The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page xix
INTRODUCTION A'ina-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām ("') was written at a time when Islam was being defaced and disfigured by a host of enemies on every front. Penned by the Promised Messiah, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the book seeks to repel these attacks by hold- ing a mirror to the beautiful face of Islam and showcases its charm, excellences, and perfection for all the world to see. In the Preface of the book, the Promised Messiah as describes the painful state of affairs afflicting Islam at the time. Millions of books had been printed against Islam and the Holy Founder of Islam sas Meanwhile, the ulema, who bore the lofty burden of defending the Faith, were too busy fighting each other over petty issues. Their insin- cerity and incompetence culminated in the apostasy of tens of thou- sands of Muslims, who joined ranks with the enemies of Islam. The nat- uralists and philosophers, on the other hand, had created yet another calamity by compromising the essentials of the Faith to harmonize it with modern science and rationality in a misguided manner. The Promised Messiah as then elaborates upon the true essence of Islam, which entails a complete surrender to the will of God through the fana (annihilation) of the ego and its selfish desires. This 'death' of one's ego and carnal passions is then followed by a new life which is termed baqā (revival) in which the Holy Spirit is completely bestowed and a spiritual life is breathed into the soul, ultimately culminating in the perfect bliss of liqā (union).