Finally Children Will Make God Come Back
By Mehdi Hejvani
6100 words
Translated by H.S. Zahedi
(A condensed version of the following essay was presented at the seminar on Children's Book in the
Contemporary World, Tehran, November 22, 1999.)
As a little boy I used to take refuge in the dark and damp cellar whenever I got into mischief and incurred
the wrath of my parents. But I could not bear the loneliness, hunger and fear of darkness for long and sought
refuge with my sister or the kind aunt who would intercede for me with my parents. Now as a middle-aged man, I feel that we
grownups have to seek refuge with children whenever we create mischief and incur the wrath of God. I feel that we have to ask
children to intercede for us and make God come back.
As grownups we deposed God and, feeling the need for a new deity, we substituted science for God. But we
neglected our own human nature in our proud and fast victory over the external nature, and we have been overcome by a sense of
futility, despair and fear of the future. As a result, once again we lapsed into the psychological state of erring children who
take refuge in the cold, dark cellar to escape punishment. This psychological state,
which I would like to call `emotional entropy', is worse than physical entropy and exhibits itself in social inequality,
dissolution of families, inhumanity, sense of loneliness, psychological disorder and despair of our future.
Alexis Karl, the renowned physicist and surgeon who has so far won two Noble Prizes, talks of a new
treatment for people considered terminally ill. The method, which has been practiced for some time now, consists of gathering a
group of children beside the patient's bed and asking them to pray to God to save the ailing person's life. Perhaps the method
should be practiced for the entire humanity, and perhaps we should ask children and childhood innocence to gather round humanity's
deathbed and pray to God to save the ailing humanity.
The above imaginary prelude about children's role as interceders might be accepted as an introduction to
the essay, but certainly it could not provide an acceptable continuation. An essay is supposed to have a rational structure, be
based on concrete details and avoid impractical poetic solutions. So in the rest of the essay I will try to use the Cartesian
method of transforming quality into quantity, and from among the innumerable means proposed for God's return I will suggest the
one that is related to my field of study and research, without claiming credit for the discovery of an original path. I only hope
I can take a small step forward in the direction in which great strides have already been taken. Thus, to transform the poetic,
qualitative and generalized statement `Finally Children Will Make God Come Back' into a rational, practicable and concrete statement, I will say that, `We need to have spiritual interaction with children through art and literature
created especially for children.'
Before embarking on the main argument I will have to dispel any misgivings I may have caused so far. I
talked about the decline and dissolution of human life in the beginning of the essay and this may have given rise to the idea that
I am presenting an extremist or propagandist point of view.
Perhaps the reader feels that I am being unfairly and unrealistically critical of contemporary human
conditions, disregarding the great achievements of science and human civilization.
This is far from being the truth. The present writer does not believe that Western culture and modernism has reached a
deadlock. On the contrary, the writer is among those who believe the innate, self-regulating mechanism which the Western
civilization has created in itself will help it survive the contemporary crisis. At the same time, it is true that for us, Western
culture is not an idol which we praise regardless of its failures. We are neither among the unconditional worshipers who blindly
consume Western intellectual products, and nor do we follow the example of those who denounce the West unconditionally as a means
of covering up their own shortcomings and sparing themselves the hardships of intellectual endeavors. We are merely researchers
who examine and criticize Western culture, like any other phenomena, with a clear and open mind.
Fortunately as a result of recent movements toward the search for the meaning of existence everywhere in
the contemporary world, the discussion concerning the lost God needs no justification.
And now I feel that we need clear definitions for terms like childhood, interaction, spirituality,
religion, literature and art - not as independent concepts, but as concepts that are strongly interrelated in spite of their
independent nature.
Childhood
I prefer the term `childhood' to `child' because the former expresses a much more comprehensive and
important concept than the latter.
The term `child' refers to a concept that merely signifies a
certain age, whereas `childhood' expresses an essence that could be present in people of all age groups. In a more profound sense
we could even claim that childhood is present in all people at all times; but grownup people usually neglect this basic feature
which accords well with our basic nature. Consequently, an interaction with childhood does not necessarily mean interaction with
children, but is inclusive of this type of interaction and also signifies a return to
one's basic nature. However, as we have decided to avoid a generalized and poetic
approach, we will have to base our argument on concrete concepts and focus on the concept of spiritual interaction with children.
But if we were to approach the issue from the philosophical view that every adult carries a child in his being, we will then be
more inclined to take our interaction with children quite seriously.
Interaction
The phrase `interaction with childhood' may suggest the wrong idea of merely a return to childhood(1) which
is a one-sided relation. By interaction with childhood we mean both a return by grownups to the world of childhood and an effort
to bring children into the adult world. The two processes are complementary to one another. At the same time, it is understood
that a writer or artist's return to childhood does not by itself result in the creation of literature or art that are suitable for
children, whereas in interaction with childhood both events - the return of grownups
to childhood and the bringing of children to the adult world- may take place.
Emphasis on one of the two processes and the neglect of the other will cause the substitution of
interaction with opposition, resulting in literature and art that fail to communicate with children. Let us examine both of the
two one-sided approaches:
In the first case the writer or artist leaves the adult world completely and enters the world of childhood.
Such an approach is usually applauded as a beautiful and poetic effort on the part of the adults to leave their special world and
enter the world of childhood. Such a poetic approach will be found to be insufficient in practice.
Not only do I believe that adults should not leave their world completely and totally, I am also certain
that this is an impossible undertaking.
If the artist or writer fails to infuse into his work the special feel and ambiance of the adult world,
then there is no sense in asking grownups to write or create art for children. We could ask children to write for one another.
Works created by children does not appeal to other children exactly because it lacks the special charm of works created by
grownups who include in their work adult themes which interest children and at the same time serve as suitable means of
communicating new experience and vocabulary. In short, literature and art created by adults serves as a means of establishing
relations between two generations.
I don't blame people who state that artists and writers should leave their world completely and enter the
children's world. I am sure everybody is aware of the exaggerated aspect of such statements, and probably I too have often been
guilty of such carelessness. Perhaps the statements are made as an effort to beware
artists and writers of imposing their impressions, vocabulary and experiences on children. It is obvious that even at the moment
of the most intense and intuitive creation the grownup writer or artist cannot discard his adult identity.
Or perhaps adults indulge in such hyperbolic expressions because of their desire to flee from our self-made inferno to the
unpolluted world of childhood. In its extreme form such an illusion prepares conditions
for the emergence of what I would call "infantocracy" (domination of children) and leads to the type of attitude
which condemns and mocks the adult world.
At the other extreme we face the mentality which emphasizes hasty preparation of children for their entry
into the adult world, and their fast adaptation to adult norms (which we could term adult domination or rule).
In the first case we negate the adult world, and in the second
case, the children's world is totally rejected. In the first case, children are thought of as unchanging individuals who do not
naturally grow up to gain a better and deeper comprehension of existence and enter the adult world and accept its
responsibilities.
It is assumed that the grownups' world is polluted and ugly, and that children will be happier and will
create less difficulties, if they are allowed to enter the adult world as late as possible. And in the second case, the children's
world is not accorded any independent existence and worth. It is regarded as only a bridge on the children's path to adulthood.
The fortunate child is supposed to be the one who discards the garment of childhood as early as possible and dons the garment of
adulthood, adopting adult norms, attitudes and behavior at an early age. The first outlook is poetic and idealistic, but certainly
impossible and futile, while the second represents a materialistic, positivist and production-line type of attitude.
In the first case the adults are hosted by children and in the second children enter our world and thus no
communication takes place. In the first case, children's needs are sacrificed for their inclinations, and in the second their
inclinations are trampled under the feet of their needs.
What is sacrificed in both cases, however, is the pure essence and outcome of that which is termed `growth
stages' by psychologists. And in the final analysis, the worlds of both the children and the adults are harmed, for the two worlds
are born out of one another and should be considered as natural outcomes of one another. That is why I insist on using the term
interaction which implies the integrity of both factors. I realize of course that
neither of the two attitudes is manifested with the degree of intensity I have described here, but still there is no doubt that
both tendencies are observable in various degrees of intensity in some of the art and literature adults create for children.
It should also be pointed out that even children's world is not so sacrosanct and if it appears so to some
people, the reason must be sought in the fact that children mostly lack the means of committing offenses. Similarly it is also not
true that the adult world is brimming with corruption although adults dispose of almost unlimited opportunities for committing
offenses. Thus, while being a child is not a virtue by itself, being an adult is not a cause for shame either. Being a child or an
adult is not within the range of choices of either of the two groups. Adults were once children, and children will inevitably grow
into adults. Both groups are in need of each other's worlds, and this need necessitates interaction between the two groups and the
avoidance of opposition. The adults' need for the children's world justifies the recommendation put forward by the writer and
translator Mohammad Ebrahim Oqlidi who suggested that adults should read children's books now and then.
Adults are advised to read books written for young people not only for the purpose of book review or
finding out about book publications for children, but also as a means of being reminded of children's special world, and even with
the educational aim of remembering the chaste, correct and healthy language that is used in such books.
At any event, the mistake of going to the extremes will result in the special problem usually refereed to
as the generation gap.
By rejecting the alternative of opposition and opting for the interaction approach, we expand the concept
of literary and artistic creation for children and explode the narrow confines of the condescending attitude according to which
adults are doing the children the favor of writing or creating art for them. Thus, we will be in a position to establish
relationship with children on the basis of interaction and will then be ready to accept the rules of the game.
It is worth noting that relation based on interaction has been accepted even in the prevalent educational
methods. Children are no longer expected to accept blindly whatever information or ideas that are communicated to them; they are
given the opportunity of expressing their opinions and evaluations. In short, we should stop expecting children
to grow into adults exactly like ourselves.
We have so far explained the two terms `childhood' and `interaction' and will now have to explore subjects
that could serve as contents of the interaction.
Spirituality as Subject of Interaction with Childhood
Among the various types of interaction such as intellectual, educational and material interactions,
spiritual interaction is the most important and crucial. I would like to point out here that the concept of spirituality includes
religion, and I am using the term religion here from the point of view of a Muslim who respects different interpretations of
religion. Obviously a new interpretation of religion does not mean a heretical effort to introduce a new religion; it merely
signifies an attempt to draw attention to neglected aspects of religion which are actually dealt with in the traditional
interpretations.
Motives for such negligence or deliberate disregard include the desire to maintain power, avoid the trouble
of the intellectual endeavor and shun responsibility for finding suitable answers to new questions.
As a Muslim, when I refer to the traditional sources, I find in them statements which do not require great
scholarly effort or erudition to understand, and besides, such efforts have already been undertaken by religious scholars with
regards to the more difficult topics. Such points which can easily be derived from traditional interpretations, are usually
neglected or misunderstood in interaction between us and childhood. From among a tremendous wealth of spiritually significant
points I have selected the following:
1- Not every religion is antiquated and not everything old is to be rejected.
From the following two false preambles, some people have drawn a falser conclusion: the first preamble
presupposes that anything new is good, and that all old things are bad and disposable. According to the second preamble, religion
(any religion) is to be associated with the past and traditions. As a result, religion as a thing of the past and traditions is
considered redundant. It is neither in my capabilities nor within the scope of this article to discuss the status of all
religions. However, as a researcher who has done a fair amount of research in Islamic studies, I can affirm that Islam is not
oriented only toward the past. It has not prepared in advance answers to all human questions in the form of unalterable decrees.
On issues that relate to basic human nature, Islamic decrees are eternally fixed and
unalterable. Doing or surrendering to injustice is always wrong, while justice and benevolence are always praised. But whenever
man faces new situations and whenever new questions arise the solutions are to be found through Ijtehad (deduction on the basis of
thorough knowledge of Islamic rules). In other words, it is up to the Islamic scholars to offer new answers to new questions. Such
answers have not been specified in the body of Islamic canon, but are to be deduced from the existing decrees. As human beings
scholars are prone to error and they may at times be unable to find suitable answers or they may offer wrong answers. Thus it is
important that we limit our expectations and avoid extreme ideological attitudes. Consequently, `Ijtehad' could be regarded as an
attempt to prepare for the future. The future-oriented attitude has yet another feature, i.e., the belief in the second coming of
Mahdi, the Savior who will set up a just and equitable order in the world.(2)
In a book titled "About the Second Coming and Its Signs" Sadeq Hedayat, the contemporary Iranian
writer, explains on the basis of extensive research, that belief in the second coming of a Savior is a deeply-rooted tenet in all
religions and among all peoples.(3) Thus the Islamic `futurism' is seen as a pioneering outlook in the age of the absurd and
despair.
2. Religious Experience Is the Essence of Religion
The religious experience forms the core and essence of
religion. In the words of Ahmad Narraqi, it is an experience in which God manifests Himself to human beings in different ways.(4)
The religious experience is nothing other than faith and mystic understanding which is related to the heart, love and passion.
Faith or religious experience takes precedence over rational or scientific understanding, while both take precedence over behavior
and practical duties. The religious experience falls in the domain of mysticism, whereas rational understanding belongs to the
field of metaphysics of religion. Doing one's duty is the subject of religious jurisprudence. It is imperative that we realize the
superiority of religious love over religious knowledge, and that religious love is nothing other than the love of God.
It is also important to bear in mind that the demarcation line between mystic understanding and
pseudo-mysticism or plain superstition is in danger of being obliterated. In his novel `Sophie's World' Jostein Goarder points to
the reprehensible practice of writers who take unfair advantages of superstitions such as astrology, spiritualism and UFOs which
he calls `the shrines of our age'(5). In a sense such tendencies are hopeful signs for they reveal the misguided desire of the
modern man for meaning in life. They also point to the shortage of books and art that
could satisfy man's thirst for a meaning in life.
3. Free Choice as a Prerequisite for Faith
While we have to value faith or religious experience as the essence of religion, we should also be prepared
to pay the necessary price of respect for free choice. There are of course different definitions of faith, but they all concur
that faith is a voluntary act, and that it could be gained on the basis of free reflection and free will which presupposes freedom
of choice. It is also unanimously agreed upon that faith emerges in a free social atmosphere.(6)
It follows, therefore, that such an approach to religion accords well with human individuality and free
will. It should also be pointed out that such an attitude regarding free will is socially acceptable from a Quranic perspective.
Thus we read in the Quran:``Allah does not change a people's lot unless they change what is in their hearts'' (Surah Thunder,
verse 11)
It is therefore necessary that we realize the significance of mystic understanding and release religion
from the shackles of formalism. Let us allow everyone or at least children to seek and worship God according to their own
understanding, even if they follow the example of the shepherd in the tale of `Moses and the Shepherd' recounted in Rumi's
Mathnawi. The tale is worth relating here:
One day the Prophet Moses encountered a shepherd who was lovingly addressing God. The simple shepherd was
saying that he wished he could make clothes for God, comb His hair and see to His other material needs. Moses scolded the shepherd
and proved to him with rational arguments that God is above material needs and that the shepherd had been blaspheming. The
shepherd, realizing his mistake, repented and walked toward the desert in a dejected and despondent mood. God then addressed Moses
and admonished him for his rough treatment of the shepherd who was expressing his love of God in his own simple and candid words.
God reminded Moses that He values the inner feelings of man and not the outward form in which the feelings are expressed. Moses
then went in search of the shepherd and informed him of what God had said to the prophet.(7)
Thus we may safely conclude that human volition and free choice are prerequisites for the birth of faith.
God's prominent presence in the life of human beings does not detract from the worth of human beings. God is in human nature and
essence, and in the words of the Quran,
God is closer to human beings than their artery. That is why Imam Ali says,``He who has knowledge of himself, has known God.''(8)
Thus the most effective way of helping people recognize God is to help them recognize themselves.
4. Religion Does Not Negate Science
Islam accords great value to knowledge. Primarily all human beings are considered as equals from an Islamic
perspective. However, the worth of individual augments by virtue of the knowledge they acquire.(9) It is of course true that God's
existence cannot be demonstrated on the basis of science in the sense of empirical knowledge, because the subject of empirical
science consists in observable and repetitive facts. Consequently the existence or non-existence of God falls outside the domain
of science. But we can use the achievements of science for religious purposes, although this does not mean the confirmation of the
approach which seeks to adapt religion to science.
In any event it is true that one of the factors that alienate our audience from spirituality and the
religious mode of life is the view that religion is in conflict with science.
5. Religion Does Not Reject the World
Another attitude that alienates us and our audience from religious values stems from the wrong supposition
that accepting a religious world view means the negation of the world.
In our religious texts it is repeatedly emphasized that the path of salvation passes through life and one
cannot obtain happiness in the hereafter by taking shortcuts and negating life. One of the best-known religious quotations
compares the world with a farm in which one sows the seeds of salvation in the hereafter. That which is reprehensible is the
unbridled indulgence in worldly affairs and pleasures which results in becoming forgetful of God. Islam neither preaches the
rejection of instinctive desires nor does it tolerate unlimited freedom and permissiveness. Islam bases its rules on the guidance
of instincts in correct channels.
Another judicious interpretation that comes to mind is the one which likens the world to a bridge, and
certainly no wise person builds his house on a bridge.
From my studies in Islamic texts I have offered a selection to point out
the type of misconceptions about religion and spirituality that could lead the young generation to the wrong path.
Although our approach to religion and our interpretations will have a strong effect on whether or not the
young generation accept religion, the right approach and interpretation is not sufficient by itself although it is a prerequisite.
It is also important that we explore the world of children and young people and try to
understand them as our audience. In our attempt to understand children we have to differentiate the
main groups of factors that determine their psychological set-up. There are innate or permanent factors that are
independent of time, locality and conventions, and there are also variable factors that change according to time, locality and
economic and social conditions.
I have so far discussed the topics of childhood, interaction and spirituality without touching upon the
question of the means of bringing about an interaction. In the remaining part of this article I will discuss one of the most
important means, i.e., literature and art for children and young people. A great deal has already been said on the topic and I do
not intend to repeat them here. I would only like to emphasize that art and literature are closely related to spirituality and
mysticism.
Literature and Art as the
Most Effective Means of
Spiritual Interaction with
Childhood
1. Period of Childhood
The significance of art and literature for children lies more in the audience's conditions than in the
literary or artistic form or structure. In fact in view of children's freshness of mind and their impressionability, the period of
childhood is the best time for imparting to them spiritual values. The Holy Prophet of Islam is quoted as saying,
"Instruction received during childhood is similar to engravings on stone."
2. Emphasis on Religious Experience in Childhood, Intuition
Obviously if religion is considered merely as the transference of religious information, then children's
mental capacities would be insufficient to receive all the required information. But
if the emphasis is shifted to the essence of religion, meaning faith or religious experience, then childhood will be found to be
the most suitable age for the introduction of religion. What is important in the introductory process is the recognition of God as
a Being with infinite power and mercy. And for such an introduction there is no need for children to possess very advanced mental
capacities.
We have to allow them to see God as "an orange light in the sky" or "a kind old man with a
shining face and a white beard who has a small and warm cottage in the clouds and sometimes comes down to the earth to visit
little children like us. I shouldn't be too sad when my little sister dies for she will go to the heaven and stay with that old
man."
Don't we grownups unconsciously imagine God as a Being somewhat similar to that old man, when we think of
Him or try to visualize Him in our being? Do our philosophical beliefs accord completely with the image we have of God? And even
if we excommunicate one another on account of our different interpretations and approaches, let us at least allow children the
freedom to create in their minds their own desirable image of God. And if we are not prepared to follow their example in this
connections, let us not impose on them our own mental patterns.
3. Combining Fantasy, Animism and Praise of God
Fantasy is one of the most important topics in the field of literature for children. Fantasy means the
creation of extraordinary atmospheres which could not exist in the real world. In a sense even realistic and probable stories are
fantastic for they are the creations of someone's imagination and not an exact record of facts (in which they would be news
reports and not literature). Still, the fact remains that fantasy is a different category and refers to the sort of events that
could not happen in the real world, and would cause wonder if they ever did. When we consider the world of children, we realize
that animism - a well-known phenomenon in psychology - is one of children's innate tendencies. In fact children's preference for
fantasy derives from their animistic tendency.
Let us now consider how religion regards natural phenomena. Here I would like to draw the reader's
attention to the term `praise' which implies accepting a person as free from fallacy and shortcoming. The idea is indicated in a
number of Quranic verses, such as verse 44 from Surah Al-Isra: "The seven heavens, the earth and all who dwell in them
give glory to Him. All creatures celebrate His praise. Yet you cannot understand their praises."
Seyed Ali Akbar Qarashi, author of a three-volume `Lexicon of the Quran' in which he offers comprehensive
definitions of all Quranic terms, offers the following definition:
"Praise, general sense [inclusive of men an denials]: as stated in
Quran, `There is no being which does not praise God'. Also, `But you human beings do not understand their praise'. From
this it follows that all creatures possess a special kind of understanding.
And if the statement is taken in a causative sense [in the sense
that the existence of creatures is proof of God's existence] it would be an obvious statement
and the Quran would not have said, `You do not understand their praise...' The Quran thus makes it clear that the praise of
all creatures is based on knowledge and understanding, and that the knowledge possessed by all creatures is not similar to man's
knowledge. In other words, the knowledge and understanding of each creature is relative to its special form of existence. If we
plant a water lily near a wooden post, the flower will grow toward the post and wind itself round it. This is the sign of the
flower's knowledge and understanding which is manifested not through spoken words, but through action".(10)
The writer also quotes other verses from the Holy Quran which clearly mention the praise of God by such
phenomena as the thunder (Surah Thunder, verse 13), human limbs (Surah Faslat, verse 21), and the mountains (Surah Anbiya, verse
79). It would seem then that children's animistic mental tendency, which is very close to the animistic tendency of the primitive
man, is more harmonious with the religious language and that in fact it is the adults who have forgotten this language.
4. Basic Spiritual Feature of Literature and Art
Basically the structure of literature and art is of a
spiritual nature. Some people reject this basic truth, because even literary and artistic works, which are immoral and
irreligious, produce lasting impressions. These people fail to distinguish between the structure of art and its content.
Structurally all art is spiritual while their content could be immoral. Obviously structure and content are closely related to one
another, but they are nevertheless quite independent. Thus even an immoral work of art, which has erred in discovering true
spirituality, is structurally a spiritual and non-profit-seeking phenomenon and is a search for the truth. Such a work of art is
comparable to a heathen idolater whose laudable search for truth and spirituality has not led him to God.
We may then conclude that children's interest in literature and art is basically a spiritual interest.
(That also applies to grownups and the literature and art they create for young audiences.)
5. Individuality and Intuition in Literature and Art
Contemporary religious studies gradually approach intuitive, individual and inner relation with God. In the
words of Dan Cupitt, a contemporary Christian priest, ``Contemporary divinity has become very similar to art."(11) This has
resulted in a clearer recognition of the union between art and spirituality. Essentially art is the product of the artist's
intuitive insight and it thus helps the audience to discover new and personal approaches.
It was pointed in an earlier section of the present essay that religious experience -- and not religious
knowledge or religious practice -- forms the essence of religion. Such an approach or attitude makes clearer the significance of
art and literature as the best vehicles for the communication of spiritual experiences. The aim in the sphere of art and
literature is not to demonstrate any point through logical argumentation; artists and writers attempt to produce on the audience
certain impressions that help them achieve intuitive insight. Instead of trying to prove God's existence, we should try to show
God or the effects of his existence on human life.
Interestingly, in the Islamic texts it is not claimed that prophets were charged with the mission of
proving God's existence (for He exists in human nature); the prophets' mission was to remind people of God. I always ask myself
whether there is any point in proving the existence of things that are part of human nature. Suppose someone, spurred by a dubious
sense of benevolence, tried to draw your attention to the acts of breathing and walking. Wouldn't his kind reminder only create an
uneasy consciousness, making it difficult for you to perform those completely natural and generally effortless acts? Try to
breathe and walk with full consciousness of what you are doing, and you will find out--as I have-- that this consciousness will
only make things very difficult for you. I feel that the effort to prove God's existence will have a similar effect.
Naturally if someone is suffering from special mental or philosophical problems and feels happier with
logical arguments, one could try to prove God's existence to him. But will this effort have a satisfactory result with normal
people, especially children whose pure nature is replete with the light of God's existence? Should religious education for
children start with proof of God's existence? Wouldn't it be more advisable to maintain alive the divine flame which is already
burning in children's hearts? And to do that, isn't it necessary for us grownups to rekindle that flame in our own hearts through
contact with children, i.e., have interaction with them?
6. Artist's Creativity and Indirect Expression: Reader's Free Participation
The creative imagination that produces literature could also leave room for the reader's imagination and
engage him in active participation through artistic devices such as indirect expression. In other words, the artist does not
present the reader with a finished product which the reader may consume as a passive recipient. The reader's participation and
free activity in filling out the gaps in the work of art create in him a proud sense of ownership, developing his creative powers.
As a result, the reader will not feel that he is being imposed upon, and will feel that he is related to God, whom the reader has
discovered in the work of art. Children who have previously discovered God in their own being and now rediscover Him in the works
of art in whose creation they have actively participated, will never forget Him.
Indirect expression is one of the principal features in literary or artistic creation. The method achieves
its strongest effect through avoidance of imposing ideas. This is what religion needs to a great extent in the present age, and
this is the feature that distinguished art and literature or at least the artistic and literary approaches.
Should not we conclude then that in fact adults are in need of literature and art for children more than
the children themselves? Should not we ask children to intercede for us, for they know that God is merciful and compassionate and
that He will return to the repenting humanity?
Children know that if God is angry it is us who have incurred his wrath. Let us turn to children who will
remind us of our childhood and will teach us that "God's mercy exceeds his wrath".
They will teach us that although we have hurt God, he still loves us and is still bestowing light and
warmth like the sun hidden behind clouds.
Children (both the five-year-old kids, and the children residing in us adults) know where to find God and
they will finally make him come back.
Notes
1. On the concept of return to childhood, see:
A. The essay `Poetry as a Return to Childhood' by Dr. Qaisar Aminpoor;
B. The essay `Every Poet Is a Grownup Child', by Boris A.
Novak, translated into Persian by Hossein Ebrahimi (Alvand); Both essays appeared in Pezhuheshnameh - Journal of Research on
Literature for Children and Young Adults, 1st year, No. 1, Summer of 1995, pp. 8-52.
2. Sheikh Sadduq, `Perfection of Religion, Completion of Bounties', edited by Ghaffari, Islamic
Publications Institute, Tehran 1995.
3. Hedayat, Sadeq, `About the Second Coming and Its Signs', Amir Kabir, Tehran, 1964.
4. Narraqi, Ahmad, `Essay on Religious Studies', Tarhe-No Publications, Tehran, 1st. ed., 1999, p. 86.
5. Goarder, Jostein, `Sophie's World', translated by Hassan Kamshad, Nilufar Publications, 2nd. ed., 1996,
p. 545.
6. See: Mojtahed Shabestari, Mohammad, `Faith and Freedom', Tarhe-No Publications, Tehran, 1997.
7. Rumi, Jalaloddin Mohammad Molavi, `Mathnawi', edited by Reynold Nicholson, Mash'al Publications,
Isfahan.
8. Tamimi Amedi, Abdolvahed ibn Mohammad, `Treasury of Advices and Sound Judgments', Tehran University
Press, 1987, Vol. V. p. 2374.
9. "Are the wise and the ignorant equal?", Holy Quran, Surah Al-Zumar (The Hordes), verse 9.
10 . Qarashi, Seyed Ali Akbar, `Lexicon of the Quran', Islamic Publishing House, Tehran, 1947, Vol. III,
pp. 215, 216.
See also: Tabatabaie, Al-Seyed Mohammad Hossein `Criteria for Quranic Exegesis', Lebanese Institute for
Scientific Publications, 1972, Vol. XIII, pp. 120-123.
11. Cupitt, Dan, `Sea of Faith', translated into Persian by Hassan Kamshad, Tarhe-No. Publications, Tehran,
1997, p. 300.