The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 184
PREFACE FOOTNOTE 183 [recipient of Divine discourse], then why is it that the stars fall at all times, yet there appears no Prophet or Muḥaddath? The reply is that: the falling of the stars must be in large numbers. And there is not the slightest doubt that at the time when such phenomenon is abundant, and their abundance is abnormal, some man of God is raised in the world for the reformation of Allah's servants. Sometimes such a phe- nomenon occurs some years before as a forerunner of the actual advent of such a personage, and sometimes it occurs right at the time of his appearance. And sometimes it also occurs to mark a magnificent triumph of his, when the heavens are illuminated to serve as Sign of joy over his success. AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE What is indicated by the Holy Quran about the falling of stars? Ibn Kathir has narrated on the authority of Sa'di that the falling of stars in abun- dance indicates the appearance of a Prophet or it conveys the good news that faith will triumph. But the references of the Holy Quran to this phenomenon are of a general character from which it can be clearly deduced that when a Prophet, or the successor of a Prophet, appears upon the earth or is about to appear after having been appointed [by God], or when the Signs of his impending advent are about to become manifest, or when a great victory is near at hand, then, in all such circumstances, Signs of this kind appear in the heavens, and denying this is foolishness, because not knowing something does not necessarily mean that such a thing does not, in fact, exist. Some Muşleḥ [Reformers] and Mujaddids [Rejuvenators] of the Faith come into the world in a manner that peo- ple are generally not even aware of them.