Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page 475
3 October 1907 475 Life is Attained after being Slaughtered There can be no true servitude without pain and suffering. Nothing can be attained by spending a life in comfort, sitting besides a lake or a fine pond, and remembering God lying down in a lush and verdant place like the Hindu gurus. You ought to show steadfastness during trials and tests, and not even desist from giving your life for the sake of God, and always be ready to be sacrificed in His way. When a person has determined in his heart and is prepared for hardship, then God is attained, and spiritual benefit is also gained. This is the practice of Allah. Ever since the world was created and the institution of prophethood began, God has never been pleased nor has religion ever been attained without [believers] enduring pain and suffering. Some people come and ask me to make them into a saint through some spell or incantation, and infuse within them the spirit of life. However, God first slaughters and then gives life; in fact, at times of such tests and trials, man himself comes to realize that he is no longer what he was before. There is no doubt that God is surely attained after passing such tests. There cannot be any hope for progress unless man is prepared to tol- erate pain and hardships in the way of God. Prayer Manifests a State of Restlessness Look! The Prayer [ S al a t ] that is offered has a kind of restless- ness within it. At times, one has to stand, at times they bow, and at times they prostrate. Moreover, various kinds of precau- tions have to be taken. The purpose is indeed that man learns to tolerate pain and hardship for the sake of God; otherwise, God can be remembered by sitting in one place, but He did not agree to this. The word S al a t itself indicates a burning pain. So