Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 141
141 time calls for it, the latter would be ready to even lay down his life for him, and because he knows that the servant is loyal, while the former would be prepared to kill him if instigated to do so, or in the least, would willingly leave him to offer his services to someone else. In the same manner, an individual who is not loyal to God Almighty, but offers the five daily prayers and even goes above and beyond to observe the Ishraq Prayer, and recites numerous litanies and invoca- tions, cannot compare, in the sight of God Almighty, to a person who is loyal. For God Almighty knows that in a time of misfortune, that person will not be loyal. When a person demonstrates loyalty, it necessarily follows that they are blessed with joy as well—just as the table cloth accompanies food. However, it ought to be borne in mind that even saints are faced with times when they feel spiritually constricted, for it is only in such a state that one can fully appreciate the value of joy, and as a result, one is able to feel joy with a heightened sense of perception. ” Do Not Be Hasty in Forming an Opinion of Others The Promised Messiah as said: “No one can be privy to the inner state of someone else’s heart, nor can anyone come to know what lies in the hidden corners of another’s heart. Therefore, no one should be hasty in forming an opinion about another individual, but should be forbearing. There is mention of a certain indi- vidual who made an oath with God Almighty that he would consider everyone to be better than him and no one to be beneath him. People do tend to form such ideas in order to attain the pleasure of their beloved. One day, he saw a man sit- ting near a river along with a woman, where there was a nearby bridge on which many people were crossing. There was a bottle in the man’s hand; he would drink from the bottle himself, and give some to the woman beside him as well. The indi- vidual who had made the aforementioned vow thought ill of the man near the river and told himself: ‘Surely, I am better than this shameless man. ’ Then, a boat sank nearby along with its passengers. The man who was sitting with the woman dove into the river and saved all of the passengers except for one. Then he turned to the man who was guilty of ill-thinking and said to him: ‘You thought ill of me. I have saved all but one, now you go and save the last. God sent me to test you and informed me of what was in your heart. This woman is my mother, and this bottle does not contain alcohol, but is filled with water from the river. ’ Therefore, one should never be quick to judge another person. ” 1 1 Al-Hakam , vol. 5, no. 14, dated 17 April 1901, pp. 14-15 p. 126