FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
According to the Quran, truth is light and falsehood is darkness. One who lives a life of falsehood and then discovers the truth, has the experience of travelling from darkness to light. This fact of life is described in the Quran in the chapter Al-An‘am (The Cattle). The relevant verse of the Quran is as follows:
Can he who was dead, to whom We gave life, and a light whereby he could walk among people, be like him who is in utter darkness from which he can never emerge? Thus the deeds of those who deny the truth have been made fair-seeming to them. (6:122)
What is falsehood? According to the Quran, falsehood is that which is alien to human nature, and the truth is that which is just according to human nature. This is the criterion by which to judge between falsehood and truth. According to the Quran, everyone is divine in nature when he is born. In other words, truth is the religion of everyone’s nature. There is no difference between true nature and the real truth: both are one and the same. Everyone is destined to follow the truth or his divine nature. If there is no obstacle or cause for deviation, everyone will be true—as he lives and as he dies—to his divine nature. Divine nature is a powerful teacher for everyone, for both men and women. When a person follows his divine nature, he becomes an enlightened person. He is able to see things as they are. He is able to distinguish between right and wrong. If he follows his own natural urges, he is bound to follow the voice of his divine nature.
According to the Quran, falsehood is that which is alien to human nature, and the truth is that which is just according to human nature.
In this sense everyone is born as Mr. Right or Ms. Right. But in life—in family life or social life—there are distractions everywhere and he who allows himself to be influenced by these distractions deviates from the divine norm. He falls into darkness, now seeing everything in an artificial light. He loses his ability to see things objectively. What is the criterion of whether a person has found the truth or not? The criterion is nothing other than the person himself. If a new personality has emerged in the concerned person, then it is a sign that he or she has achieved the truth. This revolutionary change is evident in his or her thinking, speech, behaviour, dealings, habits, and so on. The personality of one who has found the truth is not identical to that of one who has yet to find the truth. It is a fact that all these things must reflect in the life of the concerned person. If a person was previously insincere, and has now become sincere; previously he was emotional, and now he is a realist, previously he was negative and now he is positive, previously he was a speaker, and now he is a listener, then you can safely assume that he has found the truth. One who finds the truth becomes like a tree that is planted in its proper habitat. Truthfulness serves as a habitat for both men and women. Truthfulness provides an atmosphere in which they can flourish forever.
