Malfuzat - Volume VII — Page 465
26 September 1905 465 enemies—are in total agreement on this issue. In such a case, it becomes absolutely clear that these matters strongly support us. Just as John [the Baptist] was called Elijah, in the same way, Allah Almighty named me ‘ I s a [ Jesus]. But should someone question what the wisdom was in this name, in its reply, it should be remembered that the Jews had turned away because of this very mischief [alleging] that Elijah did not come. Accordingly, I have in my possession the book of a Jewish scholar wherein he has laid great emphasis on this issue and has even written that if they are questioned on the Day of Judgment, they will present the scripture of the Prophet Malachi and will ask, ‘Where is it written that his “likeness” would come?’ So this was the trial that caused the Jews to become accursed and astray. It was incumbent upon this Ummah, on account of the similarity with the Mosaic dispensation, for a Messiah to appear. Besides, because it was said for this Ummah that in the Latter Days it would become like the Jews, َوّب ض ْغ م َوّب ض ْغ م [ magh du b ] in 1 ِرْيَغ ِبْوُضْغَمْلا ِرْيَغ ِبْوُضْغَمْلا , is understood, by consensus, to refer to the Jews. Thus, they [the Muslims] would become ‘Jews’ only if a Jesus had been presented before them and they had rejected him in the same way. Accordingly, it came to pass exactly so, that the Jesus to come did come but they rejected him. What is my fault in this? They are held to even greater culpability for the reason that the precedent of Elijah was right before them. Nevertheless, it is a pity that they did not even reflect upon this and they still do not. May Allah have mercy on them. A m i n. 2 1. Those who have not incurred displeasure ( S u rah al-F a ti h ah, 1:7). [Publisher] 2. Al- H akam, vol. 9, no. 39, p. 3, 4, dated 10 November 1905