Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 840
840 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI them descending upon you one after the other and see them inflicting destruction upon you, with each new calamity being severer than its predecessor, but still, you do not fear. You have witnessed a few of these calamities, but there are more to come. Therefore, turn towards your Creator that you might attain salvation. How can hope for repentance be expected for you when you turn away from every Sign that comes to you? Soon you will hear the fulfilment of that which you used to ridicule. Among the calamities you are afflicted with is that there is a people [i. e. the Christians] who are inviting you to disbelief by offering gold and silver. They are offer- ing gold to any apostate in the hope that he may become a Christian. Of course, they are rich, and you are poor. The doors of worldly wealth have been opened to them, whereas you are passing your days in pov- erty. This is a mischief greater than any other mischief, and a calamity greater than all other calamities. You depend upon these people; they do not depend upon you. They landed in your homeland and their kings conquered it. To be affected by it is a necessary consequence that you witness. Another calamity is that the rich among you mock the Faith and the poor hanker after the world. Therefore, I am neither solaced by those [rich] nor by these [poor]; I am disappointed with all. When I looked at the condition of both groups, I was caught by what catches the sick upon seeing the signs of death. You could not have been defeated by any disbeliever; rather, your own sins have defeated you. You forsook the Ever-Present, so you will be forsaken likewise. He looked at your hearts and found them devoid of righteousness. As a result, He thrust upon you a pack of transgressors and armed them with spears to tor- ment you, but will you desist? إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُغَيْرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيَّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ 1. Surely, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change that which is in their hearts (Surah ar-Ra'd, 13:12). [Publisher]