Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 258
258 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Measures of the Government in These Days of Plague Are Correct If the government does not hold sincere sympathy for you, do explain why it would bother to spend such a hefty sum of money? Why would places of treat- ment and doctors be made available for this purpose? Why has it appointed thousands from among the police force to oversee these arrangements? Does the government enjoy wasting its money? Of course not. In fact, upon observing the present state of the country, in the likeness of an affectionate mother, it is restless from within. The government too is from among the people. Perhaps the people are unaware, but it is narrated in a Hadith that on the Day of Judgement peo- ple will be destroyed by the plague. Although the predictions of astrologers are not worthy of mention, but various astrologers from India and Europe say that in November 1899 the stars will come together and a horrific time will appear. Although I do not give any significance to the predictions of astrologers, what causes me grief is that the revelation given to me has also warned of impending danger in the two winters to come, provided that people do not adopt the path of righteousness and do not turn to God Almighty. If people do not refrain from sin, fornication, theft and all forms of deceit and falsehood, and evil action in every shape and form, grave danger is apprehended. A terrifying and dreadful sight is before us. Now tell me why we should hold the government responsible for any fault? I advise my people that it does not behove our community to act as the ignorant do, nor follow in the way of those who act like short-sighted fools. I assure you that all of the guidelines the government has given are immensely beneficial for your health. In our books of history, for example, in Tabari and other such books, which were written more than a thousand years ago, it is narrated that in the time of Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, when the Muslim army was in Syria, an epidemic broke out. At that time, the army was forced to take refuge on a mountain. Therefore, the government has not employed a self-invented practice; in fact, it is established that this is an Islamic practice as well. Just as the Muslims moved from lower ground to higher mountain terrain, in the same manner even now, humid and damp homes located in lowlands are emptied to move the infected to open fields. Avicenna has also stressed that homes must be