Friday Sermon
3 February 2023
The Promised Messiahas: Preeminent guidance, endless benefits and virtues of the Holy Quran
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
Mentioning the blessings of the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas states at one place, “The door to its blessings will always remain open and it will remain illumined and manifest just as it was at the time of the Holy Prophetsa.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, p. 57)
The Promised Messiahas states in another place, “It is true that most Muslims have abandoned the Holy Quran. Despite this, the spiritual radiance, blessings and impact of the Holy Quran are ever-living and can be witnessed in every era. Thus, I have been sent in this era as a proof of this. Allah the Almighty has always sent His people in His support at the right time, as He has promised:
اِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّکۡرَ وَاِنَّا لَہٗ لَحٰفِظُوۡنَ
‘Verily, We Ourselves have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.’ (15:10)” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 8, pp. 116-117)
In this day and age, Allah the Almighty has sent the true servant of the Holy Prophetsa for the propagation of the Holy Quran and in order to safeguard it. Allah the Almighty taught the Promised Messiahas those verities which were hidden from people and through him established a fountain of the Quran’s blessings. The Promised Messiahas came in order to establish the sovereignty of the Holy Quran in the world; however, it is most unfortunate that the so-called scholars made it their sole objective to oppose him from the very outset [of his claim]. They simply do not wish to listen to any argument or rational point and seek to misguide the masses. They are not only bereft of knowledge and wisdom, but they also place hurdles for the one who has been sent by God Almighty to teach people these truths and they consider this to be a service to the Holy Quran on their part. In Pakistan, every so often, these scholars become riled up and in order to attain cheap publicity, politicians and government officials also join in with them and perpetrate cruelties against Ahmadis through various pretexts. Recently, these people have been trying to level false accusations against Ahmadis of interpolating and disrespecting the Holy Quran. May Allah the Almighty protect us from their evil ploys and swiftly provide the means of release for those Ahmadis whom they have imprisoned under these false and unjust charges.
Nevertheless, as I mentioned, in this era, it is only through the light of the teachings of the Promised Messiahas that one is able to acquire the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Quran and it is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community alone that is carrying out this task across the world. Today, I will mention the insights and verities that the Promised Messiahas has given us in his sayings and writings in relation to the grandeur, importance, rank and status of the Holy Qur’an. With regards to the Holy Quran being a complete and perfect teaching, the Promised Messiahas stated on one occasion:
“It is my belief that the Holy Quran is perfect in its teaching and that there is no verity that has been left out of it, as Allah, the Glorious, has said:
وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡکَ الۡکِتٰبَ تِبۡيَانًا لِّکُلِّ شَيۡءٍ
That is, ‘We have sent down to thee the Book which is an exposition of everything.’ (16:90) And has also stated:
مَا فَرَّطۡنَا فِي الۡکِتٰبِ مِنۡ شَيۡءٍ
That is, ‘We have not left out anything from the Book.’ (6:39)
But along with this, I also believe that it is not within the grasp of every maulavi and scholar to be able to interpret and derive insight on religious matters from the Holy Quran and to expound upon its meanings in accordance with the Divine will.”
Not everyone has been given the ability to be able to expound upon its meanings and to offer their commentary on it, nor to delve deep to find and procure its pearls of knowledge and understanding.
In fact, the Promised Messiahas states:
“This is the task, particularly for those who have been helped with Divine revelation by way of Prophethood or have attained a lofty rank amongst the saints. For those who are unable to derive the subtle and intricate meanings of the Holy Quran owing to the fact that they are not recipients of Divine revelation, it behoves them, that without attempting to extract the verities of the Quran and interpret them themselves, they should wholeheartedly accept all those practices that have been handed down by generations and are well-established [among the Ummah].”
There are many commentators of the Holy Quran, to whom Allah the Almighty has not given any skill, any knowledge, or any understanding. Instead of presenting wrong interpretations, they should give precedence to and act upon those early commentators of the past, who were filled with piety and treaded the path of righteousness, and who were the Imams and have written various commentaries. And they should try and act upon the basic teachings of the Holy Quran.
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“Those who are illumined with the divine revelation are included among the purified. Regarding them, it is the way of Allah that, from time to time, He discloses to them the hidden intricacies of the Holy Quran.”
Meaning Allah the Almighty reveals the deep knowledge of the Holy Quran to His chosen servants.
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“And He makes it clear to them that the Holy Prophetsa has not put forth any extra teaching of his own.”
Some people claim that in some ahadith, such and such a statement is found, however, when Allah the Almighty bestows knowledge and understanding of the Holy Quran, it is understood that the Holy Prophetsa has not stated anything outside of the confines of the Holy Quran.”
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Rather, the authentic Ahadith only set forth the details of the principles and directives contained in the Holy Quran. By being vouchsafed this insight, the miracle of the Holy Quran is manifested to them.”
There are certain points mentioned in the Ahadith through which details and commentary of some verses [of the Quran] are found, and the understanding of the Holy Quran further opens upon such people. The Promised Messiahas states:
“And the truth of those verses becomes clear to them, in which Allah, the Glorious, says that nothing has been left out of the Holy Quran.” (Al-Haqq Mubahatha Ludhiana, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 4, pp. 80-81)
In this age, to bestow knowledge and understanding of the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has sent the Promised Messiahas. Furthermore, while explaining the point that the primary means of achieving guidance is the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas explains:
“It is my belief that there are three components, which God has bestowed on you for your guidance. First and foremost is the Quran, which elaborates on the Oneness, Glory and Greatness of God and resolves disputes between the Jews and Christians. For example, it settles the difference and misconception of whether or not Jesus, son of Mary, died an accursed death on the cross, and whether he was ever spiritually exalted thereafter, as all other Prophets were. (The Jews claim that Allah the Almighty did grant Jesusas with His nearness). Further, the Quran forbids the worship of anything besides God (firstly, the Quran rejects this allegation against Jesusas and declares it to be completely false and secondly it has forbidden to worship anyone or anything besides Allah) – whether man, beast, moon, sun, star, material provisions or one’s own ego. (In other words, the Holy Quran has forbidden one from all forms of idolatry and has greatly emphasised this point). So, beware and do not take a single step contrary to the teaching of God and the guidance of the Quran. I tell you truly that anyone who disregards even a small injunction of the seven hundred commandments of the Quran, shuts the door of salvation upon himself. The ways of true and perfect salvation have been opened by the Quran and all else is its reflection. Therefore, study the Quran with deep contemplation and hold it very dear. Love it more than anything else. God has said to me (Allah the Almighty revealed to the Promised Messiahas:
الخير کلّہ في القرآن
Meaning, all good is contained in the Quran. This is the truth. Pity those who favour anything besides it. The fountainhead of all your prosperity and salvation lies in the Quran. There is no religious need of yours that is not fulfilled by it. On the Day of Judgement, the Quran will confirm or deny your faith. There is no other book beneath heaven besides the Quran, which can directly guide you.”
It is only the Quran that grants a person direct guidance without the aid of anything else. Thus, it is imperative to follow the teachings of the Holy Quran in order to attain guidance. A person who presents such teachings and beliefs and also exhorts his followers to do the same, can he be guilty of then altering the Holy Quran in any way? Such people [who level these accusations] should act with wisdom.
[The Promised Messiahas continues:]
“God has been most beneficent towards you in that He has bestowed upon you a book like the Quran. I tell you truly that if the book that has been recited to you had been recited to the Christians, they would not have perished. If this favour and guidance which has been bestowed upon you had been granted to the Jews in place of the Torah, some of their sects would not have denied the Day of Judgement. Therefore, appreciate this favour that has been bestowed upon you. It is a most precious favour; it is a great wealth. If the Quran had not been revealed, the whole world would have been nothing more than a filthy, half-formed lump of flesh. (like a clot of blood). The Quran is a book, in contrast with which, all other guidance amounts to nothing. The Gospel was revealed by the Holy Spirit – who appeared in the form of a pigeon – a creature so weak and frail that it is preyed on by cats. (It is claimed that the angel Gabriel appeared to Jesusas in the form of a pigeon and this is an extremely weak bird). Thus, the Christians, day by day, sank into a pit of weakness until no trace of spirituality could be found in them.”
Now the statistics show that the majority of Christians are rejecting Christianity and abandoning it, due to the fact that they attain no spirituality therein. Unfortunately, despite having the Holy Quran, the Muslims are not acting upon it and therefore are not benefiting from its spiritual effect. Furthermore, they are rejecting the one whom Allah the Almighty sent to spread knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Quran.
The Promised Messiahas continues:
“The entire foundation of their faith rests on a pigeon. In contrast, the Holy Spirit of the Quran appeared in such a magnificent form that it filled the entire earth and heaven with its being. How can the pigeon compare with this grand manifestation mentioned in the Holy Quran? The Quran can purify a person within a week as long as it is followed in letter and spirit. The Quran can make you like the Prophets, so long as you do not flee from it yourself.”
In other words, if one were to truly act upon the teachings of the Holy Quran and adhere to all its commandments, then one could be imbued with the hue of Prophets. This is the highest rank one can attain through the blessings of the Holy Quran.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Which other scripture, besides the Quran, gives hope to its readers from the very outset and teaches the prayer:
اِہۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَ ۙ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ
That is, Guide us on the path of those blessings, which the people of the past were guided on: the Prophets, the Messengers, the Truthful [Siddeeqeen], the Martyrs [Shuhadaa] and the Righteous [Saaliheen]. So take courage and do not reject the invitation of the Quran, for it desires to bestow upon you such blessings as were given to those before.” (Noah’s Ark, pp. 42-44)
Similarly, the Promised Messiahas mentions that the second means of guidance after the Holy Quran is the sunnah [practice] of the Holy Prophetsa, and the third means are the ahadith, for they came after a period of many years, rather, after over a hundred years, providing these ahadith are not in contradiction to the Quran and sunnah.
Whilst advising to honour the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas mentioned that those who honour the Quran will be honoured in heaven. Explaining this, the Promised Messiahas states:
“An essential teaching for you is that you should not abandon the Holy Quran like a thing forsaken, for therein lies your life. Those who honour the Quran will be honoured in heaven. (Do not become completely averse to the Holy Quran; do not abandon it so as to not act upon it at all. Recite it regularly and act upon its guidance because those who honour the Quran will be honoured in heaven). Those who give precedence to the Quran over every Hadith and every other saying will be given precedence in heaven. Today, there is no book on the face of the earth for mankind except for the Quran. The sons of Adam have no Messenger and Intercessor but Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Endeavour, therefore, to cultivate true love for this Prophet of glory and majesty, and do not give precedence to anyone over him, so that in heaven you may be counted as those who have attained salvation. Remember, salvation is not something that will be manifested after death. On the contrary, true salvation exhibits its light in this very world.”
Some people are so firm in their faith that the light of salvation manifests to them in this very life and, in turn, they are ready to face all forms of cruelty. A very recent example of this is found in the martyrdom of our brothers in Burkina Faso. The Promised Messiahas continues, “Who is the one who attains salvation? Such a person is he who believes that God is true and that Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is the Intercessor between God and all His creation, and that under the heaven there is no Messenger equal in rank to him, nor is there any book equal in status to the Quran. God did not desire that anyone should remain alive eternally, but this Chosen Prophet lives forever.” (Noah’s Ark, pp. 22-23)
Another allegation is refuted here that, God forbid, we dishonour the Holy Prophetsa. Furthermore, with respect to the Quran being the Khatam al-Kutub (The Seal of the Books), the Promised Messiahas states:
“The Holy Prophetsa is the Seal of Prophets and the Holy Quran is the Seal of the Books. Thus, there can be no other creed or prayer. One cannot attain salvation if he abandons that which the Holy Prophetsa has said or demonstrated, and that which is contained in the Holy Quran. Whoever abandons these is bound for hell. This is our faith and belief. However, it should be borne in mind that the door to revelation and [Divine] discourse is open to this Ummah. (Allah the Almighty speaks and this door of discourse is open, not closed). And this door is a constant testament to the veracity of the Holy Quran and truthfulness of the Holy Prophetsa. Therefore, God Almighty has taught the following prayer in Surah al-Fatihah:
اِہۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَ ۙ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“The prayer taught [to be guided] to the path of those who were bestowed [God’s] favour alludes to seeking the miracles of the prophets – peace be on them. It is evident that the miracle granted to the prophets, peace be on them, is Divine insight. This favour was bestowed upon them through revelation and Divine discourse, therefore, you too should seek this. Thus, reflect on this reward; although the Holy Quran teaches us this prayer, does this prayer bear no fruit? Is there no one in this Ummah who can attain this favour?”
You offer this prayer, and in fact, Allah the Almighty has commanded us to offer this prayer. As a result, those who strive to achieve this rank can attain it. The Promised Messiahas states:
“How strange is the condition of Muslims, that despite Allah the Almighty having taught them this prayer, they still say that not even a single person can attain this status, let alone many.” Apparently, there is no one in the Ummah who can attain this rank. The Promised Messiahas further states:
“According to them, this door [to Divine discourse] is now closed for eternity. Does such a belief dishonour Islam and the Holy Prophetsa or establish its superiority?”
They [i.e. non-Ahmadi Muslims] lay the blame on us, so they should answer as to why they close a door that is contrary to a prayer taught by Allah the Almighty Himself. Who is truly guilty of blaspheming God? Them or us? The Promised Messiahas continues:
“I say truthfully that whoever holds this belief disgraces Islam and has failed to understand the essence of the Shariah. One of the aims of Islam was not only to enable humankind to verbally proclaim the Unity of God, but to truly believe it; one should not only imagine heaven and hell but truly believe in them and experience a heavenly delight in this very life. (One should demonstrate such virtues so as to turn this life into paradise) and attain salvation from the sins which man with savage traits is immersed in.” The Promised Messiahas further states:
“This was, and still remains the grand and extraordinary purpose of Islam, a pure purpose the likes of which no other nation can bring forth from their religion; no one can bring forth its equal. Everyone can make claims, but is there anyone who can demonstrate it?” (Lecture Ludhiana, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 285-286)
Today, the followers of the Promised Messiahas must attain this rank. The world must be informed of this. We must demonstrate to those who label us as disbelievers that Ahmadis do not merely bring forth old tales, but have a firm conviction that even today, Allah the Almighty bestows His grace upon those who believe in the Living Book and Living Prophet. We believe with conviction that Allah the Almighty speaks even today.
The Promised Messiahas then states:
“Allah the Almighty has bestowed us a prophet who is the Seal of the Believers, the Seal of Men of Understanding, and the Seal of the Prophets. In the same manner, God revealed a book unto him that is an amalgamation of all books and the Seal of Books. The Holy Prophetsa – who is the Seal of Prophets – brought prophethood to its completion. However, bringing prophethood to its completion does not mean that he brought to it an end like one who strangles someone to death, for there is no glory in bringing something to an end in this manner. On the contrary, what is truly meant by the Holy Prophetsa being the final prophet is that he has perfected prophethood at its pinnacle. In other words, the many wonders granted to prophets from Adam all the way to Jesus, son of Mary, have culminated in the person of the Holy Prophetsa. Thus, the Holy Prophetsa naturally stands as the Seal of the Prophets. In the same manner, all teachings, guidance and knowledge that has been transmitted in various books, has culminated in the Holy Quran – The Seal of the Books.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 1, pp. 341-342)
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“The title ‘The Seal of the Prophets’ with which the Holy Prophetsa has been addressed inherently demands that the book revealed to him is also the ‘The Seal of the Books’ which contains all perfection. And indeed, it does contain all perfection. It is a basic principle of Divine revelation that the grandeur and power of the revelation is relative to the power to purify and inner perfection of the recipient. The Holy Prophet’ssa spiritual influence and inner perfection were the most lofty and unsurpassable by any other – neither in the past, nor in the future.”
He attained the highest degree of perfection, the likes of which there never was, nor will be. Even then, people allege that, God forbid, we consider the Promised Messiahas to be above the Holy Prophetsa and commit blasphemy against him. After hearing these words, any sensible and just person can never say that an Ahmadi is blasphemous towards the Holy Prophetsa. The Promised Messiahas then states:
“It is for this reason that the Holy Quran is also higher in rank and status than all previous books and scriptures. No other scripture has ever attained this rank because the Holy Prophet’ssa capacity and spiritual influence was so profound and because he attained a level of perfection that raised him to the pinnacle. At such a stage, the Holy Quran revealed to him is also perfect. Just as the wonders of prophethood culminated in the Holy Prophetsa and reached perfection, so too did the miracles of revelation reach perfection in the Holy Quran. He is the Seal of the Prophets, and his scripture is the Seal of the Books.”
The Promised Messiahas states:
“However lofty and wondrous the miracles of revelation can be, in all aspects, the book of the Holy Prophetsa is the apex.
All the lofty standards and noble aspects that establish its miraculous character and authority, are all found in the Holy Quran. The perfection of the Holy Quran is seen and its miraculous character is proved from every aspect, that is to say, from the aspect of excellence of composition and eloquence, of the sequence of its subjects, of its teaching and its perfection and of the fruits of its teaching. That is why the Holy Quran has not demanded its match from any particular aspect, but has issued a general challenge demanding a match from any aspect (it has issued a challenge from any aspect as the Quran comprises all different aspects). Whether it be from the perspective of excellence of composition, its meanings and purports, its teachings, its prophecies or matters of the unseen mentioned in the Quran. From whichever point of view it is looked at, it is a miracle.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, pp. 36-37)
Then, whilst in a gathering, the Promised Messiahas said:
“It should never be forgotten that the Holy Quran, which is The Seal of Books, is not merely a compilation of stories. Those who, due to their misconceptions and oversight, have deemed the Holy Quran to be a mere collection of stories have not utilised their ability to discern the truth. In fact, this book has taken stories of the past and even turned those into philosophies.”
The accounts that are mentioned have been presented as philosophies; there are lessons and depth to them. The Promised Messiahas further states, “It is a great favour upon all other books and prophets that it has turned these stories into philosophies, otherwise today, such accounts would be mocked. Another blessing of Allah the Almighty is that in this intellectual era where knowledge about the realities of all that is in this world and the properties of things continue to increase, He established an order for heavenly knowledge and the uncovering of its verities.”
There are many experts in various fields; there are different aspects of science and other fields as well in which the world continues to advance. Further research continues to be done and so, He created an order and this order can only be understood through obtaining knowledge from the Holy Quran. Then, with regards to the fact that there is an accord between science and religion, The Promised Messiahas states:
“All of these teachings were considered insignificant in the time of Faij-e-A‘waj [period of spiritual darkness], and they were being mocked in the scientific era.”
However, the Promised Messiahas states, “that the Holy Quran was then presented as a philosophy in a highly intellectual form.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, p. 153)
These misconceptions had spread during the time of darkness and ignorance, when only a few prominent scholars existed within Islam. People used to mock, scientists would ridicule and wonder what this was [i.e. the Holy Quran]. However, with the advent of the Promised Messiahas and through his commentary and explanations and by demonstrating its depths of knowledge [it was presented in its pristine form]. Muslims should be grateful to Allah the Almighty that in this era, according to His promise, He sent His chosen one in order to present the true teachings of the Holy Quran, who eliminated all the ignorant allegations that were levelled against Islam.
Then, with regards to the degree of importance he gave to belief in the Holy Quran and to following it and deeming it to be vital to one’s faith, the Promised Messiahas states:
“I regard even the slightest deviance from adhering to the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa as disbelief. It is my view that whoever abandons this even in the slightest is doomed to hell.” He continues, “Not only have I mentioned this belief in speeches, but I have stated this clearly in about sixty of my publications; this worries me and remains on my mind day and night.” (Lecture Ludhiana, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, p. 259)
The Promised Messiahas further states, “Our opponents are quick to issue edicts of disbelief against us. If they have heard something from us, then justice would demand that, while maintaining the fear of Allah the Almighty, they ask us whether or not we had said such a thing. If we have, then they can say that it is not in accordance with Islam and that we should explain. But that is not the case.” He continues, “They do not care in the slightest. They are simply bent upon issuing edicts of disbelief.” (Lecture Ludhiana, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, p. 259)
Whatever we have said is in light of the teachings of Islam and the Holy Quran; this is our belief with which our actions align.
With regards to the concordance between the Holy Quran and the natural law, the Promised Messiahas states:
“Pure and complete are the teachings of the Holy Quran, which nourishes every branch of the human tree. The Holy Quran does not lay emphasis solely on a single aspect; rather, sometimes it calls for forgiveness and pardon provided that that forgiveness is most prudent. Other times, it teaches that, in light of the appropriate time and place, a perpetrator should be punished. (It teaches to forgive in some circumstances and to punish in others). Thus, the Holy Quran is a reflection of the natural law instated by God Almighty which we see around us. It is reasonable to think that God’s words and actions should be aligned; meaning the manner in which God’s deeds manifest in the world necessitates that the teachings in God Almighty’s true Book should be in accordance.” In the natural law, we see that there are instances in which Allah the Almighty forgives; there are times when He punishes and others where He overlooks, and the same principle should be reflected in the religious teaching and in the religious scripture, and indeed it is found in the Holy Quran. The Promised Messiahas continues, “It is not that the actions show one thing, and the words display another. We find that God Almighty does not always exhibit leniency and clemency, rather He punishes wrongdoers by causing them to endure various calamities. Such calamities have also been mentioned in previous scriptures. Our God is not only Compassionate, He is Wise, and His wrath is also mighty. The true book is that which accords with His natural law and the true divine word is that which does not contradict His actions. We have not observed God to always be compassionate and lenient to His creation and for them to never endure calamities. Through me, even now, God Almighty has forewarned of a great and catastrophic earthquake for the impure, which will ruin them.” (Chashma-e-Masihi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 346-347)
This was at the time when the Promised Messiahas had foretold about an earthquake.
Then, the Promised Messiahas states:
“It is only the Holy Quran in this world that has presented God and His attributes in concordance with the natural law which is recognised through the work of God and is imprinted upon human nature and the human conscience. The god of Christians is limited to the pages of the Gospels, and they are unaware of the God that the Gospels have been unable to reach. However, the God presented by the Holy Quran is not lost upon any of those who possess understanding. Therefore, the true God is the God presented by the Holy Quran.” No matter where one may live, what religion they may follow, even atheists see the creation of the world and are certain to some degree that God exists. Many hold to this belief in accordance with their ancestral religions. In any case, the Promised Messiahas continues, “The God of the Holy Quran is He Who manifests Himself, unlike that of the Christians. This is attested to by human nature and the natural law.” (Chashma-e-Masihi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, pp. 350 [footnote])
The Promised Messiahas states:
“That religion alone is true which demonstrates that God hears and speaks in this age also. In a true religion, God attests His existence through divine discourse. Searching for God is a difficult matter. It is not an affair of worldly philosophers and wise men. Observation of the heavens and earth only leads to the conclusion that although orderliness indicates that the universe should have a Creator, yet it is not proof that such a Creator in fact exists. There is a great deal of difference between what ought to be and what is. The Holy Quran is the only book that sets forth His existence as a fact and not only urges the seeking of God but makes Him manifest. There is no other book that makes the Hidden Being manifest.” (Chashma-e-Masihi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 20, p. 352)
Proof of the existence of God Almighty can be found in the Holy Quran. Whilst mentioning the superiority of the Qur’an over the Gospels and other religious scriptures, the Promised Messiahas says:
“The Holy Quran is a perfect and living miracle. The miracle of the word and discourse is such a miracle that does not become redundant in any era, nor can anyone destroy its efficacy. If today, one wishes to see the miracles performed by Prophet Mosesas, how can they see them? Do the Jews still have the staff of Moses and does it still have the power to turn into a snake etc.? Thus, the miracles that were demonstrated by all the prophets ceased when they passed away. However, the miracles of our Holy Prophetsa are such that they are living and subsist in every era. The fact that these miracles are living and do not cease, clearly demonstrates that only the Holy Prophet’ssa teachings are alive, and so too is his prophethood. Everlasting life was not given to anybody other than the Holy Prophetsa. The reason his teachings are alive is that its fruits and blessings are manifested even today, just as they were 1300 years ago. There is no other teaching present today whereby its followers can attribute the blessings and fruits they receive to their religion and can claim that they have become a sign of Allah. However, through the grace and benevolence of Allah the Almighty, even today we find examples of the blessings and bounties of the teachings of the Holy Quran, as well as all those favours one receives when they truly follow in the footsteps of the Holy Prophetsa.
“Thus, God Almighty has established this community so they become living proof of the truthfulness of Islam and to prove that by completely following the Holy Prophetsa and those signs and bounties are still manifest today as they were exhibited 1300 years ago and until now thousands of signs have been manifested.”
And the Promised Messiahas has mentioned these signs in some of his books. Furthermore, the passing of each day bears testimony to how the prophecies mentioned by the Promised Messiahas are being fulfilled through the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.
Nonetheless, the Promised Messiahas further states:
“I invite the leader of every nation and religion to challenge me by demonstrating signs of their truthfulness. However, there is not even a single person who can practically demonstrate the truthfulness of their faith. We believe the Word of God to be a perfect miracle and with firm conviction, we claim that no other book is equal to it. I say based on experience that if someone were to pick out any matter from the Quran, each one of them will be a sign and a miracle in itself. Take its teachings, for example, it is an extraordinary miracle and indeed this is the case. The teachings [of the Quran] conform to a profoundly wise system and are based upon man’s nature in such a way that no other teaching can be accepted in place of it. The Holy Quran perfects and completes all previous teachings. At present, just by presenting one aspect of its teachings, I can prove that the teachings presented by the Holy Quran are the most superior and a miracle in themselves. Take the teachings of the Torah as an example; if we analyse its teachings based on the need of the present circumstances, we find that its emphasis was on retribution and recompense; an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. On the contrary, the teachings of the Gospels were based entirely on forgiveness and patience, to the extent that it states that if one slaps another on the cheek, they ought to turn the other cheek as well; if one forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles, if someone wants your shirt, hand over your coat as well. Similarly, in every chapter of the Torah and the Gospels, one will find these teachings. If the Torah leans to one extreme, then the Gospels lean to the other extreme. However, on every occasion, the Holy Quran presents teachings that are balanced and appropriate according to the situation. Whichever command one ponders over, one will find that the teachings of the Quran are appropriate and in accordance with the circumstances. Even though we accept that the source of all the teachings is the same, we cannot deny that both the Torah and the Gospels have focused more on a particular aspect. However, only the teachings presented by the Quran are in line with the nature of man. To say that because the teachings found in the Torah skew to one extreme and therefore it is not from God, is incorrect. (It is wrong to say that the teachings of the Torah were not sent by God) Indeed, the Torah was also sent by God. The fact of the matter is that given the circumstances of the time, this [Quranic] teaching would have been ineffective and since the Torah and the Gospels were for a specific [people and] place.”
I.e. the balanced teaching that has been given now [in the Quran] would have been ineffective for those times. In those times, a teaching of retribution as mentioned in the Torah [was needed].
“And since the Torah and Gospels were for a specific [people and] place, for this reason, they did not mention other aspects of their teachings in detail. However, since the Quran is for all mankind and for every nation, for this reason the teachings mentioned therein align with man’s true nature, and this is what is known as wisdom. Wisdom means:
وَضْعُ الشَّيءِ فِيْ مَحَلِّہ
I.e. to put something in its appropriate place. Thus, this wisdom has only been taught by the Holy Quran. As mentioned already, the teachings of the Torah are unnecessarily strict and foster the desire to exact revenge. On the contrary, the teachings of the Gospels emphasise unwarranted forgiveness. The Holy Quran abandons both of these extremes and presents a timeless teaching:
وَجَزٰٓؤُا سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثۡلُہَا ۚ فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَاَصۡلَحَ فَاَجۡرُہٗ عَلَي اللّٰہِ
‘And the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but whoso forgives and his act brings about reformation, his reward is with Allah.’ [42:41]” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 3, pp. 37-40)
The Promised Messiahas established the supremacy of the Holy Quran over all other faiths with such courage and with such great signs at a time when the country [i.e. India] was under British rule and the Church wielded enormous influence. Yet, despite this, the Promised Messiahas issued an open challenge in relation to the excellences of the Holy Quran over all other faiths and did not fear even in the slightest. This is because he was the one who had been sent by Allah the Almighty in this era in complete subservience to the Holy Prophetsa and with the objective to spread his teachings. This is precisely what we are witnessing today in the literature and teachings of the Promised Messiahas and today the Ahmadiyya Community is continuing to further that mission. However, those who level allegations against the Ahmadiyya Community claim that Ahmadis interpolate and dishonour the Holy Quran. Whilst explaining the need and importance of the Holy Quran, the Promised Messiahas states:
“A strong argument in support of the need for the Holy Quran is that all the previous Books, beginning with the Torah and ending with the Gospel, are addressed to a particular people, namely, the Children of Israel and state in clear words that the directions contained in them are not for the general benefit, and are limited to the Children of Israel. But the Holy Quran aims at the reform of the whole world and is not addressed to any particular people but states plainly that it has been revealed for the benefit of the whole of mankind and that the reform of everyone is its purpose. Thus, there is a significant difference in the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Torah with respect to their addressees. For example, the Torah states that one should not kill and the Quran also states this. Thus, it seems that the Quran has repeated this instruction that had appeared in the Torah, however, this is not a repetition because the instruction of the Torah is only for the Children of Israel and only prohibits them from killing. The Torah does not concern itself with others. On the other hand, the Holy Quran relates to the entire world and prohibits the whole of mankind from unlawfully killing anyone. Similarly, all the other injunctions found in the Holy Quran are for the reformation of the whole of mankind, whereas the Torah is only limited to the Children of Israel.” (Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, p. 85)
The Promised Messiahas further states
“This claim of the Christian clergy is completely wrong that the Holy Quran did not present anything new in relation to Tawhid [oneness of God] and in its other commandments. A foolish one may be deceived into thinking that the Torah mentions Tawhid as well as the commandments related to worship and its prerequisites, therefore, what is it that has been mentioned in the Quran which is unique. However, one who has never pondered over the Word of God can only fall prey to this. It should be made clear that there is a significant aspect related to the existence of God that not even a trace of it is found in the Torah. The Torah does not mention the intricate details in relation to the various stages of Tauhid. The Holy Quran does not simply tell us to refrain from the worship of idols, humans, animals, objects, celestial bodies and Satan. In fact, Tauhid consists of three stages. The first one is for the general masses who seek salvation from the wrath of God Almighty. The second stage is for those particular people who seek to establish a stronger bond with God as compared to the rest of mankind. And the third stage is in relation to an even particularly special group of people who wish to attain the highest stages of attaining nearness to God. In the first stage, one is required not to worship anyone besides Allah and not to worship anything that is limited and a creation, whether it be on the earth or in the skies. The second stage of Tauhid is that one considers God Almighty to be the one Who truly has the influence in a person’s affairs and as well as in the affairs of others and not to depend so heavily on the provisions [for the fulfilment of one’s tasks] that they be deemed as equal to God Almighty. For example, if one says that ‘had such and such person not been here then, I would have incurred such and such loss’ or ‘if so and so person had not been here, I would have been completely ruined.’ (Reliance on others of this nature is also Shirk and goes against the concept of Tawhid). If such words are uttered with the intention that one truly thinks that those individuals are of great significance, then this is also Shirk. The third stage of Tawhid is that, in one’s love for God Almighty they should remove their personal desires and devote themselves completely in His greatness. Where is such a concept of Tawhid in the Torah? Similarly, there is no mention of heaven or hell in the Torah except for being alluded to here and there. Similarly, the complete mention of the perfect attributes of God Almighty are not to be found anywhere in the Torah. If the Torah contained a chapter as found in the Holy Quran:
قُلۡ ہُوَ اللّٰہُ اَحَدٌ ۚ اَللّٰہُ الصَّمَدُ لَمۡ يَلِدۡ ۬ۙوَلَمۡ يُوۡلَدۡ وَلَمۡ يَکُنۡ لَّہٗ کُفُوًا اَحَدٌ
“Then, perhaps the Christians would have been saved from the plight of worshipping the creation. Similarly, the Torah has not mentioned the various stages of fulfilling the different rights whereas the Quran has mentioned these in the most perfect manner. For example, it states:
اِنَّ اللّٰہَ يَاۡمُرُ بِالۡعَدۡلِ وَالۡاِحۡسَانِ وَاِيۡتَآئِ ذِي الۡقُرۡبٰي
“That is, ‘Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred.’ [16:91]
In other words, one should show compassion to mankind out of a natural yearning and not with the intention of seeking any favours in return, just like a mother expresses compassion for her child. Furthermore, unlike the Holy Quran, the Torah has not been able to prove the existence of God, His Oneness and His perfect attributes through rational arguments. In fact, the Holy Quran has mentioned all of the various doctrines and also proved the need for Divine revelation and prophethood through rational arguments. It has explained every issue in a philosophical manner and thereby made it easy to comprehend for those who are in search of the truth. All of these arguments are presented in the Holy Quran in such a perfect manner that it is impossible for anyone else to do the same. For example, there is not a single argument that proves the existence of God Almighty that cannot be found in the Holy Quran. A strong argument in support of the need for the Holy Quran is that all the previous Books, beginning with the Torah and ending with the Gospel, are addressed to a particular people, namely, the Children of Israel and state in clear words that the directions contained in them are not for the general benefit, and are limited to the Children of Israel. But the Holy Quran aims at the reform of the whole world and is not addressed to any particular people but states plainly that it has been revealed for the benefit of the whole of mankind and that the reform of everyone is its purpose.” (Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 13, pp. 83-85)
There are many other references in relation to the excellences, lofty status and supremacy of the Holy Quran that shall be mentioned in the future insha-Allah.
(Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 24 February 2023, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)