Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 305
29 December 1905 305 and then abandon him; instead, it wants him to fulfil both requirements. That is, shun evil in its entirety and do good with complete sincerity. Salvation cannot be achieved unless both these things are present. Someone gave me an example, and it is correct. It is said that a person invited someone and discharged the dues of hos- pitality with great formality and care. When the guest finished eating, the host said to him, with great humility and meekness, that he had not been able to discharge the requirement of hos- pitality the guest’s lofty station merited. Please forgive me. The guest thought that by saying this, the host was reminding him of the great favour the host had done him. So he replied that he had also done him a great favour which he does not seem to acknowledge. The host asked him what that was, and he replied that he could have set his house on fire when he was busy with hospitality, but how benevolent was he for not doing it. This is an example of evil: he did not cause serious damage by setting a blaze. There are many people who boast of having conferred the favour of not committing evil. Such people are like animals. In the sight of Allah the Exalted only those people are worthy of esteem who do not boast of refraining from evil, and who, even after doing good, think nothing [by way of pride] of it. In short, the first stage is of the camphor drink, and the sec- ond stage is of the ginger drink. So, He said: 1 َنْوَقْسُي اَهْيِف اًسْاَك َناَك اَهُجاَزِم اًلْيِبَجْنَز َنْوَقْسُي اَهْيِف اًسْاَك َناَك اَهُجاَزِم اًلْيِبَجْنَز And they are given such goblets to drink that are of ginger sherbet. 1. S u rah ad-Dahr, 76:18 [Publisher]