The Essence of Islam – Volume IV — Page 292
292. Essence of Islam-IV. I particularly wish to admonish my Jama'at, who believe in me as the Promised Messiah, that they should eschew these impure habits. Since God has sent me as the Promised Messiah and has clothed me in the garb of Jesus son of Maryas, I admonish you to shun mischief and be sympathetic towards mankind. Cleanse your hearts of all ill-will and rancour. By so doing you will become like angels. Dirty and impure is the creed which does not inculcate sympathy for mankind. How impure is the path which is studded with the thorns of prejudice? You, who are with me, should avoid being such. You should reflect as to what, after all, is to be gained from religion? It is surely not that you should be bent upon inflicting pain on mankind. The purpose of religion is to acquire the life which is lived in God. That life has never been acquired and cannot be acquired except through developing Divine attributes in oneself. Have mercy on everyone for the sake of God so that you might receive mercy from heaven. Come, let me show you the path by following which your light shall prevail over all lights. This path is that you should give up all rancour and envy, be sympathetic to mankind, and lose the self wholly in God, and thereby acquire purity of the highest order. This is how miracles are worked and prayers are heard and angels descend to help. But this is not something you can achieve in a day. You must march on and on. Learn a lesson from the washer-man who first boils dirty clothes over a furnace and continues this process until the fire separates