The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 203
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI emanating directly from God, with no screen or barrier in between, nor will there be left any room for any doubt. Those who had withdrawn themselves from the world for his sake, will find a perfect state of felicity enveloping their bodies and souls and their exterior and interior leaving no part of them outside the embrace of this great happiness. " (Commentary on The Holy Quran Vol 1. Surah Fatiha p: 103-110, published by London Mosque). From the above explanation of the Divine attributes, it is clear that God's grace and benevolence is manifested for all of His creation. . Man is especially blessed and for his physical, moral, and spiritual development he has been given appropriate faculties and the means for it. So much in God's creation or nature has been subjected to Man for his benefit. He has been given the faculty of speech and reason for his moral and spiritual development, Divine revelation was bestowed upon the prophets and righteous saints. He was given knowledge of the Divine through revelation when reason alone was not sufficient. . Thus, there are prophets and revealed books for his guidance. Allah says in the Holy Quran that if you try to count the bounties of Allah, you will not succeed. . The third category of Divine grace as given in Surah Fatiha, proceeds from God's attribute of Rahim (Most Merciful). This requires Man's striving and struggle and actions. God blesses his proper and righteous actions with good and beneficent results. Two highways of good and evil have been shown to him. Man has been given the freedom and choice to tread along any one of them. Under this frame work. Man has been given free will and freedom of action. . The Holy Quran encourages righteous actions and striving in His way. A good or appropriate action results in positive and good. outcome. And evil and inappropriate action results in a negative or bad consequence. It is God who has put this principle in operation. . Some say that Man is fully free, independent, and master of his destiny. On the other extreme are those who think that everything. that happens to Man is as it is written down. The truth lies somewhere in between. This is what we learn if we reflect upon Divine attributes. . Any person who utilizing his God given faculties and bounties in 203