Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 830
830 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI thing. They are distancing themselves from the paths of piety as if there is a lion wreaking havoc on these paths, or there are other afflictions that would seize them. Do they imagine that they will not be called to account and will be left alone like something lost and forgotten? Do they not see the Signs of my Lord, or have they ever seen Allah treating an impostor like this? What has happened to them that they do not give up the habit of inflicting pain, using abusive language and hurling insults? Are they under an oath or a pledge or a promise? The fact is that God listens and watches. Woe be upon them! They exceeded the limit of piety, and their hearts have been sealed. As a result, they have given preference to nyctalopia and blindness. They do not fear God but are afraid of [His] creatures. Nor do they protect themselves from the heat and flames of Hell. They were given the keys of the house of the Faith, which they neither entered themselves, nor did they let others enter it. Can there be any hope that they would believe in the Imam of the age? On the contrary, they say that he is an impostor who is misleading the world and parading in the garb of a Muslim, and that he does not believe in God and His Chosen Prophet [Muḥammadsa]. They have not split my chest open; what then has informed them of my secret disbelief? They have witnessed such Signs that if they had been witnessed by the perished people of the earlier ages, they would not have suffered chastisement in this world and in the Hereafter. It is indeed so unfortunate that the sun rose in their presence, became so bright, and yet they are hiding themselves in a cave, and give preference to darkness. They make no distinction between the embezzler and the trustworthy, nor between the bright day and a dark night. They seek to put out the light sent down by the Glorious God, but Allah is the Master of His will even if their machination could move mountains. Do they imagine that they are a people who know no decline? God will soon nullify their machination even if it looks like the milk that goes down the throat fast and becomes part and parcel of the body, or like a diet that is very nice and sweet. Do they have the power to avert His decree? Holy is our Lord, the Incomparably High. He is always