Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 26
26 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad onto the branch of divinity, it is impossible for them to flourish and become ver - dant. You may observe that when a branch is cut off from a tree, the branch can - not flower and bear fruit. In fact, even if one keeps it in water and makes recourse to all the means which previously gave it life, the branch will never bear fruit. In the same way, until one forges a bond with a truthful man of God, one cannot attain the strength to absorb spirituality. Just as a branch that is detached and sep - arated cannot bloom even with water, in the same manner, an individual cannot become fruitful if they are isolated and detached. Therefore, in order for a person to become wholly devoted to God, they must sever their ties in one respect, but forge a bond in another respect. Such a person must form a bond with God and also detach themselves from the world, along with all its relations and emotions. This does not mean that one should nurture this bond by removing themselves from the world completely. Nay, rather one is to remain in the world, yet be detached. This is true bravery and courage. To remain detached implies that one should not allow oneself to be influenced by worldly temptations and desires, nor give them precedence, rather one should give precedence to God. No worldly attraction or obstruction should stand in a person’s way and pull their attention. I have just mentioned that the world is full of many obstacles in the way of man. Even a partner or wife can become an obstacle and God has presented an example of this as well. God gave an instruction to abstain from a certain action and the first to be incluenced by Satan was a woman, and then Adam as. Therefore, what is complete devotion to God? To sever ties from all else to the exclusion of God and to consider everyone else to be dead. There are many people who consider our words to be true, and who proclaim that whatever I say is right and correct, but when they are asked as to why they do not accept, they will say that the people will accuse us. So this worry that the people will think ill of them is the very attitude that cuts a person away from God, because if one possesses fear of God in their heart, and if they recognise the greatness, omnipotence and rule of God, how can they care about what anyone else will say? The heart of such a person is ruled by the people and not God. When this thought, which is an association of partners with God, is removed from their heart, everyone else will appear to them even more insignificant and weaker than a corpse or an insect. Even if the entire world joins forces against them, such a one cannot refrain from accepting the truth. p. 301