The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 201
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI these innumerable bounties upon mankind. It is thus established that this grace which manifests itself in thousands of ways for promoting the well-being of all animates in a gratuitous bounty unrelated to any action on the part of anyone. It is but the upsurge of Divine mercy so that every animate creature may attain his natural goal and may satisfy the urges inherent in his nature. The function of eternal bounty as manifested through this grace is to provide for the needs of all living creatures and to look after all that is good for them and that is harmful for them lest they perish or their capacities stay dormant. . That the Divine Being possesses this attribute is manifestly established through a study of the law of nature. No sensible person would dispute the fact that all these objects like the sun, the moon, and the elements that are the mainstay of life proceed from this very grace and that every animate, man and beast, believer and disbeliever, good and bad, is benefiting therefrom, according to his needs and not a single animate being is excluded from its scope. This grace is called. Rahmaniyyat in the Holy Quran and by virtue of it the attribute. Rahman is mentioned in Surah Fatiha immediately after RabbilAalameen. . . . . . . The third category of grace is the special benevolence. . . . . But for special benevolence, effort, exertion, purification of the heart, prayer and supplication and earnest direction of the mind towards. Allah and every kind of appropriate striving are necessary conditions. . It is only one who earnestly seeks this grace who receives it. It attends only those who work hard for it. This grace is also comprehended through a study of the law of nature. It is obvious that those who strive in the way of Allah and those who are indifferent towards it cannot be equal. Doubtless, those who strive in the way of Allah with a sincere heart and keep away from every kind of darkness and mischief, become recipients of special grace. Because of this type of grace, God, the Exalted, is called Rahim in the Holy Quran. Because the attribute Rahimiyyat is exclusive and conditional it ranks after the attribute of Rahmaniyyat. Rahmaniyyat came into operation first and the Rahimiyyat followed it and it was because of this natural order that it was mentioned after the attribute Rahmaniyyat. . . . . . . 201