Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 207
207 The Eid of Ramadan represents a struggle—a personal struggle—and the effort of the soul. But this Eid, also referred to as the ‘Greater Eid’, possesses a grand and magnificent spirit within itself. Alas! Due attention has not been given to this deeper reality. One immense favour of God Almighty—Whose mercy is mani- fested in many ways—upon the community of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is that this blessed community exhibited in itself the deep- er essence of everything which existed in previous religious communities in the form of a shell or a husk. The Holy Prophet sa Alone Was the True Manifestation of God’s Attributes Four attributes of God Almighty have been mentioned in Surah al-Fatihah : rabb- ul-alamin (Lord of all the worlds), rahman (the Gracious), rahim (the Merciful) and maliki yawm-id-din (Master of the Day of Judgement). Although these at- tributes are manifested on earth in the general sense, in reality, they possess with- in themselves prophecies, to which people rarely direct their attention. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, displayed a manifestation of these four attributes in his person. For no deeper reality can be understood with- out an illustration of some sort. So how was the attribute of rabb-ul-alamin (Lord of all the worlds) manifested in the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? The Holy Prophet sa grew up in disadvantaged circumstances. There was no madrasa or school available from where the Holy Prophet sa could develop and train his spiritual and religious faculties. He never had the opportunity to meet with an educated people; he had not even access to a basic education, nor was he able to study the deep and intricate sciences of philosophy. Now observe how despite not having had these opportunities, he was granted a blessing as great as the Holy Quran—no other knowledge even remotely compares to the sublime and true knowledge contained in this book. Any individual who reads the Holy Quran with even the slightest understanding and reflection will realise that every form of philosophy and all the sciences are worthless in comparison. It has left every sage and philosopher far behind. Prior to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, there have been two magnificent prophets. Firstly, Moses, peace be upon him, and secondly, Jesus, peace be upon him. Both of them, however, were able to obtain an education; no claim has ever been made that they were unlettered Prophets. This challenge and claim has only been made