Arba'in — Page 150
150 unless and until you make yourselves exactly so. If someone praises a good quality in another but holds an opposing belief or quality for himself, it is akin to mocking the other individual since he considers something worthy for others that he does not like for himself. In the very beginning of His Book, your Rabb [Lord] men- tions His attribute of being رب العٰلمين —[ Rabbul-‘ A lam i n —‘Lord of all the worlds’]—He allows everyone, the virtuous and the sinful, to take benefit from everything in existence, from all that is edible and drinkable on earth, the air in the atmosphere, the stars in the heavens, and the sun and the moon. Hence, your obligation is to possess that same moral quality within you. Otherwise, you cannot be called Ahmad and Ha mid, insofar as Ahmad is desig- nated for the one who greatly praises God. Someone who greatly praises another desires to have that very quality within himself which he sees praiseworthy in the other. Therefore, how can you be a true Ahmad or Ha mid unless you want to have the same good qualities in yourself ? Become an Ahmadi in the true sense of the word, and fully understand that there are four essential Divine attributes mentioned in S u rah al-F a ti h ah : (1) العٰلمين رب العٰلمين رب [ Rabbul-‘ A lam i n ] —Sustainer and Nourisher of all; (2) رحمٰن رحمٰن [ Ra h m a n ] —Who bestows grace of His own volition without regard to effort or work on their part; (3) م ي رح م ي رح [ Ra hi m ] —Who rewards and honours a service rendered more than merited, accepting the service, and not disregarding it; and (4) Who judges His servants. Therefore, Ahmad is he who has all these four attributes as a reflection of the four Divine attributes in him. That is the reason