Malfuzat – Volume X — Page 407
3 May 1908 407 as the benefit that chicken soup affords when given to an ailing individual. The conduct of their own priests who teach others is most precarious and dangerous. The Doctrine of Atonement has emboldened them [to commit sin]. Sin is a lethal poison. However, for a person who believes that the blood of Christ will suffice and belief in the Doctrine of Atonement is suffi- cient expiation for all his sins, how could he possibly perceive the poison of sin to be a poison? Once a priest was apprehended for the crime of adultery. When he was asked about it in court, he said with great audac- ity and impudence that, ‘Hasn’t the blood of Christ sufficed for my sins?’ In short, their [Doctrine of ] Atonement is the root cause of all evil. In my view, no benefit can be gained until a person makes an effort to try and incline himself to bringing about a pious change in himself. To subdue nafs-e-ammarah is a rather weighty striving. It is due to the influence of this very nafs-e-ammarah that one is neither able to fulfil his obligations to God nor can he discharge his duties towards his fellow human beings. The Right of God and the Right of Man The Shariah has just two components. One is the right of God and the second is the right of man. What is the right of God? It is to worship Him and to not include anyone else in His worship, and to remain occupied in the remembrance of Allah, to obey His commandments and to avoid His prohibitions, and to eschew all that is unlawful, etc. The right of man, in summary, is not to be cruel to anyone, not to transgress against the rights of anyone where no such right exists, not to bear false witness, etc.