Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Speaking Tree website | Sep 18, 2017
A tree is unaware of its own extraordinary significance. A flower does not realize what a delicate and exquisite masterpiece it really is. A bird is oblivious to its own breath taking beauty. Though all things in this world are classic specimens of the most exquisite art, they never come to know themselves as such. For whom then, is this beautiful and gracious display? It is all for men’s benefit. Man is the only being in the known universe who can perceive beauty in a thing and appreciate its excellence. God has created an exquisite work of art in worldly form and enabled man to apprehend it. He has given man a tongue to express his wonder and veneration at God’s stupendous feats of creation. This is praise, or admiration of God. Praise is a tribute of the most sublime sentiments, cast into human words to be offered before God. Praise is to be moved at the sight of God’s craftsmanship and to spontaneously express one’s realization of His perfection in words to this effect. “God, all praise is due to You. You are chaste and exalted. God, count me among the believers, and raise me not up blind like those who failed to acknowledge Your perfection or perceive Your beauty.” Praise is constant remembrance of God in this manner, in Arabic or any other language.