ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Perfect Man Part 3: Relation of the Man with Nature This is a problem in itself, as this is a relationship of two strangers with one another, and, may include, the relation of a prisoner with jail, or, a bird with its cage, and Joseph with the well? Someone may say that being born is being put in a prison, a cage, or, a well.

If so, this relationship is one of two opposites, and the man's endeavour must be only to set himself free from this prison and cage. But in Islam, the relation of man with nature resembles that of a farmer with the farm, of a merchant with the market, and of a devotee with the temple. For a farmer, land is not the goal but the means. His home is elsewhere but he uses the land to secure livelihood, and the means of comfort, and happiness. He ploughs it, scatters seeds, weeds it, harvests it, etc.

The world is the farm of the hereafter, and this land should not be taken by a farmer for his permanent home. For a merchant, a market is a place of work in which he uses his capital, and efforts to gain profit. This is how man should view the world. Someone came to Imam ‘Ali and began blaming the world since he had heard that the Imam did the same.

He did not know that ‘Ali (as) reproached the worship of the world, which is contrary to the worship of God and truth, and in itself a negation of all human values. ‘Ali was angry at this, and said: "O the reproaching man, O you who are deceived, the world has not deceived you, but you have deceived yourself."[^1] As an example, I may say that an old woman deceives a young man with her make-up, and her false teeth, and hair. The youth realizes suddenly that he has been deceived.

Or, maybe the old woman comes forward, and admitting her deficiencies makes an offer for marriage. In that case, the woman has not deceived him; rather the young man has deceived himself, Imam ‘Ali (as) said: "The world has not hidden anything from you to deceive you. Did the world deceive you on the day you buried your father? The world said: "I am what you see, and I have no stability, discern me the way as I am.

Why do you suppose me to be what you wish, not what I really am?" So, the world deceives no one. Let us see whether the world has betrayed you, or, vice versa.