Theme: The attributes of God are not mere vain titles but are meaningful and affective for character – building and guidance.
For example, when god calls Himself All Seeing, it restrains a person from doing wrong and when God calls Himself All Hearing, it checks a person from using foul language. Knowing God’s attributes makes one afraid of plotting an evil against others.
God calls Himself ‘Seeing’ to the end that
His eye may scare you from sinning.
God calls Himself ‘Hearing’ to the end that
You may close your lips against foul discourse.
God calls Himself ‘Knowing’ to the end that
You may be afraid of Him to plot an evil.
These are not mere accidental names of God
As a Negro may be called camphor;
So are these names derived from God’s attributes,
And not mere vain titles of the first cause.
(Jalaluddin Rumi)
Translated by Dr.Nicholson
Glossary
| Scare | Terrify |
| Discourse | Talk |
| Camphor | Strong smelling substance |
Exercises
- How many attributes are mentioned in the poem?
- What makes one scared of sinning?
- What are the effects of the attributes of God?
- Mention three more attributes of God.
- How do these attributes help in refining the character of a person?
- Do you think these attributes of God are remembered and kept in mind by us in our daily routine work?
- Make pairs of words similar in sound e.g. wait – weight end, scare, may, vain, lips, day, mere, talk, that, dare, bat, sheer, walk, crane, sips, bend
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