Of what the traveller saw on his journey through the worlds
The Second Sample
The traveller alighted from the ship of the earth and entered the world of animals and men. He looked at it through the spectacles of the natural science that does not receive its spirit from religion, and saw that
although those innumerable animate creatures had endless needs and were assaulted by numberless vexatious enemies and pitiless events, their capital was only a thousandth, or even a hundred thousandth of what they needed. Their power too was perhaps a millionth of what was necessary to combat those harmful things. Being connected to them through his intelligence and out of compassion for his fellow beings, he so pitied them in their ghastly plight, and feeling a hellish pain was so sorry and despairing, that he regretted a thousand times over his ever having come to that wretched world. Then suddenly Qur’anic wisdom came to his assistance, and handing him the telescope of Those whom You have blessed, it told him to look through it. He looked and saw that through the manifestation of Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth, numerous divine names such as Most Merciful, All‑Compassionate, Provider, Bestower, Munificent, and Preserver, each rose like the sun in the constellations of such verses as: And there is no living thing but He has hold of its forelock. ❋ The beasts do not carry their own sustenance; Allah sustains them, and you. ❋ And we have ennobled the sons of Adam. ❋ And the pious shall be in bliss. They filled the world of men and beasts with mercy and bounties, transforming it into a temporary Paradise. He understood that they make known perfectly the generous host of this fine, instructive guesthouse, which is well worth being gazed upon, and a thousand times he repeated: All praise be to Allah, the Sustainer of All the Worlds!