Blessings of Khilafat — Page 3
3 Importance of Using Appropriate Terminology and Etiquettes Just yesterday, on my way here, I came across some people who appeared to be peasant farmers. They greeted me by saying: ‘ O, Prophet of God! Peace be on you. ’ From their way of greeting me, it is obvious that they simply do not know what a Prophet really is. I am not in the habit of directly pointing out the mistakes made by people; rather, I feel very uncomfortable if I ever have to do so. Firstly, because the person may feel embarrassed. Secondly, I myself feel greatly embarrassed to reprove someone for his mistakes. Therefore, I usually mention the errors committed by people in general terms and do not point to a particular person except in the case of those with whom I enjoy a special relationship. With them, I talk in private. You must remember that a Prophet is someone who has been granted the title of a Prophet and no one else. There is no doubt, however, that God has granted us the opportunity to serve a Prophet. Therefore, revere the Prophets of God as they must be revered and do not count others as equal to them. The Holy Quran records the names of many of God’s Prophets. Moreover, you also know the name of the Prophet sent by God in this age. Therefore, other than these, the rest of the people are only brothers to each other. However, for the progress of the Jam a ‘at, God has established the institution of Khilafat. The person who has been assigned that responsibility is none other than a brother of yours; to call him a Prophet is not at all permissible.