The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 23
22 Ā'ĪNA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLĀM―DĀFI‘UL-WASĀWIS wishes, peace, , and exuberance—even then nothing would be harder on me than this. O my Lord! Look compassionately to us and our sufferings and forgive us our sins and overlook our transgressions. Nothing changes unless You let it change and no calamity befalls us or is removed from us without Your decree. O company of ulema! You have gladly grown accustomed to this world, its slumber, and the delights of its intoxication. Among you are those whose feet sank into the mire of Christianity, who—distancing themselves from the disheveled, dust-covered masses-moved towards those steeped in ornament and embellishment, so that they may take a ripe share of the comfort of this world and its carrion, and to reap the fruits of their lust and adorn themselves in its fine velvet. And among you are those who fell on each other like dogs, exposing their evil and ugly natures to the enemies. Some of them wounded others, smashed their heads and struck them with rods—becoming arrogant and cast- ing aside the robes of peace-created disorder, every group of them tearing into their companions as a wolf tears into sheep. They intended to uproot their enemies by shooting arrows and raining down stones [of abusive language] upon them. Thus, they devoured each other like vermin and left the matter [of objections] open for the enemies of the Faith and the transgressors. They abandoned taqwā [righteousness] and took pride in each other's filth. They gladdened themselves but utterly displeased the Gracious God. Thus, Islam was hit hard by internal and universal disorder, and every hypocritical heart turned away from its sympathy. I was behold- ing all this, and I made myself drink the bitter draught of sorrow; my tears continued to fall from my eyes, and my sighs were rising up to the collarbones. Indeed, I put all my trust in the Everlasting Allah. When the breeze of ilhām [revelation] blew over my heart and brought the fragrance of glad tidings, He elevated my status. Then was I appointed and sent forth in order to reform this chaos and eliminate this slum- ber. Surely, there is fertility after barrenness. Yea, surely there is fertility