FOREWORD

 By Fares A. Zaatar, Esq.

            The story related in this book is a true story composed of important true facts and events; and the opinions voiced are deeply held beliefs by the author. It is, however, an extraordinary story made up of extraordinary events. For some readers, it may appear a work of fiction, at least in some of its unusual aspects. Yet, no matter how it is taken, or considered to be, it remains fascinating, insightful, and uplifting. It takes us onto a life journey within ourselves and touches upon the ever felt conflict between our material and spiritual needs, and the impossible, frustrating, balancing and compromising acts one tries so often unsuccessfully to strike between them both, when putting them on an equal footing.

            The writer of this extraordinary book is an industrial engineer by education and training and a successful businessman by occupation. He describes in the following pages his ascent from financial strains and poverty to success and affluence, with a simple, direct, lucid, and concise style. Yet such description makes up only the backdrop of the main theme and the important events he lays out. For paralleling his struggle with financial hardships, and his life journey from poverty to affluence, was another deeper, more significant and durable journey and ascent from relative spiritual unawareness and heedlessness into spiritual richness and enlightenment. The material and spiritual courses in his life were contemporaneous, and proceeded together, although the birth of his spiritual reawakening seems to predate his professional exploits. Notwithstanding that, however, when the author reaches greater self-awareness and maturity, he sadly regrets the precious time he squandered over his materialistic pursuits, when the irretrievable opportunity for greater spiritual and moral enrichment was, then and there, at his reach. It is quite moving to read, within the context of the events of this book, his bitter berating of the common adage, ”time is money”:

Fortunately, I was traveling with a man who did not

believe that time was meant for only making money. I was

the travel companion of a man who taught us that time is a

God-given opportunity to spiritually improve ourselves.

Time is a period intended mostly to give every creature,

man included, a chance to uplift their souls and elevate the

qualities of their Sayals.

Time is not money. Time, as Doctor Dahesh taught us,

is a span to reflect upon and to ask ourselves whether we

are morally and spiritually better off today than we were

yesterday.

            The great importance of this book is derived from its central figure, Dr. Dahesh, around whom all the events related therein evolve. It is an unpretentious, humble, and true testimony of the man, his deeds, and doctrine, written as a token of gratitude and tribute to his humanity and unsurpassed greatness, which had the fundamental effect of transforming the author’s life entirely, making him experience an actual rebirth of his self. Truth must be attested to; it must be upheld, defended, and presented to all the family of humankind, in the hope of discovering their true humanity in the durable, moral and spiritual values that may help draw them nearer to each other and discard all divisive, ephemeral, and marginal attributes, which lock them in cycles after cycles of interminable bloody conflicts.

            Like all the great reformers in history, Dr. Dahesh’s personality is inseparable from his Message. The man incarnates and reflects the Message, and vice versa. Such, for example was the case of Socrates, Christ, as well as Mahatma Gandhi; and such, indeed, is the case of Dr. Dahesh. From this perspective, also, the importance of this book is paramount. For it provides a close-up look of Dr. Dahesh by the author who had been his sole companion in his travels to twenty-three countries, and, who was closely associated with him for about twenty-five years.

            The author, being an educated, intelligent, mature and experienced man of perception and integrity, the events related by him in this book, and the opinions deriving from them, cannot be dismissed or ignored. They caused the total transformation of his life as well as that of some members of his family, his younger brother, Ali, had given his life for them.

            This book is therefore, also a true reflection of the life and inner self of the author. It is written with every throb of his heart, and with every fiber of his being. It is written with love and gratitude, but also with a deep sense of responsibility towards his fellow human beings, hoping for his words to kindle a similar spiritual reawakening in some kindred souls.

February 2, 1992