Hallmarks of the Saints — Page xii
FOREWORD Siratul-Abdal (Hallmarks of the Saints) is a continuation of the third Arabic pamphlet-Alāmātul-Muqarrabin (The Signs of those Granted Nearness to God)-included in Tadhkiratush- Shahadatain (The Two Martyrs) in which the Promised Messiahas discusses the traits of people who have attained nearness of Allah. This booklet spells out the characteristics of those who have attained the status of Abdal-i. e. those sincere followers of God's Prophets who have brought about such a holy change in them- selves for the sake of Allah and through obedience to the Prophets that they, too, are commissioned for the reformation of mankind. A close study of Siratul-Abdal shows that it is a descrip- tion of the characteristics of true believers as given in the Holy Quran. Indeed, the Promised Messiahas himself attained this station through his complete obedience to the Holy Prophet Muhammad sas. God granted the Promised Messiah as such a special knowledge of the Arabic language that he was able to write books in highly eloquent and classical Arabic. Sīratul-Abdāl employs rich and rare