Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 17
17 Malfuzat – Volume IV regarding the Messiah are not hidden. These people believe that the Messiah res - urrected the dead, he created physical birds and that to this day, he is sitting in the heavens alive without being affected by the passage of time. Now, pray, do tell what have they left in turning him into God? I once asked a Muwahhid that you believe that the Messiah made certain creatures, which joined the birds of this world created by God, in which case, how would we know which creature was made by the Messiah? He responded by saying that the matter had become con - fused. So these are the sorts of doctrines that these people hold, yet they are very clever when it comes to raising objections against the four Imams. For example, they raise an allegation against one Imam and say that he was very wealthy but did not pay zakat. At the end of the year he would give all of his wealth to his wife, and then transfer it back to himself afterwards, and in this way, he would exclude his wealth from the application of zakat. These people raise many such allega - tions. They have contributed nothing to Islam except for hollow words. Through their manner of practice, they have portrayed Islam as being a dead religion since they suggest that now there is not a single man among the Muslims who comes with living signs in support of Islam. Alas! What has happened to the sense of these people? Why do they not understand? The Quran states: 1 ْ ُم َِْيِْه ُل َ ِع َ ِت ْ َم َ ُع ْ َّن َ ا َ ُن ْ ُي ِ ِّذ َ ْل َ ِصَِرَا َطَ ا ُم ِْيْ ْق َُْسَْت َم ْلْ َِرَا َطَ ا ْلَص ا َا َّن ِ ْد ِْهْ ا Guide us in the right path — The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings. Now, was this meant as a meaningless statement of no real value? Was this meant as a tale and nothing more? Was this favour meant to be nothing? Did God say this only to deceive us and was it always His desire to keep His seekers and truthful devotees deprived? How unjust it would be to assert that the words of God are nothing but hollow statements. This is not true, however; these are the whimsical notions of the people I have just mentioned. In actuality, the Holy Quran seeks to elevate a person to the stations and lofty ranks which are con - ferred upon those who are described in the words ْ ُم َِْيِْه ُل َ ِع َ ِت ْ َم َ ُع ْ َّن َ ا (those upon whom God has bestowed His blessings). There is never an age when living signs of the word of God Almighty are not present. I do not believe like the followers of the Arya Samaj that no matter how profusely a lover and devotee of God supplicates, and loses himself in tears, this results in nothing. Islam is not a withered religion. 1 al-Fatihah, 1:6-7