In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

This part of the surah is closely linked to the previous one. It is, in fact, a continuation of the last point in that passage. It further directs the Prophet to remain patient as he faced adversity in the shape of rejection and physical harm. It also directs him to remain patient when the unbelievers used every means to prevent others from accepting the truth and even boasted about falsehood. Having made this directive, the surah explains the real reason for disputing God’s revelations without any sound basis. In short, it is nothing but arrogance and conceit that prevent people from acknowledging the truth. Yet they cannot even attain the status to which, in their arrogance, they aspire.

The surah, therefore, emphasizes the greatness of the universe created by God, and the smallness of all mankind, compared to the heavens and the earth. In this part, the surah highlights some of the universal signs and how God, by His grace, has made them subservient to man even though man is much smaller and weaker than them. The surah also refers to aspects of God’s grace within man himself. In all, these aspects confirm the oneness of the Creator.

The Prophet is then directed to proclaim God’s oneness and to turn his back on what the unbelievers worshipped beside God. This part then adds a powerful scene of the Day of Resurrection, when the idolaters are rebuked for associating partners with God. The conclusion in this part is the same as in the previous one: a directive to the Prophet to remain patient in adversity, whether God keeps him alive until he has witnessed the realization of some of what He has promised or gathers him to Himself before that. This is something that God determines. All will ultimately return to Him.

Asfor those who dispute God's revelations, with no authority granted to them, there is nothing in their hearts but a quest for a greatness they will never attain. Seek, then, refuge with God, for He is the One who hears all and sees all. The creation ofthe heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation ofman; yet most people do not understand. The blind and the seeing are not equal; nor can those who believe and do good works and those who do evil be deemed equal. How seldom you reflect. The Last Hour is sure to come: ofthis there is no doubt. Yet most people will not believe. Your Lord says: Gall on Me, and I shall answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me shall enter hell humiliated' (Verses 56-60)

Man often forgets the fact that he is a small, weak creature and that whatever strength he may have does not emanate from within himself, but from his bond with God, the source of all strength and power. He may sever this bond and begin to swell and take on airs. Arrogance, thus, begins to establish itself within him. Satan, who doomed himself as a result of his arrogance, works on man to increase his arrogance knowing that through it he can bring man to ruin.

The unbeliever disputes God’s revelations even when they are clear, addressing human nature with the sort of argument that appeals to it.

He also claims to himself and others that he is only raising questions because he is not as yet convinced. However, God who knows the inner feelings and secret thoughts of all His creatures makes clear that all this is the result of man’s arrogance. It is such arrogance which prompts man to argue and dispute God’s revelations over which there can be no dispute. Such arrogance also drives man to aspire to what is beyond his status and what his nature cannot attain. Yet he has no solid basis for such argument for it is rooted deeply in nothing but his own arrogance: “As for those who dispute God's revelations, with no authority granted to them, there is nothing in their hearts but a quest for a greatness they will never attain." yesse 56)

If only man would understand the truth about himself and the universe, recognizing his role and not trying to exceed it, appreciating that he is one of countless creatures each doing their role by Gods will and according to His design which He alone knows, he would certainly feel relaxed, humble, living in peace with himself and with the world around him. If he did this, he would easily and readily submit himself to God. He would also do this without any hesitation.

“Seek, then, refuge with God, for He is the One who hears all and sees all.n (Verse 56) Seeking refuge with God against arrogance is indicative of how gruesome it is. We seek God’s refuge in order to escape what is ghastly, horrible and evil. Arrogance combines all these. Moreover, it is hard for the arrogant person and for those around him. It causes harm to the heart in which it stirs and to other people’s hearts. It is an evil we should seek refuge with God from. God hears all and sees all.

Arrogance is normally manifested in visible action and audible words.

Therefore, it is left to God to decide upon it as He pleases.

Man is then told of his true position in this great universe: how small he is in comparison to some of God’s creatures, the great magnitude of which is readily visible and better appreciated on careful examination: “ The creation ofthe heavens and the earth is indeedgreater than the creation of man; yet most people do not understand? (Verse 57) The heavens and the earth are there for man to see and to measure himself in relation to them. When he knows the reality of the proportions of distance, dimension, size and power, he reduces his pride, feels his smallness and almost disappears. He can only hold his own when he remembers the superior element God has granted him, and for which He has honoured him. It is this element alone that allows man to stand on his feet in front of the greatness that is the universe.

A quick glance at the universe is sufficient to appreciate all this. The earth on which we live is merely a small satellite of the sun: its mass compared to the mass of the sun is no more than three to a million, while its size is one-millionth of the size of the sun. Yet the sun is only one of around one hundred million suns our galaxy includes. Man now knows that there are around one hundred million such galaxies dispersed in the great expanse of the universe. Still, what we have discovered of the universe is merely a small part; it is so great that we become dazed when we even try to imagine it. The distance between us and the sun is about 93 million miles. The sun is the head of the family of our planet earth, and most probably the sun is the mother of the earth. Therefore the earth remains close to its mother, standing merely 93 million miles away from it! The diameter of our galaxy is measured at one hundred billion light years, with one light year measuring 5.8 billion miles, because light travels at the speed of 186,000 miles per second. The closest galaxy to our own is around 750,000 light years away.

We may say again that these distances and dimensions are the best mans little knowledge has determined. Scientists acknowledge that all their discoveries cover only a small part of this great universe.

God says to us: “ The creation ofthe heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation ofman; yet most people do not understand. ” (Verse 57) When we speak of God’s power and ability, the concepts of greater or smaller, harder or easier do not apply. He creates everything by a single word, ‘Be!’ The reference here is to how things appear in themselves and how people see and measure them. How does man compare to this great expanse of the universe? How high can his arrogance take him in God’s great creation?

“ The blind and the seeing are not equal; nor can those who believe and do good works and those who do evil be deemed equal.” (Verse 58)

The one who is able to see learns and understands, recognizing his station. He does not give himself airs, nor does he allow conceit to distort his judgement. By contrast, a blind person cannot recognize his position in relation to his surroundings. Therefore, he misjudges his position and what is around him. The same applies to those believers who do good works and those who do evil. The first group see things for what they are and form accurate ideas, while the other group misjudges all due to their blind ignorance. They harm themselves and others, and above all they assign to themselves an erroneous position in relation to their environment. They are blind, for true blindness is that of the mind: “ How seldomyou reflect.” (Verse 58) Had we reflected, we would have known. The whole thing is clear, needing only some reflection before it becomes totally apparent.

If only we would remember the hereafter, be certain of its coming, reflect on our position then and recall how we will then stand ... “ The Last Hour is sure to come: ofthis there is no doubt. Yet most people will not believe.” yetse 59) Because they do not believe, they argue and give themselves airs; they do not submit to the truth and do not limit themselves to their rightful position.

Addressing our worship to God, praying and appealing to Him, are all means to cure hearts of arrogance, which is the evil that leads people to dispute His revelations and signs without any clear evidence.

God opens the door for us to address and pray to Him. He tells us that He has committed Himself to respond to those who pray to Him, warning those who are too proud that they will be made to suffer total humiliation: “Your Lord says: Call on Me, and I shall answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me shall enter hell humiliated.” yerse. 60)

Supplication and prayer must observe certain manners. Hearts must be totally dedicated to God, reassured that He will answer our prayer.

We must not suggest a particular form or time or circumstance for answering it. To make such a suggestion is improper when appealing to God. We should be clear in our minds that it is a blessing that we address our prayers to God, and that His response is another blessing.

'Umar used to say: “I am not worried about my prayer being answered.

I am worried about addressing my prayer. Once I am inspired to pray to God, prayer will be answered.” These are the words of someone who has insight, knowing that when God wills to respond to someone’s prayer, He also wills that person to pray to Him. The two are concurrent.

Those who are too proud to pray to God and appeal to Him deserve their just reward, which leads them to enter hell in total humiliation.

Such is the fitting end of the arrogance that fills some hearts in this small planet and short life, forgetting the greatness of God’s creation, let alone His own greatness. It is suitable requital for forgetting the Last Hour, which will inevitably come.

The surah now speaks about certain aspects of God’s blessings which testify to His greatness, yet the unbelievers do not offer thanks to Him for such blessings. On the contrary, they are too proud to address their worship to Him:

It is God who has made for you the night in which to rest, and the day to make you see. God is limitless in His bounty to man, but most people do not give thanks. Such is God, your Lord, the Creator ofall that exists: there is no deity other than Him. How deluded can you be? Such it is: far deluded are those who knowingly deny God's revelations. It is God who has made the earth a resting place for you and the sky a canopy. He has moulded you into a comely shape and provided you with wholesome things. Such is God, your Lord. So glory be to God, the Lord ofall the worlds. He is the Ever-Living.

There is no deity other than Him. So call on Him, sincere in your faith in Him. All praise is due to God, the Lord ofall the worlds.

(Verses 61-65)

The night and day are two universal phenomena, while the earth and the heavens are creatures in the universe. They are all mentioned alongside Gods creation of man, who has been given a comely shape, been provided with wholesome sustenance. All these are mentioned within the context of God’s oneness and being sincere in our faith in Him. This indicates that all these phenomena, creatures and concepts are interlinked. They should be looked at within their broad environment, noting their mutual interrelations.

The fact that the universe is built on the solid basis God has given it, and its following the course God has assigned to it, allowed life to emerge, evolve and progress on earth. It also allowed human life to take the shape and form familiar to us. It fits with man’s needs dictated by his nature and make-up. It has made the night a time for his rest and recuperation, while the day, with its light, a time for movement and action. It has made the earth stable as a field of activity, while the skies are raised like a canopy that does not fall apart. All the necessary proportions are maintained; otherwise, man’s existence on earth would have been endangered or impossible. It has allowed wholesome provisions to grow on earth or come down from the sky for man’s enjoyment.

Moreover, it is God’s will that gave man his comely shape and a wealth of abilities that are in harmony with what is in the universe. All these matters are interlinked, which is the reason for referring to them together in the Qur’an. Indeed, the Qur’an makes this interrelation between them evidence of the Creator’s oneness. It directs our hearts to call on God, sincere in our devotion, declaring that all praise is due to God, the Lord of all the worlds. It states that the One who creates all these and establishes such harmony between them is the only one to deserve to be a deity. He is indeed God Almighty, the Lord and Creator of all. How can people be turned away from this truth?

It is perhaps useful here to mention some aspects of the harmony and interrelation evident within the universe and their bearing on man’s life.

If the earth did not rotate facing the sun, there would be no succession of night and day. Had the rotation of the earth been at a higher speed than it actually is, houses would have shattered, and indeed the earth itself would have fallen apart and scattered in space. Had its rotation been slower, mankind would have perished from hot or cold weather. Indeed the current speed of its rotation is the one most suitable for the continuity of plant, animal and human life in its broadest sense. If the earth stopped rotating, all seas and oceans would be without water.2

What would happen if the earth’s axis became straight and the earth orbited the sun in a circle where the sun would be at the centre? The seasons would be lost and people would not know summer from winter, spring from autumn.3

Had the crust of the earth been ten feet thicker, there would be no oxygen, without which animal life is impossible; and had the ocean been a few feet deeper, carbon dioxide and oxygen would have been absorbed and vegetable life on the surface of the land could not exist..

If the atmosphere had been much thinner, some of the meteors which are now burned in the outer atmosphere by the millions every day would strike all parts of the earth. They travel from six to forty miles a second and would set fire to every burnable object. If they travelled as slowly as a bullet, they would all hit the earth and the consequences would be dire. As for man, the impact of a tiny meteor travelling ninety times as fast as a bullet would tear him in pieces by the heat of its passage.4

If, for instance, instead of 21 per cent oxygen [there] were 50 per cent or more of the atmosphere, all combustible substances in the world would become inflammable to such an extent that the first stroke of lightning to hit a tree would ignite the forest, which would almost explode. If it were reduced to 10 per cent or less, life might through the ages have adjusted itself to it, but few of the elements of civilization now so familiar to man, such as fire, would be available.5

There are thousands of fine balances in the design of the universe that are necessary for human life. If any of them is disturbed only slightly, human life as we know it would not be possible.

As for man, one of the elements of his perfect shape is his unique form among all living things. His constitution enables his systems to fulfil their functions easily and meticulously. Moreover, the harmony between him and his surroundings is perfect, allowing him to live and act within his environment. All this may be added to his most fundamental and unique quality that enables him to be in charge of planet earth. He is equipped with the tools necessary for the fulfilment of his task, having been given a mind and spiritual contact with what is beyond the physical.

If we were to study the great accuracy of the human constitution and the harmony between the different parts and systems of man’s body, relating it to the Qur’anic statement: “He has moulded you into a comely shape", (Verse 64) we would need to reflect at length on every small organ, and indeed on every single cell in this marvellous creature. Take for example man’s jaw and how teeth are placed in it:

the jaw is so finely shaped that if the gum or the tongue were to protrude by one tenth of a millimetre this would be enough to make the gum or the tongue unfit within the mouth. A protrusion of similar thickness in a tooth or a molar will bring it into friction with the opposite tooth or molar. Take, for example, something as thin as a cigarette paper which when pressed between the upper and lower jaws is left with marks on it. As the two jaws close they press against any object between them even if its thickness is no more than that of the finest paper.

Mans constitution is equipped to live on this planet. His eyes are made to receive the light frequency which he needs to see. His ears pick up the sound frequencies he needs to hear. Every single organ in his constitution is designed for the environment in which he lives, with a limited ability to adapt to changing conditions. Man is created to live in this particular environment and to have a mutual impact on it. There is a close relationship between him and his environment, i.e.

with the earth and the skies. Therefore, the Qur’an mentions mans shape in the same verse in which it mentions the earth and sky. How fitting! Let us now briefly discuss the text itself: “A is God who has madefor you the night in which to rest, and the day to make you see” (Verse 61)

Rest at night is necessary for every living thing. A period of darkness is needed so that living cells can rest before resuming their activity during the day. Sleeping is not enough to afford the needed rest; darkness is also necessary. A living cell that is exposed to light continuously reaches a degree of fatigue that ruins its structure.

“And the day to make you see” (Verse 61) A literal translation would render this phrase as, and the day able to see.’ The expression brings the day alive as if it is a living entity that can look at and see things. In fact, it is people that can see during the day, but this quality is given to the day itself because it is almost universal.

The succession of the day and the night in this way is a blessing that involves further blessings. Had one or the other of them stretched permanently, or if it were merely several times as long, life would come to an end. It is fitting, then, that the succession of day and night is often mentioned within the context of God’s blessings for which most people do not give thanks: “Godis limitless in His bounty to man, but most people do not give thanks.” (Verse 61)

These two phenomena are brought into existence by the One who alone deserves to be named God: “Such is God, your Lord, the Creator of all that exists: there is no deity other than Him. How deluded can you be?' (Verse 62) People do recognize God’s hand in everything, and they know for certain that He is the Creator of all. Such knowledge, in fact, forces itself on our minds by the very existence of things. No one can claim to have created these, and it is impossible that they could have come into existence of their own accord. It is most amazing then that people should turn away from believing in God: “How deluded can you be?' Yet, this does happen: people turn away from the clear truth, in the same way as some of those who were the first to be addressed by the Qur’an turned away. This takes place throughout all generations, without reason or evidence: “Such it is: far deluded are those who knowingly deny God's revelations." (Verse 63)

The surah then mentions the universal design that gives the earth and the sky their respective functions: “It is God who has made the earth a resting place for you and the sky a canopy." (Verse 64) The earth is a place suited for man’s life, considering the many balances operating in it, some of which we have briefly discussed. The sky is a structure with careful proportions, dimensions and cycles to ensure stability and the continuity of human life. Indeed human life is taken into consideration in the design of the universe itself.

Furthermore, the surah specifies a link between the structure of the heavens and earth on the one hand and man’s constitution and the wholesome provisions made for him on the other: “He has moulded you into a comely shape andprovidedyou with wholesome things." (Verse 64) These blessings and provisions are followed by a comment similar to the earlier one: “Such is God, your Lord. So glory be to God, the Lord ofall the worlds." (Verse 64) He is the One who creates, measures and designs, giving you a specified place in His kingdom. He is your Lord, so glorify Him. His bounty encompasses all worlds.

“He is the Ever-Living." (Verse 65) His life is from Himself, neither gained nor created, without a beginning or an end. It does not alter, change or finish. Nothing else has such qualities to its life. All glory to Him; unique is His life.

Again He alone is the Godhead. The One who has a unique life is God: “ There is no deity other than Him” Therefore, “call on Him, sincere in yourfaith in Him.” And when you pray to Him, give Him due praise:

“All praise is due to God, the Lord ofall the worlds” (Verse 65)

The Prophet is given clear instructions to declare to his people that he has been forbidden to worship what they invoke other than God.

He has also been commanded to submit himself to the Lord of all the worlds:

Say: Since all evidence ofthe truth has come to me from my Lord, I am forbidden to worship those whom you invoke instead of God. I am commanded to submit to the Lord ofall the worlds. (Verse 66)

He is to declare to those who turn away from Gods revelations and deny His blessings that he has been ordered not to worship the ones they invoke instead of God. He is to tell them that he has acted on this prohibition 'since all evidence of the truth has come to me from my Lord.' He has the evidence, and he believes in it. It is right that he should then declare the word of truth. The prohibition to worship anyone other than God denotes a negative action, while submission to God Almighty is a positive one. It is from these two opposite parts that faith is brought to its fullness.

Having highlighted certain signs of God in the wide universe, the surah now highlights a sign from within man himself. It is the miracle of human life and its marvellous stages. This is given here by way of a prelude to stating the true nature of life granted by God:

It is He who creates you out ofdust, then out ofa gamete, then out ofa clinging cell mass; and then He brings you forth as infants. He then lets you reach maturity, and then grow old - although some of you die earlier. [All this He ordains] so that you may reach your appointed term, and you may use your reason. It is He who ordains life and death. When He wills something to be, He only says to it, ‘Be, and it is. (Verses 67-68)

This beginning of human life includes facts that man’s knowledge could not know because they took place before his existence, and others which man sees and monitors. Yet such monitoring started only recently, centuries after the revelation of the Qur’an.

That man was created out of dust refers to a fact taking place before his existence. Dust is the origin of all life on earth, including human life. Only God knows how this miracle was accomplished, and how this great event took shape. As for subsequent procreation, this takes place when a male’s sperm fertilizes a female’s egg.

Conception takes place and a cell mass clings to the uterus. At the end, a baby is born after having gone through a number of major development stages. When carefully considered in comparison to what happens after birth, these stages appear to be longer and greater than the stages we go through from birth till death. The surah mentions some of these latter stages: childhood, full adulthood at around 30, and old age. These stages represent maximum vigour in between two ends characterized by weakness. “Some ofyou die earlier, ” before attaining to some of these stages. God ordains all this “so that you may reach your appointed term”, when you die at the specified time, unable to delay it or indeed hasten it. “And you may use your reason” To follow the journey travelled by the foetus and then by a baby and to reflect on what they indicate of elaborate planning requires good use of our reason.

The embryonic journey is truly fascinating. We have come to know much about it with the many recent advancements in medicine and embryology. The Quranic reference to it, so accurate and precise, fourteen centuries earlier, is exceptionally interesting. Any reasonable person is bound to reflect on this fact.

These two journeys, of the embryo and the baby, directly affect our hearts, regardless of our social environment or standard of education.

Every generation feels this effect in its own way and according to the information available to it. The Qur’an addresses these facts to all generations, and they receive the message contained in them, and then determine their response or lack of it.

This is followed by mentioning the facts of giving life and taking it away, creation and origination: “It is He who ordains life and death.

When He wills something to be. He only says to it, Be, and it is” 68) The Qur’an repeatedly refers to life and death as they are signs that have a strong effect on man’s heart. Indeed both phenomena affect everything in man’s world. Both have wider scope than initially thought.

There are different forms and aspects of both life and death. We need only to think of a dead, barren land, and then we see it quicken, becoming full of life. We see a tree with dry leaves and stripped branches in one season, and we see it later with life bursting through every pan of it. It soon blossoms with leaves, flowers and fruit. We can look at an egg, a chic, a seed, a plant, etc. These are all aspects of the journey from death to life. There is also the opposite journey, from life to death. Both can strongly affect us as we contemplate them.

Added to these two phenomena there is the origination. It is sufficient that God’s will is directed to the creation of anything through the word, ‘Be,’ and the subject matter of this comes into existence. Blessed be God, the best of all creators.

Against the backdrop of the emergence of human life, the cycle of life and death, the truth of initiation and origination, disputing the truth of God’s revelations or the import of His signs sounds singular.

Equally odd is any denial of God’s messengers. Hence, a fearful warning is given in the form of a scene from the Day of Resurrection:

Do you not see how those who dispute God's revelations are turned away from the truth? Those who reject the Book and the messages We sent through Our messengers. They will certainly come to know when, with chains and shackles round their necks, they will be dragged into scalding water, and then burnt in the fire ofhell. Then they will be asked: ‘Where now are those to whom you ascribed divinity side by side with God?' They will answer: ‘They have forsaken us, or rather, what we used to invoke were nothing. ’ Thus does God let the unbelievers go astray. ‘This is because on earth you took delight in things that are untrue and you were insolent. Enter now the gates of hell, where you shall abide. Evil indeed is the abode ofthe arrogant.' (Verses 69-76)

These verses first wonder at those disputing Gods revelations when they see the great signs He has placed in the universe. This serves as a prelude to outlining the fate that awaits them in the life to come. “Do you not see how those who dispute God's revelations are turned away from the truth? Those who reject the Book and the messages We sent through Our messengers." (Verses 69-70) They have rejected one book and one messenger, but, in fact, they reject everything all Gods messengers said. Theirs is the same faith, put in its most perfect form in the final message. This means that they actually denied every single message and rejected every single messenger. Everyone who opposed the Divine faith, at any time in history including the present, did this when he or she opposed the truth advocated by the messenger addressing him personally.

“They will certainly come to know." (Verse 70) This statement adds humiliation to painful punishment. “When, with chains and shackles round their necks, they will be dragged." (Verse 71) They are dragged like animals and beasts to add further humiliation to their predicament.

Why should they be given honourable treatment when they have discarded every single cause of honour? Their humiliation and dragging eventually leads them “into scalding water, and then burnt in thefire of hell." (Verse 72) There they are tied up after the place is filled with a burning fire and scalding water.

Such is the end they face. It is then that they are further rebuked and painfully embarrassed: “ Then they will be asked: Where now are those to whom you ascribed divinity side by side with God?' (Verses 73—74)

Their reply is that of someone who is in total sorrow after he realizes that he has been badly deceived: “ They will answer: They haveforsaken us, or rather, what we used to invoke were nothing." (Verse 74) We have lost them and we have no way of finding them. Nor can they find us.

In fact we did not ascribe divinity to anyone. These were all myths and false presumptions. After this sorrowful answer, the surah adds a general comment: “Thus does God let the unbelievers go astray." (Verse 74)

A further and final reproach is then added: “ This is because on earth you took delight in things that are untrue and you were insolent. Enter now the gates ofhell, where you shall abide. Evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant." (\erses 75-76) God save us! What, then, was all that dragging, the chains, the scalding waters and fire? It appears that these were a prelude before entering hell where they would abide. It was because of their arrogance that they were so humiliated.

Again, the surah urges the Prophet to remain patient in the face of the many levelled adversity he was encountering, represented in the arrogance shown by the unbelievers and their persistent disputing of God’s revelations. He is told to have complete trust in the fulfilment of God’s promise, whether God keeps him alive to see with his own eyes some aspects of what He warned the unbelievers against or He gathers him to Himself first. The whole question is determined by God. God’s messenger’s task is to deliver his message. Ultimately, all will return to God:

Hence, remain patient in adversity, for God's promise always comes true. Whether We show you something of what We hold in store for them or We cause you to die before that, it is to Us that they shall all return. (Verse 77)

There is something that deserves careful attention here. The Prophet Muhammad, God’s messenger, who faced a determined onslaught of rejection, persecution and arrogant hostility is being told in short: ‘Fulfil your duty and do not be concerned with anything else. The outcome is none of your concern.’ He was not even to entertain wishes that God might act in fulfilment of some aspects of the punishment promised to the arrogant unbelievers. He is simply required to fulfil his responsibility. The whole dispute is not his; it is God’s and He determines how He will settle it.

This is a very high standard of discipline which God requires from the advocates of His message, starting with His noble messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him). What is required of them is very hard indeed. It requires them to keep their strong feelings and wishes in check. Is it for this reason that the command to remain patient is given at this point in the surah? In this sense, it is not a repeat of the earlier order to be patient. Rather, it points to a different type of patience, which can be harder than handling arrogance and physical harm with patience.

Here we see that ordinary human beings, advocating Gods message, are required to purge themselves of the desire to see how God punishes His and their enemies who continue to fight against them. This is extremely difficult. Yet it is part of the cultivation of the ideals of those who serve Gods cause. They are to shed everything that they desire for themselves, even though this may be no more than to see the enemies of their faith defeated and punished.

When the advocates of Gods faith attain this level, they equip themselves with what saves them from drowning in the ocean of desire.

Desires may seem pure and justified to start with, but Satan tries hard to manipulate them for his own ends.