Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 271
271 Messiah at a time when the cross would be dominant. This implies that the trial posed by the religion of the cross would be great, and at such a time, strategies of every kind would be employed to propagate and spread this Faith. Injustice and falsehood—which could also be described in other words as the associa- tion of partners with God and the worship of the dead—would be prevalent throughout the world. The man who would be sent by Allah Almighty during that era was to be entrusted with the responsibility of cleansing the world of this injustice and falsehood, and to save the world from the curse of worshipping the dead and worshipping the cross. This is how the Promised Messiah would break the cross. Apparently, it seems contradictory that although one of the tasks of the Promised Messiah was َ یَضَع ُ الْحَرْب (he will end warfare), which means that he would not engage in physical conflict, in order to break actual crosses, one must fight. This appears to be a contradiction only to those who possess a superficial bent of mind, and who have not at all understood the purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah. In fact, the words َ یَضَع ُ الْحَرْب (he will end warfare) shed light on the true nature of breaking the cross. As I have just mentioned, this indicates that the Promised Messiah would not break crosses of wood and other materials, but refers to the defeat of the religion of the cross. This defeat would take place through a clear sign and arguments, just as Allah the Exalted has stated: 1 ٍ ۃ َ لِيَـهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ ع َنْۢ بَيِّن So that he who had already perished through a clear Sign might perish. In any case, if our adversaries who are so extreme in their opposition had but stopped to think with a calm heart and with firm faith that they will one day be presented before God Almighty, and if they had reflected over the points that I have just mentioned, they would have no choice but to stand behind me. They would see that the head of the century has arrived and that in fact, nineteen years have since passed, and it is necessary for a Reformer to appear at the head of every century, otherwise, this would mean that the Messenger of Allah, peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, was false. The Grave Trial of Christianity Furthermore, if these people observed the trial we are faced with on account of 1 al-Anfal, 8:43 p. 247