The fact of the matter is that the True Helper and Supporter is that Being Whose greatness is extolled in the Quranic appellations describing Him to be an excellent Protector (ni‘mal-mawla), an excellent Helper (ni‘man-naseer) and an excellent Guardian (ni‘mal-wakeel). In the eyes of the godly, this world along with its support is like the dead. They do not consider it to be worth even a dead insect.
However, in order to teach the world a fundamental rule of prayer, they adopt this worldly method as well. In reality, they consider God Almighty to be the one who takes care of their ministry; that is the absolute truth. As stated in the Holy Quran:
وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ
“And He protects the righteous.”
Allah the Exalted, however, instructs them to make their work known through other people. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would appeal to the people for assistance because that era was one of divine succour, and the Holy Prophetsa constantly sought it in favour of the people. This is a subtle point which calls for deep reflection. In actuality, a person who is divinely commissioned does not seek the help of the people, but rather by proclaiming مَنۡ اَنۡصَارِىۤۡ اِلَی اللّٰهِ meaning, ‘Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah,’ he only seeks to welcome and receive the assistance of God; with immense desire and a throbbing heart they seek to find God’s succour. The foolish and short-sighted surmise that they seek to solicit the assistance of human beings, but this process of calling upon the people becomes a source of mercy and grace for the heart of a person, who becomes a catalyst for the descent of divine mercy.
Hence, the underlying secret in the divinely commissioned calling upon the people for assistance is what I have just mentioned and so shall remain the case until the Day of Resurrection. In propagating religion, those who are commissioned by Allah seek the help of others. Why is this the case? They do so to absolve themselves of their duty of inculcating the grandeur of God Almighty into the hearts of the people. If not, this is something which can reach a level that is near disbelief. Such holy personages can never deem anyone other than Allah to be a guardian of their affairs. This is absolutely impossible.
I have just stated that the oneness of God is only completely realised when an individual considers the one and only Being of God to be the Bestower of all desires and the cure and remedy for every illness. This is precisely the meaning of لا إلہ إلا الله, (i.e. there is none worthy of worship except Allah). In this instance, the Sufis have taken the word ilah to mean the Beloved, the object of one’s longing, the Being Who is worthy of worship and the desire of one’s heart.
Undoubtedly, the reality and truth is that until a person does not fully adhere to the Oneness of God, they do not develop feelings of love and reverence for Islam; and I return to my initial discussion and state that such people cannot experience pleasure and satisfaction in prayer. The entire foundation rests on the fact that until evil thoughts and impure and unholy schemes are not incinerated, and until ego and pride are not replaced with a state of self-effacement and humility, a person cannot become a true servant of God.
Further, the best teacher and most supreme means by which perfect servitude can be taught is through prayer. I tell you once again that if you desire to develop a sincere relationship and living connection with God Almighty, then adhere to the regular observance of your Prayers. Hold fast to this practice not merely with your body and tongue, but with all the desires and passions of your soul, thus becoming an embodiment of prayer. The secret in the sinlessness of prophets also lies in this fact. Why is a Prophet sinless? The response to this is that they are safeguarded from sin on account of their being wholly engrossed in the love of Allah.
I am astonished when I observe various nations indulged in associating partners with God. The Hindus, for example, worship a plethora of idols; in fact, they even justify the worship of male and female genitalia. Then, there are those who worship a human corpse, i.e. Jesus Christ. Such people believe in the attainment of salvation or deliverance in varying forms. The former group, that is to say the Hindus, seek to be cleansed of sin through bathing in the Ganges, pilgrimage and other similar expiations.
Those who worship Jesus, declare the blood of the Christian Messiah to be an atonement for their sins. However, I proclaim that until the spirit of sin remains, how can such people find peace and comfort through outwardly cleansing and self-contrived doctrines? Until inner cleansing and purification takes place, it is impossible for one to attain the result of salvation, which is to be truly cleansed and purified.
Indeed, a lesson may be learned nonetheless. Without cleaning, the filth and odour of the body cannot be removed, and it cannot be safeguarded against imminent and threatening illnesses. Similarly, the filth and impurity that accumulates on the hearts of people in the spiritual sense due to impiety and countless forms of impertinence, cannot be washed without the pure and holy water of repentance. In the physical realm, just as there is a philosophy which underpins various phenomena, there is a corresponding philosophy that exists in parallel within the spiritual realm. Blessed are those who contemplate these matters and reflect.
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 166-168)