Blessings of Khilafat — Page 77
77 the Promised Messiah as need to be followed in accordance with the prevailing conditions. What is Politics A storyteller writes that once there was a wall. Anyone who climbed it and looked down the other side of it never returned, for he convulsed with laugher and tumbled down. Of course, there is no truth to the story of there actually being such a wall. But should we reflect further upon this story, we find that there is such a wall, and that wall is politics. Man is impetuous by nature and tends to adore what reaps quick benefits for him and does not like those things for which he has to wait. That is why people indulge in activities which bring about quick gains. So when someone sees that politics speeds up material gains such as wealth, political authority and status, they begin to chase after it blindly. The case is similar to that of a lion. They say about lion that once it has tasted the blood of a human, it keeps on hunting for humans again and again. Initially, the sight of but one or two persons would make it flee, but later it does not care even if there are thirty or forty people. Similarly, one who has tasted of the blood of politics finds it hard to break himself away from it, and continues pursuing it ceaselessly. Politics Causes One to Neglect Other Things On the one hand, politics causes one to neglect every other thing, even one’s own life. It keeps drawing one to itself. On the other hand, Islam has never been as vulnerable at any time in the past as it is today. Therefore, today, Islam is in need of as many people as