Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 276
CHAPTER THIRTEEN The part played by Khalifatul Masih II in affairs that were not primarily of a religious character should not leave anyone under the impression that his main interest at any time centered on those matters. It was characteristic of him that whatever he undertook he carried through with full atten- tion in a serious spirit, mobilizing all the resources that were needed for the purpose. Besides, the matters in which he took a lead, though not at the centre of religion, were not outside its scope. As has already been mentioned his definition of religion comprehended everything that bore immediately or ultimately on the welfare of any section of mankind. This was not a definition invented by him, but was the definition of Islam derived from the Holy Quran and the example of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. In giving practical effect to his definition, however, he did not in the least overlook the gradations and priorities that have been established by Islam for the co-ordination of all values <:lffecting human welfare. For him the moral and the spiritual had always top priority. He never neglected the practical upholding of this priority in the least particular. In choosing the immediate objective, in settling a policy, in adopting a procedure, he took the utmost care that the true and ultimate objective, namely winning the pleasure of God, should not be subordinated to, or laid aside even temporarily for the sake of anything else, however tempting it might appear at the moment. At no time did he neglect in the least degree the guidance needed by the Com- munity and the constant supervision of the conduct and behaviour of ever. y member of it, in order to secure that the Community should continue to march steadily forward on the path that led to God and should not be deflected a hair's breadth in one direction or the other. For instance, whenever he noticed a tendency on the part of anyone to exalt the 276