Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 38
38 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Purpose of Doing Good Bear in mind that one should not do a good deed because the action will bring recompense or reward. For if a good deed is done with this intention, it cannot truly be: ِ َاُہلل ِتِ ْا َْضَ ِر َِمَ َل ًءً ْا َِْتَِغ ِب ِ َا ( to seek the pleasure of Allah ). In fact, the deed will be for the sake of reward and it is possible that the person may forsake it at some point in time. For example, if a person comes to meet me everyday and I give them a rupee each time, they will themselves begin to think that the only reason they visit me is for money. The individual will stop visiting the day he stops receiving that one rupee. Therefore, this is a subtle form of association of partners with God from which one ought to save themselves. One ought to do good purely for the delight and pleasure of God Almighty, and to obey His command, irrespec - tive of whether the action brings reward or not. It is only when this evil sugges - tion and idea is removed that faith becomes complete. It is, of course, true that God Almighty does not disregard a person’s good deeds. 1 َِْيَْن ْن ِ ْس ُْحْ َم ْلْ َْجَْرَ ا ا ُ َع ُيُِضِْيْ َا ْل َ ُهلل َ ا َن ِ ا Surely, Allah suffers not the reward of those who do good to be lost. However, the person who performs a good deed should not be motivated by reward. For example, if a guest comes here to visit only because facilities are avail - able, refreshing drinks and well-prepared food is served, they come for these par - ticular things. The fact of the matter is that a host is duty bound to do everything in their power to leave no stone unturned in offering the best hospitality, and to give comfort to a guest—and this is what hosts do—however, if a guest thinks in this way, this is harmful to them. The Desire for Children Ought to Spring from Virtue So, the purpose is to highlight that the desire for children ought to be rooted in virtue. It should not be so that one leaves behind a successor to continue in sin. God Almighty knows well that for me, the desire for children never arose; although God Almighty gave me children when I was about fifteen or sixteen years of age. Sultan Ahmad and Fazl Ahmad were born at around this age. However, I never possessed the desire for them to be renowned and well-respected in the eyes of the world or for them to reach high positions. As such, in relation to such 1 at-Tawbah, 9:120 p. 311 ً َم َِمَ َِْيَْن ْق َ َت ُ َم ْ ُل ِ ْل َ ْن ْ ُل َ ُع ْْج َ َو ٍ َن ُ ْي ْ ِع َ َ ٍة َ َر ُُق َ ْن ِ ُت ٰ ُي ِ ُر ُ ْذ ََو َ ْن ِ ْج َْوَ َز َ ْ ُن ِ َم َ ْن َ ْل ْ ٍب َ ْه َ ْن َ َب َ ُر