Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page xliii
PREFACE Bai'at [Pledge of Allegiance] is not Conditional I openly declare that if anyone does my Baiat in order to attain a son or a particular office-that is, he does Baiat with condi- tions-then he should separate himself-not today, not tomor- row-right now and leave. I have no need for such people, nor does God care for them. (Malfūzāt, Urdu vol. 9, p. 25, [see also English translation, page 35]) Taqwa is the key to all Religious Knowledge . . . to understand the Holy Quran and to attain guidance in accordance with it, taqwā is absolutely essential. Similarly, it has stated at another place: لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ ) This is not a prerequisite for other sciences. There is no stip- ulation requiring a student learning mathematics, geometry, or astronomy etc. to be righteous or pious; rather, he can still learn them regardless of however sinful and evil he may be. In the science of religion, however, a person possessing mere logic and philosophy cannot make progress, and those verities and insights cannot become manifest upon him. One whose heart is corrupt and holds no share of righteousness [and then alleges that the knowledge of religion and verities pour forth from his tongue, is lying]. . . Instil this firmly in your minds that taqwā is the key to all religious knowledge. Man cannot attain xliii 1. Which none shall touch except those who are purified (Surah al-Waqi'ah, 56:80). [Publisher]