A Call to Faith — Page 30
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad 30 physical parents. What kind of father would speak ill of his children or refer to his righteous and healthy child as sinful and unwell, except for one who is an enemy to them or bereft of his senses? Do you think a father like the Holy Prophet sa could ever be guilty of such a failing? If this fate did not await them, the Prophet sa would never have said in future times people would be Muslims in name alone. Again it is patently manifest the Holy Prophet sa was the foremost person in establishing the honour of the ulema. He said : 25 َ ءِ یْل ءِ بَن ِْاِس�َْآ ََنْبِی�َآ ك ِْ ءُ اُمَّت عُلَم�َآ The ulema of Islam have been given such honour as no other prophet of the past has bestowed on his people. Thus the Prophet sa would not have suggested in future times they would become the worst of all creation beneath the heavens without good reason. It is certain Allah the Exalted showed him the corrupted state of the ulema of today; otherwise the Prophet sa was so merciful that had a few minor faults attended them, he would not have raised the issue. And in his forbearance and his capacity as the concealer of faults, he would have masked these shortcomings i n order to uphold their honour. But he did not choose 25 The ulema of my umma are like the prophets of the Children of Israel. ( Maktubat-e-Imam Rabbani, Vol. 1, p. 336, 1889 Awadh ) [ Publishers]