The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 433
432 Α'ΙΝΑ-Ε-ΚΑMĀLĀT-E-ISLAM-DAFI UL-WASĀWIS were like the destitute in the eyes of their (of Christians) leaders, or like a morsel [trapped] between their teeth, and our people became the object of ridicule for those who mock. Thus, Allah desired to differentiate between light and darkness and to distinguish between abomination and holiness and to bestow favour upon the weak. He saw their mischief as a great trial for Islam and found their days like dark dreadful nights. He found them a people transgressed in anarchy. No greater mischief has befallen since the day of Adam's creation up to our day; nay, rather, even up to the very Day of Judgment! In spite of this, they became kings, behaved arrogantly in the land, flourished, grew in number, spread over the earth in numbers, and thrived in glory and grandeur. Allah increased them in their assets, offspring, knowledge, arts, and industries. He helped them in their thoughts and insights, and opened the gates of everything for them as a trial. So they turned blind and deaf and indeed they were among the arrogant. Allah caused the hearts of our ulema and ascetics to deviate, and He extinguished the light of their hearts till they returned to the igno- rance from which they were once liberated, for they were among those who create disorder in the earth and were not among the promoters of peace. They became totally absorbed into selfish desires, became weak in perception, slackened, and idle. The whirlwind of ignorance blew away their dust and they were deprived of their abilities, becoming as good as dead. When the Lord looked upon our affluent people, He found them extravagant, heedless, unmindful of righteousness and truth, cruel, and transgressing. Thus, He caused their carnal desires to remain unfulfilled and deprived them of their possessions with which their hearts were bonded. He let many of their possessions and their lands slip away from their hands and destroyed all on which they were relying. Faces were afflicted with misery and the pangs of starvation, while the fire of the opulent was put out. Their bones were broken and their arrows were shattered to pieces so that their ignoble ones might know