Article appeared Friday, April 8th, 2011 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (174) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

The prophets in our history are generally known as the greatest men who walked the face of the
earth. How did they become great? Can the answer be found in the way or manner in which
they surrendered themselves to the Creator? Throughout history, people have not only
surrendered themselves to the Creator, but also tried to help others understand this particular
concept of surrender. To this end, the English spiritual leader, founder and general of Salvation
Army, William Booth (1829 - 1916) wrote,
“The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender.” {1}

The greatness of a prophet, man or a woman lies in the quality of their surrender. Can this
concept of surrender be the basis of religion? The Indian spiritual leader, Sri Sathya Sai Baba
(born 1926) enlightens us on this point,
“The basic lesson that each Religion teaches is to surrender to the sovereign-will of God
and leave the consequences of deeds, well done, to the Lord Himself. It is His will and
your only duty is to shape yourself into a fit instrument.” {2}

Is an “instrument” an apt analogy for a human being? If we believe and understand the concept
of being created, i.e. that we are “manufactured” beings, the following explanation from pages
11 – 12 from Rick Warren’s best-selling book, Purpose Driven Life may make sense.
“I once got lost in the mountains. When I stopped to ask for directions to the campsite, I
was told, "You can't get there from here. You must start from the other side of the
mountain!" In the same way, you cannot arrive at your life's purpose by starting with a
focus on yourself. You must begin with God, your Creator. You exist only because God
wills that you exist. You were made by God and for God-and until you understand that,
life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our
meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a
dead end.” {3}

Each person has been created beautiful and unique. As part of the unique personality, each has
been given gifts for the satisfaction and fulfillment of his/her life. If one is grateful and would like
to demonstrate gratefulness, one way would be to become a fit instrument. How can one
become a fit instrument? Jean Nicolas Grou (1731 - 1803), the French Catholic mystic provides
an answer,
“To give heart and mind to God, so that they are ours no longer - to do good without
being conscious of it, to pray ceaselessly and without effort as we breathe - to love
without stopping to reflect upon our feelings - such is the perfect forgetfulness of self,
which casts us upon God, as a babe rests upon its mother's breast.” {4}

How does a baby feel when it rests on its mother’s breast? Why does Grou use this imagery?
The following Verse from the most recent Revelation, the Qur’an, provides the answer.
“Those who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for
without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” [13.28]

If we are grateful for the individual life given and do things to please the Creator, our hearts find
peace and satisfaction. The Qur’an reminds us that all gifts are a trial to see how we individually
respond and use the gifts to please Him.
 “It is He who has made you (His agents) inheritors of the earth: He has raised you (by
degrees) in ranks some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He has given
you:…” [6.165]

To understand the concept of “trial”, consider the question, “What further or subsequent use
will the Creator have for a person who does not fulfill the purpose for which he/she was made?”
Will such a person end up in trouble with the Creator? On page 53 of his book {3}, Rick Warren
enlightens us to the nature of “surrender”.
“Everybody eventually surrenders to something or someone. If not to God, you will
surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or
to your own pride, lusts, or ego. You were designed to worship God-and if you fail to
worship him, you will create other things (idols) to give your life to. You are free to
choose what you surrender to, but you are not free from the consequences of that
choice.”

The prophets in our history not only fulfilled the purpose for which they were created, they were
sincerely and seriously concerned of the consequences to those who do not. As an example,
at the end of the Battle of Uhud (625 AD), Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) seriously grieved for the
believers whose hypocrisy was announced by the Creator. At this point in time, the following
Verses were Revealed.

3.176 “Let not those grieve you who rush headlong into unbelief: not the least
harm will they do to Allah: Allah's plan is that He will give them no portion in the
Hereafter but a severe punishment.”

3.177 “Those who purchase unbelief at the price of faith not the least harm will
they do to Allah but they will have a grievous punishment.”

3.178 “Let not the Unbelievers think that our respite to them is good for
themselves: We grant them respite that they may grow in their iniquity: but they
will have a shameful punishment.”

3.179 “Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which they are now till He
separates what is evil from what is good. Nor will He disclose to you the secrets
of the Unseen. But He chooses of His Apostles (for His Purpose) whom He
Pleases. So believe in Allah and His Apostles: and if you believe and do right you
have a reward without measure.”

3.180 “And let not those who covetously withhold of the gifts which Allah has
given them of His Grace think that it is good for them: nay it will be the worse for
them: soon shall the things which they covetously withheld be tied to their necks
like a twisted collar on the Day of Judgment. To Allah belongs the heritage of the
heavens and the earth; and Allah is well acquainted with all that you do.”
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{Notes}:
{1} http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/surrender/2.html
{2} http://thinkexist.com/quotes/sri_sathya_sai_baba/
{3} Warren, R. (2002). Purpose Driven Life: What on earth am I here for? Zondervan
{4} http://dailychristianquote.com/dcqsubmission.html