Page 102 - Basic Tenets of Islam

BASIC TENETS OF ISLAM

these are all insatiable desires. The desire for wealth is a
deep-seated passion, common to many. However, the
fulfilment of this desire only arouses further false desires.

Essentially, worldly desires always tend to become part of a
vicious cycle.
Man can only save himself from such ignorance through
faith in Allah and surrender to Him. Allah reveals thus in the
Qur'an: "... It is the people who are safe-guarded from the
avarice of their own selves who are successful." (Surat al-

Hashr: 9)
Man attains freedom only when he ceases to be a slave to
his passions. From then on, satisfying the endless desires
mentioned above finally ceases to be his purpose in life. He
begins a life in which earning Allah's good pleasure becomes
his only purpose, the purpose for which Allah created him.
This is true freedom; being a servant to Allah, and thus
liberating oneself from everything other than Allah. It is for
this reason that the wife of Imran prayed thus:

... My Lord, I have pledged to You what is in my womb,
devoting it to Your service. Please accept my prayer.
You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Surah Al
'Imran: 35)
For the same reason, as it is stated in the verse, the

Prophet Abraham (pbuh) said to his father:
Father, why do you worship what can neither hear nor
see and is not of any use to you at all? (Surah Maryam:
42)

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