Putting it all together: the parable of 'the good tree'

The image of a healthy tree, evergreen, giving shade and bearing delicious, fragrant fruit year-round, is a parable of a balanced Muslim. The source of this parable is the Qur'an, which says, 'A good word is like a good tree whose root is firmly fixed, and whose branches reach to heaven; bearing fruit in all seasons by the permission of its Lord' (Qur'an 14:24-5).

If we imagine that the tree represents a Muslim who is sincerely striving to embody Islamic ideals, then the seed of this tree is the shahadah. This affirmation of God's unity permeates and colours every cell, so that his every thought, word and action is formed within the matrix of this understanding. The roots, which nourish the tree and grant it stability, can be likened to the Articles of Faith - belief in God, His angels, holy books, prophets, the Day of Judgement and Divine destiny.

The trunk grows through faith in Allah and His Messenger, which extends from the seed to the branches. Five branches represent the Five Pillars: they give the tree its shape and habit. Furthermore, the leaves represent Islamic manners and customs (such as greeting with 'salaam' or wearing modest dress). They are what make the tree attractive and recognisable from a distance, and provide shade to other creatures.

In the end, however, a tree's purpose remains unfulfilled until it bears fruit. The fruits of the tree are good character: qualities such as truthfulness, patience, courage, empathy, love, and compassion, along with all the other things that we desire in a friend, spouse or colleague; namely, the things that make us human.