Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part IV — Page 31
Chapter One 31 faculties depend on such toil and exercise. If a person keeps his eyes permanently closed and never uses them to see, he will go blind within a few days (as has been established by medical experiments); if he keeps his ears closed, he will turn deaf; if he stops moving his hands and feet, they will ultimately be left without sensation and mobility; similarly, if he does not utilize his faculty of memory, it will decline; and if he does not use his faculty of reflection, it too, will gradually waste away until it becomes virtually extinct. So this is God’s grace and favour that He desired people to tread upon a path that is essential for the perfection of their faculty of reflection. Had Allah the Almighty desired to keep man altogether free from toil, it would not have been appropriate for Him to reveal His final Book, which was meant for all people (who speak different languages), in just one language which they are igno- rant of; for, learning a foreign language is not possible without effort, even though it may be small. Fifth Preliminary Point A miracle which man’s intellect recognizes and testifies to be from Allah is thousands of times better than the miracles that are narrated in the form of mere fables and tales. There are two reasons for this pref- erence. The first is that reported miracles cannot be considered by us— who were born hundreds of years after their occurrence—as witnessed and experienced phenomena. Moreover, since these are reports that have reached us, they cannot be accorded the same degree of credibil- ity as seen and observed phenomena. Secondly, such reported miracles, as are beyond the realm of reason to understand, cannot fully satisfy even those who witness them. This is because there are many wondrous feats which are frequently exhibited by conjurors. Granted, they are no more than deceit and trickery, but how can we convince a malev- olent opponent that the miracles worked by the Prophets—wherein some demonstrated the appearance of a snake and some revived the