Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part III — Page 40
BarĀhĪn-e-a H madiyya — Part three 40 one requires a divinely revealed Book, the like of which is beyond the power of man to produce. To make this statement properly understood, two points need to be elaborated: first, why perfect hope of salvation is dependant upon perfect certainty; and second, why such certainty cannot be attained through the study of creation alone. So it should first be understood that perfect certainty means a true and positive belief whereby no room for doubt is left, and one’s heart is fully convinced of, and satisfied with, the matter that was to be ascer- tained. Any belief that falls short of this criterion cannot be called per- fect certainty. It can only be called conjecture or, at best, a probable hypothesis. The reason why the real hope of salvation rests only on perfect certainty is that salvation can be attained only if one gives precedence to his Benevolent God over everything belonging to this world—its pleasures, its comforts, its wealth and riches, its relationships, and even one’s own self. No love should supersede the love of God. But such is the plight of man that, instead of following the path on which his sal- vation depends, he loves things that necessarily cause his heart to devi- ate from God. Moreover, he has such an overwhelming love for these things that he believes with certainty that his comfort and well-being depend upon these relationships. Not only does he believe this, but he actually observes and experiences these pleasures with perfect cer- tainty, and has no doubt whatsoever of their existence. So, it is obvi- ously impossible for him to wholeheartedly turn towards God until he has the same degree of certainty about God—and in the pleasure of meeting Him, His reward and punishment and His favours—as he has about the property of his house, the money he has locked away, the orchards he has sown with his own hands, the property he has acquired and inherited, the pleasures he has experienced and tasted, and the enjoyment of the company of his bosom friends. After all, a weak pre- sumption cannot override a powerful conviction. It is also established beyond doubt that when a person who, hav- ing greater faith in this world than in the Hereafter, is about to leave