Malfuzat - Volume VII — Page 215
25 May 1905 215 in religious matters. Such things can cause one to stumble espe- cially during the period of immaturity and inexperience. The word S al a t indicates ‘severe burning’; just as fire creates a burn- ing sensation, the same kind of burning should develop during prayer. When a state like that of death is attained, then it can be named S al a t. The Reason for Distractions during Prayer Someone asked a question about his numerous distractions and way- ward thoughts that arise during Prayer. The Promised Messiah as said: The real root to this is a sense of security and heedlessness. Distractions arise when a person, being heedless of God Almighty’s punishment, believes himself to be safe. Observe that during time of earthquake or when a ship is in a perilous situation, everyone calls upon Allah repeatedly, and no dis- tracting thoughts arise in their minds. The Existence of Opponents is also Necessary It was mentioned that in some places, opponents inflict much suffering and torment on the members of our Jam a ‘at. The Promised Messiah as said: It is not difficult for God Almighty to annihilate someone, but for he whose powers are great, his capacity is great as well. However, the existence of such people is also necessary. The existence of enemies is very beneficial for Prophets. The Holy