Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part III — Page 55
Footnote Number Eleven — First Objection 55 might cannot be accomplished by the power of anyone else. Fire- worshippers, sun-worshippers, idol-worshippers, and so on, are called polytheists only because they reject this Tau hi d and because they ask their idols and deities for such favours as can be bestowed only by God. Obviously, those who deny revelation believe, like idol-worshippers, that creatures of God are invested with the attributes of God and that the powers of the Omnipotent God are possessed by human beings. For, they imagine that they have discovered God through their reason and also claim that it was human beings who first thought that a god should be appointed; it was by their efforts alone that God emerged from the state of obscurity, was recognized, and accepted as God of the people and worthy of worship; prior to this, He was unknown and no one was aware of His existence and it was through their wisdom that He came to be honoured. Are these beliefs different from those of idol-worship- pers? Indeed not. The only difference is that idol-worshippers take other things to be their bestowers and benefactors and these people forsake God and consider their own clouded reason to be their guide and benefactor. Now reflect further and you will realize that their case seems to be even worse than that of idol-worshippers. The idol-worshippers do believe that God has bestowed great powers on their deities who, by accepting a variety of offerings, bestow upon their worshippers that which they ask for. But idol-worshippers have never alleged that God was discovered by these deities, and the great blessing of recognizing the existence of God was attained through them alone. It was left to those gentlemen alone (who deny revelation) to go as far as includ- ing God in their list of discoveries, and to announce with great stupid- ity that the voice أنا الموجود [‘I am present’] has never been heard from God; and that it was their great achievement that, without being told or informed, they found Him on their own. He was absolutely silent like one asleep or dead and they discovered His track by the exercise of their own reflection and investigation. Thus, in effect, they repudiate any favour from God.