Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 27
27 emphasis is laid on this supplication that without it, the formal Prayer is not com- plete; it is necessary to recite this supplication in every rak’at of the Prayer. The underlying secret in this supplication is that it refers to my era. At present, the right path (sirat-e-mustaqim) is the path that I have shown. ” 9—The Story of the Identical Messiah The Promised Messiah as said: “It is said that a lookalike of the Messiah as was put on the cross. However, I should like to state that logic would lead us to deduce that the man who was turned into an identical image of the Messiah as would either be a friend or foe. If the lookalike was an enemy, he would have definitely raised a hue and cry; he would have said that I am not the Messiah, my relatives are present, my wife and I share so-and-so secret, and I consider the Messiah to be such and such. In short, he would have raised an uproar to clear and absolve himself. However, no authentic historical account states that the person who was hung on the cross protested to secure his own freedom. If, however, this identical likeness was a friend of the Messiah as and a disciple, then the matter is clear. In this case, the man would have to be a believer in Allah who bore an unwarranted curse due to his death on the cross, and who God made accursed. Now remains the question as to why a person who dies on the cross is accursed. It is a widely known fact that a thing which relates to a certain group of people becomes associated with them. The cross bore a relationship with crimi- nals who were worthy of being cut off, as it were. God can never have a relation- ship with a criminal and this is a curse. This is why a person who dies on the cross is accursed. Therefore, it is impossible for a believer who has committed no sin to be declared accursed. Hence, both of these suggestions are false. The truth is, as has been revealed to me by Allah the Exalted, that the Messiah as went into a state of swoon and so on, and appeared as though he were dead. ” 10—Prophets Are Preserved from Foul Diseases The Promised Messiah as said: “The Prophets, peace be upon them, and those commissioned by Allah Almighty are preserved from foul and disgraceful diseas- es, such as syphilis for example, or leprosy, or any other vile disease of this nature. It is the wicked who are afflicted with such diseases. p. 23