The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 427
Repeated Challenges 427 which we are distinguished from others, they should be told that the distinction is that they are close to God and the others are far from Him. 'I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls on Me. So they should respond to Me and have firm faith in Me, that they may be rightly guided. ' That is, God responds to those of them who pray to Him and talks to them and accepts their supplications. 'They should, therefore, carry out His commands and have firm faith in Him so that they may attain righteousness. ". The signs of the redeemed are set at various other places, but it would take too long to rehearse them all. One of them is: يايما الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ان تَتَّقُوا اللهَ يَجْعَل لَّكُمْ فُرْقَانًا 259 (Part 9, Rukū 18, Surah Anfāl) 'O Ye who believe, if you fear God, He will bestow a mark of distinction between you and the others. ". Now I respectfully ask Mr. 'Abdullāh Ātham: If the. Christian faith prescribes any path to salvation which you consider to be right and true, and by following which you believe salvation can be achieved, then the signs of such salvation and the signs of those who are delivered from the darkness of this world through such salvation, must surely be recorded in the Gospels. Please tell me briefly whether those signs can be found in your own person, or in those whom you consider holy among you, or your leaders, or those among you whom you consider to be of a higher order? If these signs are found in them, kindly furnish proof thereof; and if such signs are not found in 259. Al-Anfal, 8:30 [Publisher]