The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 54
PREFACE 53 upon to sacrifice my life in this path, it would be no burden upon me by the grace of the Almighty. Though I have cut off all expectations from the people of this world, my hopes from God Almighty are very strong. Hence, I know that even though I am alone, I am not alone. The Benevolent Lord is with me, and no one is closer to me than Him. Through His grace alone, I have been conferred this passionately lov- ing spirit in order to serve His Faith even while suffering pain, and to carry out Islamic endeavours to their utmost completion with zeal and sincerity. God has appointed me to this task Himself. Now I cannot stop because of anyone's demand nor can I-God forbid-view the directives revealed to me with disdain; nay, I highly revere these sacred directives and desire that my whole life be consumed in this very ser- vice. In reality, a happy and blessed life is that life alone which is spent in the service and propagation of God's religion. Otherwise, even if a man becomes the master of the entire world and amasses such vast means of livelihood that all the provisions possible for a king of kings be available for his pleasure, they would not amount to a pleasant life but would, in fact, be a kind of punishment whose bitterness unfolds sometimes simultaneously and sometimes subsequently. I regret that the attention of most of our ulema is largely drawn towards superficial, base, and crude ideas. They do not understand the fine verities which have been placed by the Benevolent Lord in the Mighty Book and which have been set forth by our Master and Guide, peace be upon him. Moreover, they declare an enlightened person who is blessed by God Almighty with insights of Divine wisdom and lays bare those fine truths-the manifestation of which was the essential need of the time to be a heretic, atheist, interpolator, and apostate. I am observing that they are generally unacquainted with spiritual ver- ities and are contented merely with the shallow and superficial. Their natures have no inclination towards the true bliss which is experienced by the elect of God upon receiving intimation of profoundly intricate mysteries, nor do they possess any capacity for it. Even though they have not been affected by the usual idolatrous practices of the East,