The Holy War — Page 185
Proceedings—Debate 31 May 1893 185 Law is established and fully conveyed to the creation of Allah and its truth and its origin from Allah is proven to the people. Then, after that, whoever transgresses and breaches these laws will be seized. This, in fact, was my question, that your question of mercy without any recompense would sit well only when the manifestation of mercy and the manifestation of justice should both happen in the same age, there always being a mutual necessity between the two at every place. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the sphere of mercy is extremely vast and broad, and it has been manifesting its blessings from the begin- ning, since the inception of this world. So what relation does justice have with mercy and how can they impede each other? From your explanation of mercy without recompense, I can, in summary, understand nothing other than that justice requires punish- ing and mercy requires forgiveness and pardoning. However, when the manifestations of mercy and justice are not equal and of the same grade and it is proven that the mercy of God Almighty does not require any- one’s righteousness, but that His Graciousness has—since the begin- ning—always been manifested upon righteous and sinful people, then how can it be proven that God Almighty does not wish for the sinful to taste an iota of His mercy? Is the law of nature before us not proclaiming out loud over and over again that sin, heedlessness, and guilt are no barrier before the mercy of God, but if they were, then it would be difficult for man to survive even for a single instant? So, now that it is proven that this sys- tem of mercy is found and proven throughout this world without any condition of righteousness or innocence or virtuousness and that the law of nature is clearly proving this, then how can one refuse to believe in it? And how can a man believe in this new doctrine that is against human nature that God’s mercy is linked to the righteousness of men? Allah, the Lord of Glory, has presented many verses of the Holy Quran by way of example, from which it becomes proven how the sphere of His mercy is extremely vast and benefiting all His creation. For example, Allah, the Lord of Glory, states: