Jesus In India — Page 19
J e s u s i n I n d i a 19 lost sheep of Israel. Otherwise too, he must needs have escaped death on the cross, for it was stated in the Holy Book that whoever was hanged on the cross was accursed. The term ‘accursed’ has a connotation which it would be cruel and unfair to apply to a chosen one of God like Jesus, for, according to the agreed view of all whose mother tongue is Arabic, la’nat , or curse, has reference to the state of one’s heart. A man is said to be accursed when his heart, having been estranged from God, becomes dark; when, deprived of divine mercy and of divine love, devoid absolutely of His knowledge, blind and deaf like Satan, he is saturated with the poison of unbelief; when there remains not a ray of divine love and knowledge in him; when the bonds of love and loyalty are broken, and, between him and God, mutual hatred and disdain and spite and hostility take root, so much so that they become enemies; and God becomes weary of him and he becomes weary of God; in short, he becomes an heir to all the attributes of the Devil. That is why the Devil himself is called the accursed. The connotation of the word ‘accursed’ is so foul and unclean that it can never apply to a righteous person who entertains the love of God in his heart. It is a pity that Christians did not consider the significance of curse when they invented this belief; otherwise, they could never have used such a degrading word for a righteous man like Jesus. Can we ever possibly imagine that Jesus’ heart was estranged from God; that he had denied His existence, Vide the lexicons: Lisaan-ul-Arab, Sihah Jauhari, Qaamus, Muhit, Taj- ul-Urus, etc. (Author)