The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 24
ADDRESS 23 after barrenness. So, fear Allah and abandon arrogance and conceit. My coming was not untimely; rather, it was at the time of people's turning towards darkness and their abandonment of the lamp of Allah and the light of His religion. I came at a time when the Muslim Ummah was deeply mired in the centre of the burning fire of debate, and caught in currents that cause the heart to tremble. The people began to tread the paths of heresy, licentiousness, and disorder, and abandoned the path of true guidance, righteousness, and truth. The ulema would not behold the freshness and delicacy of the Quran and would not see its elegance nor its drapery in cloaks of light. They threw away rubies into the dust with disdain and deemed the Book of Allah to be devoid of insights and hidden verities. They adjudged the one cognizant of the depths of its knowledge with contempt, and left him abandoned in distress, severing all brotherly ties with a frown. However, the debates between the religions were to be conducted by way of argument and reason; not by knights riding on horseback. The people of this age set this practice and it was established to examine grace and beauty, and to observe good traits and various excellences. Islam was in such a state that its cheeks and forehead were burnt, its form and shape were changed, its power and excellence were left hid- den, and its sweetness and elegance concealed. This was the reason that emboldened the opponents in their denial. So, they turned away with suspicion and scorn. Hence, Allah raised a man to elevate the majesty of His Word, disclose its secrets, reveal its deep verities, manifest the fragrance of its musk and to break open its sealed meanings. However, the people rejected him and accepted him not, expelled him, and did not shelter him; they abused him, and did not become grateful to him, insulted him and did not honour him and did not look up to him as the eminent and beloved are looked upon for guidance in brotherhood. They went far beyond the limits of righteousness in their scurrilities. They said, 'Assuredly, you have perpetrated an egregious enormity! And you have strayed far away from the Ummah. ' They had not tarried long before a