The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 295
294 Α'ΙΝΑ-Ε-ΚΑMĀLĀT-E-ISLAM-DAFI UL-WASĀWIS to us like the conclusions of mathematics. It is obvious that if a Prophet is to be believed only after his claim has been weighed in the balance of science, it would not be rendering obedience to the Prophet; for, every truth when completely revealed stands self-accepted, whether the same is put forward by a Prophet or by a man who is not a Prophet; it has to be accepted even if it is put forward by a sinner. The information we accept as true because of our faith in a Prophet or because of a presumption in his truth, must be such that while, ration- ally, it might be highly probable, the ignorant might still be disposed to believe it to be false, so that, by taking the Prophet to be true and by aligning ourselves on the side of the truth, we might become worthy of the reward that may follow from our goodwill, our refined judge- ment, our respectful attitude, and our faith. The same is the essence of the teachings of the Noble Quran that I have presented. However, the sages and philosophers have not even trodden this path. They have always been careless of faith, and have been searching for knowledge, the certainty of which, they wish, might be made openly manifest to them immediately. Nevertheless, bear in mind that while God Almighty requires faith in the unseen from the believers, He has not desired that believers be deprived of certainty of knowledge. Rather, faith is a ladder for the acquisition of certainty of knowledge. It is a grave error to search for true knowledge without climbing this ladder, but those who do climb up this ladder most surely see the face of clear insight and satisfying explanations. When a man of faith, being a true believer, accepts the commandments and information from God simply because such com- mandments and information have been bestowed upon him by God Almighty, proceeded from God and have reached him through a truth- ful bearer of news, he becomes worthy of attaining the reward of cogni- tion of God. That is why Almighty God has ordained that His servants should first have faith in the unseen and should join the party of the obedient ones, and only then should they be admitted to the stage of