Blessings of Khilafat — Page 160
160 Islam which were utterly opposed to its true principles and are full of antagonism. This is why when they are faced with the true teachings of Islam, they simply reject them. Otherwise, what other reason can there be for a Christian possessing a master’s degree to fail to understand and grasp the excellences of Islam; while a person who is born in a Muslim family, no matter how uninformed and ignorant he is, easily declares Islam to be the only religion which is true and holds all others to be false. He only believes thus because his parents were Muslims, from whom at an early age he has been hearing that Islam is the only true religion. On the other hand, the one with a master’s degree cannot understand it because since childhood his ears have been hearing the opposite view and therefore he is under the influence of what he has been hearing. He cannot now pay any attention to anything contrary to what he has already come to believe. Once I had a discussion with a Christian who claimed to have done a great deal of research on atonement. He wanted to talk to me only about atonement. Complying with his request, I talked only about his desired subject. Within a few minutes, he agreed that the concept of atonement runs against reason and the law of nature. He said that he believed it only because he was born in a Christian family. In brief, many a religious ritual is performed merely out of habit. Muslims belonging to the Hanafi dispensation raise their hands after meals to offer some prayers. It is indeed commendable to say thanks to Allah in return for His bounties, but many of them are simply unaware why they are doing so. Can such people ever attain the reward which is given to those who do it purely with the intent of saying thanks to the Almighty? Never! The reward is given only when one sings the praises of His Lord from the depth of