The Need for the Imam — Page 7
D ar u rat-ul-Imam 7 been guided by the Holy Quran and authentic Hadith, and our personal experience have testified to it. The age of the Promised Messiah as , however, has even greater distinction in that it is recorded in the books of earlier Prophets and Hadith of the Holy Prophet sa that, at the time of his advent, this radiation of spirituality will become so universal that women too will begin to receive revelations, minors will make prophecies, and ordinary people will be inspired by the Holy Spirit. All this will be a reflection of the spirituality of the Promised Messiah as. This is just like the light of the sun which falls upon a wall and illuminates it, and if the wall is white-washed with lime, it becomes all the more radiant. And if it is inlaid with mirrors, the light becomes too intense even for the eyes to behold. The wall, however, cannot claim this light as its own, for after sunset, not a trace of it remains. Likewise, all revelational light is a reflection of the light of the Imam of the age. Any right minded person—unless he is just unlucky, or is being tried and tested by God— will readily understand this fine point. If, God forbid, anyone fails to understand this Divine secret and, on hearing the news of the advent of the Imam of the age, does not establish communion with him, such a person initially shows indifference to the Imam, which then breeds estrangement, which in turn causes suspicions, and this produces hostility, which—God