The Light 2018 02 February Issue

February 2018 The
Light 2
The Call of the
Messiah
by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi
(Translator’s note: Although given in quotation
marks, the Quranic references are explanations
rather than literal translation of the verse
quoted.)
Divine help in spiritual advancement
As the high stages of man’s advancement
described in the verses quoted above 1 , cannot
be attained by a man’s own efforts, the Holy
Quran repeatedly invites us to pray to God and
to extend ourselves to our utmost in His path.
Thus, it says: “Pray to Me and I will accept your
prayer,” and again: “And if my servants question
you about the proof of My existence or about
how they should know that God exists, say to
them that I am very near. I answer him who calls
upon Me, and I hear his voice when he invokes
Me and I speak to him. They should, therefore,
make themselves fit to receive My word and
have perfect faith in Me so that they may find My
way.” (2:186) And on another occasion, the
Word of God says: “Those who try hard and exert
themselves to their utmost to find Us, We
surely guide them into our paths.” (29:69) And
again: “Besides prayers and exertions in the
way of God, you should also live in the company
of the truthful and righteous ones, for this is
also necessary in order that you may see God.”
These are the Commandments by following
which a man realizes the true nature of Islam,
for as I have already said the true significance of
Islam is to lay oneself before God like the sheep
that is to be slaughtered; to lose all one’s desires,
passions and intentions and to be completely
lost in the Will and the Pleasure of God,
to subject oneself to death. To love Him so entirely
as to obey all His commandments out of
love and not any other motive. To develop eyes
which see God, ears which hear God, a heart
which is wholly inclined to Him and a tongue
which does not move to utter a word until
moved by Him.
This is the stage at which all the labours of
the spiritual wayfarer end, and all the passions
and desires of man undergo a death. Then does
the mercy of God with His living word and brilliant
lights grant him a new life.
Then he is honoured with the sweet Word
of God, and that most subtle Light - which reason
cannot discover, nor see, itself comes near
to the heart of man, as He says: “We are nearer
to him than his life vein.” With such nearness
does Almighty God honour a mortal man. Then
comes the time that every blindness and darkness
is removed. And, a man sees his God and
hears His voice, and finds himself completely
enwrapped in His mantle of light. Then is the
nature of religion reached, and seeing his God a
man throws off the dirty clothing of worldly life
and wears the magnificent robes of Divine light.
The promises of paradise and of seeing God are
not then simply prospective promises to him,
but he actually tastes of the delights of paradise
in this very life and sees God and speaks to Him,
and thus realizes even here all those promises.
The Almighty God says: “Those who say that our
Lord is the God Who possesses all the perfect
attributes and who has no partner in, His person
and attributes and remain faithful to their
word, their faith not being shaken by any trial
or adversity, however hard it may be - the angels
of God descend upon them and Almighty God
Himself speaks to them and says to them ‘Do not
fear the enemies that stand against you and the
trials that befall you, nor be grieved for the bitter
adversities which befall you in the past, for I
true significance of Islam is
to lay oneself before God
like the sheep that is to be
slaughtered; to lose all
one’s desires, passions and
intentions and to be completely
lost in the Will and
the Pleasure of God, to subject
oneself to death
1 Please see last month’s issue
I Shall Love All Mankind.