IF YOU have a super-telescope that can view the
entire Universe, you will first of all see that rare
planet called Earth. You will observe that, amidst
the totally lifeless universe, this tiny planet has an
abundance of life and all kinds of life-supporting
elements. This rare, exceptional sight is so
overwhelming that you will be wonder-struck.
You will also see that—the Earth, along with its
moon and the other planets, is continuously in
motion, i.e. it rotates on its axis, and orbits around
the sun. Then this entire solar system revolves in
the wider circle of the galaxy. And this galaxy
rotates in the much wider circle of the other
galaxies.
The movement of the stars and planets in this vast
endless space will appear astonishingly strange to
your sight. You will then see an unbelievable
number of vast balls of fire, called stars, which
rotate with great speed. Amidst all these astral
bodies, our Earth appears hardly bigger than a
grain of sand. And this sight will be so strange to
you that your own existence will appear to be
totally insignificant and valueless.
This experience
will lead you to the discovery of two things at the
same time. Firstly, there is a powerful God in this
universe, who is its Creator as well as its Sustainer.
If you can recall this sight of the universe to your
mind, your heart will automatically call out that the
universe itself is a clear proof of its Creator.
Secondly, you will feel that you are a helpless and
an insignificant creature in this universe, and that
without God, your very existence is not possible.
This is the most important reality of life. When one
comprehends this reality, one will voluntarily turn
towards God. With one’s whole being, one will call
out: “O God, help me! For, without Your help
everything will go wrong.”
In this vast universe, man’s only source of support
is God. It is by God’s guidance that man’s ship is
brought safely to the shore. Belief in God is the most
important thing for man. Man is nothing without
this belief.
Sometimes, in the course of daily life, a feeling of
helplessness comes over man, the same kind of
helplessness that he experiences after the
observation of the universe through a telescope.
All men and women have the feeling that they
suffer from limitations, when they cannot achieve
what they want. These limitations make them feel
helpless. Each one of us has experienced either a
loss, illness, accidents, death or old age. These
experiences repeatedly remind us of the fact that we
are in need of a superior power. Without the help of
such a superior power, we cannot go on in life.
These feelings amount to a psychological proof of
the existence of God. We go through this
psychological experience at some point of time in
our lives. Each one of us, in his inner feelings,
witnesses the existence of God,
The nature of every human being constantly urges
him or her to recognise the need for God. Without
God, our lives cannot be complete. Without the help
of God, we cannot succeed in life.
Man’s position is further illustrated by the
following example.
A hundred years ago, a ship sailed from the coast of
America to Africa. When the ship was far out to the
deep sea, a severe storm broke out. The ship began
to shake and jolt. All the passengers were in a state
of great fear and anxiety. At this time of crisis, one
of the passengers saw a little girl sitting in a corner
of the deck. She was playing with her dolls, quite
undisturbed by the storm. On seeing this, he
became curious and asked her, “Do you know what
is happening to our ship?” She asked, “What is the
matter?” The passenger told her that the ship was
caught in a dangerous storm. The girl calmly
replied: “You know, my father is the captain of this
ship. He is not going to let it sink.”
The girl’s faith in her father saved her from being a
victim of fear at this crucial moment. The same is
true of a religious person. He has the same childlike
faith in his Creator, God Almighty. But his is a faith
of far greater intensity. When catastrophe threatens,
he can say with much stronger conviction that God
Almighty is the captain of the ship of his life: He
will never let it sink at any time or in any situation.
In short, spirituality awakens the mind. Spirituality
is a great strength at all times. Spirituality is the best
formula for character building. Spirituality is a
promoter of all good and a killer of all evils.
Spirituality is the essence of all religions. Let’s all
adopt this universal religion.
--Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
( Ref - In Search of God)
