Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 297
297 above every pleasure of the senses. But tbe unfortunate man who does not find any pleasure in this union and who regards the worship of God as a tax, has not his spiritual facul- ties sound and in a regular order, and is like the sick man who finds no pleasant savour in sweet things, or the blind man who finds no charm in beautiful objects or the impotent man who finds no pleasure in the sexual union. But, alas for the spiritual lethargy which so generally prevails. The sick man who finds no enjoyment in his fooxl consults the doctor and incurs every expenditure for the cure of his disease, and the impotent man who is deprived of the pleasure of sexual union is ready some- times to commit suicide, but the hardened heart which finds no pleasure in the worship of God does nothing to heal itself and to open itself for the Divine blessings. Why does not this great grief gnaw his soul ? He is mad after the pleasures of this world but there is no thirst in his soul for eternal bliss, no year- ning after heavenly enjoyment. Does he think that temporal pleasures can be restored to him when he has been deprived of them, but that Almighty God has made no provision for spiri- tual and eternal pleasure ? God has certainly made such provi- sion, but for those who seek it and try for it as they try for the remedies of physical diseases. The Holy Quran has on one occasion compared the faith- ful to virtuous women and this simile has a deep significance. The close connection which exists between man and woman ser- ves to exemplify the connection between God and His faithful servant. The union of woman with man is blessed and fruitful if it is characterized by love and concord. Discord and disagree- ment, on the other hand, are not only fatal to the peace of the household, leading to the corruption of both the man and the woman and to diseases which impair the health oi the pair per-