So Said The Promised Messiah (as) — Page 130
for, wisdom actually means to put a thing in its proper place. It was necessary that in those days the teachings should have been what they are mentioned in t]J_ese Books: to punish someone when he should be punished is also wise likewise to pardon someone when he should be pardoned is wise. In those days (i. e. the days of the Torah) the condition of the human beings was such that it necessitated the teaching to lean to one side. The Children of Israel had been slaves of the Phar- o;. . hs for four hundred years and, therefore, they were very much affected by their customs; and this also is well known that the subjects are highly influenced by the ways and man- ners of the rulers, even the religion of the subjects is very much influenced ~y the kings. . That is why it is said, Annaso alaa deeni mo/,ookihim. During the Sikh rule the generality of the people had become dacoits. Hari Singh used to attack and plunder the Marriage parties (going from one place to the other). The Israelites, too having been slaves to the pharoahs did not care for justice. They had been maltreated and in their own turn they also had started malterating others. It was, therefore, very essential to reform them by giving them a lesson in justice. They w. ere told: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. They had stuck so fast to this teaching that they thought it was a part of their Sharia and religion; they thought if they did not take revenge they would become sinners. When Jesus Christ found them so hard on these points, he had to take them to the other side and, therefore, gave them a teaching that laid stress on total forgiveness and pardon. Had his teaching not been of so great lenience they would not have been reformed. It is for these reasons that it can be said that both these teachings were appropriate in their times but it must be re- membered that these teachings were meant for a specific period of time (and not for ever). (Malfoozat Vol. III, p. 42) 130