Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 148
148 are abused and therefore the goal is not reached. It is no doubt true as you say that it is very difficult that all people should follow one religion, but for the true seeker every difficulty is removed. Your illustration of travellers by the train and travellers on foot trying to reach the same destination does not apply in a religious matter, and the analogy does not hold true. There is only one way to find God, viz. , to attain to certainty by miracles and signs. True faith arid purity of soul depend upon this. How can he reach God or be true in faith upon Him who has yet no certainty of His existence. There is no plurality of ways to find but God as in this world. There is only one way and that is certainty with regard to God on which also depends the purity of soul. But no religion except Islam has the means of certainty. You write further on in your letter that God infinite and, therefore, we cannot know Him except by doing away with, the restraints of sliarcC (law). Now shard 1 is an Arabic word and ifc means a way, and hence particularly the way to God. Your argument is therefore, reduced to this that to find God, we must leave the way which leads to Him. I leave it for you to consider the reasonableness of this assertion. As your remark, " Of caste and profession no one will question thee; worship God and of God shalt thou be," Islam takes no exception, for it does not make any distinction on the score of caste or nationality. Every one who seeks God, will find the way to Him to whatever nation- ality he may belong. But it is not true to say that every one can find the way to God to whatever religion he may belong, for unless the true and pure religion is followed, the way to God is not found. Religion and nationality are two quite different things. Then drawing a wrong conclusion from your remark quoted above, you say : " This is the reason why the followers of the Yedas have not set on salvation the condition of following any