Drink Deeply
“The People will soon summon one another to attack you from every place in the same way that a pack calls around its prey.” Someone asked, “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?” He replied, “No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be froth and scum like that carried down by a torrent (of water), and Allah will take the fear of you from the breasts (hearts) of your enemy and cast al-wahn into your hearts.” Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah , what is al-wahn?” He replied, “Love of the world and dislike of death.” (Ahmed)
The oceans warmed by the life giving bright sun send water droplets upward to seed clouds and then when heavily laden the droplets water barren ground to form rivers; large wide, rivers, and narrow deep channels roaring down mountains, flowing strong through green jungles, and falling in cascading waterfalls. Streams and tributaries branch off from the larger rivers and flow through crevices and valleys bringing moisture to flourish dry lands. And rivers run and run as long as the clouds drop their burden such that earth’s civilization initially formed around waterways.
Parched lips, tongue sticking to the roof of the mouth, panting like a dog, crawling to the river bank, and oh so sweet, the cool refreshment of liquid life; drinking deeply gulping heaven’s gift. Animals certainly know the way to water, for their paths become well worn — an eventual path for other animals and even humans. For what human does not understand the need to find water? The symbolic significance of rivers is apparent in the Tawrat, Injil, and Qur’an and represents pure spiritual knowledge and Truth from Allah. For without spiritual Truth, human souls dry up as they crawl through desert wilderness areas seeking the mirages of dunya until they are lost forever. Even livestock know the way to the watering hole the Qur’an teaches us, but humans refuse to follow the straight path clearly laid out so they may live and be spiritually refreshed.
The river is the life giving drink of Allah which never runs out as long as the seeker yearns and drinks deeply. It is eternal, but your must not belie the heart’s yearning — He is telling you to drink, but instead you are leaning towards that which fills your bellies and desires but not your souls.
The foam has no use — it is the surface understanding of the Qur’an which does not provide the deep transformation of the heart. The Al-Rahman Al Raheem is sorrowful for you my brothers and sisters, for you are refusing to drink such that your souls are withering away in the wilderness you choose to reside in. Will you never learn? It is the repeating pattern of all the monotheistic religions — believers don’t study their Books and pray for understanding, but begin to simply trust religious scholars who can easily lead them astray. They stop drinking deeply of the River of Paradise which causes them to no longer be useful to Allah. They have lost understanding and have become spiritually weak such that in the above prophecy when they are attacked they become fearful and no longer trust in Allah. Islam becomes the froth and scum carried on the surface of the Truth, because Muslims stopped drinking deeply of the Qur’an, seeking knowledge and using their reason.