Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 129
Lecture Ludhiana 129 The Doctrine of the Bloodthirsty Mahdi Remember, Ghaf u r [Most Forgiving] is an attribute of God. Why, then, should He not forgive those who turn to Him? One example of this kind of erroneous thinking, which is rampant in Muslims as a whole, is Jihad. It is amazing how they start breathing fire when I say that Jihad is forbidden, and yet they admit that the a ha d i th about the bloodthirsty Mahdi are doubtful. Maulaw i Muhammad H usain of Batala has written several booklets on this subject. Miy an Na zi r Husain of Delhi was also of the same opinion. Both do not consider such traditions deci- sive and authentic. Why, then, am I called a liar? The truth of the matter is that the main task of the Messiah and Mahdi was to abolish [religious] wars and to establish the superiority of Islam with pen, prayer, and persuasion. What a pity that people do not understand this because they pay more attention to the world than they do to the Faith. Steeped as they are in worldly foulness and impurities, how can they ever hope that the deeper verities of the Holy Quran will be revealed to them, for the Book clearly says: 1 اَل ۤٗهُّسَمَي اَّلِا َنْوُرَّهَطُمْلا اَل ۤٗهُّسَمَي اَّلِا َنْوُرَّهَطُمْلا Ultimate Purpose of the Advent of the Promised Messiah Listen carefully to this as well, regarding the ultimate purpose of my advent. The objective and intent behind my coming are only to rejuvenate and reaffirm Islam. This should not be 1. Which none shall touch except those who are purified ( S u rah al-W a qi‘ah, 56:80). [Publisher]