A Present to Kings — Page 18
( 18 ). God, that they might be made free from all kinds of doubts and misgivings and attain to perfect recognition of God, that the barriers and veils which divide the creatures from the Creator might be removed, and that the creatures might see with their own eyes their Creator and Sustainer. This was the object of the Holy Prophet throughout his life, and if this object should disappear from among the Mussalmans, and if they should fail to fulfil this purpose, then whether or not they enjoy governing power, whether they prosper or decline in trade, whether they do or do not master the modern learnings, their advancement or their decline can bring no advantage or loss to Islam. . Because when there is nothing of Islam left among the Mussalmans, then how can any material advancement of theirs afford any pleasure to the lovers of Islam, and how can the latter be pleased at their worldly prosperity in which they are far. Surpassed by the nations of Europe? So long as the main object of Islam is not attained, all the rest is futile. But, if one will reflect on the subject, one will find that the Mussalmans are daily going farther and farther from the true object of. Islam, and as a matter of fact most of them are not even aware what that object is. They call themselves Mussalmans, but to them to be a Mussalman signifies nothing more than to belong to a community. They think that Islam is the name of a large community which includes many a smaller section, and to be a Mussalman means nothing more than to be born in a Mussalman family. Thus when men go daily farther and farther from the main object and when the leaders of the community consider the progress of Islam as identical with material progress, then surely the well-wishers of Islam must be sorry rather than be pleased to see how the real object of Islam has been lost and the attention of men has been taken up by insignificant things. . The present condition of the so-called Muslim leaders is like that of a man who occupies himself with clipping the nails and dressing the hair of a dying friend and seems to be saying in high glee, "See what an improvement has been effected in his appearance. " Foolish man! If he would not give his thought to the administration of medicine, the patient would