Guidance: A natural consequence of belief

 

Here are some stories that pertain to pre-ordainment.

 

Bodlee authored many books including The Messenger. In 1918 he settled in Northwest Africa among a group of nomadic desert people. These were Muslims who prayed, fasted, and remembered Allah. He later wrote about some of his experiences with them. This is how he begins one particular narrative:

 

“One day, a strong sand storm began gathering force. The vicious winds destroyed much and the heat was so intense that I felt the roots of my scalp burning. During this experience I felt that I was on the brink of madness. To my astonishment, though, the Arabs did not complain at all. They shook their shoulders with resignation and said that it was something that was written for them and preordained. Forthwith, they returned to their daily labor with vigor. The head of the tribe said, ‘We didn’t lose much if you consider that we deserved to lose everything. But all praise and thanks are for Allah; we still have forty percent of our livestock and we are capable of starting afresh."’

 

He related the following about another incident,

"As we were traveling through the desert in a car, we had a flat tire, and to make things worse, the driver had forgotten to take along a spare one. I was overcome with both anger and worry. I asked my Arab companions what we were going to do. They calmly reminded me that anger was not going to help the situation, but rather was more likely to aggravate it. We were moving at an excruciatingly slow pace on three good tires and on one flat; it wasn’t long before the car stopped altogether, and not because of the tire situation, but because we had also run out of fuel. Even when this happened, my traveling companions remained undisturbed. Furthermore, they cheerfully recommenced the journey on foot while singing in unison. After spending seven years in the desert with the Arab nomads, I became thoroughly convinced that the widespread European and American problems of drunkenness, mental sickness, and depression were the results of a fast- paced city life.”

 

He also said,

"I never felt any stress at all while l was living in the desert. I felt that I was in God’s paradise. I felt that I had discovered peace, tranquility, and contentment. Many people scoff at the fatalistic beliefs of the Arabs. But who knows? Maybe the Arabs have with them the truth after all, for as I reminisce about the past, it becomes clear to me that my life was composed of disjointed periods that were the results of events or happenings that were pushed onto me without my having any choice. The Arabs refer to these events as being ‘Allah’s Preordainment and Decree.’  In summary, seventeen years have elapsed since I left the desert, and I still take the stance of the Arabs regarding `Allah’s Preordainment and Decree} I respond to events that are out of my control with serenity, calmness, and composure. This quality that I learned from the Arabs has done more to calm my nerves and lower my level of stress than thousands of prescription sedative pills can do."

 

To comment on the words of Bodlee, I would first like to mention that the source of truth with the Desert Arabs was the Messenger of Allah. Muhammad (bpuh). The substance of his message was to save people from hopeless wandering --- to take them out of darkness and bring them into light. His noble message contained the secret to peace and salvation: namely, to recognize that Allah predestined everything while at the same time every person must work and do their best to reach their desired goals. The noble message of Islam came to show you your place in the Universe, so that you can be the ideal person who knows the secret and purpose of human existence.