Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part III — Page 53
Footnote Number Eleven — First Objection 53 led kings to wear the garb of beggars and motivated many a wealthy person to adopt the life of a hermit. Through its blessings, countless unlettered, illiterate and old women left this world with the intense zeal of faith. This is the sole ark that carried many over the troubled waters of creature-worship and scepticism, and landed them upon the safe shores of Tau hi d and perfect certainty. It alone is the friend of one’s last moments, and is the helper in times of crises. However, the harm done to the world by the veil of reason alone is not hidden from any- one. Tell me what was it that made Plato and his followers deny that God is the Creator? What made Galen doubt the survival of souls after death, and reward and punishment in the Hereafter? What made phi- losophers deny that God has knowledge of everything down to the last detail? What made great philosophers worship idols? What led to the sacrifice of roosters and other animals before idols? Was this not due to reason unaccompanied by revelation. It is incorrect to state that there were many people who followed revelation and yet they became pagans and fashioned new gods for themselves. This was not the fault of true revelation. Rather, it was the fault of those who mixed falsehood with truth and preferred the worship of their own evil desires to the worship of God. Yet, divine revelation has not remained indifferent to redressing their errors and has not ignored them. In fact, it was fresh revelation that reformed the matters which had led them astray. It is equally wrong to suggest that erroneous reasoning is the fault of those of lesser understanding and is not the fault of perfect reason itself. It is obvious that reason cannot function in its absolute totality; for, it is a ‘universal’ and can only be instantiated through particular individ- uals. Indeed, the nature of ‘universals’ can be known only through their ‘particulars’. Can anyone show us a perfect individual who, by follow- ing reason alone, has never erred in his self-conceived beliefs or has not stumbled in his views about theological truths? Where is the protago- nist of reason whose belief in the Creator of the universe and in matters pertaining to the Hereafter has reached the level of ‘is’, whose belief in