Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 275
275 of Allah be upon him, even began to measure their hands in front of him, and he did not forbid them from doing so either. However, when his wife Zainab, may Allah be pleased with her, passed away first, the actual purport of this statement became clear in that ‘the one with the longest hands’ referred to that wife who was the most generous. In the same way, there are verses in the Word of Allah Almighty which, if interpreted in the apparent sense, would mean nothing. For example, the Holy Quran states: 1 الْاٰخِرَةِ اَعْمٰى فَهُوَ فِي مَنْ كَانَ فِيْ هٰذِهٖۤ اَعْمٰى Whoso is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter. Now in your personal capacity, you ought to ask Hafiz Abdul-Mannan, from Wazirabad, who is an extreme enemy of my community, does this verse mean that a person who is blind in this world, will be raised in the next life as a blind person? Or is it the case that this verse cannot be understood literally and implies some other meaning? Surely, he will have to say that undoubtedly, this does not mean that a blind person or one who is unable to see shall be raised on the Day of Resurrection blind and deprived of sight; he will have to say that this implies a blindness of divine cognisance and insight. When it is proven then that words can be used in the metaphoric sense, espe- cially in prophecies, then how is it wise to interpret the words used in prophecies relating to the descent of Jesus as in the apparent sense? Those who oppose me are literalists and engage in conjecture. However, bear in mind that Allah Almighty states: 2 ُـغْنِيْ مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْــًٔا ی اِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا Surely, conjecture avails nothing against truth. Moreover, He also states: 3 ٌ اِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ اِثْم For suspicion in some cases is a sin. Therefore, if people were to think ill and insist on taking the verse quoted ear- lier in the apparent sense, then this would mean that the blind would be denied 1 Bani Isra’il , 17:53 2 an-Najm , 53:29 3 al-Hujurat, 49:13 p. 251