Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 82
82 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Exalted has laid down a condition that for Him to love anyone, such a one has to follow the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Accordingly, it is my personal experience that to obey the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, with a sincere heart and to love him, ultimately makes a person the beloved of God. God creates in his heart a burning for love for Him. Then such a person renounces everything else and inclines towards God; and his affection and aspiration remain only for God Almighty. Thereupon a special manifestation of the love of God falls upon him and, bestowing upon him the full essence of love, pulls him towards itself with strong passion. He, then, overcomes his corporeal passions, and extraordinary works of God Almighty appear as Signs in his support and assistance in every aspect. I have presented an example of how to achieve [the love of God] by effort and application. But there are some individuals where effort, application, and hard work has nothing to do with their spiritual ranks. Even in the womb of their mothers, they have such a constitution that, without any effort or striving or hard work, they love God instinctively. And they come to have such a spiritual connection with His Messenger i. e. Hadrat Muḥammad Muṣṭafā, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that anything closer cannot be imagined. As time passes, their inner fire of love and affection for God continues to grow stronger and, with it grows the fire of love for the Messenger of Allah. In all these matters God becomes their Guardian and Guarantor. When that fire of love and affection reaches its climax, they fervently and passionately desire that the glory of God be manifested upon the earth, and this becomes their greatest delight and ultimate purpose. Thereupon, Signs 1. Here the question might arise that: If the objective is righteous deeds, what is the need to follow [the Holy Prophetsa] to attain salvation and acceptance? The answer is that one can enact good deeds only through the grace of God. And since God has, in His grand wisdom, appointed one individual as the Leader and Messenger and commanded people to follow him, whosoever fails in this is not given the good fortune to perform righteous deeds. (Author)