Lecture Lahore — Page 34
34 I do not wish to enter into any argument over this issue, but I do respectfully beseech the A ryas that it would be better for them to renounce this doctrine. Our country is already seriously lacking in morality and chastity, and if men and women were allowed such liberties, God only knows where things might end up. Let me also venture to add that no matter how the A ryas hate the Muslims and detest the teachings of Islam, they should not altogether discard the custom of purdah, for this will result in many evils which will make themselves felt sooner or later. Every wise man realizes that the ma- jority of people follow the dictates of their baser selves, and forget all about God’s punishment when they are in the grip of their passions. Men do not desist from casting evil glances at beautiful women, and some women also do not hesitate to stare at men. If the two are given liberty to mix freely, while their hearts are not free from evil, the result will not be much different from what we see in some parts of Europe. People can only be allowed such freedom when they have become truly pure-hearted and have freed themselves of their baser selves, when the evil spirit has departed from their souls, the fear of God is ap- parent from their eyes, and His Majesty has been established in their hearts, and when they have undergone a holy transformation and donned themselves in the mantel of righteousness, for they will then be like pawns in the hand of God and will cease to be males, in a manner of speaking, and their eyes will become oblivious to the sight of women and no such thoughts will ever enter them.