Godhood and God in creation - Inspired by Ahmed al Hassan pbuh - From East to West

Jesus put it succinctly when he instructed Simon, who would become his ‘rock’, one of his closest disciples to be the shepherd of his flock in his wake and manage the material and spiritual affairs of the nation. ‘And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be lost in heaven. " Matthew 16:19 This statement offers immense insight into the fact that only a servant of God can reveal who his successor should be. Yet also it brings to mind the Hermetic concept of ‘As above as below’ and a symmetry with the Lord’s prayer ‘On earth as it is in heaven’ highlighting a profound sense of recognition that harmony must prevail between how we live on earth in conjunction with the order set up in heaven. If God is wise and just how could this be accomplished unless God mandates who is in charge of political and spiritual affairs on earth and in essence who has the sufficient merits in order to act in this capacity as a supreme divine regent on earth? Of course in order to do so God also provides a methodology to recognise who that leader should be. The concept of a ‘mandate from Heaven’ from the Orient or a ‘Divine Philosopher King’ from Ancient Greece and Rome, Divine King from Europe is a fundamental foundation stone for this archaic belief system. Such ideologies as well as the divine successorship outlined by the Catholic papacy from the time of Simon Peter as mentioned above are deeply embedded in our shared global psyche today. Looking through the lens at Asia upto 3500 years ago during the Chinese dynasties such as Tang, Ming, Zhou we observe how the leaders would claim their right to rule based on a ‘Mandate from heaven.' This concept called ‘Tianming’ also known as heaven’s will was espoused and recorded for posterity by Confucious through his ‘Golden mean’ of virtues clarified in The Analects, and the golden rule ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto You’ and the philosopher Mencius. The Imperial Emperors were divinely authorised and simply born to be the son of heaven or ' ‘cosmic mediators'' between the world of spirits and the realm of human beings. They were sage rulers and their right was simply divine, “When a multitude of people were generated [by Heaven], they could not be ruled without a ruler. [Therefore,] Heaven created rulers to establish the lives (liming) of the people” (YZWJ, 176). Their primary role was to act as a mortal model of virtue for his state and to cultivate the innate capacity for goodness within his subjects and breed mutual respect and trust. The goal was to bring the inner and outer life of the subject into harmony, creating an elemental balance to help bring justice and order to daily life and activities for the whole community. The mission statement for the Cosmic Mediator was therefore all encompassing to ensure subjects of the state were in balance with the Tao or way of God by “Building a prosperous and peaceful human society, educating his subjects, and maintaining a state of harmony between the spirit world and human realm.” (Jiang 175) The Cosmic Mediator would establish his supreme authority and develop his programme through an Imperial code. ‘The Great Ming code’ served as a cosmic instrument and moral authority to ensure "all under Heaven'' were aligned with the cosmic order. Some of the core

principles were to correct the wayward nature of the people by advocating self-purification, promoting virtue and preventing vice and to offer spiritual guidance to subjects. Failure to support the weak or the people was in contravention to cosmic order and not in keeping with ‘human sentiment.’ The emphasis was on making the will of his people sincere, regulating the family and to establish a just welfare state, The law represented a medium way and a connection between heaven and earth “the Code will echo the human heart and law will respond to heavenly principle” (TS, 2196). In order to accomplish such an arduous task the Cosmic mediator had sage advisors he would consult over matters that arose in daily life. Everything held a divine principle “The service of ministers to the ruler is like that of ruler to Heaven” (TS, 967). Likewise as the community grew governors ordained to manage affairs on behalf of the state were charged with great divine responsibility “It is the ruler who governs the people on behalf of Heaven; it is local officials who nurture the people on behalf of the ruler” (TS, 2815) This divine system is not unique to China and also has a foundation in Japan through the Shinto faith or way of the Gods. The Tenno or Emperor meaning Heavenly sovereign is the ruling monarch who sits on the throne and is considered a descendant from the gods, a hereditary royal lineage which should bring harmony to the affairs of the people in politics, culture and spiritual life, in keeping with the Chinese model. In the Malay peninsula the customs were spread from India and Hindustan as revealed through the epic of Mahabaratha of the raja or magical rulers. The Malay established the governance of the ‘Devaraja’, or divine king. His throne represented his rank and he embodied all the divine attributes suitable to manage the affairs of the state thus it was ordained that the people should be in submission to his command and law. Today we still proclaim the phrase ‘long live the King’, as the Sultan was traditionally the divine go between for the people with God. The concept prevailed in other Southeast Asian kingdoms such as the Khmer and Siam and as well in Jawa and Bali to mention just a few. In Jawa in the Kedu plain the king was recognised as being “a portion of Shiva’ the great teacher and supreme deity. The profound Mahayana texts, especially the Gandavyuha depicted through iconography on the temple complex of Borobudur reveal the search of enlightenment on the path to salvation taken by the King in order to manage the state and maintain the land as a holy land. In the west the concept of the Divine right of kings was most clearly evident in France and England. In these nations the king would draw his authority as ordained by God in order to rule on behalf of the people. King Henry VIII claimed he received whispers from God to guide him but ultimately used his position for self gain when he literally divorced England from the Catholic Church forming the protest movement in order to separate from his wife to have a male heir to the throne. Jacques Bossuet, a minister of King Louis XIVth proclaimed that 'God establishes kings as his ministers, and reigns through them over the people' Rebellion against the king was classified as rebellion against God. King Louis XIVth proclaimed the mantra ‘One king one law one faith’ in his support for the divine creed of governance. James Ist of England stated in his speech to parliament in 1610 that Kings are not only God's lieutenants on earth and sit upon God's throne but even by God himself they are called gods...and so their power after a certain relation compared to the divine power. This absolute power required the king to do God's work, and as the father of his nation he was charged to look after God’s own flock. In his writings James Ist stated ‘the true law of free Monarchies professed that God will stir up such scourges as pleaseth him for the punishment of wicked kings, who will face divine judgement if they do not discharge their duties properly. Here we see they have a special covenant and immense responsibility to

serve from God. It seems likely based on many of these European king’s relationships and behaviour they did not seek divine power to serve and protect but more commonly to consolidate power. However, this does not negate the fact that these aristocrats and ruling elites were fully aware that a divine right did exist in theology but the rights had been usurped from the true godly heirs due to their self seeking. Playwrights and literary genius have revealed the aspect as being deeply embedded in our common psyche. Erasmus the dutch humanist spoke of the ruler being a philosopher prince in keeping with the Platonic ideology and the head of a body politic in line with Thomas Aquinas. His role was predominately to seek justice for his people through moderation and being the ideal model for his people, to avoid excesses of the sensual appetite.St Augustine another Platonic student talked about ‘De Civitate Dei’ or City of God a place where all folk worked for the common good selflessly and the head of state was a conduit and a mirror for the Divine principle and the people would give up their rights to them as opposed to living a chaotic self interested life as in most cities. The concept of the Sacred returning King Aragaon evokes many overtures with the messianic Jesus Christ and is familiar with readers of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and William Shakespeare immortalised this idea in his play Macbeth. The character Malcom talked about the magical healing powers of the divine king “How he solicits heaven, Himself best knows; but strangely-visited people, All swollen and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye, The mere despair of surgery, he cures; Hanging a golden stamp about their necks, Put on with holy prayers...” William Blake in his famous poem ‘Jerusalem’ referred to Jesus as the ‘countenance Divine’ who would return one day to England to set up a Divine kingship. His words were echoed by the likes of TS Elliot and Edgar Poe through his poem ‘The Divine right of Kings.' Today it seems the whole system has been flipped on its head and is it any wonder when secularism has marginalised God’s worship to a Sunday school status. The founding forefathers of the American Republic premeditated this scenario when they propagated the destruction of the divine rulership. Thomas Jefferson himself declared, Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law, every country and in every age the priest has been hostile to liberty. With this ideology clearly expressed the role of the mob or democracy prevailed and as we know led to the collapse of the church as a sphere of significant political influence. There was an associated decline in moral values in tandem with the rise of the profit orientated and self seeking global corporation as society began to decline in despotism. This seems to glorify the ‘City of Pandemonium’ as mentioned in Milton’s Paradise Lost, a land of excess and depravity. The Reality Check From the opening passages we clearly see how the concept of a Godhead, Divine King or Philosopher King is deeply embedded in our shared psyche. It is clear that even if many people have claimed this right over the centuries to rule absolutely very few of these were actually inspired by God but were actually exploiting sacred knowledge for devilish self gain. We have alluded to some philosophers such as Plato and St.Augustine of Hippo who were fully aware of this ideology and sought to clarify its importance for society to implement this strategy. If we turn back to God and his messengers today we will see how this truth was clarified in the scriptures and how it is paramount to seek God in creation in every age to find guidance and to help create the ideal city or Divine Republic so we can live in harmony.

Godhood in Creation as inspired by Ahmed al Hassan pbuh The following passages are clearly inspired by Ahmed al Hassan pbuh who is a divinely inspired messenger of God today. God is far too exalted for ‘Godhood’ to be his truth. GODHOOD alike Lordship a role which represents leadership, governance and management of affairs. A father figure who is the Lord of the family and in politics is represented by the successor or Lord of the earth, the guide for humanity in affairs both spiritual and political wisdom. This is basically the one we turn to in creation, the most perfect one for our needs to be fulfilled. This is in order to nurture us so we obtain the nearest to perfection and sustain our shortcomings. It is a manifestation of His divine attributes in order to help humankind recognise and overcome our shortcomings. God is therefore the ultimate one we all need to sustain us and without recognition of Him and submission to Him our worship becomes void of any meaning. The reality is we must realise we are not able to know the complete truth so God’s divinity revealed to us is a blessing upon us so we can realise perfection is placing a mirror to our own shortcomings. This gives us a great sense of humility and encouragement to seek him to fulfil our lacking, as by his Lordship he floods upon us his perfection. The scholars of religion today like in every generation before are confused and prone to self interpretation of the scriptures, especially the allegorical verses. ‘Do they wait until God comes to them in the shadows of clouds and the angels, and the matter has been ordained, and to God all matters are returned Al-Baqarah 2:210 To try to make sense of this verse for themselves they claim a word is missing, so they say it should be the COMMAND of God, as if God was unable to fulfil His text. Otherwise they say God is a limited being who comes and goes and has a physical body and deny God’s absolute divinity making him to have a need and be incomplete. Ahmed al Hassan pbuh has made the distinction clear from the sacred text clarifying the Absolute God is the one true God and thus the one that comes in the shadow of the clouds is the messenger of God or as we say a ‘Cosmic Mediator’ or ‘God in Creation’. Say: He is Allah, the One * Allah, the Everlasting/The Eternal * He did not give birth, nor was He given birth* And there is none comparable unto Him} Holy Quran This is the one absolute God, the truth of Tawheed or monotheism we should adhere to. This truth is wrapped up in the ‘Fatiha’ or opening verses of the Quran so in the name of God, He faces the creation with His intense mercy and this is the core heart of the divine message. The one God faces His creation with is clearly the messenger of God who encompasses his divine principles in the most significant way so we can seek him and learn from him the best way to conduct ourselves and work and live in divine harmony. However, one quranic verse known as ‘Tawbah’ represents the speech directed to the tyrant and oppressor. This is the exception, God faces them with conquering and subduing because they hold animosity and fight against the true religion of God. So therefore the messenger of God likewise faces the oppressed and submissive with mercy and the oppressive and diabolical with conquering and subdigation. In the Quran the name of God is ‘Allah’ the divine essence or manifestation of the truth and reality which faces creation and the doors to this are the mercy of God. The essence of our

God points to unity as all the names dissolve into it. So through these names and examples we direct ourselves to God. The mercy is apparent as otherwise He would punish us each time we remember ourselves or the ego and are negligent of our creator. His other names such as wisdom and patience, courage also represent and manifest from this essence. The names are not separate from the essence rather they are the essence as they gather all the descriptions of God. It is through these names God can be known sufficiently for the understanding of creation to act in the right fashion but not in the absolute sense which remains unfathomable to us. Simply put these doors or names are also represented by the best of God’s creation and therefore we must seek them to try to fulfil ourselves. This is because they are the greatest containers of light through their total submission and dedication to God’s path and will. These are the mines of wisdom and safe guardians of God’s secrets. They carry the word of God in their hearts and through the divine scriptures from east to west are mentioned. These are the God’s in creation who spread the good seed from Plato's Republic and his Philosopher King to Lao Tzu’s Tao or path of God as elucidated from the Te Ching. Quite simply they are the best names of God and a mercy upon God’s creation. Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan (From Him is Peace) has said: “Our constitution states that all the Prophets and Messengers are one and we do not differentiate between any of God’s Prophets, Messengers, or Vicegerents.” The elite of these pure souls are the family of Muhammad pbut and Ali pbuh because of their humility, degree of submission and trust in the Divine source. Consequently, they are the elect who become the face of God in creation and no one enters into knowledge of the divine attributes except through them. As a primary example Mohammed pbuh received the command of God and passed it on to God’s chosen vicegerent Ali ibn Talib pbuh. ‘I am the City of Knowledge, and it is Paradise, and you O Ali are its door. Therefore, how can a person be guided towards Paradise and not be guided towards it from its door?’” Yet we must remember in distinction to the Absolute one God these messengers are still in need of Him. There is truly no might or power except by God’s will. All God’s closest companions have a far greater conscientious awareness than ourselves and admit they do not accomplish anything without divine providence. Therefore they constantly invoke God’s support and offer supplications in admission and gratitude that any beneficial outcome gained was only a result of God’s divine will. In such a case the messenger of God in creation becomes a pure vessel or conduit to conduct or convey the divine message or perform the divine outpouring. { You create from clay the form of a bird by My permission, then you blow into it and it shall become a bird by My permission} [Surah 5:110] His Godhood is above all without any defects or shortcomings. Even Mohammad pbuh has a degree of darkness within his vessel otherwise a name for Muhammad pbuh would not remain nor an image and only Allah the Glorious and all powerful would remain. The close ArchAngel Gabriel bore witness that Mohammed pbuh is the messenger of God and seal of prophets and Ali was recognised as His successor.

You have made them mine for your words, and pillars for your Monotheism, and your Signs, and Your ranks, which have no suspension/delaying in every place, whoever knows you knows you by them, there is no difference between You and them except that they are your servants and creation...) - Imam Mahdi pbuh, Mafateeh Al-Jinan: Dua of everyday from Rajab It is clear then in order for us to get as close as possible to God, it is not just knowledge we seek but more critically to find God’s successor on earth in our era who is our Divine guidance. Quite simply put He is the appearance and manifestation of the divine in creation or God in creation. So the help we seek from God we can derive from the successor on earth who encompasses the divine attributes in the most significant way we can comprehend. Imam Al-Ridha (PBUH) said: (If any hardship comes down upon you then seek our help with Allah, The Almighty, and this is Allah's words: {And to Allah belong the divine names, so invoke Him by them}) - Mustadrak Al-Wasail: volume 5, page 228, God commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam pbuh because Adam had received the divine spirit from God and was a worthy vessel of his divine outpouring. {AndwhenyourLordsaidtotheAngelsverilyIammakinginEarthaSuccessor} 2:30 Quran Therefore in this age we must be prepared to follow suit, as this represents prostration to the divine force within the person and not the individual himself. Let us remember God does not need our worship but we need His support as without it we are incapable of accomplishing any long lasting spiritual development which is at the heart our societal struggle. The messenger is the doctor of the souls who has an ability to direct us in a way that leads to a balance of our inner and outer lives. If we look today at all the corporate greed, self adoration, wealth accumulation, child abuse and racial and religious oppression we see a fundamental problem with global leadership. These are the so-called politicians, media moguls and scholars of religion who do not practise what they preach and twist the word of God. They still think their fortresses will protect them from God’s punishment yet just like the people of Thamud, Hud, Sodom & Gomorrah, Pharaoh’s history teaches us this will not be the case. They considered their own worldly gains sufficient for them but in doing so rejected God’s truth and overarching authority and neglected or abused his messengers. Thus in tandem with secularism these lives have now reached fever pitch in terms of depravity through the dark web and pizzagate that such an overturn is essential and by turning the other cheek in this era clearly nothing will be accomplished. Therefore only a complete overhaul over worldly systems that exist today such as communism, capitalism and facism will it be possible to institute divine peace and harmony on earth. With such extreme tyranny and oppression evident in the world, God now faces us with the awaited Riser or Qaim. He is from the same pure family of Mohammed pbuh who have manifested mercy and compassion. However throughout the ages they have been persecuted and martyred even at times by their so-called companions and their rights have never been granted so is it any wonder the riser or Qaim pbuh will eventually manifest as a conqueror and subduer. His task is clear: to overcome this horror of darkness which has

stained our world and reigned on earth since the time of Adam pbuh and usurped the throne of rulership. Sadly many people have already and will still mock the warning call and despite the sage advice will turn away. Let us not take this stance now we have been forewarned as we are now also forearmed. * How shall they be reminded, and there came to them an Messenger making clear (the truth) * Then they turned away from him and said, a mad teacher * Indeed, We will remove the torment for a little But you will surely return (to your ways) * The Day when We will strike with the greatest strike, indeed, We will take retribution} [Surah 44:10-16] If the people who claim to represent the true religion and seek God are really looking to fulfil their own ego desires what benefit or justice is there in them supporting the truth today? Would you give the weapon to the one that wishes to fight you. If even Muhammad pbuh the best of creation faces Allah with the need of mercy what is the magnitude of our need today? {Indeed, We have opened for you, [O Muhammad], a clear Opening * That Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow and complete His favour upon you and guide you to a straight path} [Surat Al-Fath 48:1-2] So we are constantly reminded of our own shortcomings but not to fall into despair as this is the transparent plot of Satan, may God cure him. Therefore we must confess our sins and admit our abject poverty and inability to know the absolute truth or ‘Howa.’ Hence we face the essence of Allah through his divine messengers but we don't worship them as we know they are not the complete divine. In truth the Divine essence is the eye which dissolves into the truth and reality and as such is very much part of it and a manifestation of the truth and reality. In order to clarify further the ‘Bismillah’ or ‘In the name of God’ is the door to Monotheism and Allah is the one and indivisible and by the names or doors to God He is revealed to us, meaning of course his messengers and guides. {Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon Al-Rahman (The Merciful), Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names."} [Surat Al-Israa’ 17:110] Recognising our God in creation is a critical component of the true religion and monotheism. Imam Ali pbuh clarified the the truth about monotheism in his profound speech: (..The beginning of religion is knowing Him, and the perfection of knowing Him is admission to Him (believing in Him), and the perfection of admission to Him (believing in Him) is unifying Him (Monotheism), and the perfection of unifying Him is the dedication/devotion to Him, and the perfection of the dedication/devotion to Him is denying all of the attributes from Him, in testimony that every attribute/description is different than the One being described.” In reality we also realise that even this worship is not pure as we turn to Him in order to fulfil a need in ourselves when in essence we should turn away from the ego or self completely. This is the true form of monotheism as in this nothing remains but the unseen absent witness or observor which is indicated by the ‘Howa’. This force pulsates from the inner depth of the human being and what true ‘Tawheed’ indicates towards. Therefore it is clear why this opening verse of the Quran is recited in the daily prayers of Muslims this perspective is the goal of humanity in its pursuit in the closeness to God. This is the true focus of mankind as clearly noted by God in the following verse , {I have not created the jinn and humans except that they may worship [Me]} [Surah Al-Dhariyat 51:56].

Through complete selflessness, submission and dedication mankind is able to reach the rank of becoming the face of God in creation the only limit is our own self. Allah represents the light with no darkness, a description that none of the creation shares. ("It was narrated to us that Allah is Knowledge with no Ignorance in Him, Life with no Death in Him, Light with no Darkness in Him". So he (PBUH) said: Verily, He is as such) Muhammad pbuh and to a lesser extent the other messengers reached a nearness to God that his light almost shines forth from itself, {whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light.} {The Holy Qur’an Surat An-Nūr (The Light): 35}. To reach this state is no mean feat, but a clear Goal of the wise and such a reality can be better understood by learning from the trials and tribulations faced by messengers such as Abraham pbuh who became a friend of God and guide for his nation. He was a man who smashed the false idols of his generation and was prepared to jump in the fire without fear or hesitation to stand up for his beliefs and sacrifice his own son for the sake of God. The awareness that everything we have is a gift of God but also temporary in this illusionary world means that even if we love these things such as family, environment we do so purely for the sake of God and thus can renounce them and feel no attachment to them if necessary. This should bring us into a state of purity that takes us beyond fear into a state of absolute love of God. In a world of supreme darkness, who else is worthy and capable of being a Godhead for humanity today but such a pure selfless soul? Therefore if we contain more darkness than light, logically we would seek for the Cosmic mediator with more light inside his vessel so we could hope and strive to overcome the darkness within us and reflect his light force. Thus for those granted the power of discernment this is in fact our obligation. As we say the messenger in charge of our affairs is such a beacon of light and thus we turn to him to overcome in order to seek the way to get closer to the absolute God. God promised that this world would reach such a point where quite simply, The Earth shall shine with the light of its Lord} [Surah 39:69] We must be smart to distinguish the one absolute true God from the God in creation or Lord of creation as alluded to above. As Abraham pbuh himself did, for a while he saw the elevated status of Muhammad pbuh for a while he thought he was the one True God. Therefore God showed him the pattern of the heavens and earth to help him understand better. He saw the planets and the sun but when they set he realised they could not be His God. So Abraham is a model citizen we can aspire to be more like and we must likewise be willing to smash the idols of our time so we can help bring about a world in which we would like our children to grow up in with hope, peace, justice and prosperity for all. So We were showing Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and earth, that he might be of those having sure faith Quran 6:75 Another prime example of God in creation for us to learn from is Joseph pbuh who at the time of Aziz Masr was in charge of sustaining the people as the minister of agriculture. And thus did We establish Yusuf in the land and that We might teach him the interpretation of sayings; and God is predominant over His affair, but most people do not know} [Surah 12:21]

Clearly we see the wisdom in this decision as through his visions Joseph recognised there would be a drought to affect the harvest in Egypt. {And the king said, "Indeed, I have seen [in a dream] seven fat cows being eaten by seven [that were] lean, and seven green spikes [of grain] and others [that were] dry. O eminent ones, explain to me my vision, if you should interpret visions"} [Surat Yusuf 12:43], Yusuf (Joseph) interpreted the cows to mean years, and the weakness and fat to mean famine/drought and fertility. In direct response he brought into practice his primary strategy to manage production and create a surplus to protect the community. The verse clarifies that God chooses the successor and we should trust His commandment. If these people are called Lords there is no harm in submission to them as they are of those who overflow their wisdom upon others and nurture them just as with the ruler of Egypt. Yet we must remember we do not worship these messengers as they are not the absolute God. In the case of Joseph of course he remains a creation of God but is sought as he still has a divine presence but is poor to the absolute one true God. These messengers have special ranks with God and so the affairs are delegated to them to an extent as the revelations and angels descend to them with the sacred knowledge. These messengers remain a veil of the true reality and the verses which mention the Greater God meaning there are lesser gods. God is the Lord of the Lords and God of the Gods marking a clear distinction between the aspect of the one true God and the Lords or Gods in creation. Abi Abdillah (PBUH) said: (... Say: O Lord of the Lords, O Kings of the Kings, O Master of the Masters, O Mighty of the /Mightiest, O God of the Gods, send your peace and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad and do with me such and such .....) – Al Kafi: volume 2, page 323 The Shia or followers of Imam Ali pbuh who himself succeeded in leadership from Mohammed pbuh clarify that God’s messengers will return. History sadly repeats itself, and these are the pure ones whose rights were usurped and they were martyred and poisoned for their beliefs and unwillingness to bow to the tyrants of their era. If the meek shall truly inherit the earth there has to be a return from the physical death and in order to do so reincarnation is a pillar of God’s pure religion and also the return of the pure souls. “As a man shedding worn-out garments, takes other new ones, likewise the embodied soul, casting off worn-out bodies, enters into others that are new.” – BhagavadGita (2-22) Let us be reminded that a world saviour figure is not isolated to Islam but finds it way into all the major religions. Also many of the previous prophets came with glad tidings about the advent of a God in creation for our era. Krishna pbuh talked about the Kalki who would return to remove the rust from our hearts and help provide the essential guidance to bring about a new era of divine justice through many outward and inner struggles this victory would be gained. "At the end of Kali-yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of the three higher varnas [castes], and when the power of government is transferred to the hands of ministers elected from the lowborn Shudra class or those less than them, and when nothing is known of the

techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser." (Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.7.38) The danger is that many people have built up a false impression of how God’s messenger of God in creation would appear. This is especially the case in our material and mechanical modern era with sacred texts having been neglected and distorted in our generation. There are those who evidently expect a messianic figure to descend from the clouds with wings and an apparent halo. Others await a blue Krishna or angelic figure that does not eat or procreate. Yet on reflection it is self-evident that people inherently lean towards a leader who is an aspirational figure, someone relatable and to look up to that faces many of the same physical vulnerabilities we do, therefore a human being like ourselves. Yet he stands apart from us as He has evidently overcome the lowly desires that keep us in spiritual shackles and we seek to benefit from his example. This point demands our utmost attention in a world of multiple sects that have deviated from the righteous path. Quite simply when we see many of the leaders who claim to sit on God’s throne such as Dalial Lama and Pope Francis and AyatUllah Sistani they do not represent the virtues of Godhead we would aspire to be willing to smash these idols and open our hearts to a new doctrine and way. If we dont we risk rejecting God’s messenger, especially his chosen one in our era, then we forfeit God’s whole religion and lose his mercy. Simply put, in such a case we would be saying God is incapable of providing a messenger to provide a divine template for mankind because the messenger is the face of God in creation. Through him our religion becomes a man who represents the face of God and as he becomes the lawmaker to provide sublime justice and correct wrongdoings. He is thus evidently infallible and unable to make a mistake so his guidance is pure and secure from error thus if we submit to it willingly keeps us safe in our religion and draws us ever closer to God and harmonious living. God sends his proofs or messengers in each and every era to multiple locations, as is said in Christainty some 144,000 and Islam 124,000. Therefore is it any wonder when only 25 names are mentioned in the Quran and most of these were sent to the middle east territories that the others went to Europe, Asia and the Americas. Thus the likes of Socrates, a social reformer, Lao Tzu, a deep philosopher and fighter of injustice were also Gods themselves in creation to their respective nations. So it is critical we accept them all and recognise the clear point that they all come with the same core divine message to bring peace and harmony to the earth but their rights were usurped by selfish despots. The face of God is His Prophets and Messengers and Proofs (PBUT), they are the ones whereby people approach/go towards God and His religion and know Him. - ‘Uyun Akhbar Al-Ridha (PBUH), volume 2, page 106 They are so exalted as they take the stance of God even if it be to their own self detriment. If a family member commits a punishable crime such as shoplifting they bring justice to the act without discrimination or hesitiation. They promote virtue and prevent vice, just like Socrates whose warning of the youth in the deceptive crimes of his community faced the death penalty as he threatened the status quo of the ruling elite. These messengers only act by the will of God and their hearts are containers as such and they have no fear of fulfilling their immense task.

People tend to fail to recognise God in creation if they neglect the triple filter test. This classifies that the messenger is sent only by God as advised by a will and through his predecessor is the most knowledgeable of his time and can clarify questions on sacred law. He also calls only to the supremacy of God. If we recognise this reality then with a pure heart we should be able to reach him. It is critical we understand the true reality of the Godhead, so unlike the Wahabi or Salafi who go the materialist extreme in their understanding of God, we see that the Godhead can benefit us and intercede for us with God even when he has died as it is the soul force that is of paramount importance. God even clarifies this matter in his holy books, so this denial of the messenger’s rank clearly takes us out of the true worship of God. {And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving sustenance,} {The Holy Qur’an Surat 'Āli `Imrān (Family of Imran): 169}. They also formulate their own impression of God and his messenger by false interpretation of the scriptures and the community follows them blindly as Mohammed pbuhaf clarified. {They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides God} and by God, they did not pray nor did they fast for them, but they made Halal (permissible) to them that which is Haram (forbidden), and they made Haram (forbidden) that which is Halal (permissible), so [the people] imitated them in that, thus, they have worshipped them without feeling [that they are doing so])Tashih Al'Itiqad - by Sheikh Al-Mufeed, page 73 So they say the likes of the following and give the unfathomable absolute God a body and parts as if He is limited by time and space on this miniscule planet. Ibn Jibreen said: (...The fingers are in the hand, however, it is not necessary that they are like the fingers of the created being in its tips and length and so and so, rather, in it is a confirmation to the hand and in it is a confirmation to the fingers in the hand.) They worship God like Satan did may God curse him, in their unwillingness to prostrate to Imam Mahdi pbuh. Satan did not refuse to prostrate to God and dedicated the greater part of his work to God but refused to prostrate to the God in creation of his time Adam as determined by God and thereby rejected God’s true religion and divinity. The other extreme are those who claim the messenger as the Absolute God himself. The examples are sadly replete with some of the worshippers of Bouddha pbuh and Jesus pbuh. They fail to recognise that these cosmic mediators are created beings and must face many of the obstacles we face on a day to day basis. {The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded.} {The Holy Qur’an Surat Al-Mā'idah (The Table Spread): 75} Jesus pbuh made it clear without His father he can do nothing clarifying he is subject to the command of the Absolute and by himself incapable. He also refers to himself as the ‘son’ yet many so-called christians who read the sacred texts and scholars still claim his absolute

divinity. There is no might or power except by God as the following verse makes it clear even if the Godhead has supreme power on earth he is not the absolute God, “I am Alive and do not die and indeed I have made you [an] alive [one whom] does not die, I say to something be and it becomes, and indeed I have made you say to something be and it becomes.” God makes it clear he does not have a physical ‘son’ or for that matter any offspring and is it any wonder when He is absolute and does not have a partner in creation who would need to be present therefore a second divine force. Mohammed pbuh himself a pure vessel of light which clarified in the following verse that the term ‘son’ is only symbolic and therefore Jesus remains throughout a creation of God. {Say, [O Muhammad], "If the Most Merciful had a son, then I would be the first of [his] worshippers."} {The Holy Qur’an Surat Az-Zukhruf (The Ornaments of Gold)}. As we said God is light without darkness and every creation must have a degree of darkness to even remain in existence in this material plane. There is no beginning for the absolute and as we say Jesus being a created being has a birth and a death. God said: {He is the Originator of the Heavens and the Earth. How can He have a son when He has had no mate? He has created everything and He has full knowledge of all things} [Surat Al-An’am (6:101)] Jesus, a close servant of God and a pure light vessel or God in creation, is a word of God or as stated by the bible, ‘Immanuel’ meaning God is with us was an alternative name for Jesus because he represented God on earth for humanity. Now we have distinguished the means of recognition and rank of Godhead in creation we must realise Mohamed pbuh was declared the final seal of God’s messengers sent by God himself. This means that Mohammed pbuh became charged with the authority to dispatch the messengers to the future generations as willed by God. This makes sense as he had become the purest vessel of light in God’s kingdom. He embodied the divine names and thus became the most complete face of God. And by Your word by which You have created the Heavens and Earth....and by the matter of the complete word.....and I ask You by Your word which overpowered everything)- Dua’ Al-Simat A point of distinction on the matter is clarified again by the sacred texts concerning the reality of the container of light. The text reminds us Jesus rose in Sier, a partial appearance but Mohammed became the appearance of God upon Faran, so here the clear light opening was obtained. This is in direct correlation with the night ascension in which Mohammed entered within 2 bow lengths or nearer to the presence of God. He thus oscillated between existence and his self and non-existence and the merging with God to work to fulfil only God’s will. (Between them there was a veil that was shining and oscillating/flapping), and when the opening occurred (He looked [into what Allah willed from the light of Greatness] the size of the eye of a needle)

{Indeed, We have opened for you, [O Muhammad], a clear Opening} [Surat Al-Fath 48:1-2]. Who is therefore better placed to rule the world then someone with such a divine submission and outpouring of wisdom emanating from his soul. He is closest to the true reality of the divine principle that we can comprehend and realise. “Its oil almost self lights even if it is not touched by fire, light upon light.” [Surah 24:35] So if we accept Mohammed as the seal of the prophets and our God in creation then we must accept the people he chooses to send to us as beacons of light in his wake. Wisdom teaches us that every generation needs a warner and a guide to either return us to the right path or keep us on track. In the Quran it reminds us that God is the best of creators, so evidently there are others of a lower degree and surely his closest servant Mohammed pbuh would be a creator therefore. This aspect of the creative force has been described as a type of xerox copy machine whereby the first replica is closer to the true reality of the messenger. Obviously with further copies the image fades slightly and thus the messenger reflects less light than the previous but can ultimately achieve more light through dedication and sincerity to God’s cause. {And for every nation is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, it will be judged between them in justice, and they will not be wronged} [Surah 10:47] So it would be extremely foolhardy to think God decided there would be no further guardianship or God in creation post the era of Mohammed pbuh. This would also seem an injustice especially as Mohammed’s era ended over 1400 years ago and many people had previously received divine guidance. Also our circumstances today and cultural baggage differ greatly from previous generations and certainly require help and guidance as materialism and selfishness reign supreme today. Hermes himself a prophet of God warned humanity what would befall this era we now live in of Godlessness that would require a sagacious guide to flip the world on its head and bring about a new kingdom of peace and harmony. There will come a time when it will have been in vain that Egyptians have honoured the Godhead with heartfelt piety and service; and all our holy worship will be fruitless and ineffectual. The Gods will return from earth to heaven; Egypt will be forsaken, and the land which was once the home of religion will be left desolate, bereft of the presence of its deities. They will no longer love this world around us, this incomparable work of God, this glorious structure which he has built, this sum of good made up of many diverse forms, this instrument whereby the will of God operates in that which he has made, ungrudgingly favouring man's welfare. Darkness will be preferred to light, and death will be thought more profitable than life; no one will raise his eyes to heaven; the pious will be deemed insane, the impious wise; the madman will be thought a brave man, and the wicked will be esteemed as good. As for the soul, and the belief that it is immortal by nature, or may hope to attain immortality, as I have taught you; all this they will mock, and even persuade themselves that it is false. No word of reverence or piety, no utterance worthy of heaven, will be heard or believed. And so the Gods will depart from mankind - a grievous thing and only evil angels will remain, who will mingle with men, and drive the poor wretches into all manner of reckless crime, into wars, and robberies, and frauds, and all things hostile to the nature of the soul. Then will the earth tremble, and the sea bear no ships; heaven will not support the

stars in their orbits, all voices of the Gods will be forced into silence; the fruits of the Earth will rot; the soil will turn barren, and the very air will sicken with sullen stagnation; all things will be disordered and awry, all good will disappear. But when all this has befallen, then God the Creator of all things will look on that which has come to pass, and will stop the disorder by the counterforce of his will, which is the good. He will call back to the right path those who have gone astray; he will cleanse the world of evil, washing it away with floods, burning it out with the fiercest fire, and expelling it with war and pestilence. As Hermes clearly stated 1000s of years ago a time would come when the truly selflessness of divine Godhead would have been totally renounced and selfless love of material life and lack of piety would reign supreme. However, today there is still much hope and God did not leave us without a way out of the dark labyrinth, we know before Mohammed pbuh died he left a divine will which gave guidance to mankind after his death. In this will it was recorded the names of the 11 guides to follow in his absence and any historian will tell you each and every one was either poisoned or martyred and their rights stolen. So once again by rejecting them and belittling their command the majority of the so-called muslims have rejected the reality they claim to represent in Mohammed pbuh and his pure family and have therefore taken themselves out of the mercy of God and into his wrath.This is because in essence the facing of the people to these guides actually represented the facing of the one who sent them in each period meaning Mohammed pbuh. {It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise.} {The Holy Qur’an Surat Ash-Shūraá (The Consultation): 51}. History tends to repeat itself and the Jewish non-working scholars at the time of Jesus rejected his kingship despite Moses mentioning him to them through their sacred texts, as Jesus reminded them at his advent. He also clarified how surrounded by their arrogance they fail to submit and prop each other up as hollow blocks of wood to deceive the community and become revered as leaders instead. John 5: 44-47 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you of the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed in Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? We know that Imam Mahdi pbuh has been mentioned as the last of the guides named in the divine will who represents the face of God in our creation today. He in turn despatches the guides after him and the first today is his son in the soul world Ahmed al Hassan pbuh. Ahmed pbuh acts as a divine conduit or guide to his son in the soul world who today is Abdullah, the servant of God, as mentioned in the will or father of truth, Aba Sadiq pbuh and the 2nd Mahdi. The miracle is that this will mentioned has been protected for over 1400 years and despite appearing in some of the most sacred books of traditions as recorded by famous scholars of Islam has not been claimed by anybody before today. God also promised that anyone who claims this matter falsely would be immediately struck down and this never happened to either Ahmed or Abdullah in our age. Whilst other traditions clarified the guide for our era would have 2 names, one that is know Muhammad

and one hidden Ahmed pbuh and thiat is exactly how it is today. Also that the Mahdi pbuh would reappear on the same day as the death of King Abdullah of Hijaz (modern day Saudi Arabia) and on exactly the same day a video was posted to clarify a group had been taken to meet him. Many shia scholars recognise these prophecies but have likewise denounced them now they have been proven true to uphold their public image and self adoration. Sadly though this should come as no real surprise as the world as we know it from the birth of Adam up until the present day has only seen the reign of Satan and his false kings. Despite Adam having received the pure breath of life from God, these false kings have led a masquerade on the throne. Adam was the elect of God and supposed to be the divine regent on earth and so to his sons from his pure bloodline. However Satan who himself rejected to bow to the Godhead, Adam pbuh, and refusing to seek repentance thus fell from grace However Satan was granted a reprieve to a certain point in time and promised himself to lead astray those who are not grateful or aware of God’s grace. This period of despotic rule was classified as lasting up until the return of the Godhead of Imam Mahdi pbuh, the awaited reformer, and this time is now. Of course Satan is fully aware of his impending doom and is thus working day and night to delay his end and to either drive people into sin and thus the despair of the mercy of God or otherwise make the supporters of God fight one another. However if the faithful supporters of God remain yoked together his power is shown to be extremely limited. (Verily Satan said: grant me respite until the day of Resurrection, so God refused his request, and He said: Indeed, you are of those reprieved until the day of the appointed time. So if the day of the appointed time comes, Satan shall appear in all of his followers, from the time that God created Adam until the day of the appointed time, and it is the last round which the Prince of the Believers (PBUH) enters). So I said: And are they round? He (PBUH) said: Yes, indeed it is round and round, and there is not an Imam in a century except that enters with him the pious and transgressor in his time, until God purifies the believer from the disbeliever. So if it is the day of the appointed time the Prince of the Believers will return to his companions. - Mukhtassar Basa’ir Al-Daragat: page 27 The above passage clarifies the point we are making and gives credence to the fact that the pure messengers of God return through reincarnation to give victory to the truth and help establish Godhead on the throne as part of His divine promise. There is no sitting on the fence in this era so we are either working with the dark side or light. The vessel or container is the human being and today the final divine covenant is with the souls. This is a beautiful gift because it means irrespective of your colour, creed or status if you have a pure heart and intention to reach and support God’s King to regain the throne that is rightfully his you will not be denied. So if we mirror the divine attributes manifested by God in creation in this era Ahmed al Hassan and Aba Sadiq pbuh his son from the soul world we can hope to fill our vessel with light and hasten the rise and help establish a new Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven fermenting much hope for peace and justice for all future generations. Let us remember the only distinction of rank in the true religion is through our piety and dedication to God and his mission through his divine successor or God in creation. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is the true Monotheism we need today and therefore the Straight Path, but it is sharper than the sword, and thinner than a hair’s breadth.

The keystone that Jesus pbuh mentioned to bring about the critical change we need in our lives and was rejected by previous scholars, is with us today and represented by the Riser of the family of Muhammed pbuh, Aba Sadiq pbuh. It is paramount we recognise this point and pledge allegiance to support the final 7th covenant in this generation which has united all divine religions from east to west under one pure banner of truth. Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Matt 21:42 The sacred scripture today ‘Goal of the Wise’ clarifies the key purpose of the faithful today is their support of our God in creation so he can reign supreme, from chapter 7: The story of humanity from Adam until today, we realise that our true religion is one thing, obedience to the divinely appointed King. Our story is a story of a throne, rulership and land usurped by the sons of Iblis, that old King who refuses to accept God’s choice of King. Our story is the story of a King who has been ousted (Adam and his descendants) and a struggle to restore him to his throne and give ability to his children in the land. That is the entirety of religion and its purpose. To allow God’s rule on the Earth, a rule which will spread justice and equality throughout the land.