Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part III — Page 57
Footnote Number Eleven — First Objection 57 whatever he possesses does not belong to him but to God, and that he has no right over it, why then would he run after a thief, or why would he demand that his debtors return his money. Without doubt, man claims possession of that which he achieves through his efforts. This is the law God has ordained for the functioning of the world and this is how everyone’s nature is inclined. A labourer expects dues for his labour; a servant has the right to demand wages for his services. An unlawful interference in others’ rights makes one a criminal. In short, it is next to impossible that, say, a person who keeps awake all night without a wink of sleep to irrigate his land in a deserted place, enduring hunger and thirst in extremely cold weather, should be as grateful to God as he would be when, after a deep and comfortable sleep all night at home, he goes out early in the morning to his lands and finds that the clouds formed at night, it rained heavily, and filled his fields with just the required amount of water. Thus, it is obvious that anyone who does not believe that God— finding man weak, powerless, imperfect, ignorant, overwhelmed by his evil self and prone to forgetfulness and error—mercifully showed him the right way through His revelation, and instead believes that he has come to recognize and find God solely through his own work and effort, cannot feel the same sense of indebtedness towards God as one who believes from the depths of his heart that God showed him the right way by His sheer grace without any labour and effort on his part. He was asleep, God awoke him; he was [spiritually] dead, God quick- ened him; he was undeserving, God Himself came to his assistance. It is clear from this discussion that the deniers of divine revelation are bereft of the true concept of Tau hi d and it is not at all possible for their souls to cry out like true believers and say: 1 Part Number 8 — ُدْمَحْلَا ِهّٰلِل ْيِذَّلا اَنىٰدَه اَذٰهِل َو اَم اَّنُك َيِدَتْهَنِل ْوَل ۤاَل ْنَا اَنىٰدَه ُهّٰللا 1. S u rah al-A‘r a f, 7:44 [Publisher]