And through the mystery of the Qur’an, belief showed that the world which had appeared to my heedless eye as tumbling behind me into nothingness and non-existence to  consist of missives of the Eternally Besought One and pages of decorations and embroideries glorifying God which had completed their duties, stated their meanings, and left their results in existence in their place. It made known with complete certainty the true nature of the world.

And through the light of the Qur’an, belief showed that the grave which would open its eyes and look at me in the future was not the mouth of a well, but that it was the door to the world of light, and that the highway which stretched to eternity beyond it led not to  nothingness  and non-existence, but to existence, a realm of light, and eternal  bliss.  Since   belief  demonstrated  this  to  a  degree  which  afforded  utter conviction, it was both a remedy and a salve for my afflictions.

And in place of a very minor ability to receive, belief puts a document into the hand of the limited faculty of will through which it may rely on an infinite power and be  connected to a boundless mercy in the face of those innumerable enemies and layers of  darkness.  Indeed,  belief  is  a document  in  the  hand  of man’s  will,  and although this human weapon of will is in itself both short, powerless, and deficient, just as when a soldier utilizes his partial strength on account of the state, he performs duties far exceeding his own  strength, so too through the mystery of belief, if the limited faculty of will is used in the name of Almighty God and in His way, it may gain also a paradise as broad as five hundred years.

And belief takes from the hands of the body the reins of the faculty of will, which cannot penetrate to the past and future, and hands them over to the heart and spirit. Since the sphere  of their life  is  not restricted to present time like the body, and included within it are a great many years from the past and a great many years from the  future,  the  will  ceases  being  limited  and  acquires  universality.  Through  the strength of belief it may enter the deepest valleys of the past and repel the darkness of its sorrows; so too with the light of belief it may rise as far as the farthest mountains of the future, and remove its fears.

My elderly brothers and sisters who are suffering the difficulties of old age like myself! Since, praise be to God, we are believers, and in belief are found this many luminous,  pleasurable,  agreeable,  and  gratifying  treasures;  and  since  our old  age impels us even more to the contents of the treasure, for sure, rather than complaining about old age accompanied by belief, we should offer endless thanks.