GhazzaU's Alchemy of Happiness. 



109 



in him,'' means that I have given to the body of man a well 

 balanced constitution with power and motion. I have 

 made it capable of receiving the law, and to be a home for 

 the knowledge of God. 



In the same manner as the equilibrium of the inferior 

 spirit is to be preserved by the science of medicine, the 

 equilibrium of the human spirit is to be preserved by vir- 

 tue, self-denial and holy zeal, that it may not be destitute 

 of the love of God and perish. 



It is plain, then, that a knowledge of the future world 

 cannot be acquired, until we have learned the true nature 

 of the two spirits. "We cannot obtain, for example, a know- 

 ledge of God, unless we previously possess a knowledge of 

 the soul. But as Islamism consists essentially in believ- 

 ing and confessing the Lord God and the future world, it 

 becomes our duty to acquire a knowledge of the future 

 world as far as the thing is possible. There is, however, a 

 mystery regarding the future world, which the holy law 

 has not authorized to be explained or to be mentioned, be- 

 cause it could not possibly be understood. Seeing then 

 that the knowledge of the future world cannot possibly be 

 acquired, until that mystery is revealed, strive that it may 

 be revealed in your own soul by pious endeavor, self-denial 

 and divine guidance. You cannot learn it by any possible 

 efforts from any other person by the hearing of the ear. 

 Many persons have heard this mystery, which repre- 

 sents one of the attributes of God, but they did not acknow- 

 ledge it as true, and said that it was impossible, not be- 

 cause it was in its nature exempt from being known, but 

 because it was an unemployed mystery. It is not named 

 either in the Koran or in the Traditions. God commanded 

 the prophets not to inform the people of the essence of his 

 attributes, saying " for they will not understand them, will 

 accuse you of falsehood, and will do injury to themselves." 



