Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 852
852 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI mentioned above, demanded from our Holy Prophet sa-the Best of Mankind and the Chosen One of God—the miracle of physical ascen- sion to heaven? In response, God told them that His practice never allowed any human being to be physically raised to heaven; rather, it was in contradiction with His eternal practice and law? Suppose that 'Isā [Jesus] was really raised to the Second Heaven, then what would the restriction laid down in the aforesaid verse imply? Did the God of Honour not consider Īsā to be a human being? So why was there an urgency for him to be raised to the high heavens? Had the earth become too narrow for him? Or was there no refuge left for him to escape the Jews so that he had to be raised to the heavens to be hidden? O people! Deviate not from the right path, and weigh with a fair balance. By God! The death of Jesus is better for Islam than his life. The victory of the Religion [of Islam] lies entirely in the death of Jesus. Do you want to exchange what is good for that which is foul? Can you not distinguish between profit and loss? By God, Jesus' life can- not coexist with the life of Islam. You have seen what his presumed life has constructed and what it has demolished, and you are seeing how it has helped and advanced Christianity and has wounded the most upright religion. Since the damage it has caused is proven before us, how can we expect it to bring any good in the future? Having so long experienced the harm done by his presumed life, what good can we hope to acquire from this belief thereafter, given the established proof of its being invalid? Wise indeed is he who does not go against this experience. God Almighty guides to the paths of wisdom, and shows mercy to His serv- ants and safeguards them against the doors which lead to misguidance. Without a doubt, the belief that Jesus is alive and will descend is a door from among the doors to misguidance and nothing can be expected from it except for various unwholesome consequences. In His works Allah has wisdom which you cannot comprehend, as well as appropri- ateness which you cannot fathom. Therefore, ponder over this; may