Arba'in — Page 127
Number Four 127 been destroyed well within a period of twenty-three years, but if others were to forge lies against God then they could go on living for more than twenty-three years thereafter without God destroy- ing them? This is the very similitude of a shopkeeper saying: ‘If I am dis- honest in my business or sell substandard products, or tell lies, or fail to give full measure, then lightning will suddenly strike me at that very moment. For this reason you all should have full con- fidence in me and entertain no doubt that I would ever sell any- thing defective, or short the full measure, or tell a lie. In fact, buy the goods in my store [trusting me] with your eyes closed, without [the need for] making any inquiry!’ Would people gain a sense of comfort from such senseless talk, and would anyone consider these vain words of his as evidence of his honesty? Never! We seek refuge in Allah! Such a claim can never be proof of this person’s honesty; rather, it is in one manner a way of deceiving the general public and making them inattentive. Of course, this can be upheld as evidence in two cases: 1. One is that this should have taken place several times in the presence of people whereby this individual lied about the products he sells, or weighed less, or tried to deceive in some other way, and then lightning struck him at that very instant and nearly killed him. And such a phenomenon repeatedly occurred of lightning striking him whenever he lied or weighed less or cheated, until people became fully convinced that light- ning strikes him whenever he is dishonest or tells a lie. In such a case, his claim can certainly be used as proof because many peo- ple are witness to the fact that lightning struck when he lied.