Malfuzat – Volume X — Page 263
31 March 1908 263 Signs are in the Hand of God Look! Seeking the attention of God for some specific individual neither meets with the approval of God nor do His Messengers insist that some specific individual be guided. Rather, their supplications and anguish are for humanity at large. You see, miracles were similarly demanded from the Most Honoured Messenger s as but what reply did Allah the Exalted give? 2 ْلُق اَمَّنِا ُتٰيٰاْلا َدْنِع ِهّٰللا ْلُق اَمَّنِا ُتٰيٰاْلا َدْنِع ِهّٰللا 1 َو اْوُلاَق ْوَل اَل َلِّزُن ِهْيَلَع ٌةَيٰا ْنِّم ٖهِّبَّر َو اْوُلاَق ْوَل اَل َلِّزُن ِهْيَلَع ٌةَيٰا ْنِّم ٖهِّبَّر Allah the Exalted has forbidden iqtirah [peremptory demand]. And experience shows that those who demand [a Sign], indeed always remain deprived of guidance because God is neither subservient to their whims and wishes, nor do they attain guid- ance. So look! Whenever Signs and miracles were asked for by way of a demand, they received the same reply: 3 ْلُق َناَحْبُس ْيِّبَر ْلَه ُتْنُك اَّلِا اًرَشَب اًلْوُسَّر ْلُق َناَحْبُس ْيِّبَر ْلَه ُتْنُك اَّلِا اًرَشَب اًلْوُسَّر Even now there exist thousands of Signs of God Almighty—too numerous to count. They are recorded in detail in my books. They should be examined to see whether they possess the awe of Divine glory and majesty and thus deserve to be accepted or they can possibly be attributed to a human being. Neither the Holy Quran nor the lives of any of the previous Prophets justify anyone demanding specific signs for his satisfaction and 1. And they say, ‘Why has not a Sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ ( S u rah al-An‘ a m, 6:38) [Publisher] 2. Say, ‘Surely, Signs are with Allah’ ( S u rah al-An‘ a m, 6:110). [Publisher] 3. Say, ‘Holy is my Lord! I am not but a man sent as a Messenger’ ( S u rah Ban i Isr a ’il, 17:94). [Publisher]