The Green Announcement — Page 14
14 The trials which initially confront Prophets and Saints and make them appear dishonoured despite their being loved and accepted by God do not come to disgrace them or de- stroy them or wipe their names off the face of this earth. Nor can this be their purpose, for how can God become the enemy of those who love Him and bring disgrace upon them? These trials, which appear with the ferocity of a roaring lion and cause darkness to descend all around, come upon God’s chosen servants in order to raise them to the highest levels of acceptance and to open for them the finer dimensions of Divine knowledge. This has al- ways been God’s practice towards His servants, and it is substantiated by the entreaties made by David as in the Psalms, by the Gospel’s account of Jesus’ heartrending supplications during his time of trials, and by the humble supplications of the Holy Prophet sa that are recorded in the Holy Quran and the Traditions. 7 7 One of the supplications which David made during his time of tri- als, and are recorded in the Psalms, is: Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire where there is no standing. I am weary of my cry- ing: mine eyes fail. They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake. They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour. I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none. (Psalms 69) The Gospels also contain an account of how the Messiah as prayed and supplicated during his night of trial, and how he remained awake Contd…