Author: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian,The Promised Messiah on:

Righteousness, Thinking ill of Others, Arrogance & Universal Compassion

Source: Essence of Islam Volume II (Excerpts from the Writings of the Promised Messiah) & Message of Peace

RIGHTEOUSNESS

“It is righteousness to avoid pride and self-esteem and to refrain from unlawful acquisitions and ill manners…Blessed is the one who adopts righteousness in a time of success and prosperity and most unfortunate is one who does not turn to righteousness after stumbling..Righteousness means that one must be mindful of the smallest details of the Divine trusts and covenants of one’s fellow beings, as far as it is possible. That is, one must try to fulfil, to the best of one’s ability , all the requirements in their minutest details….To become truly righteous it is necessary that a person abandoning utterly such outstanding vices as adultery,theft, trespass, hypocrisy, self-esteem, scron of fellow beings, miserliness…He should behave towards his fellow beings with politeness, courtesy, sympathy and should cultivate true fidelity and sincerity towards God Almighty. He should constantly seek occassions of beneficient service. He who combines all these qualities in in himself is alone righteous”. (Essence of Islam, Volume 2, p. 347-351)

THINKING ILL OF OTHERS

“I tell you truly that the habit of thinking ill of others is a great affliction, which destroys a person’s faith flings him away from truth and rectitude and turns friends into enemies. In order to acquire the excellences of the truthful it is necessary that a person should altogether shun the habit of thinking ill of others, and should he happen to fall into that attitude concerning someone else he should seek forgiveness repeatedly and should supplicate God Almighty that he may be safeguarded against such sinfulness and the consequences that flow from it. This habit should not be underrated. It is a dangerous disease which destroys a person very quickly.” (Essence of Islam, Volume 2, P. 363)

ARROGANCE:

“Everyone who looks down upon a brother because he esteems himself more learned, or wiser, or more proficient than him is arrogant, inasmuch as he does not esteem God as the Fountainhead of all intelligence and knowledge and deems himself something. Has God not the power to afflict with lunacy and to bestow upon his brother, whom he accounts small, better intelligence and knowledge and higher proficiency than him? So also he who out of mistaken conception of his wealth, or status, or dignity looks down upon his brother is arrogant because he forgets that his wealth, status and dignity were bestowed upon him by God. ” (Essence of Islam, Volume 2, P. 356)

UNIVERSAL COMPASSION

“…a religion which does not inculcate universal compassion is no religion at all. Similarly, a human being without the faculty of compassion is no human at all.

Our God has never discriminated between one people and another. This is illustrated by the fact that all the potentials and capabilities which have been granted to the Aryans have also been granted to the races inhabiting Arabia, Persia, Syria, China, Japan, Europe and America. The earth created by God provides a common floor for all people alike, and His sun and moon and many stars are a source of radiance and provide many other benefits to all alike. Likewise, all peoples benefit from the elements created by Him, such as air, water, fire and earth, and similarly from other products created by Him like grain, fruit, and healing agents, etc. These attributes of God teach us the lesson that we, too, should behave magnanimously and kindly towards our fellow human beings and should not be petty of heart and illiberal.” (Message of Peace)