Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 408
Malf uza t - English translation of Urdu Volume 8 408 Undated 1 How to Recognize a True Religion A Hindu asked the Promised Messiah as how a true religion could be recognized. There are so many religions spread worldwide; how can we identify which religion is the best and most superior among them? The Promised Messiah as said: The religion in which there is the greatest reverence for God and possesses the most excellent means to attain cognition of Allah the Exalted is the loftiest religion. A person most values the thing that he has more knowledge of. For example, if a per- son knows that a snake roams in such a house and bites people, then that person will never dare to go and sleep in such a house at night. If someone comes to know that the food that is placed in front of me contains poison, he will never take a single bite of that food. If there is a plague in a village and people are dying, no one will dare to go to that village. Whoever knows that a lion lives in a forest never enters that forest. The gist, in all cases, is cognition and knowledge. If a person comes to know some- thing well and develops full knowledge about it, he does not act contrary to it. Then what is the reason that people do not give up sin? This is because they do not have complete knowledge and cognition of God’s existence. When people say and acknowledge that they have faith in God, this is only a formal faith; otherwise, in reality they possess no sin-effacing cognizance. For if that is attained, it would be impossible for man to then commit a sin. The value of everything is based on cognition and knowledge. Look! If 1. It is assumed that this diary may be from some day in July 1906. ِ وَاب َّ ُّٰ اَعْلَم ُ بِالص هّٰلل و َا ِ وَاب َّ ُّٰ اَعْلَم ُ بِالص هّٰلل و َا [And Allah knows best the truth]. (Compiler)