The Greatness of God

The Greatness of God

1991 7 July 12-13 The Greatness of God (541) Everyone has a great fund of stories all about his own greatness, but no one has a similar fund of stories describing the greatness of God.’ Articles are published in our journals which are entirely devoted to extolling the glory and greatness of our leader, describing how their shining personalities have dazzled every corner of the globe with their radiance. There will be no mention in such articles of God’s wonders, yet they will all end with this short sentence: “All praise is due to God.” When seen in the totality of the speeches and articles, this short sentence will appear out of place. When entire articles and speeches are devoted to the greatness of man, does it really mean anything to say that ‘all praise is due to God?’ Such conclusions are just a part of a formality, they are not genuinely meant. After man’s virtues having been so extolled, this little phrase serves no better purpose than to fill in a blank. It does not express any great love of God. If someone belonging to another religion were to make a speech or write an article on his own beloved personality, he too would most likely end his speech with some such phrase from his religious traditions, while a Muslim would choose one from his religious scriptures. Outwardly, these conclusions differ, one being Islamic, the other non-Islamic yet these different concluding phrases are no doubt the same when looked at from the point of view of the psychology working behind it. In reality, there is no difference between the two.

Those who are proud of their activities, regarding them as achievements, will very soon learn that in the eyes of God their activities are as valueless as the roamings of an ant in a pile of mud. This earth is not a manifestation (jalwa gah) of the charisma of their akabirs (so-called senior religious personalities). It is the manifestation of God’s grandeur. Whenever anyone extols the greatness of someone other than God on this earth, he is telling the biggest lie that anyone can tell.

Whenever hymns are sung to the glory of a human being both the extoller and the listener are cursed by all the things of this earth and the heavens. On the other hand, when God’s glory is extolled, the earth and the heavens reverberate with the praises of God. Eulogies of human beings are uttered by false tongues and heard by false ears. But one who is so blessed as to sing the glories of God receives inspiration from the angels.

When one is enchanted by the glories of a human being, one goes on extolling his virtues unceasingly. On the other hand, when one is touched by the greatness of God, one is left speechless. Words expressing the greatness of man are written on the best of paper and are read out at glittering functions, whereas the expression of the greatness of God is stirred up in the hearts of the faithful and only privacy has the honour of bearing witness to it. The difference between those who live in the glories of man and those who live in the glories of God is the same as the difference between man and God.