Guidance for Perceiving Minds — Page 40
h a d rat Mirza ghulam AHmAD as 40 Instead, they are absorbed in material and political reforms, so what role do they have in academic and practical reforms? In essence, kings and officials possess no power to remove ill desires. How can they then guide others while stumbling like blind she-camels? How can a perverse heart be expected to straighten a hostile soul, to bring joy to the miserable, to extend a hand to the weary and lead the weak, to open the eyes of the blind, and unveil the veiled? Instead, the Muslim kings in these times resemble drunkards or prisoners, or like the eclipsed moon among the radiance of the Christians. How can actions, akin to those of warriors, emerge from their arms? Rather, they remain inactive like girls at home. Among the flaws of these kings is their neglect in propa- gating Arabic, instead favouring Turkish or Persian. Yet, it was incumbent upon them to promote Arabic across Islamic lands, as it is the language of Allah, His Messenger s as , and the Purified Scriptures. We do not look with reverence at those who fail to honour this language and neglect to disseminate it in their coun- tries as a means to repel Satan. This is one of the primary causes of their affliction and the indicators of their misfortune. They have strayed from the path of a purified garden onto a heap of dung, squandering their riches, abandoning their wealth, and exchang- ing what is high and lofty for what is base, and resembled the peo- ple of Moses as. If they had so desired, they could have made Arabic the language of the masses. By following this path, they would have shielded themselves from reproach, for Arabic is the mother of all tongues, containing within it a treasure of wonders and a repository of strength. The conduct of a Muslim who forsakes Arabic in favour of