Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 253
253 Malfuzat – Volume IV The Era of the Mahdi—A Magnificent Friday It is in the form of this religion Islam that God Almighty has completed His favour. In this favour, the day known as Friday bears significance because this was the day when God’s favour was completed. This alludes to the fact that in this age also it would be on a magnificent Friday that the completion of God’s favour would take place—the favour that was destined in the form of: 1 ٖ ٗه ِ ُل ُـ ْك ِ ُن ْ ُي ِ ْلْد ا ْي َ ٰل َ ِع َِٗرَٗہ َھ ْ ُظ ُ ْي ِ ْل So that God may cause it (i. e. the Religion of Truth) to prevail over all religions. That Friday has now come. For God Almighty has made that Friday distinctly related to the Promised Messiah, because in reality there are two ways in which God’s favour is completed: firstly, through the perfection of guidance and sec - ondly, through the perfection of the propagation of that guidance. Now if you reflect, it is clear that the perfection of guidance took place entirely in the era of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. However, God Almighty had decreed that the perfection of the propagation of that guidance would take place in a latter era, when the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was to appear in the form of a spiritual manifestation—and that era is the age of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. It is for this reason that the words 2 ٖ ٗه ِ ُل ُـ ْك ِ ُن ْ ُي ِ ْلْد ا ْي َ ٰل َ ِع َِٗرَٗہ َھ ْ ُظ ُ ْي ِ ْل s o that God may cause Islam to prevail over all reli - ( gions) appear to honour him. All of the commentators are in agreement that this verse of the Holy Quran relates to the time of the Promised Messiah as. In truth, a religion can only be manifested when all of the other Faiths have also come out into the field of battle, as it were, and when all beneficial means for the propaga - tion of religion become available. That time has now come by the grace of God. Hence, in this age, through the power of the printing press, the facilities that have become available for the printing and publication of books are known to all. Through the establishment of post offices, one can convey a message to the entire world. Through newspapers, one is able to learn about events in every part of the world. Through the railways, journeys have become easier. In short, all of these new inventions that continue to be developed on an ongoing basis establish with greater magnificence that the Promised Messiah as has appeared at the appointed 1 as-Saff , 61:10 2 as-Saff , 61:10