The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 142
PREFACE ESSENCE OF ISLAM I4I one's self], I would like to note that it is this very quality which a believer possesses that endears him to God Almighty. Further, it is through the blessings which proceed from it that a believer can advance to higher stages in his spiritual journey, gladly suffering unbearable torment and the burning and fierceness of the 'hells' of different kinds. That is why, when God Almighty ascribes high praises to mankind and holds them even superior to the angels, He mentions this very quality of being zalum and jahūl, as He says: وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا Meaning that: The trust that constitutes the ultimate test from Rabūbiyyat [the Providence of God], which can only be borne by the most perfect ser- vitude, was accepted by mankind, for they were zalum and jahūl—that is, they could be harsh upon themselves for the sake of God Almighty and could become so distant from everything besides Allah that their mind would become devoid even of their conceptual form. Let it be clear that we would be committing a grievous mistake if we were to take the word zalūm here to refer to a kāfir [disbeliever], a rebel, a polytheist, or an unjust person; for, Allah, glorified be His eminence, has used the phrase zalum jahūl in a praiseworthy sense here and not in a derogatory sense. If, God forbid, it had been used in a derogatory sense, the meaning would be that mankind was indeed the worst of all who took on the burden of the sacred trust of God Almighty and who obeyed His command. In fact, we will have to say, God forbid, that the Prophets and Messengers of God—who were the first to carry that trust-were the ones who were the most ignorant and the most unjust people, whereas Allah, glorified be His eminence, Himself says: "We created him in the best make. ' So, how could man be the worst of creation? And the Prophets have been described as the 1. Surah al-Aḥzāb, 33:73 [Publisher]