Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 75
Malfuzat - Volume I 75 they become firm defenders like horses that are stationed at the frontier. It is the righteous and pure who are always accompanied by the grace of Allah Almighty. Let not your morals and practices become such as would blemish Islam. Evildoers and Muslims who do not act upon the teachings of Islam stain the religion. When a Muslim consumes alcohol, at times he is found vomiting somewhere with his turban wrapped around the neck; he is found falling here and there in sewers and gutters. The police disciplines such a one, and Hindus and Christians laugh at this. Now this action, which is against the Islamic shariah, not only brings ridicule upon the Muslim who does so, but ultimately the effects of this reach Islam itself. It gives me immense pain to read such news or prison reports, when I find that such a large number of Muslims have been incarcerated for their criminal actions. My heart becomes restless to think that these people who possess direction to the right path do not inflict harm upon themselves alone due to their own misdeeds, rather, give others an opportunity to laugh at Islam as well. It is for this reason that in a previous census, Mr Ibbetson has written much on the Muslims. In this, I seek to point out that the Muslim people call themselves Muslims yet become implicated in unlawful and prohibited actions which not only bring them into question, but also Islam. In short, mould your character and conduct in such a manner that even disbelievers (who actually seek to criticise Islam) are unable to find fault in you. True Gratitude Is in Adopting Righteousness and Purity Your true expression of gratitude is by adopting righteousness and purity. To merely respond by saying alhamdulillah (all praise belongs to Allah) when asked if you are a Muslim does not constitute thankfulness and appreciation. If you pay true gratitude, i. e. if you tread the ways of purity and righteousness, I give you glad tidings that when you stand at the frontier, as it were, no one can gain dominance over you. I remember that a Hindu head clerk named Jagan Nath, who was a very prejudiced man, mentioned that he was serving as head clerk in Amritsar or some place else and there was an employee-apparently a Hindu- who secretly observed the Islamic Prayer. Jagan Nath says that he along with the other Hindu employees disliked him greatly and all of them decided to have the man dismissed. Jagan Nath says that he harboured the most ill-intent at heart and lodged complaints against the Hindu many times, saying that he had committed this mistake or broken that rule, but no attention would be given to these