The fact of the matter is that God does as He pleases. He transforms desolate wastelands into inhabitations and reduces flourishing cities to ruins. What happened to the city of Babylon? Human schemes longed to see a certain place thriving with people, but God turned it into a forsaken land, inhabited by owls. However, there was another place where people wanted to see nothing but wilderness, yet God turned it into a land in which throngs of people amass from all the corners of the earth.
Hence, bear well in mind that to depend on medicine and human strategies whilst putting aside God Almighty is extremely foolish. What is required is a completely new life; one full of seeking forgiveness from Allah. Those who are engaged heavily in worldly matters ought to be more fearful. Those in employment often fail to observe their obligations to God.
On certain occasions, it is permissible to combine the Zuhr and Asr prayers, and also to combine the Maghrib and Isha prayers. I know that if the authorities are requested to grant leave for the obligatory Prayers, they are accommodating. Government officials are under instruction by their superiors to grant permission for the observance of Prayer. To neglect the Prayer by resorting to feeble excuses is nothing but a weakness of the self.
Do not fail to offer the rights owed to God’s servants and the rights owed to God. Fulfil your obligations and do not think ill of the government for even a moment.
Do you not remember the state of affairs under Sikh rule? The call to Prayer was banned in the mosques. Harsh penalties and immense cruelty was inflicted upon people for consuming even small amounts of beef. And so, Allah the Exalted brought this empire from afar so that we were able to benefit from it. We have now begun to practice our religious duties in peace. How full of gratitude should we be for this government? Bear well in mind that one who does not thank their fellow man is ungrateful to God as well. It is an established principle that if a human being abandons the use of a limb, it becomes useless. It is said that if an individual keeps their eye closed for forty days, it will become blind.
Therefore, I wish to advise you emphatically that the government’s favours upon us are many. A multitude of books containing verities and divine insights arrive here from far and wide. We have benefited from the liberties granted to us. When attacks were made against our religion and difficulties arose, I reflected and contemplated, after which divine insights and verities were disclosed to me in accordance with the following promise of Allah Almighty that:
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ جَاہَدُوۡا فِیۡنَا لَنَہۡدِیَنَّہُمۡ سُبُلَنَا
“And as for those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways”.
Therefore, the government is also a catalyst for the revelation of these divine insights. And so, in the end, I would like to reiterate that you ought to develop a true relationship with God Almighty and to not look towards the government with suspicion. On the contrary, follow the guidance of the authorities and assist them.
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 264-265)