Islam Rediscovered
1. Search for Truth
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2. Mysticism, as popularly conceived, makes the
basic assumption that the physical, material, and
social needs of man act as obstacles to his
spiritual progress. Therefore, mysticism teaches
him to reduce his physical needs to the barest
minimum; to renounce worldly and social
relations; and if possible to retire to the
mountains or jungles. In this way, he will
supposedly be able to purify his soul. Thus, by
giving up the world and by certain exercises in
self-abnegation, a mystic expects to awaken his
spirituality.
The educated community, however, does not
find this concept of mysticism acceptable. A
seeker aims at a rational explanation of the world
and endeavours to discover a definite principle
by which he may successfully plan his present
life. Mysticism, on the contrary, teaches man to
abandon the world itself; to depart from the
world without uncovering its mystery.
Obviously such a scheme amounts only to an
aggravation of the problem rather than a
solution to it.
