THE SEVENTIETH DISCOURSE On gratitude and acknowledgment of shortcomings

How can it be a good thing for you to be conceited in the matter of your deeds and to be conscious of the achievements of your self in this regard and to seek returns for them while saying that all these are from the power given by God and through His help and strength, purpose and favours? And if it is case of discarding sin, this again is through the immunity and protection provided by Him and help given by Him. How can you be without thankfulness on that account and why can't you not acknowledge all these blessings which He has made available to you? Whence is this spirit of disobedience and ignorance that you should feel proud of an act of courage which is not yours, and of an act of generosity and liberality of monetary help which belongs to others? When you cannot kill your enemy without the help of some valiant person who strikes your enemy and helps you to complete the act of killing, and without this other man you would have been laid prostrate and instead of your enemy you would have been killed; nor could you have spent some of your money unless there were some truthful, generous and trustworthy men to stand security on your behalf for an equal amount of money, whose assurance and promises inciting your contemptuousness and standing security on your behalf, you would not have given in charity even a grain from your wealth — if all this is so, how can you be proud just on account of your own deed? The best course for you is to give thanks and praise to the Helper and to praise Him continuously and to ascribe your achievement to Him in all conditions of your life unless it is a case of evil and sin and blame. When it comes to these last-mentioned things, you should ascribe them to your own self. You should ascribe to your own self injustice and bad manners and blame it for these, for it deserves these things more than anyone else, since it is the seat of all evil and commands everything bad and useless. If He, the Mighty, the Glorious, is the Creator of your deeds and your efforts, you are the maker of efforts and He is the Creator of them. This is what some of the learned in Divine knowledge mean when they say: "The act will come and you cannot escape from it." There is also a saying of the Holy Prophet to this effect: "Perform good deeds and draw near to God, and direct yourself aright, since to everyone is made easy whatever he is created for."