The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 262
262 Essence of Islam-1 [Malfūzāt, Vol. II, pp. 178-179] He who is familiar with the mode of expression of the Holy Qur'an knows that sometimes the Noble and Merci- ful One uses an expression for His special servants which is apparently derogatory, but which in its context signi- fies great praise. As God Almighty said with regard to the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]: وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالَّا فَهَدَى 156 Did He not find thee Dall and showed thee the right way. It is quite clear that the well-known and familiar meaning of the term Dall, of which lexicologists are too fond, is 'misguided'. Thus the verse would mean that God found you misguided and guided you; whereas, the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was never misguided, and a Muslim who believes that at any time in his life the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was misguided, is a faithless kāfir and guilty of violating the Shari'ah. The verse should be un- derstood by reflecting upon the context in which it is placed, which is that Allah the Exalted first stated about the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]: الَمْ يَجِدُكَ يَتِيمًا فَأَوَى وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالَّا فَهَدَى وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَاغْنَى 157 Allah the Exalted found thee an orphan and helpless, and He gave thee shelter by Himself and found thee Dall (in love with Himself) and drew thee towards Him and found thee indigent and enriched thee. [Ā'īna-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām, Rūķānī Khazā'in, Vol. 5, pp. 170-171] 156 al-Duhā, 93:8 [Publisher] 157 al-Duhā, 93:7-9 [Publisher]