peace all,
In my understanding the story looks something like this
First is NOT the faith of GOD, that comes as a later step!
The step one is the step of NEGATION! LA ELLAHA
Then comes the step of affirmation! EL ALLAH
The first step is realization of two vanities
1- The vanity of this world!
2- The vanity of your false state / ego / lower self.
the vanity of this world! If you fall in love with it! You are bound to loose it, because everything dies. Nothing is permanent! So when you loose it, the suffering comes. Even before that , when the fear of loosing comes in your heart then comes the suffering of HELL! Hell starts right in this world! Those suffering IS MEANT TO burn the EGO to free THE SELF from this delusion! To wake you up.
The garden of peace ( HEAVEN) also starts in this world. That is when the one awakens to the realization that she is not separate and in reality is a eternal and vital part of a BIGGER WHOLE! So neither I am mortal and neither the world is soulless. That brings security! That brings peace! And the realization and witnessing of the deep compassion of this ENDLESS WHOLE is the ENCHANTED WINE that is served in heaven of heart which also be served in the hereafter during the rest of the journey!
You come to realize who you really are! Where your desires comes from. Where do you put your heart! Then you come to realize what this whole creation mean!
And third you make a clear picture of your relationship with it!
So if you think that you are separate from the rest and others , you are caught in your opinion. Caught within your ego. The ego creates insecurity and emotions. To cover that up , you start to comfort yourself with belongings of the world and that is doomed to be exposed.
If you do not realize that this magnificent creation which has been running and evolving for millions of years before your coming, is connected to your HEART and provides for you and wants to prosper you, you are bound to get caught between fear and hoop! The duality of hell.
Lost in a large fragmented world which is soulless and you as a mere unimportant accident which carries the disease of death with it!
Or finding yourself within an organized, magnificent symphony where you are being Cared for, nourished, trained and loved!
So again this has nothing to do with believing. Believing is an activity of mind.
That relation that you have with the whole existence in the center of your being is what counts.
An atheist which gives his food to a poor is standing in another relationship to GOD. He sees differently with his tongue and does differently with his heart. This guy has come half the way! He thinks La Ellaha! He gives away the world and he is careless of himself! This guy will be granted to find out the second part in the rest of his journey.
Compared with
That believer which rubs the poor from his food to make his miserable existence more secure!
He is also different in tongue and heart! He is in love with world. Thinks only of himself. He has another ELAH already! so his mind believing in ALLAH is irrelevant! He is going to face the content of his heart in a very vivid state of consciousness. During the great periode when the next great jump of evolution manifests! we all do!
HOW DOES YOUR HEART WITNESS THE CREATION? WHAT IS YOUR PART IN THIS? HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR MISSION IN LIFE? DO YOU SEE THE NEED? ARE YOU THANKFUL OF LIFE? DO YOU APPRECIATE THE VAST SPECTRUM OF QUALITIES? ALL BELONG TO HIM
Peace