Our God — Page 163
Great Benefits ofBelief in God 163 days and Islam is no exception, and this provides the critics with a justification to criticise Islam. However, a truly religious person who understands the philosophy of religion can never be malevo- lent and cause conflict. Admittedly, people may at times suffer at the hands of a true believer in God. Nonetheless, that pain is akin to the discomfort of a bitter medication or apparently severe restrictions prescribed by a caring doctor. A religious person does sometimes take part in a war and brings about the killing of some, but this act is like that of a compassionate surgeon who amputates a man’s limb to save his endangered life. Thus, he sacrifices something of compar- atively little value to save something of greater value. Such an act is regarded as commendable by all wise men. My dear ones! How can I convince you that when the Messengers of God and pious people declare war against anyone, they do so with the purest and most virtuous intention? Their hearts, like a brimming fountain, are always full of love and com- passion for mankind. This is the living and eternal truth; testi- fied to by God’s pious people in every era. Would that you could understand! An Interim Statement Before proceeding any further, I would like to mention in passing that I began this treatise in June 1925 at Qadian. I wrote the first part during that summer at Mansuri, where I had to go on med- ical advice. When I returned to Qadian, I wrote the remaining part, in late 1925 and 1926. Because of certain circumstances—the