Miracles Are Freckles On The Face Of Faith
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
1 April
2023
"Miracles
are freckles on the face of faith."
Bishop
Desmond Tutu
Mo'jizaat
Muntashir Hain Har Soo
Chahiye
Nigaah Aur Saadiq Justajoo
-Jaleel
Manikpuri
(Miracles
are scattered everywhere/ All you need is deep observation and truthful search)
Miraculous
is human existence
Nothing
else makes any sense
Walt Whitman
(this quote is not from 'Leaves of Grass')
Once
someone approached a disciple of the mystic Junaid of Baghdad and said, "
Tell me why your Master conceals his miracles. I've personally collected data
that shows beyond any doubt that he's been present in more than one place at a
time; that he healed people by the power of his prayers but tells them it was
the work of nature; that he played people in their troubles and then attributes
it to their good luck. Why does he do this? " I know exactly what you're
talking about," said the disciple, " for, I've observed these things
myself. And I think I can give you the answer to your question.
First, the
Master recoils from being the centre of attention. And secondly, he's convinced
that once people develop an interest in the miraculous, they've no desire to learn
anything of true spiritual value. "Faith, I mean true faith, is never
miracle-based. That one requires miracles to believe, shows the fundamental
weakness of belief and dilapidation of faith. Miracle is sorcery. It's a
sleight of hand and exploitation of collective gullibility. Those who're firm
in faith, never believe in miracles. And those who are truly enlightened, never
resort to miracles to attract their followers. Human life itself is the
greatest miracle. And every golden morning is nature's own way to mesmerise us
with a miracle. Seeing an infant's guileless and angelic face is a miracle.
Hearing someone's unaffected and hearty laughter is a miracle because in this
age of universal gloominess and deep-rooted sorrows, a consummate laughter is an
unexpected phenomenon. It's a miracle. To quote an Urdu poet Qahin Lakhnawi, 'Iss
Daur Mein Tere Chehre Pe Hansi / Hansne Waale Tu Kahin Farishta Toh Nahin?' (There's
a streak of smile on your lips in such difficult times/ Man, tell me, are you
an angel)?
Despite so
much bloodshed, so many wars and so much violence, man has not lost his
inherent goodness and faith in mankind and our audacious optimism that a day
will come when there will be no differences, no distinctions and no
discrimination among men and no boundaries among nations.
However
Utopian all this may sound and seem, is it not a great miracle? To have an
unwavering faith in anything and in any idea is a faith of the most sublime
form. Someone aptly said, 'Vishwas Khud Ek Chamatkar Hai' (Faith itself
is a miracle). What else is required to be qualified as a miracle when miracles
are all around us, albeit in disguised forms? We require miracles, when we lose
faith in ourselves and in our universal goodness.
Remember
the words of W H Auden, ' Look deeper. The whole world and your own life will
appear as the greatest miracles.'
------
A regular columnist for New Age Islam,
Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to
Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in
several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/miracles-freckles-faith/d/129462
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