Continuing our series of weekly extracts of writings from Hazrat Masih-e-Maud (as) from "Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam": Spirituality can be achieved only through the use of every moral quality in its proper place and on its proper occasion, and through treading faithfully upon the ways of God and through being wholly devoted to Him.  He who becomes truly God's cannot exist without Him.  A true seeker after God is like a fish sacrificed by the hand of God and its water is the love of God...

Following Hadith taken from "Gardens of the Righteous" : The Holy Prophet (saws) said: Do not disdain doing the least good, even greeting your brother with a cheerful face. (Muslim) The Holy Prophet (saws) said: Whoever walks to the mosque in the morning or the evening, Allah prepares an entertainment for him in Paradise every time he so walks. (Bokhari and Muslim)...

Continuing our series of weekly extracts of writings from Hazrat Masih-e-Maud (as) from "Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam": A person who denies the existence of God can yet exhibit good moral qualities, such as to be humble of heart, to seek peace, to discard evil and not to resist the evil-monger.  These are all natural conditions which may be possessed even by an unworthy one who is utterly unacquainted with the fountainhead of salvation and enjoys no part of it.  Many animals have a gentle disposition, and can be trained to become wholly peaceful and not to react savagely to chastisement, and yet we cannot call them human, let alone humans of high status.  In the same way, a person who is entirely misguided and even suffers from some vices, can exhibit these qualities....

Following Hadith taken from "Gardens of the Righteous" : The Holy Prophet (saws) said: Everyone will be raised in the condition in which he dies (Muslim) Hadhrat Abu Dharr (ra) relates: I asked the Holy Prophet (saws): What is most meritorious? He said: Faith in Allah and striving in His cause.  I asked: The freeing of which slave is best?  He said: Of that one whom the master likes best and whose value is highest.  I asked: If one is not able to do that? He said: Then help someone with his work, or make something for someone who is not able to make it himself.  I asked: If one should not have the strength? He said: Restrain thyself from doing harm to anyone for that also is charity towards thyself. (Bokhari and Muslim)...

Following Hadith taken from "Gardens of the Righteous" : The Holy Prophet (saws) said: Paradise is closer to you than your shoe-lace, and the same is the case with hell. (Bokhari)   The Holy Prophet (saws) said:  Allah continues to excuse a person till he reaches the age of sixty years (Bokhari)...

Continuing our series of weekly extracts of writings from Hazrat Masih-e-Maud (as) from "Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam": If the body is drawn in a particular direction the soul automatically follows it.  It is, therefore, a function of the Book of God to direct itself to the natural state of man:  that is why the Holy Quran pays so much attention to the reform of the natural state of man and gives directions with regard to every one of his actions, his laughing, weeping, eating, clothing, sleeping, speaking, keeping silent, marrying, remaining celibate, walking, standing still, outward cleanliness, bathing, submitting to a discipline in health an in illness, etc.  It affirms that man's physical condition affects his spiritual condition deeply....

Continuing our series of weekly extracts of writings from Hazrat Masih-e-Maud (as) from "Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam": As man approaches 40, he starts shredding the vagaries of his youth and ruefully looks back at many of his follies from which his counselors had failed to dissuade him.  The ebullience of his youth naturally begins to subside, for his physical condition declines with advancing age...

Writings of Hazrat Masih-e-Maud (as) from "Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam": The better part of a person's life, before the onset of senility, can be measured at approximately 80 years, half of which is 40.  Here the number 40 correlates with the first 4 months the fetus spends in the womb prior to its first physical movements.  Experience tells us that when man has lived half of his productive life-the first 40 yeras which bear a strong likeness to the first 4 months of a fetus' existence-his soul awakens and shows nascent signs of spiritual life, provided he is blessed with a pure disposition. It is no secret that before he is 40 a man's life is mostly obscured by ignorance.  The first 7 or 8 years of his existence are passed in infancy, and the following 25 or so years are mostly spent in the pursuit of learning or frittered away on libertine pleasures.  Afterwards, he is married or is otherwise...

Following Hadith taken from "Gardens of the Righteous" : The Holy Prophet (saws) said:  Allah says: Whoever is at enmity with one whom I befriend should beware of having to do battle with Me.  When a servant of Mine seeks to approach Me through that which I like best out of what I have made obligatory upon him, and continues to advance towards Me by dint of voluntary effort beyond that prescribed then I begin to love him.  When I love him I become his ears by which he hears, and his eyes with which he sees, and his hands with which he grasps, and his feet with which he walks.  When he asks Me I bestow upon him and when he seeks My protection I protect him (Bokhari) The Holy Prophet (saws) said:  Allah says: When a servant of Mine advances towards Me a foot, I advance towards him a yard, and when he advances towards Me a yard, I advance towards...