Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 12
12 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad إِنْ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقُونَ <mark>Me</mark>aning, the saints of Allah the Exalted, that is, the friends of God, are those who are righteous. How great a blessing that one should be granted nearness to God by suffering even a little pain in <mark>His</mark> cause. The people of t<mark>his</mark> age are so low- minded that if a ruler or official refers to them as a friend, confers upon them an office or honours them, they begin to boast and swell with pride. But, how superior in rank is the person who is dee<mark>me</mark>d a saint or friend by Allah the Exalted Himself. Allah the Exalted has conveyed t<mark>his</mark> promise through the tongue of the Noble <mark>Me</mark>ssengers, as recorded in a Hadith related in Bukhari: لَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أَحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيْذَنَّهُ <mark>Me</mark>aning, Allah the Exalted states that through <mark><mark>voluntary</mark></mark> worship a friend of Mine attains such nearness to <mark>Me</mark> that I <mark>beco<mark>me</mark></mark> the ears with which he hears, I <mark>beco<mark>me</mark></mark> the eyes with which he sees, I <mark>beco<mark>me</mark></mark> the hands with which he grasps, I <mark>beco<mark>me</mark></mark> the feet with which he <mark>walks</mark>. When he <mark>asks</mark> of <mark>Me</mark>, I grant him <mark>his</mark> <mark>wish</mark> and when he <mark>seeks</mark> <mark>My</mark> <mark>refuge</mark>, I grant him <mark>refuge</mark>. ² Obligations and <mark><mark>Voluntary</mark></mark> <mark><mark>Deeds</mark></mark> All the virtuous <mark><mark>deeds</mark></mark> perfor<mark>me</mark>d by a person may be divided into two categories: <mark><mark>obligatory</mark></mark> and <mark><mark>voluntary</mark></mark>. <mark><mark>Obligatory</mark></mark> <mark><mark>deeds</mark></mark> refer to that which is compulsory on man, such as the repay<mark>me</mark>nt of a debt or goodness in kind. In addition to these obligations, every good deed is accompanied by an aspect of <mark><mark>voluntary</mark></mark> service, that is to say, virtue which is above and beyond the call of duty. An example of t<mark>his</mark> would be for one to reciprocate greater benevolence than that shown to him by another. T<mark>his</mark> serves to complete and perfect compulsory actions. T<mark>his</mark> Hadith expounds that the saints of Allah perfect their religious obligations through the observance of <mark><mark>voluntary</mark></mark> acts of worship. For example, in addition to zakat, they also give charity. Allah the Exalted <mark>beco<mark>me</mark></mark>s the friend of such people and states that t<mark>his</mark> relation grows to such intimacy that He <mark>beco<mark>me</mark></mark>s the hands, feet, etc. of such a person; in fact, He even <mark>beco<mark>me</mark></mark>s the tongue with which such a person speaks. al-Anfal, 8:35 Bukhari, Kitab-ur-Riqaq, Bab-ut-Tawadu