1986-April-30

Muslim Journal

Growth Into Godliness

W.D. Muhammad

__________________________________________________

37. And a Sign for them
Is the Night: We withdraw
Therefrom the Day, and behold
They are plunged in darkness ;

38. And the Sun
Runs his course
For a period determined
For him: that is
The decree of (Him),
The Exalted in Might,
The All-Knowing.

39. And the Moon,—
We have measured for her
Mansions (to traverse)
Till she returns
Like the old (and withered)
Lower part of a date-stalk.

40. It is not permitted
To the Sun to catch up
The Moon, nor can
The Night outstrip the Day:
Each (just) swims along
In (its own) orbit (According to Law).

Holy Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation -SuraXXXVI: Verses 37-40
__________________________________________________

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; Peace and Blessings upon His Servant and His Messenger, Muhammad, forever. Amen. There is no god but Allah: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Order and cleanliness are prerequisites for Godliness. What do we mean by "Godliness?" We mean that mind, morality and spirit are in accord with divine plan. If you have a physical ailment, the doctor will prescribe certain medicines to bring about a cure. So when we say that order and cleanliness are prerequisites, we mean that they are necessary as a prescription to bring about the desired cure in the human being. The desired cure that we want is the cure from ungodliness, or from rebellious ways to Godliness.

Order In The Heavens

Let us think on the creation. When we look at the creation we see order in the design. We see great bodies in the heavens and these great bodies are following some path, some design. The earth rotates around the sun, the moon rotates around the earth, and the sun, itself, is following an orbit. The sun is not motionless, it is also moving, although we on the earth do not observe that it is following an orbit. Without scientific understanding or knowledge, we think that the sun is rising over our earth and going down on the other side, but with knowledge of astronomy we learn that the sun is not rising and setting. The earth is revolving and turning towards the sun and away from the sun, so it appears as though the sun is rising and setting. The creation is an orderly creation and the bodies in the space make orderly time in their orbit around the sun and around each other. The biggest body in our solar system (our family of planets) is the sun. The smaller bodies (planets) "serve" the biggest body. It is also the most unique body in the solar system. The Earth, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, Neptune and Platoon-all of these planets have similarities in that they resemble each other in physical composition. They are cool bodies, whereas the sun is a very hot body; that is, a ball of fire.

The Power Of Light

In this order we also see that there are forces working to preserve creation and there are forces working to destroy creation. The forces that work to destroy creation are weaker than the forces that work to sustain creation. If the forces that work to destroy creation were the greater forces, creation would not last very long. But because they are weaker forces, creation abides. Let us think of ourselves in this creation as human beings that are a part of the physical creation. In our physical makeup, we are the relatives of all other physical things. We take root in our physical makeup and we begin to grow like a tree takes root in the physical earth. Our physical body is a physical environment in which we begin to grow as a human being.

Let us take a lesson from the workings that we see in the physical world and tie this lesson to ourselves so that we can get some benefit from it. In the physical world we see light that is not just light for vision (for the physical eye), but this light also has a curing power. When the sunlight comes through the atmosphere, it kills germs in the atmosphere. It also has warmth in it that we need for comfort. The light of the sun, the great body that is ruling our creation, gives us light so that we can guide our feet without darkness. It is also providing us with a healing power to kill the germs which will make our physical environment weak and corrupt. We should apply this lesson from nature (creation) in our own private life. We should put emphasis on light so that we will see our way through darkness. Some people want knowledge, but they do not want to practice right morals. That is not the kind of light that God has in His creation. He provides a light for us that not only gives us guidance and knowledge, but it also gives us correction for our morals.

The Fight Against Filth

In our own society, we have health problems that we should consider. From the time that we are born we are fighting filth that causes germs, disease and infections. If no one was concerned about our physical cleanliness when we were born, we would die of disease or infection. But, because someone was concerned who was taught to look out after the cleanliness of the baby, we were protected from filth. Our mother washed us and kept us free of excretion and urine. She kept us clean because she knew it was necessary for us to survive. If a sore comes upon our physical body, the doctor first prescribes a medicine that will clean the sore. Then we apply a band -aid on the wound to keep the dirt from coming into the wound and infecting it. We see in our life that cleanliness is necessary if we are to grow strong and keep our life. In the same manner, a Muslim values and appreciates the moral discipline in Islam that insists upon him being physically and morally clean. No one can become morally clean if he is not concerned about being physically clean too.

In the Lost -Found Nation of Islam, we put heavy emphasis upon physical discipline and physical cleanliness because we know that those who follow that direction will eventually grow to appreciate moral discipline and moral cleanliness. Let us appreciate those disciplines and values, and Allah will grant us the reward that He has promised for His last messiah.

Your brother,
W.D. Muhammad