Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part IV — Page 245
Footnote Number Eleven 245 1 َو َنْيِذَّلا اْوُدَهاَج اَنْيِف ْمُهَّنَيِدْهَنَل اَنَلُبُس Meaning that, as for those who strive in Our way—We shall surely guide them in Our ways. It must be noted how lofty and unparalleled the ten verities men- tioned in S u rah al-F a ti h ah are, which all of our opponents have failed to discover. It should further be noted how God Almighty has com- prehended them in the most concise text with such brevity and beauty. And it should also be noted that, in addition to these verities set out with such consummate brevity, there are other verities with which this blessed s u rah is embedded. If I were to give an exposition of all these verities, this composition would turn into a voluminous work. Only a few of these beauties are set out here as a sample. The first beauty is that God Almighty has taught such an excellent way of prayer in S u rah al-F a ti h ah that a better way is not possible, and which com- prises all of the matters necessary for inspiring heartfelt eagerness in prayer. To elaborate, it is necessary for the acceptance of prayer that there should be zeal in it. For, the prayer that lacks zeal is mere chatter and is not a true prayer. It is obvious that developing zeal in prayer at all times is not possible for every person. Rather, it is extremely necessary that at the time of prayer the matters that inspire zeal should be present in the mind of the supplicant. It should be clear to every sensible per- son that heartfelt zeal is inspired by only two things. First, that the wor- shipper contemplates God as Perfect, Powerful, and the Possessor of all perfect attributes, and to consider His mercies and benevolences as essential from beginning to end for his own existence and preservation, and to consider Him as the Fountainhead of all grace; second, to con- sider himself and all his fellow human beings weak, poor, and depend- ent upon God’s help. These are the only two things which create zeal in prayers, and are the perfect means of inspiring zeal. The reason is that zeal is inspired only when the supplicant finds himself altogether 1. S u rah al-‘Ankab u t, 29:70 [Publisher]