The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 155
Prophethood in Islam 155 not dispense with the need of safeguarding it. For instance, if a person builds a house, sets all its rooms in order and fills all the needs relating to its structure, and, after a long time, dust settles on it in because of rains and dust storms, and its beauty is covered up; if, at such a time, a person who inherits this house wishes to undertake its cleaning and whitewashing, would this not be the height of folly to stop him from doing so for the reason that the house had been completed long ago? These people do not reflect that the completion of a structure is one thing and its seasonal cleaning is quite another. It should be remembered that reformers do not add anything to or subtract anything from the faith. They restore to the hearts that which had been lost. To assert that it is not necessary to believe in reformers is disobedience of a. Divine command. He has directed: ومَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الفَسِقُوْنَ 125 'Whoever rejects the Khulafa', after they have been sent, is indeed from amongst the sinners. ". To summarise, it was necessary that after the death of the. Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reformers should have appeared among the Muslims at times of disorder and trials, who should have been entrusted with one of the functions of the Prophets, namely that they should call men to the true faith and remove all innovations and exhibit the truth of the faith from every point of view with the help of heavenly light and invite people to truth, love and piety by the force of their example. The reasons for this are:. Firstly, reason affirms that matters relating to God and 125 Al-Nur, 24:56 [Publisher]