Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 80
80 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad recite was one whose entire life was based on the guiding principle of devotion to God. Yet the Muslim of today lives for the world and dies for the world. Until they finally begin to breathe their last, it is the world that is their objective, the object of their love and desire. How then can such a one say that they follow the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? This is an instance for contemplation; do not consider this to be an ordinary matter. It is not easy to be a Muslim. Do not rest until you develop obedience for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and inculcate a true image of Islam within yourselves. The current state of affairs may be likened to a shell and nothing more. You may call yourselves Muslims without truly following the Messenger of Allah, but bear in mind that it is unwise to be content with a name alone, and nothing but the husk. It is written that a Muslim told a Jew to accept Islam, to which the Jew responded: ‘Do not be pleased by a mere name. I named my son Khalid (i. e. one who lives long) but I was forced to lay him to rest before the start of the evening. ’ So seek the essence. Do not be satisfied with mere names. How shameful is it to call oneself the follower of such a magnificent Prophet, yet spend a life akin to that of disbelievers. Show an example of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in your own lives and foster within yourselves a similar state. Be mindful that if you have not developed such a condi- tion, then you are a follower of Satan. In short, it can now be very well understood that becoming the beloved of Allah Almighty ought to be the prime objective of a person’s life. Until a person is endeared to Allah the Exalted and they do not receive His love, they cannot live a life of success. Now this is not possible until one sincerely obeys and follows the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has shown through his own example what Islam truly is, so inculcate that very same Islam within yourselves so that you may become the beloved of God. I wish to reiterate that it is the word hamd (praise) from which Muhammad and Ahmad are derived—may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Holy Prophet. These are two names of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which were two manifestations of hamd or ‘praise. ’ Then, in Surah Fatihah, after alhamdulillah (All praise belongs to Allah), four attributes of Allah Almighty have been mentioned: Rabb-ul-Alamin (the Provider and Nourisher of p. 71