Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 245
245 You know that when I take the oath of allegiance, I seek a declaration that you will give precedence to religion over worldly affairs. This is so that I may observe the degree to which the individual who takes the oath acts upon this declaration. If people are able to acquire even a small area of land, they will leave behind their homes and settle there; in fact, it is necessary for them to remain there so that this area of land may become inhabited. Even Muhammad Hussain has had to move out and settle on open farmland as well. Now when I am giving you a new land—a land which, if cultivated with purity and effort, can bring forth everlast- ing fruits—why do people not come here and build their houses on it? Then, if someone does accept this land, but does so with such a lack of concern that after swearing the oath of allegiance, they find it burdensome and difficult to come here and stay for even a few days, how can such a one expect that their crop would ripen and yield fruits? God Almighty refers to the heart as a ‘land’ as well. 1 اَنَّ اهللَ يُحْيِ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا اِعْلَمُوْۤا Know that Allah is now quickening the earth after its death. Just observe the amount of struggle that a farmer must bear. A farmer will pur- chase an ox, plough the land, sow the seed and irrigate the soil. In short, a huge effort goes into this work, and until a farmer takes this work upon themselves, nothing can be achieved. It is written that a man once saw an inscription with the words: ‘Agriculture is gold and nothing but gold. ’ So the individual took up farm- ing, but delegated the work to servants. However, when it came time to calculate the earnings, far from making a profit, it turned out that he owed money instead. When he began to entertain doubts on this occasion, a wise person explained: ‘The advice was true, but you were foolish. You must supervise everything your- self, only then will you make a profit. ’ The land of the heart is exactly the same in nature: one who shows it irreverence remains deprived of the grace and blessing of God Almighty. Remember that I have come for the reformation of humanity, and the one who comes to me shall inherit divine grace in accordance with their own individual capacity. However, I clearly state that a person who swears the oath of allegiance in a half-hearted manner and leaves, and then no one knows where he has gone and what he is engaged in, shall receive nothing. Such a one will leave empty-handed, just as he was empty-handed when he first came. The divine grace and blessing of which I speak is received by remaining in 1 al-Hadid , 57:18