Spiritual Experiences - Trial upon Trial

Trial upon Trial

1. Reflect carefully on verse (67:2) so that you may know the amazing secret that before life, God created death and thereafter life, although apparently birth comes first and then death. Nonetheless, we are sure there is great wisdom hidden in this order. That secret is that although an ordinary human being lives a better life in comparison to an animal due to his partial intellect and free will, yet with respect to his spiritual and real life, this ordinary life of a human being is like a death. Thus, the wisdom becomes evident that death and life (ordinary and special life) are both for the sake of trial. Read the above-mentioned verse (67:2).

2. A question arises that since God is always knower of the unseen and sees and knows the state and condition of the hearts of His servants, why should He try them? It is also necessary to ask at what place and how does He try His servant?

3. In paradise there are innumerable ranks, small and big, therefore trial became necessary in order to give every person a rank according to their knowledge and deeds. From the beginning to the end, a human being's whole life is a field of trial in which complete obedience is extremely necessary. The purpose of this is that one's every intention, speech, knowledge and deeds should be according to the pleasure of God, so that success can be attained.

4. Just as worldly education progresses and has many levels, similarly religious education also has many grades. Therefore, the wise Qur'an contains many easy guidances as well as many difficult stages, so that in this way there are many grades and every scholar may attain a rank according to his knowledge, as said in verse (3:163): "They are in different ranks with God". This means that the higher the rank, the more difficult the trial of knowledge and deeds is.

5. To assess the greater and greater trials, see this tremendously wisdom-filled verse (11:7). Its translation, with respect to the personal world, is: "And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth (of the personal world) in six days and then His Throne appeared on the water that He may try you, which of you is best in good deed". By the six days of the personal world are meant the six natiqs and by the seventh day (Saturday), Hazrat-i Qa'im (May peace be through him).

6. It is a very great trial, in fact, numerous trials, that most of the subjects of the wise Qur'an are about the personal world. That is, heaven, earth, Throne, Pedestal, Pen, Tablet etc., are all confined and present in the personal world provided that it is illumined by the light of recognition, i.e., the light of the manifest Imam is reflecting upon it.

7. One very great wisdom of the wise Qur'an is in the word ahsan, which means better. It is mentioned at thirty-six places in the Qur'an where you can enjoy this supreme bounty. In short, by trying His servant in everything, He wishes that His servant should not only become good, but better in intention, speech, knowledge and deeds, because God has many grades and high ranks.

8. You should perform giryah-u zari and supplication for patience, endurance and success in every test and trial. Take advantage of `ibadat, bandagi, abundant zikr, abundant prostration, well wishing, piety, service, humility and kind-heartedness and enrich yourself with the lasting wealth of the knowledge of certainty, for it is knowledge by which every trial becomes easy.

9. If God wishes, He can help the people of faith in every difficult trial, as said in (58:22): "He has written faith in the hearts of such people and helped them with a Spirit from Him".

Zulfiqar Abad, Gilgit, 5th June 1997
Thursday, 28 Muharramu'l-haram 1418 A.H. 65

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