With Love to Muhammad (sa) - The Khatam-un-Nabiyyin — Page 329
Appendix I 329 the distinction between the teaching of the prophets and the teaching of the philosophers, assuming both to be true, the only distinction that would be discovered is that a great portion of the teaching of the prophets is metaphysical and can only be understood and appreciated through practical demonstration, and can be illustrated only by those who have the personal experience of it. . . . If All ā h the Glorious has so willed that this portion of the teaching of His Book should not be confined to the early ages, then He must have arranged for the teachers of that portion to be available at all times, since the portion of the teaching which relates to personal experience cannot be comprehended except through teachers who have experienced it. Therefore, if after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of All ā h be upon him), teachers who were guided by the reflection of the light of prophethood had not been available, it would mean that God Almighty, having removed from the world at an early stage those who understood the Holy Qur’ ā n truly and correctly, deliberately let the Qur’ ā n become useless. But this would be contrary to His promise: َ ﻟَﺤٰـﻔِﻈُﻮْن َٗ هل َّ وَاِان َ اذلِّﻛْﺮ ﻧَﺰَّﻟْﻨَﺎ ُ حنَْﻦ َّ اِان 328 That is: ‘It is We Who have sent down the Qur’ ā n and We shall continue to safeguard it. ’ Fulfilling the Need of Safeguarding the Holy Qur’ ā n I am unable to understand that if those with complete understanding of the Qur’ ā n and belief in its certainty through personal experience have all passed away, then how has the 328 S ū rah Al-Hijr, 15:10