Page 175 - Allah is Known through Reason

The fact we describe in this chapter, namely that everything is an image,

is very important for its implications that render all lusts and boundaries
meaningless. The verification of this fact makes it clear that everything peo-
ple possess or toil to possess – wealth acquired with greed, children of
whom they boast, spouses whom they consider closest to them, friends,
their dearest bodies, the social status which they believe to be a superior-
ity, the schools they have attended, the holidays on which they have been
– is nothing but mere illusion. Therefore, all the effort, the time spent, and
the greed, prove unavailing.
This is why some people unwittingly make fools of themselves when
they boast of their wealth and properties or of their "yachts, helicopters,
factories, holdings, manors and lands" as if they really exist. Those well-to-
do people who ostentatiously sail in their yachts, show off their cars, keep
talking about their wealth, suppose that their posts rank them higher than
everyone else and keep thinking that they are successful because of all
this, should actually think what kind of a state they will find themselves in
once they realise that success is nothing but an illusion.
These scenes are seen many times in dreams as well. In their dreams,
they also have houses, fast cars, extremely precious jewels, rolls of dollars,
and loads of gold and silver. In their dreams, they are also positioned in
high ranks, own factories with thousands of workers, possess power to
rule over many people, and dress in clothes that make everyone admire

them. Just as someone who, on waking, boasted about his possessions in
his dreams would be ridiculed, he is sure to be equally ridiculed for boast-
ing of images he sees in this world. Both what he sees in his dreams and
in this world are mere images in his mind.
Similarly, the way people react to events they experience in the world
will make them feel ashamed when they realise the reality. Those who
fiercely fight with each other, rave furiously, swindle, take bribes, commit
forgery, lie, covetously withhold their money, do wrong to people, beat
and curse others, rage aggressively, are full of passion for office and rank,
are envious, and show off, will be disgraced when they realise that they
have done all of this in a dream.

A Very Different Approach to Matter 175