Don't Forget the Direction: from Beast to Human, from Human to Approximate God

“It was not without purpose that We created the heavens and the earth and everything in between. That may be what the disbelievers assume– how they will suffer from the Fire!– but would We treat those who believe and do good deeds and those who spread corruption on earth as equal? Would We treat those who are aware of God and those who recklessly break all bounds in the same way?  This is a blessed Scripture which We sent down to you [Muhammad], for people to think about its messages, and for those with understanding to take heed.” (38:27-29) 

Just before these verses, we have the story of King David who followed his own desire and so was diverted from God’s path.  In the above passage, God relates “not following one’s whims, otherwise consequences will be ensued” to the purpose of creating the heavens and the earth.  Why?  The reason is mentioned next: good (doing good deeds and are aware of God) and bad (those who spread corruption and recklessly break all bounds) are not equal.  Let’s reflect: the purpose of creating the heavens and the earth is to master one’s desires, not following one’s whims, and walk the path of doing good, sacrificing, and approximating God.  Then in the next passage, God tells the story of Solomon and how at one point he wavered to succumb to the beauties of the world too much that he forgot God.  Pay attention to the reason he brings:   

We gave David, Solomon. He was an excellent servant who always turned to God.  When well-bred light-footed horses were paraded before him near the close of day, he kept saying, ‘My love of fine things is part of my remembering my Lord!’ until [the horses] disappeared from sight– ‘Bring them back!’ [he said] and started to stroke their legs and necks. [Some say that the horses distracted Solomon from remembering his Lord and that he slaughtered the horses in anger at his having forgotten the afternoon prayer.]  We certainly tested Solomon, reducing him to a mere skeleton on his throne. [According to Razi, quoting linguistic usage in Arabic, this is interpreted to mean that Solomon became so ill that he was like a walking skeleton.]  He turned to Us and prayed: ‘Lord forgive me! Grant me such power as no one after me will have– You are the Most Generous Provider.’  So We gave him power over the wind, which at his request ran gently wherever he willed, and the jinn––every kind of builder and diver and others chained in fetters. ‘This is Our gift, so give or withhold as you wish without account.’  His reward will be nearness to Us, and a good place to return to.” (38:27-40)

So many of us define our attraction to beauties of the world as part of remembering God.  But then God turned Solomon to a skeleton because he forgot to pray to God while attending beautiful horses.  God wanted to remind him that he is bringing excuses to follow his desires.  This doesn’t mean that God denies us the gift of beauties and power of nature, because after Solomon repents, God gives him power over wind and so many gifts.  But God admonishes us not to delude ourselves and justify our negligence of God and our direction from beast to human, and from human to approximate God by indulging in beautiful things.  Again, join this rationale (forgetting to pray to God) and the purpose of creating the heavens and the earth: we will follow our desires when we forget God.  In following our desires (beauty [for Solomon], sexual desires [for David]) we will center upon our own ego and inclinations and are prone to break recklessly all bounds.  Breaking the bounds is not without consequence, it will modify something within our body and soul.  This is the law of Karma and we ought to pay the price to rectify the wrong done to others and hence to our own body and soul--- when we forget the direction of our spiritual growth: from beast to human and from human to approximate God.  Our self-centeredness will spread corruption on the earth.  God doesn’t have vile and vain desires and knows our very constitution is based on desires and needs and prone to fall.  So, God asks us to master (not deny) those desires and not break recklessly all bounds for those desires and walk the direction of existence: the path to God and Good.