Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 18
18 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad that whosoever is righteous and acts in accordance with His will, shall be able to achieve the ranks attained by Prophets and saints. This also establishes that hu- mans have been endowed many faculties that are to be nourished and nurtured to make great progress. Of course, since a goat cannot be compared to a human being, its faculties, therefore, cannot develop in the same manner. Whenever a person of high resolve hears about the lives of the Messengers and Prophets, they desire not only to develop a faith in the bounties that were conferred upon this pure community, but they also long to partake of these blessings; first through the stage known as knowledge by inference, then certainty by sight and finally by true certainty. Three Stages of Knowledge There are three stages of knowledge: knowledge by inference, certainty by sight and true certainty. For example, to believe in the existence of a fire somewhere at the sight of smoke is knowledge by inference. However, to see the fire with one's eyes is certainty by sight. After this, there is true certainty, which is akin to putting one's hand into the fire and to know for certain that the fire exists by experiencing its heat and burning sensation. How unfortunate is the one who has attained neither one of these stages. According to the following verse, a person who is deprived of Allah's grace is entangled in the practice of blindly following others. Allah the Exalted states: وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُ وْا فِيْنَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا Meaning, a person who strives in our cause shall be shown the ways that lead to Us. Along with this promise, we have also been taught the prayer: 2 اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ Guide us in the right path. Therefore, man ought to keep this in mind and supplicate fervently in their for- mal Prayer, lest he departs from this world blind and bereft of insight. Allah Al- mighty states: al-Ankabut, 29:70 al-Fatihah, 1:6