The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 396
LETTER TO NAWWAB MUHAMMAD ALI KHAN them; for, in this age, the greatest affliction for Islam—which cannot be repelled without Allah's assistance—is the philo- sophic onslaught and religious criticism of the Christians. It was essential that God Almighty raise someone to repel these and, as it has been disclosed to me through visions, the soul of the Messiah [Jesus] was in a state of great zealous outpouring for the descent of his spiritual likeness on account of the false- hoods that had been attributed to him in this age, and it sup- plicated God Almighty that such a one should be sent down at this time. So, God Almighty responded to his zealous outpour- ing and sent his like into the world so that the promise, already made, should be fulfilled. This is one secret from among the secrets of the Divine Being that when the shariah [spiritual law] brought by some Messenger or Prophet becomes corrupted after his death and his teachings and directions are perverted, and absurd and inappropriate things are ascribed to him, and when it is falsely alleged that that Prophet had indeed taught all those matters of disbelief and immorality, an ardent yearning and strong fervour for the removal of such corruption and false allegations is cre- ated in the heart of that Prophet. Then the soul of that Prophet demands that a substitute of itself should appear in the world. Now, listen carefully to this subtle point of wisdom: The Messiah [Jesus], peace be upon him, had two occasions pre- sented when his spirituality demanded a substitute representa- tive. The first was 600 years after his death. This was when the Jews insisted more than ever that he was-God forbid-an impostor and a liar and that his birth was illegitimate and that that was why he died on the cross. Meanwhile, the Christians committed the excess of saying that he was God, and the son of God, and that he had laid down his life on the cross for the salvation of mankind. Thus, when the wicked Jews called the blessed status of the Messiah, peace be upon him, into question 395