Life of Ahmad — Page 357
as THE ESSENCE OF ISLAM 357 Prophet sa not only worked powerful miracles himself, but left a long series of them to be shown through his followers till Resurrection Day. Such signs have always been shown in each and every age in accordance with the demands of time and they will continue to be shown till the last days of this world. It is difficult to find a parallel to this among the followers of other Prophets. How absurd then to make a man God or the son of God simply on the force of such extraordinary signs! If these can make a man God, will there ever be an end to the number of such gods? But it must be remembered here that though these signs really proceed from God, yet they do not in any way equal the particular works of God which proceed directly from Him without the intervention of any other medium. Nor is it meant that they should. The work of a Prophet or a saint unattended by his prayers may not be within the reach of ordinary mortals; yet it is not the same thing as the direct and open manifestation of perfect Divine power. That is to say, in a miracle wrought directly by a Prophet there is always some weakness or shortcoming to distinguish it from the direct work of God. Otherwise there would be danger of the common people being misled so as to take the man for God. That is why the rod of Moses as , though transformed into a serpent