second bounty, for the attraction of benefits. Therefore, since man is by nature civilized, he is connected with all the creatures in the six aspects, and through the bounty of belief has the possibility of benefiting from the six aspects.
Thus, according to a meaning of the verse:
Wheresoever you turn, there is the countenance of God,1
man finds enlightenment in whichever of the six aspects he is found. In fact, someone who is a believer has a life which in effect stretches from the foundation of the world to its end. This life of his receives assistance from the light of a life which extends from pre-eternity to post-eternity. In the same way, thanks to the belief which illuminates the six aspects, man’s narrow time and space are transformed into a broad and easy world. This extensive world becomes like man’s house, and the past and the future like present time for his spirit and heart. The distance between between them disappears.
The fact that belief affords sources of support and assistance necessitates saying: “All praise be to God!”
Yes, because of their impotence and their multitudinous enemies, humankind are in need of a source of support to which they can have recourse to repulse those enemies. Likewise, because of the abundance of their needs and their extreme poverty, they need a source of assistance from which they may seek help, so that through it they may meet their needs.
O man! Your one and only point of support is belief in God. The only source of assistance for your spirit and conscience is belief in the hereafter. One who does not know of these two sources suffers constant fear in his heart and spirit, and his conscience is perpetually tormented. While the person who seeks support from the first point and help from the second, experiences many pleasures and delights in his heart and spirit, so that he is both consoled, and his conscience is at ease.
Through showing that similar pleasures exist and will be bestowed, the light of belief removes the pain that occurs when lawful pleasures start to fade. Furthermore, through pointing out the source of bounties, it ensures that the bounties continue and do not diminish.
Qur’an, 2:115.