English translation of Inqilab-e-Haqiqi
An address by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih II, al-Musleh al-Mau‘ud
Delivered at Jalsa Salana Qadian on 28 December 1937
In this address, delivered at Jalsa Salana Qadian on 28 December 1937, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra discusses material movements in world history and the secrets of their success, followed by an exploration of the grand epochs of religious movements. He declares that the revolution brought about by the Promised Messiahas was, in essence, a revival of the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. He then speaks about the revolution initiated by the Promised Messiah, outlining the objectives of Tahrik-e-Jadid and associating this revolution with the demands of Tahrik-e-Jadid. Concluding his address, he sheds light on the means to establish an Islamic civilisation and directs the attention of Ahmadis towards their responsibilities.
The world of religion is also governed by the same laws. In this [realm] too, true success can only be achieved through revolution. Without it, no religion can triumph, for this would contravene natural laws established by God. The law of nature is the work of God. To ignore this law is to invite failure.
Religious Revolution
Revolution means to bring about the complete transformation of a thing. If one desires to erect a newly designed building in place of an old one, the existing structure has to be torn down. Only a fool would seek to construct a new building while refusing to demolish the old one. The Holy Quran has also linked religious progress to this revolutionary method.
Allah the Exalted says:
وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِيْنَ وَمُنْذِرِيْنَۖ فَمَنْ اٰمَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُوْنَوَالَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوْا بِـاٰيٰتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ الْعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُوْا يَفْسُقُوْنَ1
That is, whenever God sends any of His messengers they make two claims before the world. First, they announce the death of those systems and institutions that existed prior to their advent. Secondly, they declare in unequivocal terms that the system they have brought will be established in its truest form. No type of force, influence or national conciliation can avert this. Afterwards, those who follow and immerse themselves in the new order are saved from destruction, while those who do not, are gradually erased.
The word اَصْلَحَ means to mould oneself in accordance with another. Thus, righteous deeds refer to those actions that conform to the new system. Most people wrongfully consider عمل صالح to mean acts of piety, whereas in truth there is a difference between the two. For example, the observance of prayer is a pious act, but if one offers prayer during the hostilities of a jihad their actions cannot be considered a righteous deed. Similarly, to keep the fast is an act of virtue, but during one particular battle, the Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said that today the reward of those who abstained from fasting is greater than those who did not. This is because those who observed the fast did so in circumstances wherein it would have been better to eschew it.
Hence the Arabic term عمل صالح means appropriate actions. The words 2فَمَنْ اٰمَنَ وَاَصْلَحَ do not imply that those people who believe in the messengers, observe prayer and keep the fasts will be saved from destruction. Rather, their actual import is that there will be no fear or grief for those who believe and completely mould themselves in accordance with the teachings of the prophets and have become the bricks of the building the prophet of the time seeks to construct. On the contrary, those who do not comply with these teachings and do not become part of the foundations of this new edifice يَمَسُّھُمُ الْعَذَابُ بِمَا کَانُوْا يَفْسُقُوْنَ3, are afflicted by the wrath of Allah the Exalted, and like a crumbling structure they are raised to the ground.
The Purpose of the Advent of Prophets
It is obvious from this verse that all of Allah’s prophets are sent to destroy the existing order and establish a new system in its place. After their advent, only those who accept the new system can enjoy a fresh life. These events occur every time a prophet is raised, whether he is a minor prophet or [has a more] significant [mission]. But the arrival of a great prophet signifies resurrection [an absolute, profound and total transformation], which occurs in the same way as it did with the onset of the [five great] movements that I have mentioned earlier. Prophets bearing a law go so far as to eradicate the teachings of previous messengers, whereas prophets without a law do not terminate the existing system; instead, they are tasked with dispelling the false and erroneous beliefs and concepts current at the time and interpolated by people for their own ends.
The Process of Religious Revolution
God Almighty says of all such religious revolutions:
مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ اٰيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْهَآ أَ وْ مِثْلِهَآ أَ لَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰي كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ أَ لَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مِنْ وَّلِىٍّ وَّلَا نَصِيْرٍ4
That is, all the teachings sent by Allah in the past, and those which He has yet to reveal, are subject to the law that they are abrogated, first because they have fulfilled the requirements of the time and are ready to be superseded by a new divinely revealed order. Secondly, their core principles are forgotten, giving rise to the need to abolish the system that has taken the place of the divinely revealed original because of the negligence of people, and re-establish the old system in its original form. Once a divinely revealed system fulfils its function and is ready to be erased, Allah establishes a better system in the world. Conversely, when people are unmindful and negligent towards a divine dispensation [that has principally been preserved], Allah re-establishes it in its original form. God Almighty has the power to do both. Allah says:
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْأَرْضِ5
That is: ‘Do you not know why I act thus? It is to give birth to a great revolution and bring about a new heaven and a new earth.’ Clearly, the hostility of the disbelievers at the time of the Holy Prophetsa was not because he expressed thoughts and ideas contrary to their own. Rather, they were threatened and their thoughts were troubled by the possibility that a rule of law would be established in accordance with Qur’anic principles. Hence, [God asks]: ‘You who reject! Do you know not that Allah is the ruler of the heavens and the earth? Thus, once He has decided to establish His rule on a new set of principles, who can stop the fulfilment of His objectives?’
The Lifespan of Religious Systems
One of the principles revealed by the Holy Qur’an about divinely established religious systems is that they either cease to be practicable over time, or people begin to forget [their core teachings]. Thus one of two possibilities exists. In the case of the former, these religions are either subject to interpolation or, with the passage of time, they become outmoded. Either people bring about changes in the [original] teaching, or it is preserved but the progress of the age renders it futile. For instance, consider someone who stands in need of new attire because his own clothes have become frayed and tattered, or a young child whose clothes remain in good condition, but are too small to be worn because he has grown taller, necessitating the need to purchase new ones. In this way, religious teachings are abrogated because they are subject to decay or are invalidated by changes in the human condition and, therefore, Allah the Exalted decides that a new teaching is required.
In truth, the deterioration of a teaching occurs once it has become impractical. Prior to this, Allah the Exalted safeguards the teaching Himself. However, once the period of necessity for that teaching comes to an end, Allah the Exalted becomes indifferent to any alterations made to it. Just as in domestic life, people do not trouble themselves over whether their children tear apart an already tattered cloth or garment. Likewise, Allah the Exalted only permits changes to take place in His teachings when the time no longer has any need for them and human requirements demand a new law. When this happens, Allah the Exalted no longer protects those religions which time has rendered obsolete, and permits people to make changes to the original and amuse themselves with it. People think that they are toying with God Almighty’s message, but in truth, it has become obsolete, God has already relinquished it to them and removed the hand of His protection from it.
God says that there are only two possible outcomes for divine teachings:
[Firstly], that they become obsolete and are replaced by a better teaching. The use of the word ‘better’ implies that once an earlier teaching becomes impractical, an improved [and more suitable] teaching is required. If there were no need for a new form of guidance, the current belief system would continue to suffice. The words نَاْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِّنْھَا6 explain this phenomenon.
The second possibility is that while the teaching remains practical, people cease to adhere to it and instead establish new laws that conflict with divine teachings. In these circumstances, a new teaching is not required. Rather, it is necessary to re-establish the authority of the original teachings. That is why God says اَوْمِثْلِھَا7, meaning that when a teaching is preserved in its original form yet is no longer acted upon, God sends a similar teaching, that is to say, that We restore the actual teaching. God Almighty has used the word مِثْل to explain that because the initial teaching is moribund, God bestows it with a new life. In this way, it is a replica of the original.
God has explained in this verse that with the passage of time, divine messages either become unviable, or people stop practicing them. Furthermore, a teaching becomes outmoded due to two factors. First, it is interpolated; secondly, the requirements of the time render it obsolete.
The practice of Allah the Exalted works alongside these two possible outcomes. Once a teaching becomes impractical because of the advancements of the age, He abrogates it and brings a better version in its stead. Likewise, when people cease to practice a religion, despite the preservation of its teaching, Allah the Exalted revives it by revealing a similar message—meaning that He reinvigorates the original.
At the end of this verse, wherein God asks—‘Do you consider Allah the Exalted not to have power over such things?’— [it is evident] that these words refute the common interpretation that supports the idea of the abrogation of certain Qur’anic verses. This tenet of abrogation has no cause with manifestations of divine power. The expressions of God’s might ought to be understood in the manner that I have explained.
The divine words—أَ لَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَهٗ مُلْكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْأَرْضِ8 also indicate that the establishment of a new teaching or the revival of an existing decree must be accompanied by a revolution as is considered impossible by the people. [They are ignorant of the fact that] Allah the Exalted has the power to bring about this revolution. God initiates revolutions by revealing new teachings or by reviving existing ones.
Although my interpretation of this verse appears novel, it is the only explanation that satisfactorily determines its full import. Previous commentators have understood it to mean that Allah the Exalted revealed some verses of the Holy Qur’an only to abrogate them later. The adversaries [of Islam] mock the idea of Allah first revealing a verse and then abrogating it. They ask whether Allah was not aware that when He revealed His commandments, they were not suitable for those to whom they were sent. The act of abrogation demonstrates a weakness in God. Moreover, in light of all this, what possible meanings could the words اَنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰي کُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ9 continue to have? Conversely, my interpretation displays a magnificent expression of divine power. It is not easy to abolish a law which is indelibly ingrained in the hearts of people and which society is unwilling to forgo, and in turn, establish a new decree in its stead. Or when people become [spiritually] dead, and set aside the divine teaching, and become ignorant of its excellences, then reviving a segment of that people and filling their hearts with the love of that forgotten teaching and then through these same people, establishing the rule of that teaching in the world is a task of great magnitude and testifies to the glorious and magnificent power of Allah the Exalted. In order to further convey a sense of His might, the following words were added to the end of this verse:
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَهٗ مُلْكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْأَرْضِ10
That is: ‘Do you not know that the kingdom of earth and the kingdom of the heavens is in the hands of God, Who can launch a revolution with the greatest of ease.’
Footnotes:
1. And We send not the Messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as Warners. So those who believe and reform themselves, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve. And those who reject Our Signs, punishment will touch them, because they disobeyed. (Surah al-An ‘am, 6:49, 50) [Publishers]
2. So those who believe and reform themselves (Surah al-An ‘am, 6:49) [Publishers]
3. Punishment will touch them, because they disobeyed. (Surah al-An‘am, 6:50) [Publishers]
4. Whatever message We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than that or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah has the power to do all that He wills? Knowest thou not that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone? And there is no protector or helper for you beside Allah. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:107, 108) [Publishers]
5. Knowest thou not that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:108) [Publishers]
6. We bring one better than that. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:107) [Publishers]
7. Or the like thereof. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:108) [Publishers]
8. Knowest thou not that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:108) [Publishers]
9. That Allah has the power to do all that He wills? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:107) [Publishers]
10. Knowest thou not that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:108) [Publishers]
(Translation by Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, English Section)