So Said The Promised Messiah (as) — Page 111
were troubled for the sake of God, became a cause of their greatness and exalted position. Those whom God loves, are not free from tribulations; they have to pass through them. But there is a very important aspect of these tribulations; they are not meant to destroy t4em, rather these tribulations are there for the Messengers to get their efforts fructified. This is the law that God has promulgated for everything that is worth something; first it is put to hardships. The farmer ploughs the land and thus tears asunder the chest of the earth. He makes the soil thin (like powder), so much so that even the wave of wind carries it from place to place. The ignorant one might think that the farmer has made a big mistake by spoiling the land which was so nice. But the wise person knows it well that unless all this is done to the land, it cannot display its talent of producing the fruits and the flowers. That is how the seed is sown in the land which becomes almost dust by mixing with the dust. Aie these seeds sown because the farmer hates them. Not at all. These seeds are very valuable in the sight of the farmer. He sows them in soil to make them flourish and sprout and produce thousands of their kind. That being the law of God, He throws His chosen ones also into the soil and the people trample over them and they crush them under their feet. But a little after that, the seed that had mixed up with the dust, produces greenry and it shows itself in very beautiful colours; it surprises the people to see the beautiful colours; it surptises the people to see this beautiful scene. That has always been the way of God in connection with His chosen ones; they are thrown into the great whirlpools but not to be drowned, rather, to make them inheritors of the pearls that are to be found at the bed of the river of Wahdat (oneness of God). They are thrown into the fire but not to be burnt there, rather, to show a great manifes- tation of God to the people. In short they are mocked at and 11 1