The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 622
SIGN OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT 621 warfare and whether the fight is with the sword or the pen. And we are granted general permission to adopt the strategy best known to us and that appears most effective against the enemy. It is therefore obvious that to label such appropriate arrangements as innovation and sin and to consider the helpers of the Faith who occupy them- selves day and night to spread the message of Islam, about whom the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, says: Love for the Ansar is a sign of faith'] to be worthy of condemnation is not something that any virtuous person would do. On the contrary, it is actually the conduct of those whose spirituality حُبُّ الْأَنْصَارِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ وَبُغْضُ :has been disfigured. If you say that the hadith meaning that the love for the Ansar is a sign of faith الْأَنْصَارِ مِنَ النِّفَاقِ and envy against them is a sign of hypocrisy—is applicable only to the Ansar who lived in Madinah but not to the helpers of the Faith in general, then it would justify being envious of all helpers of the Faith who appeared thereafter. This is certainly not the case; rather, this hadith, which was uttered with reference to one specific group of people, has a general applicability as well. In the Holy Quran several verses were revealed with reference to specific groups of people, but are considered to be of general application. In short, these people who are called maulawis are enemies of the helpers of the Faith and are following in the footsteps of the Jews. This statement of mine does not apply to the righteous ulema. It has been written only about the deceitful maulawis. Every Muslim should pray that God Almighty may soon liberate Islam from the presence of these deceitful maulawis because Islam is now going through a very precarious period and these foolish friends want Islam to be mocked and laughed at. They make such statements that are deemed clearly contrary to truthfulness by the light of faith in everyone's heart. May Allah the Exalted have mercy on Imām Bukhārī, who has devoted one chapter in his book to this issue as well. He writes in this