26 March 1908

(During a walk)

The Profound Impact of Miracles Wrought by Moral Conduct

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

If a man abandons arrogance and behaves with cordiality and affability, then this is a weighty miracle. The miracle of virtuous conduct always has tremendous impact in it. A tree is known by its fruit. The impact of truthful teachings and pure beliefs is manifested through one’s morals.

Achievement of the excellence [of faith] consist of just two components: one, honouring the commandments of God; and, two, kindness towards God’s creation. The first essentially relates to one’s heart and to God—no one can recognize it right away. The second pertains to people; the morals of a man that are visible from the very start. Therefore, excellence in morals is verily a magnificent and weighty miracle. Look, many examples can be found in the life of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, where people accepted Islam simply because of the excellence of his morals.

It is reported that once a polytheistic Christian guest came. The Companions (ra) wanted to host him but the Holy Prophet (sas) said that the Christian would be his guest and he would bring his meals. So, the Holy Prophet (sas) took this polytheist to his home as a guest and treated him with great hospitality, serving him the very best food and providing him a pleasant place to stay and comfortable bedding to spend the night. The guest developed indigestion from overeating and kept relieving himself in the same room all night long and soiled the room and the bedding. Out of embarrassment, he got up early in the morning and left when it was still dark.

The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, felt very sorry when he could not find him anywhere despite looking for him. The Holy Prophet (sas) started washing the soiled sheets with his own blessed hands. And while he was doing this, the guest returned because he had forgotten a very precious cross of his. Upon seeing him returning, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, became greatly pleased and did not express any annoyance. Rather, the Holy Prophet (sas) treated him with respect and courtesy, and graciously retrieved the cross for him. The man was so moved with this incident that he accepted Islam right there and then.

There are many other similar instances reflecting his high standards of moral conduct. The conclusion is that the miracle of sublime morals is a weighty argument of truthfulness.

All Islamic Wars Were Defensive

It is extremely unfair that Islam is labelled as being cruel, whereas the fact is that those who criticize Islam unjustifiably out of prejudice, without due consideration and deliberation, are themselves being cruel. They refuse to accept, despite repeated explanations, that all the Islamic battles and conflicts were defensive in nature and, after unrelenting oppression and persecution at the hands of the disbelievers of Makkah, were meant to safeguard life and property. Muslims did not commit any act which was not committed and which had not been initiated first by the disbelievers. On the contrary, there were many heinous practices which were explicitly forbidden by the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, on his own initiative because of his superior moral standards. For instance, the disbelievers had the most repugnant custom of mutilating the corpses of Muslims [martyred in battle]. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, strictly prohibited the Muslims from that despicable act.

This matter is mentioned in great detail and at great length in the Holy Quran, but one must possess the ability to ponder and maintain an impartial heart with the thirst for truth and justice. The Holy Quran has mentioned this issue very clearly:

وَ ہُمْ بَدَءُوْکُمْ اَوَّلَ مَرَّۃٍ1

Meaning that every mischief and conflict was first initiated by the disbelievers.

In fact, the Holy Quran has explicitly enunciated the principle that those who confronted you with the sword should be confronted with the sword, whereas those who refrain and do not participate in such battles, you too should not fight with them. Indeed, you may—by all means—be benevolent towards them and you must deal equitably with them. Accordingly, He says:

لَا یَنۡہٰٮکُمُ اللّٰہُ عَنِ الَّذِیۡنَ لَمۡ یُقَاتِلُوۡکُمۡ فِی الدِّیۡنِ وَلَمۡ یُخۡرِجُوۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ دِیَارِکُمۡ اَنۡ تَبَرُّوۡہُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوۡۤا اِلَیۡہِمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یُحِبُّ الۡمُقۡسِطِیۡنَ ﴿۹﴾ 2

Now, this is a point to reflect upon. Do any of those dire conditions exist today for which Holy Quran permits the waging of war? It is quite evident that we are not compelled or coerced in any matters of religion. On the contrary, everyone has been given full freedom. No one is waging a war for a religious cause, nor is anyone holding any male or female slaves. No one interferes with the performance of Salat [obligatory Prayers], Fasting, Azan [Muslim call for Salat], Hajj [the Pilgrimage], or other Islamic obligations. Then how can you justify waging jihad or taking slaves?

Parity Between Men and Women

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

Another objection that the Arya members raise out of obstinacy and stubbornness, is that Islam has not maintained parity between men and women and has instead given preference to men.

The Promised Messiah (as) continued:

Their prejudice and opposition to truth has made them blind. Do they not feel shame saying this? They should first look at their own selves and then decide with fairness. It is worth pondering that even if an Arya has forty daughters, he will need shamefacedly to send his wife to sleep with someone else, per his religion, so that he could get a son for his own deliverance; for, according to the teachings of Vedas there is no salvation for the one who has no son.

Now, let them be fair about the thing called parity. Forty or fifty or even an innumerable number of daughters cannot equal one son. The daughters—no matter how many they are—still cannot save their mother from this reprehensible and unnatural vile act. Until she begets a son, she will have to submit herself to Niyog. Now tell me, have they maintained parity between men and women?

Islam is a very pure religion and is totally compatible with human nature. It contains comprehensive and prudent guidance within it. Just as it mandates the need for a wali [guardian] for the nikah [Islamic marriage] of a woman, it has also stipulated the necessity for a wali for the purpose of divorce. Just as a woman is in need of her guardian for her marriage, she is similarly in need of a guardian for her divorce. If a woman cannot live and get along with her husband, she is permitted to seek a khula [divorce initiated by the wife] through a magistrate or the ruler of the time. The same magistrate or ruler of the time would be her guardian for divorce. There should be no other restriction or obstacle for her.

That leaves the issue of inheritance. In this regard, the Holy Quran has fixed the share of a woman to be half that of a man. The rationale in this is that she receives half from the estate of her parents and half from the in-laws. Besides, her husband is also responsible for her food, lodging, and her clothing and dress. In this way, a woman actually receives more than a man in some respects. These critics should show some decency and respect. They should first take a look at their own state of affairs before unleashing their tongues in criticism.

The Way to Lead a Life of Comfort

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

It is stated in a hadith that, ‘People should not lament a tyrant, they should bemoan their own selves.’3 You should not bemoan a king or a ruler. If you reform your own selves, the rulers would also become kind and compassionate. If someone’s ruler is cruel and callous, he should realize that his own conduct makes him merit this. What a pure rule it is that the Holy Quran has set forth:

اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یُغَیِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتّٰى یُغَیِّرُوْا مَا بِاَنْفُسِہِمْ4

When one has been indicted by God Almighty Himself, who can dare show him any favour and rescue him? Rulers mirror God’s wrath or mercy. If God is pleased, rulers become compassionate on their own. If God is displeased, then man has become deserving of punishment. No one can help!

Therefore, if you wish to live in comfort in this world, lean towards God and reform your own selves and become completely committed to Him; مَنْ کَانَ لِلّٰہِ کَانَ اللّٰہُ لَہٗ5 [‘He who becomes Allah’s, Allah becomes his’].

There is a well-known proverb in Punjabi [language] which says, جے توں میرا ہورہیں سب جگ تیرا ہو [‘If you will be devoted to Me, the whole world will be yours’].6

The truth, indeed, is that if God is pleased, everyone will be pleased with you. Pleasing God takes precedence. What a wonderful thing some of the wise people of Delhi said at the time of Nadir Shah’s invasion: شومئ اعمال ما صورت نادر گرفت [‘It is our own foul deeds that have seized us in the form of Nadir’].7