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Learning Lessons

                 in which it is better to follow others. It is an appreciation of this
                 fact that contributes to the success of the leader.




                               Learning Lessons





                     ne of the major concerns of the Quran is to inculcate in every
                 Oman and woman the spirit of contemplation. In the chapter
                 Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract) the Quran refers to certain historical
                 phenomena and then says:

                      There are certainly signs in that for those who can
                      learn a lesson. (15:75)
                    Natural  phenomena  as well as  historical events  have  great
                 lessons for those who go deeply into them and learn lessons from
                 them. The Quran, in referring to them, attempts to develop the
                 thinking habit, so that readers may gain from them intellectually.
                    Jesus Christ once said: “Man does not live by bread alone.”
                 (Matthew 4:4) This is an important teaching of all religions. This
                 means that all men and women need two kinds of nourishment:
                 the physical and the spiritual. Everyone knows the importance
                 of  physical  nourishment but, where spiritual  nourishment is
                 concerned, people remain in ignorance of how vital it is.

                    Man cannot afford to live in a state of physical starvation, for
                 physical starvation brings on weakness and disease. Everyone,
                 being aware of how debilitating this can be, makes sure that he
                 or she has proper sustenance.
                    The same is true of spiritual starvation. Spiritual starvation
                 makes you a weak personality. It erodes the faculty of wisdom. It
                 deprives you of moral values. Spiritual starvation may go to such
                 an extreme that one may face spiritual death.
                    To keep spirituality alive, spiritual food is at all times a necessity.

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