The Teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Unique Attributes

It is essential that one should firmly believe that there is an all-Powerful, all Sustaining Supreme Being, the Creator of everything, Changeless, Everlasting and Eternal. He does not beget, nor was He begotten. He is Holy, so that there is no need or occasion for Him to go on the Cross, or suffer in any way, or be subject to death. He is such that being far removed, He is still near; and being near, He is still far. Although He is One, and absolutely unique.(p. 1)

There is no God whatsoever except He, in heaven, nor on earth. Whosoever does not yield faith to Him, he remains deprived of the good, deprived of blessings, and deprived of succor. From our God we have received Revelation that shines like the sun. We have seen that He alone is the God of the whole world, and there is no other God. How powerful indeed is the God we have found, and how sustaining! And how great, how wonderful are the qualities of the God we have seen! The truth is that for Him there is nothing impossible, except what runs counter to His own Book and His own promise. (p. 11)

Manifestations of God

His manifestations are diverse and multifarious. Whenever there occurs in man a new change, for the changed man He becomes a new God, dealing with him on the basis of a fresh manifestation, the man witnessing a change in God in proportion to the change in himself - not that there occurs any change in God, He being Eternal, Changeless and most Perfect in Himself; but with every change in man for the better, God also reveals Himself to him in a fresh and clearer manifestation. With every progressive effort on the part of man God also shows Himself with higher and more powerful manifestation. He displays an extraordinary manifestation of His power and glory only, when man shows an extraordinary change in himself-this being the root and the bedrock basis of the marvels and miracles witnessed at the hands of all servants of God. Belief in this God, with these powers, is the foremost essential condition of our Movement. (Our Teachings pp 1–2)

Glad tidings, God Exists indeed

Lo and behold! With great joy I convey to you the glad tidings that your God does indeed really exist. Although all are His creatures, but He selects only those who select Him. He Himself comes to whosoever goes to Him. He bestows honour upon those who honour Him. After you have straightened your and purified your tongues and eyes and ears, you come to Him, and He shall accept you. (p .8)

Our God possesses great and wonderful powers Our God is a very loyal God, and for those who remain loyal to Him He shows wonderful works. The world wishes to tear them to pieces and to eat them up; and every enemy grinds his teeth on them; but He Who is their friend saves them from every danger, and brings them out triumphant on every field. How fortunate, then, is he who does not let go his hold of such a God? To Him we render our faith, and Him we have recognized. Of all the world He alone is the God Who has sent down His revelation on me; Who, for me, has shown powerful Who has sent me down as the Promised Messiah for this age. (p. 11)

Our Paradise indeed is God

How unfortunate, indeed, is the man who does not even know that he has a God with power over all things! Our Paradise, indeed, is our God: our highest enjoyment is in God, for we have seen Him and allfound in Him. This treasure is worth having, even if at the cost of one's life; and this is a jewel which should be purchased even if obtainable only by sacrificing one's entire being. O ye that are devoid, run to this spring, for it will slaken your thirst. It is the spring of life that shall save you. What am I to do, and how am I to impress this glad tiding upon your mind, with what drum should I go crying through the streets that This is your God, so that all should hear! And with what unguent am I to treat the people so that their ears open to hear! ….. Had you been aware of this treasure that God would suffice for all your needs, what reason was there for you to be so wholly absorbed in things of this world? God is a most precious treasure; realize its proper value. Without Him you are nothing; neither you nor your material means and plans. (p. 12)

Do not Worship Nature and Causes

It is God who controls material means as well. Only if you had the eyes to see, you would find there is only God and God alone, everything else being worthless. You can neither stretch out your arm nor fold it except with His permission. A person spiritually dead would laugh at this; but it would be better for him if he died before he indulged in this laughter. (p. 13)

Seek help from God

In everything you do, whether it pertains to things of this world or of the next, you should seek help and succor from God lone and this should remain the guiding principle of your life forever and ever. But this seeking of help should not be from your lips alone: it should be your conviction deep down to the bottom of your being that every blessing comes only from heaven. You shall be really righteous only when, at the time of every difficulty, before sitting down to make your plans, you close your door upon yourself, and fall down before the throne of God Almighty, crying for His grace and help and succor. Then the holy spirit will come to your help, and through unseen means a way shall be opened for you. (p. 13)

Jesus and Ahmadiyya Beliefs

Be perfectly sure that Jesus, son of Mary, is dead, his grave being in Kashmir, Srinagar, mohallah Khanyar. God has spoken of his death in the Holy Quran. It should also be borne in mind that I in no way seek to deny the eminence of Jesus. Though God has conveyed to me that the Muhammadi Messiah stands higher in rank than the Mosaic Messiah, I hold the Messiah, son of Mary, in great respect, since from the spiritual point of view I am the Khatamal Khulafa i[The Seal of the Caliphs] in Islam as Messiah, the son of Mary was Khatamal Khulafa in the Israelite chain. In the Mosaic dispensation the son of Mary was the Promised Messiah, while I am the Promised Messiah of the dispensation of Muhammad. I therefore hold him in great esteem whose name I bear: and whoever says that I do not respect him is a great liar and a mischief-maker. (p. 8)

The blood of Jesus cannot save you

In the wide world, is there any Atonement which can give you the power to avoid sin which man so much stands in need of? 0 ye Christians refrain from uttering a monstrous falsehood, even such as would fain break this to pieces! For deliverance, Jesus himself had to depend on perfect conviction. He believed with conviction, and was delivered. Woe, indeed, on those Christians who deceive the world by saying they have been delivered by the blood of Jesus Christ even when from head to foot they are drowned in evil. They do not even know who their God is. Their life is one of indulgence and ease; with the intoxication of wine in their head they remain unaware of the life with God; and for them there is no share in the fruits of life as lived in purity. (p. 23)

Who is accepted?

To show of grace is the eternal way of God. But you can partake of this blessing only when there remains no difference and no distance between Him and you; only when all your wishes, hopes and desires merge into His will; only when at all times; in success or failure, in hope or disappointment, you remain in humble prostration at His door, so that He should do with you what He will. If you act like this, in you would appear that God, Who for a long time has kept His face concealed from the world. Is there any among you, then, who would act upon this teaching, seeking only His pleasure, without the slightest sense of dissatisfaction against the way His will works? Even in distress you should put your best foot forward, for this is the secret of your success; and you should strive to the utmost of your power to spread the idea of His singleness and unity all over the earth.

And very clearly bear in mind that salvation is not something that you will experience in the life after death. The real and true salvation is only that which shows its light in this very life. Who is the saved? Only he who maintains a firm faith that the living God is a reality, and that Muhammad, peace and the blessings of God be upon him, is the Mediator between Him and mankind; that under the skies there is no one equal to him in rank and elevation: nor any book to rival the Holy Quran: that for no one else did God wish that he should live forever, but for this blessed Prophet . (p. 6)

Moral Teachings

Be kind and merciful to humanity, for all are His creatures: do not oppress them with your tongue, or hands, or in any other way. Always work for the good of mankind. Never unduly assert yourselves with pride over others, even those who are placed under you. Never use abusive language for anyone, even though he abuse you. Be humble in spirit, kind and gentle and forgiving, sympathetic towards all and wishing them well, so that you should be accepted. There are many who pretend to be kind, gentle and forgiving, but inside they are wolves; there are many on the outside who look pure, but in their they are serpents. You cannot be accepted in the presence of the Lord unless you are pure, both on the outside and inside……You cannot save yourselves with hypocrisy and pretense, because thy God Who is your Lord can see to the inner-most depths of your being. How, then, can you hope to deceive Him? Therefore, strengthen yourself and cleanse yourself to become pure and precious without a particle of dross anywhere in your being, for if there be any such, it will take away all your ……Leave off everything which fattens your vanity, for the door you have been invited to enter, is not one that would admit a fat person. How unfortunate is the man who fails to yield belief to things, coming from the mouth of God, which I have stated to you……He who breaks away from this world for His sake, shall find Him. With the deepest sincerity of, with a steadfast strength and become the friends of God, so that He too should become your friend. (p. 3)

Honour the Quran

Those who do honour to the Quran shall be honoured in heaven. For you another very essential teaching is this that you do not leave the Quran like a book that has been forsaken, since it is therein, and nowhere else, that your life lies. Those who do honour to this Book shall be honoured in heaven. Those who will hold the Quran superior to every tradition and every other saying shall be given preference in heaven. For mankind now, all over the surface of the earth there is no Book except the Quran. (p. 5)

Prescribed Injunctions

Offer your five daily obligatory prayers with such concentration and awe of mind as though you were seeing God in front of you, with your physical eyes. Observe the days of fasting for the sake of God in full sincerity. All among you who are liable for Zakat should never fail to discharge this important obligation; and those on whom the pilgrimage to Mecca has become obligatory, without any obstacles standing in the way, should duly undertake that blessed journey. Do all good deeds with the proper care they deserve, forsaking evil from a real repulsion rising in the heart. Be very, very sure that no action, whatsoever, can take you to God if it is devoid of righteousness of the heart. The root of everything good is Taqwah, (fear of God) in whatever action this root is not lost, that action will never be devoid or futile. (p. 7)

Quran the absolute source of Guidance

I hold very firmly that for your guidance God has provided three things. The foremost among these is the Quran, which sets forth the unity of God, His grandeur and greatness, and decides all points in dispute between the Jews and the Christians. Further, the Quran forbids that you worship anything other than God – neither man, nor beast, the sun nor the moon, nor any other heavenly body, nor material means, nor your own selves. Therefore, beware. Do not take a single step in contravention of anything contained in this book. Verily, I tell you truly that whosoever evades even the least of the seven hundred commandments embodied in the Holy Quran, he slams the door of salvation upon himself…..The Quran, is the fountainhead for your salvation, for all betterment and success. There is not even a single spiritual need which has not been met for you in this Holy Book. The supporter or falsifier of your Faith on the Day of judgment would be the Holy Quran; and apart from this Book there is no other under the heavens which can provide you with direct guidance. (p. 17)

Trials and Tribulations

It is necessary too, that you be tried by being thrown into diverse griefs and distresses, even as those before you were tried. Be, therefore, forewarned lest you stumble when the time came. The earth, with everything in it, can inflict no injury on you, provided your contact with heaven is firm. Whenever any injury comes to you, it will come only from your own hands. If all your honour on this earth is lost to you, God will give you an honour in heaven that shall never wane. Therefore, do not leave Him, whatever you may have to go through. You are bound to be persecuted in diverse ways, and many of your hopes will be denied to you, but in such cases you should not grieve, for the Lord your God shall put you through trials, to test whether or not you remain firm. If you desire that the angels in heaven should sing your praises, then take the beating many people shall give you, and rejoice; hear abuse and give thanks to the Lord; experience disappointments but do not break away from Him. You are the last people of God. Practise the good to an extent where it reaches its highest perfection. Everyone among you who relaxes and becomes lazy, shall be thrown out of the community, as a dirty thing is discarded and thrown out. He shall die with regret in his, and he will not be able to injure God in any way. (p. 8)

Muhammad

For the sons of man there is no Messenger and no Mediator except Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of God be upon him. So strive that you cherish the purest love for this Prophet of power and glory, giving no one else any kind of preference over him, so that you be put down in heaven as those who have been saved. … In point of belief, all that God desires from you is just this that you hold God is One, and that Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of God be upon him, is His Prophet, Khatam-alAnbiya the greatest of them all. After him there is to be no other Prophet except one who should be given the mantle of Muhammadiyyat as a burooz, since the servant is not separate from his master, nor a branch different from its root. (p. 8)

Second Instrument for Guidance- Sunnah

The second instrument for guidance vouchsafed to the Muslims is the Sunnah, i.e., the measures adopted by the Holy Prophet with a view to the exposition of the Holy Quran and its being put into actual tangible practice.

Hadith is different from Sunnah

No one should fall into the error that the Hadith and Sunnah are one and the same thing for what is called the Hadith came to be collected a hundred and fifty years afterwards, while the Sunnah existed from the very outset side by side with the Holy Quran. (p. 19)

Islam had established itself upon the earth long before the Hadith came to be collected. Did not the people offer their prayers at the time when the Hadith had not yet been collected? Did they not pay the Zakat. or perform the HaJj'? Or, were they ignorant as to what was permissible, for them and what was not? (p. 19)

The Sunnah is not a name for the things which came to be written and collected a hundred or a hundred and fifty years afterwards. These are called the Hadith. The Sunnah, on the other hand, is the practical example that has, from the very earliest beginning, existed, all along, in the practical actions of the Muslims, their number extending to thousands at the most conservative estimate. (p. 20)

Hadith is NOT a Judge on the Quran

….the third means of guidance is the Hadith, because many points in regard to history, ethics and jurisprudence are to be found explained fully in it; and the great utility of the Hadith lies in the fact that it is a servant of the Quran and the Sunnah. Some people, who are ignorant as to the real position of the Holy Quran, here assign to Hadith the position of a judge on the Quran, as did the Jews in regard to some of their traditions….The Holy Book is the Word of God, while the Sunnah is the act of the Holy Prophet, the Hadith being a supporting witness for the Sunnah. It is 'wrong to say (God forbid) that the Hadith is a judge on the Holy Quran. If there is any judge on the Holy Quran, it is the Holy Book itself. The Hadith, which in any case has an element of speculation in it, cannot be given a superior position, being no more than a supporting argument. The Quran and the Sunnah have done all the real work, the Hadith doing no more than supplying some additional verification. (p. 20)

When to accept a Hadith

If a Hadith falls counter to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, and counter to other Ahadith which are in accord with the Holy Book, or it stands in opposition to the Saheeh Bokharee, it should not be acceptable; for acceptance thereof would imply rejection of the Holy Quran, and of all those Ahadith which stand in accord with the Holy Book. (p. 21) If there is a Hadith which stands in contradiction of what has been stated in the Quran, you should exercise your mind to reconcile it in interpretation: but where no such reconciliation is possible, the Hadith should be rejected and thrown aside, since it cannot be taken to have come from the Holy Prophet. (p. 21)

Hadith containing Prophecies

The number of Ahadith containing prophecies runs into hundreds, and most of these by the Mohadditheen have been held to be fabricated or defective. Therefore, when one of these is fulfilled and you try to avoid the point, saying that you could not accept it since it was weak, or since this or that narrator in the link through which it had come was not a righteous man, then such a rejection on your part would be due to your faithlessness, for you would be rejecting a Hadith of which the reliability had been established by God, even to the extent of fulfillment of the prophecy contained in it. (p. 22)

Sects and Differences based in Ahadith

However, great care is needed on this point, for it is a fact that there exist a large number of fabricated Ahadith which have caused a great deal of disruption in Islam. All the conflicting sects take their stand on this or that Hadith, as suits their needs, so that even such a clear and well established question as of the prescribed obligatory prayers has given rise to extreme differences of view….The real cause of all these differences lies in the Ahadith: (p. 22 )

Promised Messiah

He (God) did so wish: that to keep him (Prophet Muhammad) alive forever He laid the foundation for continuing the benefit of his Shariah and his spiritual blessings to the day of Resurrection. And at long last, from the flow of his spiritual benefits for mankind, he sent the Promised Messiah to this world whose advent was indispensable for the completion of the structure of Islam. For it was necessary that this world should not come to an end before the Movement of Muhammad was given the colour of a spiritual Messiah, the same as was given to the Movement of Moses. ……Now the Movement of Muhammad stands in the place of the Movement of Moses, but such that in grandeur, the like of Moses, exceeds him a thousand times, while the like of the Messiah in the Movement of Muhammad excels Jesus by a thousand measures. And not only did the Promised Messiah of the Muhammadi Movement came, in terms of time, exactly in the fourteenth century after the Holy Prophet, as Jesus had appeared fourteen centuries after Moses, he also came at a time when the condition of the Muslims of the day was identical with the Jews of the time of Jesus. Therefore, I am that Promised Messiah, and no one else. Whoever enters into sincere baiat (Bay'ah (Ahmadiyya)) with me and becomes my follower from the bottom of his heart, as to be engrossed in his obedience to me as to forsake all his own personal aims and intentions, he alone is the one for whom in these days of great distress my soul shall desire to intercede. (p. 6)

The door to Revelation is open

Do not think that the Revelation from God is not possible in the future; that it was possible only in the past: do not think that the holy spirit cannot come down now. I tell you truly that every door can be closed but the door for the coming down of the holy spirit. Open all the doors of your heart to receive it. With your own hands you remove yourself to a distance from that sun when yourself you close the window through which light can enter. Therefore, get up at once and throw this window open, so the light of the sun should, of its own accord, enter your heart with the simplicity and inevitability of a natural process. When God has not closed the doors of His blessings upon the world, when in fact He has multiplied them even more than before, do you venture to presume that he has closed upon you the doors of His spiritual blessings, even at a time when they were needed most? No, no; not at all. Rather has that door been opened beyond any possible shadow of doubt. (p. 16) God will not keep you deprived of the blessing of Revelation, and of the tangible forms of communion generally spoken of as mokalamat and mokhatbat (Divine Converse). He will consummate all those blessings on you which He ever bestowed on others…..The Quran can make you like the Prophets, provided you do not try yourself to run away from it. (p. 18)

Create a thirst

Create a thirst for this spring, and then, of itself, the water will begin to gush out. For this milk cry like a child, so that it should well up in the breast. Begin to deserve mercy, so that you should be shown mercy. Show anxiety and deep concern, so that your minds should be set at rest. Cry out with pain, again and again, so that a hand should stretch itself and take hold of you. Indeed, how terribly difficult is the way which is the way of the Lord! But, verily, it is made easy for those who jump into the abyss, resolutely determined to face destruction and death. Blessed are they who for the sake of the Lord wage a war against their own selves; while truly ill-starred are they who for the sake of their baser-selves wage a war against the Lord, and refuse to mould themselves in obedience to His will. Whosoever, for the sake of his own self, evades a commandment of God, he will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Strive therefore to the utmost that not a jot or syllable of the Holy Quran should bear witness against you, and cause you to be apprehended on that account. For, indeed, even a single grain of evil is punishable. The time is very short, the mission of your life not yet fulfilled. Walk with speed, for the evening draws nigh. (p. 16)

Deliverance from sin lies in attaining perfect Certainty

o ye who seek the Lord, open your ears and listen! Take heed that there is nothing like perfect conviction which delivers you from sin; conviction gives you the power to do good; and conviction alone can turn you into a lover of God. Can you turn away from evil without perfect conviction? Can you hold your base impulses in check, without the help of a sure light? Without this perfect conviction, can anyone bring about any real change in himself? Can you attain to any state of satisfaction and peace of mind without this perfect certainty? Can you at all win any real prosperity without it? (p. 23)

Always remember, therefore, that you cannot come out of the darkness without firm conviction, nor can you get the holy spirit. Blessed are they who have this conviction, and blessed are they who have been delivered from uncertainties and doubts, for they alone shall be delivered of sin; and blessed will you be when this great treasure of firm conviction is given to you, since on that day sin for you will come to an end. Sin and conviction cannot exist together. Would you ever knowingly put your hand into a hole which you see is occupied by a poisonous snake? (p. 23)

o ye people who have been called to righteousness and truth, rest fully assured that Divine attraction will take its birth in you, and you will be washed clean of the ugly blot of sin, only when your hearts become brimful of firm conviction. (p. 24) Man is freed from sin only when he comes to know of the power of God, and of Divine retribution, on the basis of a firm conviction. Ignorance is the root of every fearlessness, and no one will be found devoid of the fear of God even to the least extent who partakes of Divine knowledge.(p. 26)

The Way to Perfect Certainty

The real and true philosophy is the only one which God has given to you in His Holy Book. In imminent danger of destruction are the people who have become enamoured of these" material philosophies; and successful are they, who, for real knowledge and philosophy, go to the Holy Book. Why do you take to the paths of ignorance? Do you run after those who are blind, in the hope that they would show you the way? O you ignorant people! How can a person" show you the way who is himself blind. The truth is that the true philosophy can be obtained only through the holy spirit. Through this spirit you will reach those sciences which are not accessible to others. If you ask for it with sincerity, you will get it at last, and then you will find that this is the only knowledge that imparts freshness and life to the heart, and places it on a firm tower of perfect certainty.(p. 13)

Purity is through conviction

Everyone who is purified, is purified through firmness of conviction. It is conviction which gives you the strength to bear hardships, even to the extent of persuading a king to abdicate his royal throne and take to the life of a mendicant. Conviction dissolves all difficulties. Conviction enables a man to see God. All ideas of any atoning sacrifice are false, for every kind of purity comes only from firm conviction.(p. 25)

Purity comes through Prayers

The way to attain purity is prayer offered in true humility of spirit, but the most important question is how to win the blessings. To this question God Himself has given the answer. He says: “Seek help from God with prayer and perseverance.” What is salat? It is a prayer addressed to God in true humility of spirit and the fullest awareness of His purity, His praiseworthiness, His holiness, coupled with a burning desire on the part of the devotee for Divine forgiveness, and for blessing on the Holy Prophet. (p. 26)

Acceptance of Prayers

Therefore, when you pray to Him, you should not be like those ignorant naturalists who have formed a natural law of their own which does not bear the stamp of God, for they are the rejected ones whose prayers will never be accepted. They are blind, not gifted with vision; they are dead, not alive. They put before God a law shaped by themselves, and they put limitations of their own on His powers, holding Him weak and helpless beyond those limitations. Naturally, they would be dealt with in the light of their own condition. But when thou standest up for prayer, it is incumbent on thee to hold that thy God has power over all things. Only then shall thy prayer be accepted, and thou shalt witness those marvels of the power of thy God which we have witnessed. And remember, our witness is not on the basis of hearsay; it is on the basis of things we have seen ourselves. How can the prayers of one be accepted who does not hold that God has power over all things? And how can such a person in himself have the courage to pray to God over matter where the desired remedy or change would involve an infringement of the laws of nature as he understands them. But O thou good person, thy God is He, Who, without any pillars underneath, has hung up the countless stars in space; and Who created the earth and the heavens absolutely from naught. Dost thou hold that in regard to thy need He will prove to be helpless? The fact is that thy own misconception will keep thee deprived of blessing. There are innumerable wonderful things in Our God, but these are .witnessed only by those who become His in all sincerity and faithfulness. He does not reveal those wonders to those who do not have faith in His powers, and who are not faithful and true. (p. 12)

The Leprosy of Materialism in Modern Days

Do not follow in the footsteps of other nations which have come to depend wholly on material means. As a snake eats earth, they subsist on the basis of the lower and inferior material means. Like vultures and dogs eating carrion, they too have sunk their teeth in a carcass. Indeed, they have drifted very far from God, having taken to the worship of human beings, the eating of swine's flesh, and the free use of wine as if it were harmless like water. Since they depend too much on material means, and seek no help from God they are dead and the heavenly spirit has flown out of them as a dove flies away from its nest. The leprosy of the worship of Mammon has taken a hold on the inside of their hearts and cut to pieces the organs of their inner spiritual life. Beware ye of this leprosy. (p. 13)

The False notions of blood thirsty Mahdi

The mission you (Muslim clergy) assign to this advent, (of the Messiah) namely, that he would join force with the Mahdi, to make war on all in order forcibly to convert them to Islam, is a belief which brings disgrace to Islam. Where at all is it written in the Quran that war is permissible for the sake of spreading one's religion by force? On the contrary we find Allah saying in the Holy Book: “There is no compulsion in matters connected with religion”. (p. 29)

There is no compulsion in matters connected with religion. Then where from would the Messiah, son of Mary, get the right to use force for converting people to Islam? The entire Quran is replete to the effect that there can be no coercion in religion. (p. 29)

Why the Holy Prophet took up the Sword

When the Holy Prophet took up the sword, he did not do so to spread Islam by this means, but: (i) as a due punishment for those who had killed a large number of Muslims, and had driven out many others from their homes. We read in the Holy Book: "Permission has been given to those who fight because they had been oppressed, and Allah indeed has the power to help them (in spite of the odds against them)".

(ii) Or these wars were defensive, fought against people who were leaving no stone unturned to extirpate Islam and to stop its propagation by force of arms.

(iii) Or they were fought to assert legitimate freedoms.

Apart from campaigns undertaken for these three aims, the Holy Prophet and his blessed Khalifas fought no war, whatsoever. In fact, before taking up arms in self-defense Islam bore oppression with silent fortitude to an extent of which there is no example in the history, of other peoples. Then what kind of a Messiah and Mahdi would these be who would embark on their mission by putting their opponents to the sword right from the start. (p. 29)

Refrain from Intoxicants

Leave all intoxicants. Wines, and beers, and whiskies, and the like, are not the only harmful drinks. Opium ganja, charas, bhang, taree, and all other intoxicants, the use of which, with you becomes a matter of habit, have all a deadly effect on the brain, and in the end prove fatal. You should keep away from all such things. In fact we cannot understand at all how and why you take to the use of things which, in front of your own eyes, every year prove to be undoing of thousands of people and bring about their death, while the punishment to come in the world hereafter is something quite apart, over and above the disadvantages which go with these things here. Become righteous and God-fearing, so that you should live longer lives, and be blessed by God. (p. 27)

[Note: page numbers refer to the English translation of 'The Teachings']