It has now by the above irrefutable proofs been fully established that the
Faith of God must be propagated through human perfections, through
qualities that are excellent and pleasing, and spiritual behavior. If a
soul of his own accord advances toward God he will be accepted at the
Threshold of Oneness, for such a one is free of personal considerations,
of greed and selfish interests, and he has taken refuge within the
sheltering protection of his Lord. He will become known among men as
trustworthy and truthful, temperate and scrupulous, high-minded and loyal,
incorruptible and God-fearing. In this way the primary purpose in
revealing the Divine Law—which is to bring about happiness in the after
life and civilization and the refinement of character in this—will be
realized. As for the sword, it will only produce a man who is outwardly a
believer, and inwardly a traitor and apostate.
We shall here relate a story that will serve as an example to all. The
Arabian chronicles tell how, at a time prior to the advent of Muḥammad,
Nu’mán son of Mun_dh_ír the Lakhmite —an Arab king in the Days of
Ignorance, whose seat of government was the city of Hírih—had one day
returned so often to his wine-cup that his mind clouded over and his
reason deserted him. In this drunken and insensible condition he gave
orders that his two boon companions, his close and much-loved friends,
_Kh_álid son of Mudallil and ‘Amr son of Mas’úd-Kaldih, should be put to
death. When he wakened after his carousal, he inquired for the two friends
and was given the grievous news. He was sick at heart, and because of his
intense love and longing for them, he built two splendid monuments over
their two graves and he named these the Smeared-With-Blood.
Then he set apart two days out of the year, in memory of the two
companions, and he called one of them the Day of Evil and one the Day of
Grace. Every year on these two appointed days he would issue forth with
pomp and circumstance and sit between the monuments. If, on the Day of
Evil, his eye fell on any soul, that person would be put to death; but on
the Day of Grace, whoever passed would be overwhelmed with gifts and
benefits. Such was his rule, sealed with a mighty oath and always rigidly
observed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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