In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
We praise Him and invoke blessings upon His Noble Messenger.

O people! Verily, I convey to you what has been revealed to me from the Lord of all the worlds. I have been commissioned by the Gracious God, so come to me with all of your families. I have been blessed with heavenly wisdom, not gold and silver. The angels have descended for me from the heavens to the earth, and Qadian has been likened to the Sacred Land and its Town of Security [i.e. Makkah]. My Lord protected me from the mischief of the ignoble and made me from among the high-ranking. I attained perfect communion with Him, and for the love of that Companion, my flesh dissolved from every bone. So, thereafter, I fear neither the one with a drawn sword nor the mighty foe, for my Lord stands as my defender. I follow His revelation with deep insight and I have no ambiguity regarding my affair, nor am I an impostor. I pay no heed to those who oppose the truth and whose faces appear like the miserly. I am not at all concerned about any of my enemies even though he may threaten me with deadly consequences; I do not appear before him trembling like the cowardly. This world, for me, is nothing but a repulsive woman who has grown old, yet lacks devotion to her husband; he, thus, loathes her and abhors her coquettish manners and vainglorious superficiality, and deems her to be a worthless creature and the worst companion.

Whosoever opens Surahs an-Nur, al-Fatihah, and al-Ma’idah and then recites them continuously—reflecting upon them like seekers—progresses from shallow waters to deep waters beneath him, dissolving his own comprehension, and obliterating his self, and abstains from drylands—failing to remain content with an insignificant pool of water and remaining undaunted by the harsh terrain, while tiring not in the quest for sweet flowing waters—such a person will thereafter witness the truth of my claim, will see what I have seen, and will be counted among those who have attained certainty. I am, indeed, the Promised Messiah and I am the very one who was destined to finish off [disbelief ] and generously distribute [spiritual treasures]. I am that man who is on a quest to find the righteous seeker after truth—wherefore glad tidings be for the righteous! Without a doubt, righteousness is not easy; for, by Allah, it surely resembles death, because the one who chooses righteousness is—so to speak—akin to the one who chooses death.

O brave young people! Among the signs of righteousness is that it is a very steep ascent that is difficult to surmount. It is a death which consumes in different kinds of fire. But, then again, it is a magnificent steed that carries one to the gardens of Paradise. Do you realize how close righteousness is to the death of man! When one reaches its apex and fully comprehends it, such indeed is the stage described as death by those who are granted cognition of God. Indeed, a righteous one is not afraid of satanic uproar and he deems the shedding of his blood in the way of Allah to be like a drink mixed with water from a mountain lake. The righteous have distinguishing signs by which they are recognized. O brave young people! There is no wali [i.e. Friend of God] except the righteous. These are the very ones from whom a group is raised by Allah, the Gracious, for the reformation of mankind at the time of satanic mischief.

Among their signs is that they are commissioned at the time of darkness which prevails all around. Their advent takes place when noble men and women have become exceedingly rare and the world is brimful of swine-natured and beastly people. There is an abundance of licentious people and a paucity of those who wake up for Tahajjud [i.e. a supererogatory prayer during the night]. People become so vile that they neither possess virtuous knowledge nor practice good deeds. When the era deteriorates and wipes out the perfect ones and breeds only emaciated children [i.e. bereft of spirituality], the eye of heaven dries up and sheds no more tears. The earth becomes barren and does not produce vegetation. The people become like the one who possesses a strong camel but cannot mount it, or the one who has kohl but does not apply it to his eyes. They completely depart from truth. The valley is flooded by a torrent [of sins].

They [the saints] arrive at [the time of ] this famine and dispel the evil condition and shoot an arrow through the belly of Satan. They sew together what had been torn apart, and enlighten the era.

Among their signs is that they are a people whose hearts are not overawed by anyone’s grandeur. He who neither submits nor drinks even a handful of water from their cloud is not even worth a worm to them. They are devoted entirely to the divinity of their Lord and give Him precedence in every possible manner. They alleviate the overburdened, and through their persistent efforts, save the one who stumbles. They tremble not before any [worldly] ruler. They cry and supplicate in the cause of Allah, who sent them during a time of widespread corruption and pervasiveness of selfish passions. They are moved to do so only out of their sympathy for mankind and the command of the Glorious God.

Among their signs is that when their relationship with their Munificent Lord seems to weaken, they revitalize it by bestowing acts of benevolence upon His servants. They soar high and do not alight suddenly. They are served such a drink from which they neither indulge in foul talk nor suffer from headache. Rather, they keep asking, ‘Is there more?’, without getting satiated. Their secrets are not understood on account of their profundity, as if they were speaking a foreign language. They withhold themselves from everything that displeases their Lord and remain steadfast in truth. Even if they were to be burnt alive, they would never speak a lie. They do not conceal the truth even if they are torn into pieces. They never frown at the hardships that befall them and always place their trust in Allah. They regard the world as worthless, so they never incline towards it.

Among their signs is that they are informed of [their future] prestige even before the appearance of its physical means. They are granted glad tidings of Allah’s help in times of despair, general disregard of the people, and lack of the mundane means in this worthless world, so much so that fools ridicule them upon their disclosure of these prophecies and consider them mad, blabbers, and impostors who chase their own selfish desires. They [i.e. their opponents] do everything in their power to annihilate them and reduce them to dust. At such a time the command of Allah descends from heaven and they are taken into the lap of the Lord of Grandeur’s favour and the whole web [of schemes] spun by their opponents out of conceit and arrogance is torn apart and thus the matter is decided; the surging flood of mischief is dried up, and in the end they emerge victorious with honour and glory.

Among their signs is that you see them racing through the ways of Allah like a strong she-camel; as for worldly affairs, they perform them reluctantly and do not give precedence to them except with disdain. Through them, God exposes the good morals of the people as well as that which is like a hidden disease; for, they are like the rain that reveals the true nature of the land.

1

By this parable, God Almighty relates the condition of the believers and the transgressors.

Among their signs is that you find them like a sagacious man, a firm leader, and a trader who is the chief of the caravan. They stand out among their contemporaries. They spend their lives exerting themselves in crying and supplication. They spend their nights standing and prostrating before their Lord. They protect themselves against the wolf of selfish desires and continue worshipping their Lord until death overtakes them. Even when vile people abuse them, pounce upon them like dogs, and make them like a land covered by fog, you will find them forbearing.

Among their signs is that they are raised at a time when utter darkness prevails—trees bearing scanty fruit and becoming like dry firewood—and in an era when people fall into a deep slumber and their faith becomes like a leafless branch of a palm tree. Such is the age that feeds worthless food to its children and fails to take responsibility for the hungry; it keeps the people mired in misguidance so that the buffaloes of their own selves eat away the verdure of good deeds.

Moreover, they are not ill-tempered like the ignoble; rather, they suppress their anger and forgive the ignorant who hurt them. Nonetheless, they are so brave that they never surrender to extreme oppression, even when they are unarmed in the battlefield. They fear their Lord and persevere in righteousness. Should a temptation from Satan cross their mind, they seek forgiveness. Thus, cravings that assail like mobs are defeated, and peace descends upon them, and Satan the accursed flees away.

Among their signs is that they recognize the liars and naked hypocrites who resemble chameleons. You will find them sound in judgement and brave like lions in all their affairs, albeit they never prey upon people. You will find their hearts self-sufficient, yet they appear poor. They are fast in the ways of Allah and do not need to be spurred. You see their tears flowing endlessly. They neither incline towards indolence nor do they walk arrogantly.

Among their signs is that destiny approaches them gently and whenever a trial is set to befall them, God apprises them of it in advance. Death comes to them slow and it never occurs like a sudden accident, as if God dislikes to cause them to die and hesitates to take their peaceful souls.

Among their signs is that they are helped, never to be forsaken. No desire intervenes between them and their Lord and they are never abandoned. They do not part with their Lord even if they are ripped apart. Nor are they like those who boast despite being ignorant; rather, they are endowed with knowledge and enlightenment. God Himself manifests their light and they are not ostentatious. They perform good deeds in the most befitting manner. You will find them like a tender plant even if they are wounded. The day and night bear witness that they are the Auliya’ [Friends] of the Gracious Lord, even though an ignorant one may call them heretics. Whenever a calamity befalls them, they rush toward their Lord. Allah does not leave them in obscurity; rather, they are recognized and honoured among people. They are not like hyenas, but rather, they resemble an extraordinary man—elegant and youthful. They walk upon the earth in a dignified manner and do not stagger like the old.

Among their signs is that a group of fools entertains evil suspicions about them but God acquits them of all such accusations. They do not mourn or grieve over the calamities that befall them and there is a close affinity between them and the Prophets. They drink from that which the Prophets drank. Whenever a calamity befalls them, they stand upright and to God alone do they turn. They liberally spend whatever they possess for the sake of God and they never show miserliness. They distance themselves far from the pit of the world—they neither stand on its edge nor come close to it. In fact, they are God’s lions and lie concealed in the lair of the unseen. There is no ferocious lion or hawk like them. They pounce on their enemies and destroy them. They are the branches of the Holy Tree and whosoever dares to crush them is himself crushed by the Almighty. Those who besiege them are themselves afflicted with painful suffocation. No one torments them except the ignorant one who is like the purslane that is carried away by the floodwater, or the one who is more vicious than a snake. They are the people for whose sake God Himself fights. Their enemies never succeed against them even if they run so fast that their feet ache, for they have chosen to fight the One from whom the transgressors are not hidden.

Among their signs is that they inspire the hearts of seekers after truth with their knowledge, and nourish them as birds feed their young and are affectionate to them, and safeguard them against all that is inappropriate for them, and listen to their cries with loving kindness, never becoming indifferent to them. Indeed, they are like shepherds in the land and when they see a wolf, they cry out. They never rely on their selves; rather, they keep glorifying and praising their Lord. They do not lead a life of a bulky animal; rather, as misfortunes befall them one after the other, they become more tender-hearted. They are purified by their Lord in such a way that all of their carnal desires vanish one by one, leaving behind only the soul, and thus they become peerless. Then they are sent to the people and invite them to virtue and success. That is the station of Abdal [Saints], who chose the paths whereby they do not have to suffer remorse in the end, nor grieve.

They traverse through canyons that the obese could never cross. They die only after they are to be succeeded by a people who are bestowed true knowledge and are righteous. Without fatigue they continue inviting the ignorant to their fountainhead. Everyone who hears their call hastens to them except those who are deaf and whose tongues are afflicted with disease and whose hearts are veiled so that they pay no heed.

Such has been the practice of disbelievers that they turn a deaf ear to the call of the Messengers, no matter how painfully they call out to them; neither are they awakened by a faint sound nor by a vehement voice until the day of chastisement overtakes them unawares. Prophets strive hard to remove the cloud of dust from their eyes so that they might see, yet they sit still like a divorced woman, and disobey their Lord and turn away as if they know not, and lose their senses like the one whose speech is incomprehensible, and become immoral and foul-mouthed. They abuse the Prophets and find fault with them. They eat voraciously yet remain insatiable.

Verily, those who believe strive hard in the cause of Allah, and, they reproach their legs despite them moving hastily and think they are falling behind. They endure hardships for the sake of Allah so that they may be accepted. Thus the mercy of Allah supports them and they are not left in the straitened life; rather, they emerge victorious. The ignoble take them for discarded food which is spoilt, whereas [the truth is that] creation is saved on their account. They seek the pleasure of Allah and cry out [before their Lord] like a woman in the pangs of childbirth; only then are they included among the accepted ones.

Among their signs is that God removes the severity of intense grief from them, and rids their hearts of fear. Thus, their faces ever shine forth and they fear not. They are granted such morals as are not to be found in others, and their character is revealed when they meet people. They behave humbly with visitors even if they be lowly helpers in a monastery or savages like wild donkeys. This is how they conduct themselves.

Among their signs is that they cannot survive without their Lord; they keep away from their pillows. In the way of Allah even foul-smelling water is pure and fresh to them. They seek the pleasure of Allah. In their eyes the world is like excretion, and its seeker is good for nothing or is a hyena similar to the father of Abraham. And, on account of their renunciation of the world, they are supplied with clusters of fresh fruit and great gifts. The world to them is like the piece of cloth with the help of which Allah takes down the cooking pot of their subsistence to save them from harm. This is [the bounty] from their Lord since they detach themselves from the world and forget it. In fact, they rush towards Allah and their tears continually flow in His remembrance. They are the people who consider this world to be as negligible as the amount a tiny ant can lift with its mouth. Since inciting the soul for this [material world] is misguidance, wherefore these are those knives through which the [sacrificial] slaughter is made. Its [the world’s] seekers are lambs [which need to be slaughtered]; its water is little and its food is fatal.

The world is like a woman who is in the habit of refusing her husband under the pretext of menstruation. Its face is like a withered old man who has completely lost his elegance. Its beginning is ease but its end is hardship; you will not find anything more wicked than it. Beware! It is the tree of Zaqqum2; do not, therefore, mistake it for a cluster of grapes. That is why the servants of God have drawn a sharp sword against it; they neither grab it with their hands nor do they seek to milk it; they have divorced it thrice and they are not like a woman suffering from miscarriages. They have perfected their words and deeds and they are never afraid of any shameless man, for they are ever ready to face death.

Among their signs is that they are nurtured like a child fed on a good diet and, by nature, swim like fish. Their blessings are like incessant rain. They appear when truth becomes like an uprooted tree. When an age is devoid of such people, it is as if it were without rain. Chaos and calamities, when they abound, serve as the sweet smell of their advent and betoken their approaching light. They run in the ways of Allah like a noble horse. They reveal the people’s secrets like a belly that is being slit open. Their advent signifies daybreak and their departure signifies darkness. They are the beacons of faith and religion, and serve as the proof of God on the earth. Their message spreads across the sky like flashes of lightning and as the surging of the sea. Good-natured people hasten towards them much like gazelles emerge from their hideouts, and, except for the crooked, all good-natured people of the ummah accept them.

Those who reject them will definitely come to realize [the enormity of their rejection] during the pangs of death, even though at present they flare up like a blazing fire. They prefer this world and make it a temple for their hearts. They strut towards it as a rooster rushes towards a hen with ruffled feathers in order to mate with her. They show great stupidity and are hardened like a well-twisted rope. They are unlike a fresh and tender branch but are rather like food that has gone mouldy; they are devoid of good and are like misers.

Verily, the case of those who believe in the Prophets of Allah is akin to a pure tree on a fertile sand hill; it is they who are taken to be the helpers of this purified religion. They move like an able-bodied youth in the ways of Allah because their [spiritual] eyes are opened and their cloaks of human [weakness] are peeled off, and divine light causes the blossom of their faith to bear fruit. Indeed, they are like lions yet they are never guilty of any misconduct. Having renounced the world, they are not burdened; therefore, they fly towards Allah and are not among those who drag their feet. They sweep away all the dust of their inner selves leaving behind no trace of this transient world. Whatever they do, they do for the hereafter and for it alone do they strive. They are blessed with the unbored pearls of wisdom and they constantly grasp such profound subtleties that a conceited ignoramus considers them to be heretics. Their faces are like a soft and tender branch and, by virtue of recognizing their Lord, they are not covered with darkness and they despair not. They are honoured in heaven; therefore, Allah fights those who damage their reputation or shed their blood, so that they are seized and destroyed. They [i.e. those who insult God’s servants] are deaf, dumb, and blind and—due to extreme animosity—they are afflicted with the disease of the heart.

Among their signs is that the water of their pool is never exhausted; rather, they are always provided with fresh, flowing water; they have no idea what muddy water is, for they are unceasingly supplied with sweet and fresh water from the Lord of all the worlds. Their Lord grants them guardians so that they are saved from the wilderness and the wolves that dwell therein. The receptacle of their selves is filled with light and insight, and what lies hidden from the veiled ones is made manifest to them.

This is so because they surrender their selves to Allah like the sacrificial calf; they either fulfil their vow or remain ready to do so. It is also so because they spend all that they possess in the ways of Allah and are not like miserly people. They yield fruit like a long fresh branch so the poor and needy seek shelter under them. Without any toil and insistence on their part, they are provided with sustenance from Allah who protects the righteous.

Among their signs is that God Almighty inspires them with extreme thirst for perfect knowledge; their chests are opened and all human impurities are removed from them so that they are filled with the love of Allah, and, for His sake, they slaughter their own selves like a cow. They pile up the provision of righteousness and spend out of it at every moment as needed. They turn away from every ignorant person, repel evil with good, and live like a dishevelled and dusty person, out of humility for God. Likewise, they consummate their spiritual journey the way that bread is baked over hot coals. Despite having many brothers and children, they live like a solitary person who has neither brother nor son. In following the injunctions of God, they resemble a land that produces forth quick yields. They neither care for the aspersions of the unjust nor do they deviate an inch from their chosen paths on account of their threats. They adorn the abode of their hearts for Allah like a good, housekeeping woman. They stand before Allah, hastening towards Him, and firmly hold on to that which is given by Allah.

Among their signs is that if you stay in their company for a while you will witness wonders at their hands. As for their generosity, you will find them like a great, milk-yielding she-camel. Their discourse cleanses hearts and their speech penetrates them. In fact, their attire is adorned with righteousness by the command of Allah the Gracious and the superfluous part of their sensual passions is cut off from them, and whatever has accumulated of their sins is removed. Through them, many blind and ignorant persons begin to see and are educated and transformed into men of piety and learning.

Woe betide those who mock such persons just like a shrew who barks at her husband. They know not that they will be ruined by divorce, because Allah has attached the salvation of people to their love and grace. Thus, whoever parts ways with them perishes because he has turned his back on those who were his guardians. This misfortune is the lot of the one who is, by nature, extremely lazy, reckless, and arrogant, and is not among those who fear Allah and reflect. All this springs from the filth of the world, so woe to those who are polluted by it. They spurn and ridicule the men of God and strive to do them harm, thinking they are doing something good.

The most unjust among the worldly at this time is the one who is bent upon doing harm to me. He is wicked and arrogant like Satan. He has tried to frighten me with his rustling and hissing like a serpent. Allah is my Witness that I am under the protection of the Gracious Lord, and whosoever intends to destroy me will himself be destroyed by the Lord of Reckoning; I live before His eyes and the Messengers are never afraid in His presence; He causes the schemes of deceivers to recoil upon them, if they only knew!

Among their signs is that they do not slip in the battlefield; rather, they remain steadfast and never exhibit cowardice. They lead people like an expert guide so as to save all those who fear the wolf. Like someone who wishes the very best for his people, they return to their people with insights and verities. They are not content with their own efforts and fear that the edifice of their life might collapse and break down any day; therefore, they keep seeking an heir from their God and find him in the shape of a baby boy. They crush their own passions in seeking the pleasure of the Lord of the universe. They are sincere towards their Lord beyond any trace of adulteration. They never leave the Lord’s court and become remote [from Him]; love for Him clings to their hearts and they unite their selves with their Beloved. They never flare up at people; rather, they guard their tongues, and if a harsh word happens to proceed from them, they make up for it with tenderness. They speak like an eloquent orator and their words are made eloquent by the grace of God. They spend their wealth on the poor and forge ahead in the face of trials and tribulations like a brave and courageous soldier. You will never see their faces turn red when angry, and in times of distress you will find them raising their heads towards their Lord like fish. Around their necks is a rope of God’s love—not a twisted noose made of sinew. None but the mean-spirited would attack them and none would injure them except the one who is more wretched than a cuckold. Their resolve is so firm and unyielding that whenever they are determined to do something they persevere with utmost steadfastness, and when they have to fight a snake they cut it into pieces. Whoever comes to them thirsty is quenched by their water and is cleansed of every kind of doubt.

Lo! The time of satiation has come close! Let there be glad tidings for the righteous seekers. Do you not see that this era has become corrupt and filled with all kinds of serpents flicking their tongues and its walls are about to collapse, and diseases are breaking out and lives are being lost and death is spreading in all directions? The sixth millennium has passed and now I have come at the turn of the seventh millennium. O brave and young people! This is what the Prophets had foretold. So, how long will you continue to call me a liar and not fear the Lord of Reckoning?

Among their signs is that they seek Paradise in their aspiration to meet God rather than to eat grapes and the meat of birds. You will find that their primary aim is to hasten towards the commandments of the Lord of both worlds with outstretched hands. They lifted the veils of human nature and burst asunder, with their truthfulness, that which had been inaccessible of divine nature. This was the result of God sending down a host of manifestations upon them by which they demolished the very foundation of their being and ceased to be moved by their self, and entered under the protection of God against the snakes. They entered gardens and their faces were illuminated like a flash of lightning. They found the worldly people dark-faced, so they strove to brighten them and set about to reform them akin to a hen that incubates its eggs.

They help every one who cries out for help even if one is faking, except for those among whom Satan has spawned and hatched his offspring. Indeed, they are men of God, and whosoever accuses them of lying is himself a liar, who, shaving off the hair from his head, has shed all the beauty of righteousness.

Those who bear enmity towards them resemble a shameless woman, but the assault of a rude and foul-mouthed woman can do them no harm. At the time of confrontation, the hands of their opponents are ripped apart, causing them to run away from the battlefield like foxes. You will find the discourse of these noble princes like a drink that easily flows down the throat, and is firmly planted within hearts, washing away sins. Allah the Almighty exonerates them from all false accusations that are meant to stain their honour. For their friends and brothers, He makes them as the she-camel that is lent for the sake of her milk. Through them, He delivers people from blindness and cures the arrogant and victims of satanic temptations. None but a fool bears them enmity and only the righteous and humble accept them; their house is prohibited for the sinful who deliberately hasten towards evil, are content with scum, and remain distant from flowing water.

Among their signs is that they take very little from this world, but they receive abundantly from faith. They benefit from worldly blessings as little as an ant’s mouthful, but they partake abundantly from piety. They straighten their selves as a bow maker straightens his arrow and they eradicate all their selfish desires so that only the pleasure of God is left, which is like the strong trunk of a tree, and they hold fast to it. They prefer Him in every way.

They pay no heed to the fools’ uproar nor care about them; and regard their [coarse] whip as a smooth plant, and do not fear it. Whatever knowledge they are granted is granted solely on account of love, not owing to any toil on their part. They are made to drink from the unseen so they drink their fill. With a sharp spearhead, they sever [ties] with everything other than God. For the sake of Allah alone, they choose to tread on the narrow paths and it is not possible for the devil to lure them into any trap from which they cannot escape; they repel him through their light; therefore, Satan cannot take away so much as a single drop from the waterskin they carry with them. He [the devil] fears their bows which they have exposed to the fire to straighten and strengthen them.

You will find no dry verbosity in their discourse; rather, you will find it filled with inspiration and divine cognizance. They waged war on their selfish desires and fought valiantly. These are those people who are the wise and guided ones. They drank eagerly from the vessel of the spiritual path, for they lie prostrate before their Lord like a mendicant and because [in their spirituality] they are like an avaricious one remaining unsatiated, and prefer what is best and most savoury. Allah empties their selves of all desires other than Him and cuts off all other ties and enables them to throw away everything other than Him and helps them to tread gracefully in His path so that every wrongdoer may know that they alone are the truthful.

Among their characteristic traits is that they are cleansed of human wickedness the way a woman is cleansed at the end of her menstrual cycle. Allah turns towards them, so they are drawn closer [to Him]. They lay waste to the abode of the self on their own and with the help of God. They see God with the eyes of their soul and are purified of all doubts and are perfected in knowledge. They have a station before their Lord closer than that of the angels, for they oppose their selves and, despite carrying a heavy burden, stand firmly like a sturdy person. The fire of their love flares up and the sting of their self is removed and the edge of their sword is sharpened. Hence, they tear apart every veil and lose themselves completely in the service of their Lord. They let not a moment pass in which they are not in worship.

Almighty Allah turns their hearts away from everything other than Himself and makes them fall deeply in love with Him. Thus, every particle of their being bows before their Lord, and the love of Allah becomes their food which they are fed. Thus, they eat greedily so that others may not take it, for they are a people who jealously protect their honour. They shed tears for their Beloved until their eyelashes fall out, and the distress caused by their concern for Him consumes their hearts, and their selves are filled with His remembrance like a waterskin, and they remain restless for Him all the time. In their love for God their hearts become like a hot stone which increases their extreme thirst [for Him]. They have a status with Allah of which people know nothing; therefore, people look down upon them and bring filthy accusations against them.

Among their signs is that they remain undaunted by the strikes of trials; rather, they sail across the oceans of trials and tribulations like ships. They do not confound truth with falsehood and abhor all that is impure, and seek immaculate righteousness and commit themselves wholly [to it]. They do not want any other colour to be mixed with it. Their land is one on which rain falls unceasingly that renders them green and fresh. They possess a spear that kills the wolf, and their sublime nature resembles lofty hillocks. Their pot [intrinsic nature] boils with love [for Allah] and so they become thoroughly cooked.

Whoever comes to them—despite being like a hefty camel that is weighed down by the love of this world—will be able to go through the eye of a needle with the blessing of this righteous company. And if someone who was the servant of the Devil visits them, he will be transformed into one who transgresses not, and if an arrogant and devilish one comes to them faithfully, he definitely will humble himself to the command of Allah and become among the righteous.

O ye who hear! Do not be surprised at this for their station is even loftier, and how can I describe it when you cannot understand? They are a people who cry so profusely that their tears far exceed the water that you drink.

Among their signs is that they separate true and good deeds from the accumulated heap of actions and leave the chaff for the misguided. They take what is pure and never practice miserliness and keep seeking the truth. They continue to shake everything until it reveals what lies beneath it and discloses what they were looking for right before their eyes. They do not deny what the ignorant deny, but conduct a thorough enquiry into it. They do not live like the poor and mean, but secure the best from the market of the hereafter and are never negligent. In fact, you can hear the sound of their hearts’ restlessness like that of a boiling pot; this is the rod with which they beat the Devil. They abstain from every evil for the sake of their Beloved whom they prefer [over everything]. They broke the fangs of the snake that had misled Adam and they beat it with a whip which is most lacerating. Thus was it no longer possible for it to attack them; rather, it fled away from those who pelted it with stones. They pounced upon it like a lion and took it upon themselves to extirpate it, and to redeem and deliver the people from its evil. They removed its hair by boiling it just like the wool is removed from a lamb leaving its skin bare. They injured it with spears.

Their necks bow down before their Lord and they remain submissive to Him alone. They are the ones on whose account the eyes of creation are dazzled, and they surprise even the angels with their feats. They dished out their flesh to their Lord, so that He ate what was offered on the table; they were consumed with the fingertips of love and were annihilated for their Chosen Beloved.

The End

Author
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian
Dated: 14 December 1903