The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 257
256 ΑΙΝΑ-Ε-ΚΑMĀLĀT-E-ISLAM-DAFI UL-WASĀWIS It is 1275, indicating that the man of Persian descent connoted by the words : أخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ ]others from among them'] will, having arrived at his physical maturity in this year, develop a resemblance with the Companions. The year 1275 AH can be derived from the numerical val- ues of the letters of the verse: وَاخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ ! It is the year of my physical maturity as well as of my second life and spiritual rebirth; 34 years have since passed. And if the question is asked that as the words: أَخَرِينَ مِنْهُمُ ]others from among them'] point to more persons than one, how can they refer to one man, the answer is that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has himself applied them to one man. In explanation of this verse, he placed his hand on the shoulder of Salmān the Persian, and said that from among the sons of Persia a man would arise who would take faith from the Pleiades and bring it back to Earth. That is, he would appear at a time when, on account of the spread of philosophic thinking and atheism, and the waning love of God, people would become extremely weak of faith and slothful. Then, God Almighty, through this man's hand and the blessings attached to his person, will, once again, develop true faith in the hearts of peo- ple. It would be as if the lost faith would descend again from heaven. The Noble Quran, too, has used plural words for singular. Abraham [Hadrat Ibrāhīm], peace be upon him, has been called an ummah, whereas he was a single individual. Apart from this, the word has been used to show that the man would not remain a solitary individual but that he would grow into a Jamāʻat which would possess true faith in God Almighty and would be granted the qualities and excellences of the Faith of the Companions. Reverting, once again, to the refutation of the unfounded assertion 1. Surah al-Jumu'ah, 62:4 [Publisher]