The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 492
AT-TABLIGH―TO THE NOBLE AND PIOUS OF THE ARABS 491 Has the time of Latter Days arrived, or are there still ages and centuries for it to come? You know that the Messiah will come in the Latter Days, and you have witnessed his Signs with your own eyes, and observed the extraordinary happenings in the world that the Holy Quran has fore- told as the Signs of the Latter Days, and indeed you benefit from them. What is wrong with you! You do not believe in the extraordinary heavenly phenomena that the holy verse speaks of; namely, Allah says: إذَا السَّمَاءُ كُشِطَتُ 1 You incline to the earth and turn yourselves away from the heavenly favours. Surely, the Glorious Lord has given another glad tiding in this regard when He says: 20 but you forget the glad tidings of your Lord and renounce His Signs. O dear ones! Know for a certainty that heaven and earth were closed up, , then Allah opened them out, and the heaven was laid bare by His command, and split, and He let secrets descend from heaven and let the earth throw out its hidden treasures so that He might try His servant as to which way they turn. Wonders of the earth preceded over the wonders of heaven. So the people were beguiled by its inventions, wonderful sciences, and unique arts and were well-nigh ready to perish. But the Beneficent Lord beheld the earth and found it filled with perils and replete with so many disorders. He saw the people being allured by its inventions and found the Christians gone astray and mislead- ing others. He found their philosophers deceiving people with their philosophies and rare arts, and these ideas took root into the hearts of the youth, thus creating a great chaos as if they were charmed and enticed to evil desires and pleasures, becoming like beasts and insects. They disobeyed their Lord, and their parents and noble elders. Their hearts became permeated with licentiousness and they were overcome 1. When the heaven is laid bare (Surah at-Takwir, 81:12). [Publisher] 2. . . . and most surely We will be its Guardian (Sūrah al-Hijr, 15:10). [Publisher]