Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 408
408 goodness. And be who reaches its top, strays from the right path. Surely its light is darkness and its help is tyranny. So incline ye not towards it body and soul; for it drowns its swimmer and is worse than a flood- And aim ye not at it with the inten- tion of a zealous person, void of religion. Make it but a servant in the cause of religion and not a friend. And covet not much that ye be the wealthiest of men, the richest and the most pros- perous. And forget not ye the portion of your religion or ye shall get not a jot of a ray. Of a certainty has the world devoured your fathers and the fathers of your fathers. How can then ye expect that it would leave you and your wives and your children? And out of the grudge of the self make ye not an enemy of any one as do the foolish. Prefer religion to the world, and be ye nob like those who fear men and not Allah and follow their own passion and forget His will. They. seek honour in the eyes of worldly men and that is no honour but disgrace, Ye are the. witness of Allah so hide not. the witness. Tell His creatures that the fire is blazing and they should beware of it; countries are being destroyed with pests and they should not approach them. Surely the world is a valley full of trees and its tigers are wild and furious; wander ye not therefore in its ways. And prevent ye your passions from their boldness and impudance. Purge your souls and whiten them like silver and leave them not unless they be washed of all dirt and filth. And verily he who has purified his soul has succeeded, and he who has defiled it has failed. And depend not ye upon the Baiat (simple initiation ceremony) without being pure and pious ; ye are like a girl who is married too early and possesses nothing except her natural equipment. And seek not ye the fountain of heavenly knowledge from those who are not given the eye of sagacity. And- stick ye