Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 29
29 Malfuzat – Volume IV spiritual manifestations are not the Mothers of the Believers, then what are they? The custom of God Almighty and the law of nature also reinforce this ongoing practice because no one has ever married the wife of a Prophet after him. I say that one should ask such people who object to using the term ‘Mother of the Believers’ that they ought to tell us in respect of the Promised Messiah, whom they believe in their minds will appear and then marry, will they deem his wife to be the Mother of the Believers or not? In the narration of Muslim, the Promised Messiah has been called a Prophet and in the Holy Quran, the wives of the Prophets, peace be upon them, have been named the Mothers of the Believers. The unfortunate fact is that these people have transgressed so far in their opposi - tion and malice that when they utter a statement they do not even stop to think as to what the effect and result will be. As for those who have recognised the Promised Messiah and have accepted his rank as stated by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, their belief will naturally compel them to accept what I have just mentioned. If those who raise objections now were present in the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, they would not have refrained from raising allegations even then. It ought to be remembered that a divinely commissioned one of God who guides the people and brings about their spiritual reformation is in reality, greater than one’s father. The philosopher Plato writes that a father brings a soul from heaven down to earth, whereas a spiritual mentor elevates one from the earth to heaven. The relationship of a father is limited to one’s mortal body, but a spir - itual guide, and in fact, that spiritual guide who is guided by God and divinely appointed, holds a relationship with one’s soul, which will never die. When such a guide nurtures the soul and becomes the cause of one’s spiritual birth, what would he be, if not a father? The fact of the matter is that these people do not pay attention to the words of the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; for if they reflected on these words, and if they read the Quran, they would not be among the disbelievers. ” The Reason for Having a Photograph Taken Then it was said that the people take objection with the photo of the Promised Messiah as and assert that this photograph has been taken to reinforce the con - cept known as the visualisation of the spiritual mentor (tasawwur-e-shaykh). His p. 304