Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 74
74 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION things of this world. Even when I was young and had just arrived at the crossroads of maturity, I was not lacking in the heat of love that one should have for the God of Honour and Glory. Owing to this very heat of love, I was not reconciled to any religion, the doctrines of which were in conflict with the Majesty and Oneness of God, or imputed any kind of insult. That is why I did not approve of the Christian faith, for in its every step, there is insult to the God of Honour and Glory. It had deified a humble man who could not even help himself, and considered him to be the Creator of the heavens and earth. A temporal monarch whose sovereignty is transitory would never choose to live in humiliation; how then, could the true kingdom of God be accompanied by such humiliation as imprisonment, flog- ging, being spat on, and finally- y-as the Christians believe-dying an accursed death, without which it was impossible for him to bring about the salvation of mankind?1* Can there be any confidence in such a weak 'God'? Does God suffer death like a mortal human? Besides, the Jews made filthy accusations against him and even his mother, but that 'God' was unable to exonerate himself by displaying mighty powers. Therefore, reason cannot propose to accept such a 'God' who himself died in distress and could do no harm 1. The assertion that the Messiah willingly accepted an accursed death is re- futed by his passionate supplications in the garden that the cup [of death] be passed from him; and his lamentation when he was put on the cross: Eli Eli lama sabachtani, meaning: my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? If he was indeed content with that death on the cross why did he make supplications? And this notion that death of the Messiah on the cross was the mercy of God on mankind and God was pleased to do this so that the world could find salvation through the blood of the Messiah, is rejected by the argu- ment that if divine mercy was truly excited on that day then why was there a terrible earthquake which caused the veil of the Temple to be torn, and why was there such a severe sandstorm and the sun became dark? All this, indeed, shows that God was greatly displeased with the crucifixion of the Messiah and this is why He chased the Jews for forty years and they suffered various calamities. First they died of a severe plague and at the end thousands of Jews were killed at the hands of Titus, the Roman. (Author)