Perseverance — Page 81
Part II – My Life as a Muslim 81 sometimes they cross one another, but in all cases they go on eternally together and not in conflict. In all cases they go on appearing forever and ever, a stop may occur but it will be a stop and not a rule. The attribute will go on again and again eternally expressing themselves. There are some of the attributes which do not go parallel to each other as a rule but they do not cross there for a certain period. The attributes of punishment and maltreatment are dependent to the human being on the attribute of mercy and forgiveness. God states in the Holy Qur’ ā n, “…I will inflict My punishment on whom I will; but My mercy encompasses all things…” [7:157]. Now the word “all” enables the related attribute though not the opposing attributes 27. It appears that some attributes of God are contradictory but that is not so. For instance, mercy, punishment, justice, eternal salvation, darkness and light, as the Hindus, Zoroastrians and Christians have misunderstood. Mercy is not against justice or punishment. It has a higher purpose of a higher attribute. Who gives justice? Justice is only good when executed by a judge who sits in proxy. When the owner is sitting in proxy, the judgment is not the proper punishment. So with respect to the justice of God, it does not lie in the justice of the punishment, but in the justice of the appropriate requirements for the situation. If an accommodation of time requires forgiveness, then the judgment of God lies in forgiveness and not in punishment. A judge in proxy will be called unjust if he forgives the 27 This section is not completely legible. [Writer]