 Allah the Exalted (continued...) In truth it is the same attraction which is vested in a child's nature for God. Every exhibition of affection by a person in fact proceeds from that very attraction, and the restlessness of a lover which a person experiences is in truth a reflection of that very love, as if he takes up diverse things and examines them in search for something that he has lost and whose name he has forgotten. A person's love of property, or children, or wife, or his soul being drawn towards the song of a sweet voiced singer, are in fact all in search of the lost Beloved. As man cannot perceive with his physical eyes the Imperceptible Being Who is latent in everyone like fire and yet is hidden from everyone, nor can he find Him through the exercise of his imperfect reason, he has been subject to many errors in his understanding of Him and through his errors he renders to others that which is His due. God Almighty has mentioned an excellent illustration in the Holy Quran that the world is like a great hall paved smooth with slabs of glass and a current of water flows underneath them which runs very fast. A person looking at the slabs of glass wrongly imagines them to be water also and is afraid of walking upon them as he would be afraid of walking upon water, though in reality they are only glass but very clear and transparent. Thus these great objects in heaven like the sun and the moon etc. are transparent like glass and are worshipped by mistake. Behind them there is a Higher Power at work which is flowing swiftly like water. It is the mistake of those who worship created things that they attribute all this activity to the glass which is the activity of the Power behind it. This is the explanation of the verse: It is a great hall paved smooth with slabs of glass (27:45).
As the Being of God Almighty, despite its brightness, is hidden beyond sight, the physical universe is not adequate for its true recognition. This is the reason why those who depended upon the physical system despite their careful consideration of its perfect orderliness which comprehends hundreds of wonders within itself, and despite their pursuit of astronomy and physics and philosophy to a degree which shows that they had penetrated through heaven and earth, could not get rid of their doubts and suspicions and became involved in all types of errors and wandered far afield chasing their imaginary will-o'-the-wisp. If they thought of the Being of the Creator, they proceeded only thus far that observing the great orderliness of the wise system they imagined that it should have a Creator. It is obvious, however, that this idea is incomplete and this understanding is imperfect, for to say that this system needs a God is not equal to saying that God in fact exists. This was only their conjectural understanding which cannot bestow satisfaction and contentment upon the heart, nor can it altogether remove doubts. This is not a cup which could quench the thirst of complete understanding which is inherent in man's nature. In fact, such imperfect understanding is very dangerous, for after a great deal of noise it leads to nothing. So long as God Almighty does not affirm His Existence by His word, as indeed He has done, the mere observation of His handiwork does not afford satisfaction. For instance, if we see a room which is bolted from inside, our first reaction would be that there is someone inside who has put up the bolts for it is impossible to put up the bolts from outside. But if over a long period no one from inside should respond to repeated calls, we would have to abandon our assumption that there is someone inside and we would imagine that there is no one inside and that the bolts have been put up through some clever device. This is the case of the philosophers whose understanding does not go beyond the observation of God's work. It is a great mistake to imagine that God is like a corpse which has to be brought out of its grave by man. If God has to be discovered through human effort all our hopes of such a God are vain. Indeed God is the Being Who has ever called mankind to Himself by announcing: I am present. It would be impertinence to imagine that man has laid Him under an obligation through his understanding of Him and that if there had been no philosophers He would have remained unknown. It is another impertinence to enquire whether God has a tongue wherewith He can speak. Has He not created all heavenly bodies and the earth without physical hands? Does He not see the whole world without physical eyes? Does He not hear us without physical ears? Was it then not necessary that He should also speak? It is not at all correct to say that all God's speaking has been left behind and that there is nothing in future. We cannot seal up His words and His speech in any age. Without doubt He is ready to enrich the seekers from the fountain of revelation as He used to do before. The gates of His grace are as open today as they were at any time. It is true, however, that the needs for law and limitations having been filled, all Messengerships and Prophethoods found their perfection at their last point, which was the person of our lord and master, the Holy Prophet, peace be on him [Islami Usul ki Philosophy, Now printed in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 10, pp. 49-53].
True knowledge of God depends upon this that we should reach the Living God Who speaks clearly to His favourites and bestows satisfaction and contentment upon them with His Majestic and delicious speech. He speaks to them as one man speaks to another and converses with them as a certainty that is beyond doubt or suspicion. He listens to them and responds to them and hearing their supplications He informs them of their acceptance. He proves to them that He is God on the one side by His majestic and delicious words, and on the other side, by His miraculous works and His Powerful and Mighty signs. To begin with, by way of prophecy He promises them His support and help and special guidance and then on the other side, in order to augment the greatness of His promises, He causes a whole world to oppose them. Those people use all their power and their deceit and all their devices to frustrate God's promises of support and help and supremacy which He makes to His favourites, but God brings to naught all their efforts. They sow mischief and God uproots it. They kindle a fire and God puts it out. They put forth their utmost efforts and God turns their designs against them. The righteous ones of God are simple and straightforward and in the presence of God Almighty they are like children in the lap of their mother. The world opposes them because they are not of the world. All sorts of plans and devices are resorted to in order to destroy them. Peoples combine to put them to trouble, and all unworthy ones shoot arrows at them from the same bow, and all manner of calumnies and charges are invented against them, so that somehow they might be destroyed and all signs of them might be wiped off, but God Almighty fulfils His words all through their lives. They are honoured with God's true word which is clear and conclusive, arid they are given knowledge of hidden matters, which is beyond the power of man, through the clear word of God, the Mighty and Powerful. On the other hand, through miraculous events which establish the truth of that which they had been told, their faith is strengthened and is further illumined. Whatever need man's nature feels it has of understanding for the purpose of the certain recognition of God, that need is filled through verbal and factual manifestation so that not a particle of darkness is left. This is the God through Whose verbal and factual manifestations, which comprise thousands of bounties and affect the heart powerfully, a person acquires a living faith and a true and holy relationship is established with God, which removes all personal dirt; and all weakness being excluded, inner darkness is dispelled by the fierce rays of heavenly light and a wonderful change is manifested. Therefore, the religion which does not present God as possessing these attributes and confines faith to ancient tales and fables and such matters as are not seen or heard, is certainly not a true religion. To follow such a fictitious god is like expecting a corpse to work like living beings. A god who does not prove his own existence afresh every time is as if he does not exist. He is like an idol which neither speaks nor hears nor answers questions, nor can he manifest his power in such a manner that even a confirmed atheist should not be able to doubt it (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, Part V, pp. 21-23).
OBJECTION: It is disrespectful to affirm that God speaks to man. What
relationship can subsist between a mortal and the Eternal and Ever-Existing?
What resemblance can there be between a handful of dust and Light itself?
Whatever God has desired for man, He has in advance invested him with all the faculties that were needed for its achievement. For instance, the human soul possesses a capacity for love. A person through error might love another person and might choose someone as the object of his love, but sane reason can easily understand that this capacity for love has been vested in his soul so that he should love his true Beloved Who is his God, with his whole heart and his whole power and his whole eagerness. Can we say that this capacity for love which is vested in the human soul whose surge is unlimited and at whose height man is ready to lay down his life, is inherent in the soul from the beginning? If God has not created this relationship between man and Himself by vesting the capacity for love in the human soul then this capacity is a matter of chance; that by the good fortune of Permeshwar souls were inspired with the capacity for love and that if the chance had been otherwise and this capacity had not been found in the souls, nobody would have ever turned his attention to Permeshwar. Nor could Permeshwar have devised any plan in this behalf. But it should be considered that the demand of Permeshwar for His own worship and for righteous action is proof that He has Himself invested the human soul with the capacity for love and obedience. He, therefore, desires that man in whom He has vested these capacities should devote himself to His love and obedience; otherwise, how can Permeshwar desire that people should love Him and should obey Him and should act in accordance with His will [Naseem-e-Dawat, (Qadian, Ziaul Islam Press, 1903); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain, Vol.19, p. 24]?
He will indeed prosper who purifies his soul (91.10).
Every people claims that there are many among them who love God Almighty, but what needs to be known is whether God loves them or not. The proof of God's love is that first He removes the veil that prevents a person believing with certainty in the existence of God, so that he admits His existence with a misty and dark understanding and very often at a time of trial denies Him altogether. The removal of this veil cannot be achieved except through converse with God. A person drinks of the fountain of true understanding on the day when God addresses him and conveys to him the good news: I am present. At that stage man's understanding does not remain confined to conjecture or argumentation. He comes so near to God as if he sees Him. It is entirely true that perfect faith in God is achieved only when He informs a person of His Own existence. The second sign of God's love is that He not only informs those dear to him of His existence, but manifests specially to them the signs of His mercy and grace, by accepting their prayers concerning matters which are apparently beyond hope and informing them of it through His revelation and His speech. This reassures them that their God is Powerful Who hears their prayers and informs them of it and delivers them from difficulties. They then understand the mystery of salvation and are convinced of the existence of God. As a warning other people also might occasionally have experience of true dreams, but the experience of the converse of God is something entirely different. It is vouchsafed only to those who are His favourites. When such a one supplicates God Almighty He manifests Himself to him with His glory and causes His spirit to descend upon him and intimates to him the acceptance of his prayer in His loving words. He who has this experience very frequently is called Prophet or Muhaddas [Hujjatul Islam, (Amritsar, Riyadh Hind Press); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol.6, p. 2-3]. A servant displays his sincere love for God by his good behaviour, but God's response is astonishing. In response to the rapid advance of the servant, God rushes towards him like lightning and displays signs for him on earth and in heaven and becomes the friend of his friends and the enemy of his enemies. Even if millions of people oppose him God humiliates them and makes them helpless like a dead insect. He destroys a whole world for the sake of that one person and makes His earth and heaven the servants of such a one. He blesses his words and sends down a rain of light on his dwelling. He puts a blessing in his clothes and his food and even in the dust upon which he treads. He does not let him die a failure and Himself answers all objections raised against him. He becomes his eyes with which he sees, and becomes his ears with which he hears, and becomes his tongue with which he speaks, and becomes his feet with which he walks, and becomes his hands with which he deals with his enemies. He emerges Himself to deal with the enemies of His friend and draws His sword against the wicked ones who persecute him and makes him victorious in every field. He conveys to him the secrets of His decrees. The very first purchaser of his spiritual beauty who comes forward after his good behaviour and personal love is God Himself. Then how unfortunate are the people who should live in such an age and such a sun should rise upon them and they should continue to sit in darkness (Zameemah Braheen Ahmadiyyah, Part V, pp. 65-66).
After perfection of the spiritual structure the flame of the personal love of God falls upon the heart of a person like a spirit and bestows upon him the condition of being ever present before God. Spiritual beauty manifests itself at its fullest when such a one arrives at his perfection. This spiritual beauty which might be called good behaviour far exceeds the beauty of countenance by virtue of its strong attraction. The beauty of countenance can only win the mortal love of one or two persons and soon declines. Its pull is very weak. But the spiritual beauty which has been called good behaviour is so strong in its pull that it draws a whole world to itself so that every particle of heaven and earth is pulled towards it. This is the philosophy of the acceptance of prayer. When a person possessing spiritual beauty who is penetrated by the spirit of Divine love, supplicates for an impossible or very difficult object and carries his supplication to the limit, then on account of his spiritual beauty, every particle of this universe is drawn towards him by the command of God Almighty, and such means are provided as are adequate for his success. Both experience and the Book of God establish that every particle of the world has a natural love for such a person and his prayers draw all particles towards him as a magnet draws iron, and extraordinary matters come to light on account of this attraction which are not mentioned in physics or in philosophy. Ever since the Creator has fashioned the world of bodies from particles, He has invested every particle with that attraction and every particle is a sincere lover of spiritual beauty and so also is every good soul because that beauty is the manifestation of truth. It was that beauty on account of which God commanded angels to prostrate themselves before Adam and they all prostrated themselves, but Iblees did not. There are many today like Iblees who do not recognize that beauty, but that beauty has accomplished great things. The same beauty was in Noah, out of regard for which the Lord of Honour and Glory destroyed all his enemies by the torment of water. Then Moses appeared with the same spiritual beauty, and he, after suffering for a few days, became the occasion for the ruin of Pharaoh. Then last of all the Chief of the Prophets and the best of mankind, our lord and master Muhammad, the chosen one, peace be on him, appeared with a grand spiritual beauty in praise of which it is enough to cite the verse: He approached close to Allah and then leaned down towards mankind, so that it became as it were a case of one chord serving two bows or even closer (53:9- 10). This means that the Holy Prophet approached very close to God and then leaned towards mankind and thus discharged fully that which was due to God and that which was due to man and thus demonstrated both kinds of spiritual beauty (Zameemah Braheen Ahmadiyyah, Part V, pp. 61-62)
In the article that was read out in the meeting it was stated that Permeshwar is free from anger, rancour, hatred and envy. Perhaps the meaning of the speaker was that in the Holy Quran the word anger has been used with reference to God. In contrast he desired to convey that the Vedas is free from any affirmation that God becomes angry. But this is his mistake. It should be borne in mind that no undue tyrannical wrath is attributed to God Almighty in the Holy Quran. All that is meant is that on account of His Holiness God possesses an attribute which resembles wrath and that attribute demands that a disobedient one who persists in his rebellion should be chastised. God also possesses another attribute which resembles love and that demands that an obedient one should be rewarded for his obedience. The first attribute has been named wrath for the purpose of illustration, but neither His wrath is like human anger, nor His love is like human love. God Almighty has said in the Holy Quran: There is nothing like unto Him (42:12); that is to say, nothing is like the Being or attributes of God. We enquire from the speaker why does Permeshwar, according to the Vedas, punish sinners, so much so that He degrades them from the status of humanity and makes them dogs and swine and apes and cats, etc. One has to admit that He possesses an attribute that demands such punishment. This attribute is described in the Holy Quran as God's wrath. . . . If Permeshwar does not possess an attribute that demands that He should punish sinners, then why does He incline towards punishment? He must possess an attribute that demands recompense and that attribute is called wrath, but that wrath is not like the anger of man, but is suited to the dignity of God. That is the wrath that is mentioned in the Holy Quran. . . . When God bestows His bounty upon those who act righteously it is said that He loves them. When He punishes those who act viciously it is said that He is angry with them. Thus as wrath is mentioned in the Vedas so it is mentioned in the Holy Quran; the only difference being that according to the Vedas the wrath of God in its severity can turn men on account of their sins, into insects, etc. but the Holy Quran does not carry God's wrath to such extremes. The Holy Quran says that despite punishment God maintains the humanity of a person and does not condemn him to some other existence, which shows that according to the Holy Quran God's love and mercy are greater than His wrath, and according to the Vedas the punishment of sinners is unlimited and Permeshwar is all anger and has no trace of mercy. It appears clearly from the Holy Quran that a time will come when God will have mercy upon all the dwellers of hell [Chashma Marifat, (Qadian, Anwar Ahmadiyyah Press, 1908); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 23., pp. 38-42].
The Gospel directs us to pray: Our Father that art in heaven hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and put us not in temptation, but save us from evil for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. But the Quran says that the earth is not empty of God's Holiness which is proclaimed not only in heaven, but also on earth. As it is said: There is not a thing, but glorifies Him with His praise (17:45). Whatever is in the heavens and in the earth glorifies Allah. This means that every particle of earth and heaven glorifies and proclaims the Holiness of Allah and everything in them is occupied with glorification and praise. The mountains remember Him, the rivers remember Him, the trees remember Him and many righteous ones are occupied with His remembrance. Whoever fails to remember Him in his heart and by his tongue and does not humble himself before God is compelled to humble himself by being put through diverse types of torment by Divine decree. Whatever is recorded of the angels in the Book of God that they are completely obedient to Him, the same is said of every leaf and every particle in the earth. Everything is obedient to Him, not a leaf can fall without His command, no medicine can heal without His command, nor can any food prove agreeable without it. Everything prostrates itself at the threshold of God in extreme humility and worshipfulness and is occupied with His obedience. Every particle of the earth and mountains, every drop of the rivers and oceans, every leaf of trees and plants and all particles of men and beasts recognize God and obey Him and are occupied with His glorification and praise. That is why God Almighty has said: Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah; that is to say, everything in the earth glorifies Allah and proclaims His Holiness as does everything in heaven. Then how can it be said that God is not glorified in the earth? Such a sentiment cannot be expressed by a person of perfect understanding. Of the things of the earth some obey the commandment of the law and some are obedient to Divine decrees and some are occupied with obedience of both. The clouds, air, fire and earth are all devoted to the obedience and glorification of God. If any human being disobeys the commandments of Divine law he follows the commandments of Divine decrees. No one is outside the ambit of these two commandments. Everyone bows down to the heavenly kingdom in some form or the other. It is true that having regard to the purity and corruption of human hearts, heedlessness and remembrance of Allah prevail in the earth by turns, but this ebb and flow does not occur by itself, but only in obedience to the Divine will. That happens which God wills. The alternation of guidance and error proceeds like the alternation of day and night according to the light and command of God and not by itself. Despite this everything hears His voice and glorifies Him. But the Gospel says that the earth is empty of the glorification of God and the reason is indicated in the sentence that follows, namely, that the kingdom of God has not yet arrived on the earth. That is why God's will has not been put into effect on the earth as it operates in heaven. The teaching of the Quran is altogether contrary to this. The Quran states clearly that no thief, murderer, adulterer, disbeliever, disobedient one, rebellious one or offender can commit any evil upon the earth unless he is authorized from heaven. Then how can it be said that the kingdom of heaven does not operate upon earth? Does some adverse possession stand in the way of the enforcement of God's command on the earth? Indeed not. God Himself made one law for the angels in heaven and another one for man on the earth. In His kingdom of heaven God has given no choice to the angels. Obedience is inherent in their nature. They are not able to disobey. They are not subject to error or forgetfulness. But human nature has been given the choice of obedience and disobedience. As this choice has been given from above, therefore, it cannot be said that because of a disobedient person, God's kingdom has been excluded from the earth. God's kingdom is in operation all the time and in every way. Yet it is true that there are two systems of law. One for the angels in heaven, which is the law of Divine decree which the angels cannot disobey, and there is another law which is in operation on earth that man has been given the choice of good and evil. But when a person supplicates God for power to overcome evil, then with the support of the holy spirit he can overcome his weakness and can safeguard himself against sin as is the case with the Prophets and Messengers of God. In the case of those who have been guilty of sin, asking for forgiveness can deliver them from the consequences of sin and they are spared chastisement in respect of it, for when light comes darkness is dispelled. Those offenders who do not beg for forgiveness suffer punishment for their offences. In these days the plague has also descended upon the earth as punishment and the rebellious ones are being destroyed Then how can it be said that the kingdom of God does not operate upon the earth? Do not be misled by the thought that if there is a kingdom of God upon earth then why is any sin committed? Sins are also subject to the Divine law of decrees. Although the offenders put themselves outside the law of Shariat they cannot put themselves outside the law of decrees. Then how can it be said that sinners do not bend to the yoke of the Divine kingdom? . . . If Divine law were to take on extreme harshness and every adulterer were to be struck down by lightning, and every thief were to be afflicted by some disease whereby his hands would become rotten and fall away, and every rebellious one who denies God and His religion were to die of the plague, then before the expiry of a week the whole world would put on the garments of righteousness and good behaviour. Thus there is God's kingdom on earth, but heavenly law has bestowed this much freedom that offenders are not immediately seized with punishment. Yet punishment is also continuously in force. Earthquakes happen, lightning strikes, volcanoes erupt and destroy thousands of lives, vessels sink, many lives are lost in railway accidents, storms are encountered, houses fall, snakes bite, wild beasts rend, epidemics spread and not one, but many doors of destruction are open which Divine law has appointed for the punishment of offenders. Then how can it be said that God's kingdom does not operate upon earth? The truth is that the kingdom is there. Every offender has handcuffs around his wrists and chains around his feet, but Divine Wisdom has softened its law to a degree that the handcuffs and the chains do not manifest themselves immediately. But if an offender persists in his wrongdoing they carry him to hell and push him into a torment in which he neither lives nor dies. |