February 1898

Those Who Are Mindful of the Hereafter Are Forever Blessed

I observe that despite the appearance of calamity upon calamity and the emergence of danger on all fronts, the hearts of the people are as hard as stone, and they continue in pride and conceit. How long will these foolish people go on in this heedlessness? Until the people give up their obstinacy, refrain from their evil activities and do not reconcile with God Almighty, these calamities and afflictions will go nowhere. I have observed and closely reflected that in the days of famine, the people did not feel the burden of this tribulation. Drinking houses were teeming just as before and evil and immorality was rampant just as before. Previously, when edicts attributed to Mecca or Medina were issued, the people would become afraid, and the mosques would become full, but in the present time insolence and imprudence has exceeded all bounds. May Allah have mercy.

A wise person is heedful of punishment before it descends and a far-sighted person is one who remains concerned to save themselves from an affliction before it appears.

It is incumbent upon all people to be mindful of the hereafter and repent from evil actions because true happiness and pleasure lies in this. It is a matter of certainty that no evil deed and sinful act can give a person true happiness, even for a moment. A sinful person of ill conduct is always haunted by the fear of his secret being exposed. How then can such a person find a means of comfort in wicked actions? Those who have their sights set on the hereafter are forever blessed.

A man who keeps their sights set on the hereafter is fortunate.

Observe the state of those nations who were faced with chastisement from time to time. Everyone must ensure that even if their hearts are hard, they should rebuke them to teach them a lesson of humility and meekness. If you do not know how to weep, then make a weeping face, and ultimately tears will follow themselves.

Develop in Yourselves a Pure Transformation

What is most significant for our community is that they develop within themselves a pure transformation, for they are blessed with fresh insight of the Divine. If a person claims to be the recipient of divine insight but does not act accordingly, then such claims are nothing more than vain boasts. Hence, the indolence of others must not make our community negligent and must not embolden them to become idle, nor should they become hard-hearted on witnessing the indifference of others.

Man possesses many longings and desires, but who has knowledge of the hidden decrees of fate? Life does not transpire in accordance with one’s yearnings. The ongoing desires of man are one thing and the phenomenon of divine destiny and decree is another; and the latter always prevails. The course that a person’s life takes is known to God, Who knows what is written in their book of fate. Hence, an individual ought to awaken their heart to make it vigilant.

An Aspect of God’s Oneness

One aspect of the unity of God is to erase one’s inner desires for the love of God Almighty, and to lose one’s own person into the grandeur of God’s Being.1