Guidance for Perceiving Minds — Page 53
53 From many of them, we detect the scent of atheism. Their words are mere dung, or like a corpse buried without shroud. They are nothing but a disgrace to Islam and a perdition to Muslims, particularly at this time as people seek someone to lead them from the darkness of doubt into the light of certainty. They need words to soothe the soul, dispel confusion, manifest the hidden truth, and clarify the veiled. Where among them is a man possessing such qualities? How can a rock be broken without iron? Where is the eloquent whose words can draw people to his gatherings? Is there an orator whose utterances can captivate people with its beauty? Among them, is there a purifier who can revive hearts, bestow tranquillity and dis- pel distress? Where are the words that resemble stranded pearls? Where is the statement akin to clustered fruits easily within reach? Instead, they incline to the earth with ardent desire. How then can [faith] be attained by them from such a distant position? No one can offer a sound answer, a decisive judgment, or speak closer to the truth without the Lord of lords breathing His words into them. So look, do you find among them someone who rebukes opponents in every matter and silences defamers with every word uttered? Do you find among them a pioneer in the arts of liter- ature and eloquence, unashamed to display knowledge of the Furqan, while upholding truth, honesty, and avoiding nonsense? Have you seen among them someone who can daunt his coun- terpart with eloquence? Or melt souls with flowing words, as if his word were scattered pearls? You will not find among them a warrior nor one that can express their knowledge. Yet, you see in them waves of arrogance and vanity, devoid of intelligence or wit.