Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 263
263 position is a precursor to some magnificent sign. An unfortunate individual may possibly be awed by this tumult and leave us, but what remedy can I give to such a person? For this is the way of Allah. ” 1 August 1900 The True Bestower of Benefit Is God Almighty Alone The Promised Messiah as states: “The people of this world will go to great lengths in flattering officials and other individuals on the basis of an imaginary hope that they will be able to derive a certain benefit from them. In fact, even ordinary workers and attendants must be appeased. However, even if the official is pleased and made content, one can hope to gain benefit from them either on a particular occasion or for a few days at best. On this fanciful hope a person will flatter an official’s attendants to such an extent that even the thought of such sycophancy makes me tremble. My heart is filled with grief over the fact that foolish people flatter other human beings, who are no different than them, over fanciful and unreal hopes, yet they give no importance to the true Bestower, who has blessed them with countless forms of bounty without any desire for return and without their asking. The fact is, even if a human being desired to be of benefit to another person, then what? I truthfully say that no benefit can be attained except through God Almighty. It is possible that even before a person is able to secure their inter- est, the individual from whom they expect this benefit or even they themselves, depart this world, or they are gripped by some terrible disease, whereby they are no longer able to reap any personal benefit or advantage from the individual in question. Therefore, without the grace and mercy of Allah Almighty a person can derive no benefit from any other human being. Now when it is Allah the Exalted who is the true Bestower of benefit, how shameless is it for man to beg and knock at the doors of other human beings. The honour of a God-fearing believer could never bear to flatter another human just like themselves, when they do not command this right. Allah Almighty takes it upon Himself to open avenues for a righteous person; and they are granted provision from where no one else could know. Allah Almighty Himself becomes the Friend and Nurturer of such a one. Allah the Exalted shows kindness and love to those of His servants who give precedence to 1 Al-Hakam , vol. 10, no. 35, dated 10 October 1906, p. 8