Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part IV — Page 257
Footnote Number Eleven 257 its actions, desires, and inclination towards creatures are progressively obliterated, so do the limbs of spiritual birth go on being fashioned until, when complete fan a of self is achieved, he is granted the robe of the second being and the time comes of: 1 َّمُث ُهٰنْاَشْنَا اًقْلَخ َرَخٰا Since such a complete fan a is not possible without the help, grace, and special attention of the All-Powerful, this prayer was taught: اَنِدْهِا 2 َطاَرِّصلا َمْيِقَتْسُمْلا. Meaning: O Allah! Establish us along the right path and deliver us from every type of distortion and misguidance. This perfect steadfastness and rectitude, which we are commanded to seek, is an extremely difficult undertaking and at first it appears to a devotee like the attack of a lion and a confrontation with death. But if the devotee is steadfast and accepts this death, there is no fatal death for him after that, for, God is far too Noble to expose him to this burn- ing hell again. In short, this perfect steadfastness is the annihilation which totally vanquishes man’s structure of life and makes him withdraw suddenly and totally from desire, lust, intention, and every single act of selfish- ness. This is the stage from among the stages of spiritual journey and pilgrimage where human efforts play a great part and human striving is at the forefront. At the same stage, the struggles of the auliy a ’ull a h [friends of Allah] and the devotees reach their culmination. Thereafter, special heavenly bounties follow in which human efforts are not involved; rather, a hidden vehicle and heavenly bur a q 3 is provided by God Almighty Himself for a tour of heavenly wonders. 1. Then We developed it into another creation ( S u rah al-Mu’min u n, 23:15). [Publisher] 2. S u rah al-F a ti h ah, 1:6 [Publisher] 3. The heavenly mount on which the Holy Prophet saw ascended to Heaven. [Publisher]