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is nothing beyond happiness that is more ideal. Abu Nasr
al-Farabi 29 refers to this subject in his introduction on the results
of actions by saying: "Trivial matters may lead to great
accomplishments, and these are the actions by which happiness
can be attained, such as benign actions and intentions which
lead to good deeds. He who achieves that will enjoy an
everlasting life, a pleasure unblemished by any sorrow, a
knowledge clear of any misinformation and a wealth pure of
any poverty. The Prophet, may Allah grant him salvation, says
in this regard, "O Allah, there is no life as good as life in the
hereafter. May Allah admit us in it and help us to follow the
path which leads to it".
Going back to our topic, I would like to add that the Indians
claim that a spirit may appear to the magician as a person which
communicates with him and teaches him whatever it likes. It
may endear him to kings and sultans or solve or complicate
things for him. Spirits were portrayed by the ancient
generations as pictures of different things on their temples,
which they believed would fulfill any request or wish. They also
claim that talismans are more influential than choices because
they are made by the nature of the whole. It is analogous to a
miracle because it uses natural characteristics, since natural
characteristics can produce individual strange results. Some of
the examples of these wonderful actions are protecting a person
who wears a red ruby necklace from plagues and other
diseases. By combining the particular and the whole, a talisman
may act to repel mosquitoes, lice and flies. It does this by
incorporating in it a celestial arrangement and physical
materials which are made from it, for them in accordance with
the principle that the being of a thing is its matter, which is a
natural characteristic. Nonetheless, the purpose of mentioning
the characteristic here is to let you know the true essence of
Alpharabius, a tenth century Islamic philosopher of Turkish origin. -Legacy of Islam.
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