The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 14
ADDRESS 13 shadow (1) followed its original (2); thus, one (1) witnessed what the other (2) witnessed. Now, I do not fear the slander of any detractor or the disgrace from any defamer. I entrust my cause to Allah. If I were a liar, upon me will be the lie; but if I am truthful, then, be sure, Allah suffers not the cause of the truthful to perish. The real calamity is that the enemies of Islam have robbed us of our peace by insulting our Leader, the Messenger of the Final Epoch, while the labour of our ulema is all lost in declaring Muslims disbelievers and banishing our brethren in faith from the pale of religion and true belief. Thus, this is the calamity that struck Islam and the catastrophe that befell the religion of the Best of Mankind. The suns of knowledge have set, pure trees have become scarce, and the tree of Zaqqūm¹ abounds; nothing survived but the remains of the ulema and the remnants of the eminent ones in accordance with Allah's will. When they lost the essence, they became like stillborn children. Alas for the ulema! In front of the enemy they are like a lame and blind camel on the slippery battlefield of the wilderness, but for Islam and the Muslims they become like a beast of prey, or a heaven-sent calam- ity. They become absolutely devoid of knowledge, forbearance, deep understanding, and reflection. They are nothing but names, devoid of wisdom and replete with arrogance and conceit. The exception are those whom the benevolence of the Glorious God has saved and who have been covered by the mercy of the Most Merciful God; thus, they are saved from this disease. Indeed, they serve as a remedy for this epi- demic and are the proof of Allah against the wicked. They are the first and the foremost of the blessed, noble, and honourable people. In their hearts burns such a fire for Islam that the frigidity of winter touches them not. They are the chiefs of Islam and the pillars of the religion of 1. Zaqqum denotes the evil tree of faithlessness in the Hereafter. Quran has compared true belief to a good tree which brings forth its fruit at all times and disbelief to an evil tree. See Surah aş-Ṣäffāt, 37:63-66, Surah ad-Dukhan, 44:44-47, and Surah Ibrāhīm, 14:25-27. [Publisher]