Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 315
315 ' "I say to you truly that a holy desire for union with God cannot be combined with an impure desire for gain. You can- not serve both God and this world, therefore serve God alone and let this world be as a servant to ^ you; I do not look upon anyone as -my follower till he prefers God to all wordly objects. This is a condition whose fulfilment I require of all my disci- ples, for people who do not raise every step for the sake of God are; of no use. -And for the fulfilment of this condition it is necessary that the evil desires in a man should all be brought to naught. It is to this state that the Holy Quran refers when it says &J ) ^ U ^ ^ \ ^c ^r&) } ^^ ^ MJ ^ 1^ uJ U, ^ U ) ^ ^. yU)^ "But as to him who fears the majesty of his Lord and refrains his soul from evil desires, his abode is paradise" (Ixxix : 40) From the concluding words of this verse it is evi- dent that paradise becomes a man's abode as soon as he begins to shun all evil desires. It is, therefore, in this life that a man begins to lead heavenly life, and this is the place which Islam desires every man to reach (Vol. IV B, B. 1905). The truth is that atheism is gradually and silently taking hold of the minds of rnen and the fear of God has vanished away. . Having eyes rnen see not, and having ears they bear not, and having hearts they understand not, therefore the signs of God are rejected* A study of the books, I have written,, will show that the clearest arguments have been given in sup- port of my claim which have never been refuted, but the hearts are so hardened that no amount of reasoning in sufficient to con- vince them. (Vol. Ill R. B. 1904. ) "Almighty God out of His mercy sends His Messenger that they may point out the way to purity and freedom from, sin, but pride, which is a most fatal disease, keeps rnen off; from the acceptance of truth. A true believer must have,