Source Citation: The Words, The Eleventh Word, Pages 125–128.
“Once, a great King wished to write a book of such a kind that it would consist of the manifestations of all his Names, and he wished to build a city of such a kind that it would be a center for all his amazing arts. So, he built a magnificent city and decorated it with his wonderful arts. Then, he sent a most noble Commander to that city to act as a teacher to the people who would inhabit it.
O my soul! Know that the King is the Pre-Eternal Monarch, and the city is this world. The book is the universe, and the noble Commander is the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Just as a master of a fine art wishes to display his skills, the Creator of this world wishes to display His perfections. For the human being is the most complex of all the creatures, the most needy, and the one who possesses the most comprehensive faculties. Therefore, the human being has been sent to this world to be the herald of the Divine Sovereignty and to be a comprehensive mirror to the Divine Names. The human being’s duty is to recognize the Creator through the windows of his own weakness and poverty. When he feels hunger, he recognizes the Sustainer; when he feels weakness, he recognizes the All-Powerful.
The Prophet, as the supreme teacher, explains the three great questions: ‘Who are you? Where do you come from? Where are you going?’ He shows that the purpose of the human being is to offer ‘Universal Worship’ in the face of ‘Universal Sovereignty.’ He teaches that all the beauties and perfections seen in the world are but pale reflections of the beauties and perfections of the Eternal One.
Therefore, the human being must realize that he is not the owner of himself. He is a servant whose every breath is a gift. The purpose of his life is to learn the meanings of the Book of the Universe and to respond with gratitude and love. This world is a place of testing, a transient guesthouse, and an exhibition. The real home is the Hereafter, and the real beauty is the Vision of the Divine. By following the noble Teacher, the human being transforms his short, temporary life into an eternal one, and his limited power into a connection with the Infinite.”