Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 209
Malfuzat - Volume I 209 that when the Hindus believe that matter and souls are eternal and self-existing, then their being joined together is far more insignificant a phenomenon―and so they should well possess the potential to join themselves together as well. Simi- larly, when they speak of the teaching, for example, that God has instructed in the Vedas that if a woman is unable to conceive a child from her present husband, she may sleep with another man to bear a child, do tell us how such a God would be perceived? Or if for example, the teaching is presented that God is unable to grant eternal salvation to a person who loves Him and is devoted to Him, but rather at the Great Dissolution of the universe (mahapralaya), it is necessary for God to return even those who have attained salvation to the cycle of reincarna- tion; or if it is suggested about God that He cannot grant anything of His own grace and compassion, instead everyone shall receive only the results of their ac- tions, then what need remains for such a God? Hence, a person who believes in such a God will have to suffer severe embarrassment. The Christian Concept of God In the same manner, when the Christians assert that their God is Christ and then they state in his relation that he was beaten at the hands of the Jews, Satan contin- ued to test him, hunger and thirst took their toll on him, and he was put on the cross in a state of failure, what wise person would be prepared to believe in such a God? Therefore, in this manner, all of these nations are put to shame when they speak of the God in whom they believe. A Muslim, however, is never embarrassed in any gathering when they speak of their own God, because any merit and excel- lent quality that one can fathom is possessed by the God in whom they believe; and He is pure from any defect or evil that one can imagine. In Surah al-Fatihah, Allah is declared to be the possessor of all praiseworthy qualities. In truth, (All praise belongs to Allah) corresponds with (Thee alone do we worship). After this appears (Lord of all the worlds) and the task of divine providence (rububiyyat), is to nurture and bring to perfection, just as a mother nurtures her child, cleans it, keeps it away from all kinds of filth and uncleanliness and feeds it milk. In other words, one could say a mother helps her child. Now corresponding to this we have here (Thee alone do we implore for help) and then (the Gracious), who bestows His grace without a desire from man, prior to his request and before any deeds are performed; if our body was not fash- ioned in its present form, we would not be able to prostrate, or bow. Therefore,