Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page xliii
Preface xliii Bai‘at [Pledge of Allegiance] is not Conditional I openly declare that if anyone does my Bai‘at in order to attain a son or a particular office—that is, he does Bai‘at with condi- tions—then he should separate himself—not today, not tomor- row—right now and leave. I have no need for such people, nor does God care for them. ( Malf uza t, Urdu vol. 9, p. 25, [ see also English translation, page 35]) Taqw a is the key to all Religious Knowledge …to understand the Holy Quran and to attain guidance in accordance with it, taqw a is absolutely essential. Similarly, it has stated at another place: 1 اَل ۤٗهُّسَمَي اَّلِا َنْوُرَّهَطُمْلا۠ اَل ۤٗهُّسَمَي اَّلِا َنْوُرَّهَطُمْلا۠ This is not a prerequisite for other sciences. There is no stip- ulation requiring a student learning mathematics, geometry, or astronomy etc. to be righteous or pious; rather, he can still learn them regardless of however sinful and evil he may be. In the science of religion, however, a person possessing mere logic and philosophy cannot make progress, and those verities and insights cannot become manifest upon him. One whose heart is corrupt and holds no share of righteousness [and then alleges that the knowledge of religion and verities pour forth from his tongue, is lying]… Instil this firmly in your minds that taqw a is the key to all religious knowledge. Man cannot attain 1. Which none shall touch except those who are purified ( S u rah al-W a qi‘ah , 56:80). [Publisher]