Gradually I realized that I had been given two things to use. One was a torch; it would scatter the darkness of that subterranean nature. The other was a device which, by smashing mighty boulders and huge rocks, would open up a way for me. I was told: “This torch and device have been given to you from the treasury of the Qur’an.” I carried on for a long time in this way. Then suddenly I realized that I had come out on the other side. I saw a world where everywhere were rejoicing, bright sunshine in a beautiful springtime and an invigorating breeze, and delicious life-giving water. I exclaimed: “All praise be to God!”

Then I realized that I did not own myself, someone was testing me. As in the first part of the journey, I found myself in that vast desert under the suffocating cloud. And, though now on another way, someone was still driving me on. This time it was not under the earth; I was making this long journey on the face of the earth in order to reach the other side. I saw things in this part of my journey that were so strange and curious they cannot be described: the sea was raging, storms threatened me, everything caused difficulties for me. But once again, with the means of travel that had been given to me from the Qur’an, I overcame them and passed on. On the way I saw that there were corpses of travellers everywhere. Only one in a thousand had completed the journey. At any rate, having been saved from the cloud I had reached the other side of the earth and had come out in full view of the dazzling sun. Breathing in the invigorating breeze, I declared: “All praise be to God!”

I started looking round that heaven-like world. Then I saw there was someone who was not going to let me stay there. In an instant he took me to that vast desert as though to show me another way. There I saw different sorts of things, some like aircraft, some like cars, some like hoists which had descended exactly like lifts. Whoever, according to his power and capacity, jumped onto them, was taken up. I, too, jumped onto one of them and in a trice it took me up above the cloud. I came out among truly beautiful green and spectacular mountain-tops. The layer of cloud came no more than half-way up the mountains. Everywhere were the gentlest of breezes, the most delicious water, and the softest of lights. I saw that the lift-like allegorical vehicles were found on all sides. Even though I had seen them in the first two parts of my journey and on the other face of the earth, I had not understood what they were. Now I realized that they were manifestations of the All-Wise Qur’an’s verses.

Thus, the first way is indicated by, “Nor those who go astray” and is the way of those who are submerged in nature and are followers of the philosophy of naturalism. You have seen how many difficulties there are in this