Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 128
128 attained. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad I found, some time ago, that even in British law, in order to secure an agricul- tural loan, one is required to furnish proof of some assets. In the same manner, one ought to keep in view the law of nature and ask: have we made good use of that which has already been bestowed upon us? If having been blessed with reason, good sense, eyes and ears, we have not gone astray, and have not pursued ways of foolishness and ignorance, then you shall receive further divine grace through prayer, otherwise there are warning signs of destitution and misfortune. The Meaning of Wisdom Our friends will meet Christians often. They will observe that there is nothing in the religion of these uninformed people which may be attributed to the All- Wise God. What is the meaning of wisdom? It is as the Arabic phrase goes: (The placing of a thing in its proper place). However, in the Christian faith you will find that no action or injunction falls true to this definition. When we closely reflect upon (Guide us in the right path) the wording of this verse makes it clear that we have been taught to pray so that we may be guided to the straight path. However, the aforementioned verse is preceded by the following: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. This alludes to the fact that we must first derive benefit from this verse. That is to say, in order to traverse the stages on the path of righteousness, one must engage their faculties before seeking the assistance of Allah. What Are Morals? Now one should reflect over what things are worth asking for? Firstly, morals, which raise a person to the status of a human being. One should not surmise that gentle behaviour alone is what constitutes good morals. Creation (khalq) and morals (khulq) are two Arabic words which give corresponding meanings. The word khalq refers to physical birth, i. e. the creation of one's ears, nose, hair, etc. , whereas khulq refers to inner, spiritual birth. As such, inner faculties which are the distinguishing factor between a human and non-human are all encompassed