Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 119
Lecture Ludhiana 119 been published. In the end, he acquitted me of the charge and ordered a refund of the fine. He also appropriately censured the trial court for letting the case linger for such a long time. In short, whenever my opponents had an opportunity, they spared no time or effort to crush and kill me, but God Almighty saved me from every fire through His sheer grace in the very same way that He has been saving His Messengers. Against the backdrop of these events, I emphatically assert that this Government is far better than the Roman Government under which Jesus as suffered torment. Pilate, the Governor before whom the case was tried, was, in fact, a follower of Jesus, and so was his wife. That is why he washed his hands of Jesus’ blood. But despite being a follower of Jesus and the Governor, he did not show the courage that Captain Douglas showed. Jesus was innocent there, and I was innocent here. Verily I say and speak from experience that Allah the Exalted has bestowed this nation the courage to act with justice. In this context, I advise all Muslims that it is incumbent upon them to obey this Government sincerely. Remember this well that he who is ungrateful to benevo- lent men cannot be grateful to God Almighty. The facilities and comforts people enjoy these days are unprecedented. Just look at the facilities provided by the police, post and telegraph, railways, and other departments, and think of the advantages of these services. Did such facilities exist some sixty to seventy years ago? So, be fair, why should we not be thankful for enjoy- ing so many benefits? Explanation of the Tenet of Jihad Most Muslims attack me and allege that the one fault in my Movement is that I have abrogated Jihad. But, alas, these