Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 191
191 am the Messenger of Allah Almighty!’ No other Prophet has had the opportu- nity to exhibit such a shining example. I advise my community that they should not pride themselves merely on the fact that they offer the Prayer, they fast, and abstain from obvious sins such as fornication, theft and so on. In these qualities, even non-believers such as idolaters and the like are similar to you. The subject of righteousness is a delicate one. Strive to attain righteousness and instill in your heart the greatness of God. A person whose deed is tainted with even the slightest ostentation will have that deed thrown back in their face by God. It is a difficult task to be righteous. For example, if someone alleges that you have stolen a pen, why would you show anger? Your virtue is merely for the sake of God. Such a one shows rage because they do not completely stand by the truth. Until one truly experiences many deaths, they do not become a righteous person. Miracles and revelations are also branches of righteousness. The actual root is righteousness. Therefore, do not be obsessed with revelations and dreams; rather, strive persistently to attain righteousness. Only the revelations of a person who is righteous are true. If one is devoid of righteousness, their revelations also are not credible either; they can be corrupted by Satan. Do not judge a person’s righteousness by their revelations; rather, gauge and assess their revelations by the state of their righteousness. Shut your eyes to everything else and first traverse the stages of righteousness. Adopt the example set by the Prophets. The objective of each and every one of the Prophets who appeared was to lead people to the path of righteousness. The Holy Quran states: 1 َ الْمُتَّقُوْن اِنْ اَوْلِيَا ٓٔوُهٗۤ اِلَّا His friends are only those who are righteous. It is the Holy Quran that has taught the finer ways of righteousness. A perfect Prophet demands a perfect community. Since the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the Seal of Prophets—may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—for this reason, the excellences of prophethood culminated in him. When the excellences of prophethood reached their final point of perfection, it was then that a seal was set on the institution of prophet- hood. An individual who desires to please God Almighty, and to witness miracles and extraordinary happenings, ought to make their life extraordinary as well. You observe that people who are set to give examinations undertake such strenuous 1 al-Anfal , 8:35 p. 173