Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 242
242 February 1898 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Polygamy In relation to polygamy the Holy Quran explicitly states two, three or four, how- ever in the same verse justice has also been instructed. If an individual cannot maintain justice and their love becomes one-sided, or if their income is insuffi- cient, or if their faculties of virility are weak, then one must not marry more than one woman. In my estimation it is better for man to not put himself into trial by his own hands, because Allah the Exalted states: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ Surely, Allah loves not the transgressors. are Do not over-emphasise the permissibility of something to the extent that you be- come licentious. Now, if an individual becomes preoccupied in wives just because he is permitted to marry more than one, then this too is wrong. All people not able to understand the will of Allah Almighty. This permission is not granted so that men may become so utterly infatuated with women that they are enslaved by their own carnal pleasures. In the same vein, however, God does not desire for man to adopt asceticism either; but rather, He desires for us to act in moderation and refrain from indulging in unnecessary preoccupations. If Allah the Exalted makes an exception for the Prophets, peace be upon them, then those foolish ones who raise allegations against them are guilty of misleading others in error. One may observe in the Torah how the Jewish priests were given special privileges and the Brahmans from among the Hindus also enjoy special concessions. Therefore, it is foolish to object against any special exceptions made for the Prophets, peace be upon them, because their greatest distinction which separates them from other ordinary people is that they are Prophets. The Diverse Nature of God Is a Mercy The changing nature of God is also a mercy. In the case of the people of Jonah, on whom be peace, God sent down categorical revelation, but when they began to weep and wail, their punishment was averted and God turned to them with mercy. Hence, there is a distinct delight that is experienced in the changing nature 1 al-Baqarah, 2:191