Fountain of Christianity — Page 46
46 to all, 28 for the Hand of God is infinite like Himself, and no one will be left out of it. Remember, just as the stars appear one after the other at their appointed times, so do Divine attributes manifest themselves at the appropriate time and occasion. Some- times man is under the shadow of God’s attributes of glory and Istighn a [being Independent and Besought of all], and sometimes he is under the influence of His attributes of mercy and compassion. This is what the verse 29 alludes to. It is, therefore, a folly to think that after the guilty people have been thrown into Hell the attributes of kindness and mercy will become suspended and will for- ever cease to manifest themselves. God’s attributes can never be suspended. The attribute of love and compassion is a basic Divine attribute, and it is the mother of all other attributes. It is this very attribute that sometimes manifests itself in the form of awe and glory so as to bring about man’s reformation, and once the reformation has taken place, it assumes its original form and endures forever as a gift from God. God is not like an ill-tempered person who is fond of tormenting others. He is not cruel to anyone, rather men are cruel to themselves. All salvation lies in His love, and all torment lies in forsaking Him. 28 Salvation does not mean that everyone will enjoy the same status. Those who accept God in this world, and immerse themselves in His love, and take their stand on the right path, have special honours in store for them, which shall not be given to others. [Author] 29 Al- Ra h m a n, 55:30 [Publishers]