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should speak the horrible words forbidding association
with foreigners and referring to them as "unclean," the
stranger would be grieved and offended to such a point
that he would never accept the Faith, even if he should
see, taking place before his very eyes, the miracle of
the splitting of the moon. The results of shunning him
would be this, that if there had been in his heart some
faint inclination toward God, he would repent of it,
and would flee away from the sea of faith into the
wastes of oblivion and unbelief. And upon returning
home to his own country he would publish in the press
statements to the effect that such and such a nation
was utterly lacking in the qualifications of a civilized
people.
If we ponder a while over the Qur'ánic verses and
proofs, and the traditional accounts which have come
down to us from those stars of the heaven of Divine
Unity, the Holy Imáms, we shall be convinced of the
fact that if a soul is endowed with the attributes of true
faith and characterized with spiritual qualities he will
become to all mankind an emblem of the outstretched
mercies of God. For the attributes of the people of faith
are justice and fair-mindedness; forbearance and compassion
and generosity; consideration for others; candor,
trustworthiness, and loyalty; love and loving-kindness;
devotion and determination and humanity. If therefore
an individual is truly righteous, he will avail himself
of all those means which will attract the hearts of
men, and through the attributes of God he will draw
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