Propagation of evil: If someone goes about saying that so and so is a liar, apart from being a person to person evil, it also becomes a national evil; for if it continues to be announced for some time that a group or nation has liars in its ranks, the intensity of feeling against lying wears off, thereby making it easier for this vice to spread. Propagation of evil amounts to a kind of national suicide.
Selfishness: To promote and prefer personal interests when they conflict with national interests.
Wanton surrender to vice and disobedience to law: For instance, prostitution or public drinking.
Procrastination: For instance, laziness in the performance of national duties.
Neglecting the moral training and education of children.
Neglecting the educational needs of children amounts to destroying a nation; for children of today will become the nation of tomorrow.
Being dirty and unclean: I have mentioned this vice earlier in the sense that others feel disgusted because of the stink. I mention it here in the sense that it causes disease which ultimately could destroy a nation.
Lack of the sense of responsibility: This means not to feel the obligation to do one’s duty.
Lack of understanding and tolerance of another’s failure to perform his duty or of the resulting loss whether the lapse was due to oversight or to an error of judgment, or was deliberate.
Rebellion: At this stage Hazoor interrupting his discourse said: A friend has made a suggestion which I had a mind to dwell upon. I take this opportunity to do so now. The friend reminds the missionaries and other advocates of Ahmadiyyat not to employ harsh language. I agree and insist that we must be always courteous and polite. You will not find any harsh language in my writings or speeches. Do I not feel hurt when the Promised Messiah — on him be peace — is reviled? Indeed I do. But I have never countered harshness with harshness. I know some people would quote passages from the writings of the Promised Messiah — on him be peace — to justify occasional use of such language. But let them remember, the Promised Messiah — on him be peace — was a divinely commissioned magistrate or arbitrator. It was his station — to which he was appointed by God — to tell people their true worth. We do not have that station and prerogative. For others, being harsh is a sign of inner weakness. It might give temporary pleasure to some but when future generations read and judge our words cool-mindedly they will lament our using those words for they will no longer be angry. They will not have before them the offensive writings of our opponents. Instead they will have the shame and mortification to seek to hide such books and writings as contain this kind of language.
Inhospitality: Lack of the sense of hospitality is a national evil.
Deception: To practice deception and fraud in business is also a national evil.Here again, Hazoor interrupted his discourse and observed: Tradition says that on one occasion the Holy Prophet — on him be peace — was delivering his sermon when the companions started asking question after question. This displeased the Holy Prophet — peace be on him — and he said he would stop the sermon; and asked them to go ahead putting as many questions as they wanted and that he would continue answering till the Day of Judgment.I find myself in a similar situation. The long line of questions which are being asked during the address, is unending. Would you like me to stop the lecture and go on answering the questions? I have hardly completed the 35th page of my notes on this subject. Twenty five pages of notes still remain to be dealt with. If I were to start answering each and every question, do you think the lecture will ever be finished?
Resuming, he proceeded:
As I was saying, fraud in business is a national vice for it destroys the credit of a nation. When I last visited Kashmir, I found the annual trade of silver utensils and ‘Shawls’ at an ebb. It had come down from ten million rupees annually to 1.7 million owing mainly to the dishonesty of those engaged in this trade and industry.
To criticise workers: In front of those who are not connected with the matter.
Publicly to denounce the whole nation without naming the guilty: To denounce the whole nation because of a particular evil without identifying the guilty is bad. For instance, to declare that the whole nation is a nation of cheats; as a result the nation does, in fact, become a nation of cheats.
To grudge contributing to national ends.
To cultivate friendship and closeness with those who harm the nation.
Non-cooperation with the representatives of the Government or of the community.
Poor standard of obedience.
Now I shall enumerate evils which relate to God:
Swearing and taking oaths in the name of God unnecessarily. A solemn oath may be taken before a magistrate, or on occasions when an oath is prescribed or is permissible; otherwise swearing in the name of God as a matter of habit amounts to an insult to God.
Despair: When one loses all hope of ever solving one’s difficulties. This is the result of lack of reliance on and faith in God.
To harbour evil in the heart: God created the human heart to make it His home. That is why the heart is called the House of God. He who tarnishes the heart, stops God from entering His house.
Refusal to submit to the Law of Shariah.
Belief in false dogmas: For instance, setting up partners with God.
Disbelief in the true dogmas like God, angels, prophets, revelation, heaven, hell.
Violation of the laws of the Shariah about God or man; for instance, not to offer prayer, not to perform pilgrimage to the Kaaba, not to carry out the prescribed rules of inheritance and not to follow divine guidance about morals. All these laws and injunctions are prescribed by God. Therefore, to violate them is to displease God, in addition to bringing pain and suffering on His creatures.
Inadequate love of God.
Disrespect to God and the Holy Prophet — on him be peace.
All evils which are related to others are also related to God. For example, ingratitude is ingratitude to man or God.