The Detroit Address — Page 21
21 personal or political ends, they encouraged them to commit crimes and heinous deeds. They are given a wrong perception of righteousness, and are trained in an organized way to do things forbidden by Islam. Various people become Muslims under different labels, and each financier has his own per- sonal or political axe to grind, knowing that they are a potent force. If this force had entered Ahmadiyyat, it would have become a much greater power because this would have been in the hands of God. A power in the hands of people tends to be misused, but in the hands of God it becomes a source of countless and universal benevolence for the whole world. I cannot put the fault on anyone either of the past, or of the present. But I can say that in the narration of this incident of N uh ’s as time, the Holy Quran presents a universal truth. The Holy Quran, being the Word of God, looks at the hearts. Whatever is hap- pening today has already occurred in N uh ’s as time, and can be repeated again, and therefore its truth can be tested by the results. I cannot attribute excesses to anyone, errors to any missionary, or faults to any newcomer. But I know for cer- tain that a collective mistake has been committed, otherwise we would not have found Ahmadiyyat as it is today in the United States. Therefore, change your attitude, not because you want to gain the new converts, but if the present attitude prevails, you yourself will be annihilated. It will be futile to plan your actions just to increase your numbers. If you are being driven away from God due to a certain behavior, your