Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part IV — Page 53
Section One 53 and quickened the dead earth anew. This is a Sign of the truthfulness of this Book [i. e. the Holy Quran], but only for those who listen, i. e. the seekers after truth [ S u rah an-Na h l, 16:64–66]. Then He says that Allah the Almighty is that Benevolent and Merciful Being whose law of nature since the beginning is that He sends the winds before His mercy—that is to say, before the rain—until when the winds bring forth heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead city— meaning, to an area where the land had become virtually dead due to lack of rain. Then We send down water therefrom, and We bring forth therewith fruits of every kind. In like manner do We bring forth the spiritually dead from the pit of death. This example has been related so that you may pay heed and understand that just as We quicken the earth after a severe drought, in the same way, it is Our practice that, when extreme misguidance becomes rife, and hearts—which are akin to the earth—die, We breathe into them the spirit of life. The earth that is pure will bear as much vegetation as it ought to by the command of Allah, but the earth that is barren brings forth scant vegetation, which is not of good quality. In like manner do We explain things in different ways so that those who are grateful may express their gratitude [ S u rah al-A‘r a f, 7:58–59]. Then He says that God Almighty is that Benevolent and Merciful Being who sends winds that raise a cloud at the time of need. Then He spreads it in the sky as He pleases and places it layer upon layer. Then you see the rain falling from its midst. And when He causes the rainwater to fall on whom He pleases from among His servants, they rejoice and thus, all of a sudden, God turns their misery into joy; whereas before the coming of the rain they were in despair due to great hardship, but then Allah the Almighty helps them in an instant. That is to say, the rain—which is a mercy of God—comes down at a time when the peo- ple are heart-broken and have lost all hope for rainfall. Then God says, ‘Raise your eye and look at the mercy of God and ponder over the Signs