The Descent of the Messiah — Page 46
THE DESCENT OF THE MESSIAH that after this other punishments shall descend too. Therefore, it was necessary that these matters be manifested in support of the Islamic Messiah too. There are many other arguments to support the fact that the creature of the earth mentioned in the Holy Quran is the plague. It is undoubtedly a disease of the earth that comes out of the earth. To be safe from it, the most effective practice is that, after having entered this Community and having adopted piety, one should repeatedly recite Sūrah Fatihah attentively and act upon its teachings. For anyone who wishes to save himself from the sudden death of this calamity, there is no better way than that he should have true faith in God Almighty, protect his every limb from sin, give precedence to religion and religious service over the world, enter this Community with honesty and sincerity, continuously pray with true fervour, protect his womenfolk- any evil which can affect him, too-from a life of heedlessness, and strive for his home to be filled with the remembrance of God. Moreover, while abiding by all the commandments of the Holy Quran, he should keep his house free of physical filth and impurity. A person who does not hate external impurities, so that his home and his courtyard remain unclean, is also likely to be lax in maintaining inner purity. Therefore, ensure that no part of your house is unclean, that filthy water or mud does not stagnate in the drains, and that your clothes are not dirty. This is the com- mandment of God Almighty that has been mentioned in the Holy Quran. Such commands that appear in the Book of God are present so that you may understand that the physical realm has an affinity to the spiritual. Therefore, do not lean toward what is impure in the earth, either physically or spiritually. Live instead on the upper floors, if possible, and choose airy, sunny houses. You should not spiritually lean toward the earth; partake instead of the things of heaven. 46