…Continued

Know for certain that Jesus son of Mary has died. His grave is in Mohalla Khanyar, Srinagar, Kashmir.^[3] God Almighty Himself has spoken of his demise in His Beloved Book. For if the following verse [cited below] has some other implication, then where else has the death of Jesus son of Mary been mentioned in the Quran? If the verses regarding his death mean something else, as our opponents believe, then this would suggest that the Quran has nowhere addressed the issue of his death, and whether he would ever pass away. God has spoken of the death of our Prophet, but in the whole of the Quran, He has nowhere mentioned the death of Jesus. What is the secret behind this? If the verse ^[4] informs us of the death of Jesus, the clear implication of this verse is that he died before the Christians transgressed. And if the verse  suggests that Jesus was lifted to heaven alive with his physical body, then why did God not mention in the Quran of the eventual death of a figure whose ‘life’ has led hundreds of thousands of people astray? It is as if God conferred on him eternal life, so that people may fall prey to idol-worship and lose their faith, and it would seem as if the people have not erred, but it is God who has done all this to lead them astray.

Remember, the religion of the cross cannot die unless the Messiah is allowed to pass away. After all, what benefit is there in considering him alive in contradiction to the teaching of the Quran? Let him die so that this faith [Islam] may live again. God manifested the death of the Messiah through His Word; and on the night of the Mi’raj^[5] the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw him dwelling among the dead. And yet you still do not believe in his death. What manner of faith is this? Do you prefer the tales of men over the Word of God? What kind of religion is this?^[6] Not only did our Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, testify that he had seen Jesus among the souls of the dead, but even by his own death, the Prophet demonstrated that none of the Prophets who came before him were still alive. But, just as our opponents have abandoned the Quran, they have also renounced the Sunnah; for death is a part of the Sunnah of our Prophet. If Jesus was still alive then death would be a dishonour to our Messenger. For as long as you do not believe in the death of Jesus you will stand in defiance of both the Quran and Sunnah. I do not deny the greatness of Jesus, peace be upon him, despite the fact that I have been informed by God that the Messiah of Muhammad^[sa] occupies a higher status than the Messiah of Moses. Nevertheless, I hold the Messiah son of Mary, in high esteem, inasmuch as I am spiritually the Khatam-ul-Khulafa [the Seal of the Caliphs] in Islam, just as the Messiah son of Mary was the Khatam-ul- Khulafa of the Israelite dispensation. The Son of Mary was the Promised Messiah of the Mosaic dispensation and I am the Promised Messiah of the dispensation of Muhammad^[sa]; so I honour greatly the one whose name I bear. Anyone who asserts that I do not revere the Messiah son of Mary is mischievous and a liar.

I honour not only the Messiah, but also his four brothers,^[7] as all five of them were sons of the same mother. I also regard his two biological sisters as pious, for they are all from the womb of the Holy Virgin Mary. Mary’s greatness lies in the fact that she abstained from marriage for quite a time and eventually yielded only due to the insistence of her elders during pregnancy. Certain people object that Mary married during her pregnancy, which is against the teachings of the Torah. In this way, she wrongfully broke her covenant of remaining a virgin and also opened the door to polygamy, since Mary agreed to enter into matrimony with Joseph the Carpenter, though he was already married at the time. However, I say that these were compelling circumstances, which happened to arise, and for this reason both ought to be looked upon with mercy rather than disdain.

I repeat that you should not be content with having made a superficial covenant of Bay’at, for this amounts to nothing. God looks at your hearts and will deal with you accordingly. Look here, I discharge the obligation of conveying my message by telling you that sin is a poison — do not consume it. Disobedience to God is a filthy death — safeguard yourselves against it. Supplicate so that you might be granted strength. He who at the time of supplication does not believe that God has power over all things, except that which might be contrary to His promise, is not of my community. Whosoever does not give up lying and deceit, is not of my community. Whosoever is consumed by material greed and does not lift his eyes to look at the hereafter, is not of my community. Whosoever does not truly give precedence to religion over the world, is not of my community. Whosoever does not repent of every vice and every evil deed, such as drunkenness, gambling, lustful glances, deceit, bribery and every misappropriation, is not of my community. Whosoever does not observe the five daily prayers, is not of my community. Whosoever is not constant in supplication and does not remember God with humility, is not of my community. Whosoever does not discard the company of an evil one who influences him towards vice, is not of my community. Whosoever does not honour his parents and does not obey them in all matters that are not contrary to the Quran, and is careless in serving them diligently, is not of my community. Whosoever does not treat his wife and her relatives with gentleness and benevolence, is not of my community. He who refrains from doing even the least bit of good to his neighbour, is not of my community. He who does not desire to forgive an offender and harbours rancour, is not of my community. Every husband who deceives his wife, and every wife who deceives her husband, is not of my community. Whosoever breaks the covenant of Bay’at in any respect, is not of my community. He who does not truly believe in me as the Promised Messiah and Awaited Mahdi, is not of my community. Whosoever is unwilling to obey me in all that is good, is not of my community. Whosoever associates with my opponents and endorses what they say, is not of my community. Every adulterer, transgressor, drunkard, murderer, thief, gambler, deceiver, bribe-taker, usurper, tyrant, liar, forger and those who sit amongst them, and everyone who slanders his brothers or sisters and does not repent of his foul deeds, and does not abstain from evil company, is not of my community.

All these are poisons. You cannot consume this poison and survive; light and darkness cannot exist together. Everyone who possesses a crooked disposition and is not straightforward with God, can never achieve the blessing that is bestowed on the pure-hearted. How fortunate are those who cleanse their hearts and purify them of every impurity and swear an oath of loyalty to their God, for they will never be destroyed. It is not possible that God should humiliate them, for they are God’s and God is theirs. They will be safeguarded at the time of every calamity. Foolish is the enemy who moves against them, for they are in the lap of God and enjoy His support.

Who is it that believes in God? Only those who are such as we have just described. Similarly, foolish is he who is inclined towards a fearless sinner, or one who is evil-minded and vicious, for he will destroy himself. Ever since God has created the heaven and earth, it has never happened that He should have ruined or destroyed or obliterated the righteous. On the contrary, he has always shown wonders in their favour and will also show them now. God is most Faithful and He manifests wondrous works for those who are loyal to him. The world desires to devour them and every enemy grinds their teeth at them, but He who is their friend, delivers them from every place of danger and bestows victory upon them in every field. How fortunate is the person who never lets go the mantle of God. We have believed in Him and we have recognised Him. The God of the whole world is He who has sent down His revelation to me, who has shown mighty signs in my support and who has sent me as the Promised Messiah in this age. There is no God beside Him, neither in heaven nor on earth. He who does not believe in Him is bereft of all good fortune and is ensnared in disgrace. The revelation I have received from God is as bright as the sun. I have seen that He alone is the Lord of the world and that there is none other than Him. Truly Omnipotent and All-Sustaining is the God whom we have found. How great are His powers of Him whom we have witnessed. The truth is that nothing is beyond Him except that which is contrary to His Book and His promise. So when you pray, do not be like ignorant naturalists who have in their own fancy devised a natural law which does not bear the seal of God’s Book. They are the rejected and their prayers will not be accepted. They are blind, not of those who see. They are dead, not of those who are alive. They present to God their self-devised law and presume to limit His infinite powers and deem Him weak. So they shall be dealt with according to their condition.

When you stand up in prayer, it is necessary for you to have firm faith that your God has power over all things. Only then will your prayer be accepted and you will behold the wonders of God’s power that we have beheld. Our testimony is based on observation and not on hearsay. How should the supplication of a person be accepted and how should he have the courage to pray at times of great difficulty, when according to him he is opposed by the law of nature, unless he believes that God has power over everything? O fortunate ones, follow not these practices. Your God is One who holds aloft innumerable stars without the use of columns and who has created heaven and earth from nothing. Then would you think so ill of Him as to imagine that your objective is beyond His power?^[8] Such ill-thinking will frustrate you. Our God possesses countless wonders, but they are visible only to those who become His out of sincerity and loyalty. He does not disclose His wonders to those who do not believe in His Power and who are not sincere and loyal to Him. How unfortunate is the man, who even now, is unaware that there is a God who has power over all things. Our paradise lies in our God. Our highest delight is in our God for we have seen Him and found every beauty in Him. This wealth is worth procuring though one might have to lay down one’s life to procure it. This ruby is worth purchasing though one may have to lose oneself to acquire it. O ye, who are deprived! Hasten to this fountain as it will satiate you. It is this fountain of life that will save you. What am I to do? How shall I impress the hearts with this good news? What sort of a drum am I to beat in the streets in order to make the announcement that this is your God, so that people might hear? What remedy shall I apply to the ears of the people so that they should listen?

If you become one with God, rest assured that God too will be yours. God Almighty shall remain awake for you as you sleep. God shall watch over your enemy and frustrate their designs, while you are unmindful of him. You still do not know the extent of God’s powers. Had you known, not a single day would you have grieved over the world. Does he who owns a treasure weep, cry and become sorrowful unto death over the loss of a single coin? Had you been aware of this treasure and knew that at every time of need God is able to fulfil your requirements, why would you look to the world so restlessly? God is a precious treasure; appreciate Him accordingly, for He is your Helper at every step. You are nothing without Him, nor do your resources and your schemes amount to anything. Do not follow other people for they have become wholly reliant on material means. Just as a snake devours dirt, they consume the filth of inferior worldly means. They gorge themselves on carrion in the manner of vultures and dogs. They have become estranged from God. They have worshipped men, devoured the flesh of swine and consumed wine as though it were water. They have become lifeless, for they place all their reliance on material resources and do not seek the help of God. The heavenly soul has escaped their bodies as a pigeon flies from its nest. They are afflicted with the leprosy of material worship, which has consumed their internal organs. Thus, beware of this leprosy. I do not forbid you to employ material means within moderation; only that you do not become slaves to them like other nations and that you do not forget the God who is the very Provider of these means. Had you possessed insight, you would have seen that God is everything and all else is nothing. One cannot so much as stretch or fold one’s arms without His will. One who is [spiritually] dead may laugh at this, but physical death would have been better for him than such ridicule. Beware! Though other nations have progressed far in their worldly designs, do not envy them and seek to follow in their footsteps. Listen and know well that they are wholly unaware and unmindful of the God who calls you to Himself. What is their god? Only a helpless mortal. Thus, they are languishing in heedlessness. I do not forbid you from the trade and business of the world; rather, I exhort you not to imitate those who have considered the world to be everything. In all that you do, whether material or religious, continue to supplicate God so that you may be granted strength and ability. Your supplications should not be confined to mere lip service, but you ought to truly believe that every blessing descends from heaven. You will become righteous only when, in every time of need or difficulty, prior to employing any plan, you shut your door and fall down at the threshold of God with your difficulty, and supplicate to Him so that He may resolve it by His Grace. You will then be helped by the Holy Spirit and a path will be opened for you from the unseen. Have mercy on your souls and do not follow those who have completely cut themselves off from God and depend wholly on material means, to the extent that they do not even seek strength from Allah by saying Insha’allah.^[9] May God open your eyes so that you should realise that He is the central beam of all your plans. If this beam should fall, can the rafters continue to support the roof? Indeed not, for they would suddenly fall and would perhaps even cause a loss of life. In the same way, your plans cannot succeed without the help of God. If you do not seek His assistance, and do not make it your rule to seek strength from Him, you will never achieve anything and will die in immense sorrow. Do not wonder why other nations seem to succeed, while they are not even aware of the existence of God who is your Perfect and Mighty Lord. The answer is that they have been subjected to the trial of the world on account of their abandoning God. At times, He opens the doors of the world to a person who forsakes Him and seeks the joys and pleasures of the world and runs after its riches, in order to try him. Such a one is wholly bereft and deprived in respect of religion. In the end, he dies with his mind devoted wholly to the world and is cast into an eternal hell. At other times, the trial of God is such that a person is deprived of this world as well. But this latter kind of trial is not as dangerous as the former, for the one who is subjected to the former is more arrogant. In any case, both these groups are described as those who have incurred the wrath of God.

God is the fountainhead of true prosperity. How can people attain true prosperity if they are unaware of the Ever-Living and All-Sustaining God and are ignorant and heedless of Him, and even turn away from Him? Blessed is one who understands this secret and ruined is one who does not.

Similarly, do not follow the philosophers of this world and do not be overawed by them, for they only pursue follies. True philosophy is that which God has taught you in His Word. Those who are in love with secular philosophy are in ruin and truly successful are those who have sought true knowledge and philosophy in the Book of God. Why do you follow the paths of foolishness? Will you teach God that which He does not know? Do you hasten to follow the blind so that they should guide you? O foolish ones! How will he, who is himself blind, guide you? True philosophy is, in reality, acquired through the Holy Spirit as has been promised. Through it you will be carried to the acquisition of pure knowledge, to which others have no access. Ultimately, you will obtain such knowledge by sincerely seeking it. Then will you come to know that this is the very knowledge which revitalises and revives the heart and guides you to the pinnacle of certainty. How is it possible to receive pure nourishment from he who feeds upon carrion? How can he who is blind help you see? All pure wisdom descends from heaven. What then do you seek from the people of this world? Those whose souls ascend to heaven are the true heirs of wisdom. He who is not satisfied himself cannot bestow satisfaction upon you, but first purity of heart is required; sincerity and purity are needed, after which, everything will be bestowed upon you. Do not think that God’s revelation is a thing of the past^[10] and that the Holy Spirit can no longer descend as it did so in previous times.

I tell you truthfully that all doors may close — but the one from which the Holy Spirit descends, never shuts. Open the doors of your hearts so that the Holy Spirit may enter it. By closing the window from which the ray of light enters, you distance yourself from this sun of your own accord. Unenlightened ones! Come forth and open this window so that the sun might itself enter you. God has not closed the paths of His worldly blessings in this age. Rather, He has increased them. Do you then think that the paths of the blessings of heaven, which you sorely need at this time, have been closed by Him? Most certainly not! Rather, this door is wide open. In Surah Fatihah God has taught that the door to every single blessing of the past has been opened for you. Why then do you refuse to accept them? Thirst for this fountain and water will spring forth itself. Weep for these blessings in the way a child wails for the milk of its mother — then will milk be given to you. Become worthy of compassion so that you may be shown mercy. Be restless so that you may be put to ease. Be ceaseless in your fervent entreaties so that a hand may come to your aid. The path of God is difficult. But, it is made easy for those who throw themselves into this deep abyss, without fear for their lives. In their hearts, they choose fire for themselves and decide to set themselves ablaze for the sake of their Beloved. They cast themselves in fire only to discover that it is paradise. This is what God has said:

^[11]

That is, O ye who do evil and o ye who do good! There is none from among you who shall not pass through the fire of Hell. But he who throws himself into this fire for the sake of God will be saved. And He who throws himself into this fire for the sake of their inner self, which incites to evil, are consumed by it. So, blessed are those who wage war with their inner selves for the sake of God. And wretched are those who war with God for the sake of their own souls, and act against His will. He who ignores the will of God for the sake of his inner self will never enter heaven. Strive hard so that not even a single dot or iota of the Holy Quran may testify against you and cause you to be punished. For even the smallest particle of evil is punishable. Time is short and there is no telling how long one shall live. Make haste — for twilight will soon descend. Consider over and over what you shall present before God, lest it be deemed so inadequate that it is no more than waste, no more than a foul and defiled offering unfit for presentation before the Royal Court.

Continues…