There is a verse in the second chapter of the Quran which says that there are some stones that “tumble down through fear of God.” (2:74) This is a reference to landslides, when stones crash tumultuously down mountainsides. Landslides in the world of nature are symbolic of a similar event in the world of man: spontaneous and headlong submission to God. An incident in the life of the Prophet’s trusted lieutenant, Umar Ibn Khattab, illustrates the form that landslides take in the world of man—unhesitating capitulation before truth, like “stones, tumbling down a mountainside.”

The Companions were grief-stricken when they heard of the Prophet’s death. Umar found it hard even to believe the news. Taking his sword, he stood up in the Prophet’s mosque. “Some hypocrites think that the Prophet has died,” he said. “It is not so: he has gone to visit his Lord, as the Prophet Moses visited the Lord on Mount Sinai. When he stayed away from his people for forty days, some said that he had died. By God, the Prophet will return to us, as Moses returned to his people, and he will punish those who thought that he had died.”

Then Abu Bakr arrived on the scene. He told Umar to be quiet, but Umar continued to address the people. Seeing Umar’s refusal to accede to his request, Abu Bakr himself began to address the congregation. “Whoever worshipped Mohammad,” he said, “should know that Mohammad has died. But as for those who worshipped God: God is alive, and will never die.” Abu Bakr then raised his voice, and recited this verse of the Quran:

“Mohammad is no more than an apostle: other apostles have passed away before him. If he dies or is slain, will you recant? He that recants will do no harm to God. But God will reward the thankful.” (3:144)

Umar later recalled his reaction to hearing this verse: “I was just stunned when I heard Abu Bakr recite this verse. My legs could not carry me, and I fell to the ground. I realized that the Prophet had indeed died.”

(Seerat Ibn Hisham, Vol. IV, p. 335)

Umar’s falling down on coming face to face with divine proof was just like stones crashing down from a height. Landslides are symbolic of fear of God, but Umar’s “landslide” was fear of God in purely physical terms. God does not want man to be stubborn and arrogant when confronted with truth; He wants His servants to fall before Him in total submission and acceptance. Stones that slide down mountains show man what his reaction to truth should be—one of instant capitulation. Forgetting his power of refusal, he should act as if he has no power—like stones—and collapse, voluntarily, before God. That was how Umar reacted when faced with truth. He collapsed, like stones crashing down a mountain. The difference was that his capitulation was voluntary, while landslides occur involuntarily. So lacking in reservation was Umar’s action that it fell not one whit short of what God expected of him; it was a perfect replica of the demonstration in nature of the form that submission should take in man.

At that time it was just one verse of the Quran, just a few recited words, which had this effect upon Umar. He could have rejected these words.

If he had treated the matter as one of personal pride, and challenged the applicability of this verse, then he would have found many supporters among the people of Arabia. He could have excused himself on the pretext that he had not meant to deny the Prophet’s death; he had only sought to keep it secret until the problem of succession had been solved. But for Umar this was not a matter of personal prestige, to be salvaged by denial or pretence; it was a matter of God coming before him in the form of truth, and he fell down in submission to it as if God Himself was standing before him.

There are always two types of people in the world: those whose spirits are ignited by the glory of God, and those who are animated instead by the greatness of others besides God, be the object of their veneration their own selves or any other. The first are monotheists, the second polytheists. It is the first group—those who nourish their souls on the greatness of God—who will enter heaven. The others—those who have fed their souls on the greatness of others besides God—will themselves be fuel for the fire of hell. Paradise is the kingdom of God: it can only be entered by those who live with Him, by Him, and for Him in the world. How can those who have taken others as their lords expect to be admitted to His kingdom?

All of God’s prophets have been plain men, like any other. What distinguished them from others was the divine proof that they brought. It was on people’s acceptance or rejection of this proof that their eternal fate hinged. Such divine proofs represent God on earth. To discover God is to see Him in His proofs, such as are evident in creation. As for those who fail to see Him in His signs, God will disregard them completely on the Day of Resurrection, and they will receive no share in His everlasting blessings.

Only clear minds can recognize clear proofs when shown to them, for only a mind free of all pride and prejudice can see truth in a clear light and accept it. The truth may be detrimental to one’s self-interest, so only a mind clear of worldly attachment will attach value to the truth alone. To see clear proofs of God, and not to recognize them, means that one’s mind is not on God—it is attached to other things; the greatness of mortals is lodged in one’s heart. If one rises above worldly attachments, and sees only God as greater, then one will have no difficulty realizing the truth of clear proofs.

In this world God comes before man in the form of clear proofs; in the next world He Himself will be plainly visible, in all His glory. He will be visible to man. Then, people will have no choice but to believe in Him. Even disbelievers will be stunned into submission when God appears in an aura of seraphic splendour. True believers, however, are those who react in this way when He comes before them in the form of clear proofs. They believe in an invisible God, made manifest through His signs in this world, just as others will believe in Him when He becomes visible in the next world.

This is the great test of man in this world: to believe in a God who is invisible in Himself, but visible through His signs—both in nature and divine revelation. So categorical and clear are those divine proofs, that one who is sincere in his search for truth cannot fail to recognize them; he will bow before them as if they were God Himself; he will be as certain of their veracity as he would be if God—in all His glory and perfection—were made manifest; he will forget all thoughts of pride and self, and crash down from the heights of self-opinion, submitting humbly to the word of God. This is how a man of truth reacts to God’s word when it comes to him. It is a reaction which the Quran has explained to us, nature has exhibited in the form of landslides, and Umar has demonstrated on a human level when he fell down on hearing Abu Bakr’s recital of a verse of the Quran. □