An Introduction to the Hidden Treasures of Islam — Page 139
139 M a l and did not make their sons their successors like the sons of the worldly kings and like those gone astray, and they lived in this world in the garment of poverty and want and did not incline towards ease and luxury like those who are rulers and chiefs. How can it be imagined about them that they robbed the people of their wealth through transgression and inclined towards usurping and robbing? Can such a course of action be result of the company of the Holy Prophet sa who was the best of the Universe? Hadrat Jal a l-ud-D i n Shams ra , in the introduction to the book on page 9, quoting from the Arabic text, indicated that the Promised Messiah as expressed the view that some members of the Shia community quarrel with the Sunnis in this matter and the days of this quarrel had indeed lengthened and often this bitter quarrel led them to bitter feuds and lawsuits. He was sorry about them as signs have indeed become manifest for them and conclusive evidence has come to light, but still they run away and do not reflect like those fair and just. The Promised Messiah as invited them to a course of action which would open their eyes. He invited them to gather in a field and entreat the Almighty Lord and invoke All a h’s curse on the liar. If then the effect of the prayer of the Promissed Messiah as is not evident within one year, he shall accept for himself any punishment and he shall affirm that they are truthful and he shall also give them Rs. 5,000. The Promissed Messiah spoke very highly of ‘Al i towards whom he felt a personal attachment on account of a vision which he had seen. But if the Shias insisted, he said, in holding that the first three Caliphs of Islam were wrongdoers and usurpers, he must point out that ‘Al i , too, according to their beliefs, proved himself unworthy of the trust placed in him because he owed allegiance to them as true Caliphs and prayed behind them five times every day and helped them in every respect. As a true Muslim, he would never have done that, had he seen anything un-Islamic in the first three Caliphs.