Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 139
139 man can at all attain to union with God. We observe that a rose leaves its fragrance in a garment to which it has been attached for a short time, or the clothes of a person who sits near another person, who has perfumed him- self, begin to exhale the perfume. Then how can we believe that a man should attain to union with God but should not be able to show signs of such union and should remain unaffected by God’s attribute of Holi- ness, which is really the essence of all other attributes? Only that man can be regarded as having attained to union with God who can manifest God’s attribute of Holiness in his own person by proving that he has himself been rendered holy through the operation of this attribute, and whose life is a model of purity and right- eousness. The life of the Promised Messiah as clearly satis- fies this test. He illustrated the Divine attribute of Holiness in his own life which was a reflection of the attributes of God. There is no doubt that such manifesta- tion can be effected only in a manner compatible with the person concerned being a human being, otherwise he would become God, which is absurd. But a reflection of these attributes in a man in a manner not incompati- ble with his being a man, does not, in any way, detract from their value. On the contrary, it is the only clear means of demonstrating the possession by God of His various attributes. The Promised Messiah as manifested the Divine attribute of Holiness in his person so clearly that his bitterest enemies were constrained to admit that his life was absolutely pure and blameless. It must be remem-