Arba'in — Page 128
128 2. The second case is that the general public experiences this phenomenon occurring whereby any shopkeeper who lies about his products, fails to give full measure, tries to deceive in any other way, or sells substandard products, is struck by lightning [as a consequence]. Keeping this example in mind, every fair-minded person has to say that the words 1 ْوَل َلَّوَقَت اَنْيَلَع issuing forth from the mouth of the All-Knowing, All-Wise God will serve as a cogent proof only when one of the two ’[following] conditions are fulfilled by it: 1. First, God forbid, if the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, had made any false statements in the past, and Allah had given him severe punishment. The people knew it as a factual reality that if he had spoken a lie against God, he would have been punished as he was punished earlier on such and such an occasion. However, this kind of reasoning cannot be applied to the pure character of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Even to think in this manner about the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is kufr [disbelief ]. 2. The second way of presenting the argument is that it should be a common rule of God Almighty that whomsoever forges a lie against Him, should not be given a long reprieve and meets his destruction quickly. So, this is the reasoning that fits correctly here. Otherwise, the phrase: ْوَل َلَّوَقَت اَنْيَلَع would be 1. And if he had falsely attributed even a trivial statement to Us ( S u rah al- Ha qqah, 69:45). [Publisher]