Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 214
214 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولًا ! The prophecy of Allah and His Messenger has been fulfilled at its duly appointed time and whatever God had willed was bound to happen. 21 January 1898 Seeking Forgiveness Is a Shield in the Face of Divine Chastisement and Grievous Calamities The plague epidemic itself is a grievous affliction. Yet, another law that is even more severe exists above this; another calamity that far outweighs the phenom- enon of disease. Women and children too are separated and houses are emptied at its behest. Reflecting over this illness and the law that governs it, I felt a pain in my heart, so I supplicated in my Tahajjud prayer upon which I received the revelation: إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوْا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ 2 Surely, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change that which is in their hearts. I now consider that perhaps the revelation: 'O Lightning, do not strike from heaven, relates to this as well. I would like you to understand that Allah the Exalted has mercy on those who supplicate before the descent of affliction, and who seek forgiveness from Him and give charity, and He saves them from divine chastisement. Do not listen to my words as though they were mere tales. I advise you for the sake of Allah that you ought to ponder over your circumstances. You ought to not only engage in prayer yourself, but exhort your friends to do the same. Seeking forgiveness from God serves as a shield in the face of divine chastisement and grievous calamities. In the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted states: 1 مَا كَانَ اللهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ Allah would not punish them while they sought forgiveness. Therefore, if you desire to be safeguarded from this divine chastisement, then seek forgiveness abundantly. Al-Hakam, vol. 5, p. 34, dated 17 September 1901, pp. 1-2 2 ar-Ra'd, 13:12 al-Anfal, 8:34