Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page 479
3 October 1907 479 However, these are those who, if a village official or anyone else barely threatens them, they abandon their faith. The acts of worship of these people are simply hollow as well. Likewise, the Prayers of such do not reach God, rather they are thrown back onto their faces and are a source of curse for them. God Almighty says: 1 ٌلْيَوَف َنْيِّلَصُمْلِّل َنْيِذَّلا ْمُه ْنَع ْمِهِتاَلَص َنْوُهاَس ٌلْيَوَف َنْيِّلَصُمْلِّل َنْيِذَّلا ْمُه ْنَع ْمِهِتاَلَص َنْوُهاَس The people who are unaware of the nature of Prayers, their Prayers are mere rituals. If one prostration of theirs is for God, then their next is for the world. Until an individual bears hard- ships and difficulties for the sake of God, they are not accepted by the One [True God]. Look! Its example is also found in the world. If a servant supports his master in every difficulty, adversity, and danger- ous situation, then that servant no longer remains a servant but becomes a friend. The same is the case with God. If a person does not forsake God’s refuge, continues to supplicate at His threshold, and persists faithfully, then God also does not desert such a one, and He treats him as a friend. The trait of faithful- ness is found even in a dog. Whether it stays hungry, becomes sick, weak, or whatever may happen, it does not leave the home of its master. And the people who abandon their faith due to a minor inconvenience, they ought to learn a lesson from a dog. It is related that a Jew was honoured with the acceptance of Islam. After a few days he was faced with hardship. He began to suffer from extreme hunger and experienced prolonged starvation so he went and begged at the house of a Jew. The Jew gave four pieces of bread to this new Muslim. When he 1. So woe to those who pray, but are unmindful of their Prayer ( S u rah al-M a ‘ u n, 107:5–6). [Publisher]