The Message or A Cry of Anguish — Page 21
THE MESSAGE OR A CRY OF ANGUISH 21 civility and politeness in response to the opponents. I have always used soft and polite words except when I am forced to recourse to a small measure of judicious harshness so that my fellow Muslims might find their solace in it and suppress their ferocious anger. This harshness was not due to any selfish passion or provocation, but was used as a strategy purely in compliance with the verse: وَجَادِلُهُمْ بِالْحِكْمَةِ And that too when blasphemy, insult and abuse by the opponents reached its limits, for they used such foul and malicious words against our Lord and Master—the Chief of Creation, the Crown of Creation sas—as were likely to lead to a law and order situation. In such circumstances I made use of this strategy so that on the one hand, some harshness was shown occasionally in response to their foul attacks, and, on the other, I continued to exhort the Muslims to obey their beneficent Government, practice humil- ity and abstain from all barbaric practices. Thus, it was a prudent tactic which I occasionally had to employ in the hour of need in order to suppress general outrage and so that Muslim people, having thus been appeased for their anger, may refrain from inde- cent and uncouth practices. This is like giving someone Nirbisī [Zedoary], which is similar in its bitter taste to opium but dif- ferent in its effects, in order to help him give up his addiction 1. Here the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, is referring to Sūrah an-Nahl, 16:126 in which it is stated اُدْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ that is “Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in a way that is best. " [Publisher]