The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 143
142 Ā'ĪNA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLĀM―DĀFI‘UL-WASĀWIS 'leaders of the just, so how can they be called zalum jahul according to their other meanings [i. e. unjust and ignorant]? Apart from this, such a view of the verse amounts to finding fault with Almighty God Himself; namely, that the trust which He desired to assign to people was not something beneficent, auspicious, or blessed, but a thing of evil and mischief, because the wicked and unjust accepted it while the good people did not accept it. However, is it permissible to even entertain such an ill notion, that a thing which springs forth from the fountain of God Almighty, which He calls His trust that merits being returned to Him, should-God forbid—really be an evil and unholy thing, which no one except such an unjust person who is truly rebellious and disobedient and utterly devoid of the quality of justice would accept? Alas! Those who entertain such repulsive notions have no concep- tion of the greatness of God Almighty. They do not even consider that if the trust is a blessing from beginning to end, then why should its acceptance be considered an injustice? Moreover, if the trust is itself a thing of evil and mischief, then why is it being ascribed to God Almighty? Is God Almighty the originator of mischief, God forbid? Should a thing emanating from that Holy Source be called mischief and evil? Darkness seeks darkness, and light seeks light. The trust was a light and according to the sense given earlier to the words zalum and jahūl—man is also a light. Light, therefore, accepted light. That high degree of light which was granted to man—that is to say, upon the perfect man—was not within the angels, the stars, the moon, or the sun; neither was it in the oceans and the rivers of the earth, nor was it in rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, or pearls. In short, it was not in any earthly or heavenly object. It was only in man; that is, the perfect man, whose most complete, highest and loftiest, and most per- fect example was our Lord and Master, the Chief of the Prophets, the Chief of all living ones, Muhammad, the Chosen One, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. So that light was bestowed upon this [perfect] man and, according to their ranks, upon all those who bear some degree of the same nature and disposition.