The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 168
PREFACE FOOTNOTE 167 is now sweet. The same is the case with the Holy Spirit that descends upon deficient people in a deficient way. Its descent cannot be doubted because the Holy Spirit generates the idea of doing good deeds in the mind of even the lowest of the low; and sometimes even a sinful and brazen evildoer also sees a true dream. All of this is the effect of the Holy Spirit, as the Noble Quran and the authentic aḥadīth of the Prophets prove; but in comparison with the magnificent relationship experienced by the holy and godly people, it amounts to nothing—as if it did not exist at all. ANOTHER question is that given the case that the Holy Spirit is appointed to restrain man from evil conduct, then why do they commit sin and why does man still fall into kufr [disbelief], disobedience, and vice? AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE Response to the Objection: If the Holy Spirit stays with every human, then why does the progeny of Adam com- mit evil deeds? ITS ANSWER is that God Almighty has appointed two spiritual call- ers by way of trial for human beings: one is the caller to good, whose name is the Holy Spirit, and the other is the caller to vice, whose name is Iblis and Satan. Both of these callers continue to call towards good or evil but exercise no compulsion as is indicated in the noble verse: فالهمهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقُويها Meaning that God reveals the evil as well as the good. The medium for revealing evil is Satan, who casts mischievous ideas into hearts, and the means for revealing good is the Holy Spirit, who inspires pure thoughts within the heart. Since God Almighty is the Cause of all causes, He has attributed both these revelations to Himself because He alone has instituted this entire system. Otherwise, 1. Surah ash-Shams, 91:9 [Publisher]