Let it be absolutely clear that a mere verbal pledge has no value if it is not supported by a genuine and firm resolve to live up to it in every way. Therefore, whoever fully lives up to my teachings, he alone enters that house of mine with reference to which God Almighty has promised
"I shall Myself protect all those who are in this house."It should not, however, be understood here that this Divine protection is extended only to those living within the confines of my house made of mud and bricks. The pledge also includes those who follow my teachings to the fullest extent and who, therefore, can truly be said to be the inmates of my spiritual home.
Relevant to a proper observance of my teaching it is essential that one should firmly believe that there is an all-Powerful, all-Sustaining Supreme Being, the Creator of everything, Changeless, Everlasting and Eternal. He does not beget, nor was He begotten. He is Holy, so that there is no need or occasion for Him to go on the Cross, or suffer in any way, or be subject to death.
He is such that being far removed, He is still very near; and being very near, He is still very far. Although He is One, and absolutely Unique, His manifestations are diverse and multifarious.
Whenever there occurs in man a new change, for the changed man He becomes a new God, dealing with him on the basis of a fresh manifestation, the man witnessing a change in God in proportion to the change in himself - not that there occurs any change in God, He being Eternal, Changeless and most Perfect in Himself; but with every change in man for the better, God also reveals Himself to him an a fresh and clearer manifestation. With every progressive effort on the part of man God also shows Himself with higher and more powerful manifestation. He displays an extraordinary manifestation of His power and glory, only when man shows an extraordinary change in himself - this being the root and the bedrock basis of the marvels and miracles witnessed at the hands of all servants of God.
Belief in this God, with these powers, is the foremost essential condition of our Movement. Inculcate this belief in your hearts, giving to its implications and requirements the first and top most priority over all considerations of self, over its comforts and relationships. By means of actions in the field of your daily life, with unflinching courage show a steadfast loyalty in His way. Others in this world do not give Him preference over material means and the support they hope to get from their friends and relations. But you should give Him the first place, so that in heaven you should come to be reckoned His people.
To show signs of grace is the eternal way of God. But you can partake of this blessing only when there remains no difference and no distance between Him and you; only when all your wishes, hopes and desires merge into His will; only when at all times, in success or failure, in hope or disappointment, you remain in humble prostration at His door, so that He should do with you what He will. If you act like this, in you would appear that God, Who for a long time has kept His face concealed from the world.
Is there any among you, then, who would act upon these teachings, seeking only His pleasure, without the slightest sense of dissatisfaction against the way His will works? Even in distress you should put your best foot forward, for this is the secret of your success; and you should strive to the utmost of your power to spread the idea of His singleness and unity all over the earth. Be kind and merciful to humanity, for all are His creatures; do not oppress them with your tongue, or hands, or in any other way. Always work for the good of mankind. Never unduly assert yourselves with pride over others, even those who are placed under you. Never use abusive language for anyone, even though he abuses you. Be humble in spirit, kind and gentle, and forgiving, sympathetic towards all and wishing them well, so that you should be accepted.
There are many who pretend to be kind, gentle and forgiving, but inside they are wolves; there are many who look pure on the outside, but in their hearts they are serpents. You cannot be accepted in the presence of the Lord unless you are pure, both on the outside and inside. If you are big, have mercy for those who are small-not contempt; if you are wise and well versed in learning serve the ignorant with words of wisdom; never desire to bring disgrace on their ignorance by trying to show off your own learning. If you are rich, instead of treating them with self-centered disdainful pride, you should serve the poor.
Beware of the paths of destruction. Fear the Lord, be righteous, do not fall in worship before the creation of God. Turn wholly and solely to Him, so that you lose interest in this world. Become entirely His, living wholly for His Will and pleasure, for His sweet sake, hating everything impure and sinful; for indeed He is Holy. Every morning should be a witness for you that you spent the night with righteousness, and every evening should be a Witness for you that you went through the day with the fear of God in your heart.
Do not fear the curses the world might heap on you for they melt in the air like smoke, they cannot turn day into night. What you should be afraid of is the curse that comes from God, which totally uproots from both the worlds those on whom it falls. You cannot save yourselves with hypocrisy and pretense, because the God Who is your Lord can see to the inner-most depths of your being. How, then, can you hope to deceive Him? Therefore strengthen yourself and cleanse yourself to become pure and precious without a particle of dross anywhere in your being, for if there be any such, it will take away your light. And if in any corner of your heart there be pride, empty pretense, hypocrisy, vanity, love of self, or laziness of disposition, you do not amount to anything acceptable in the sight of the Lord. Take care that on the basis of a thing or two which you think you have accomplished, you do not fall into the delusion that you have done all that was needed to be done; for God desires that your entire life, your whole being, should undergo a deep and thorough revolution. Indeed He demands from you that you accept a death, after which He would give you another life.
Immediately compose all your differences and make peace among yourselves: forgive the transgressions of your brothers for indeed he is evil who is not willing to make peace with his brother. He would be cut off, for he tries to create disruption. Leave off vanity and emphasis on self and all mutual resentments, all unpleasantness. Though truthful and justified in your stand, be humble in your demeanor as though you were in the wrong, so that you yourself should be treated with forgiveness. Leave off everything which fattens your vanity, for the door you have been invited to enter is not one that would admit a fat person.
How unfortunate is the man who fails to yield belief to things coming from the mouth of God, which I have stated to you. If at all you desire that God in heaven be pleased with you, hasten to become one among yourselves, as though you were brothers born of the same mother. Only he is most honored among you who most forgives the transgressions of his brother; and unfortunate is he who remains obdurate, and does not forgive. He is not part of me and he has no share with me. Remain in great fear of the curse of God, for He is holy, intensely jealous and particular in His holiness. An evil-doer cannot win nearness to Him. No one who is proud can win His nearness, nor the oppressor and unjust, nor one who is dishonest, nor anyone who is not jealous for His name.
Those who fall on worldly benefits like dogs, or ants, or vultures falling blindly on carrion, those who have only sought comfort in life; they cannot win nearness to Him; every impure eye remains far removed from Him; every impure heart remains unaware of Him. For Him whoever lives in fire, shall be saved from the flames; he who weeps for His sake shall be made happy, full of laughter and jubilance. He who breaks away from this world for His sake, shall find Him. With the deepest sincerity of heart, with a steadfast strength and earnest effort become the friends of God, so that He too should become your friend.
Show mercy to your subordinates, be kind to your spouses and to your brethren who are poor, so that in heaven you too will be received with mercy. You really and truly become His, so that He too should be yours. This world is a place of thousands of evils, tribulations and trials; in all sincerity and steadfastness of heart catch hold of God, so that He keeps these evils, tribulations and trials away from you.
No evil and no distress takes its birth on this earth without a decree from Heaven to that effect; and no distress is lifted until mercy descends from Heaven. Therefore wisdom on your part lies in this that you take firm hold of the root, without worrying about the branches. It is not forbidden unto you to have recourse to remedies or plan with human endeavor; what is forbidden is that you place your entire reliance on them. In all circumstances it is God's will that will be done, and for one who has the power to take his stand on this point, the position of faith in and reliance on God is the best of all positions.
Very clearly bear in mind that salvation is not something that you will experience in the life after death. The real and true salvation is only that which shows its light in this very life. Who is the saved? Only he who maintains a firm faith that the living God is a reality, and that Muhammad, peace and the blessings of God be upon him, is the Mediator between Him and mankind; that under the skies there is no one equal to him in rank and elevation; nor any book to rival the Holy Quran; that for no one else did God wish that he should live forever, but for this blessed Prophet He did so wish: that to keep him alive forever He laid the foundation for continuing the benefit of his Shariah and his spiritual blessings to the day of Resurrection. And at long last, from the flow of his spiritual benefits for mankind, he sent the Promised Messiah (as) to this world whose advent was indispensable for the completion of the structure of Islam. For it was necessary that this world should not come to an end before the Movement of Muhammad was given the color of a spiritual Messiah, the same as was given to the Movement of Moses.
This is what the following verse of the Holy Quran points to, namely:
Moses received the treasure which had been lost by the earlier ages, and Muhammad received the treasure which the Movement of Moses had been unfortunate enough to lose. Now the Movement of Muhammad stands in the place of the Movement of Moses, but such that in grandeur, the like of Moses, exceeds him a thousand times, while the like of the Messiah in the Movement of Muhammad excels Jesus by a thousand measures. And not only did the Promised Messiah (as) of the Muhammadi Movement come, in terms of time, exactly in the fourteenth century after the Holy Prophet (saw), as Jesus had appeared fourteen centuries after Moses, he also came at a time when the condition of the Muslims of the day was identical with the Jews of the time of Jesus. Therefore I am that Promised Messiah (as), and no one else. Whoever enters into sincere bai'at with me and becomes my follower from the bottom of his heart, as to be engrossed in his obedience to me as to forsake all his own personal aims and intentions, he alone is the one for whom in these days of great distress my soul shall desire to intercede.
Do all good deeds with the proper care they deserve, forsaking evil from a real repulsion rising in the heart. Be very, very sure that no action, whatsoever, can take you to God if it is devoid of righteousness of the heart. The root of everything good is Taqwah, (fear of God) in whatever action this root is not lost, that action will never be devoid or futile.
It is necessary too, that you be tried by being thrown into diverse griefs and distresses, even as those before you were tried. Be, therefore, forewarned lest you stumble when the time came. The earth, with everything in it, can inflict no injury on you, provided your contact with heaven is firm. Whenever any injury comes to you, it will come only from your own hands. If all your honor on this earth is lost to you, God will give you an honor in heaven that shall never wane. Therefore do not leave Him, whatever you may have to go through.
You are bound to be persecuted in diverse ways, and many of your hopes will be denied to you, but in such cases you should not grieve, for the Lord your God shall put you through trials, to test whether or not you remain firm. If you desire that the angels In heaven should sing your praises, then take the beating many people shall give you, and rejoice; hear abuse and give thanks to the Lord; experience disappointments but do not break away from Him. You are the last people of God. Practice the good to an extent where it reaches its highest perfection.
Everyone among you who relaxes and becomes lazy, shall be thrown out of the community, as a dirty thing is discarded and thrown out. He shall die with regret in his heart, and he will not be able to injure God in any way. Lo and behold! With great joy I convey to you the glad tidings that your God does indeed really exist. Although all are His creatures, but He selects only those who select Him. He Himself comes to whosoever goes to Him. He bestows honor upon those who honor Him. After you have straightened your hearts, and purified your tongues and eyes and ears, you come to Him, and He shall accept you.
In point of belief, all that God desires from you is just this that you hold God is One, and that Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of God be upon him, is His Prophet, Khatam-al-Anbiya, the greatest of them all. After him there is to be no other Prophet except one who should be given the mantle of Muhammadiyyat as a burooz, since the servant is not separate from his master, nor a branch different from its roots.
Be perfectly sure that Jesus, son of Mary, is dead, his grave being in Kashmir, Srinagar, mohallah Khanyar. God has spoken of his death in the Holy Quran. It should also be borne in mind that I in no way seek to deny the eminence of Jesus, peace be upon him. Though God has conveyed to me that the Muhammadi Messiah stands higher in rank than the Mosaic Messiah, I hold the Messiah, son of Mary, in great respect, since from the spiritual point of view I am the Khatamal Khulafa in Islam as Messiah, the son of Mary was Khatamal Khulaf in the Israelite chain. In the Mosaic dispensation the son of Mary was the Promised Messiah, while I am the Promised Messiah of the dispensation of Muhammad. I therefore hold him in great esteem whose name I bear: and whoever says that I do not respect him is a great liar and a mischief-maker.
He who is caught in a tangle of worldly greed, and never even raises his eyes to things which pertain to the next life, is not of my community. Whosoever does not wholly and completely keep away from every sin and every evil action, like wine, gambling, looking lustfully at women, dishonesty, bribes, and from every kind of illegal gratification, he is not of my community. Whoever is not constantly turning to prayer, and does not remember Him in absolute humility of spirit, he is not of my community.
Whosoever does not give up association with a bad companion, who exercises an unhealthy influence over him, he is not of my community. Whosoever does not respect his parents, whosoever does not render obedience to them in things which do not run counter to the Holy Quran, and whosoever is neglectful in rendering to them the service to which, they are undoubtedly entitled, he is not of my community. Whosoever does not live with his wife and her relations with gentleness, goodness, and magnanimity, he is not of my community. Whosoever deprives his neighbor of the very least good in his power, he is not of my community. Whosoever has no wish to forgive the faults of those who may have transgressed against him, and desires to nurse malice, he is not of my community. Every man or woman who is dishonest towards his or her spouse is not of my community. Whosoever, in any way, violates the pledge he took at my hand at the time of bai'at he is not of my community. Whosoever does not really hold me to be the Promised Messiah (as), he is not of my community. Whosoever is not prepared to obey me in all things known to be good and accepted, he is not of my community. And whosoever, as a habit, sits among those who are hostile towards me, falling into tacit and silent agreement with them, he is not of my community.
Every adulterer, debauch, drunkard, murderer, thief, gambler, dishonest person, bribe taker, usurper, oppressor, tyrant, liar, forger and the associate of these; and whosoever brings false accusations and scandal against his brothers and sisters, he is not of my community unless he fully repents of his misdeeds and totally breaks away from bad associates, turning a new leaf.
Indeed, all these things are poisons: you cannot partake of them and live, for light and darkness cannot exist together. Whosoever has a crooked nature and is not open and above board with God, he cannot partake of the blessing which comes to those pure of heart. Indeed very fortunate are they who cleanse their hearts, washing away all impurities, and who make a pledge of loyalty with their God, for they shall never come to nought. It is not possible that God should disgrace them, they being of God, and God of them. They shall be saved from all tribulations. Extremely foolish, indeed, is he who should try to harm them, for verily they are in the lap of God, Who is ever ready to support them.
Who has yielded belief to God? Verily only those who are such as described above. Similarly he also is foolish who is anxious about a bold sinner, evil and full of mischief inside his heart, for he would himself be destroyed. From the day God created this heaven and earth, it has never happened that He destroyed those who were good. On the contrary for the sake of such as these He has always shown great marvels and will show even now.
From our God we have received Revelation that shines like the sun. We have seen that He alone is the God of the whole world, and there is no other God. How powerful indeed is the God we have found, and how sustaining! And how great, how wonderful are the qualities of the God we have seen! The truth is that for Him there is nothing impossible, except what runs counter to His own Book and His own promise. Therefore when you pray to Him, you should not be like those ignorant naturalists who have formed a natural law of their own which does not bear the stamp of God, for they are the rejected ones whose prayers will never be accepted. They are blind, not gifted with vision; they are dead, not alive. They put before God a law shaped by themselves, and they put limitations of their own on His powers, holding Him weak and helpless beyond those limitations. Naturally, they would be dealt with in the light of their own condition.
But when thou standest up for prayer, it is incumbent on thee to hold that thy God has power over all things. Only then shall thy prayer be accepted, and thou shalt witness those marvels of the power of thy God which we have witnessed. And remember, our witness is not on the basis of hearsay; it is on the basis of things we have seen ourselves. How can the prayers of one be accepted who does not hold that God has power over all things? And how can such a person in himself have the courage to pray to God over matters where the desired remedy or change would involve an infringement of the laws of nature as he understands them.
But O thou good person, thy God is He, Who, without any pillars underneath, has hung up the countless stars in space; and Who created the earth and the heavens absolutely from nought. Dost thou hold that in regard to thy need He will prove to be helpless? The fact is that thy own misconception will keep thee deprived of blessings. There are innumerable wonderful things in Our God, but these are witnessed only by those who become His in all sincerity and faithfulness. He does not reveal those wonders to those who do not have faith in His powers, and who are not faithful and true.
How unfortunate, indeed, is the man who does not even know that he has a God with power over all things! Our Paradise, indeed, is our God: our highest enjoyment is in God, for we have seen Him and all beauty found in Him. This treasure is worth having, even if at the cost of one's life, and this is a jewel which should be purchased even if obtainable only by sacrificing one's entire being. O ye that are devoid, run to this spring, for it will quench your thirst. It is the spring of life that shall save ye. What am I to do, and how am I to impress this glad tiding upon your mind, with what drum should I go crying through the streets that This is your God, so that all should hear! And with what unguent am I to treat the people so that their ears open to hear!
God is a most precious treasure; realize its proper value. Without Him you are nothing; neither you nor your material means and plans. Do not follow in the footsteps of other nations which have come to depend wholly on material means. As a snake eats dirt, they subsist on the basis of the lower and inferior material means. Like vultures and dogs eating carrion, they too have sunk their teeth in a carcase. Indeed they have drifted very far from God, having taken to the worship of human beings, the eating of swine's flesh, and the free use of wine as if it were harmless like water. Since they depend too much on material means, and seek no help from God they are dead; and the heavenly spirit has flown out of them as a dove flies away from its nest. The leprosy of the worship of Mammon has taken a hold on the inside of their hearts and cut to pieces the organs of their inner spiritual life. Beware ye of this leprosy.
I do not forbid you to think of material means within proper limits: what I forbid is that like other nations you become wholly the slaves of material means, altogether forgetting God Who controls material means as well. Only if you had the eyes to see, you would find there is only God and God alone, everything else being worthless. You can neither stretch out your arm nor fold it except with His permission. A person spiritually dead would laugh at this; but it would be better for him if he died before he indulged in this laughter.
In everything you do, whether it pertains to things of this world or of the next, you should seek help and succor from God alone, and this should remain the guiding principle of your life for ever and ever. But this seeking of help should not be from your lips alone: it should be your conviction deep down to the bottom of your being that every blessing comes only from heaven. You shall be really righteous only when, at the time of every difficulty, before sitting down to make your plans, you close your door upon yourself, and fall down before the throne of God Almighty, crying for His grace and help and succor. Then the holy spirit will come to your help, and through unseen means a way shall be opened for you.
Have mercy on your own souls and be not like those who have cut themselves wholly away from God and have fallen on material means to such an extent that to seek Divine help they do not even formally utter with their lips the words "If God be willing." May God open your eyes, so that you should begin to perceive that your God is the beam on which all plans rest. When the central beam of the roof falls down, can the minor supports maintain their position? Most certainly not. They would all come down in an instant, in all likelihood, with much loss of life. In the same way your plans cannot remain in position without help from God. If you will not cry for His help, if you will not make that soliciting the most fundamental principle of your life, you will have no success, and shall die at last with great regret.
Do not fall to wondering why other peoples are meeting with success although they have not the slightest idea of your Most Perfect and All-Powerful God. The answer is this, and this alone, that having forsaken God, they have been put to trial in the matter of material means. Often times a trial from God takes the form that whoever forsakes Him, giving himself up to carnal pleasure, setting his mind wholly on material wealth, the doors of worldly advancement are opened upon him; though from the religious and spiritual point of view he is altogether destitute and naked. He dies at last engrossed in this world, to be thrown into an eternal hell. [As the Promised Messiah has explained in other places, the expression "eternal" here means a very very long period.] And sometimes this trial takes the form that such a person remains unsuccessful even in the task of amassing wealth. But the latter trial is not so dangerous as the former, since the former breeds an inordinate measure of pride and a superiority complex. In any case, both these groups are of those on whom falls the wrath of God. The true fountainhead for all kinds of prosperity is God. Therefore, when these people are unaware of this Living and Sustaining Being, in fact careless in regard to Him, and turn their backs upon Him, how can real prosperity fall to their lot? Blessed are they who understand this secret, and in dire straits is he who fails to grasp it.
Similarly it is incumbent on you that you do not begin to follow the philosophers of this world; nor should you suffer yourself to be mentally overawed by them. All these constitute varying manifestations of a gross ignorance. The real and true philosophy is the only one which God has given to you in His Holy Book. In imminent danger of destruction are the people who have become enamored by these material philosophies; and successful are they, who, for real knowledge and philosophy, go to the Holy Book.
Why do you take to the paths of ignorance? Do you run after those who are blind, in the hope that they would show you the way? O you ignorant people! How can a person show you the way who is himself blind. The truth is that the true philosophy can be obtained only through the holy spirit. Through this spirit you will reach those sciences which are not accessible to other. If you ask for it with sincerity, you will get it at last, and then you will find that this is the only knowledge that imparts freshness and life to the heart, and places it on a firm tower of perfect certainty.
How can a man bring forth for you clean and wholesome food who is himself subsisting on carrion? How can one show you the way who is himself blind? All pure and healthy wisdom comes from the heavens alone. What is this you seek from those who are of this earth? They alone inherit wisdom whose souls soar to the heavens. Those who are not satisfied in their own minds, how can they give you satisfaction? The foremost thing is purity of heart: sincerity and purity must come first; after that you shall get everything.
When God has not closed the doors of His blessings upon the world, when in fact He has multiplied them even more than before, do you venture to presume that he has closed upon you the doors of His spiritual blessings, even at a time when they were needed most? No, no; not at all. Rather has that door been opened beyond any possible shadow of doubt. Now, in accordance with His teaching as given in the Surah Fatihah, when the door of all earlier blessings has been opened for you, why do you decline to receive them? Create a thirst for this spring, and then, of itself, the water will begin to gush out. For this milk cry like a child, so that it should well up in the breast. Begin to deserve mercy, so that you should be shown mercy. Show anxiety and deep concern, so that your minds should be set at rest. Cry out with pain, again and again, so that a hand should stretch itself and take hold of you. Indeed, how terribly difficult is the way which is the way of the Lord! But, verily, it is made easy for those who jump into the abyss, resolutely determined to face destruction and death.
Blessed are they who for the sake of the Lord wage a war against their own selves; while truly ill-stared are they who for the sake of their baser-selves wage war against the Lord, and refuse to mold themselves in obedience to His will. Whosoever, for the sake of his own self, evades a commandment of God, he will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Strive therefore to the upmost that not a jot or syllable of the Holy Quran should bear witness against you, and cause you to be apprehended on that account. For indeed, even a single grain of evil is punishable. The time is very short, the mission of your life is not yet fulfilled. Walk with speed, for the evening draws nigh. Whatever you have to put before the Lord, examine it well, and as often as you can, lest some defect remain to cause irreparable loss or lest you take something with you which in fact should amount to no more than filthy and spurious goods, not worthy to be presented at a royal court.