Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 145
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 145 curse of men and the curse of God. Remember well that if the curse of men is not accompanied by the curse of God Almighty, it amounts to nothing. If God docs not wish to destroy us, we cannot be destroyed by anyone; but if He should become our enemy, no one can afford us shel~er. Then how shall we please God Almighty and how shall we win His support? He has repeatedly given me the answer to this question. Through righteousness. So my dear brethren, put forth every effort that you should become righteous. Without sincerity no action is accept- able. Righteousness means that eschewing all harmful ways you should march forward to God Almighty, being mindful of th smallest factor of piety. First of all cultivate humility, straightforwardness and sincerity, and become truly meek and submissive and humble, for every seed of good and ill first sprouts in the heart. If your heart is empty of evil, your tongue will also be empty of evil and so will your eyes and all your limbs. Every light and darkness takes birth initially in the heart, and then gradually envelops the whole body. So check up on your hearts every moment, As an eater of betel leaves constantly rotates the leaves and snips off their rotten parts and throws them away, in the same way you should keep rotating before your mind's eye, the secret thoughts and habits and passions and capacities of your hearts, and whenever you encounter a rotten thought or habit or capacity, snip it off and throw it out lest it should pollute the whole heart and you may be cut off. God is great wealth. To find Him you should be ready to encounter misfortunes. He is a great purpose. To achieve it be ready to lay down your lives. Do not slight the commandments of God Almighty. Let not the poison of current philosophy affect you. Submit to His c~mmandments like a chUd. Be constant in Prayer, be constant in prayer, for Prayer is the key to all good fortune. Do not stand up in Prayer as if you are performing a ceremony. As you make a physical ablution in preparation for Prayer, so perform an inner ablution whereby you should wash out from your mind and body all thoughts besides that of Allah. Then stand up in prayer after both the purifying ablutions and supplicate intensively in the course of your Prayer and make crying and weeping your habit so that you may have mercy. Be truthful, be truthful, for He is observing your hearts. Can man deceive Him? Can cunning devices succeed with Him?