Lecture Sialkot — Page 64
64 L ECTURE S IALKOT adopting such an attitude they might even bid fare- well to Islam itself. The fact is that in my prophecies—like the prophecies of every Prophet as — there is room for interpretation, just as the Holy Prophet’s sa journey to H udaibiya admitted of an inter- pretation. It was as a result of a certain interpretation that he undertook the journey, but it turned out to be the wrong one. Thus, an occasional error of interpre- tation or judgement does not in any way detract from the lofty station, majesty and honour of a Prophet. If it is said that such a thing compromises the integrity of a Prophet, the answer is that a Prophet’s integrity suffers no such loss if we consider the vast number [of prophecies that are accurately fulfilled]. Some- times a Prophet receives a solitary and abstract Revelation, and at other times something is revealed clearly and repeatedly. Misinterpretation of an ab- stract revelation due to an error of judgement would not harm the cardinal and axiomatic principles. Therefore, I do not deny that if I receive a solitary and abstract Revelation, there may be some error of judgement in understanding it. This is a risk shared by all Prophets as. 36 36 The curse of Allah be upon those who lie. [Publishers]