Lecture Lahore — Page 45
45 attack religion as a wave falls upon a wave, desiring to destroy one another, the Lord of heaven and earth shall bring about a new dispensation by His own hand, without resorting to worldly means, and shall draw into this dis- pensation all worthy and capable souls, who will then understand the true purpose of religion, and a new life and a spirit of true righteousness shall be breathed into them, and they shall be made to drink from the fountain of true God-realization— Ma‘rifat. This world will not come to an end until this prophecy—announced by the Holy Quran thirteen hundred years ago—is fulfilled. Nor is this the only sign of the age when all people will be united under one religion, for the Holy Quran mentions many other signs, such as, the building of numerous canals flowing out of rivers, discovery of minerals from beneath the earth, profusion of worldly knowledge, availability of means for the mass publication of books (this refers to the printing press), invention of a new means of transport— which will render camels useless, make it easy for people to meet and communicate, and facilitate the spread of news and information—and the eclipse of the sun and the moon in the same month of Ramadan. The plague will also be a sign of that age, and it will be so severe that no town or village will be spared from its ravages and death will pervade the land making it virtually desolate. Some habitations will be completely wiped out, while others will be spared after suffering to an extent. These days will be marked by expressions of Divine wrath, because peo- ple will not accept the signs shown in favour of His