24 THE MIZANU'L HAQQ

times discover some traces of truth. For example, all religions teach that there is a life after death, with rewards and punishments, and that prayer should be offered and the Divine commandments obeyed. But the jewel must be cleansed from the mire ere it can shine in the rays of the sun. While it remains hidden in the mud, it is useless. All truth comes from God, and perhaps some lingering rays of the light of those early days when Adam walked with God still struggle with the darkness in the souls of the heathen. But these serve only to make the darkness visible and to kindle in the wanderer's heart a desire for the full light of the Divine Revelation.

Among the great religions of the world at the present day there are only two which teach the Unity of God, for the Jewish faith is held by a comparatively small number of people, and they are all of one family. The great Monotheistic faiths are Islam and Christianity. But these, though in some points agreeing with one another, yet differ in many things. Muslims assert that theirs is the broad way and Christianity the narrow: Christians agree with them in this; but affirm that only the narrow way leads unto life (Matt. vii. 13, 14). It is evident that these two ways run in different directions, so that they cannot both guide men to God. Only one of them can possibly be the right way which leads to the true knowledge of God and to the eternal happiness for which we all alike, both Muslims and Christians, yearn. The wise seeker after Truth will therefore inquire which is the right way, in order that he may walk therein and attain to the goal. The veil of prejudice, whether national or religious, must in this matter be cast aside from the eyes, lest they fail to behold God's light.

This being so, we must ask, "What are the marks by which we may ascertain which of these two roads is the way of salvation?" In reply it may be said that it is not difficult to find the proofs of the True Revelation and the way to the knowledge of God, if we pay attention

INTRODUCTION 25

to the yearnings of the human spirit, the demands of man's conscience, and the evidence which the conscience bears to the Character and Attributes of the One True God, especially since His Character and Attributes are in some measure revealed in Creation. There can be no doubt that God's Holy Nature (ذات) is free from change and alteration. Accordingly, in the true Revelation God's Character and Disposition will be revealed in such a way as to agree with what He had previously revealed of Himself in the work of Creation, in the preservation of the Universe, and in the voice of Conscience: That is to say, though it is evident that the True Revelation must contain much fuller information about God's Nature and Will than man can gain from the study of the pages of the Universe and of the requirements of his own heart, yet such teaching cannot be contrary to the testimony which Nature and Conscience bear to the Creator. Therefore the True Revelation may be distinguished from all the other religions of the world by the six following criteria:—

I. The True Revelation must satisfy the yearnings of the human spirit to obtain eternal happiness. These may be divided into three:—(1) the desire for knowledge of the Truth; (2) the desire for pardon; and (3) the desire for purification.

1. Man needs to know the truth regarding himself and regarding his Creator: that is to say, he requires trustworthy information concerning God's Nature and Attributes, His Will and His Commandments. Then he needs to learn the object of his own creation and in what way that object may be attained. For, if man know not these matters, how can he attain to true and lasting happiness? "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that seek after Him" (Heb. xi. 6).

2. Man needs to obtain pardon for his sins and shortcomings, for he is conscious that in thought, word and deed he has left undone what he ought to have