The Detroit Address — Page 7
7 upon me a great mercy? If you are unable to recognize this mercy and are unable to see my closeness to the Creator and His love for me, how then can I help cure your blindness? Things which you value as great are insignificant in my eyes, and the great blessings which God has bestowed on me remain obscure to you. How can I impose these favors upon you? His love and bounties are supreme over everything. And one who enjoys the blessing of our Lord, he alone is, indeed, to be counted as great. He further said: 1 َو ِمْوَقٰي ۤاَل ْمُكُلَٔـْسَا ِهْيَلَع اًلاَم١ؕ ْنِا َيِرْجَا اَّلِا ىَلَع ِهّٰللا And, O my people, I do not ask of you any monetary reward for my service to the nation. My reward is due from Allah alone. I teach goodness. I give you guidance day and night without demanding any favors in return. That is, if your wealth were of any value to me, I would have asked for money in return for my good works. Here the Holy Quran has given us sound criterion based on great insight and wisdom that always makes a distinc- tion between the truthful and the liars. People who work in the name of goodness can be one of two kinds: those who spend out of their own pockets and make personal sacrifices prior to preaching, or those who receive millions of dollars from big governments before providing guidance or service to humanity. In this latter category, service is conditional 1. Sūrah H u d, 11:30 [Publisher]