Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira (1875-1957)
On Sunday, 12 October 1924, English converts to Islam in London were invited for tea at 4:30 pm. The purpose of this gathering was to openly convey the message of the Promised Messiahas to them. Precisely at 4:30 pm, these newly converted brothers and sisters began arriving, and by 5 pm, a significant gathering had formed.
When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] arrived, everyone warmly and respectfully welcomed him, and one by one engaged in discussions with him. After tea, Brother Nayyar[ra] announced that since everyone had finished their tea, it was time to present the spiritual and eternal nourishment for which they had been invited. This spiritual session commenced with a recitation of the Holy Quran. Nayyar Sahib’s[ra] speech, as usual, was full of fervour. Following his brief introductory address, Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib[ra] recited verses from [the 3rd] ruku‘ of Surah Bani Isra’il, [beginning with] Wa Qadha Rabbuka. The recitation had a particularly profound impact [on the audience].
After this, Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan[ra] delivered the Huzoor’s[ra] message. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud[ra] had started writing this message after completing the Zuhr and Asr prayers at 3:45 pm. Chaudhry Sahib[ra], as usual, simultaneously translated it, and the work was completed within the designated time. It is a special blessing of God Almighty upon Chaudhry Sahib[ra] that he translates with great speed, eloquence, and clarity, and moreover, he also serves as an excellent interpreter.
Following the message, a question-and-answer session began. The questions were of considerable importance. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] provided answers and Chaudhry Sahib[ra] translated them immediately, with remarkable swiftness and accuracy, leaving [observers] astonished. This session was a visible manifestation of divine assistance.
I will present the details of the message in the following, while the questions and answers will be provided separately.
This gathering continued until 8 pm, and many of the converts stayed for dinner. Professor Leon (Mr Quilliam) attended with his wife and greatly enjoyed the gathering. As usual, the women also asked various questions. One woman was particularly opposed to marriage, considering it unnecessary. Huzoor[ra] explained to her that God created humans for a specific purpose and desires the continuation of the human race, for which marriage serves as a means. Those who oppose it oppose God and disregard the powers He has granted. If everyone were to think similarly, the consequences would be dire. After an extended discussion, the woman acknowledged that the issue was worth considering and promised to reflect upon it.
The attendees received spiritual guidance from the Khalifatul Masih for a long time. Among them was an African Christian woman who expressed her inclination toward Islam, stating she was waiting for the right time. May Allah grant her the strength to make this decision. She is a respectable lady and a mother.
The message delivered to the new converts was as follows:
The message of Hazrat Ahmadas
I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
We praise Him and send salutations upon His Noble Messengersa.
By the grace and mercy of God.
He is the Helper.
Brothers and Sisters! Peace be upon you.
Today, I [Hazrat Khalifatul Masihra] have invited you here for two reasons. Firstly, as my companions and I are departing in a few days, I wanted to meet you all once more. Secondly, I have called you for another important and significant purpose, which, I must admit, may cause discomfort to some of you. However, I believe that conveying this message is a duty obligated upon me by God Almighty, and I cannot abstain from it. I hope you will reflect on it with an open mind.
You are aware that the Community I presently lead is identified by a distinct name and is administratively separate from other groups that claim affiliation with Islam. What is the cause of this distinction and separation? Is it due to a difference in belief? Or perhaps a variance in the details of worship? No, not at all.
If this difference were merely a matter of interpretation, I would never have been willing to work under a separate name. In my view, the unity of the Community takes precedence over all ijtihad [independent reasoning and judgements]. Every ijtihad, no matter how great, is worth sacrificing for the sake of unity. Therefore, this difference is not rooted in any ijtihadi issue.
The cause of this difference lies in the claim made by the Founderas of the Ahmadiyya Community. He asserted that, because Muslims had become utterly distant from God due to their beliefs and practices, God, in accordance with His past practice, sent him as a Prophet to re-establish the true Islam and instil the genuine spirit of faith in people’s hearts, without which no religious progress is possible.
Since he was a Prophet and was divinely appointed, it was essential that a new Community be established through him, just as new communities have always been formed in the times of Prophets. Thus, in this era, God has made the progress of Islam contingent upon attachment to the Promised Messiahas, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Community. Without this Community, there is no hope for Islam to thrive.
Human intellect can only consider events for which there are visible reasons. However, God Almighty knows the unseen, beyond the reach of human understanding. Therefore, the true decision is the one God makes, and that decision is what I have stated above.
Brothers and Sisters!
You have left the religion of your forefathers to embrace a new faith. Your sacrifice is commendable, but do you truly understand what Islam is? Islam means complete submission, and until a person fully surrenders to the will of God Almighty, they may be a Muslim in name but not in reality. Does a name hold any value compared to reality? A name alone brings no benefit unless it is accompanied by the reality it signifies.
Therefore, since it is God’s will that Islam’s victory and dominance in this era should occur through those associated with Islam Ahmadiyyat, if our claim is true that we have surrendered everything to Him, it is our duty to respond to the call of God that has been raised in this age.
All Prophets and all divine laws are honoured only because they come from the One who never errs. If responding to Noah’sas call was essential in his time, it was solely because he spoke on behalf of Allah the Almighty. If responding to Abraham’sas call was necessary in his era, it was solely because he also spoke on behalf of God Almighty. Similarly, in the times of Mosesas, Jesusas, and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, responding to their call was imperative solely because they spoke under the command of God Almighty.
Otherwise, these individuals were human beings like us. If the voice of God had not supported them, they would not have held any rank. Thus, the true voice is that of Allah the Almighty. Regardless of the mouth it emerges from, accepting it is obligatory. Neglecting this voice will never lead to spiritual progress.
Now that God has spoken through the Promised Messiahas, it is incumbent upon each of us to pay heed to His voice and not prioritise our own will over His.
Brothers and Sisters!
You have taken one step forward for the sake of God’s pleasure. But if you come to know that His pleasure can only be attained by taking another step, will you not take it? Will you stop at this and say, “We have done all that was required of us”? Undoubtedly, you have the right to critically assess whether the claimant’s assertions are truthful or not. If he is proven false, treat him as a liar; if he is proven insane, treat him as you would an insane person. But you cannot state that even if he is truthful, there is no need to accept him.
[God’s] sending of a Prophet without any new law does not absolve us from the responsibility of accepting him. Joshuaas, Davidas, Solomonas, Johnas, and Jesusas were sent without new laws, yet Allah the Almighty made belief in them mandatory.
The truth is that Prophets are not sent solely to proclaim new divine laws. Often, they are sent to inspire a new spiritual life. Thus, it becomes necessary for people to establish a connection with them. God Almighty ties His pleasure to fostering a relationship with such prophets so that people are compelled to support them, thereby creating the unity and spirit for which they were sent.
There is no doubt that differences are unpleasant. But has there ever been a Prophet whose coming did not, apparently, cause differences? Did differences not arise during the time of Jesusas? Did they not arise during the time of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa? Yet, despite this, did God not compel these Prophets to proclaim their missions?
In this world, we trust a doctor to perform surgery on our bodies if necessary, believing that our health depends on it. Yet it is astonishing that we hesitate to place the same trust in God Almighty, objecting to His decisions and questioning why He creates situations that seem to foster differences.
In reality, God does not create differences through His Prophets; rather, He exposes the existing differences. Prophets are like the sun – just as sunlight reveals the true colours of objects, Prophets unveil the conditions of hearts. Can anyone argue that the sun is harmful simply because its light ends the appearance of uniformity and makes the diversity of colours visible, or because it reveals dirt and stains?
If no objection can be raised against the rising of the sun because it does not create differences but rather reveals them and draws attention to resolving them, then the same applies to the Prophets. Throughout history, whenever Prophets have appeared; differences initially arose during their time. Yet, it is through them that unity was ultimately achieved. Had they not come, even that unity would never have been realised.
Therefore, dear ones, if the truth of a claimant becomes evident, one should not remain hesitant during their time due to doubts of this nature. Do you not witness what God has accomplished through the Promised Messiahas?
It is said that Muslims number over 200 million [in 1924], yet is it not remarkable that these 200 million have not been granted the ability to serve Islam in the way that the humble Community established by the Promised Messiahas has? This fact is clear proof that Islam’s future is tied to the Promised Messiahas.
Every individual who has affection for Islam must join his Community and fulfil the responsibility that God Almighty has placed on all human beings. Undoubtedly, there will be hardships and ridicule to endure, but in every era, these challenges have been essential for attaining nearness to God, and you cannot escape them.
In the face of the sacrifices required to accept the truth, one must not forget the grand outcomes that will follow these sacrifices. Even if there were no apparent results, is it not our duty to prove the sincerity of our words and beliefs through our actions?
O dear ones!
I have conveyed the message of God to you, and now I am absolved of my responsibility before Him. When I complete my worldly life and stand before the Throne of God Almighty, I will say, “O my Lord, I delivered Your message in clear terms. Making them believe in it was beyond my power.”
For those among you who have yet to recognise the truth of the Promised Messiahas, I direct you to the method of investigation proposed by the Promised Messiahas himself. That method is to pray to God persistently for several days before sleeping, saying:
“O God, if this person is truthful, then reveal his truth to me.”
If you do this sincerely, God Almighty will surely unveil the truth of the Promised Messiahas to your hearts, for He does not desire to mislead His servants but wishes to guide them. And what decision could be better than God’s?
O beloveds!
I conclude this message with the prayer that Allah the Almighty opens your hearts and grants you the strength to accept the truth, so that your efforts are not in vain. May it not happen that, on one hand, you sever ties with your loved ones for the sake of religion, and on the other, you fail to establish a relationship with Allah the Almighty. O God! Amin.
O Allah, grant understanding and the ability to follow Your will to those present here today, as well as to those spread across the four corners of the world, who are also Your creation just as we are. You are the Merciful and Compassionate. Amin.
Questions and Answers
As mentioned above, after the message was read out, a question-and-answer session began. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] responded to the questions in Urdu, and Chaudhry Zafrulla Khan[ra] simultaneously translated his answers into English, acting as the interpreter. […]
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu, published in the 18 November 1924 issue of Al Fazl)