Below is the editorial written by Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani, may Allah be pleased with him, in the very first issue of Al Hakam on 8 October 1897. The state of the press and media in India at that time is key in understanding the journalistic climate at the time of the launch of Al Hakam. It is surprising to see that although media has developed dramatically over the last century, the debates remain quite similar, and so do the challenges. The ethos behind the launch of Al Hakam today remains the same and will, Insha-Allah, remain so.
Al Hakam, 8 October 1897
Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira
Dear readers,
Al Hakam, declaring “On Allah We Trust”, comes to the stage of journalism to fulfil its duty. But before it starts to play its part, it is better that certain matters are explained as an introduction.
The history of the newspaper, or journalism, cannot be put down in a few bullet points on a couple of pages. So it was deemed necessary that only important points be brought to everyone’s attention here.
In this age of awareness and progress, the need to discuss newspaper and its philosophy is quite valid because the need for newspapers had turned the five essentials of life to seven. The condition of nations that claim, quite rightly, to be the fountainhead of civilisation and progress has proved that print media is the one thing that can change the fate of a nation and its peoples, as long as it is handled appropriately.
Pondering over the nature and design of the human mind, we know that the factor of distinction between man and animals is intellect, which lacks in the latter. This is why animals are unable to exchange ideas which is the root cause of progression. Of the two means of communication i.e. meaningful words and written expression, the latter unveils the secret behind the creation of man and creates in him the spark of excellence, which, at a certain stage, can take him to criticise even the words of angels, or what we know as revelation.
The history of India – in the times of Lord Macaulay and Charles Metcalfe – has it that intellectuals would debate on two main issues: freedom of press and censorship in Western ideas. Debates went on between the two groups. Those in favour based their argument on the fact that there was no other way to strengthen the rule of the Empire because Western education would remove prejudice and stubbornness from the hearts of religious leaders, resulting in their people accepting the rule of a nation that is alien to them in custom, culture, religion and civilisation.
Those against were of the opinion that Western education, combined with freedom of press, would ignite in the Indian peoples a desire for freedom resulting in them knowing their rights and demanding self-rule. Anyway, after a great deal of argumentation, Sir Charles Metcalfe and his accomplices, who were in favour, proved victorious.
How their victory was celebrated and how Metcalfe was given votes of thanks, we ought not to go into detail. In short, Western education was formally introduced and Indian press felt the breeze of freedom.
The native press, however, was unfortunately accused by some Anglo-Indians to intend rebellion against the government. That resulted in a particular circle, with the support of some Europeans, turning against the vernacular press. The dispute remained unresolved for many years. Then came the time of Lord Lytton, but the attitude of the press, the need of time and a bit of his own bias all turned against the freedom of press and the freedom was no more. This brought about displeasure, but then started the rule of Lord Ripon as viceroy, which is known for a number of blessings that it brought. That honest and just ruler returned the lost freedom to the vernacular press and the press benefitted from it and continues to do so.
The climate again seems to be turning in an unfavourable direction with the question of freedom again being discussed, but to be honest, the press is also to be blamed for giving way to such thoughts. If the press used this freedom fairly, the government would not have had to intervene. The press calls for trouble but it is good that it is now becoming cautious and is fixing itself.
We have had to briefly describe historical facts about the freedom of press, which has kept us from coming to the point of introducing Al Hakam.
Undoubtedly, journalism is a noble and respectable profession. As mentioned above, journalists go so far as criticising the messages brought by angels. This leaves them with great responsibility that cannot be fulfilled by an ordinary mind, rather it asks for a mind that is naturally gifted.
The current state of journalism in India does not need my remarks to describe it, but if appropriate, we will write articles to discuss the factors leading to its current state. For now, we only need to introduce Al Hakam.
Since divine knowledge and divine law are the fountainhead of true civilisation and reform, Al Hakam has taken upon itself the heavy burden of spreading truth and peace in the world through these. The method that is closest to human nature, as suggested by sound reasoning and experience, is Islam. Therefore Al Hakam will be a true servant of Islam. The Merciful God Himself has, by His tradition and promise, appointed Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, peace be upon him, as the manifestation of the hidden and living treasures of Islam in this time of spiritual famine; the propagation of his mission will be the primary objective of Al Hakam.
I would never have launched Al Hakam especially in the given dire state of the native press. It is beyond my understanding how a very powerful inspiration led me to launch it. Our opponents are raising such allegations against us that have the potential to leave other Muslims and the government in doubt about us; to reply to such allegations, there is no better way than Al Hakam.
The policy of Al Hakam will always remain versatile, so we pledge friendship with all circles and take upon us the task of promoting peace and harmony and eliminating the very root of prejudice, stubbornness, intolerance and treachery…
Finally, we hope that our readers will take Al Hakam to be their representative and encourage us through their valuable suggestions. We have committed to be at peace with everyone as our very mission is nothing but peace and harmony. We hope that Al Hakam will never disappoint our readers.
As Ahmadi Muslims, we envy those who lived in the time of the Promised Messiahas and got the opportunity to see him and to listen to his blessed words directly. Such individuals are undoubtedly stalwarts of the Jamaat’s history.
But there were others who came in contact with the Promised Messiahas in his very eventful lifetime and, although they never accepted his message, are also of great historical importance.
John Hugh-Smyth Pigott
John Hugh Smyth-Pigott claimed to be God and was warned by the Promised Messiahas through a published tract sent not only to Pigott but to newspapers and journals in the West; the latter publicised it enthusiastically.
Dr Henry Martyn Clark
Then there was a Dr Henry Martyn Clark – a Christian missionary doctor – who held a debate with the Promised Messiahas, lost it, and later accused the Promised Messiahas of a murderous attempt.
Captain (later Colonel) Montagu William Douglas presided over this court hearing and acquitted the Promised Messiahas, declaring the accusations made by Dr Clark as fabricated stories.
The Promised Messiahas had revelations about all three. For John Hugh-Smyth Pigott, the Promised Messiahas was told that he would not repent and would have a very disastrous end.
In Dr Clark’s lawsuit, the Promised Messiahas was informed by Allah that the case would be dismissed by Captain Douglas – the just district magistrate of Gurdaspur.
All three lived to witness the prosperity of the movement that was founded in the unknown village of Qadian by the then unknown Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas. All three witnessed the truthfulness of his claims through the fulfilment of the prophecies he had publicised about them.
Out of curiosity, I set out to search for the progeny of these three persons. The search was a very challenging one and would not have seen success had it not been for the guidance and blessing of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. It was destined for the progeny to be found in the blessed era of the Khilafat of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa, and, by the grace of Allah, it happened so.
Pigott had been the most intriguing figure for me. Our opponents always brought the prophecy about him up when they saw that they had lost the logical plot in a debate. The first warning sent out to Pigott by the Promised Messiahas stated that claims of divinity did not befit a human being and that Pigott should refrain from such claims or see destruction in the lifetime of the Promised Messiahas.
Cutting the long story short, it was later revealed to the Promised Messiahas that Pigott would not repent or refrain and would see a chaotic end. Since Pigott (d 1927) outlived the Promised Messiahas (d 1908), our opponents have always used this to try and prove that this prophecy was not fulfilled.
What is ignored is the revelation that the Promised Messiahas received about him not repenting and seeing a drastic end. How it all unfolded can be read at www.reviewofreligions.org/5593/rev-john-hugh-smyth-pigott-his-claim-prophecy-and-end
So it was for the curiosity to know how and where this false claimant of divinity ended up that I decided to go out and search for the answer. All the information collected can be read in the article mentioned above, but what I must mention here is the long and winding path that led to his progeny.
Having read many books and theses on the Agapemone – the cult of Pigott – I contacted the authors. One of the authors had been in touch with the family and was kind enough to provide me an address where one of Pigott’s granddaughters had lived when the author was working on his PhD thesis; some 15, 16 years ago. With very little hope, I decided to set out for the address in Bradford.
Before leaving, I mentioned to Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa that I would be making my way to Bradford for the said purpose, but with very little hope. On this, Huzooraa replied, “Search properly and you will find her”. With this “good luck charm”, I headed off to the address on a Saturday afternoon.
Having arrived in Bradford quite late at night, I thought it was best to visit the address the following morning. You can imagine the type of response one gets on knocking at someone’s door on a Sunday morning – especially in England; that is exactly what I got.
The gentleman was a bit surprised with my query and told me that it had been more than a decade that they bought the house from the woman and that he had no idea where she might be living now. I was very disappointed. But as I turned back to my car, he opened his door again and said, “She said she was going to move to [naming the place near Bradford].” He said this at almost the same time as Huzoor’saa words were echoing in my ears. I was to realise, only a few minutes later that that was all I needed.
I got hold of a telephone directory of the town and started calling every single person that had the same surname as hers. I must have sounded like a desperate telemarketing salesman because many just put the phone down on me. Going through the unending list of that surname, I finally dialed a number where a very kind lady picked up the phone. I asked if she was Ann Buckley and, to my luck, she confirmed that she was.
She sounded surprised and shocked at the fact that someone had traced her and called her to ask about her grandfather, but she was kind enough to invite me over.
In about an hour’s time, I was at her cosy flat sipping a cup of tea she had served. But she knew that more than the tea and biscuits I was interested in what she had to offer about her grandfather. As she went down memory lane, recalling the peculiar atmosphere of the Agapemone – the walled colony of Pigott and his followers in Spaxton – she said that she had nothing to do with the beliefs of Pigott. She also confirmed that there was not a single person left who belonged to Pigott’s community.
She was partially aware of the correspondence that had taken place between the Promised Messiahas and her grandfather – who had claimed the same title for himself – but wanted to know more from me. You can imagine how proud I must have felt in saying that “my” Promised Messiah’s community had now spread all over the world with millions of followers.
She had archived a great deal of material related to Pigott: photographs, letters, clothes, books and other items. What involved me the most was the official seal of John Hugh Smyth-Pigott. What had once been the pride of a flamboyant “messiah” now laid buried under files of yellowing paper and piles of brown archive boxes.
A plaque from Piggot’s belongings written in Latin. The translation of this text, recorded at the back of the pendulum, reads: “I am a man. Nothing akin to humanity do I consider alien to me.”
Ms Buckley later visited London and had an audience with Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa. She enjoyed the company of Huzooraa and had a lot of nice things to say about the great man she had just met. Her visit, and the Lebanese food that we had for dinner that evening, was to turn into a very cordial friendship.
She later visited Jalsa Salana in 2012, addressed the audience and mentioned the good feelings she had about the Ahmadiyya Community. Albeit occasionally, I visited her on many occasions and so did she, whenever she was in London.
In 2016, she decided to donate the whole archive – and the only remains – of Pigott to the Ahmadiyya Archive and Research Centre. What a coincidence it is that the day my colleague, Qaasid Muin Ahmad, and I collected the archive collection from her was 23 March 2016. On the blessed occasion of Promised Messiah Day 2016, anything that was left of Pigott was handed over to the Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas. Praise be to Allah!
Finding Jolyn Martyn Clark was relatively easier. It took a lot of time and effort to find a name from the progeny of Dr Henry Martyn Clark, but tracking him down was not as difficult, thanks to his blog which he keeps alive with great enthusiastic activity.
Jolyn was more surprised to listen to the background of my search than Ms Buckley; he had no idea of the whole controversy. He laid before me the items belonging to Dr Henry Martyn Clark on his coffee table. One of the items was a vote of thanks, calligraphically written and framed, presented to Dr Clark upon his retirement and his return to Edinburgh.
Jolyn had never known what language it was and what it meant. I read it out to him and to his and my surprise, it had mention of the great debate that had taken place between Dr Clark and the Promised Messiahas in Amritsar.
This first encounter too turned into a warm and cordial friendship. He visited London and had audience with Huzooraa. I was fortunate to be in the room where the two great-grandsons met; one of the Promised Messiahas and the other of his great opponent. But this great-grandson of an opponent had nothing but love, admiration and adoration for the great-grandson and Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas.
Jolyn Martyn Clark meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa
Having known of the great debate, he proclaimed that he could not say who the winner of the debate was, but it was clear from the success and prosperity of the Jamaat who had actually been triumphant. He said that it was awe-inspiring to witness that his own great-grandfather was, if at all, only remembered by the community of the person that he had once opposed. I have occasionally expressed my desire to preserve the archive material that he holds, but never very openly. I know he holds it too dear.
Colonel (more commonly known as Captain in the Jamaat) Douglas’ footsteps were the hardest to trace. I managed to find the address where he lived the last days of his life; I managed to get to the place, but nothing at all to point towards his children.
I mentioned to Huzooraa in a mulaqat that I was at a dead end. Huzooraa replied, “Perhaps you’re not searching in the right direction!” I must confess here that this was one of the incidents that was to teach me that no word of Khalifatul Masih should ever be taken casually.
When Huzooraa said this, I thought to myself where I could have gone wrong. All along I had been quite confident that I was searching in the right direction; I still was. The only faint hope I had was the one last place to visit where Elizabeth – Douglas’ daughter – had taught at a school. As I drove on the motorway, a buried away memory flashed in my mind.
It occurred to me that Mir Mahmud Ahmad Nasir Sahib had once mentioned that he was in London when Colonel Douglas passed away. They had attended his funeral and met his daughter and son-in-law. I dialed his number straight away and asked if he remembered anything about the couple. He said that he did not remember anything, only that they were planning to travel to South Africa after the funeral.
From thereon started a long journey of going through South African records that later turned my direction to Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) records. As a fulfilment of the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa, the boomerang had gone to the land of Africa before landing back in the Pimlico area of London where Douglas’ grandson, Christopher, was then residing in a flat.
Although it is sometimes seen as bad manners to turn up out of the blue at someone’s doorstep and knock, but I managed to find only his residential address. My passion to meet the grandson of the great man who had acquitted my beloved master in a fabricated lawsuit made it easier for me to be “ill-mannered” in that moment.
So I knocked, but got no reply. I knocked a second time and no reply again. The third knock was going to be my last attempt as we have been taught and we have also been taught to not feel bad if the one on the other side does not respond.
For the very first time in my life, I felt how difficult it can sometimes be to follow this teaching. Having knocked for the third time and waited for a few minutes, I turned around in disappointment when I heard the latch rattle. From the little opening of the door, all I could see was an eye and a bit of grey-hair.
“Who is it?” The softly spoken words helped me recover from disappointment. I began narrating the story. He paused me and asked if he could see me in a couple of hours and listen to the whole story then.
That evening, we sat in a café opposite his house in Pimlico and went through a century-old story when his grandfather had acquitted the Promised Messiahas and how the Promised Messiahas had appreciated the justice of Douglas. He was glad to know that the Jamaat, in line with the Promised Messiahas, referred to his grandfather as Pontius Pilate of the Messiah of this age. It was hard for him to believe that a community had kept alive the name of his grandfather, and that too with great reverence.
When he came to know that the successor of the Promised Messiahas now lived in London, he couldn’t wait to see him. An audience was requested which Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa very graciously granted.
There we were: Christopher and I, waiting to see Huzooraa in a fine spring afternoon.
Christopher Douglas-Pulleyne (grandson of Colonel M W Douglas) meeting with Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa
The awe and joy of having met Huzooraa was evident from not only his face but from every word he uttered.
Later, the flat that he lived in had to be put up for sale and Christopher had to move out of London, but he remains a very good friend and maintains contact.
His text messages often have the words: “Could you please request His Holiness to pray for my health”. How Huzooraa has given him love and care is a very faith-inspiring story that ought to be told at a more suitable time.
“He (the Promised Reformer) will descend near the white minaret, East of Damascus.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Fitan wa Ashrat as-Sa‘ah)
Specialists of Hadith identify that this Hadith related to the second coming of Jesus Christas falls in the category of mukashifat (divine visions). Scholars of religious knowledge, being aware of the allegorical and metaphorical nature of these divine visions, recognise the fact that they are manifested in a rather unique and surprising manner. Therefore, the Promised Messiahas, an embodiment of Jesusas son of Maryas,envisioned in the year 1894:
يُسافر المسيح الموعود اَو خليفة من خلفائه الي ارض دمشق
“The Promised Messiah, or one of his successors shall journey to Damascus.” (Hamamatul Bushra, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 7, p. 225)
Accordingly, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih IIra visited Damascus during his tour of Europe in 1924 and happened to take up accommodation towards the east of the white minaret.
Yet again, for the second time while traveling to Europe, this time by air, he descended in Damascus. Hence, the prophecy of the Hadith was fulfilled.
Studying history to find the date of construction of the actual minaret in Qadian, we discover that in 1900, the Promised Messiahas appealed for the construction of a white minaret in Masjid Aqsa, which is situated exactly at the east of Damascus. Moreover, he expressed that the construction of this minaret was deeply associated with the revival of Islam.
On one occasion, the Promised Messiahas drew a sketch of the minaret on a piece of paper with his own blessed hand, proclaiming that Allah the Almighty had commanded him to build this type of minaret.
There lies a particular passion and desire in the ummah of Muhammadsa to witness the practical fulfillment of the prophecies of the Holy Prophetsa.
A study of Islamic history reveals that Muslims, spending thousands of dinar, built a minaret in the city of Damascus, Syria but it underwent various calamities. At present, a minaret stands within the Umayyad Mosque while another minaret exists on the eastern gate of the ancient city of Damascus.
Old image of Muhalla Dar-ul-Anwar, Qadian from Minarat-ul-Masih
Recounting an interesting experience regarding Minarat-ul-Masih (the Minaret of the Messiah), Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra says:
“During my stay in Damascus in 1924, I asked the opinion of Maulvi Abdul Qadir Sahib al-Maghrabi, a well-known religious scholar in that locality, as to where that minaret was upon which Prophet Jesusas would descend. He replied that it was the minaret of the Umayyad Mosque, while another Maulvi Sahib said that the minaret present in the neighborhood of Christians would be that minaret, and yet one Maulvi Sahib said that Jesusas would himself build that minaret.”
Breaking through the myths of history, we uncover that another concept was also present in the ummah of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, according to which the white minaret being physically present in the city of Damascus was not mandatory, and instead, the only requirement for its existence was towards the eastern side of Damascus. (Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, Sharah Ibn-e-Majah)
Revisiting Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya’s history of the year 1900, we find a few devoted companions belonging to remote areas and in underprivileged circumstances contributing to various treasuries responsible for the propagation and promulgation of Islam, irrespective of their poor financial condition. In those circumstances, it seemed beyond the bounds of possibility to raise money for building the minaret. Spite all the difficult conditions, the Promised Messiahas received divine inspiration and published a detailed announcement for the devoted members of the Jamaat on 28 May 1900:
“In accordance with a Hadith of the Holy Prophetsa, the construction of a tall minaret has been suggested which shall also serve as a place to call for prayers. A bright light with a large clock will be fixed on it. Moreover, the minaret will serve as a symbolic representation of the prophecy regarding the Messiah of Muhammadsa لیظھرہ علی الدین کلہ [“He will make (Islam) prevail over every other religion”], signaling that the truth of Islam would reach the same heights as would the glory of the minaret. Similar to the elevated voice which overwhelms all and sundry, the religion of Islam will be victorious over all other religions. The light and the clock of the minaret will highlight that along with the expansion of worldly discoveries, the days of divine light have descended and the world should realise the demands of the age.”
After the publication of this announcement, Muslim clerics and opponents of the Jamaat criticised that spending money on the construction of a minaret and fixing a huge clock upon it would be an act of squandering.
Consequently, the Promised Messiahas published another announcement on 1 July 1900, stating:
“I am amazed at the sight of these insulting individuals who are still hailed as Muslims. Beware that the purpose of building this minaret is to fulfill the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa … and it is indeed a virtue to fix a large clock on the minaret as a source of assistance and reminder of time for the worshipers. As a matter of fact, these Maulvis are not desirous of fulfilling the prophecy of the Holy Prophetsa … It was the will of God Almighty that a minaret be erected in Qadian because without a doubt, it is the place where the Promised Messiahwould have descended … Any individual who contributes to this cause will be our close companion in the eyes of God … Hence, it is destined that the real advent of the Messiah, which would inspire the hearts, carrying light and certainty, shall manifest after the completion of the minaret.”
One can sense the financial condition of the Jamaat from an incident when Hazrat Mir Hisamuddin Sialkotira, sitting in Masjid Mubarak, estimated the total cost of the minaret to be ten thousand rupees. The Promised Messiahas told him repeatedly to devise a plan to lower the expenses. Eventually, the Promised Messiahas divided the amount of ten thousand rupees on a hundred parts and published a list of 101 devoted servants, appealing that those who contributed to the cause would have their names engraved on the minaret. Several companions, who were seemingly not able to offer much, responded to the cause selling their household goods. The Promised Messiah’s noble wife, Hazrat Nusrat Jehan Begumra promised to contribute one thousand rupees and to sell her house in Delhi to donate more.
Primary arrangements, designs and the selection for the place of construction was finalised towards the end of 1901, but owing to the outbreak of plague, there began a shortage of artisans and labourers in the country.
On Friday, 13 March 1903, on the day of laying of the foundation of the minaret, the Promised Messiahas held a brick in his hand and prayed for a significantly long period. Huzooras then instructed to place the brick on the western side of the foundation. Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawabra was the supervisor of the construction work.
The base of the minaret was erected after pouring concrete deep into its foundation. The local Hindu populace, out of mischief, complained to the authorities that the minaret would expose their houses to the views of strangers. The tehsildar (executive magistrate of the administrative division) and district magistrate reached Qadian for inspection and interviewed the locals. On the basis of received testimonies, the deputy commissioner of Gurdaspur dismissed the case.
Despite all the efforts, appeals and monetary sacrifices, the construction came to a halt due to a shortage of expenses. Someone asked the Promised Messiahas, “When will the minaret be completed?” Huzooras replied, “If we end up finishing all the work ourselves, then what source will there be of attaining reward for those who are to come after us.”
The construction work of the minaret could not be resumed throughout the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. However, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra resumed the construction of the minaret by placing a brick on the incomplete structure on 27 November 1914. Qazi Abdur Rahim Sahib was appointed as the supervisor. Marble of the finest quality was transported from Ajmer Sharif.
Reaching the height of 105 feet, the construction of Minarat-ul-Masih completed on December 1915. The total number of stairs of the minaret are 92 and there is a total of 211 names of companions which are engraved on it.
This minaret has experienced more than a century of opposition and hostility to date, but its light continues to shine across the globe.
This elevated minaret is announcing with all its glory and magnificence:
بخرام كه وقتِ تو نزديك رسيد
وپائے محمدياں بر منارِ بلند تر محكم افتاد
“Tread joyfully that your time has arrived, and the feet of the Muslims have been planted firmly on a high tower.” (Tadhkirah [English rendering], p.368)
Majlis Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya Canada visited the Markaz last week, visiting various Jamaat sites including Masjid Fazl, Baitul Futuh, Islamabad and Jamia Ahmadiyya UK. The highlight of their tour was a mulaqat with Huzooraa in which they had the opportunity to ask Huzooraa various questions.
During the mulaqat, Huzooraa caringly asked the Atfal about their experience so far and what Jamaat sites they had visited. In particular, Huzooraa enquired whether they had prayed at the grave of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh in Islamabad and seen Jamia Ahmadiyya UK.
After a brief introduction to Atfal, Huzooraa welcomed questions. The opening question of the mulaqat was concerning the jurisprudence of reciting Surah al-Fatihah behind an imam. Huzooraa emphasised that the imam should be strictly followed during congregational prayers, even if the imam had finished Surah al-Fatihah and performed ruku‘ (bowing position), those following should stop their recitation and bow.
A Tifl asked Huzooraa whether earthquakes and tsunamis occurred exclusively for the wrongdoings of mankind. Huzooraa responded by saying:
“They [natural disasters] occur as a natural phenomenon as well, however the Promised Messiahas said that Allah the Almighty had established natural disasters as a sign for his age. If you look over the history of tsunamis and earthquakes, you will notice the total amount of earthquakes and tsunamis taken place over the last 1000 years are far fewer than the amount of the last 100 years. This is proof of what the Promised Messiahas said being true; they are signs of his coming.”
Further, Huzooraa said “…These occur due to wrongdoings; it is why the Promised Messiahas had warned that if people do not repent then they will keep on facing these types of natural hazards.”
One youngster consulted Huzooraa for career advice, upon which Huzooraa asked about his interests and aspirations. The Tifl responded by stating that he had an interest in computing and desired to serve in MTA International. Huzooraa guided him by saying:
“You can choose any subject related to computers which can be useful for MTA – media, graphics, cameras and other related subjects.”
A young member of the group asked Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa whether he was “friends” with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh.The response by Huzooraa was instant:
“He was my Khalifa. I cannot be his friend; I was his humble servant.”
A student raised the question regarding whether the Jamaat would ever need a physicists, to which Huzooraa explained:
“The purpose of the Jamaat is to serve the people of the world. As a physicist, at least you can serve humanity; whoever serves humanity is good for the Jamaat. If you are a physicist for the sake of the betterment of the world, then we need you. Dr Abdus Salam was also one; he was a big asset to the Jamaat.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masihaa then affectionately smiled to the young Tifl and said “You can be Dr Salam as well.”
A question regarding the Markaz of Khilafat was raised by a Tifl, who asked, “Why did Khilafat move to London and not Canada?” Huzooraa explained the reasons by saying:
“The reason is that London, in many ways, serves as the hub of the world. There is easy access to other countries and people can easily travel here as well. The reason Khilafat moved here initially was because the Jamaat was well established here at the time … There is an easy approach here, you can easily travel here – people from Pakistan can, as well as India, Africa, the Far East and Malaysia etc.”
Huzooraa also pointed out the many Jamaat properties and centres that have strengthened the Jamaat system in the United Kingdom
The topic of the Hereafter was raised by another member of the Canadian group who asked, “On the Day of Judgement, when punishments are finished, what will happen after?”
Huzooraa replied:
“The punishment starts from the very day the person dies. The final decision for the punishment will be taken at the time of Judgement, then, a time will come people will complete their time for punishment and all will be taken to Heaven … This does not mean that you should not do good deeds. You should try to do good as much as you can, so that from the very first day you go to heaven, instead of passing through a severe punishment that you cannot tolerate.”
One Tifl enquired about Huzoor’saa feelings when he was imprisoned in Pakistan due to false blasphemy charges. Hazrat Amirul Momineenaa expressed his feelings at the time by saying:
“I did not feel anything, I thought that I would stay there for a long period of time, but Allah the Almighty made a plan in such a way that I was freed after 10-11 days. There was no fear in my mind; I was not embarrassed; I was not scared. I cannot say that I was passing through a hard period, enduring hardships – no, I didn’t feel that. I did not do anything wrong. I was imprisoned for the sake of Allah, so I should happily face that.”
Huzooraa further said:
“I was determined that I would remain there for even twenty years”
Throughout the mulaqat, Huzooraa kept the discussion light-hearted and engaged very lovingly with the young group of Atfal, whilst also giving detailed answers.
One such answer was on a question related to free will. A Tifl asked, “Why did Allah give man the [free] will to do good or bad?”
“We are not [merely] animals. Human beings are the only animals who have been given wisdom and brains to use. Allah has told us the good and bad things. Those who follow his commandments and do good deeds will be rewarded in the Hereafter and they will create peace and harmony in this world. This is the option given to you because you are the perfect animal in the sense that you have been given wisdom and a brain to utilise all your capabilities.”
Another question raised was regarding life beyond earth and Islam’s perspective on extra-terrestrial life. Huzooraa explained by saying:
“…There are many universes; we believe in that. The Promised Messiahas has also written on this. He has said that there are millions of other universes and there are quite a number of planets where there must be life.”
Towards the conclusion of the mulaqat, a youngster asked Huzooraa about playing computer games, to which Huzooraa guided by stating:
“Yes, you can play, as long as you are not addicted and you are not spending money whilst playing the game. You can play games, but make sure you are not addicted and do not spend more than thirty minutes.”
Huzooraa further elaborated and said, “If you want to play some game, play football. Outdoor games are better than indoor games. If it is not polluting your mind and not making you like Daesh, then you can play”
In the end, Huzooraa wished the Atfal an enjoyable trip and graced the group with an opportunity for a group picture.
Today, I want to tell my friends about the history of the correspondence department of the Promised Messiahas so that they can realise how particular Huzooras was in replying to his followers.
Before he had made any claims and was working on Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Huzooras would reply to letters himself. He would use a reed pen and locally manufactured ink and would write on a thin French paper. Such letters, with the detailed spiritual and theological contents therein, turn out to be a piece of literature in their own capacity. This was the case for a long time until Munshi Abdullah Sanori Sahibra and Sahibzada Siraj-ul-Haq Naumani Sahibra started to visit Huzooras who would write replies on his behalf.
As this work of correspondence expanded and Huzooras, by divine commandment, made his claims public, letters started to pour in in much greater number. Even then, the Promised Messiahas would personally reply to some dear ones (a practice that he maintained till the last breath of his life or theirs), albeit a single line or two. When Huzooras posted books or other literature to some of his followers, he would wrap the parcels, write the address and place the postal stamps himself, with great love and care, before sending them off via registered mail. I intend here to only touch upon this briefly, without going into detail.
After his claims were made public, the Promised Messiahas became very busy and the number of letters only increased; replying to them personally became no longer possible for him. It was then that Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin Sahibra, Hakim Fazl Din Sahib and, occasionally, Mirza Khuda Bakhsh Sahib, started to help in writing replies.
When Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahibra migrated and settled in Qadian, this duty was permanently assigned to him, with Pir Iftikhar Ahmad Sahib as his assistant. He [Pir Iftikhar Sahib] would reply to letters requesting prayers or Bai‘at and other letters of general nature himself as a set format. Replies to letters of special or specific nature would be written by Hazrat Maulana Abdul Karimra.
A great feature of Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim’sra time in this service (which ceased with his demise) was that he would issue a weekly circular with the latest revelations, excerpts from various talks of the Promised Messiahas and other enlightening and faith inspiring incidents. These circulars were sometimes addressed to Hazrat Munshi Taj Dinra with the instruction to read it out to the local Jamaat and then send it off to Sialkot. Some would be addressed to Hazrat Mir Hamid ShahSahib with a similar instruction to forward them.
Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahibra had, owing to his great intellect, sensed that the only way to develop a personal connection with the Promised Messiahas was to regularly write to him. Maulvi Sahibra sowed the seed of desire in the Jamaat’s heart to write frequently to the Promised Messiahas. As he came across many letters requesting prayers, Maulvi Sahibra would also give tips on appropriate ways to request Huzoor’sas prayers. Extending this practice further, Maulvi Sahibra would write such information for Al Hakam every week.
After the demise of Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sialkotira, this duty was passed on to Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq. Mufti Sahib had occasionally helped with this duty in the past, but it was after the demise of Maulvi Sahibra that Mufti Sahibra was assigned this duty. He served in this capacity until the demise of the Promised Messiahas.
It was the practice of the Promised Messiahas that … he would read all the letters himself. Before the envelopes were opened, the whole bundle of the mail would be brought to the Promised Messiahas, who would place it before himself and pray to Allah generally to fulfil the desires of all those who had written to request prayers in various matters. I cannot say what the exact words were, but they would be similar in meaning.
The Promised Messiahas mentioned on many occasions that when letters arrived, he prayed for all those who had written him. He would then open each letter, read it and pray according to the writer’s request. Having read all letters, he would hand them to the scribes when he came for the Zuhr prayer. On days when the correspondence came after Zuhr, he would bring them out at Asr. The letters would be in Huzoor’sas pocket, tied in Huzoor’s handkerchief during Salat and so he would pray for them during Salat. The correspondence department would then prepare a list of all those who had requested prayers through these letters, hence another opportunity for Huzooras to pray for them in his special moments of supplication.
Replies were then written stating that Huzooras had prayed for them. In the replies that Huzooras wrote himself, he would always use a respectful salutation for the addressee, whatever their social status, like Akhwim (my brother), HibbiFillah (my brother in Islam) or Mukarrami (respected).
It was not his practice to address anyone with their name only. Huzooras would always use an honorific prefix and address them in second person plural [seen as more respectful in Urdu]. Such examples can be seen in the few volumes of the Promised Messiah’sas letters that I have published and others that are being published in Al Hakam. As gratitude for Allah’s bounties, I would like to say that the blessing of publishing this hidden treasure of letters has been bestowed upon me. Praise be to Allah!
Concluding this essay, I request that if anyone has, in their possession, any letters of the Promised Messiahas, they may send it to myself – the original or a copy – so that I may publish it and both of us can earn a reward from Allah.
There were certain health issues of Hazrat Amma Janra (Nusrat Jehan Begum Sahiba, wife of the Promised Messiahas) that required medical attention. The Promised Messiahas had been planning to travel to Lahore for this purpose, but the plans always got postponed.
Hazrat Bhai Abdur Rehman Qadianira, a close companion of the Promised Messiahas, was of the opinion that this postponement might have happened because Huzooras had been receiving revelations that indicated towards his demise happening soon. Hence, he might have thought it was better to remain in Qadian for that moment.
However, after the Fajr prayer on 27 April 1908, the Promised Messiahas, along with his family and a delegation of his companions, decided to travel to Lahore. Preparations started immediately; bags were packed and horse-carriages arranged. Accompanying Hazrat Ahmadas and his immediate family were Muhammad Ahsan Amrohi Sahib, Hazrat Maulana Nuruddin Sahibra and some house maids and servants. Huzooras called Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra later to join him in Lahore.
Hazrat Bhai Abdur Rahman Qadianira was among the many that had walked along Huzoor’sas carriages to the outskirts of Qadian to bid farewell, but he was instructed to join the convoy at the last minute, so he did.
Presented below are his recollections of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’sas stay in Lahore, which happened to be Huzoor’sas final days in this world. The following words are a summary of his recollections:
Having arrived at Batala, Huzooras stayed at a roadside inn, Sarai Mai Ichra Devi, near the railway station. It took some time for the seats to be reserved and the entourage spent the next day and the day after in this inn at Batala.
However, on the third day, Huzoor’sas delegation departed for Lahore by the morning train and arrived at Lahore in the afternoon. Huzooras decided to stay at Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib’s house on Killianwali Road, adjacent to Islamia College Lahore.
Bhai Ji narrates that Huzooras later moved to Dr Syed Hussain Shah Sahib’s house, which was opposite Khawaja Sahib’s house, and a makeshift wooden bridge was prepared to join the rooftops of the two houses. Congregational prayers would be offered on the rooftop of Khawaja Sahib’s house.
The news of Huzoor’sas arrival and stay in Lahore had spread to all parts of the city and people from all ranks of society would visit Huzooras frequently. Huzoor’s schedule was extremely hectic as he would not refuse to meet anyone who came to see him.
The opponents of the Jamaat could not bear this attraction of the public towards the Promised Messiahas, so they set up a station opposite Huzoor’sas residence and started distracting people. These mullahs would hurl abuse and shout vulgarity all day, but the Promised Messiahas told his companions to stay quiet and not respond in any way.
Those coming visit the Promised Messiahas, which included scholars, thinkers, scientists and members of the public, continued to visit him and remained undeterred by the abusive tactics of the opponents. The lists of visitors on a daily basis were quite long and to cater for his guests, the Promised Messiahas had to temporarily set up a langar (free food facilities) in Lahore.
One of these visitors was Shahzada Muhammad Ibrahim of Kabul – a member of the royal family of Kabul and a chief. He had great reverence for the Promised Messiahas and listened to Huzoor’sas words with great regard. He suggested that a formal session be held where the Promised Messiahas may address the audience and get his message across to a larger number of people.
The suggestion was taken on board and the dignitaries of Lahore were invited to have dinner with and listen to the teachings of the Promised Messiahas. The date was set for 17 May, but Huzooras suffered an attack of dysentery the night before and it appeared that he might not be able to attend the event.
The following morning, however, he received a revelation from Allah saying, “I am standing with my messenger”. This revelation gave the Promised Messiahas the strength to attend the event and address the audience for around two and a half hours.
In his address, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas made it clear that he had, for many decades, been receiving revelations from Allah the Almighty and that he had been appointed by Allah to rid the world of its miserable state. Huzooras made it clear that it was in this context that he claimed the title of prophethood.
Apart from this speech, the Promised Messiahas delivered many other speeches during his stay in Lahore and in the last few days of his life. One such speech was the one that carried the famous notion: “Let Jesus die for the life of Islam depends on it.”
No moment of these days went vacant. The Promised Messiahas was fully occupied in propagating the message of the true Islam; through writings, through word of mouth and through meetings that he held with various people during that stay.
Clement Lindley Wragge – the famous meteorologist – met Huzooras during these last days of Huzoor’sas life and asked questions on a variety of topics. The answers he got led him to accepting Islam Ahmadiyyat later.
This table and the clock were used by the Promised Messiahas in the days before his demise. They were in the same room where the Promised Messiah passed away in Lahore. Huzooras used the table for writing his last work, Paigham-e-Sulh.
It was during these days that the Promised Messiahas penned his very last work titled Paigham-e-Sulh (A Message of Peace). Hazrat Ahmadas had just finished this great work on the evening before his demise (25 May 1908).
Having finished writing Paigham-e-Sulh and handing it over to the scribe, the Promised Messiahas went out for an evening stroll in the fresh air. The horse carriage was, as usual, ready and waiting.
Huzooras asked Bhai Ji to tell the syce that Huzooras only had money enough for an hour’s ride, so he should take the carriage around to be back in time. The Promised Messiahas had no life-threatening illness, but felt fatigued with the hectic routine of constantly speaking and writing.
As he arrived back from the stroll, he fell ill with dysentery. He felt very weak and frail to a point that it became more and more difficult for him to speak.
During the night, his weakness worsened. All he would communicate during the night and the early hours of the following morning was his desire to say his Salat, as did his holy master, Hazrat Muhammadsa in his final hours.
In the morning of 26 May 1908, at around 10 o’clock, his blessed and content soul left his physical body and departed back to Allah the Almighty – the Creator of all the worlds.
انا للہ و انا اليه راجعون
Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we all return.
Grave of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi
The Promised Messiah’sas stance on the abrogation of Quranic verses
It has recently come to light that certain opponents of the Jamaat are of the view that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi believed in the concept of naskh (abrogation) of verses of the Holy Quran as did early Muslim scholars, but after his demise, the Jamaat declared naskh as improper and against the grandeur of the Quran.
To such people it should be made clear that in order to do so, they should firstly produce the text where such words have ever been used by the Promised Messiahas.
Non-Ahmadi scholars believe that there are some verses in the Holy Quran that conflict with other verses. Upon seeing contradictions and their inability to reconcile the meanings of verses, such scholars suggest that the verse that was revealed to the Holy Prophetsa earlier should be considered abrogated and the one revealed to him later should be considered its replacement.
Scholars use the following verse to support their belief:
“Whatever sign We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than that or the like thereof.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.107)
Non-Ahmadi scholars suggest that the word “ayah” [sign] here means verse of the Quran. In other words, God says here, according to non-Ahmadi scholars, that when a verse of the Quran is abrogated, a better verse is brought forth.
No such scholar ever suggests which of two apparently conflicting verses should be considered abrogated and which should be regarded as the replacement. No such scholar ever brings forward a Hadith in which the Holy Prophetsa talked about the abrogation of a particular verse and that nobody should act upon it. All such beliefs are merely views and opinions.
Any verse not understood by a Muslim scholar was considered abrogated and whoever understood that particular verse declared it unabrogated. It is for this reason that scholars are not unanimous on the amount of abrogated verses and accordingly, the total abrogated verses range from 5 to 1,100.
The founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas proved from two verses that the verses of the Holy Quran cannot conflict with one another. Now, whoever is against contradictions in the Holy Quran cannot possibly believe in naskh – abrogation in the Quran. The concepts of contradictions in the Quran and abrogation therein are both intertwined.
The very first criterion, as mentioned by the Promised Messiahas, for interpreting meanings of the Holy Quran was:
“So, when we interpret a verse of the Holy Quran in a certain way, we should try to find out whether or not there are other testimonies present in the Holy Quran which support this interpretation. If there are no other testimonies, and the interpretation is found to be clearly opposed to some other verses, then we should conclude that this interpretation is false, for there is no possibility of contradiction in the Holy Quran.” (Blessings of Prayer, p. 28)
In this extract Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas has clearly shunned the notion of conflict among Quranic verses and in doing so, his belief in the abrogation of verses becomes an improbability.
“Allah has sent down the best Message [in the form] of a Book, [whose verses are] mutually supporting.” (Surah al-Zumar, Ch.39: V.24)
Regarding the above verse, Hazrat Ahmadas says in his book, Al-Haq Mubahisa Ludhiana (The Ludhiana Debate):
يعني ذالك الكتاب كتاب متشابه يشبه بعضه بعضا ليس فيه تناقض و لا اختلاف مثني فيه كل ذكر ليكون بعض الذكر تفسير البعضه
“This book’s verses and subjects are mutually supporting and similar. There is no contradiction or conflict in it. Every guidance and advice has been presented repeatedly, the purpose of which is that one verse may explain another.” (Al-Haq Mubahisa Ludhiana, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 4, pp. 37-38)
Here, the Promised Messiahas explicitly says that by calling it “kitaban-mutashabihan” (a book with mutually supporting verses and subjects), God Almighty declares that “there is no contradiction or conflict in it” and that the verses all support one another rather than conflict.
At another place, Hazrat Ahmadas explains the aforementioned verse in the following words:
“The special feature of this book is that it is mutashabih, that is, its teachings do not conflict with one another, nor do they contradict God’s law of nature; the teachings of this book are perfectly apt for man according to the excellences required for his nature and physical state.” (Karamatus-Sadiqin, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 7, p. 57)
If there is no contradiction in the Holy Quran, according to Hazrat Ahmadas, then there can be no abrogation in the Quran. If verses of the Quran have been abrogated, it is necessary for verses to contradict in meaning.
Hazrat Ahmadas says in one of his writings:
“The Quran is pure of any contradiction and conflict. God Almighty says in the Holy Quran, ‘Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much disagreement’ (Surah al-Nisa, Ch.4: V.83). Through this, God Almighty shows that conflicts cannot be found in the Quran for it is the Book of God and its status is far exalted than that. When it is proven that the Book of God [the Holy Quran] is pure from any conflict, then it becomes incumbent on us to not choose a method in its tafsir [interpretation] that proves conflicts and contradictions.”
Through these two verses, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi proved that there can be no conflict between verses of the Quran without going against these verses.
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih II, Musleh-e-Maud, says:
“The Promised Messiahas came and told us that the Quran must be followed to the letter – from beginning to end; from the ‘b’ of bismillah to the ‘s’ of ‘al-nas’. The Holy Quran is a standing instruction for us all and it must be followed till the Day of Judgement. I vividly remember Huzooras saying, ‘If someone believes that there is a chance that certain verses of the Quran have been abrogated, then what need is there for such a person to reflect and ponder over the meanings of the Holy Quran and try to act upon them? Such a one would say, “If there are such verses in here that are abrogated, then why waste my time by trying to fathom them? It is possible that the verse I reflect on may eventually turn out to be abrogated.” But whoever says that the entirety of its text is pure from abrogation and every iota must be obeyed, they will try to understand it and in this manner the Quran will become a means of enhancing his awareness.’” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol. 2, p. 97)
In light of the above-mentioned stance of the Promised Messiahas, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat rejected the notion of naskh (abrogation) in the Quran.
During Hazrat Ahmad’sas life, the Review of Religions (Urdu), which was published under his supervision, published a series of articles against the concept of naskh in 1907.
(Research by a panel of scholars at the Research Cell, Rabwah)
22 March 1897: The Promised Messiahas wrote a detailed announcement which bore principle guidelines for the loyalty of citizens towards their government. This piece can be seen as an efficient outreach effort.
23 March 1889: The Promised Messiahas accepted the first Bai‘at in Ludhiana, at the house of Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan in Muhalla Jadid on 20 Rajab, 1306 AH. The building in which the foundation of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat was laid was a small, unpretentious one. Hazrat Ahmadas sat in a corner of the room, Hazrat Sheikh Hamid Alira was posted at the door and the Companionsra were called in as Huzooras desired. Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddinra was called in first. Then were called Hazrat Mir Abbas Alira, Hazrat Mian Muhammad Husain Moradabadira and Hazrat Mian Abdullah Sanaurira. One or two more were thus called in as named by Huzooras, after which Hazrat Sheikh Hamid Alira was told to admit them one by one. At the beginning, the Bai‘at was taken of each person in private, but afterwards people entered the Bai‘at even in groups.
The ceremony was very simple. Huzooras sat on the covered floor, stretched out his right hand and held the right hand of the disciple who repeated after Huzooras. The words of the Bai‘at were as follows:
“I repent today, at the hand of Ahmad, of all the sins and bad habits to which I was addicted, and most truthfully and solemnly do I promise that, to the last day of my life, I shall eschew, to the best of my ability, all manner of sin. I will hold my faith above all worldly considerations. I shall try as far as I can to observe the ten conditions of Bai‘at laid down in the leaflet dated 12 January 1889. I seek forgiveness of God for my past sins.”
These words were repeated in Urdu; and after this, the following words were repeated in Arabic:
“I seek pardon from Allah, my Lord; I seek pardon from Allah, my Lord; I seek pardon from Allah, my Lord, for all my sins, and turn to Him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah; He is One and has no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. O my Lord, I have wronged my soul and I confess all my sins. Pray forgive me my sins as there is none other who can forgive.”
The Promised Messiahas then lifted up both his hands in prayer. The disciple also did the same. When the prayer was finished, the ceremony was completed.
Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan’s home in Ludhiana. Also known al Dar-ul-Bai‘at
25 March 1895: A solar eclipse occurred in the Western world. This eclipse was not visible from Qadian, but when the eclipse occurred, the date in Qadian was 28 Ramadan 1312 AH.
25 March 1898: The Promised Messiahas wrote a letter to Hazrat Seith Allah Rakha Abdur Rahmanra, which shows that Huzooras was experiencing ill health in those days. Moreover, on 28 March, in another letter, Hazrat Ahmadas mentioned the same condition of his health persisting.
26 March 1891: The Promised Messiahas challenged the scholars of the age to have a written debate.
28 March 1884: The Promised Messiahas had a close relationship with Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan. It is reported that the righteous people of Huzoor’sas era had already requested him to accept Bai‘at (spiritual allegiance) before 1889. Hazrat Sufi Sahib was one of those who requested this. The Promised Messiahas sent him a letter and added that after he had written the letter, the following Persian couplet of an eminent personage came to him as a revelation:
هرگز نميرد آنكه دلش زنده شدبعشق
ثبت است بر جريده عالم دوام ما
“Never dies the one whose heart has come alive with love. Our permanence is inscribed on the pages of the universe.”
The tasks achieved by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiahas, as explained by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra, are as follows (all these are explained in detail in the Remarkable Works of the Promised Messiahas):
1. Prove the existence of God
2. Form a Jamaat
3. Remove all forms of Shirk
4. Explain true nature of divine revelation
5. Describe works of angels
6. Debunk false notions about works of prophets
7. Explain divine miracles
8. Restore the splendour of Islamic Shariah
9. Reform concepts of worship and prayer
10. Rebut contradictions in Islamic Jurisprudence
11. Re-establish rights of women
12. Reformation of human actions
13. Provide means for progress of Islam
14. Explain ways of attaining social peace
15. Present reasonable explanation of life after death
Observing the need of reminding and enlightening humanity regarding the significant works of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra delivered an awe-inspiring lecture at Jalsa Salana Qadian on 28 December 1927, later published in the form of a book by the title Hazrat Masih-e-Maud Ke Karnamey (Remarkable Works of the Promised Messiahas).
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra stated that the subject of this discourse was so closely associated with the Jamaat that it could be considered a question of life and death. Moreover, he emphasised the need of focusing on the works of the Promised Messiahas so that the world could realise the truth and start believing in the Promised Reformer. An outline of the incredible works highlighted in this book is given below.
The primary work of the Promised Messiahas – that is carried out by every prophet of God Almighty – was that he proved the existence of a Living God and manifested every attribute of God by signs and miracles. At the time of his advent, God was hidden from the eyes of the world.
The Promised Messiahas unveiled God Almighty to the world through His attributes and showed signs bestowed upon him by God Himself. For instance, he received a revelation which states:
“A warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall manifest His favour and demonstrate his truth with powerful assaults.”
These prophetic words were revealed to him before he was divinely commissioned and assigned the task of reforming those who had gone astray in the latter days. Nobody at that time would have imagined the grandeur of the fulfillment of this prophecy.
There were, in fact, five prophecies within this divine revelation. Firstly, it was prophesied that the Promised Messiahas would live and claim that he was appointed by God Almighty; secondly, that the world would reject his claim; thirdly, that the world would not show ordinary opposition, but in fact it would carry out all kinds of assaults; fourthly, that God Almighty would Himself turn down every attack executed against him and lastly, that the truth of the Promised Messiahas would be established. Against all odds, every word of this divine revelation was fulfilled.
The second work which was performed by the Promised Messiahas was that he created a flourishing Jamaat. One can assess the magnitude of incredible works of his Jamaat by just comparing its resources with its achievements. Even those newspapers which were not associated with the Jamaat used to write that Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya was the only Jamaat which was working (for humanity). Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya spread the message of Islam in Russia, France, Holland, Australia and England.
The services rendered by the Jamaat when the Muslims of Malkana were being converted into Hindus by the efforts of whole Hindu community are worth recalling. The conversion movement came to a dead stop and the Ahmadiyya Jamaat proved victorious.
Thirdly, the Promised Messiahas removed all those misconceptions that had become rampant among mankind with regard to the attributes of God Almighty. Apart from the followers of other religions, the beliefs of Muslims were full of misunderstandings about God. Many were indulged in idolatry, deification and some were of the view that God was the primary cause of this world, but after that, everything carries on automatically, denying His attribute of creation.
Certain people believed that the world came into existence by itself and God is only responsible for connecting the dots. Several individuals believed that God’s attribute of mercy had been suspended and His omnipotence was misinterpreted as well. There were those who believed that everything is in fact God in itself.
The Promised Messiahas presented the solution to all these delusional concepts by pointing out that God is لیس کمثلہ شیء explaining that it is beyond the bounds of possibility to perceive God Almighty by equating Him with His creation. We can only understand His Supreme Being by His own attributes. God Almighty still speaks to His chosen ones as He did in the past. He still hears their prayers as He used to hear them in old times. He manifests Himself through His signs as He did previously. Hence, the Promised Messiahas through divine help gave satisfactory explanations to remove all those misunderstandings that had become part of the society.
Fourthly, the Promised Messiahas revealed the true nature of divine revelation. There were several serious misconceptions which prevailed at his time, one of which was that revelation was either heavenly or satanic, and that the only person worthy of receiving divine revelation is a prophet of God.
Additionally, some were of the view that revelation was simply an inspiration of the mind and that God could not speak in words, ultimately believing in the cessation of revelation.
The Promised Messiahas explained that there are primarily two kinds of revelations: true revelation and false revelations.
True revelation is received by prophets, saints, mystics and momineen, whereas false revelations include satanic predictions and dreams that carry personal interests, which are experienced out of inner desires and at times through lunatic inspirations.
The Promised Messiahas highlighted the fact (through his personal experience) that divine revelation is conveyed in words, rendering it free from any doubt of uncertainty and personal inspiration. God Almighty is not dependent on material tongue to express His message, as He has created the whole universe without material hands, so He can speak without material means.
Furthermore, the Promised Messiahas eradicated the misunderstandings regarding the final word of God, the Holy Quran which was the purest of all divine revelations. He expounded that the Holy Quran bears all the necessary teachings suitable for mankind of every age and time.
Presenting unique and comprehendible interpretations of those verses of the Holy Quran which were once declared null and void, the Promised Messiahas restored the glory and grandeur of the Holy Quran. Thus, eliminating all doubts regarding the nature of revelation, the Promised Messiahas removed all hurdles between man and God.
Fifthly, the Promised Messiahas erased those wrong perceptions that had taken root in the minds of the people regarding the divine beings known as angels.
The term angel was given to the faculties of man by certain schools of thought, considering them as illusive beings. Other misconceptions were that angels perform different tasks, practically moving from place to place, and that they can also sin. Some even considered their existence worthless.
The Promised Messiahas clarified that the presence of angels is vital for mankind as they are responsible for generating virtuous ideas, and essential for the development of physical and mental abilities. Moreover, Huzooras elucidated the fact that angels perform their tasks through divine influence and that angels are responsible for the smooth running of the universe.
The sixth task performed by the Promised Messiahas was that he removed those misunderstandings which were widespread regarding the prophets of God Almighty. People used to attribute certain immoral deeds to the prophets, like lying and stealing. What’s more is that they started finding faults in the character of the Holy Prophetsa.
Many believed that it was impossible for a prophet to make any kind of mistake in the interpretation of a divine revelation, while some held the belief of prophetic intercession to the degree that all their sins would be pardoned by means of it.
There were huge misconceptions about the Jesusas. His birth was considered unique in the sense that he was above all other prophets and in fact, the son of God. His miracles were exaggerated, and his teachings were considered absolute and complete.
Hazrat Ahmadas revealed to the world the truth about Jesusas
The Promised Messiahas restored the status of all prophets by removing general misconceptions, expressing that prophethood was awarded to those who had purified their souls through divine light and that prophets were appointed to reform humanity, thus their character was of the highest quality. He stated that intercession would be carried under the command of God Almighty and only those would be preferred who made extreme efforts to save themselves from sin.
Hazrat Ahmadas explained that the birth of Jesusas was pure and his mother was chaste. Moreover, Huzooras elucidated the fact that he was a prophet like other messengers of God Almighty and not a son of God, thereby presenting the vivid picture of the prophets of God.
The seventh work of the Promised Messiahas was that he eradicated those generally acknowledged false beliefs regarding the miracles of God Almighty. At the time, some were of the view that miracles could not happen.
The Promised Messiahas clarified that miracles could be accepted if they were present in the Holy Books provided they are not against the laws of nature. He explained that there must be a purpose to show miracles and, to some extent, there should remain some ambiguity. Hence, the Promised Messiahas removed all sorts of confusions regarding the miracles of God.
Eighthly, the Promised Messiahas restored the splendour and glory of the Islamic Shariah (Divine Law). Several groups, at the time of the Promised Messiahas and even today, consider Shariah as a burden and believe that Jesus Christas descended to relieve mankind from the shackles of Shariah. Saints had stopped practicing Shariah as they felt no need for it when they had already attained nearness to God Almighty.
There were disputes among people whether every act of the Holy Prophetsa was Shariah or if only the word of God was Shariah, neglecting the sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa altogether.
The Promised Messiahas presented it as a blessing from God Almighty and an essential source for the continuous elevation of man’s spiritual status. He clarified that Shariah can be fully understood through the practice and traditions of the Holy Prophetsa and every messenger enlightens mankind with the word of God.
The ninth work of the Promised Messiahas was that he reformed the concepts of worship and prayers. Many people considered worship related only to the soul and inferred that the body had nothing to do with it. Some stopped praying during Salat, while others were satisfied with ordinary acts of worship.
The Promised Messiahas emphasised the importance of worship and prayer
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas expounded that prayer and worship deeply affect both the soul and the body. Huzooras emphasised on praying during Salat because in this state a person is closest to God Almighty.
The tenth work achieved by the Promised Messiahas was to rebut those contradictions that had, with the passage of time, become part of Islamic Jurisprudence. Huzooras introduced decisive principles and stated that the foundation of Shariah was on the following:
a. The Holy Quran
b. Sunnah of the Holy Prophetsa
c. Those Ahadith which are not against the Holy Quran, Sunnah and reason
d. Thorough knowledge of Islamic Law
e. Exceptions of nature and circumstances
The prominent work of the Promised Messiahas in this respect was that he placed Sunnah and Hadith separately. Also, he made room for exceptions of nature and circumstances which are in most cases the root of certain conflicts.
The eleventh work of the Promised Messiahas was that he established the rights of women that had been confiscated before his advent. He stressed on the rights of inheritance and education for women. He showed kindness and compassion with respect to the obligation of purda because women of that time were forced to cover each and every part of their body, leaving them in extreme discomfort and difficulty.
He made the consent of women compulsory in the condition of legitimate marriage once again and emphasised on giving every right due to them on every level. The Promised Messiahas reinstated the position of women in the society, which had been taken away from them regardless of the beautiful teachings of Islam.
The twelfth work of the Promised Messiahas was the reformation of human actions, vital for salvation and deliverance from sin. Hazrat Ahmadas clarified through the blessed teachings of the Holy Quran that man by nature is good and virtuous, thereby rejecting the claims of Christianity that original sin was inherited in every human. Huzooras denied the concept of reincarnation, explaining that salvation is attainable within this world, and that God Almighty, through the instinct of love and fear, assisted mankind to save themselves from sin, eventually attaining the life of eternal happiness. Thus, the Promised Messiahas laid down golden principles, taking into account the teachings of Islam to help reform man’s soul and spirit.
The thirteenth work of the Promised Messiahas was that he provided the ways and means for the progress of Islam and Muslims. He restarted the propagation and promulgation of Islam which had for a long time come to a halt. He presented a true and vivid picture of Jihad and reminded people about the Jihad of wealth, pen and time.
The Promised Messiahas gave birth to modern ‘Ilm al-Kalam (discipline which studies the doctrines of Islam and defends them). Along with the establishment of many new theories, Huzooras proved that Arabic is the mother of all languages.
The fourteenth work performed by the Promised Messiahas was the establishment of social peace. Hazrat Ahmadas presented certain strategies that he felt were vital for the restoration of peace in the world. He emphasised that the followers of one religion should not abuse the holy and sacred entities or persons of other religions and considered intolerance the root of all conflict and disorder. Moreover, he stressed on presenting the good teachings of one’s own religion rather than criticising others. The Promised Messiahas laid emphasis on achieving progress through peaceful cooperation with the government of the country, not through rebellious and factitious behaviour.
The fifteenth work of the Promised Messiahas was that he presented a reasonable explanation of the life after death and the day of reckoning which could conceivably be offered to satisfy mankind. He explained that the ultimate objective of man is not salvation, but eternal success. He expounded that the material body of this world would stay here and decay, while the spirit or the soul would be resurrected. The soul would be given a new spiritual body that would be capable of experiencing extreme spiritual joys and spiritual pains.
Thus, the Promised Messiahas portrayed a satisfactory image of the hereafter and the Day of Judgment.
The above-mentioned works of the Promised Messiahas are akin to a droplet in the ocean; what he did for the betterment of mankind and revival of Islam is limitless and inexhaustible, and to this day is becoming manifest.
