More than any other religion, I think Islam indulges man's faculties for metaphor.
In our most sacred source, The Quran, God (Allah) says to his prophet,
"He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in and by themselves - and these are the essence of the divine writ - as well as others that are allegorical."
I hope this will allow me to indulge in a metaphor. I think of Islam as a flame, a flame made up of millions of tiny particles of light and flame moving upwards in one direction. Breezes may blow and draw the particles off course, but it is always regained, always upward. We souls, all move towards that one direction, yet some of us are nearer to the center hotter and brighter while others gather around the periphery seeking to gain protection from its warmth, yet unable or unwilling to dwell within the heart of it. But like particles, each individual plays a valuable role, however deep their commitment. Those who burn brightest are only able to exist, to blossom, under the protection and insulation of those who choose the fringe. Like heat and light, there is a gradual transition between true belief and great doubt, and all degrees are not only natural, but desirable. It is when the flame gains control of its direction that it burns best.
In our most sacred source, The Quran, God (Allah) says to his prophet,
"He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in and by themselves - and these are the essence of the divine writ - as well as others that are allegorical."
I hope this will allow me to indulge in a metaphor. I think of Islam as a flame, a flame made up of millions of tiny particles of light and flame moving upwards in one direction. Breezes may blow and draw the particles off course, but it is always regained, always upward. We souls, all move towards that one direction, yet some of us are nearer to the center hotter and brighter while others gather around the periphery seeking to gain protection from its warmth, yet unable or unwilling to dwell within the heart of it. But like particles, each individual plays a valuable role, however deep their commitment. Those who burn brightest are only able to exist, to blossom, under the protection and insulation of those who choose the fringe. Like heat and light, there is a gradual transition between true belief and great doubt, and all degrees are not only natural, but desirable. It is when the flame gains control of its direction that it burns best.
