The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 304
ARGUMENT FOR SAYYED AHMAD KHAN 303 disappeared, and in the hands of some there has remained only the shell and not the kernel of taqwā and good deeds, and some have lost even the shell with the exception of a few rare godly persons who lead a secluded life, the present age is not the age in which the leaven of goodness may ferment to produce other good people, or one candle may be lit by another candle. When Almighty God saw that the earth had been corrupted and that there was none who could by himself reform this state of affairs— not a single one—and when He saw that man's works and words and motives and worship and thoughts had all become corrupt, and that actions had become crooked, then according to His promise, He sent down the like of that Holy Personage, whose professed followers are responsible for this spiritual corruption and for spreading the filth of Dajjāliyyat [the deception of the Antichrist], and who had corrupted their original faith and had become the greater Dajjal [Antichrist]. And the one who came down had no occasion to imbibe any light from the people of the earth or to profit by the tutorship of anyone, or to benefit by the pledge of baiat [pledge of allegiance] to anyone; rather, all he gained was gained from the God of heaven. For this reason, the prophecy of the Immaculate Prophet about him contained words to the effect that he would descend from heaven; that is, he would receive from heaven, and would obtain no share from this world. The secret of this humble one's coming in the name of Hadrat Īsā [Jesus] is that Almighty God caused him Hadrat Mașīḥ [Jesus] to see this chaos created by the Christians. Jesus, having been informed in the heavens that this chaos had been created by his people and ummah, and then finding his followers at the lowest depth of corruption, became restless to descend to earth; his spirit experienced a severe restlessness, and it yearned for the appearance on this earth of a person who should manifest his will. It was then that Almighty God, in accordance with the promise already made, caused the spirituality and fervour of the Messiah to descend upon a suitable person.