Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as)
Review of Religions, September 1997
Translated by Amatul-Hadi Ahmad
It is incumbent upon us that we make people understand that the
present age has reached a very critical stage and God Almighty has
revealed to me repeatedly about a time that will have even greater
dangers. It appears that (a great calamity resembling) the end of the
world is near and will befall the world very soon. As I stated
yesterday, death is appearing in different guises. There is the
plague, the various contagious diseases, the drought and earth
quakes. When such tribulations appear, the worldly people lose their
senses and become so totally engulfed in their grief and hardship
that they cannot see a way out of their difficulties. The Holy Qur'an
points to this in Ch. 22, v. 3. They seem as if they are under the
influence of some intoxicant, but that is not really the case, (that
is), you see people as if they are intoxicated but they are not
intoxicated. They are in a state of extreme fear and grief as a
result of which they have lost their senses and they have no courage
left. At times such as these no one has the capacity for patience
except for the one who is righteous. In matters of religion (or in
worldly affairs) no one can achieve patience without righteousness.
At the time of tribulation who can be patient except for the one who
brings his own pleasure in line with the pleasure of God. Until such
time as one's faith has been made firm, a person may stumble at the
slightest loss and become an atheist. He who has no link with God has
no capacity to bear any tribulation.
At times of trouble, the people of the world deny even the existence
of God. However, the nature of the world is such that it is necessary
that there should be trial and tribulation. From among all the people
who have passed through this world, who can say that there were any
who never faced any difficulty. One person may see the suffering of
his children, another may have difficulties with money. In short,
some difficulty or other is always there confronting us. We cannot
(go through life) without it. It is a necessity of this world. There
is a very old Arabic verse (which states):
I have faced many great problems in this world
And he who, like me, lives to be eighty will also, no doubt, see some difficult times.
In reality the difficulties of the world are only for a few days. One
person may die early, another late, but we all have to die in the
end.
There are two types of ordeals in the path of religion. One type is
the ordeal suffered as a result of following the Shari'a (religious
law) such as the performance of worship, fasting, the Pilgrimage and
Zakat (payment of charitable tax). For the sake of Namaz (formal
prayers) a person leaves and interrupts his business to go to the
mosque. Even in times of extreme cold weather, he wakes up at the
latter end of the night to offer prayers and worship. In the month of
Ramadhan (while fasting) he suffers hunger and thirst throughout the
day. To perform the Pilgrimage he bears the discomforts and
difficulties of the journey. In paying Zakat he gives to others from
earnings for which he himself has worked hard. These are all Shari'a
- related ordeals and they carry a reward with them. They make a
person move towards God but there is within them a freedom for the
person. In performing these duties, he can find a way that is of
greatest comfort to him. For instance, in cold weather he can heat
water for his ablutions. If he is ill and he cannot offer his prayers
standing upright, he may offer them in a sitting position. In the
month of Ramadhan he can eat well before dawn -- some people spend
even more than usual on their food during the month of fasting. In
short, in these Shari'a - related ordeals, a person seeks out a way
of most confort for him and for this reason it does not achieve a
complete cleansing and 'initiation' to the different stages of
spiritual development quickly. The tribulations that come from the
heavens, however, have to be borne as man has no discretion over
them. It is for this reason that through them a person attains
nearness to God.
Both of these two types of tribulations and ordeals, that is those
relating to the Shari'a and those that come from the heavens, are
mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. The difficulties arising from the
practice of the Shari'a i.e. religious law, are mentioned in the very
first Part of the Holy Qur'an when it is stated:
I am Allah the All-Knowing. This is the Perfect Book, free from all doubt; it is a Guidance for the righteous who believe in the unseen, observe prayers and spend out of whatsoever We have bestowed upon them. (Ch. 2, vs. 2-4)
In other words, true believers are those who believe in God when God is hidden from them and they try to perform their Salat (formal worship) with full concentration. They fight the multitude of thoughts and distractions that occupy their minds and try repeatedly to turn their attention fully towards God. They repeatedly try to prevent their Salat from becoming lax and try again and again to make their Salat firm and upright before God. Furthermore, true believers are those who also spend out of what God has bestowed upon them. These are the ordeals that are related to the Shari'a but a person cannot depend on attaining the full reward due for them as he may overlook many aspects with regard to their performance. There are many who offer their prayers and worship whilst being totally oblivious to the true nature and essence of Salat -- they remain ignorant of the inner kernel and are mindful only of the outer shell.
It is for this reason that, for the purpose of man's spiritual
progress, there are also heavenly tribulations. These have also been
mentioned in the Holy Qur'an:
We will surely try you with fear and hunger, and with loss of wealth, lives and fruits; then give glad tidings to the steadfast who, when a misfortune overtakes them do not lose heart bur say: Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. It is these on whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy and if is these who are rightly guided. (Ch .2, vs. 156-158)
These are the tribulations that are sent down by God himself. It is a
trial in which a person may be overcome by great fear. He goes around
worrying that matters will perhaps get even worse. Sometimes it may
be that poverty and hunger also form part of such tribulation. A
person may suffer hardship in every sphere of life. Sometimes it is
in his monetary state that he suffers -- trade and business may
undergo a difficult time or thieves may make off with his
possessions. Sometimes a person's crops of fruit suffer from blight.
Sometimes crops of grain are ruined. People may also suffer the loss
of their child or a relative -- in Arabic idiom, one's offspring is
also referred to as 'fruit'. However, the trials attached to one's
offspring are also very great. Some people write to me under great
distress asking me to pray for them that they may have a child. The
trial of one's children is so great that some foolish people turn
atheist when one of their children dies. On the other hand, it
sometimes happens that one's children become so dear to one that they
take on the guise of a partner with God. Some people become atheists,
infidels or faithless due to their children. Some follow their
children into Christianity -- for the sake of their children they
become Christian. Some children die very young and become the cause
of suspension of their parent's faith.
God, however, is not cruel. When a person suffers grief with
patience, he is rewarded in accordance with the extent of his
patience. God is Merciful, the Most Forgiving and One who covers up
human failings. He does not make a human being suffer so that he
should move away from religion. On the contrary, the tribulation is
there so that he may move forward. A saying of the Sufis is that the
time of trouble pushes a wicked person back but makes the righteous
person move forward (towards God).
It is related that the Holy Prophet (sa) lost eleven sons. Prophets
do attain great heights but such status is not attained by
achievements which are easy and simple. On the contrary, they undergo
very heavy trials through tribulations from which they emerge
successful and steadfast. It is then that God bestows upon them a
status of greatness. See how Abraham (as) was faced with a tremendous
ordeal. He took a knife in his hand so that he may sacrifice his own
son but he found before him a ram. Abraham (as) was successful in his
trial and God also saved his son. Allah was well pleased with Abraham
(as) that as far as he was concerned, he fulfiled completely (the
command of God). It was a blessing of God that his son was saved --
Abraham (as) had almost but put the knife to his throat. This is why
Abraham (as) has been given the title of Sadique i.e. the one who is
true and sincere. It is stated in the Bible that God asked Abraham
(as) to look at the sky and see if he could count all the stars in it
as that was to be the extent of his progeny in that it too will be
too numerous to count. The actual ordeal lasted for a short time and
then it passed but in its consequence it brought a truly great
reward. Today all the tribes of the Sadaat, the Quraish, the Jews and
various other tribes, all count themselves among the progeny of
Abraham (as). The ordeal lasted momentarily but what a great reward
was bestowed upon him!
The fact is that a person's righteousness can only be known when he
is faced with some difficulty. When he abandons all that he could
depend on and adopts only the dependency on God, when he abandons the
life of comfort for a bitter life, only then can a person attain true
righteousness. The inner reform of a human being cannot be brought
about by offering prayers and fasting as a matter of social custom.
It is necessary that one should be faced with tribulation. (As stated
in a Persian verse):
Passionate love aggressive initially and vociferous.
Protecting against assault from outside.
The first attack of passionate love is like that of a tiger. All the Prophets and Messengers that have passed through this world did not gain high levels of achievements through simple ordeals. The secret of the very high status attained by them lay in this that they created a complete communion with God. A true believer may have all his children slaughtered and be further confronted with even greater affliction, yet he would put his step forward (towards God).
A human being, despite all his weaknesses, is faithful to a true friend. Is it then possible that God who is Gracious and Merciful should not be faithful to you? You should love God in such a way that if a thousand children of yours were on one side and God on the other, you still choose God and care not for the children.
Tribulation has been faced by all the Prophets -- none has been without it. That is why there are great rewards for the people who bear all ordeals and afflictions with patience. In the Holy Qur'an God has addressed the Holy Prophet (sa) stating that he should give glad tidings to those who are patient, to those who, when faced with an ordeal, say that there was a time when we did not exist - God created us and we are his trust and to him is the final return. There are glad tidings, indeed, for such people. Through their (patience in the face of) ordeals they attain many blessings. One does not become deserving of the special tidings given by God simply through observing prayers, fasting and the payment of Zakat. If prayers are offered with all their necessary requirements, that is an excellent thing but the exact targeting which is done by God (through various trials) hits the mark precisely and is the best (means of spiritual progress). It is through this that one gains guidance and support.
The people of my Community should, therefore, listen carefully and
understand this point well that God has intended both types of
ordeals for you. The first type is one relating to the practice of
religious law (Shari'a) and you should endure these. The second type
is the tribulation meted out by 'fate' that one has to suffer and
bear. Most people wriggle out of practicing fully the rules of
religious law but who can run away from one's fate! Man has no
discretion over that.
Remember, for man there is not just the world (here on earth). There
is another world after this. Life here is very brief indeed. One
person may die after fifty or sixty years, another may add a further
ten or twelve years to that. The troubles of this world end with
death but there is no end to the other world. When the event of the
Qayamah (the final reckoning) is a truth and a belief in it is part
of faith then what is so difficult about tolerating (with patience)
the troubles of this life which will last only for a brief period.
One should make an effort for that other world which is eternal. What
'provisions' can a person gather (for that eternal world) if he does
not face any hardship (in this world)!
The distinguishing sign of a believer is that he should not only be one who shows patience but that he should be happy with his situation even through times of hardship. His pleasure and God's pleasure should become as one. This state is the best. At times of trouble it is God's pleasure which should be given priority -- the Bestower of Bounties should be given precedence over the bounties. There are many who start complaining when they are faced with a difficulty and that is as if they break their relationship with God. Some women start moaning and cursing. Some men too are defective in their faith.
This is an important piece of advice and it should be remembered that
if a person is facing difficulties he should be afraid in case some
greater hardship befalls him. This world is a place of trouble and to
live in it in a state of oblivion is not a good thing. Most
difficulties come as a warning. In the beginning it is light in
appearance and a person does not consider it to be a hardship but
then it turns into a most distressing ordeal. You see, if someone is
pressed gently, he would find this comforting but if the same hand is
used to give a hard slap, it would become a source of pain. Yet
another type of tribulation may become a threat to life itself. The
Holy Qur'an has mentioned both types of difficulties, (mild and
severe).
Trial and tribulation are there for the achievement of higher states.
Abraham (as) did not bemoan the fact that God had asked him for his
son. Instead, he was grateful to be presented with the opportunity of
serving God. The son's mother gave her agreement and the son himself
also agreed (to his sacrifice). It is related that once the minaret
of a mosque collapsed and the king of the time fell down in
prostration, thanking God, that he too had been granted the
opportunity to serve the mosque which had been the result of the
noble work of his predecessors.
Time passes in any case. In the end even those who eat delicious and
well prepared food also die. But he who is patient in the face of
hardship finds his reward. One hundred and twenty four thousand
Prophets bear witness to the fact that patience is certainly
rewarded.
People who are not patient for the sake of God, they also have to be
patient but then there is no reward and no merit. Some women do much
wailing at the death of a close relation and some foolish men put
ashes on their head but after a very short time they have to be
patient and they forget their suffering. Once a woman whose child had
died was wailing at his grave. The Holy Prophet (sa) happened to pass
by and seeing her state he advised her to fear Allah and to be
patient. The unfortunate woman replied harshly that he had not
suffered what she had suffered. The unfortunate woman did not know
that the Holy Prophet (sa) had shown patience at the death of each of
his eleven children. When afterwards she realised the person giving
her advice was the Holy Prophet (sa), she came to his house and said,
O' Prophet of God, I will be patient. The Holy Prophet (sa) replied
that patience is shown at the time of hardship.
In short, after the passage of time a patient attitude is naturally adopted but true patience is that which is shown at the start (of a trial) for the sake of God. It is a promise made by God that those who show patience shall have an endless reward. The promise of an endless reward has been given only to those who show patience.