24 May 19081

(Before Asr Prayer)

Admonition to Hindu Women to Abandon Idol Worship

On 23 May 1908, some Hindu women came to the door of the Imam of the Age, the Promised Messiah (as), and said that they had come to see his blessed countenance. The Promised Messiah (as) was informed. He very kindly and graciously granted them the permission and they went into the house to see him.

The Promised Messiah (as) was occupied in writing his book, Paigham-e-Sulh [A Message of Peace]. After a while he said, ‘You have seen me. Now you may go.’

However, they requested that they be addressed and said that this was the purpose of their visit. Due to their insistence and sincerity, the Promised Messiah (as) addressed them as follows (which he narrated on 24 May 1908 before Asr Prayer).

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

The truth of the matter is that if a couple of things were not found in you, you would be a hundred times better than the Aryas etc. The first among these is that you should worship God, who has created you and me, and is the True Provider, believing Him to be One without any partner. In this worship, no idol should be associated with Him—no other god or goddess, rock or mountain, snake or beast, mother Ganga or Jamna, tree or plant; and He should be worshipped as the One and Only God. What was the need to create these 330 million gods that you have made and why were they made? No one else in the entire world has these many gods.

Upon hearing this much of his address, these ladies asked him, in their quest for truth, if he could please expound upon this matter.

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

Look, beggars are of two kinds—one a transient beggar and the other a stubborn beggar. The attitude of a transient beggar is that he makes a plea once and then moves on to the next door. It is good if he gets something, otherwise he moves on to the next door. Sometimes people even have to run after them to give them charity. Their job is just to make their call and move on.

In contrast, the stubborn beggars plant themselves at one door and keep sitting there until their request is met. Such a beggar is surely granted his request in the end. This same is the condition of those who ask from God. Only those people get their request granted by God who stay exclusively at His door being the stubborn beggar. They are resolute and persist in begging relentlessly from Him alone. Those who are irresolute and impatient, who despair or become disgruntled, always remain deprived.

Besides sincerity and steadfastness, perfect faith and trust in the Being of God is also essential. It is against sincerity and fidelity to despair of God quickly and to take one’s petitions to others. To go from door to door to beg one idol and then carry one’s request for help to some other deity, rock, mountain, tree in the forest, or Ganga water, shows a lack of trust in the One God and a lack of full conviction that He is the One who fulfils all one’s needs. It is against the character of the stubborn beggar to give up quickly and turn to others for one’s needs, having become despaired of God. It is absolutely wrong to make one god after another and to seek fulfilment of one’s exigencies from each and go on abandoning them one after the other. One ought instead to adhere to the One and beg Him alone for all one’s needs. He provides for the needs of everyone. Patience, perseverance, and faith are the prerequisites.

After hearing this much of admonishment, they agreed that this indeed is the truth. They sensed that the Promised Messiah (as) now wanted them to leave but they again made a humble request, ‘We have come from afar. We wish to work the fan for you. We have only come to be in your presence and hear your words. Please tell us how we should supplicate to God.’

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

You may pray in your own language. You may pray as follows: ‘O True and Only God! O Ye who art the Creator of the entire universe and its Sustainer, being Aware of the circumstances of everyone! Nothing is hidden from You. Every particle is under Your control and You can do as You will. Deliver us from a life of sin and corruption and show us the right path. May we become what You desire. Save us from vices. Vices are not under our control. We desire that they may be dispelled from us. You Yourself should provide some cure for them. It is beyond our power to get rid of them. May it be so that we become heirs to everlasting salvation and comfort by treading upon the paths of Your pleasure and may no sorrow come near us. Save us from the fruits of our previous ill deeds and grant us the ability to perform good deeds in the future.’

You should continue to pray to God, and only to Him and not to anyone else, with a true heart and good faith, resolutely like a stubborn beggar. And abandon all other gods and goddesses.

With such genuine passion and prayer, the day will ultimately dawn when all the hearts’ impurities will be washed away and a life of peace and comfort ushers in. The end.

The Promised Messiah (as) said:

It appeared from their condition that they were pious and sincere women. The presence of such respectable and pious women in a city like Lahore is indeed a boon.2 The end.