Through Force or Faith? — Page 38
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 38 rights of mankind, which had either been forgotten by the believ- ers of earlier prophets or those early prophets had not been given the injunctions of that sublime character. As for the idolaters, they had reached the peak of their ignorance. The most critical point which the Holy Quran has drawn our attention to, for the proper discharge of all its injunctions, is righteousness. Thus, taqwa —righteousness—is of cardinal importance. If a man becomes fully aware and cognizant of it, he can become capable of acting according to the attributes of Allah, the Almighty. He can become their reflection and become capa- ble of spreading them around. The Promised Messiah as , emphasiz- ing this crucial point, says: In the Holy Quran, more emphasis has been laid on virtue and righteousness than on any other commandment. The reason for this is that righteousness bestows the strength to resist all vice and urges progress towards all good. The secret in placing so much emphasis on it is that righteous- ness is, in all circumstances, a charm that guarantees secu- rity and is a citadel for safeguarding against all harm. A righteous person can avoid many vain and harmful con- tentions that often lead other people to ruin and through their hasty actions and suspicions, sow the seeds of dissen- sion among the people and provide an opportunity for the adversaries to lodge objections. ( Ayy ā mus- S ul h , R uha n i Khaz a ’in, vol. 14, p. 342) Thus, it is righteousness which is the foundation of faith. As long as it persisted in Muslims, they continued to spread Allah’s