Badges mark quoted or attributed material (Qur'an, hadith, another author, an opposing view). Unbadged passages are Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's own words.
The Beginning of Realization
T
he Quran states: “We have created man into a life of toil and trial. Does he think then that no one has power over him?” (90:4-5)
The law of the present world is so designed that man must inevitably undergo hardships. No one is exempt from this general law. This fact shows how helpless a human being is. In this world, it is only the Creator who is Almighty, All-Powerful. This contradistinction is final. No one is exempted from it (that is, God is All-Powerful and man is totally powerless).
The Quran states: Every human being is bound to taste death (3:185). It is a historical fact that whoever is born into this world has to die after a limited period of time.
The incidence of death bespeaks one’s helplessness. This event proves that helplessness is man’s lot in life. So far as power is concerned, none but the Creator has power. Both these experiences, for men and women alike, are of a proven finality. In this way, everyone can discover, in the light of his or her personal experiences, that he or she is in a position of total helplessness and, as compared to man, the Creator is Omnipotent.
This discovery is the beginning of realization. For one who makes this discovery, the journey towards the path of realization has been well and truly initiated. Subsequently, all other things, which are desirable in the divine way will become part of his or her life. This realization is like an intellectual revolution in that it colours one’s entire life in the hue of God. (2:138)