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that urged by the Most Merciful. Perhaps we will find happiness if we buy more, eat more, relax more, dabble in drugs and alcohol, or engage in illicit sexual relationships. At this time, when the power of advertising has been fortified with the insights of psychology, the alternatives to leading an upstanding life are perhaps more alluring now than they have ever been before. Such paths, of course, only lead to more disappointment. Self-medicating through shopping often leads to financial difficulties that cause more despondency. Turning to food can lead to obesity, which causes low body image. Turning to drugs and alcohol can ruin one’s family and career, leaving one alone and jobless. Turning to un-Islamic sexual relationships can break and harden hearts. In the end nothing satisfies, because what thirsts is not our body, but our soul — and our soul ultimately thirsts for God. As He says: “Verily in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest” (13:28). At the same time, one who despairs of God’s mercy begins to rely more intensely upon one’s self and others, since he/she no longer relies upon God. But this can lead to other problems. For example, since no one but God can guarantee our sustenance, we begin to fear poverty. Since no one is invincible, we begin to fear others instead of God. What can we do, then, to stay on the straight path? The first step is to watch out for Satan’s myriad tricks. Every time we sin or fail to perform an act of worship we had hoped to perform, let’s examine what went wrong. How did we get distracted? How did we fail to reach our goals? Second, let’s make sure that our environment, including our friends and those who advise us, helps us see the truth. Third, let’s take our Islam from authentic sources. The leaves of a tree must take their water from the uninterrupted chain of branch, trunk, and root. Do we have this chain of transmission in our lives? Fourth, let’s strive to be a source of unconditional mercy to those who are struggling to see God’s mercy in their lives so that they might see His mercy through our own acts. Surat al-Fatihah is a microcosm of the Qur’an that reflects the perfection of the whole. How appropriate, then, that it should end with perfect symmetry. We begin it by invoking God’s mercy, “In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate,” and end it by beseeching God to keep us from the path of those who have given up on His mercy. May God envelop us in His mercy, just as the Fatihah’s verses are wrapped. Ameen. Please send your feedback and questions to: foodforthespirit@isna.net. Visit us at our website, where you can download this and previous columns at: www.isna.net/foodforthespirit. ISLAMIC HORIZONS 59