Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 48
48 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad why would this be their condition and why would matters reach such a plight? The People’s Aversion for the One Who Counsels Them The state of the people’s faith has deteriorated immensely. Yet, the individual who desires to make the people realise this weakness and cure it, and the one who tells them of a path by which they can receive strength and courage from God, is labelled a disbeliever and Antichrist. I say that if the people cannot accept with certainty that faith bears fruit, then in the least, let them suppose it. Even assumed propositions lead to great and significant outcomes. Just observe how the entire foundation of Euclid is based on a set of initial axioms; thus, even assumptions are remarkably beneficial. Many important and fundamental sciences are based initially on hypotheses. Now, if the people had accepted faith even on the basis of assumption, I am certain that they would not have remained deprived of belief completely. However, the state of affairs in this era is that they consider faith to be something that is wholly meaningless. The Faith of the Companions Once again, I present the state of the companions as an example and say that they believed in the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and demonstrated through their practical example that they witnessed with their eyes—indeed, with their eyes—that God Who is the most unseen of all beings, and Who is hidden and veiled from the sight of those who worship false- hood. Otherwise, do tell me, why did they not care even slightly for the fact that they were compelled to leave their people, abandon their homeland, forsake their properties and sever ties with their friends and relatives? It was nothing other than trust in God alone. It was through trust in God that they were able to accomplish feats which fill a person with astonishment and wonder when passing through the pages of history. The companions possessed faith, and faith alone. In contrast, they were confronted by the schemes and designs of worldly people, along with their utmost endeavours and intense efforts, yet their opponents could not pre- vail over them. The opposition was greater in number, supporters, wealth and in everything else, but they were devoid of faith. It was due to their lacking this one aspect—faith—that they perished without attaining success. The companions, on the other hand, won over everything due to the strength of their faith. They p. 42