Islam As It Is
The Trial of Man
~ 121 ~
through a test—a test to see whether he is truly the
devotee of his Creator. When he fails to bow to that
other, he has failed in the test set him by God.
Man is always ready to prostrate himself before
God, for who would have the temerity to say of
God, “I am better than Him,”? It is only when we
have to bow before another human being that our
complexes prove a major obstacle. Where God
stands alone, and does not admit of anyone being
placed on a par with Him, human beings on the
other hand, tend to look upon each other as rivals.
This being so, one person bowing before another
raises the issue of personal prestige.
Ever dependent upon His Lord, man bows before
Him. God is the giver. Man the receiver. Man never
gives anything to God. He has nothing to give. But
when man bows to man, that is quite a different
state of affairs, for then he does have something to
give. It may only be a kindly word that he offers, or,
more importantly, it may be the recognition of
another’s being in the right; sometimes it means
handing over a sum of money which is due to
another; sometimes it involves withdrawing from
