“The mindset and strength of faith possessed by those that I have just mentioned is such that they claim that a person who denies a Prophet is a disbeliever, but that rejecting a saint does not necessitate disbelief. They feel there is no harm in denying one man. These people think that rejecting the saints of Allah is inconsequential and they assert that there is no harm in doing so. However, the fact of the matter is that rejecting the saints of Allah results in one losing their faith. A person who reflects on this issue will clearly see the truth; in fact, they will see the truth as clearly as one sees their face in the mirror.
“It ought to be borne in mind that one loses faith in two ways. Firstly, by rejecting the Prophets, on whom be peace, and this is something that no one can deny and is an accepted fact. Secondly, rejecting the saints of Allah and those divinely commissioned by Him results in a loss of faith.
“A loss of faith through the rejection of Prophets is a clear matter of which everyone is aware. However, I should still like to elaborate that a denial of the Prophets results in a loss of faith because the Prophets declare that they have been sent from God. Moreover, God states: ‘Whatever the Prophets announce are My words, I have sent this Prophet so believe in him, accept My book and act upon My commandments.’ A person who does not accept the Book of Allah Almighty, and who does not act upon the guidance and injunctions stipulated therein, becomes a disbeliever by denying them. However, the means by which a person loses their faith when they deny the saints of Allah is different. It is mentioned in a Hadith that Allah the Exalted states:
مَنْ عَادَ لِي وَلِيَّا فَاٰذَنْتُه لِلْحَرْب
“Meaning, an individual who harbours enmity towards a friend of Mine, as if becomes prepared to war with Me. It is a matter of principle that when a certain individual loves another, in the manner that one loves their own child, if someone were to say again and again: ‘May this child die’, and repeat other such hurtful things, and inflict grief upon the child, how can a parent like such a person? How can a father love the individual who prays against his child and repeats such painful words? In the same manner, the saints of Allah the Exalted are like His children, because they discard the mantle of their adult independence, as it were, and hand themselves over to God in complete submission so that they may be nurtured in the mercy of God’s lap. Allah the Exalted is their Guardian and Protector, and is Jealous for them. When an individual—irrespective of how regular they may be in Prayer and fasting—opposes them and becomes adamant in causing them grief, the jealousy of God is incensed and His wrath surges forth against those who oppose them. For such people have sought to inflict grief upon the beloved of God and at that time, neither do the Prayers of such an opponent serve any benefit, nor their fasting. For through the observance of Prayer and fasting, they sought to please God, but now they have displeased Him through another action. How then can such a person receive the pleasure of God when the cause for His displeasure still exists? Foolish people of this nature are uneducated as to the means that arouse God’s wrath; in fact, they are conceited and pride themselves over the observance of their Prayers and fasting. As a result, the wrath of God Almighty continues to swell day after day, and instead of attaining His nearness, Allah the Exalted only moves further and further away from them each day, until finally, such a one becomes truly accursed in heaven.
“How can one who opposes a person, whose inner self is annihilated in God, and who lays prostrate upon the divine threshold, and who is being nurtured in the lap of God’s providence, and who is covered by the mercy of God Almighty, to the extent that his words are as though God speaks, and his friend is a friend of God, and his enemy becomes an enemy of God, ever be a believer? How can one be an enemy of God Almighty and still be a true believer? Such a one loses their faith and incurs the wrath of God. To show hostility towards and inflict grief upon those appointed by God Almighty and the saints of Allah can never bring good fruits. Anyone who surmises that they can rest in peace after inflicting grief and suffering upon the beloved of God is gravely mistaken and only deceives their own soul.
“A person who opposes a saint of Allah also loses their faith because a saint (wali) enjoys nearness to God; the very word ‘wali’ means ‘to be near.’ These people as if behold God before their eyes, whereas others are separated from God, as if a wall stands between them and God. How can these two classes of people be equal? One from among them has no veil before him; God Almighty has granted him eyes and bestowed upon him insight, and therefore, every word and action of such a one is based on certainty. A person of this nature is not like one who is blind, or one who stumbles here and there and knocks into things. In fact, God descends upon the heart of such a one and He becomes his Guide and Guardian at every step. The darkness of Satan’s mischief cannot come anywhere near such a person. As a matter of fact, this darkness is burnt into ashes and then this individual can see everything. All the words of such a person are divine verities and insights. His interpretations of the Hadith are correct, because he is able to hear them himself directly from the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and those narrations are as if his own, whereas others must quote the same narration through a chain extending 1300 years. Again, what relation do these two classes of people have with one another? The beloved of God possess a treasure that is based entirely on pure insights and divine light, but an individual who opposes him, and rejects everything that he says, and who, as if, becomes determined to deny every point of wisdom that he expounds, goes on denying everything until their wall of faith and understanding begins to crumble. When a certain person speaks of the straight path, and lucidly expounds divine insights and verities, while another rejects him, what will be the ultimate result of this encounter? Obviously that the latter has rejected and will continue to reject the overall beliefs of the Holy Quran. It is by virtue of this that such a person ultimately rejects God Almighty and finally loses his faith.“In short, there is no doubt whatsoever that rejecting the saints of Allah causes one to lose one’s faith. As such, one must always refrain from denying the saints of Allah. A major factor behind the misfortune of the Jews and their incurring the wrath of God was the fact that they continuously rejected the divinely commissioned ones of God Almighty and His Messengers, and continued to partake in opposing them and causing them grief. Ultimately, this resulted in the wrath of Allah Almighty descending upon them.”
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. II, pp. 60-63)