Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part III — Page 233
Sub-Footnote Number One 233 and blessings, thus perfecting your faith and bringing humiliation and disgrace upon your enemies. Look at other religions and reflect on how they came to ruin and decay. It was because the Gospels and other past scriptures, having been corrupted and distorted, failed to reflect in their form and substance anything miraculous or spiritually effective, and all their focus remained on old miracles presented in mythical form. How could it be possible for those who did not actually see the staff of Hadrat M u s a turn into a snake, nor witnessed the dead restored to life by Hadrat ‘ I s a , to be inspired by baseless stories and reach the level of absolute certainty. Inevitably, therefore, the Christians and Jews gave themselves up to the world and lost all faith in the Hereafter, for they did not witness any blessings with their own eyes. Anyone whose faith is based on mere fables and tales, like the Christians, Jews, and Hindus, has lost his moorings, and the same darkness of misguidance is destined for him as was destined for unfortu- nate people like the Christians, who have nothing to show but ancient legends and time-worn tales. Their faith has no firm footing and they have no way of knowing whether or not the God of old, who had been with their forefathers, even exists anymore. Brothers, if you truly seek God and desire certainty, and if your hearts are not filled with the love of this world, arise and prostrate in gratitude because God does not forget you. He does not wish for you to go to waste; but rather, that you be grateful to Him. Do not belittle divine signs lest you fall into peril; do not reject God’s bounties, for this invites His wrath. Do not love this world, for it is the source of all pride, jealousy, and conceit. Do not turn away from God’s Signs, for nothing good comes of it. Allah the Almighty says: 1 اخل َو ُلْتا ْمِهْيَلَع َاَبَن ْۤيِذَّلا ُهٰنْيَتٰا اَنِتٰيٰا. . . 1. And relate to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Signs. . . ( S u rah al- A‘r a f , 7:176) [Publisher]