(In Lahore before Zuhr Prayer)
The plague, cholera, etc. and pestilences were being discussed. The Promised Messiah (as) said:
Unfortunate is the one who turns towards science, medicine, physicians, etc. searching for the stratagems to protect against these calamities, and fortunate is the one who takes refuge with God Almighty. And who besides God Almighty can provide sanctuary against these disasters? In essence, these people who are bent upon philosophy, medicine, and science seek out some rational explanations to provide a sense of peace and comfort during these difficult times. In this way they remain deprived of the true cause and objective of these pestilences. In spite of that, they remain completely oblivious to God Almighty.
I entreat the physicians in our Jama’at not to consider their science alone to be sufficient in such proceedings. On the contrary, leave room for God as well and refrain from expressing absolute opinions and incontestable conclusions, for oftentimes it has been experienced that some such patients in regard to whom doctors had unanimously issued a categorical and conclusive prognosis of death, are cured by means produced by God for their sake. There are some people who are in good health and evidence no viewable symptoms of death in the opinions of doctors, in regard to whom Allah intimates their death to a believer before the [destined] time. Now, even though it is not the patient’s end in the opinions of the doctors, it is the end in the view of Allah and, accordingly, it comes to pass exactly so.
Medical knowledge fell into the hands of the Muslims from the Greeks, but since the Muslims were a monotheistic nation worshipping God, they started writing ھُوَا لشَّافِیْ [‘Allah is the Healer’] on their prescriptions. I have read the accounts of physicians. It is written that in treatment of diseases, difficult step is making the correct diagnosis. Therefore, the one who errs in the very diagnosis of the disease, will also err in the treatment because certain diseases are so subtle and abstruse that man cannot even understand them. Accordingly, Muslim physicians have written to proceed with prayers for such cases. If one prays with full attention and compassion for the patient out of true sincerity and sympathy, then Almighty Allah will expose the reality of the disease, for nothing unseen is hidden from Almighty Allah.
Therefore, keep in mind that—being detached from God Almighty—however great a claim is boasted solely on the basis of one’s knowledge and experience, a loss equally as great will be suffered. Muslims take great pride in Tauhid [the Oneness of Allah]. What is intended by Tauhid is not simply a verbal affirmation of Tauhid, but the essence is to give testimony of this assertion in your professional careers in real practical terms that you are truly believers in the Oneness of God and that Tauhid is indeed your professional trade. It is the belief of Muslims that every single occurrence emanates from Allah. It is for this reason that a Muslim says Alhumdulillah [‘All praise belongs to Allah’] during times of happiness and إِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَإِنَّا إِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن [‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return’] during times of grief and mourning, proving that God alone is, in actual fact, his refuge in every affair.
Those people who wish to indulge in any of the pleasures of [worldly] life, estranging themselves from God Almighty, should remember that their lives are extremely bitter indeed, for true peace and comfort cannot possibly be attained except by [one’s self] being annihilated in God and God being the sole source and goal of every action. The lives of such people is simply a life of animals and that contentment cannot be found. True tranquillity and satisfaction are conferred upon those people who are not detached from God, who are constantly supplicating to God Almighty silently within their hearts.
The truth of religion lies in man never being estranged from God Almighty under any circumstances. What kind of a religion can it be, and what kind of a life if, after having lived it entirely, one failed to ever come across the name of God at all? The essential point is that all of these flaws are merely the result of a lack of restrictions and unbridled freedom, and it is on account of this very lack of restrictions that an overwhelmingly large segment of society prefers this lifestyle.
Just today I saw a book in which the particulars of Buddha’s life are documented. It claims that he supposedly did not acknowledge God, and that this very world is everything that exists; nothing hereafter. Verily, these are the unrestrained and unrestricted beliefs on account of which it is said that 1/5th or 1/4th of the world follows the Buddhist doctrines or appeals to those doctrines. The more strict a religion is, the fewer the people who enter its fold, yet the purity and righteousness found in it are proportionately that much greater.
Islam has mandated restrictive stipulations for the sake of both, women and men alike. Just as the command to observe the veil is for women, men similarly have the peremptory command to ghazz-e-basar [lower their gaze]. Salat [Prayer], Fasting, Zakat [almsgiving], Hajj [the Pilgrimage]; distinction between the halal and haram [i.e. the permitted and prohibited]; abandoning one’s habits, customs, and rituals that oppose the commandments of God Almighty; etc. etc. are the very restrictions why the door of Islam is so extremely narrow, and this is the very reason that every single person cannot enter through this door. عیسائی ہاش و ہرچہ خواہی کن [‘Become a Christian and do whatever you please’], for their religion is an undisciplined faith.
Imitating these [Christian] people, a faction has also recently developed amongst the Muslims who seek to reinvent Islam. Essentially, all of these occurrences give visibility to those who desire no discipline and absolute freedom, but keep in mind that purity and lack of discipline oppose each other like light and darkness. It appears that in the city of Lahore, minds are amenable to the acceptance of truth but lack of discipline and unbridled freedom are a serious obstacle in their path.
It is recorded that a tribe accepted Islam in the time of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and they petitioned him in his presence, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Exempt us from Salat.’ However, he replied for them to observe that a religion in which there is no worship of God Almighty is a religion of nothing whatsoever.
When gazing upon the state of the world’s share of this heedlessness and unbridled freedom, a kind of quaking and quivering descend upon the heart, and the thought comes [to mind] of how difficult it really is to remove this massive stone from the path of [spiritual] reformation without the coming of a remarkable revolution throughout the world, inspiring within hearts the unshakeable belief of the awe, majesty, omnipotence, and grandeur of God Almighty.
These days if someone claims to give up alcohol and declares its consumption unlawful, he essentially means that it should not be consumed in excess or that it should not be consumed openly outside in the marketplaces in front of others. Within the four walls of your homes, do whatever you wish. However, Islam has commanded strict conditions of true righteousness and genuine purity in all these matters, remaining within the limits of God Almighty.
At this point some friends took the Pledge of Allegiance, and among them was one quite elderly in age. He petitioned to the Promised Messiah (as) to pray that Allah Almighty may forgive his sins. [Editor]
The Promised Messiah (as) said:
The best thing of all is for a person to always keep in mind the fact that life has no guarantee, nor is it known when death will come and seize man. Therefore, with this [in mind] continue to repent and seek forgiveness. To desire forgiveness of one’s sins from God Almighty and to develop within one’s heart a restlessness to win His pleasure encapsulates the entire realm of world and religion. The quintessence of all worship is precisely this that the sin of mankind be forgiven and that through this God Almighty be pleased.
The Promised Messiah, upon whom be blessings and peace, then inquired, ‘What is your name?’
He replied, ‘Mustaqim.’
The Promised Messiah (as) said, ‘Very well! May God Almighty make you mustaqim [i.e. a follower of the right path].’
The elderly gentleman, Mustaqim, humbly submitted, ‘Your Holiness, my heart desires that I might be worthy of serving you in some capacity.’
The Promised Messiah (as) said:
Everything depends on intention. You have already received the reward for your intent. The reward for all of the trouble that you have taken to come here will also be granted. So then, be well pleased with God Almighty.
After this, the Promised Messiah, upon whom be blessings and peace, continued the conversation and said:
From the perspective of the state of the present age, the issue of [spiritual] reformation appears rather difficult and complicated to some degree. These days some winds of opposition are blowing against it. The proposal that I am presenting is a bitter remedy indeed. These people can only make use of this bitter remedy when they abandon their sweet indulgences and they become fully aware and cognizant of the truth that this ‘sugar’ [of worldly pleasure] is actually dangerous for them and that this bitter medicine holds the efficacy of the water of life. Only then can some advantage be realized. The restrictions that God Almighty has imposed are full of grace and mercy from beginning to end.
Really, what is the ultimate gain of these transgressions? What ends up happening is that these people are seen drowning in drunkenness, sin, and vice and then how perilous are the evil consequences that emerge from them? People are witnessing them every day: paralysis, stroke, syphilis, gonorrhoea, and sometimes approaching the point of leprosy. Life is ruined this way, getting overwhelmed by dangerous afflictions. You should compare and evaluate the results of this freedom versus this discipline, but this younger generation which is bent upon the expediencies of modern education, does not understand. These expediencies are scary, but one should still not lose hope.
I am not even opposed to the view that seeks sincere sympathy and reformation for this group. On the contrary, I strongly support it. Even one out of a hundred is good enough! But if not, I would still receive the reward for my effort despite their laughing it off in ridicule.
As a rule, in any gathering where there are fifty or a hundred people congregated together there will certainly be a difference of opinion on any given proposition. If some are laughing it off in ridicule, there are still others understanding its truth. Although it is true that only a few enter the fold of truth, those few are the courageous since acceptance of truth is an act of courage. Moreover, there is awe and energy embedded within truth and rectitude. In this way their strength is accentuated with another strength, becoming an even greater force.
Thereupon, another blessing from God that has fallen into my lot is that those who come to me are such humble, modest, and virtuous people. I am forced to rejoice when I see the filthy advertisements and the uncivilized and vulgar writing, speeches, and abusive cursing of my opponents. What benefit do I reap if these filthy people join me?
What God Almighty has told me, which is also included in the word of God Almighty, is that He wills to separate the good from the bad. God Himself has created the very means for this separation. Otherwise, there would have been the possibility that they acknowledged the death [of Jesus] and, in this way, there would have been no difference remaining between them and us. However, out of His infinite wisdom, He—the God who wills to distinguish between the good and the bad—has placed such obvious differences between them and us that He has completely separated them from us.
It is strange that they hold no potent argument yet—even then—they fume with fury and frenzy. Had there been a word written explicitly anywhere in the Holy Quran about the life of Jesus or it could be proven from the authentic Hadith, then it would have been their right to work themselves into a fury and frenzy and abuse me to their heart’s content, but when the Quran itself and the very Hadith are striking them a blow, they have absolutely no right to showcase this degree of pretentious passion. The principal point is that in this tribulation-filled time, Allah Almighty has willed to form a distinct body [of Muslims] by eradicating impurity that He might illustrate to the world that this is what is [truly] called ‘Islam’.
The circumstances fall under the control of two categories—faith and works—yet the Muslims of this age have given a bad name to Islam in each of these two aspects. Islam is pure from every stain and victorious in every battle, but I cannot imagine that Islam could ever be victorious through the means which these people have embraced.
Islam is a faith so pure and perfect that no criticism can possibly exist over any of its beliefs. Some people have objected that if it is accepted that Hell is permanent and that the punishment of dying in the state of disbelief is also eternal with no end, then an inevitable injustice follows from this that runs contrary to the infinite mercy of God Almighty. However, the fundamental principle is that the permanence of Hell is not like the permanence of Paradise with no end, because the Creator of the faculties through which man commits sin is ultimately God Himself. After all, man certainly didn’t fetch those faculties and that nature out of his home [i.e. they were not created by man].
Granted that people sometimes maintain possession and control over the commission and omission of deeds, and perpetrate evil themselves, but insofar as God is the Creator of human nature, He Himself has said: خُلِقَ الْاِنْسَانُ ضَعِیْفًا1. Therefore, people should also be given the benefit of this. So, there will be punishment for sin and chastisement will take place, but this eternity is not like the Eternity of God. Being placed in Hell for a specified period of time, one is released upon being cured.
Agree or disagree, but this very belief is proven by the Word of God Almighty. Accordingly, where the mention of Paradise is, the words used there are عَطَآءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوْذٍ2 but where Hell is mentioned, it is said:
اِِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّکَ ؕ اِنَّ رَبَّکَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا یُرِیْدُ3
Reflecting upon these verses, it is clearly understood that the dwellers of Paradise would have no fear, but for those in Hell, there is an undeniable hope for deliverance.
It is mentioned in a hadith that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said that if the words عَطَآءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوْذٍ [a gift that shall not be cut off] had not been applied to Paradise, then the dwellers of Paradise would have also remained in fear.4 However, God Almighty—by amplifying the words عَطَآءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوْذٍ—has completely wiped out that fear, saying that this is a gift from God Almighty that won’t be taken back.
In addition, I have seen another hadith in relation to this in which it was written that: یَاْتِیْ عَلٰی جَھَنَّمَ زَمَانٌ لَّیْسَ فِیْھَا أَحَدٌ وَنَسِیْمُ الصَّبَا تُحَرِّکُ أَبْوَابَھَا5. [‘A time will come upon Hell when no one will be in it and the fluttering wind will be striking its doors’].
Now, look how pure the canons and creeds are that Islam has taught the Muslims regarding Heaven and Hell in which there isn’t so much as an atom’s weight of injustice, with principles of the highest purity, truth, and wisdom that limit punishment up to a specified term. Subsequent to this, deliverance will be granted because God Himself is ultimately the Creator of human nature and faculties. No sound mind nor conscience can ever accept that the sin of a frail and feeble mortal would be deemed so great that it would never be forgiven.
The other issue is of the Mi’raj [Spiritual Ascension]. Without a doubt, we also believe that the Holy Prophet (sas) journeyed with his body. It was both in a state of wakefulness and with body, but this was a visionary state of the most glorious degree. For proof of this, look in Sahih al-Bukhari that after recording the entire incident it is written ثُمَّ اسْتَیْقَظَ6 [‘Then he woke up’]. Well, what does this mean?
It was the narration of Hazrat Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who had the opportunity of living with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for a very long time, and who also had considerable knowledge. اِسْتَیْقَظَ does not mean that he was experiencing a dream, but a kind of vision in which there was awareness of the physical body.
These are special circumstances created by Allah, in which senses are intact. This is something, which cannot be proven by argument. Only experience can settle it. Philosophical argument cannot be applied here and there is nothing objectionable in it, but some people distort the religion of Islam and subject it to criticism.7
1 For man has been created weak (Surah an-Nisa’, 4:29). [Publisher]
2 … a gift that shall not be cut off (Surah Hud, 11:109). [Publisher]
3 … excepting what your Lord may will. Surely, your Lord does bring about what He pleases (Surah Hud, 11:108). [Publisher]
4 See Tafsir al-Baghawi, al-Musama, Ma‘alimut-Tanazil, by Abu Muhammad al-Hussain bin Mas‘ud al-Farra’ al-Baghawi ash-Shafi‘i, Juzw 12, p. 403, Surah Hud, verses 109–111, Idarah Ta’lifat Ashrafiyyah, Multan. [Publisher]
5 In one narration, this hadith is recorded as follows: یَأْتِیْ عَلٰی جَھَنَّمَ یَوْمٌ مَافِیْھَامِنِ ابْنِ اٰدَمَ أَحَدٌ تُصْفَقُ أَبْوَابُھَا کَأَنَّھَا أَبْوَابُ الْمُوَحِّدِیْنَ Ruhul-Ma‘ani fi Tafsiril-Qur’an al-‘Azim was-Sab‘il-Mathani, by Shihab-ud-Din Mahmood bin Abdullah al-Husaini al-Alusi, Surah Hud, 108, Juzw 11, p. 470. [Publisher]
6 Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabut-Tauhid, Bab wa Kallamallahu Musa Taklima, Hadith 7517 [Publisher]
7 Al-Hakam, vol. 12, no. 35, p. 2–3, dated 30 May 1908 [Publisher]