenever something mani­fests they want to know its root, they want to see its cause and not to be taken by its effect. For example, if a dear friend turns out to be your enemy, can you be immediately grateful or not?

Think of how merciful Allah is that He has caused you to discover this new enemy now, rather than ten years from now. But if you have considered the friendship as a house of `ankabut (spider), as an abode of safety, then the discovery tears you. As a positive human being you admit your error, otherwise the ankabut is better than you, because it goes on without looking back and builds another place of safety while you continue to establish friendships with wounds and negative mem­ories.

The laws of Reality are to be lived by and made into a life pattern, not simply to be talked or written about. Submission is only meaning­ful for the people of submission, not for those who talk about it. Islam is for those who are in the dar (house) of Islam, not for those who study it. If he allows himself - if he is alim (knowing, wise), if he is acquiring knowledge, man can fit into the pattern of submission because its essence is within him.

44 Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth; most surely there is a sign in this for the believers.