Aslam

and actions are its fruits. These three matters are engrained in all the stages of one who walks in the path of religion. Patience is an attribute of man only and angels, birds and beasts have no such attribute. An angel has got no necessity of patience as he has got no no nature of evil. Lower animals are guided by instincts and greed. They have got no need for patience. The angels are always immerged in love of God and they have got no evil propensities.
Man has got animal propensities in his infancy. Then he feels greed for food, then desire for plays and sports, then desire for marriage comes. At first he has got no power for patience, then after dawn of intellect clashes begin and at that time patience is necessary. At the time of maturity he is placed under two angels.
One shows him the path of guidance and another gives his strength. By these two angels, he is raised from a lower animal to the rank of a man. At that time, he is given two qualities - one quality is that of the knowledge of God and His Prophet and another is the knowledge of good on consideration of the ultimate good. These two things are gained from the two angels of guidance and knowledge. A lower animal has got no knowledge or consideration for the ultimate good. It is guided by present happiness. Man knows by the light of guidance that he will suffer in the end if guided by low desires but that is not even sufficient to remove evils. There are many injurious things which he cannot remove for want of strength. So to remove the disease of low desires, strength is necessary with which he fights with low desires and greed. For that, God places another angel who helps him and gives him strength to control greed like an unseen soldier. Then fight ensues between the angel of greed and the angel of suppression of greed. This struggle ensues between these two forces. Mind is the battle field. Inspiration for good comes from the angel and propensities of passion come from the devil. To establish the instinct of good, patience is necessary which control the propensities of evil. If patience is acquired, there comes Marfat or knowledge of God which is the cause of fortune in the next world and in this world. The knowledge of God which is deep rooted is called faith or Iman. The above two angels are within the control of two angels called Keraman Katebin or honourable writers. They are entrusted to every man. They write sins and virtues in the pages of mind called Records of deeds or Amalnama.

This record of deeds will be opened twice-onceiat the time Of death and then on the Judgement Day. The Prophet said: When a

64 PATIENCE AND GRATEFULNESS Vol-IV

person dies, his resurrection occurs. He remains alone at that time and he is said: You will come to me alone as I have created you first. He is then said: Your soul is enough in rendering accounts. On the great day of Resurrection, he will be presented among the people.