The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 274
MISCONCEPTION IN NUR AFSHAN 273 by godly people. It is not that he alone is gifted with the cognition of Allah. Nay, in his time, a general transformation is brought about in the faith of the people of the world. All those miraculous Signs that the worldly people denied and ridiculed and which they considered to be opposed to philosophy and nature or which, if they at all made any allowance, were regarded by them as mere legends, are accepted as true after the advent of such a person and after witnessing his wonderful Signs. Indeed, people express regret and cry over what they had been doing before, that it was a great folly which they had regarded as great wisdom and sheer nonsense which they had deemed to be learning, wisdom, and the law of nature. In short, he strikes people like a flame and paints all of them with his own colour in proportion to their varying capacities. In the begin- ning, he is subjected to trials and struggles, is put through difficulties and is called names of many kinds by the people who persecute and humiliate him in diverse ways, but since he is accompanied by truthful arguments, he triumphs over all in the end, and the rays of his truth spread with great force all over the world. When Almighty God sees that the earth does not testify to his truth, He commands the heavenly creations to bear witness to him. So, there descends a bright piece of testimony for him from the heavens in the form of miraculous Signs, acceptance of prayers, and the gift of fine points of spiritual verities and insights. This testimony reaches the deaf, the dumb, and the blind, and many are drawn to the truth and righteousness at that time, but blessed are those who accept him early, for they get a share of the glory of the Şiddīgs [Truthful] because of their purity of heart and strength of their faith. And this is the grace of God, which He bestows on whomsoever He pleases. Now, with a view to completing the argument, I would like to point out that, in accordance with what I have said above, Almighty God, finding this age immersed in darkness, neglect, kufr [disbelief] and shirk [polytheism]; and seeing the decline of faith, sincerity, truth, and righteousness, has sent me so that He may re-establish the truth in