The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 249
248 Ā'ĪNA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLĀM―DĀFI‘UL-WASĀWIS cultivate the same excellences—but they have not yet joined them— and Allah is Supreme and All-Wise. This point should be kept in mind that the word in the verse [akharīn] [and another group of them] is actually in the position of the object, as if to say the full verse, including the implied words, would be as follows: هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ أَيْتِهِ وَ يُزَكِّيْهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَبَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَيَعْلَمُ الْآخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوْا بِهِمْ Meaning that: In addition to the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, there are other sincere and perfect servants of Ours as well, whose large group will appear in the Latter Days. And just as the Noble Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, trained the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, similarly the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, will spiritually train this latter group as well. In other words, these people would appear at a time when the apparent system of imparting and receiving spiritual beneficence would have ended, and the religion of Islam would be afflicted with many flaws and innovations, and even the hearts of those devoted to the Faith would be deprived of inner light. At that time, God Almighty would cause an auspicious soul to attain a perfect spiritual state only through the spiritual training of the Noble Messenger-without the intermediation of any prevailing schools of thought and practice-and He would make him into a group. That group would develop a perfectly strong similarity with the Companions, because it would be entirely and perfectly the fruits of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the graces of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would flow in them. They would join the Companions; that is to say, they would become like them by virtue of their excellence, and through the grace and favour of God Almighty-they would be granted the very same opportunities to earn blessings as were granted